Buying Your First Ukulele 3 Things to Consider

Buying Your First Ukulele 3 Things to Consider Suzy S. Thinking about buying a ukulele? Learn the ins and outs of finding the best ukulele for you in this guest post by Casselberry, FL teacher Laurie K... So you are ready to buy your first ukulele! Awesome, step one is complete Decide to play the uke! I am going to go over three basics when considering this new and fun instrument, in order to find the best ukulele for you: Size Prices Styles Size There are four sizes for ukuleles: Soprano, Concert, Tenor, and Baritone. Most likely you are reading this article with an image of the soprano in your mind. Soprano ukuleles are the more popular size and come in more variety. The concert and tenor sizes are also tuned like a soprano ukulele, but are slightly bigger in their bodies, with longer necks and more frets. This makes them popular among professional players. The baritone ukulele is actually tuned to the the lower strings of a guitar (D, G, B, E). So, youll have a one-up if you are already a guitar player! The baritone ukulele is fun but is much bigger in size and has a lower tone overall… which goes against the two main reasons people are attracted to ukuleles: size and sound. So my guess? Youre looking for a soprano. Prices Ok, yes, you can buy a ukulele for $12. But I caution you to only buy these for your toddler children… they do not stay in tune! The cheapest ukuleles are going to be around $20-30 and they will be a much different sound and material than ukuleles priced at $50 and up. My recommendation is to go for the $50-up price range. Youre going to get a nicer material and most come with Nylgut strings. If you buy cheaper, youll most likely end up spending on new strings, which can definitely upgrade a plastic uke. So to save you that trouble, go a little higher. If youre on the fence about being able to play, its fine to go with a cheaper uke too; you can always upgrade later! Styles The cheaper styles are Mahalo and Makala ukuleles. These brands are mostly made of colorful plastics and can sound alright if re-strung with Aquila strings. I personally bought a Makala Dolphin bridged uke that was a light blue color. It was super fun to play but was a challenge to keep in tune. You can watch my YouTube review of it below: My first ukulele was actually a gift. It is an Ovation-style uke the Applause by Ovation UAE20 Soprano Ukulele and its an acoustic/electric, meaning I can play it unplugged and also plugged into any amplifier. I own a small Vox amp and it sounds amazing both ways. I was a lucky girl to start with this uke and I have to say its probably in the range of $120-160, but very worth it! I have performed many shows and it barely ever needs to be tuned, the material keeps it from being affected by humidity, and its beautiful! (To watch my Ovation Applause ukulele in action, check out my video  here!) For the best beginner ukuleles, I suggest the following brands: Lanikai LU-21C, Kala KA-C, Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele.  I have not tried them all, so I do suggest going to a local music store like Guitar Center to try some different brands. You can also search for online and YouTube reviews. Have an awesome time finding the perfect ukulele for you! Mine has been with me from the beginning and Ive continued to add on to my collection. Let me know if you find something new and exciting! Id love to hear from you. Happy uke-ing! Laurie K. teaches ukulele, songwriting, painting, and more in Casselberry, FL. She received her Bachelors degree in Visual Arts along with a minor in Music, and her experience includes leading  Music Together classes with families and children aged from 1-5. Learn more about Laurie here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  William Bigelis

College Readiness Cognitive and Behavioral Skills Required

College Readiness Cognitive and Behavioral Skills Required 0SHARESShare What makes grown up student success at the college level? It is the cognitive behavioral maturity and preparedness that makes academically sound career. Typically, a student studying in high school level has enough grown up to interpret and analyze knowledge. High school level students can engage them in critical thinking and identify problem-solving. Also the assertiveness at this level helps to structure ideas and pen down on the paper. Thus, cognitive behavioral skills like assertiveness, critical thinking, interpret and analyzing knowledge, problem solving and social functioning becomes very essential while taking admission in reputed college. Cognitive and Behavioral Skills: Action Actionable cognitive and behavioral skills help students to plan strategy while resolving a problem situation. E.g. student stop and think before developing action plan and restrict aggressive reaction through the use of sly speech. A mature student can easily identify problems and make out a solution to the problematic situation drawing out aggressive response. Cognitive behavioral skills help students to evaluate the consequences of possible solutions and come up with responses towards better outcomes. Cognitive and Behavioral Skills: Remedy Cognitive behavioral skills help students to communicate effectively may it oral or written communication. The principles work towards demonstrating how techniques should be adopted from theoretical models like conventional learning, social learning and ope rant learning. Cognitive skills help students with enhanced problem solving skills which reinforce them to copy mechanisms from various sources of learning. Math is the subject which requires both cognitive behavioral skills to its maximum. The online tutor directly supports students academically but indirectly focuses the overall development of the students, and building effective cognitive behavioral skills are one of the indirect agenda. The student learns to make effective communication with tutor online and work together towards problem solving in their day-to-day academics. Give a try to Math tutor online at the high school level and feel the difference in your child both academically and personally. [starbox id=admin]

What Instruments Do You Need for a Jazz Band

What Instruments Do You Need for a Jazz Band Shanika Jazz is an exciting and rewarding genre for all types of musicians to study and play. If you’ve developed proficiency on your instrument, you might be interested in starting a jazz band. One of the beautiful things about playing jazz is that it can be performed with any number or combination of instruments, from a solo pianist all the way up to a full orchestra! Most “traditional” jazz ensembles usually consist of a harmonic element (like piano or guitar), bass (which can fall under both harmonic and rhythmic), and a rhythmic element (drums or percussion). Many groups also add a melodic instrument like saxophone or trumpet.  Let’s look at the function these jazz band instruments play in a jazz ensemble, and also some additional instruments and combos that can make jazz a rich, intense, and expressive musical style. Jazz Duos Trios and Quartets There are many interesting and diverse combinations of jazz band instruments. Makoto Ozone and Gary Burton have been creating and performing jazz duets for two decades on piano and vibraphone. Other musicians such as Bhob Rainey and Greg Kelley have been pushing the jazz envelope with their duet called nmperign. Rainey plays soprano sax and Kelley is an amazing trumpet virtuoso. Together they play free improvisational jazz that can range from stark and sparse to frenetic and dense. A duet can be almost any combination of instruments. Piano and sax, organ and vocals, or even trumpet and sax are all great combos for jazz. The trio is a more “traditional” arrangement for jazz. It usually consists of piano or guitar along with bass and drums. This combination is strong and gives harmonic and melodic expression through the piano or guitar along with a solid foundation and rhythm from the bass and drums. This type of ensemble is going to sound more recognizable to the listener and can perform a wide range of music from jazz standards to arrangements of pop or rock tunes done in the jazz style. Check out the Brad Mehldau Trio for some amazing jazz arrangements of pop tunes. The classic jazz group is the quartet. Add a horn to the traditional jazz trio and you have a whole new sound. With the quartet grouping you add an element of melodic harmony to the sound.   Adding a melodic instrument like the sax or trumpet can create interesting counterpoint elements. Check out John Coltrane’s classic quartet as an amazing example of this kind of grouping. Quintets and Beyond Taking the classic quartet to the next level means adding a second horn player to complement the first. If a sax player fronts your quartet, for example, add a trumpet. The extra horn allows for a wider range of harmony and depth. Miles Davis had a series of amazing quintets throughout the 50s and 60s that changed the face of jazz music and launched the careers of John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter, who both went on to front their own combos. Beyond the quintet, the sky is the limit. Bigger groups allow for more stunning composition, richer harmonies, and an expanded timbre pallet for the music. Many musicians have written and performed with larger ensembles, including Charles Mingus and John Coltrane. Additional jazz band instruments you can add to fill out the sound include trombone, baritone sax, percussion, electronic keyboards, or even strings, like violin or cello. You are only limited by the availability of musicians and your ability to arrange music for a larger ensemble. During the 1930s through the late 1970s, the jazz big band was king. The typical big band consisted of a rhythm section of piano, bass, drums, and guitar, along with five saxophones (two altos, two tenors, and a baritone that commonly doubled on flute and clarinet), five trumpets, and four trombones. Big bands are still popular today, such as New Yorks Mingus Big Band. Getting Started If you are interested in starting a jazz combo, the best advice is to start small. Find other musicians who play typical jazz band instruments. If you play piano, find a horn player you like working with and start by developing a duo repertoire. Once youre comfortable playing together, add a bass player and drummer and grow into a quartet.  Maybe add a second horn player to expand your musical palette. You are only limited by your creativity! There are any number of non-traditional combos out there that perform and record amazing jazz music. The most important step to take is the first one; put together your band and get to work! Photo by Chris_Parfitt Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Using Would or Could in English Video and Exercise

Using Would or Could in English Video and Exercise Do you know when to use Would or Could in English? This is possibly the grammar point/video we have worked the hardest on. Explaining the difference between these two words is hard, even for native English speakers! They have similar meanings, and can be used in similar situations, but they are not always interchangeable. We worked hard, and produced a great video and exercise to help you know when to use Would or Could.Try these exercises, then watch the video to see the answers:1. (Would/Could/both are possible) you pass the salt.2. If I won the lottery, I (would/could/both are possible) travel the world.3. If I were him, I (would/could/both are possible)call her.You may have noticed that in one of these examples both words can be used, but they have slightly different meanings. Watch the video to learn more about the different meanings, then try the exercises below.Ok, now try the exercises below. If you write your answers in comments, we will reply.1. If I were you, I (would/coul d/both are possible) wake up early tomorrow.2. If I had a million dollars I (would/could/both are possible) really want to travel the world. (Careful on this one!)3. Grandma, (would/could/both are possible) you please pass the salt.4. If I had studied more in school, I (would/could/both are possible) definitely be better at math.5. If he had trained harder, he (would/could/both are possible) have been in Olympics. hangpham 1.would 2.both are possible 3. could 4.could 5.would LOIEnglish Number 2 is incorrect. The correct answer is WOULD. The reason that both are not possible is the regular verb following the modal verb, WANT. Here is a good way to tell: Does, I CAN WANT more coffee. sound correct? No because generally we dont use CAN or COULD with WANT. Want is a desire so it is always possible to desire something.Number 4 and 5 are also incorrect. Number 4 has the word DEFINITELY in the sentence. When we use definitely then we dont use COULD because they contradict each other.Nu mber 5, both choices are possible. If you use WOULD then you are more certain of the imaginary outcome. If you use COULD then you are talking about a possible imaginary outcome. I hope this helps! hangpham thanks u so much

An Overview of the SAT Critical Reading Section

An Overview of the SAT Critical Reading Section ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog The verbal section of the SAT exam includes a section on critical reading. Reading “critically” means reading without simply accepting the text as fact. When you read a text critically, you are trying to evaluate the validity of the claims presented, recognizing that the author necessarily has experiences, biases, or prejudices that influence his or her views on the subject. If the piece presented is an argument, the author's biases may influence the choice of material presented or excluded, and the relative importance accorded to each claim in the construction of the overall argument. Ultimately, you have to try as far as possible to separate the author's biases from the objective merits of the claim. In narrative passages (stories), you may also be asked to infer the author's attitude to a person or event from the author's choice of words in describing that person or event. As an extreme example, it is safe to assume that someone discussing abortion who refers to it as “the murder of an unborn child” is not of the same view as an author who frames the subject in terms of “a woman's right to choose.” While the former clearly considers abortion morally reprehensible, the latter instead views it as a personal choice with no implicit moral judgment. The critical reading passages on the SAT will not deal with subjects as controversial as religious or political opinions. They will rather be drawn from literary fiction, humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. In some cases a passage will be paired with another that has a related theme, and there may be questions that require you to compare the two. The passages will range in length from approximately 100 to 850 words. There is no fixed number of passages, though there will be a total of 48 questions on passage-based reading. In addition, the test will contain 19 sentence-completion questions. These questions consist of a sentence containing one or more blanks, which you will complete by choosing the word or combinations of words that best fits the meaning of the sentence. The alternative that best fits the sentence is the one that makes the the sentence logical, grammatically correct, and internally consistent. The test consists of two sections of 25 minutes each and one of 20 minutes. In these 70 minutes, you will have to answer a total of 67 questions, almost one a minute. As in any standardized test, time management is of the essence. While you do not have time to dawdle, do not rush through the reading. If you do, you'll waste time re-reading the passage searching for the answers, so you're better off reading at the fastest pace that allows you to understand the passage thoroughly. This optimal reading speed is, of course, entirely dependent on you, so the only way to figure it out is to do lots of practice tests. When you are doing practice tests, be sure to time yourself. Figure out what the best time management strategy is for you, and stick to it on the day of the test. Cell phones are not permitted in the testing room, so be sure to have a watch or other permitted timing device on the day of the test. While the SAT is not precisely intended to be a vocabulary test, it does attempt to test your ability to understand vocabulary “in context,” meaning that you should be able to figure out the meaning of the words based on how they are used. Obviously, the larger your functional vocabulary, the less thinking you will have to do to figure out the meanings of words from their context. The best thing you can do to improve your vocabulary, reading speed, and comprehension is read a lot. Unfortunately, not all reading materials are created equal. You're best off reading classic literary fiction, which is most likely to use unfamiliar vocabulary and style correctly. The important thing is that you enjoy your reading â€" as long as you do, you will want to read more and will absorb more of what you read. Mo is an experienced SAT, ACT, and GRE tutor in Chicago who also tutors a wide variety of college level math and science course. He completed his BS in chemical engineering at Berkeley and his MS and PhD at Northwestern University, after which he worked in mathematical research at a trading firm. He scored 1560 on the SAT and a 1580 on the GRE (both out of 1600 â€" 99th percentile test scores). hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});

Bishkek International School

Bishkek International School Bishkek International School We are a non-profit community school with 300 students from over 30 countries from age 2 to 18 years old. BIS is an IB World School, offering the IB Diploma Programme (DP) for students age 1618, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students age 11-13 and the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students age 3-10. For students age 14-16 we provide the accredited Cambridge IGCSE programme as a sound basis to enter the IB Diploma Programme. BIS is also accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Council for International Schools, providing international accreditation of our High School Diploma and by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, to provide national school completion certificates following state examination. The country is very welcoming, with an open and democratic approach following independence in 1991. The capital, Bishkek, is home to one million people in the foothills of the Tian-Shan mountains where the low cost of living, cultural freedom and easy access to skiing and hiking make it one of the most attractive cities to live in Central Asia. While being within central Bishkek, the actual school location is in a quiet residential area.

Like Duolingo Here Are 7 Similar Apps Youre Sure to Love

Like Duolingo Here Are 7 Similar Apps Youre Sure to Love Like Duolingo? Here Are 7 Similar Apps Youre Sure to Love In the world of language apps, Duolingo seems to have it all.It’s fun.It’s fast paced.It’s flashy (well, flashcardy).And if you love Duolingo, chances are you can’t get enough of it. It’s one of the more  popular language apps  for a reason.Sometimes, though, it’s nice to branch out.  Innovative language learning apps  keep things fresh.  Language learning game apps  can help you play your way to fluency.  Language learning apps for kids  bring the fun. Even  translation apps  get in on the act with some quick language help.But it’s hard to try a different app when you know your tried and true love is still there. Luckily, there’s a way to try new apps without leaving what you love best about Duolingo behind. Whether you’re in it for the fun, the pace or the flashcards, there are other choices out there for you! Here are seven apps that have a few of the popular traits of Duolingo. Why Use Apps Like Duolingo?The first and most obvious reason why you should use app s like Duolingo is  you already know you like Duolingo. There are a lot of different language apps out there, and it would take a lot of time to try them all. If you can pinpoint what exactly you like about Duolingo, though, you can narrow your search and find another one you’ll love.Additionally, using a similar app can provide a unique  approach to the language, while maintaining the things you like about the app. Using a different approach can help you see the language in a new light, which in turn makes it easier for you to understand the language in other contexts.Finally, using multiple apps can  break up your studying. If you’re using the same app all the time (particularly for longer study sessions), it can be easy to tune out. Varying your apps more will help keep you focused and engaged.Like Duolingo? Here Are 7 Similar Apps Youre Sure to LoveLike we’ve already said, you should think about what you really like about Duolingo.Then, try to find apps that have some of t hose same characteristics.To cut down the time you spend on this hunt, we’ve found some that share a few of the unique qualities that have made the app so popular.FluentUAvailable:  iOS  |  AndroidIf nothing floats your boat more than watching entertaining videos, FluentU will be right up your alley.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.Available languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, KoreanMindSnacksAvailable:  iOSWant to play your way to fluency? Try MindSnacks!Each MindSnacks app offers eight or nine games, depending on the language. Games include matching words with their meanings, spelling games and more games that reinfor ce learning in a fun, addictive way.To pack an even harder punch, MindSnacks apps also feature 50 lessons and approximately 1,000 vocabulary words. Audio clips can help you nail down the pronunciations, while quests can help keep you motivated. Plus, MindSnacks uses learning algorithms to help aid retention. If you still don’t feel like you have a firm enough grasp on the material, though, you can replay previous lessons.Available languages: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, JapaneseAnkiAvailable:  iOS  |  AndroidCan an advanced algorithm speed up your learning?Anki developers think so, and they’ve employed that advanced algorithm to determine how well you recognize each flashcard and prioritize them for you.Anki offers you the option of creating your own flashcard sets or selecting from pre-made sets. With over 80 million pre-made flashcards, you should have plenty to choose from.Study sessions are quick (a minute or less), so its easy to cram Anki into eve n the busiest schedule. Plus, your progress is displayed after each session, allowing you to see and assess your progress.Since you can create your own cards, Anki works with any language you might want to learn. With so many existing cards available, theres also a strong chance that someone has already made cards for your target language.BrainscapeAvailable:  iOS  |  AndroidBrainscape applies cognitive science research to its flashcards. You can’t argue with that.Using spaced repetition, Brainscape exposes you to each flashcard at set intervals for efficient learning.If you choose to create your own flashcards, you can upload media like images and sounds for a more immersive learning experiencePlus, Brainscape can be synced between devices so its easy to study wherever you are. You can even make Brainscape social by giving people editing privileges for your flashcard sets.Brainscape lets you create your own flashcards, so it works with any language. However, there are also plenty of existing sets for common languages and even some sets for less common languages.LingvistAvailable:  iOS  |  AndroidLingvist bills itself as “the fastest way to learn French, Spanish, German and other languages.”And, in fact, Lingvist is built on strong principles that are likely to speed up your learning. For instance, it focuses on teaching you words that are commonly used. Additionally, an algorithm tracks your learning and the system adapts to suit you so that you don’t waste time studying material you already know.Lingvist also allows you to track your learning to ensure you’re getting the speedy results you crave.Available languages: English, Spanish, French, German, RussianLanguage Course S.L.Available:  iOS  |  AndroidHave only a few minutes a day to dedicate to language learning? Language Course S. L. has options for you!While this company might specialize in finding quality study abroad language courses for clients, they also have some killer resources for those who are conducting their language studies from their phone or computer.Their app is designed to be used for 10 minutes a day. If you can’t spare that, though, this app also has a listening-only option you can use while driving, cooking, showering, etc. Language Course S.L. also offers a sleep learning function to reinforce vocabulary as you sleep.Each language has approximately 10,000 words with images and audio pronunciation. If that’s not enough, you can also add your own vocabulary words.Language Course S.L. works offline also, so you can even use it without burning data.Available languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Hindi, Bengali, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, MalaysianMemriseAvailable: iOS | AndroidBased on science, Memrise is designed to help you learn a language efficie ntly.The app incorporates games and 30,000 videos by native speakers. Plus, there are chatbots that give you conversational practice without the intimidation factor of interacting with a native speaker.Memrise also offers an offline mode to save your precious data.Available languages: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, KoreanLoving Duolingo doesnt mean your relationship has to be exclusive. Give one of these apps like Duolingo a try!