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Music Lessons
Onthe the Web s.B. natives teach through
FLY GIRLS: Christina Apostolopoulos (left) and Mahealani Lee take their homegrown songwriting and teaching skills to the web with Soundfly.
new weBsiTe soundfly
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t its core, music is human and simple,” said Mahealani Lee, a Santa Barbaran who now works as a senior producer for online music-teaching website Soundfly. “There are those who claim it will always be a mystery to them. Good. It’s a mystery to all of us — but there’s a melody to your speech and a rhythm to the way you eat a sandwich, so in a sense, we’re all musicians,” she asserted. “Since music’s a part of what we are, learning more about it can help us be better versions of ourselves, even if it’s in a very small way.” Taking steps toward self-betterment through music is just the kind of service Soundfly offers. Through bite-sized, free, prerecorded music lessons — some just 20 minutes, others an hour — the innovative new service breaks down occasionally mystifying music topics into understandable concepts, from blues chords to touring cheaply to synth oscillators to chiptune music — all you need is Wi-Fi and an instrument. Both Lee and Christina Apostolopoulos, a fellow Santa Barbara–raised singer/songwriter, contribute lessons to the site, having joined after they both attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Of learning music while at Santa Barbara High School, Apostolopoulos said,“[It] gave me a great sense of comfort and solace,” not to mention confidence: “Spending those hours learning a fingerpicking pattern or mastering an F chord gives you a kind of ‘If I can do this, I can do anything’ feeling.” She applies that assurance to Soundfly’s Open D Course, the first in a new series of free classes on alternate guitar tunings. The course includes multiple videos, chord guides, backing tracks, and simple activities, and after completing the lessons, students will receive a free set of D’Addario guitar strings. Apostolopoulos said her teaching style is“about the balance between keeping [students] excited and making sure they are challenged.” She feels that the Open D tuning allows for both creativity and the opportunity to go beyond the standard guitar tuning. “It’s a great feeling, especially from a songwriting standpoint, to be able to look at your instrument in a completely new way,” she said. Lee, who teaches a course on piano improvisation and also edits Soundfly’s videos, said her music education began at Kellogg Elementary. “My earliest memory as a music ‘educator’ is being an 11-year-old at Kellogg, clumsily teaching a 2nd grade class to sing ‘The Rainbow Connection,’ ” she said.
The dAndy wArhols distortLand
On their latest record, the Dandys dissipate. “Search Party,” “Semper Fidelis,” and “Doves” work; “STYGGO” lyrically rips off Tommy James and the Shondells — married to a Stones “Miss You” disco beat. Meanwhile, the dulcet-toned “Give” gives us a bit more. “You Are Killing Me” is a mundane affair, but the video featuring Andy Warhol’s cult “superstar” actor Joe Dallesandro (ravaged by time and looking a helluva lot like The Fall’s Mark E. Smith on an epic bender) typing his memoirs while plagued by furries and a slyly Dylan-referencing tarantula is a hoot! On the swanky “All the Girls in London,” a hoarse-voiced, kinky Courtney Taylor-Taylor tries — and fails — to be Ray Davies. Although not without its moments, Distortland proves that, nowadays, the passé Dandys don’t rule OK. — Sean Mageean
“I’d like to think [that] on some level, I realized how cool it was to be able to share this intangible medium with others even then.” Through the Internet ether, Soundfly allows students to learn in their own time from teachers all over the world. “Online courses certainly have more flexibility in terms of when you can teach and learn,” Apostolopoulos said,“and you can’t come to an in-person lesson in your pj’s.” While Lee was skeptical at first of the web format, she now believes online teaching enhances a student’s self-discipline and creativity. An online lesson, she said, “provides additional tools and inspires us to explore on our own. Online education teaches us to be honest learners. We aren’t focused on impressing someone else and can’t lie about how much time we spend practicing.” Still in its fledgling stages, Soundfly may grow to include real-time lessons, and the website continues to expand its roster of teachers and courses, with new ones each month. So for those who have wanted to learn a new creative tuning, tackle that synth modulator, or orchestrate a set of string players, these two Santa Barbarans can help open your ears and eyes to new music frontiers. Visit soundfly.com. —Richie DeMaria
Kid Congo And The PinK MonKey Birds La araña es La Vida
Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds have released a tribute to Teotihuacán’s Great Spider Goddess — guardian of the underworld and purveyor of morning glories in all of their hallucinogenic glory. The album envisions her as patroness and protector of the modern underground music scene. A second-generation Mexican-American, guitar virtuoso Kid Congo knows how to get the primal party started, having cofounded The Gun Club with Jeffrey Lee Pierce before legendary stints with The Cramps and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. This album tastefully blends ’60s Chicano rock, garage punk, and surf rock. “La Araña” grooves hard, while Glamazons dominate “Psychic Future,” and the low-riding “Chicano Studies” brings the pachuco power. ¡Firme! — SM
high sChool
MusiCAl
In 1978, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta made Danny and Sandy everyone’s favorite singing high school couple when the film Grease premiered. Nearly 30 years later, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens took over the “We Go Together” duo’s mantel, playing Troy and Gabriella in 2006’s High School Musical (HSM). The star-crossed sweethearts at the musically fertile East High sang a slew of memorable duets (“You Are the Music in Me,”“Breaking Free”) as well as the earworm-y ensemble number “We’re All in This Together.” Although 10 years have passed since HSM debuted, the story lives on — in Santa Barbara, no less. On Saturday-Sunday, July 23-24, more than 60 area kids will perform the beloved play as the culmination of Stage Left Productions’ performing arts summer program. For the past four weeks, youths have been training in the various aspects of musical theater, including dance, singing, set design and construction, and acting. Shana Lynch Arthurs and choreographer Steven Lovelace began Stage Left Productions 16 years ago when both were performing together on the stage and teaching children. “We discovered that we were like-minded in many ways, but especially in our approach to teaching,” wrote Lynch Arthurs in an email interview with The Santa Barbara Independent. “Ultimately, our hope is that our young performers have a great summer while at the same time creating a remarkable show. We value lessons in building confidence, respect, and team spirit. We also believe in providing the highest possible training in the performing arts.” Stage Left chose HSM for this summer’s presentation at the behest of their students. “Last year, the kids asked, and we listened,” explained Lynch Arthurs, who also teaches performing arts at Crane Country Day School. “HSM HSM also has some very sweet and inclusive messages. After all, wouldn’t it be great if everyone was singing ‘We’re All In This Together’ on the way to work and back home again?!” Indeed. Stage Left Productions’ High School Musical runs Saturday-Sunday, July 23-24, 2 and 7 p.m., at Goleta Valley Jr. High School Theatre, 6100 Stow Canyon Road. Tickets will be sold at the door: $12 (general), $25 (reserved seating). — Michelle Drown
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JULY 21, 2016
THE INDEPENDENT
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