1485 S. COLORADO BLVD. SUITE 130
720-708-3251
admin@denverama.org
AUGUST 2024
NEWSLETTER
Hot Hot Hot Hot
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
RSVP for End of Summer Party/Concert
Aug. 1-8
End of Summer
Concert/Party
Aug. 11 at 5:30 - 8:30
at DAMA 1485 S. Colorado Blvd.
iPad Winner Announced
August 31st.
DAMA Closed
Labor Day
September 2
Costume Concert/Party
October 27
DAMA Closed
Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 28 - 30
Winter Holiday Recital
Dec. 15
DAMA Closed
Holiday Break
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1
DAMA Referral Contest
is well under way! If you refer someone to us for lessons and they sign up for at least one month, you or your child will get a $25 gift card to either Target, Amazon or Starbucks!
It’s SO easy! Just ask them to fill out our inquiry form and we’ll do the rest. Family members count too.
The student with the most referrals on August 31st will WIN AN APPLE iPAD worth $349! That could be handy for school!
Please Welcome
RICH CARLSON
DAMA's New Drum Instructor!
Rich Carlson has been teaching drums since 1993. He is the author of a book for drum students called “Twisted Drums -A Dynamic Approach to Drumming Independence”. He has played in several successful bands over the years, performing 5 nights a week, and he has even opened for acts including Pat Benatar, Blue Oyster Cult, Great White and Bret Michaels of Poison!
Rich’s approach to teaching is un-intimidating and his objective is for each student to have fun while learning and improving their skills.
If anyone in your household can be found tap-tap-tapping away on the coffee table or the dashboard in the car, you may have a drummer in your family! Just fill out our inquiry form and we’ll set you up with one of the BEST drummers in Denver, Rich Carlson!
Thinking about trying out
DRUM LESSONS?
All new students who sign up for drum lessons between August 1st- August 31, 2024, will receive a FREE practice pad and sticks, free trial lesson and no registration fee! ($85 value). You can use the practice pad until you're sure you love drum lessons and you are ready to invest in a drum set.
End of Summer Concert/Party
Sunday, Aug. 11th 5:30 -8:30
at DAMA 1485 S. Colorado Blvd.
THIS PARTY IS TO CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS AND TO BRING TOGETHER OUR DAMA FAMILIES TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
ANYONE WHO PLAYS AN INSTRUMENT IS WELCOME TO PERFORM WHILE WE ARE SOCIALIZING. SINCE THIS WILL BE "BACKGROUND MUSIC" IT TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF THE PERFORMERS BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT HAVE 100 EYES STARING AT THEM WHILE THEY PLAY. IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WHO IS NEW TO PERFORMING OR WHO IS ANXIOUS ABOUT IT.
PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING US, NOT ONLY FOR FOOD AND FUN, BUT FOR THE CHANCE TO PRACTICE PERFORMING.
YOU CAN SHOW UP WHEN YOU WANT AND LEAVE WHEN YOU WANT. NO PRESSURE!
DAMA will provide burgers and hotdogs and kid-friendly drinks. We ask each family to bring a side dish to share and it's BYOB for those who wish to partake in adult beverages.
Please RSVP by 8/8 so we can plan the food. Thank you!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
DAMA students have been invited to perform at Brookdale Senior Living Center in Cherry Creek. Please email us if you’re interested in bringing a little musical sunshine to their residents. admin@denverama.org
Pet of the Month: GUS
Gus is Presley Sullivan's cat. He is a 6 year old main coon and he weighs a whopping 18 lbs!
Presley answered some questions about Gus:
Q: Did you get Gus when he was a kitten?
A: Yes. Technically he was a rescue. The family that owned him had kids who weren't very nice to him.
Q: What is his personality like?
A: He is like a dog. He follows me around. He doesn't scratch or bite and he is a cuddler.
Q: Do you have other pets as well?
A: We have 2 dogs and 2 other cats but Gus is my cat.
Q: Wow! That's a lot of fur flying around!
A: Yes. We vacuum a lot and pick up fur about 4 times a day.
If you would like your pet featured in our newsletter, send a request with a picture to: admin@denverama.org
AUGUST BIRTHDAYS
Miss Abby 7th
Max C. 7th
Lila H. 8th
Anush A. 12th
John D. 18th
Campbell G. 22nd
Lucas H. 23rd
Grant F. 24th
Kaden R. 25th
STUFF TO DO AROUND TOWN
Aug 1-25
Wicked -Broadway Musical, Buell Theatre. Times vary.
Aug 3.
Reckless Kelly -Country Rock band from Texas, Mission Ballroom 8pm
Aug 3.
The Princess Bride in Concert -Film and Symphony, Boettcher, 7:30pm
Aug 4.
Joe Bonamassa -Blues Rock Guitarist/Singer, Red Rocks, 8pm
Aug 5.
Donny Osmond-Actor/Singer, Paramount Theatre, 8pm
Aug 6.
Megadeth - American trash metal band, Ball Arena, 6:30pm
Aug 9.
Rajdulari -Jazz/Soul Vocalist, Dazzle 7pm
Aug 10-11.
Smash Fine Arts Festival -Cherry Creek North Fillmore Plaza 10am-5pm
Aug 11.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Country Rock Band, Paramount Theater 7pm
Aug 12-13.
The Head & the Heart - Indie Folk Band, Red Rocks 7pm
Aug 13.
Alice Cooper- Rock Singer, Mission Ballroom, 8pm
Aug 14-15.
The Revivalists + Spoon - 8 piece rock band, Red Rocks 6:30
Aug 16-18.
Denver BBQ Festival - McGregor Square
Aug 17.
Porter Robinson -Electronic Music, Ball Arena, 8pm
Aug 19.
Hot Tomatoes Dance Orchestra - Swing era music, Dazzle, 6pm
Aug 20.
The Struts -British Rock Band, Mission Ballroom 8pm
Aug 22-24.
Denver BBQ Festival, Civic Center
Aug 23-24.
Dave Mathews Band -Singer/Songwriter, Fiddler’s Green 7:30pm
Aug 24.
Denver Brunch Fest, Tivoli Quad Auraria Campus
Aug 27.
Future & Metro Boomin - Rap Singer, Ball Arena 8pm
Aug 28.
The High Kings & Gaelic Storm -Irish Celtic Band, Arvada Center 7:30pm
Aug 29.
Doobie Brothers & Steve Winwood -Rock band, Ball Arena 7pm
Can you believe that school starts in a couple of weeks?! My granddaughter will be starting kindergarten this year! Some of you remember when she was born back in 2019. I think she is ready though. She loved preschool but it will be a big change this year because it's 8:30-3pm and no nap time. God bless those teachers! I don't know how they do it. If a student is getting on my nerves, I have 30 minutes to push through and try to make the most of the situation, and hope my next student is having a better day. I can't imagine having 15-20 kids all day, everyday. I'm frazzled just thinking about it! Luckily Harper's kindergarten teacher is a first year teacher. Her nerves are young and fresh.
Harper will be starting piano lessons soon. As any musical parent will tell you, it's quite challenging to teach your own child. I think that teaching grandchildren will be a lot more fun and productive. Fingers crossed!
When my students can't sit still, they're tipping the bench, crawling underneath the piano, checking their wingspan on the keys or when they keep talking about everything except music, then I, very deliberately, think to myself "how would I handle this situation if this student were my grandchild?" The answer is: with patience and love... and then I start a game of "Find all the G's in this song" or "Let's play Frog Jenga" (ask your child if you don't know what that is) or, "After you play these 2 lines, you can pat Luther". (I'm not above using my dog for bribes). I do my best to gently guide their attention back to where it needs to be, otherwise known as covert manipulation.
Notice that I said "grandchild" and not "how would I handle this situation if this were my child?" If it were my child, I'd be more likely to say, "Get your butt back on this bench right now! Quit stalling! We can talk about baseball after your lesson. I'm cleaning out your ears when we get home because I don't think you heard me the first 3 times I told you to get your wrists up." Otherwise known as overt manipulation. By the way, I've never had to be that harsh with my boys. They were very good kids and I never taught them piano lessons so I'm using my imagination. (They are both reading this).
I feel like we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to shape our children a certain way and we take it very personally if they don't act the way we think they should. As a grandparent, if my grandkids don't act the way they know they're supposed to, I don't take it personally at all. I don't scold them, I redirect and let Mom and Dad do the parenting thing. It's a fabulous gig!
For the most part, redirecting works well during piano lesson too. It's a bit of a balancing act though. We want to have fun but we also want to get the most out of our time together.
I have had to remind students that in order to get a gold coin, they have to stay focused. That usually does the trick. After all, I recognize that musicians are a sensitive group of people and some of us would be devastated if we didn't earn a coin so I use that as a second-to-last resort.
Last resort is when I have to summons a parent. It's usually when I've tried all the ideas in the grandma brain and nothing is working. I hate to do that because of the "deer-in-the-headlights" look that immediately washes over their faces but, it is amazing what a stern look from Mom can do.
I have also been known to give extra coins as rewards, like if I challenge them to learn the next section of their song on their own. The coin is for extra effort. I don't give extra coins for extra good behavior.
I would say that a large percentage of my students are perfect little angels. They are respectful and they have a good attitude and I am very grateful. The other small percentage keeps me on my toes and makes me get creative very quickly so I'm grateful for that too. Keeps the brain sharp. In fact, many of my game tactics were born because Johnny fell of the bench again.
Look, my nerves are definitely not young and fresh anymore but “grandma teaching” keeps it all in perspective. It’s truly a fabulous gig!
From Ms. Michele's Bench
