While it may be cold and snowy outside, we have entered the season of summer program applications! We get a lot of questions from parents about summer programs, including what we know or recommend or how to even begin the process of looking for programs. While everyone has different goals when conducting their search, we can give you an idea of how to begin:
What does their teacher recommend?
Your child’s teachers are a valuable … Read more
The season we’ve been dreading is finally here. While we hope this year is not nearly as buried in snow (despite current forecasts to the contrary here in Boston), winter provides a variety of stresses for musicians. Here are some posts to help you deal with the two main offenders:
INSTRUMENT CARE
Tips for Instrument Care: Great information on general instrument maintenance for any time of the year.
The War Against Winter: How … Read more
The new year is almost upon us! Thank you for letting us and this blog be part of your lives in 2015.
Now we want to know what YOU want to see on our blog in this coming year. Do you want to learn more about the company? Get more helpful tips? Find out more about upcoming sales and events? Something completely different? Let us know! Fill out this survey so we can tailor content … Read more
Congratulations, you have successfully applied to music school! Now, you just need to get through the auditions.
Easy, right?
We’ve already talked about how to prepare for an audition, but college auditions are a completely different beast. They come with added pressure, and you can expect to have a lot of them within a short span of time. While the tips in our previous post are invaluable, there are specific things you should keep … Read more
That time of year has arrived! It’s holiday gig season, when you live in orchestra pits and churches while Tchaikovsky and Handel reign supreme. Whether you are a seasonal veteran, a newcomer on the scene, or just wondering how many more times you have to play the Hallelujah Chorus before your brain starts trying to escape through your ears, it can be a stressful and exhausting ordeal. Here are some tips to help keep you … Read more
The holidays have arrived!
Whether you are celebrating your favorite time of year or waiting for the term “holiday cheer” to disappear, we have what you need to survive gig season and spoil the musician(s) in your life. Here are some of our top recommendations here at Johnson String Instrument from our holiday sale:
GALAXY CASES
These are a JSI exclusive! An economical alternative to the popular BAM, these cases are lightweight, durable, and … Read more
Winter is coming.
The citizens of Westeros are not the only ones who fear the coming season. Musicians can feel its icy claws reaching out in the form of slipping pegs and shrinking string heights. Humidity once again betrays us as it retreats from winter’s advance, leaving our instruments vulnerable. Rapidly changing environments, both outdoors and in, seek to wreak havoc. How can we defend ourselves against the impending storm?
We have a lot of exciting things happening in our shop during this upcoming holiday season! Be sure to mark your calendars for the following dates:
November 21st-January 2nd: Our annual Holiday Sale is back! Keep an eye out for flyers arriving soon with more information. The sale begins this Saturday and runs through the first Saturday of 2016. Deals can be found both in store and online, so be sure to keep … Read more
It’s that time of year: college application season. Deadlines may seem a long way off, but do not be deceived;
They will sneak up on you.
If you are looking to study music, now is the time to begin if you have not already. Some things to keep in mind when you’re applying to music schools:
Decide what kind of program you want. Do you want a conservatory where the sole focus of … Read more
This is the first post of a new series called Departments of JSI. We’re able to run such a large company through the expertise of and collaboration between our different departments. Everyone has a skill that they utilize to accomplish everything from coordinating rental trips to selling instruments to repairing instruments to shipping things on time and safely. This series will help you get to know the variety of people and jobs that are done … Read more
In the last game of the season, JSI lost to Dunn Gaherin’s 16-14 despite an incredible 8 run comeback in the final inning. It all began when a representative from Dunn Gaherin’s, an Irish bar across from us on Elliot Street, walked over to challenge us to a game of softball back in July. While we lost to their more established team, we have been giving them a run for their money the past two … Read more
Auditions got you worried? Not sure how to prepare? We’ve got you covered! Many of us at Johnson String Instrument have gone through auditions so we’ve been there. We asked our staff to share their tips and tricks to help you do the best that you can. They had some great advice:
… Read more1. Relax! Breathe! Try not to get too worked up about it. Every musician (even the judges!) has had to go through auditions,
If you are a violinist, you have probably been asked this question at some point during your musical career:
Can you play viola?
For some, the answer is a resounding “NO.” For others, this question leads to them taking on the viola as a secondary or primary instrument. This can happen at any point, but many students are asked around middle or high school in an effort to even out the sections in … Read more
Are you a first-time player learning to use rosin? Curious about how rosin works? Watch the video below to learn about the basics of rosin, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more informational videos!
Johnson String Instrument is a proud supporter of the Johnson String Project. Our goal is to bring high quality, well-maintained instruments to under-served children throughout Massachusetts. See our program in action by watching the video below. For more information, please visit our website.