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1/1/2023 0 Comments

Senior Recital

Starr Music Academy seniors of the class of 2022 presented a celebration recital on June 24, 2022 at Valley Keyboards Miller Recital Hall. Leslie Favela and Faith Garza presented a beautiful program as a culmination of their four years of piano study.
Faith & Leslie Recital Program by corinegarcia86
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1/1/2023 0 Comments

TMTA Convention

Ten Starr Music Academy students of Mrs. Corine Maldonado participated in the 2022 Texas Music Educators Association convention this past June in Dallas. The TMTA convention provides a wider musical experience for students than is usually afforded in private music study with recognition for achievement in various phases of musical education and activity. Students receive one point each year per activity they participate. These points accumulate towards the TMTA Student Affiliate State Participation Award.

Congratulations to the following students and their families for their commitment to music education:
Emma Escobar - Ensemble, All Star Festival, Chamber Music Clinic
Arora Cantu - Ensemble, All Star Festival, Convention Project
Laurel Cantu - Ensemble, All Star Festival
Thiago Castillo - All Star Festival
Leslie Favela - Ensemble, All Star Festival
Faith Garza - Ensemble, All Star Festival
Joseph Garza - Convention Project
Lyzzette Hinojosa - All Star Festival, Chamber Music Clinic, Convention Project, Student Page
Mariely Lopez - All Star Festival
Mikaela Molina - All Star Festival

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10/3/2022 0 Comments

Ensemble

Five Starr Music Academy students of Mrs. Corine Garcia Maldonado participated in the 2021-2022 Magic Valley Music Teachers Association Ensemble program. To be selected, students had to pass the Texas Music Teachers Association theory test and audition for a spot on one of the MVMTA Ensemble teams. The selected students represent the best and brightest pianists the Rio Grande Valley. After two weeks of intense rehearsals, the MVMTA Ensemble teams presented costumed performances at the TMTA Convention in Dallas. 

Congratulations goes to Arora Cantu and Emma Escobar from Group II and Laurel Cantu, Leslie Favela, and Faith Garza from Group III for their hard work and dedication.
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10/3/2022 0 Comments

Summer Camp

Starr Music Academy students enjoyed a week-long summer camp this past June with the theme "Hansel and Gretel." The students experienced Engelbert Humperdinck’s delightful opera based on Grimm’s fairy tale. They learned about opera, publicity and staging. The students ventured through a "strawberry patch" and nibbled their way to the top of the infamous candy house through games that reinforced theory, musical terms, musical form and opera. Activities included games, arts & crafts, worksheets and creating promotional materials for Starr Music Academy's own summer production of Hansel and Gretel. 
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9/1/2022 0 Comments

World of Music

Eleven Starr Music Academy students were awarded the World of Music Medal this year. To receive the World of Music Medal, students study music history throughout the school year and are quizzed over what they have learned in March. Students who earn a 90 or higher on the test are awarded the medal. Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding dedication to music:

Thiago Castillo, Faith Garza, Katherine Hernandez, Brianda Lopez, Mariely Lopez, Leila Martinez, Carolyn Salinas, Kennedy  Salinas, Chaniel Santiago, Ella Soto, and Jimena Treviño.
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7/26/2022 0 Comments

Spring Recital

Forty-five students of Mrs. Corine Maldonado performed at Starr Music Academy's annual spring recital on May 22, 2022 at the studio courtyard. The students, aged four to teens, performed ensemble numbers on piano, violin, voice, guitar, ukulele, and cello. The recital's theme, Shades of Sound, was reflected in the colorful matching shirts each ensemble group wore, as well as in the descriptive titles of the pieces, including Rainbow Dough, De Colores, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
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7/13/2022 0 Comments

MVMTA Spring Recital

Thiago Castillo, a piano student of Mrs. Corine Maldonado at Starr Music Academy, participated in the Magic Valley Music Teacher's Association Spring Recital on April. 24, 2022. MVMTA teachers selected their most prepared students to present a memorized piece for an audience of family, friends, and fans at Valley Keyboards' Miller Recital Hall. Thiago, the son of Alberto Castillo and Beatriz Ozuna, played It's A Small World. Congratulations Thiago!
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6/3/2022 0 Comments

What to Look For When Buying a Guitar

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The best guitar option for beginning students is a nylon string classical-style guitar in the appropriate size. Nylon strings are easier on small fingers than steel. The strings should be easy to press down and make a clear sound with no buzzing or ringing. Beware of pawn shop finds or online deals.

A full-size guitar is appropriate for most middle and high school beginners, but younger students will need a smaller instrument to have the most success. Very young beginners (6 and under) can start with a three-string Loog guitar which helps students transition seamlessly to a 6-string instrument when they are ready. Make sure and get a case for your new instrument to keep it protected going to and from lessons!

Get a guitar that will set your student up for success here! If you want to try before you buy, we also offer a monthly guitar rental program.
Guitar Outfit

Guitar Outfit

$185.00

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Loog Guitar Package

Loog Guitar Package

$125.00

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Guitar Rental

Guitar Rental

$25.00

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6/3/2022 0 Comments

What to Look For When Buying a Violin

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Many violins sold online may look like a violin, but they do not sound like one! They are more like Violin Shaped Objects. VSOs are found for cheap, but do not be tempted by the low price point. They are hard to play and keep in tune, and they will frustrate a beginning student.
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How to spot a VSO:

Low price point with lots of "extras" (comes with extra strings, bow, and lots of accessories)
Very shiny, thick finish or colorful paint that deadens sound 
"Mystery" wood and painted fingerboard or purfling
Cheap, plastic fittings that break easily
Strings too high or low from the fingerboard
Bridge not custom cut to fit the violin
Pegs that do not turn easily or stay in tune
Get a violin that will set your student up for success here! If your student is starting on a smaller instrument we recommend renting until they reach full size.
Violin Outfit

Violin Outfit

$250.00

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Standard Violin Rental

Standard Violin Rental

$20.00

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Deluxe Violin Rental

Deluxe Violin Rental

$25.00

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6/3/2022 0 Comments

What to Look For When Buying A Keyboard

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Students will use the studio’s pianos during class, but each student needs a keyboard at home on which to practice.


WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A KEYBOARD


Which keyboard to purchase will all come down to how much you want to spend. Please note that these keyboard features are not required. These are suggestions for what features to inquire about when purchasing your keyboard:


  1. FULL-SIZE KEYS: Keys are the width of real piano keys.
  2. TOUCH-SENSITIVE KEYS or VELOCITY-SENSITIVE KEYS: Key sounds soft when pressed lightly and sounds loud when pressed hard.
  3. MUSIC RACK: Holds up the music book
  4. BUILT-IN SPEAKERS: Keyboards and digital pianos should have built-in speakers; synthesizers will not.
  5. DAMPER PEDAL JACK: Pedal is usually sold separately.
  6. “TRUE PIANO SOUND” or “GRAND PIANO SOUND”
  7. WEIGHTED KEYS: Feels like you are pressing down a real wooden piano key instead of a light piece of plastic.
  8. AT LEAST 61-KEYS: The more keys the keyboard has, the longer a student will be able to use it. A 61-key piano will suffice through about the 6th year of piano.
  9. FEW BELLS-AND-WHISTLES: Many keyboards come with a lot of features that you don’t need, such as 500 instrument sounds, MIDI interface, or 300 prerecorded songs. I recommend that you spend your money on the quality of the keyboard, rather than the number of bells and whistles.
  10. STAND AND BENCH: To get the best posture it’s important to have your keyboard on an adjustable stand and have a bench at the proper height. Smaller students may need a stool if their feet do not reach the floor. Avoid having the keyboard on a table or bed since this will create bad posture and position habits.
Get a keyboard package that meets all these criteria here!
Keyboard Package

Keyboard Package

$300.00

Buy now
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