Urban Music Store

5 Reasons to Learn a Musical Instrument

Benefits of music education and reasons why you should learn to play a musical instrument.

Stop Forcing Your Kids to Learn a Musical Instrument

Our daughter Rebekah, who is in second grade, takes three after-school classes every week. On Monday there is violin; on Wednesday, Hebrew; and on Thursday, ballet. One of these classes connects her to a religious tradition going back three thousand years. Two of them are pretty well pointless.I don’t mean that as a bad thing. Pointlessness rules, as far as I am concerned. Lots of great activities...

Reader: Is it Time to Stop Supporting My Local Music Store?

HanginInThere I have been buying most of my gear from our music local store for almost 30 years. I say

What Women Want (When they visit a retail musical instrument store, that is).

I don’t profess to have insider knowledge of every woman’s experience walking into a music store.

How In-Store Music Affects the Retail Experience [Infographic]

Consumers' attitudes toward the music being played in retail stores vary widely depending on the genre of music as well as the volume, according to recent research. Check out the study findings.

Music Genres That Increase In-Store Sales When Played

You already know that playing music is an effective way to increase in-store sales, but what genres should we focus on and what should we avoid?

Most Popular Instruments to Take Up.

We’ve all dreamed of rocking the stage at some point. Playing a musical instrument isn’t only a way of self-expression, but it’s very beneficial too. Musicians have better muscle memory and coordination and it’s good for your mental health.

Long-Term Benefits of Music Lessons

A new study reports that older adults who took lessons at a young age can process the sounds of speech faster than those who did not.

Make Homemade Music with These 6 DIY Instruments

There are so many lessons to learn from music, and these 6 DIY instruments will have your family learning and making homemade music in no time.

Cassette Store Day?! DAMN RIGHT, CASSETTE STORE DAY!

Often scoffed at and regarded as one of the lesser forms of music media, it would seem the Cassette tape has long since gone the way of the slide rule or the home telephone. However, there is one f...

Human brains have evolved to 'prefer' music and speech

New evidence suggests that human brains, unlike those of monkeys, may have evolved to 'listen' for pitch, which characterizes music and speech.

10 drug store chains you will never shop at again

18 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument

The Chinese philosopher Confucius said long ago that "Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without." Playing a musical instrument has many benefits and can bring joy to you and to everyone around you. This article will provide you with 18 benefits of playing an instrument and will hopefully give you a better sense of appreciation and pride for music.

To Take Up a Musical Instrument, First Pick Up Your Phone

Apps can help you learn to play piano, guitar and other instruments through videos, interactive graphics and real-time feedback on your progress.

Pull My Tail: Musical Instruments that Sound Like Cats

A piano that pulls cats' tails? Read about five musical instruments that somehow involve cats. Presenting the cat piano, the saron, the shamisen, the singing saw and the sistrum.

Do You Believe in Music?

Great music can sometimes transcend the transition between commercial and popular music.

Study: Music Education Aids Cognitive Development

After two years of musical training, children's music skills and auditory pathways were more developed than those of their peers, said USC researchers.