FEATURED STUDENT: KAI

Hello! My name is Kai I’m eight years of age. I’ve been learning cowboys serenade for one month. i love it because it only uses 4 notes My teacher's name is Natasha. She’s so cool because she wears so many kinds of new clothes. My favorite part about Kalabash is learning to do piano One day i hope to learn more complicated songs I like the sound of my cat purr I like the look of swans I like the taste of mango I like the feel of my cats fur When I grow up I want to be a butterfly scientist because I want to study where they go Advice to my fellow humans is:     to have fun!

We are happy to announce Kai as our student of October! Here's what her teacher Natasha has to say about her:

"Kai is an exceptional little human being and I adore teaching her. She always comes to her lesson prepared, excited to learn and looking fly! I'm always impressed at how she approaches challenging pieces with determination and optimism!
Once she brought in a butterfly she saved that had a damaged wing and we wrote a piano piece for it. A week later she returned with the good news that the butterfly had healed and flew away. She's not only making sure the world is full of butterflies but she's filling it music as well!" 

FEATURED STUDENT: LUCAS

Hello! My name is Lucas Landsberg. I’m eleven years of age. I’ve been learning the alto saxophone for two years. i love it because I like the types of sounds it makes and the music it’s in. My teacher's name is Stefanie. She’s so cool because she’s nice and encouraging me to do a lot of new and exciting things. I wouldn’t have made it without her. My favorite part about Kalabash is how nice, friendly, and open minded they are. One day i hope to become a pro sax player and a doctor like my father and grandfather before me. I like the sound of the high and low pitch notes the alto sax can play. I like the look of my teacher when I walk into lessons with her big smile. I like the taste of the reed as it goes up against my lip and tongue. I like the feel of the bright and friendly atmosphere of Kalabash. If i could teleport anywhere in the world it’d be Japan because I like their culture and their food. Advice to my fellow humans is: You should always try something new like an instrument because it fills the empty space in your life

We are happy to announce Lucas Landsberg as our student of the summer! Not only did he continue his saxophone lessons with Stefanie he picked up a new instrument and started learning the piano with Clinton too! This is what his teacher has to say about him:

Lucas is an awesome student and human being! You may have seen him performing at our Open Mics sporting a sharp blazer and great confidence. Whether we are playing duets, writing songs, or learning Men at Work tunes together, I always look forward hanging and playing with Lucas. He arrives with a positive attitude each week ready to work hard and laugh about "pulling a high one" (his term for squeaking). Lucas, you rock! Keep on playin' that sax. -Stefanie

THE SONGBIRD CAMP RECAP

We had a blast during our songbird label summer camp. We wrote songs and brought them to life in the studio, we made album cover art, we listened to vinyl and we interviewed guest artists music industry folks like HOLYCHILD, Daniel Blue from Motopony, Al Howard from the Redwoods Label and Lanny Lieu from Chill Chill Publicity. Take a listen below to our playlist of all the original songs written and recorded by our songbirds and photos from an amazing week!

FEATURED STUDENT: CHRISTIAN

The look of: hardwood floors (in good taste)

The sound of: air-conditioning on a hot day

The taste of: the smell of food

The feel of: dogs

Advice to my fellow humans: RUN!!! (trust me)

Christian is 17 years of age and has been studying piano for approximately 80 months. Since our grand opening in September he has been a student at Kalabash and particularly appreciates our practical use of exotic fruit. One day he hopes to nonchalantly play "Great Balls of Fire" at a nightclub and if he could teleport anywhere in the world it would be the Somme River Valley because of it's fertile land and plentiful wine-skins. His teacher Natasha has this to say about him... 

“Despite his distrust and criticism of my green juices, Christian is totally awesome, hilarious to work with and has great taste in music, an important quality which makes teaching him all the more fun! He’s always picking interesting and exciting new pieces and has a great ear for listening and learning, often adding his own embellishments and flourishes to the popular literature we work on, in good taste of course. When studying new and difficult material he approaches it with a confident spirit and disciplined practice and I leave our lessons having learnt something new from him each time!”

Congrats Christian, we look forward to hearing you play Great Balls of Fire one day.

OUR SUMMER GUIDE

Was it Bertrand Russel who said it best? "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time" Well we are definitely on board with that Mr. Russell and now's the time to take full advantage of all the sea frolicking and sun soaking San Diego has to offer! And when you're not laying on the beach without a care in the world we're here to help keep you inspired and creative. After all, now that you have all this extra time on your hands you can finally start that family band, try a new instrument, paint that masterpiece, draw your own comic book or explore life on Mars. 

1. SHOOT A SHORT FILM WITH UR IPHONE 
We have all the tools available to us to make movies at the tip of our fingers, literally.  But that shouldn't stop us from getting down on some paint and paper the old school way. Join our Artist Village summer camp and have the opportunity to study with acclaimed local artists from around San Diego. Together students will create pieces in whatever analog or digital format their heart desires, based on a theme they imagine for an exhibit they curate. How cool is that?  

2. WRITE A SONG FOR UR MOM
Because she deserves it. And then you can write a song about your Dad, and another song about your friend and another..... by the end of the summer you might have a whole album's worth of material. And if you don't know how to write a song, we can teach you. Not only that, we can teach you how to record it in a studio, push all the right buttons and release it to the world. The Songbird Label is where it's at with NATULA and friends. 

3.BE UR OWN SUPERHERO
Or when in need, just draw one. Our resident comic book artist Rodney Anderson has planned a whole action packed camp for all you comic book nerds out there. Character design, world building, costume, plot, history and culture are just some of the elements that Rodney will adventure through with campers, pencil and pen in hand. It's going to be rad so sign up while spaces last and get warmed up for Comic Con 2016. 

4. EAT ICE CREAM + SWIM IN THE SEA
All at the same time.

5. LEARN AN INSTRUMENT
Or learn a second one. Summer is the perfect time to try something new. Have you ever wanted to learn the violin or cello? Rock out on some drums? Play a Beatles song on the guitar? Sing some Adele? Noodle some jazz on a clarinet? Strum the ukulele with style the next time you hit the beach with friends? Contact us and let us help you make the most of your summer gifts.

6. MAKE A MIXTAPE FOR A FRIEND 
Win the heart of all who listen.

7. BUILD A FIRE + SING FOLK SONGS
The world is big and despite the many different languages, cultures and climates we all come from, we can't deny our shared humanity. Music + Art is a powerful and beautiful tool to express ourselves and discover the differences that make us unique and the similarities we can all understand. This summer, a very special camp series based on the music, dance and art of 4 different regions is coming to Kalabash for ages 7 - 10. From the Americas to Europe, this is the perfect opportunity for your little one to discover the world without leave home.  

8. DANCE BAREFOOT UNDER THE FULL MOON
You don't need to know any fancy moves and you don't need a full moon, just dance coz it feels good. 

Teacher Feature: Matthew Smith

Favorite Food: Yellow Curry
Dream Destination: New York City
Favorite Song Right Now: Back Pocket by VULFPECK
Spirit Animal: Otter

When we heard Matthew Smith play drums in his new soul-jazz project Juice Box we were blown away by his awesome talent and infectious energy.  Only 26 years old, Matthew's drive and dedication to his music is obvious. In 2012, he earned his Bachelors Degree in Jazz Studies from California State Fullerton and has studied with the likes of Duncan Moore, Joey Sellars, Amir Ziv and Ari Hoenig. Since graduating, Matthew has gone on to release two albums both as leaders with Juice Box and The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio.

As a teacher, Matt believes in the importance of teaching students to use their ears as well as developing all the fundamentals from reading music to proper technique so they can become dynamic players and creators.  As a professional drummer and composer Matt's knowledge and experience allows him to teach students of all ages and levels with passion and edge.

Starting in June, Matt will be available on Saturdays from 2pm - 5pm for private drum lessons. Call us today at 858 456 2753 or email us at hello@kalabasharts.com to book your first lesson which is 50% off! 

Featured Student: Kiana

The look of: the beach

The sound of: music

The taste of: sushi

The feel of: my dog

Advice to my fellow humans: Haters are just confused admirers.

Meet Kiana! She likes her dog, the taste of sushi, the look of the beach and the sound of music. Her dream destination is the Philipines and she's our featured student of the week! She's been learning the piano for 5 years and she says she likes Kalabash because of the awesome teachers, especially her current piano teacher Natasha who makes her laugh on the regular. We think Kiana is a super student and here is what her teacher has to say...

“Kiana is a joy to teach. She always shows up to class having practiced above and beyond what is expected of her and a big smile on her face. Because of her great work ethic she has progressed tremendously this year! I’m impressed to see how quickly she accomplishes challenging pieces and we always have a lot fun together!””

Well done Kiana! We hope you continue to fill our school and the world with your beautiful playing for many years to come!

Guest Artist Teacher Celeste Byers!

We are so honored to announce that artist Celeste Byers will be guest teaching our Wednesday Art Class for Kids Ages 7 - 11 starting May 11th for 4 weeks! Don't miss out on this opportunity to have your young ones get creative with this super inspirational artist and incredible human being. We can't think of a better role model and artistic guide to have at our school and we're looking forward to seeing what her and the students cook up in the studio. You can find out more about Celeste at www.celestebyers.com. We've posted some of our favorite works of hers below!

Sign up for Wednesdays class while spaces last!