Movies have forever had a rating system to use as a guide to let folks or parents know if a show is suitable for individual viewers. Many times it is used to defend children from improper violence or sexual scenes. Many people have disagreed with the ratings of many movies and there has even been copyright infringement cases where a company knowingly removed scenes from movies that they deemed improper even though the movie had a good rating.

All movies are diverse and it is tremendously challenging to have a set standard that is dependable for each motion picture. In just one picture, one individual may consider a graphic suicide by gun scene to be unsuitable while another person may be offended by a semi-nude scene that suggests sexuality. Diverse people have different values about what may or may not be appropriate for a picture.

Nevertheless the rating system is based upon theme and content. It is really up to parents and individuals to make a decision if a movie is fitting or not. One should not rely entirely upon a rating system but only use it as a general guide.

A G rating means that the movie has been deemed appropriate for general audiences. It may or may not be a kid’s film but it will not have sexual scenes, swearing, drug or alcohol use, cigarette smoking or violence.

PG stands for parental guidance. There may perhaps be some passing moments of the aforesaid scenes but it is not disproportionate. Parents are cautioned to be alert that these fleeting scenes may exist. PG-13 is a stronger PG counsel. These movies are in general unsuitable for children under the age of 13. There may be some nudity, suggested sexuality or violence. This rating is fundamentally for a movie that does not deserve an R rating but is still worse than the standard PG.

An R rating restricts any person less than 17 from the movie theater without the custody of a parent or adult guardian. These movies often show sexual scenes. There may also be drug abuse or undue violence. Parents are encouraged to watch these movies themselves before making any decision to let a young person to observe the movie.

There is a new rating that is NC-17. No one under the age of 17 will be admitted into the theater. This movie may not necessarily be pornographic but it will contain adult content, be it sexual, violent or other that makes it fully inappropriate for a person below 17 years of age.

Parents and individuals need to take accountability for their own decisions on which movies are suitable. The ratings system is just a broad guide and should not be relied upon entirely.

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Educate yourself! No matter what level you are at today, you can be and should be learning more. If you are currently studying with a teacher or enrolled in a music program at a high school, college or university, you are on the right track. If you aren’t doing this (or if you feel that your current teacher is not helping you enough in reaching your goals) I strongly recommend looking for a new teacher.

I have written an article on this exact topic titled: Choosing a Teacher. I can’t stress enough how important it is to find the teacher that is right for you! Your teacher (or Lessons DVD) should always be Goal Orientated. If its not look for another teacher or school to study with! You don’t need a teacher to simply give you information or things to practice – you can get those things anywhere, what you need is a teacher who knows what your goals are, Cares about helping you reach your goals, and knows how to help you reach your goals.

The greatest source of inspiration has been my own personal experiences in life and within myself. The desire to express that was (and still is) a constant burning desire and powerful force that thrusts my desire to improve forward. Know what truly inspires you, seek it out, surround yourself with it and soak and soak there.

If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in art (music), you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label “Artist” to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of music composition, songwriting, and self expression I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students.

Skills like improvisation, songwriting and playing with a guitar pick or not going to be high on his list of skills to acquire. This is because classical guitarists generally don’t do those things – and don’t need to to be great at what they do. These players are great players in their own ways and they have spent many years developing their skills. Learning everything about guitar playing would have taken away precious practice time from the things they needed to focus on to reach their goals.

Absolutely spend a good amount of time in practicing reversing that habit. Practice in a new way, where you make sure you do what you weren’t doing before. Analyze the essence of that bad habit, extract it from it’s musical context, and perhaps make up “auxillary exercises” based on the essence of it. Use all the practice techniques that I teach to effectively begin this process of reversal.

To be GREAT means I have to be BETTER than everybody else. We already touched on this one above, but it is worth mentioning again here. What matters is reaching YOUR goals, not someone else’s goals. Who cares if you are or are not better than someone else? This is not the olympics. Music is the art of expression (or for some people, the science of entertainment).

For instance, the process may go like this: I notice I have trouble with a fast scale passage in a piece I am playing. I notice a particular note starts disappearing when I reach a certain speed. The note is being missed. I notice the finger responsible for playing that note is the third finger. It is not getting to the note because it is going up in the air in reaction to the second finger being used right before it in that particular scale passage. In other words, it is tensing in reaction to the movement of it’s neighboring finger, and I have not been paying attention to it. I realize this is a bad habit that pervades my playing, a third finger that tenses up in reaction to the use of the second finger.

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Researching piano teachers, it is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that any accomplished piano player can effectively teach a student how to play. Unfortunately, all too often, this thought is wrong. It takes special skills and patience to be able to teach a student piano playing skills. More often than not, the most experienced and accomplished of piano players simply do not have the right stuff to effectively teach.

Because high level pianists work hard to achieve success, many of them struggle with teaching the basics to new students. Their fingers are itching to run up and down the keyboard whereas new players hesitate and stutter. A number of these experienced or professional pianists derive little enjoyment and satisfaction in teaching beginning piano and do not want to relive their own humble beginnings by teaching new students. They would rather practice for themselves, elevating their own talents. What is demoralizing is that some of these accomplished pianists have no idea they feel this way until they start to teach new students. Not everyone is built to be a teacher. Therefore, it is important that you gauge the instructors personality, research their accomplishments and ask for their previous experience as a piano teacher.

References from past students are important; ask for their phone numbers so you can speak with them personally. Ask the students about their level of accomplishment such as what level they started at and what level they accomplished before discontinuing their lessons. Did they have previous experience or even had an inkling of what the piano entailed before they started? Ask the previous clients about what they believe the instructor could possibly teach you, especially if you have no experience whatsoever in piano. You should be able to make a sound, educated decision based on the answers of these references. If most of the references had previous experience before receiving instruction from this particular piano teacher, perhaps you need someone more versed in teaching total novices. If the instructor had just a few clients that achieved a moderate to high level of success, this might indicate they have a tough personality to work with.

The reason why people head to their computers for piano tutorials and instruction is due to the aggravations of trying to find an effective piano instructor. Many online options as well as DVD instruction and piano lesson software have become more user-friendly, making them a preferred way to learn the piano as well as other instruments. Its also less risky and provides schedule flexibility.

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