Take a trip down music memory lane in this feature that will make you want to exercise those vocal cords, bust out that old guitar, and spin that vinyl. From familiar favorites to the health benefits of music, we've got it all. Tune in to the next few pages for more!

Learn an Instrument

It's never too late to learn a musical instrument or start to sing. “Learning can be different for each individuals from singing at home and engaging with a ukulele class of beginners to learning classical cello and everywhere in between,” says Tara McConnell, music therapist, clinical director and owner of McConnell Music Therapy Services, Inc. “The health benefits, the social connection, and personal wellness all exist with all humans. We speak with inflection and cadence, we walk in a rhythm, our hearts and breath have a rate. Being ‘in’ music is innately human and to experience the benefits, no background in music training is required. Your heartbeat is the only prerequisite you need.”

Not sure where to get started? We’re here to help! “Start small by taking a step and singing a little louder at church or with your kids or grandchildren, and then see where it takes you,” McConnell says. “What instrument have you always wanted to learn? Take a risk and do it. And remember it’s not about the end product or how ‘great’ you are, it’s about your brain health!”

Here are a number of local businesses offering classes and lessons for music education. Pick up the phone and get ready to toot your own horn today.

The Nicholson Music Co.

636 East Bidwell Street, Folsom, 916-983-0763, nicholsonmusic.com/lessons.html

The Nicholson Music Co. offers a dozen instructors who teach a range of instruments including guitar, flute, piano, bass, banjo, ukulele, harmonica, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, violin and more.

Kline Music

2200 Sutterville Road, Sacramento, 916-456-8742, klinemusic.com/lessons.html

More than 20 instructors offer private lessons for the following instruments: piano, electric bass, guitar, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, drums, violin, fiddle, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, accordion, voice and more.

Roseville Piano Studio

534 Oak Street, Roseville, 916-789-0408, rosevillepianostudio.com

Piano lessons for anyone age seven and up, where you will learn to play the piano by simply playing the piano.

Bach to Rock

82 Clarksville Road, Suite 100, Folsom, 916-265-2600; 2311 Sunset Boulevard, Rocklin, 916-435-1300, b2rmusic.com

Provides music lessons for students of all ages and skill levels, and even offers opportunities for students to perform in venues around the area.

Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra

4025A Bridge Street, Fair Oaks, 916-536-9065, sacramentochoral.com/auditions

This group is an auditioned, volunteer chorus with a professional orchestra committed to the performance, education, and appreciation of choral orchestral music for the Sacramento area. Visit the website for more information on auditioning. 

Creative Aging Choral Initiative Hart Senior Center

915 27th Street, Sacramento, 916-808-5462, cityofsacramento.org

This initiative brings together Sacramento’s older adults to form a community where they creatively express themselves through song. Pre-registration is required for upcoming sessions of Singers with Hart. 

The Strum Shop

209 Vernon Street, Roseville, 916-787-8786, thestrumshop.com

Choose between group or private lessons to learn guitar or ukulele in a supportive, knowledgeable environment.

Photos by Dante Fontana

Health Benefits

Music does a body good. Research has proven music can do a number of things to improve both your physical and mental health, including reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

“Learning to play music keeps the brain sharper as we get older,” says Gilbert R. Luceno, MD, a family medicine physician with Mercy Medical Group in Roseville. “According to a study done in April of 2011 published by the American Psychological Association, playing an instrument as a child keeps the mind sharper as we age. The study, done at the University of Kansas Medical Center, recruited 70 healthy adults ages 60 to 83, who were divided into groups based on their levels of musical experience. The musicians performed better on several cognitive tests than individuals who had never studied an instrument or learned how to read music."

Music also improves our listening and reading skills as well as hand-eye coordination. “A person will need to learn to listen well to know whether or not one is hitting the right notes,” he shares. “Reading sheet music in order to play specific notes will enhance a person’s reading skills and at the same time, playing a musical instrument requires good hand-eye coordination.”

Tara McConnell, board certified music therapist, clinical director and owner of McConnell Music Therapy Services, Inc., has been a board-certified music therapist since 1996. She says all areas of your brain are simultaneously working while engaging in playing an instrument or singing. “There is no other activity that can do this in quite the same way, as neuroscience has discovered,” she says. “It is simply like a music multi-vitamin for your brain that increases concentration, focus, attention, [and] executive functioning, elevates mood, increases relaxation, reduces stress, and generally helps you feel better.”

Even listening to music throughout your day-to-day routine comes with its own set of benefits. “Many people use energetic music to motivate them to do more difficult or disliked tasks, such as cleaning the house or washing dishes, as well as during exercise. I teach people to shape their workouts to start and end with the slower songs they like as a warm-up and cool-down and increase to the most energetic music in the middle to support the level of intensity of the [workout],” says Karen Rae Sanchez, PsyD, MBA, MT-BC, board certified music therapist, director and founder of In Harmony Music Therapy Services and registered psychological assistant with Valley Neuropsychological Services in Citrus Heights.

“The music pushes us and then helps us relax without us being consciously aware of what it is doing! I even encourage my patients diagnosed with depression to put on more energetic music in the mornings to help them get going with their day. When I do employee health seminars, I suggest listening to upbeat music during that mid-afternoon slump because it works just as well as, or even better than, coffee or a candy bar!”

Music therapy, or the clinical use of musical interventions used to improve clients’ quality of life, has proven beneficial for those with cognitive disorders. “In persons with mild to moderate dementia, both singing and music listening enhances general cognition and executive function and reduces depression. Providing people with dementia who are in institutional care with at least five sessions of a music-based therapeutic intervention reduces depressive symptoms and improves overall behavioral problems and may also improve emotional well-being and quality of life and reduce anxiety,” says Harinder Dhir, MD, MPH, a physician at Kaiser Permanente Occupational Medicine in Roseville.

Dhir adds that music helps us connect to those around us. “Musical activities such as listening to music, playing an instrument, singing or dancing are an important source of social contact, which promotes interaction and a sense of belonging with others, which has many health benefits,” he says. “Social bonding during group musical activities can occur. Endorphins (and the endogenous opioid system in general) are released during synchronized exertive movements and are involved in social bonding across primate species further associating with a number of human social behaviors (e.g., laughter, synchronized sports). Passively listening to music engages the endogenous opioid system.”

No matter your age, you shouldn’t feel discouraged to try to learn a musical instrument today. “It is never too late to learn how to play a musical instrument,” Dr. Luceno says. “Never give up. Remember that everybody was a beginner at some point. Playing a musical instrument is a learned skill. Continue to play and learn. Most importantly, have fun with it. And sing your heart out.”

Comeback of Vinyl

There are more ways to listen to your favorites tunes today than ever before. You can turn on your playlists wherever you are, thanks to smartphones, computers, TVs, and even the old-school stereo or record player (if you still have one). In 2017, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that sales of CDs and vinyl outsold digital downloads for the first time since 2011. 

According to local record store employees, the popularity of buying vinyl and growing a collection has been trending upward for years. “I don’t think it’s a quick trend that will just come and go. It’s been on the rise since I started working at Dimple Records 13-plus years ago, and I’m glad to see it still going strong,” says Melissa Hogan, store manager at Dimple Records, which will be closing all store locations later this year. “Not only is it a wonderful thing to hold a physical album in your hand and appreciate the effort the artist put into all the artwork, but also to hear the full crisp sound. Digital and CD formats have their benefits, but vinyl is unique, and sounds the most like you’re sitting there listening to the band live.”

Tim McKenzie, owner of Hi-Tones Record Store, said the comeback is also due in part to the adventure of shopping for new records and the thrill of finding something rare. “At a record store, a potential customer can walk in and touch, feel, and hear the music. Most local record stores stock a wide variety of music genres, where a customer can spend hours perusing the record store bins,” he says. “There are no real limitations on what a vinyl record buyer may stumble upon. ‘Crate digging’ is a term that record collectors use when they are on the hunt. There is a satisfaction when they stumble upon that hidden vinyl gem in the LP bins.”

And it’s not just a particular generation that is driving the comeback. It’s all ages. “We see many younger record buyers in our store on a regular basis trying to build their collections one LP at a time,” McKenzie shares. “Some have stated they got the record bug from an older relative or family friend who introduced them to vinyl.”

CDs vs. Digital vs. Vinyl

What’s the difference between all the versions of recorded music? First, it’s important to note the difference between analog and digital recordings.

“A vinyl record is an analog recording, and CDs are digital recordings,” McKenzie explains. “A digital recording does not capture the complete sound wave a record does.” Because of that sound that comes through on records, there is a sense of nostalgia also tied to the rise in popularity. “We are currently seeing past record buyers and collectors actively rebuilding their collections,” he says. “When CDs came along, many people liked the convenience and portability of a CD. Now that CD sales have declined due to streaming and downloads, people have switched their buying habits back to records. Records bring people back to a different place and time in their lives and they want to experience the drop of the needle and hear that analog sound again. Vinyl offers a far more superior sound than CDs and downloads.”

Vinyl also offers additional details that give you a chance of learning more about the artist’s inspiration. “When you purchase a vinyl record, not only do you get the vinyl LP, but you also get the inner sleeve which typically has liner notes and vast artist information including lyrics, song-writing credits, band members and more,” McKenzie says. “Record covers are also a big attraction for vinyl buyers. Album artwork has always brought collectors to a different time and place. LP covers are also being used as wall art in many collector’s homes.”

Fortunately, as the sales of vinyl rise, the music industry has responded to the growing demand. “It helps that the record industry is recognizing the market for it, and therefore making them much more accessible again,” Hogan says. “Whether it’s The Beatles or The Rolling Stones re-releasing old classic albums in special edition vinyl format or if it’s a brand-new release title, it’s nice to see the record labels are almost always making them available on both CD and vinyl formats.”

Finding Good Vinyl and How to Care for It

When shopping at record stores, check with employees to see if the store has a policy on checking condition in advance of buying used records.

“Dimple checks condition in advance, so all of our product should be good—although you’re still welcome to double-check before purchasing if you wish,” Hogan says. “If you’re shopping pre-owned vinyl elsewhere, always watch for scratches and warping. If you’re shopping new vinyl, watch for fun collector’s editions or rare numbered copies, as some may even be similar in price but will end up being more collectible since they’re limited!”

Both McKenzie and Hogan shared their expertise in how to properly shop for and take care of vinyl records. “Don’t waste your hard-earned money on junk vinyl,” recommends McKenzie. “A quality record should appear shiny and new. Records with deep grooves, scratches, dirt and dust should be avoided at all cost. Many collectors will purchase multiple copies of one record just to get the best copy possible. I say save your money and buy the best copy you can to avoid the headache of an inferior record.”

Once you find good quality records, you will want to take the steps to properly store them. “Records should always be stored upright and not stacked in a pile to avoid damage such as pressure warp or ring wear,” McKenzie says. “Record crates are a great place to store your vinyl. Always remember to never pack your crates too tight. Outer and inner record sleeves are a must to protect your investment.”

When it comes time to play your records, be careful on how you handle the vinyl. “Records should be handled with care by holding the record by the edge or the label,” McKenzie shares. “Never touch the playing surface with your fingers that contain oils and attract dust.” Hogan offered three tips every record player should follow. “One, never leave vinyl in a car or other areas that will get very warm or hot, as this is how warping usually happens. Two, put the vinyl disc back into its sleeve when you’re done listening to it, which will help avoid scratches and dust. And three, keep your record players and vinyl records clean, and fix as needed. When handling the discs, carefully hold them by the edges to avoid fingerprints. If a vinyl has collected fingerprints, dust or scratches, try a ‘vinyl cleaning kit,’ which often includes special cleaner, a brush, and/or wipes. For the record player itself, consider purchasing a cover if yours doesn’t have a lid or way to close in some way. This will prevent dust and debris. And replace your record player needle if/when needed.”

The Future of Vinyl

Even with the forthcoming closures of Dimple Records stores, Hogan thinks the popularity of vinyl will continue. “I think vinyl has been coming back for various reasons, but one particular thing I think really helps is that there are more options,” she says. “Not only with genres and titles, but also with having new and pre-owned. Some people prefer the vintage pre-owned players and pre-owned vinyl records, which can be a fun way to build a collection for cheap and creates a part of history in your home. Others like to get the newest/fanciest record players available in their budget, some of which also include Bluetooth, FM radio, CD/vinyl conversions, portable wireless models, and so on. They may prefer to collect new releases, rare picture discs, color discs and box sets, limited numbered items, etc. since they’re a bit more collectible. Then there are some people—such as myself—who like a mixture of both new and old in a variety of genres. Either way, there’s something for everyone.”

Easy Home Decorating Tip!

“Frame your vinyl for your walls,” says Melissa Hogan, store manager at Dimple Records. “Look for iconic titles or any vinyl with awesome cover art. Whether it’s a super cheap pre-owned vinyl you find at a yard sale or record store, or if you get a new collector’s item, it makes a fun statement piece in your home.” Vinyl frames are available at Dimple Records, Michael’s, Amazon, and Wal-Mart.

A plethora of talented and notable bands and artists are touring this summer and making stops in the Sacramento area. From cover bands to reunited acts, there’s a concert for every musical taste. Tune in to this calendar of upcoming concerts in August and September, and get your tickets fast before these shows sell out!