Creative Christian Mama

God bless all Mothers

education

How to Make a Good Guitar Riff

by Leave a Comment

One of the most iconic sounds in the world is the sound of a strong guitar riff.  You have Iron Man from Black Sabbath or Smoke on the Water from Deep Purple, these are riffs that live effortlessly through multiple generations.  How cool would it be to make your own, something so catchy that you and others can’t stop humming or tapping their feet.  I can’t promise that any riff that you create will still be in people’s minds twenty years down the line.  I am sure you will be able to bring down a local gig with your band if you get the formula right though.  Below I have included some hints and tips that can help when it comes to writing your riff.

I have had a chat with Tom Hess guitar maestro about creating that perfect riff, before we get into it let’s find out a little more about Tom.

About Tom

Tom has over 3 decades of experience when it comes to guitar playing; he has had success with his bands Rhapsody of Fire and HolyHell.  Academically Tom has also managed to gain two music degrees, one in music theory and the other in composition. Tom now dedicates a lot of his time to teaching other through his online courses.

Establish a Rhythm

Usually when it comes to riffs, most inexperienced players believe that riffs only consist of power chords.  You can create a pretty decent sounding riff based on power chords absolutely, however to master the power of writing a great riff you need to start to add notes to the power chord.  Adapt the rhythm to your level of guitar playing.

Don’t Focus Just on The Guitar

When creating a riff you need to keep in mind the sound that the other instruments will be bringing to the table.  The sounds from the other instruments in the band will help round off the perfect riff.  Add layers to the riff, your bassist doesn’t have to be playing the same rhythm and figure out the pace for the drummer.

Master the Minor Pentatonic Scale

The Pentatonic Scale is one of the most commonly used scaled when it comes to creating a riff.  This scale has been used for well over 50 years and has featured in many of the most iconic riffs off all time.  There any examples of how to learn this scale online but master it and you have the bases in place to start creating a masterpiece.

Experiment

Creating the perfect riff will rarely come instantly; it is down to a lot of trial and error. Jam with it; don’t get disheartened if it is not coming to you straight away.  Even if you think you have something but can’t move it to the next step, be patient, don’t lose your temper.  Once you have the rhythm the rest will come in time.  Creating music is a constant learning curve, take your inspirations and build from what you know.

Arden Andersen Celebrates Kansas’ History Through Schools

by Leave a Comment

Arden Andersen is incredibly proud of the Kansas City education system. One of the reasons for this is because they have such a strong focus on history. Students actively take part in projects to not just commemorate certain pieces of history, but actually relive them to a degree.

Arden Andersen Helps to Honor the Heroes

The first time Andersen became aware of just how much Kansas City schools celebrate history, is when he took part in an Honor the Heroes program. What stood out to him was that schools in Kansas City are often name after local luminaries. This is very different from the national trend, where only national heroes are commemorated in this way. This fascinated Andersen so much, that he completed a piece of research together William S. Worley. Together, Anderson and this University of Missouri, Kansas City adjunct professor uncovered some very interesting insights.

Anti-Slavery Heroes

The work done by Andersen first uncovered that, in 1870, Kansas City schools decided that those schools that had mainly black students should also be taught by black teachers. This is perhaps not such a surprising decision in itself, since segregation was still very normal in those days. However, the education system in Kansas City is so good that what it actually did, was create a whole new class made up of true thought leaders of African American origin. This is seen nowhere else in the country, where black populations continued to be very poorly educated.

The schools themselves continued to be named after white leaders, but mainly those who played an important role in the abolishment of slavery. Lincoln was a very popular name, therefore. However, William Lloyd Garrison, who was a famous abolitionist, was also honored in this way, as was the Senator of Massachusetts, Charles Summer, whose anti-slavery position led to him being physically attacked.

Two decades later, in the 1890s, Blanche K. Bruce was honored as a black senator from Mississippi. This was followed by Phyllis Wheately, and African America poet. R.T. Coles and W.W. Yates were honored for their roles as black educators, playing a hugely important role in the cultural and educational development of the city. The Benton Grammar School changed its name o D. A. Holmes in 1953, honoring the unofficial School Board member and pastor, who interviewed teaching applicants of black heritage. Schools have also often been named after corporate heads and philanthropists who have helped the educational system. One example of this is J.C. Nichols, the real estate developer.

Most recently, the Primitivo Garcia Elementary School was named. Garcia lost his life trying to protect a woman who was attacked and is a true hero. While these are trends seen all over the country and not just in Kansas City, what sets this apart is that the names here are all genuinely connected to the past of the city itself. Kansas City is made up of real people, and their education system is closely connected to this.

The Modern Conveniences We Enjoy Thanks to Civil Engineering

by Leave a Comment

When we live our daily lives, we usually don’t think about all the different things that are around us that have been constructed by man. We don’t look at a sidewalk and wonder about the complex processes that have gone in placing it there. We don’t consider the intricate construction of the buildings we live and work in. When we flush the toilet, we don’t wonder where everything goes. These are all typical conveniences in life that we take for granted but that we should thank experts like Reddy Kancharla for. These conveniences have been made possible thanks to civil engineering.

What Are Civil Engineers?

Civil engineers like Kancharla are experts who work on our natural environment and make it fit for human population, while attempting to conserve the planet at the same time. They are the ones who make sure bridges are safe, for instance. They erect it, manage it constructions, research how it will be used, and more. They determine how long the bridge will be, how much traffic will cross it, what the natural environment around the bridge is, and more. These are all hugely important considerations in something as seemingly simple as a bridge.

Civil engineers existed long before their profession was officially recognized. Think back to our ancestors, for instance, who constructed roads or identified various natural travel paths. Human beings have always migrated all over the world, which means engineering was always required. Roads had to be constructed, as did dwellings. These were temporary structures at first, but quickly started to become more permanent. It didn’t take our ancestors long to start to demand construction techniques that would increase their comfort and make life easier as well. Those responsible for that were early civil engineers, and we have them to thank for the lives we have today.

Imagine, for a minute, the look of our planet if engineering had not been developed at all. We would have no idea of how to construct our homes, our break walls, our lighthouses, our canals, and our roads. If civil engineers hadn’t developed and shared their knowledge, then we probably would not be able to be sheltered from the awesome force of Mother Nature. Simple rainfall would flood our homes, and the real natural disasters such as heat waves, earthquakes, and hurricanes would virtually destroy society. Society, in essence, would collapse.

We live our lives today in the knowledge that we are safe, but we don’t consider how much of that safety is down to the fantastic work of civil engineers. We forget that we are not even close to being able to control Mother Nature, but that we can only live side by side with her and that this arrangement has been made possible thanks to the work of civil engineers. We owe professionals like Reddy Kancharla and all the others who are involved in this field a great deal of gratitude because, without them, we would not be able to live.

Increasing The Level Of Literacy In Your Child

by Leave a Comment

We all want to give our children the best that we possibly can in life, and one of the best ways of doing this is giving them the very best education that you can, and igniting a passion in your child for learning. When children are young, their brain is like a sponge absorbing masses of information on a daily basis which helps them to develop and learn to express themselves. There are lots of ways that you can ignite this passion in your child, and all you need to spend a little time with them and show them how much fun learning can be!

What You Can Do In Your Home

There are lots of different activities that you can do with your child from a young age that will help to increase their levels of literacy. Even when your baby is only a few weeks old, talking and singing to them helps them to learn to listen and focus, preparing them to get ready to speak. A good trick is to use rhymes a lot, even if they are nonsense, as it is the patterns of speech that you are showing your child which are essential. Singing nursery rhymes is also good and if you want your child to copy you then make it fun. If you start by copying your child, then they will soon begin to copy you and make a game of things. The trick to teaching is just to make it fun, the more fun the child has, the more open they will be to learning. Talk about the things around you, the objects in your house and garden, or what you can see in pictures and storybooks. Spark their imagination and sit back and watch them thrive!

Find Somewhere That Can Assist You With The Process

Another consideration to help your child develop is to introduce them into a structured daycare facility where they will not only increase their literacy levels, but they will also be learning about social interaction, and controlling, as well as expressing their feelings. There are many excellent child care centres in Sydney, many of which offer superb facilities along with a high-level of care for the children. Choose one that teaches in a way that you are happy with, and one also has a full and varied curriculum, which will see your child learning about many new things that they have never seen or heard of before. You will know you are in the right place when you find a teacher in one of the schools that has that learning bug and also can ignite it in children, making learning a thing of fun.

Every child is different and will develop at a different rate, so do not get frustrated if your child does not develop as quick as you wanted. Give them time and find out what they like to learn, and you can find a way to set their passion for learning alight.

Make learning easier and effective by installing studying app

by Leave a Comment

If you want to become successful in life then it is important that you should study properly and get your all doubts clear. There are so many students that face lot of difficulties especially when they need to learn science and have to make science projects, assignments and charts. Well, if you are also one of them then you need not have to worry anymore as you can take help of google play studying app. These studying apps are very helpful, easy to use and above all come with many exciting tools and features. These studying apps can be downloaded from Google play store for free of cost and most importantly it will not take much storage space.

Work on all devices

One of the main benefit of downloading studying app is that it can run on all android devices. Not only this, if you are an iPhone user then also such applications can be downloaded from iTunes without any hassle. But first of all, you need to subscribe and register yourself before using this app. Once you are done with registration process, then can select topics as per your preference and enjoy thousands of lectures without moving out of your comfort level.

Get lectures on some exciting and hot topics

If, in case you have become bore with regular course and want to learn something new then also college studying app can be fruitful for your kids. They can enjoy lectures on many exciting topics and subjects including photography, cooking and travelling as well. Along with this, you can even choose date and timing of lecture as per your child schedule. All thanks to the live video streaming feature because of which now your kids can watch professors live. Overall, studying and learning app is one of the best ways through which you can brush up your child skills and make them learn something new each day at every minute.

What makes learning app a best option for studying?

There are several things and features which makes such learning apps an ideal option. With easy control buttons and features you can experience best and high quality videos without any interruption and gain knowledge without investing anything. In fact, most of the college studying app provide speed control buttons using which students can manage audio speed and play it backward and forward without any problem. While on the other hand, lectures speed can be adjusted from 2x to 5x.

Get guidance for career planning

If you are not sure with your career and not able to take any decision, then also studying app can be helpful for students. Here they can get guidance from top professors, career consultants and leading company heads without spending even a penny. As a student you can discuss all your doubts and get answer for your questions. Not only this, it will also help in increasing confidence and serve as a mean of motivation that will help in achieving better results. So, overall you can say that learning app can provide students with beneficial results that will make their future bright.

Top 5 Christian Values To Teach Your Children (and How To Do it)

by Leave a Comment

As a Christian mama, I have always tried my best to teach my children good, wholesome Christian values which will serve them throughout their lives. There are so many wonderful values which we can choose from our faith to teach children, many of which they will of course learn through life but it is our job as parents to instill some faith-based values.

I chose 5 key values which I wanted to teach my children and I wanted to talk to you a little about which I chose, and how I taught them to my kids.

Faith in God

At the very heart of any of the values which you will be teaching your children is having faith in God. Without God, none of these values would hold as much weight and it is though your child’s faith, that they can learn to live a good Christian life. I taught my children their faith through God practice, involving ourselves in the church family and worshipping together.

Respect

Giving respect is something that we are taught to do by the teachings of the Gospels and it is something which children must learn from an early stage. Giving respect as a Christian is not only about respecting authority but also respecting one another as well as ourselves. I taught my children how to respect with the teachings of God and through open and honest dialogue with them.

Compassion and Kindness

In line with respect, is compassion and kindness and as good Christians these are values which we must always uphold. Jesus was a man who showed great kindness and compassion throughout his life and we must all endeavor to do the same. In order to teach your children these values I think that is best to involve them in charitable works, let them see those less fortunate and encourage them to help.

Patience

Patience is something which can be difficult to teach children who want to do everything right this second, but through the teachings of the Lord we ca achieve it. It is important that Christians show patience in every aspect of our lives and if you are able to teach your children this at an early stage, you can help them to be better Christians. I like to tell my children stories and tales of those who won out through patience in order to inspire them.

Loyalty

Loyalty is a characteristic which can greatly improve anyone’s life, especially a Christian. Through loyalty your children will be able to form a stronger connection with God, better relationships throughout their life and enable them to become a far more rounded individual. In order to teach loyalty you should tell your children such stories about the apostle Thomas the Doubter amongst others. Try to encourage your kids to see the best in things and overlook insignificant matters.

Through loyalty to the faith, showing kindness and patience to others, children can really begin to live the values of a good Christian lifestyle.