Record — and protect your files — on the road
With the right technology, strategies, and planning, indie artists can record and produce amazing music anywhere. Read the post
Author: Michael Gallant
Practice music like an Olympic athlete
Whatever your musical style or genre, establishing an effective, consistent practice routine will set you up for musical success. Here are some tips to get you started. Read the post.
Expand your musicianship and career by sight-reading music
The ability to see written music for the first time and play it on the spot is a superpower that will open creative and career possibilities. Here are some tips to expand your skills at sight-reading music. Read the post.
Are you ready to return to the recording studio?
A return to regular activities might mean you’ll be stepping into a recording studio for the first time in many months. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare for your recording session. Read the post.
Turning popular songs into instrumental covers
Interpreting pop songs as instrumental covers can be a challenge. Here are tips to take your musical transformations in exciting directions. Read the post.
Three approaches to live looping
From tight grooves to swirls of sound, live looping can open up huge opportunities for musical creativity. These three approaches will get you started. Read the post.
Ready to try live looping? Where do you start?
With the right gear, timing, and technique, a solo performer can summon multi-layered sounds that are worlds beyond the limits of a single instrument or voice. Here’s what you need to get started. Read the post.
The profound healing quality of music
An intense desire to create and share her music helped indie music artist Sarah Fimm recover from a debilitating accident and find gratitude for the lessons she learned. Read the post.
How to plan, perform, and rock your Zoom gigs
Live-streaming has opened new opportunities for many musicians. It has also created new categories of challenges. These prep and performance tips can make your Zoom gigs the best they can be. Read the post.
Gigging over Zoom: A case study
Throughout the pandemic, live-streamed performances have been a lifeline for many musicians, but the technical challenges can be significant. Here are some tips to help you share your music via Zoom. Read the post.
Playing live music at the polls
Around the country, indie musicians of all styles and genres are playing live music at the polls as people wait to vote. Here are some tips for bringing your music to the voters. Read the post.
Adding live strings to your recording
When you’re ready to add violin, cello, or other orchestral strings to your recordings, these tips will get you off the ground and help you communicate and harness the creativity of your collaborators. Read the post.
Ramping up for the big gig
When you’re planning for a big gig, use these strategies to prepare and practice so you play, perform, stream, and record with success. Read the post.
Things every musician and songwriter can learn from McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner, a giant of jazz piano, embodied powerful lessons that music-makers of any sort can learn from. Read the post.
Ben Folds’ “2020” — A case study for indie artists
From songwriting ideas to recording technique, there’s a lot you can learn from the songwriter’s tragi-comic recording-in-quarantine project. Read the post.