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.
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.
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.
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.
The list of notable musicians who died in 2020 is expansive, with Coronavirus and gun violence making unsettling contributions. A number of masters, mavericks, upstarts, and icons are now sadly part of the cast of musicians who have played their final note. Read the post.
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.
McCoy Tyner, a giant of jazz piano, embodied powerful lessons that music-makers of any sort can learn from. Read the post.
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.
The relationship between math and music extends to many elements of both, and studying one can lead to success in the other. If nothing else, the connection is an interesting one to explore. Read the post.
From new wave pioneers to hip hop artists who were just making their mark, the list of music icons and notable musicians who died in 2019 is lengthy and significant. Read the post.
While it might be impossible to play EVERY style of music there is, you can gain confidence, experience, and new ideas playing in musical genres outside of your regular routine. Read the post.
Before and after the Carpenters scored a massive hit with “(They Long To Be) Close To You,” others tried, but they all seemed to miss what Richard Carpenter figured out: When you have a great melody, great lyrics, and a great singer — less is more. Read the post.
The parallels between the changes in the music industry and the publishing industry are striking. Just as the music industry tilted to give independent artists a fighting chance two decades ago, writers are enjoying the same power to bring their books to market as independent authors. Read the post.
Ever sit down to learn a song and find that no matter what chord you play, it’s just not the right one? We investigate two mystery chords in two classic songs. Read the post.
Music arrangement might be the invisible art, but the results can spell the difference between a smash hit and a “nice” song. Dr. Richard Niles has a storied history as an arranger and shares some thoughts and insights in this interview. Read the post.