Boost your artist brand, musical chops, and revenue from home
For musicians who were the originators of the “gig” economy, music gigs, music lessons, and merch sales are not the income drivers they were just weeks ago. Read the post.
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Work To Create A Killer Live Show
To create a show that packs the house, you have to do more than just play your recorded music live. You have an entire stage to create a spectacle that draws people in and makes an emotional connection. Read the post.
Make the most of rehearsal time
There are lots of recipes for successful band rehearsals and these tips might help you refocus and prepare to rehearse with purpose. Read the post.
Playing at Carnegie Hall … with five days’ notice
When I had the opportunity to be playing at Carnegie Hall with the great Wouter Kellerman, I had to say yes. With the gig five days away, thoughtful, strategic practicing helped get the music where it needed to be in a short amount of time. Read the post.
Deliberate practice helps you become a better musician
Growth as a musician requires a practical approach, which can include the use of programs and apps to help organize and incentivize deliberate practice sessions. Read the post.
Why you should learn another instrument
The first of a two-part series explores how taking time to learn another instrument will help you become stronger at your first instrument and improve your songwriting chops. Read the post.
Studying song structure can help you learn new material quickly
Strategies that involve focused listening and practice are key to learning new material quickly, and looking closely at song structure can lessen the amount of time it takes you to get from first listen to a strong, quality performance. Read the post.
8 tips to help you learn new music … fast
If you’re in a situation where you have to learn lots of new music in a very short time, these tips can help you develop a strategy so you can tackle the task and perform with confidence. Read the post.
Are you too old to learn to play an instrument?
It’s definitely too late to learn anything when the dirt hits your face, but until then, you have plenty of time to learn how to play a musical instrument. Read More.
Daily habits to enhance your musical creativity and productivity
You may think musical creativity exists and flourishes outside the bounds of habit and structure, but the truth is, you work best when you adhere to a stable routine and a healthy lifestyle. Read More.
Challenge yourself when music practice gets stale
If your music practice routine has plateaued, it’s time to challenge yourself and try something new. We’ve got tips to get you out of your creative rut. Read More.
Use visual and musical cues to lead your audience
Your audience wants to respond, they just don’t know what you want them to do – they don’t know what’s going through your head when you’re on the stage – so you have to use verbal, visual, and musical cues to lead them where you want them to go. Read More.
Band rehearsal lessons I learned from Jazz at Lincoln Center
Whatever your style of music or size of your ensemble, there’s a lot I learned watching the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra that you can apply to your next band rehearsal. Read More.
Changing the pressure during your live performances
Being intentional with different visual presentations for the variety of moods your songs invoke is part of what Tom Jackson calls changing the pressure on your audience during your live performances. “I’m not talking about acting or choreography, I’m talking about thinking, “What should this song look like?'” Read more.
Band rehearsal tips: Can you be over-rehearsed?
When people come to me for band practice tips, one of the questions I get asked a lot is, “What’s too much rehearsal? We want to keep it spontaneous.” Well, spontaneous is one thing, and winging it is another. And most people wing it. When you’re making it up as you go onstage, instead of in rehearsal, you’ll never be great, consistently. Read more.