Tag: Music
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Why Improvisation Matters
If you don’t play jazz, blues, or some other type of music that involves spontaneous playing, you might wonder what purpose there is in learning to improvise. Sure, “jazzheads” can sit around listening to John Coltrane or some other historic figure, but how can…
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You Don’t Need Magic to Succeed
There are thousands of books and videos on how “positive thinking” can create success, or how “visualizing” your goals will make them come true. Is there a “secret” to this? If you just believe hard enough, will the universe re-arrange itself to make you happy? Let’s explore…
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The 3 Forces in Art: Part I
I should say, “The three forces that, when in balance, make what I think of as art,” but it is a title, that’s a bit cumbersome. In this series, we will explore these forces, and how we can utilize them to create work that “works.” It does seem odd that many things come in threes:…
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How are Grammy Awards Chosen? Part I
Every year, people watch the Grammy Awards and wonder about the process, and how certain artists win, some over and over. In the process of submitting my material to this competition, I learned a lot about how this and other merit-based awards are…
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The Tyranny of the Click Track
Like many musicians, over the decades I have worked very hard on my “time” and accuracy, seeking to play “perfect” time. There are legends of virtuoso studio drummers listening to a metronome, leaving, walking around the block, and returning without losing a beat. What is perfect…
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What Ever Happened to Arranging?
Recently I have been reading up on big band writing, with the intent of composing some new music. What struck me in my studies is the deliberation and reverence for the art found throughout these books. There is something about doing it right. Art can have details, and…
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11 Ways to Feel Better
As musicians (and humans in general) we have a lot of stress and anxiety; this is inevitable. Perhaps we dream of a “stress-free” environment where we can relax and unwind… yet when we actually arrive there, we are just as keyed-up as ever. This is because we…
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8 Ways We Avoid Making A Recording
Last time, we discussed the reasons why it is so important it is for us to make a recording of our music. While those reasons are compelling, as soon as we begin to build up a “head of steam,” various doubts and fears can creep in,…
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10 Reasons Your Composition Gets Stalled
Probably the biggest issue composers face, especially when getting started is the problem of finishing pieces. Somewhere in the process, we get “stalled” and in many cases, we never get started again, leaving unfinished works. In this article, we will look at some of the ways we…