Music is a magic that can change the world
Although music majors aren't an entirely rare breed, they can easily be mixed up with others within their own species, the sleep-deprived college student. Noted by their sluggish behavior and small will to carry on, it's a wonder the species thrives enough to have so many classes within it. Today, we focus on seven key …
Continue reading "7 Ways to Identify Music Majors in the Wild"
Meet Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Пётр Ильич Чайковский for those who can read it). A flamboyant orchestral composer, he is best remembered for the range of his dynamics: the use of actual cannons in his 1812 Overture to his gentle The Nutcracker and heart wrenching Swan Lake. Born in 1840 in a small town in Russia, Tchaikovsky grew …
"O beautiful for spacious skies..." begins a tune that America has beat its drum to for many years. The song, a poem by Katharine Lee Bates set to music by Samuel A. Ward, speaks of the beauty of this land. Purple mountains in their majesty, amber grain waving in the breeze, seas shining in the …
Musicians are a unique bunch. We spend a lot of time working hard, but that's not all we do! Here are ten ways to be a real musician that you may not have thought of! 1. Make the classics new. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUzI3Ui1Eok John Cage is a 20th-century composer known for his style of taking away control …
Continue reading "10 Ways to Become a Real Musician Right Meow"
Constant self criticism, practicing perfectionism, locking yourself away for hours. Such is the life of a musician. Half of it, anyway. The other half of being a musician can be so rewarding, but when you're stuck in the first half, it can feel like there's no point in trying. There's so many more people that …
Continue reading "3 Questions to Ask When You Feel Pointless as a Musician"
Music might be this magical language of the soul, but it can still be infuriating to practice, especially if you're fairly new to the craft. Many teachers will tell you they don't teach students how to play; they teach students how to practice. Jeremy Denk writes that his teacher, "Sebők said many times that you …
Continue reading "7 Ways to Avoid Frustration While Practicing an Instrument"
Meet Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Known as the "Prince of Music" he is responsible for hundreds of works that are known as "absolute perfection." I love his music so much that he is a supporting character in a novel I wrote (not yet published; I'll let you all know when it is). Perhaps this is …
