"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 …
10 Ways to Become a Real Musician Right Meow
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 …
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3 Questions to Ask When You Feel Pointless as a Musician
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 …
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7 Ways to Avoid Frustration While Practicing an Instrument
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. I recall countless high school hours spent banging out Hanon exercises or Bach (I vividly remember anger associated with my left hand when I was learning his Two-Part Invention No. …
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Meet the Composers: Palestrina
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 …
Creating Music, Part One: Where to Begin
Classical musicians are cover artists. We play the scores of composers from long ago, and we get to put our own spin on the music. But what about creating our own from scratch? It's not always easy to start off. Compare it to writing in your own native language (English for the sake of the …
How to Practice Like a Prodigy
Were you a child prodigy? Did you have to suffer through the same courses of practice and lessons as people obviously not as gifted as you? Then this post is for you! Presenting How to Practice Like a Prodigy: A guide for those incredible geniuses who only ever excelled at their craft. Play through your …
