Music is a magic that can change the world
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. 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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Inspired by the Daily Post's daily prompt, Retrospective. Looking back isn't always easy. A lot of you are probably thinking of cringey moments from high school or college when you should've done something differently, but you can't; the moment's passed. Until recently, I'd been pretty good about not letting myself regret mistakes or big decisions. …
While Langston Hughes was not a Jazz musician, he is known as a leader of the Jazz poetry genre. His poetic forms, remembered for their spirit, contain many stylistic devices also characteristic of music, especially the blues. This fully American music stemmed from the mixing of cultures, from the two traditions from which Langston Hughes …
