Music is a magic that can change the world
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) is known as one of the greatest romantic composers not only for his large body of work but also the intensity inherent in his music. It embodies the ideals of the romantic period by drawing on what's natural and intense emotion. In addition to his fame for these accomplishments, Tchaikovsky also …
Continue reading "Tchaikovsky’s 7 Surefire Ways to Get Your Audience’s Attention"
On this day, October 17th, in 1849, Frédéric François Chopin passed away in Paris. "He had no predecessor and no successor.... Chopin came and departed like a comet from remote space," said Australian pianist, Ernest Hutcheson. He is remembered as a morose and anxious man, one who composed a song to cope with his sorrows …
"The power to affect how people perceive you gives you the ability to transform the world around you." —Alpin Hong, TEDx La Sierra University, July 1, 2015 It starts the moment people can see you. Whether it be a stage, the boss's office, or a high school hallway, we are constantly performing. People evaluate you …
Continue reading "4 Aspects of a Great Performance from Alpin Hong"
Recently, one of my professors shared this article by Tanya Kalmanovitch, a Juilliard graduate. The title, "How Quitting Music Made Me an Artist" sounds like clickbait with the promise of some revolutionary way of looking at a tradition that's ages old. Yet, I keep coming back to it, and I find something new to take away …
Mozart's memory is full of opposites. Known for both jumping on tables and meowing like a cat and for the mysterious inception of his final work, the Requiem, his work can be taken as both arrogant and irreverent or as profound and hauntingly beautiful. Yet, neither can portray the deepest essence of his being. Born 1756 …
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"
"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 …
