Categories Opinion

A Refreshing and Innovative Concert: “Private Works” 2012

“While individual interpretation has always been a part of experiencing art, concert music has remained a public endeavor. At the same time, through the ubiquitous public use of headphones, there is an increasingly predominant private music experience in this country. Why not find a way to combine these two opposing paradigms?”(-Private Works 2012 Facebook event […]

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Categories RhythmTools for Composers

Tool #31: Expanding Your Rhythmic Arsenal

Expanding your rhythmic arsenal never hurts.  Whether you need a freer-sounding piece, a busier passage, a thematic variation, or a unique and catchy rhythm, here are some techniques to increase the rhythmic variety you’re using and make your rhythms more interesting. Tie over the barline.  If you have a passage contained within three measures, consider […]

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Categories IssuesOpinionProfessional DevelopmentTools for Composers

Is music school worth it?

If you’re considering a career in music, you’re probably thinking about going to music school or some sort of artistic trade school.  Music school is a lot of time, effort, and generally speaking, money to invest for a career that most likely won’t pay large sums of money.  So, is music school worth it? – […]

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Categories IssuesOpinion

Make Your Music Significant – Say Something!

One of the problems I have with much of the music I hear today is that it doesn’t say anything.  It rambles, might hint at a statement, and kind of warbles like limp spaghetti hanging casually over the edge of your plate.  (Sorry for the strange food analogy.)  That kind of music doesn’t have significance […]

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Categories IssuesPsychology of MusicTools for Composers

Writer’s Block

Writer’s block.  Most of us have hit it at some point.  When creativity is siphoned away, one knows it and it seems like an insurmountable impasse.  I have struggled with it at the worst of times–at the ends of pieces, in the middle of hectic semesters, and when project deadlines loom ever closer.  So, the […]

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Categories Professional DevelopmentTechnologyTools for Composers

Tool #30: Pinterest (A brief guide)

Pinterest, the picture/pinboard social network, is growing extremely fast.  Its visual basis has made it popular across many diverse fields and demographic groups, and this visual appeal is a great tool for composers.  Like any other social network, it can be used to create buzz, share content, interact with audiences, and promote an individual or […]

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