September 2012 - Composer's Toolbox

Sound and Silence: Bridging Classical and Pop for Middle and High School Musicians

DanLisMusic Posted on September 29, 2012

Calling all Hartford area music teachers! If you have students who you think would enjoy playing popular music arrangements on their instruments, please consider this ensemble. I’m going to be arranging popular songs specifically for the needs of this group, and it looks like it’ll be a blast: We’re holding auditions on Thursday, October 11th, […]

The Current State of Affairs in Classical Music – My Summary

DanLisMusic Posted on September 27, 2012

So, the old model of music is decaying. Symphony orchestras, record labels, universities–they seem to be declining. The reasons for this are multitudinous, and arguable. Don’t get me wrong–there are many exceptions to this state of decline, but as I hear of strike after strike, financial woe after woe, I thought I’d type up what […]

Opinion Tools for Composers

Discipline: Can Art Be Rushed? (Tool #39)

DanLisMusic Posted on September 11, 2012

This is a topic that sometimes comes up in collaborative efforts where one party in the collaboration lags behind, sometimes holding up the other parties: Can you “rush” art? Here’s my answer: Art requires time. It requires alone time, thinking time, warm-up time, creation time, and even cool-down time. It’s like going for a really […]