If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!When I started this blog, I initially had this idea of a web resource for music practice advice. Providing such a service, I thought, would help remedy a recurrent problem in music education. That is: despite the abundance of educational/mentorship [...]
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
If a big bad building assails you with unsympathetic vibrations, can it be re-tuned like a musical instrument?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Can listening to Mozart make you better-adjusted? Philosopher Manly P. Hall says: yes, but so long as you don't get too blissed-out.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Tonight, I’ve been needing to hear a “loud and clear” message about the life-affirming properties of music. Found it in this article about the late great jazz drummer Elvin Jones.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Feel your motivation flagging at the thought of yet another dreary practice session? Your instrument starting to pick up dust? Never fear! We’re living in a brave new age of gurus, and there’s a solution-head out there for every spiritual and practical problem that ails’ ya. Here’s a shortlist of techniques and approaches from trusted authorities in [...]
Sunday, July 22, 2007
OK history buffs, here’s a question for you: (drum-roll…) Q- Why was (ancient Greek philosopher) Socrates put to death by his fellow Athenians? A- Because he was “corrupting Athens’ youth population”. Or so the verdict said. To be sure: history’s most phenomenally lame verdict! But if the word “corrupting” evokes debauchery, apparently this wasn’t quite the case. Rather, Socrates [...]
Friday, July 6, 2007
In life it’s often best to keep up with the Joneses. On the practical level, people ask less questions. On the existential level, you’re more well-adjusted. Or betterly-adjusted. So imagine this: I’m a musician, and I just woke up to the fact that I still don’t own an mp3 player. Pow! How could that be? I [...]
Monday, June 4, 2007
You’re ten years old, it’s Christmas eve. Uncle Fritz (fictitious name) has gotten in disguise: Santa’s about to distribute the gifts. The living room is packed with relatives, in dizzy anticipation at the surprises to come. Alas, before Santa Fritz can grab the first gift, your mom stands up, and blurts out to all ears: “Wait, [...]
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Who sez Bach can’t surf? Here’s my first ever public recording of Bach’s famous Prelude in D minor (BWV 999) played on guitar, with oscilloscope accompaniment. Found the results intriguing, so posted the video on YouTube, for your viewing pleasure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSqMx3CtOV8 What fascinates me the most is this staggered wave effect in response to the patterned musical [...]
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Don’t have enough vein diameter to feed blood to your virtual avatar in Second Life? Need to relax, but find the practice of meditation too emotionally barren to pursue? Can’t even properly evoke the Slow Movement in your bowel displacements? Listen, friend. Don’t even think about “getting tased”. Rather, consider this quote by classical guitarist Julian Bream [...]
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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