Musings | amateurmusicians.net

genius score scribblings for dummies

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

2 Comments

Terrible handwriting = genius? I'll say! Any other ways to find out how truly gifted you are?

music+tricks, techno+shift

blog review: music practice tips

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

2 Comments

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 [...]

black slab of spirited energy

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

3 Comments

If a big bad building assails you with unsympathetic vibrations, can it be re-tuned like a musical instrument?

magic+mystery, music+tricks, perception+training

take in large doses, three times a day

Sunday, August 26, 2007

3 Comments

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.

cultural+criticism, lifelong+learning, music+tricks

elemental spirit

Sunday, August 5, 2007

0 Comments

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.

musicians: make your own economy!

Sunday, August 5, 2007

0 Comments

In the last few years, we’ve seen a rapid increase in social and economic opportunities for DIY‘ers (do-it-yourself’ers), both on- and off-line. I’d argue that changes in our communication technologies are enabling this home brew entrepreneurship revolution. For example, the so-called “Web 2.0” paradigm shift on the Internet, describes a new way of creating wealth with [...]

5 expert ways to turbo-charge your practice routine

Monday, July 30, 2007

0 Comments

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 [...]

that no-good, stupid mystery we call music

Sunday, July 22, 2007

1 Comment

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 [...]

top 10 reasons why I don’t own an mp3 player

Friday, July 6, 2007

3 Comments

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 [...]

community guitar: interview with Andrew Lawrence

Sunday, June 24, 2007

0 Comments

For my June 2007 podcast, here’s an interview I conducted with Andrew Lawrence while I was attending Django In June in Northampton, Massachusetts. Andrew is founder of the Community Guitar Program, as well as being the director and coordinator of Django In June, the only annual music camp in North America dedicated to the pursuit of [...]