I’m a lifetime Philadelphian and proud of it. It’s an interesting place to grow up and be a musician. Philly is a big East Coast city that can feel like a small town of connected, but decidedly distinct neighborhoods and music scenes. The city is full of some of the oldest stuff in the country and…
Along the road to becoming a successful musician, one encounters quite a few “P” words: patience, perseverance, posture, pain, etc. However, the most important of these words is undeniably and frustratingly, “practice.” I’ve personally had a love/hate relationship with practice since 2002. I can remember quite clearly my mother insisting that I practice my drums on a…
For artists, depending on your patrons’ support is a practice as old as time. But these days it goes by another name: crowdfunding. You’ve probably already considered a crowdfunding campaign at some point in your career, and you’ve definitely already seen other musicians in your circle fund (or attempt to fund) their projects this way. It’s one…
In 1942, half-starved and weak from war and lack of supplies, members of Leningrad’s Philharmonic Orchestra gathered in the midst of the looming threat of bombardment to pull off one of the most extraordinary musical feats of all time. The city had already endured almost a year of brutal siege by the German Army —…
Welp, it happened. You didn’t think it would happen but it did. President Obama has completed his presidency with flying colors. Although he still has a few months before he has to turn over the keys, it’s time for Americans to realize the inevitable… We have to break up with Barack. It’s been a good…
Your vocal range: It’s present at the top of all your résumés, and is so basic that it’s right there next to your name, height, and contact information. But unlike the URL to your website, your vocal range can be subjective, and tough to describe accurately. And if you’re interested in working in musical theater,…
This week, VH1 is premiering their much hyped new cooking show, “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party,” hosted by, you guessed it, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. Now, despite the fact that Snoop and Martha have quite the history, many see this as yet another tacky contribution to the typical unscripted and pulpy celebrity-centered programming for which VH1 is…
Throughout my examination of the wide world of musical electronics, I’ve gazed longingly at the spider-web patches of modular and done an in-depth analyses of notable synths and their inner workings. One area we haven’t investigated deeply is the intersection of acoustic instruments with the electronic world — specifically, the burgeoning intersection of “classical,” or solo concert instrumentalists,…
+ Pursue your next music marketing goal with a Soundfly Mentor like Marta! Soundfly offers four-week mentorship sessions with a pro, customized to you. Get in touch to learn more. Accomplishing a successful career in the modern day music industry is a lot like hacking away at a Rubik’s cube. You’ve seen people solve it, you’re pretty sure…
By Nicholas Rubright In today’s environment where music is consumed mostly from streaming and free sources, making money from music sales seems like a thing of the past. CD sales were replaced by downloads fees, which are now being replaced by royalties from music streaming, often worth less than the checks they’re written on. While free…
