14 of the Most Influential Latin American Composers of the 20th Century
Unless you’re a classical guitar student, odds are your music education is sorely lacking in the works and legacies of Latin American classical composers.
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Why Singing Is Just as Psychological as It Is Physical
When singers start learning about how to be better singers, there is a huge focus on achieving proper technique. In the beginning, all the advice you hear is about how to breathe and how to stand, how to warm up, and how to work a microphone. Singing is a complex physical act, but it also requires huge…
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Empowerment: From “Female Producer” to “Producer”
By Julie Kathryn a.k.a. I AM SNOW ANGEL I’m a songwriter, recording artist, musician, and producer. I’ve self-produced two EPs and one full-length album under the moniker I AM SNOW ANGEL. In 2015, I co-founded an all-female musical collective called Female Frequency. I’d like to note that I do not consider myself an expert on…
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606–909: The Legendary Roland Drum Machine Series
Ah, that classic beat, marching ever onward, familiar as the beat of our own hearts. But the beats we’re so consumed with, the sounds that so commonly drive our daily lives, are not only not the sound of a beating heart (a robot heart, maybe), they’re not organic sounds at all. Yes, yes, whether you like it or…
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A Short History of the Nearly Obsolete 1/8 Inch Headphone Jack
Last week, Apple announced the release of the iPhone 7, among other new products and partnerships. The phone features innovative additions such as water resistant technology, dual lens cameras for professional quality photo and video, and sleek new design tweaks to the screen and phone body. Yet you’ve probably heard that something very noticeable will be missing from the new…
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Why We’re Rolling Out Online Courses with a Human Touch
We’re obsessed with uncovering better ways to teach and learn. Everyone in the Soundfly office takes on weekly writing challenges to push ourselves to learn more musically. We read books about practicing and how people learn. We talk to psychologists and neuroscientists about the process of learning. And we’re constantly looking to invent new approaches, both online and off, to help people…
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It Only Takes 5 Minutes to Master These 3 Simple Vocal Warm-Ups
In the spirit of the Summer Olympics, here’s a metaphor: Athletes would never dream of competing without warming up first, so why is it that singers so often skip this vital step? Sure, we may not risk seriously injuring our bodies if we don’t warm up, but we can seriously injure our vocal cords! One of…
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How to Play the Guitar Without Looking
Tired of constantly glancing down at the fretboard during your solos? Having trouble singing while you play? Maybe you’re just out to emulate all your favorite blues musicians, like Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, or Sonny Terry (also blind)… none of whom could even see their guitar, let alone the fretboard! But for…
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6 Subtle Production Tricks That’ll Bring a Track to Life
Sometimes having great songs and performances isn’t enough — you also need unique and ear-catching production. What actually makes something sound even better than it does? Well, that’s that true art of audio production. The more techniques a producer or engineer has at his or her disposal, the most opportunities for inventiveness. That’s not to…
