The theremin is a musical instrument that is played without any contact by the performer. It was one of the first electronic instruments ever created, and later popularized by Robert Moog who designed a build-it-yourself kit version for mass consumption. It was invented and pattented in 1928 by Léon Theremin, a Russian whose actual name…
As a bandleader, it’s your job to cover all the bases — run rehearsals, plan shows on the road, arrange practices — and yes — execute a killer merch table. These 10 square feet of retail are your gateway to making a lasting impression and some extra dough for the band. It’s an opportunity to…
Musicians often get stereotyped as being “flaky.” Unreliable musicians not only drive other musicians crazy, they hurt the relationships with venues, booking agents, and everyone else musicians rely on to get their music heard. But despite what stereotypes say, you CAN be a “creative type” and also know your way around a spreadsheet. So rather than hold yourself back, embrace…
As a former writing major, I know all too well the faults of bad criticism. It makes the writer feel bad, it makes the commenter look inconsiderate, and it doesn’t help the writing improve. In songwriting, something you’ve poured your heart and soul into, it’s especially uncomfortable to receive harsh criticism. The wrong things get attacked, and the…
A jam session can be one of the best ways to build your network. My jam session in Brooklyn, Playground Sessions, brings together so many people on a regular basis. That session has sparked countless collaborations and performance opportunities. So here’s how you can go about starting your own. Step 1: Find a Space This…
The first thing to understand about music is that it’s completely subjective. You might make music for yourself, you might make music for an audience, but the audience will always form their own opinions about your labor of love. The same is true for me: some people love my work, some people hate my work.…
Last week, tons of bands got into the spirit of #SongwritingWeek by posting stories of how one of their songs was written or recorded. And in honor of their hard work, we’ve decided to give out a few awards. So drumroll please… the winners are… The Great Nostalgia Award: Exiles (Brooklyn, NY) Kill the Lights by Exiles Exiles…
Summer is a time for love, and with that, comes a whole new chance to woo the guy or girl of our dreams. Enter: the love song. It’s that wonderful, time-honored tradition that would-be Romeos have been using to swoop a lady-love off her feet for hundreds of years. Or in my case make her…
The Broadway musical is such a mélange of parts — often Frankensteined together — that it’s easy to take for granted the weight that each of the creative elements bear. I think ten out of ten composers would agree that songwriting is the most integral of said elements. After all, no music = no musical.…
+ Improve your songwriting with Soundfly! Explore our range of courses on emotional chord progressions, basic songwriting technique, songwriting for producers, and many more. Subscribe for unlimited access here. Writing creative lyrics is a challenging task. If you want to write for radio, you’ll probably lean towards accessible themes of love with simple, easy-to-digest lyrics. Poetry, as beautiful as it…
