How to Make Epic Music Episode 2: Long, complicated songs, unstructured improvisations, cathartic peaks, an attention requirement, and a total unwillingness to do anything the easy way. Hey all, I spent wayyy too long on this one! I knew this band before starting, but didn’t know them nearly as well as I thought, and I’ll…
The 19th Century was an epic time — but maybe the most epic composer of all is the one who refused its call. Welcome! This was originally published on my Substack here. It’s the first episode of a new series called How to Make Epic Music! If you enjoy it, please consider subscribing to the Substack and…
This week, I’m stuck. I’m struggling to come up with new ideas on the piano. I’m using all the same plugins and production techniques in the DAW. Nothing I’m doing musically feels particularly exciting or new. I’m feeling slightly devoid of creativity and spark, and not quite sure where to go from here. It happens. …
I’m not feeling very creative at the moment. It’s been a tough few weeks at home, the sort of exceptional and unpredictable moment in your year where everything’s hard, where your daily energy feels less like that of an Olympian ready to run up a mountain and more like someone who accidentally stuck their finger…
What is the role of an artist? There are a million answers to that question, and the best one is likely personal to you. Vincent Van Gogh famously said his role was to “bring the wretched a brotherly message,” helping people see that they’re not alone and that life can be deeply beautiful. Nina Simone…
Hi everyone, Do time constraints help you be more creative? Tough question. On the one hand, if someone asks you to solve a tough riddle in 30 seconds or a bomb will explode, I’m guessing it’s going to be a little difficult to bring your most thoughtful, divergent ideas to the table. On the other hand, there…
There’s a story many of us tell ourselves that goes something like this: There are professionals and experts out there that know things we don’t know. They are equipped with some sacred knowledge that we don’t have that allows them to do the things they do. We can’t be successful until we have also unearthed…
Feeling lost in the hustle? Remember to make music just for yourself once in a while.
An exhaustive history of the catchiest ad jingle of all time. It goes so much deeper than we could’ve ever imagined and we break it ALL down.
From 20th century minimalism to early Gregorian chant structures, this film cue has it all…and it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.
