+ Bridge the worlds of theory, improvisation, and jazzy hip-hop, and improve your piano chops with Grammy-winner Kiefer in his course, Kiefer: Keys, Chords, & Beats. As a piano player, I used to detest the idea of digital pianos replacing the need for acoustic craftsmanship. While I still think that there will never be an equal…
Money, such as it is, is hard to come by in the music business of the 21st century — so most bands have to jam econo just to break even (if that). Fortunately, there are lots of cost-efficient options for the modern touring band — especially those who are only able to make regional jaunts. So I thought…
Ok, so you’ve decided to make music. That’s wonderful! Welcome to the community! The music that you’ll be creating is obviously the most important thing you’re going to have to work on, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other things to think about. Doing this whole “being a musician” thing comes with responsibilities if you…
+ Pursue your next marketing goal with a Soundfly Mentor! Soundfly offers four-week mentorship sessions with a pro, customized to you. Get in touch. Social media is a chore for you (okay, me). But why? Because you’re (I’m) doing it wrong. You know who’s doing it right? Of course you do. Amanda Palmer is doing social media right because…
To the readers who complained that my recently published “5 Worst Ways to Describe Your Band If You’re Trying to Get Press” piece lacked suggestions for successfully relating your sound to music writers: here’s your answer! While these tips are meant to help guide you in successfully illustrating your style, I’d like to point out…
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with a group of musicians to discuss the essentials that first-time touring bands often forget. During those conversations, another topic came up: the things they used to bring on tour that just ended up taking up space. If it’s your first tour, your mind is racing at a…
If you want to be an active professional musician, you should learn to sing. It’s an incredibly beneficial skill for your ear development, and it’s a lot of fun as well! There are tons of benefits to being able to sing and play an instrument at the same time. For musicians that are primarily instrumentalists,…
Not too long ago, a friend took me to a Willis Earl Beal show. Knowing nothing (behind the times, as usual), I assumed assumptions: He would be a songwriter with a guitar. Such was not the case. The show was much more interesting than that. He performed solo, accompanied only by backing tracks composed on…
A band is a unique and complex relationship, and with so many different personalities and goals among band members, things can sometimes get tricky. Some people are direct, some are passive, some are more organized than others. “Musicians are sensitive and odd creatures,” says songwriter/guitarist Paul Hansen of indie folk band The Grownup Noise. “So…
+ Pursue your next social media 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. I was just invited to Like a Musician’s Facebook Page from a friend. I clicked through and decided to give it a look. I started browsing around,…
