What we mean when we talk about “radio” these days is so much more than…
Features
How Successful Musicians Practice: Songwriters & Composers
Welcome back to my four-part series of articles on How Successful Musicians Practice. If you’re just…
How Successful Musicians Practice: Guitar, Bass, and Bows
Welcome to the second installment of How Successful Musicians Practice. If you’re just joining us now,…
How Successful Musicians Practice: Drums & Percussion
Along the road to becoming a successful musician, one encounters quite a few “P” words: patience,…
Putting the Maelstrom of Politics to Song: PUBLIQuartet’s Live Score of the Final Debate
Last Wednesday, October 19, presidential candidates Donald J. Trump and Hillary R. Clinton faced off…
Why a Video of a Young Ukrainian Accordionist Went Viral
By Shinjoo Cho If you’ve spent any extended time scrolling social media this year, you’ve probably…
Les Paul, Pirate of the Airwaves?
Lester William Polsfuss, the given name of guitar-maker Les Paul, was a legend. His technological…
Defining & Deconstructing the Characteristics of a Billboard #1 Hit Song
What is it that makes a Billboard #1 song? Why do some songs make it…
Funk School: Breaking Down the i-IV Tritone Flip in “Uptown Funk”
“Perfect – fourth / Perfect – fourth / Tri – tone / Tri – tone”…
Understanding Advanced Blues Harmony
The 12-bar blues is the most important structural element in the history of American popular…