Ep. 31 of Themes and Variation covers some hardcore guilty pleasures with Soundfly Mentor, composer, and educator, Lavender Looi.
The Hidden Grammar of Music
What a music theory book at age 13 taught me about how to look at chords, chord progressions and the emotions they’re capable of manifesting.
What Songs Are Gateways Into Enjoying Jazz?
Ep. 30 of Themes and Variation features Peter Martin, jazz pianist and composer, educator, and founder of the e-learning site, Open Studio.
8 Musicians Redefining the Sound of Jazz in 2021
Here’s our rundown of eight of the most exciting new artistic voices in American jazz music in 2021. Enjoy!
Why Improvisation Should Be Part of Every Young Musician’s Training
Based on neuroscience research, improvisation can deactivate the self-judgment in your brain, and help you engage more creatively with music.
The Best Synthesizers for Live Performance
Bands tend to…break things. So given price and durability need to be factored into performing, here are the best synths for live shows.
How to Open Yourself up to Musical Collaborations
Solo artists, songwriters, and composers, you may be nervous to, but here’s how to open yourself up to new collaborative frontiers.
On Learning to Take a Helping Hand
In her latest column, Mahea Lee meditates on how hard it can be to accept someone’s offer to lend a helping hand, and why we should.
What Are Your Favorite Songs With Misheard Lyrics?
Join us for Episode 24 of “Themes and Variation,” in which we embarrassingly share the classic rock lyrics we could never get quite right.
Rebuilding Depeche Mode’s Wavetable Synth Sound in Serum
Soundfly’s resident synth expert tackles a patch rebuild from Depeche Mode’s classic new wave archive using the soft wavetable synth Serum.