The Lasting Legacy of the Slave Trade on American Music
Today is the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade, we honor this day by charting the legacy of African diasporic music in America.
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San Fermin and Behaviorist’s Stephen Chen on Adding ‘Weird Colors’ to Pop Music
Stephen Chen of New York’s San Fermin and Behaviorist opens up about trying to write catchy pop melodies with subtle harmonic and rhythmic complexity.
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An Introduction to Zappa’s ‘Black Page #2’: Modality, Polyrhythms, and Intervals
We explore the fundamental rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic concepts at play in one of Frank Zappa’s most lauded compositions.
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John Coltrane and the Economy of the Blues
Coltrane pioneered a new language in jazz harmony, rooted in some pretty basic blues progressions, but with his own added twist. Watch our video to explore!
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RIP Cecil Taylor
This article originally appeared on Ethan Hein’s blog. When I was nineteen, I was flipping channels on TV late at night, and I stumbled on this: I had no idea what I was seeing, but I was spellbound. I still can’t exactly verbalize what this music means to me, but I know it means something. I’m…
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Who Is the Art Ensemble of Chicago?
+ 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. For the musicians of the many houses of improvised music out there, the Art Ensemble of Chicago is one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. Yet for…
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Here Are Our 8 Favorite Films About Jazz Horn Players
Horns are a prominent piece in the puzzle of modern music. When it comes to pushing the language of American music forward, predominantly via jazz in the 20th century, their role has been invaluable. But what about their prominence in film? Whether it’s the saxophone, trumpet, or trombone, or, yes, even a bunch of tubas,…
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Elbows on Sketching Songs With Pencil and Paper and the Importance of Storyline
Welcome back to Soundfly’s weekly interview series, Incorrect Music, curated by guitarist, singer, and composer Lora-Faye Åshuvud (of the band Arthur Moon). In this series, we present intimate conversations with artists who are striving to push the boundaries of their process and craft. Brooklyn’s Max Schieble has had a prolific year releasing spacey jazz and hip-hop-inflected pop music under the…
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10 Women Loudly Pushing the Boundaries of Electronic Music
+ Learn the nuances of producing beats, arranging tracks, and creative sampling, drawing on the rich history and influence of hip-hop in The Art of Hip-Hop Production. Electronic music is a vast landscape with all too many sub-genres to keep track of. So much of the most popularly consumed music today is either produced and…
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Kenneka Cook on Taking Music Out of the Loop Pedal and into a Live Band
Welcome back to Soundfly’s weekly interview series, Incorrect Music, curated by guitarist, singer, and composer Lora-Faye Åshuvud (of the band Arthur Moon). In this series, we present intimate conversations with artists who are striving to push the boundaries of their process and craft. Richmond, Virginia’s Kenneka Cook credits her early explorations in arranging to the loop pedal, which she started experimenting…
