Today marks the anniversary of an outdoor concert to remember — one that proved deadly for thousands of pond-dwelling fish. Read to learn more.
Tag: music history
What the “Tristan Chord” Is and How to Use It
An in-depth exploration of one of the most storied chords in opera, what makes it so influential, and how to use it yourself in your compositions.
Hearing the “Bo Diddley Beat” in Everything
A powerful OpEd on hearing familiarity through artificial musical boundaries and what happens when we look at our own aesthetic tastes under a microscope.
“Woven” Medieval Welsh and Celtic Chord Patterns Look a Lot Like Binary Code!
These historic patterns made up the basis for medieval lyrical songform. How do these strange numeric codes work to convey harmonic information?
Why Are There No Saxophones in Orchestras?
A quick historical deep dive on the journey of the saxophone from French military pride to jazz band spotlight, but never the symphonic orchestra.
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.
What We Learned from ‘Composers or Types of Pasta’
Thanks to a hilarious internet quiz, we’ve discovered works from 8 spectacular Italian composers that we definitely thought were types of pasta.
A Brief History of Songwriting Stars You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
We profile the great songwriting minds behind some of the greatest pop hits of the modern era. You might not know their names, but you know their work!
5 Music Copyright Cases Every Songwriter Should Know About
Take a tour of 5 important copyright infringement cases in music history to learn about the decisions that helped shape how we look at songwriting today.
Homeward Bound: A Look Back at Paul Simon’s Songwriting Journey
As Paul Simon said farewell to performing music in September in his childhood home of Queens, NY, we revisit the ups and downs of the songwriter’s career.