“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?
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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.
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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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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Who’s Never Heard of Hal Willner?
Exploring the wacky career and curatorial escapades of one of New York’s most important musical directors, despite Willner never becoming a household name.
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Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann: The Inspiring Composers Music History Missed
Editor’s Note: The conspicuous absence of women from the historical canon of great classical composers is worth noting. There are myriad reasons behind that lack — women have historically been denied the ability to hold a job, access higher education, receive professional mentorship… The list is endless. Women composers were not given the opportunities to even […]
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Klaus Nomi: The German Countertenor Who Shook Up the New York Art World
+ Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. Klaus Sperber (January 24, 1944 – August 6, 1983), known by his stage name, Klaus Nomi, was many of our favorite weirdos’ weirdo. He was one of […]
