Music Student 101

Orchestration is the art of choosing the right instruments, and the proper balance thereof, for a composition. Different considerations go into conveying different moods and emotions to better tell the story. Continuing our discussion, we move on to the ever versatile woodwind section. Let's talk about the instruments: flutes, clarinets, oboes and saxophones!

It's time to discuss playing a live show for money (a.k.a. "gigging")! We hope most musicians will experience this at some point. In this episode, we will focus on practice strategies, essential gear, load in/load out, performance and maybe some etiquette considerations you may not have considered. So tune up and tune in!

What is polytonality? Can a piece of music be in more than one key at a time? Where do atonality and polytonality differ? What does this music even sound like? If you have any of these questions in mind, join us!

This, our 9th listener compositions episode, is all about our talented listeners and their ever growing writing skills. We are calling this "The Reunion" because we have a majority of returning composers! Let's hear what they've been up to! This episode will feature the original music of: Chris Lemon (Possum Creek Ramblers), Steve From An Undisclosed Subterranean Location, Joshua Ansley (Least of Thieves), Jacob Winiecki (Weather For Lovers) Keith Andrews, Edward Bender and Matt Lemon (Lemongrass).

It is again time to reminisce on some of the topics we've covered in past episodes. This, part 5 of our recaps, will cover episodes 101-130. These episodes cover a lot of ear training and extended advanced theory topics as well as some cool history and other things music adjacent. We humbly thank you all for your support and for the community we are building. Join us as we stroll down our musical memory lane!

Departing from episode 148, Renaissance Music Pt.2 (Late), we now arrive at the Early Baroque period! Up for discussion will be some pioneer composers of this period such as Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi and Strozzi! We will also talk about the dawn of opera, the aria and the recitative. We will see how the rise in use of instrumental music also carried with it fugues, dance suites and a new appreciation for virtuosic performance!

Continuing from episode 144, Renaissance Music Pt.1 (Early-Mid), we will now get into the late Renaissance period! In this episode, we will cover the composition techniques and musical stylings of composers, such as Thomas Weekles and Giovanni Palestrina, and how their music influenced this period. We will also cover motets, madrigals, instrumental music and global perspectives.

We will now further our discussion of Shankerian analysis with linear intervalic progressions, compound melodies, transition between voices, more on the neighbor note and a continued effort to galvanize our understanding of the 3 main layers involved in Shenkerian analysis!

It is time to dedicate another episode to the purpose of reviewing some of the topics we've covered. This episode, part 4 of our recaps, will cover episodes 71-100. By episode 100, we have covered the equivelent of a "theory 4" level education, by most academic standards. We humbly thank you all for your support and for the community we are building. Help us celebrate our time together by enjoying some fond memories with us!

We've touched on music apps in past episodes. But we thought it might be nice to dedicate an episode to some great apps that cover ear training, rhythm, notation and practice. We will also share some of our own ear training tips that we've picked up over the years!

Continuing from episode 134, Middle Ages Music Pt.2, we will now get into the early to mid Renaissance period. In this episode, we will cover the composition techniques and musical stylings of composers, such as Guillaume Dufay and Josquin Des Prez (within the church and outside the chuch), begining in the 15th century.

We decided to dedicate another episode to the purpose of reviewing some of the topics we've covered up to a certain point. This episode, part 3 of our recaps, will cover episodes 40-70! By episode 70, we have covered the equivelent of a "theory 3" level education, in academic circles. We humbly thank you all for your support and for the community we are building. Help us celebrate our time together by enjoying some fond memories with us!

Melodic dictation, the act of transcribing and notating a melody by ear, is a crucial skill for a musician to cultivate. In this episode, we will focus on the ever elusive Locrian mode. Let's listen!

In episodes 64 and 89, we discussed the roots of blues and country and delta blues. Now we spread out from these genres to cover Texas blues and Piedmont blues. We will discuss how the sounds from these regions stand apart and a few of the main artists that influeced these styles.

This, our 8th Listener Compositions episode, is all about our fine listeners and their fine talents. Let's hear what they've been up to! This episode will feature the original music of Soren Thomsen (Current Maso), Edward Bender, Thomas Czarples, Emily Zhang and Keith Andrews!

Melodic sequences occur frequently in music. They are often accompanied by harmonic sequences. Certain harmonic sequence patterns are constructed to preserve good voice leading without breaking the pattern. In this episode, we will focus on the descending circle of fifths sequence.

Grief, and the emotions that come with it, can often effect how we listen to music and how we write music. However, music can be a good companion during the healing process. In this episode we will share our experiences and those of some fellow musicians. We will discuss composers that have been stricken with grief and we will look at ways to use music to help with the healing process.

In episode 132, we merely scratched the surface of Schenkerian analysis. We will now continue our discussion of prolongation and listen to a few more examples of horizontalization. We will then discuss how Schenker looks at dominant and predominant functions. Ready your theory brains!

Percussion instruments are known to take a beating. Still, it's important to keep them safe, clean and properly maintained. In this episode, we will review the instruments of the percussion family and share some tips we found to keep them sounding and looking their best!