Continue reading “What is the worst aspect of the United States of America?”
Grad school update
This week I’ve begun classes towards a master’s degree in NYU’s Music Technology program. I’m going to be pretty overwhelmed with that for a couple of weeks, but then I expect I’ll be throwing a lot of course-related writing up soon. In the meantime, here’s a photo of Morton Subotnick’s Buchla synth. Can’t wait to try it out for myself.
Round Midnight
Thelonious Monk’s beautiful ballad “Round Midnight” is said to be the most widely recorded and performed jazz tune — that is, a tune that was written specifically for jazz, not an adaptation of a showtune or pop song. Carmen McRae was a good friend of Monk’s, and for my tastes, she sings this song better than anyone. Her tart, unsentimental intellect matches Monk’s own approach to music perfectly. Here she is performing “Round Midnight” in 1962.
How does jazz work?
Rather than attempting the impossible task of explaining how everything in jazz works, I’m going to pick a specific tune and talk you through it: “Someday My Prince Will Come” by Miles Davis, off the 1961 album by the same name.
First, here’s the original version of the tune from Snow White.
Once you’ve got the melody in your head, listen to the Miles Davis recording.
Who should you follow to keep up to date on digital music trends?
Here are some recommended people to follow on Twitter. Most of them have blogs of various kinds which you can access via their Twitter profiles.
For hip-hop, sampling and everything related:
For technology:
For the highbrow and avant-garde:
Just generally:
Happy reading.
How did Cher’s “Believe” come to be the first pop song to use Auto-Tune?
Auto-tune was already a well-established studio tool by the time “Believe” came out, though it was unknown outside the music industry.
Continue reading “How did Cher’s “Believe” come to be the first pop song to use Auto-Tune?”
How do I learn to draw?
Draw a lot.
Don’t be precious about materials. Don’t use fancy art board or moleskines. Get a big newsprint pad or a stack of cheap legal pads from Staples. You want to draw as much and as quickly as possible, without being worried about wasting expensive paper.
Draw fearlessly.
Use a pen or Sharpie. No erasers, no correcting fluid. Fill the page completely as fast as you can. Use loose scribbles and gestures. Don’t sweat details. Use The Force — let go your feelings, young Skywalker. Get it right the first time or start over. Try to push each drawing to completion, but if you’re really not happy with where it’s going, toss it in the recycling and move on. Also try drawing without looking at the page. Get ready to be pleasantly surprised by the result.
What is the best song by a solo Beatle?
Musical politicians
Several US presidents and other prominent politicians have also been musicians. Here are some highlights.
Harry Truman played classical piano. Continue reading “Musical politicians”
What makes jazz great?
Improvisation
Charlie Christian – “Waiting For Benny”
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