The Good Musician

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be offering a rowing eye over the b5media Music blog scene, and to kick it off, we’re presented with some very interesting insights into the blog workings of Lauren Katulka. She was asked these questions.
What blog do you write?
Oz Music Scene
How long have you been blogging?
Professionally it’s been about six months now. But I’ve kept a personal blog for roughly seven years, so it feels like a natural progression.
What do you like best about blogging?
I’m a bit of a control freak, so it’s really great to write about the things I want to write …read more

1 Comment

Well, believe it or not, but musicians deserve to get paid when their music is used publicly or otherwise. In the US. the current rate is around 9 cents per phonorecord used, and it’s getting updated. In an open letter, the president of the National Music Publishers’ Association points out some important changes for songwriters and musicians.
Read the full NMPA letter. [via ControlRoom]
In a gist, the RIAA is trying to suck all musicians’ blood by cutting rates.
This is so totally deja-vu when compared to the 2007 WGA Strike. I mean, come on guys, artists need to live, too! And without …read more

Comments Off

Today, I’ve got a tasty little bite for you guys that you may already have heard in various places.
The piece is “O Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and I encourage you to listen to the whole work if you can, because of all pieces, O Fortuna isn’t necessarily the best , in my humblest of opinions.
Enjoy, and have a great weekstart. The video here shows the aforementioned piece as the finale, preceded by the ominous “Ave formosissima”.
Also check out Sir Simon Rattle’s excellent conducting (he actually stops doing anything and lets it flow at one point) and watch for …read more

Comments Off

Photography by larskflem.
Gigs are crucial events – they’re make or break for many bands, however small or unimportant the venue. If you have a group or band, chances are you’ll want to play in front of people sooner or later.
There are several ways to actually get gigs, and I’m going to focus on the cheap and free ones here.

Call local clubs: Most local bars will pick up on local musicians if you manage to make a proper presentation. Tell them you would like to send them your profile (make a band profile first, obviously free of charge. Ideally go there …read more

Comments Off

Photography by vern.
Reader “pianologist” commented on this post that it’s not possible to be at your top 100% in a concert situation.
Of course, I agree, and I thank him for the comment. But let me put this into perspective: I think it depends on the definition of 100%. For me, personally, it’s clear that I’ve played a good concert if the response is good as well. That’s my 100% – if the audience really liked it, I’ve played 100% for them.

3 Comments

It’s one of the things I like about Apple. Yes, I am a fanboy, and many musicians are, because of the simple reason that Apple frequently decides to include new and upcoming artists in their ads, on iTunes, or in product demonstrations.
I myself thank them for showing me Imogen Heap back in the day, and this time, with the introduction of the Macbook Air, (at which Randy Newman played as we discussed), Apple demoed an advert featuring Yael Naim, an Israelite-French artist who has an amazing debut album which includes a mix of hebrew (or yiddish, I’m not sure) and …read more

3 Comments

We all face situations in which we are tested. I know you do. So frankly, as a musician I always face that moment of fear prior to a concert that let’s me know I’m not going to be playing at my fullest potential. So how do I try and get the engine warm before throwing myself to the wolves? Well here’s a few pointers.

Focus. In the meaning of the word, try to remove everything else from your mind, make it a clear pathway for absolute sole focus on your music. Ditch thinking about the audience, your teacher, your cold fingers. …read more

1 Comment

It’s a lazy Sunday again, and time to go back to the old stuff. Here’s some Bach. Mixed with Gounod. Sung by Bobby McFerrin. And his audience.
I know, unbelievable.
Enjoy, and have a great weekstart.

I love the way he entertains the public. He obviously displays his competence as a chorus leader by showing how much he trusts this whole experiment to work.
I also am stunned by his singing every time, though I’m not sure I like the fact he dissects pieces the way he does.
Obviously, McFerrin manages to bring classical music and jazz to a common ground, and to a wide …read more

Comments Off

Photography by selva.
Recently I’ve been having some serious trouble when reading sheet music. I’ve begun slowing down! I guess the recent lack of classes has provided me with ample laziness to actual read scores. I’m finding it hard to decipher chords I could decipher with ease just months ago.
So here’s the Fast-Break Crash Diet I did to get back in reading shape:

Comments Off

Photography bydexter_mixwith
Kate Nash is one of those shooting stars who “made it”. One hell of a musician, and I’d like to share some quick thoughts on why I think she is not just a successful musician, but a good one at that.

1 Comment