When rock and roll first made waves in America, worried parents blamed it for declining moral standards. In fact, before video games, rock music took the brunt of the worried parent’s wrath. Early metal artists like Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne shocked the sensibilities of many parents with their dark lyrics. Osbourne was even accused of being…
If you are serious about improving your singing, nothing will beat having a professional give you private, structured lessons. Working with somebody one-on-one allows a relationship to develop between the teacher and student, which can be just as important as learning technique. Having in-person instruction also allows for personalized feedback, which is important. Everybody has…
Even though I started taking piano lessons at the age of four, reading music has never been my strong suit. I have always been better at learning by ear and improvising. Sight reading (the act of reading music you’ve never played and playing it as you read) has always been a major source of insecurity…
Humans love to sing! Almost all of us sing to ourselves in our downtime. Singing relieves stress and makes us happy. It also helps keep you healthy, and leads to living a longer life – seriously, it’s proven! In fact, the scientific evidence correlating singing to better mood, better health, and better social connectivity is…
Songwriting contests vary in their size and scope, but they are great ways to test your skills and try to gain exposure. Winning a song competition provides more than prizes – they can be a great intro to the music industry and help you build a compelling story too. Some contests have thousands of entrants,…
I firmly believe that if you can talk, you can sing. However, learning to sing in tune is not easy for everyone. For some, it seems to come naturally. For many more, it is something we have to learn and practice. Children can imitate instruments and sing purposefully as early as 12 months old. Through…
The Wurlitzer electric piano is my favorite vintage keyboard. I own and maintain one, and like to lug it across countries playing music and hammering out solos. They are great instruments with a great tone and a great look. Many folks who use them, don’t know very much about the Wurlitzer piano, so in this…
Knowing your own vocal range is a fast way to improve your singing. Many amateur singers struggle with singing songs outside their range, and this can make them feel like a worse singer than they are. In this guide, we will help you find your vocal range. With this information, you can find your voice…
Baldwin Acrosonic pianos are one of the most popular apartment sized pianos of all time – and for good reason! Acrosonic pianos struck a balance between small size, quality sound, high-end materials, and a price that made them an enduring line of pianos. If you are reading this because you’ve come into possession of an…
Independent artists have been sending their demos to record labels since the dawn of time. Or at least the dawn of record labels. In this guide, you will learn the steps you need to follow to submit your demo to a record label to maximize your chances of success. Prepare Your Material Before you start…
Professional singers make remembering lyrics look easy, but anyone who has tried to quickly learn a set of music knows it can be quite a task. It’s always nerve wracking to get up in front of a crowd and sing a bunch of words you’ve only just learned. In this guide, we’re going to teach…
Improving your singing voice is a lifelong endeavor, but that does not mean you can’t make progress right now. In fact, with these singing tips, you should be able to improve your singing voice in just a week. If you keep at it for a month or more, you will make vast improvements. Here is…
We’ve all seen artists on TV and stages wearing earpieces while performing. You’ve probably seen artists and musicians fiddle with them or take out an earpiece, and you may have wondered to yourself: what the heck are they doing? We’re going to go over what those earpieces are, what they do, and why artists wear…
High school is a great time to start a band. You have lots of potential band mates around you all the time. You have free time to spend doing what you want, and hopefully you don’t have too many responsibilities at home that take you away from your passion. The hard part is always taking…
In 1967, Bernie Taupin answered an ad placed in NME by Liberty Records calling for talent. Elton John (then Reg Dwight) answered that same ad. After auditioning, Elton John was given a pack of lyrics that had been sent to the label, and so began the writing relationship between Elton John and Bernie Taupin that…