Musicality World

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-in-english-tips-for-esl-singers-and-coaches/
From Mexico to Japan, the amount of international performing artists that are singing in English might surprise you. Although time and regular practice can allow ESL singers to become proficient in a non-native language, learning how to sing without an accent can be incredibly challenging and even costly. Here are some tips from the Musical U team to make this easier! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-in-english-tips-for-esl-singers-and-coaches/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/learning-guitar/
Learning to play the guitar can be fun as well as challenging. It’s a great instrument to play with family and friends and it’s incredibly portable. And with the right tools and a bit of patience, any song can be mastered. Just follow these 6 simple tips that will help you strum your way to success. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/learning-guitar/

Arranging music is not nearly as complex as its name may lead you to believe – if you’ve ever plunked out the chords to your favourite song on the piano and sang along, you’ve already done it! In this episode of the Musicality Podcast, we discuss the elements involved in arranging music, and why you (yes, you!) should take a whack at it.

Listen to the episode:

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Links and Resources

• Interview with Brad Davis
• Arranging for Songwriters

Transcript

In our recent episode with Brad Davis we talked a bit about the terrific “bluegrass tribute” albums he’s put together, where he takes well-known music in various genres and arranges it into a really cool and different bluegrass-style performance.

I wanted to pick up on that idea of “arranging” music because I know that for a long time I put it in a specific box that existed in the world of classical composers and advanced orchestral stuff. But over time, as I’ve connected more with my musicality, I’ve realised how much broader arranging music can be, and how it’s actually something that any (and all) of us as musicians can be doing.

What is Arranging?

So what is arranging?

Well, as I just referred to, there is a traditional sense of the word in which a serious composer of music creates a full, and sometimes quite complex, score. An orchestral arrangement might have dozens of pages of music notation for each of dozens of instruments!

So it’s no wonder that a lot of people think of arranging music as a really advanced skill, requiring classical music training and deep understanding of music theory.

In my mind the composer “invented” the music, and then they or someone else would go to the trouble of producing a full arrangement to be played. And I still think that’s a pretty good way of thinking about it.

Distilling and Expanding

A lot of what we cover on this podcast is about distilling music down, often by ear, into its most important components. When we did our episodes on solfa, on lead sheets, on the “hook” – we were talking about listening to music and pulling out the notes and chords that really define that music. Not necessarily worrying about identifying each and every note being played, but honing in on the essence of the song or the piece. In a way that’s getting back to what the composer originally thought of, their core idea for the music.

Then all the detail – all the specifics of which instruments play what notes when – that’s the arrangement. So if our ear skills let us distil music down to just its essence, you can think of arranging music as the opposite, expanding it back out into a full version of that music that can be played and heard.

So obviously this is where it gets interesting – because the same core idea, the same melody and chords and rhythmic patterns can be expanded in any number of ways, to produce an endless variety of arrangements. And of course a complex orchestral score in traditional notation is only one of those possibilities!

The variety of arrangements

If I asked you to sing your favourite song right now, you’d probably hum or sing the melody. Not the chords, not the full band arrangement, you probably wouldn’t sing me every verse or chorus. But you would be singing me the song, and that means that you have just arranged the song, for a short solo voice demonstration.

If you listen to Elton John or Amanda Palmer perform a song accompanying themselves on piano – and you figure out the chords by ear then pick up your guitar and give it a try – you have just arranged that song for guitar.

If you take an 80s pop hit or a classical masterpiece and you perform it in a bluegrass style like Brad Davis – you have just created a bluegrass arrangement of that music.

If you sample a rock track and add extra loops and transform it into a dance version in Logic, your remix is essentially a dance arrangement of that track.

And if you create a viral YouTube video of yourself performing a Disney love song in four-part a cappella harmony, you have created your own arrangement there too.

So arranging can encompass:

• Instrumentation – deciding which instruments will be used, and which ones will play what notes when.
• The musical style, for example modifying rhythms to change a straight rock anthem into a downtempo swung ballad.
• The form, meaning which sections of the music are repeated and in what order.
• And you can alter some of the core elements themselves, for example when a jazz singer improvises embellishments to the notes of the melody or a musician comes up with a reharmonisation of the melody with different chords.

Give yourself permission to try arranging

I wanted to talk about this topic today not because I had any in-depth teaching to share – but because I think there’s an important mindset shift here.

A big part of developing your musicality is about taking ownership of the music you play and create. Transforming from a musician who only ever plays the notes they are told to, the notes that somebody else has written – into a musician who feels free and confident and creative to make their own choices.

Sometimes that comes out through playing by ear and knowing that as long as you capture the essence of what you heard, that’s what matters.

Sometimes it comes out through improvisation or composing, bringing the music you imagine from scratch in your mind out into the world.

And sometimes, if we relax our notion of what “arranging” music means and who is allowed to do it, your musicality can come out through simply taking some music you love and asking yourself: how could I perform this differently? What if we took it in a different direction?

So I want to encourage you today to give yourself permission. Whether or not you’ve yet done the kind of ear training and musicality development we offer at Musical U, I assure you that you do have what it takes to begin arranging, in some way or another.

So this week why not take some music you enjoy playing and instead of playing it exactly as written, see if you can change something about it – and create your own unique arrangement.

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The post About Arranging Music appeared first on Musical U.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/dont-need-music-degree/
When you’re dedicated to music – as a craft, a career, and a passion – it can be extremely disheartening to be told you’ll never “make it” without a degree. If you’ve heard that message before, don’t fret! Here are 5 times when many people think you need a music degree, but actually, you don’t. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/dont-need-music-degree/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/exploring-classical-music-the-romantic-era-part-2/
The Romantic Era of the Western classical tradition, corresponding roughly to the 1800s, represented a radical shift in how composers saw themselves. Following in the footsteps of Beethoven, composers obliged their burgeoning middle-class audiences by cultivating their larger-than-life heroic personas, prefiguring today’s rock stars. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/exploring-classical-music-the-romantic-era-part-2/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/exploring-classical-music-the-romantic-era-part-2/
The Romantic Era of the Western classical tradition, corresponding roughly to the 1800s, represented a radical shift in how composers saw themselves. Following in the footsteps of Beethoven, composers obliged their burgeoning middle-class audiences by cultivating their larger-than-life heroic personas, prefiguring today’s rock stars. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/exploring-classical-music-the-romantic-era-part-2/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-songwriting-and-success-as-an-independent-artist-with-kendra-mckinley/
Kendra McKinley is a singer, songwriter, and cover artist whose voice fits beautifully with everything from psychedelic rock jams to raw love ballads. If you want to make it as an independent musician in this day and age, versatility is your best friend. Having a wide range of influences and musical interests was the key to this indie artist’s success… https://www.musical-u.com/learn/singing-songwriting-and-success-as-an-independent-artist-with-kendra-mckinley/

Independent musician and expert improviser Stan Stewart is overflowing with both. Crafting music for a slew of clients, events, and experiences, Stan makes music inspired by everyday life, adding his personal spontaneous touch to his songs through his improvisational background. Through Muz4Now and his YouTube channel, he shares his diverse discography, and the inspirations behind it.

Musical U interviewed Stan on his early beginnings in music, his advice to those looking to dabble in improvisation, and his incredible philanthropic music project.

I am a preacher’s kid. My parents sang in choirs at the churches my dad served. He would also do a “sermon in song” every so often. I was immediately added to the children’s choir, and later in my life, to the adult choir in those church settings. When dad was called to a new congregation, I started to learn guitar and play for the folky worship services.

At home, our family had a baby grand piano. When I was about 6, I started to compose on it through experimentation.

I had been listening to my favorite record, Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”, since I was a toddler. The influence of that score plus some Beethoven piano pieces found their way into my early attempts at creating my own music.

I have a sense that the music in my life is not about a choice or being convinced. Music is a part of me and there’s no way to move it out of the center of my life.

If I drift away momentarily, I will notice it rather quickly.

On the rare occasions that I ignore the calling of my musical muse, it eventually turns into grumpiness, deep frustration, and shame.

Everything that I’ve ever heard – and not just music! To be more specific, some of my musical inspirations include Ludwig van Beethoven, Sarah McLachlan, David Wilcox, Edie Carey, and Peter Gabriel.

Here’s how I approach it:

1. Learn as much as possible about the instrument you’re playing, in terms of the instrument itself and the technique for using it. One excellent way to do this is to perform classical pieces.

2. Experiment.

3. Notice whatever is inspiring me in the moment. How does it feel to sink into that inspiration?

4. Now, create the music from there…

Learn your instrument. Take lessons. Practice. Practice more. Listen to your favorite players – especially improvisers. Imitate them. Then, completely break away from their style. Create your own style. Remember that you get to define what a “mistake” is in the context of improv – or better yet, if it’s a mistake at all! Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Some of my best avenues have been being unsigned (releasing my own albums, EPs and singles) and fringe gigs. Network with other artists. Offer to play for their art openings, prelude for performance art or theatre, and new ideas that I’ve never thought of.

You can read the full story on my website, but here it is in a nutshell: I decided to tell my life story with the songs I’ve written. I knew that I wanted the world to have a chance to hear them all. Then, across the world, stories of racism, bullying, and abuse stole the limelight.

I decided it was important to do my part to bring understanding, kindness, and peace into the foreground. So, I chose to contribute proceeds from the album to a charity. After a few weeks of research, I chose to donate to ChildHelp. I still think it was a good choice.

Thanks – I appreciate you noticing that!

Here’s my advice: If you’re a poet, write in your own voice. If you’re a visual artist, paint/draw/sculpt in your own style. If you’re a musician, sing/play/write/compose in your own way.

Since I’m telling everyone else to do their own thing, it seems important to acknowledge that I can truly only speak for myself. Artistic expression is about saying who I am with my art. For me, that art is music, poetry, and creativity that seeps into every crevice of my life. Honestly, I cannot silence this expression.

I’ve been creating in this way for decades. Over that time, my style and output have shifted and morphed a million times. To me, that’s fine.

In fact, it’s great, because it’s one of the reasons that the creative life continues to call to me. Every moment offers inspiration and surprise.

When I first started making my own music on a regular basis, the “business” of music was very different. Some of my peers are still trying to re-create those older modes of being a working musician. That won’t work. The world keeps changing and we will, too.

There are no shortage of opportunities for musicians. 99% of those are approaches we haven’t thought of yet. Don’t be afraid to be different from the crowd. Not just to be weird. Do it for the purity of your own creative output.

Your Own Musical Path

Stan’s do-it-yourself attitude towards making music has led to a rich musical career that enables him to exercise his creativity and his improvisational talents.

Take his advice and seek out your own musical opportunities – they can be found almost anywhere, from the deep recesses of the internet to the open mic at your local bar.

The post Seeking Musical Opportunity, with Stan Stewart appeared first on Musical U.