Musicality World

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-ways-to-start-classical-improvisation-today/
As a classical musician, you may have been trained to not improvise.

But today, more and more classical musicians are jumping on the improv train. Finding new and exciting ways to engage with their audience.

While we don’t believe in a strictly rigid way to improvise, there are things you can do to make improvisation easier and more productive. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-ways-to-start-classical-improvisation-today/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/songwriting-inspiration-collaboration-cliff-goldmacher/
Nashville songwriter, producer, educator, and music industry insider Cliff Goldmacher has built a catalog of over 1000 songs. Learn about his musical beginnings and songwriting process in this exclusive interview with Musical U! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/songwriting-inspiration-collaboration-cliff-goldmacher/

Otherwise known as the character or the quality of the sound, timbre has multiple purposes: it can do everything from setting a mood, to lending texture to sound, to even affecting how your body feels the sound – just ask anyone who has stood a little too close to a subwoofer!

Put it this way: if it wasn’t for timbre, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish a C# on a piano from a C# on the bassoon.

Explore timbre by tuning into this week’s podcast episodes – one on the meaning of tone, and the other an interview that will reveal how you can develop and change your singing voice – and with a fascinating interview with Keenan McKenzie, a man who has beautifully recreated the old-timey strains of swing with his own big saxophone sound.

But first, let’s look at what’s new and exciting in Musical U…

Fresh in May

What better way to get inspired than through hearing the stories of those enjoying their musical journey or a successful musical career?

To this end, we interviewed Musical U member VeeraL on her incredible progress in playing by ear and improvising – this is a story of self-directed growth and learning that will inspire any musician that is feeling disillusioned by the classical training system.

With the release of our Resource Packs on the Blues, our resident pros in piano, guitar, and bass share their wisdom with Musical U members on how to succeed in playing in this unique style.

Our monthly community events gave even more opportunity for sharing success stories, with a Fireside Chat exploring musical collaboration, and a Masterclass on entrepreneurial essentials for musicians with MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com‘s David Andrew Wiebe.

Finally, we got to hear our own Andrew Bishko talk about his incredible musical career, with an interview that barely scratched the surface of decades spent performing, teaching, learning, mastering, and exploring.

Itching to learn more about the inspirational tidbits shared by these individuals? Head to What’s New in Musical U: May 2018 to get more details…

The Blues: a genre with soul, complexity, and the ability to get you up and moving. What’s more, it’s at the root of most of today’s popular genres. In May, Musical U’s Resident Pros released Resource Packs to up your jam-factor and help get the blues – in a good way.

While many folks associate the blues with the guitar, the piano has a starring role too, as Learn Piano Blues will show you with their introduction to Blues and Boogie Woogie piano.

If you missed the music entrepreneurship masterclass, there was a ton of great advice that David gave to the audience. No matter what style of music you play, learning some basic marketing techniques are absolutely essential to getting your music heard. Musician Monster talks about new music marketing strategies with John Oszajca in their podcast.

Swing Away

How do you re-create the sound of a musical era that is long gone?

Turns out, with a passion and a careful study of the style, some incredible musical chops, and a group of like-minded collaborators, it’s entirely possible to bring back the past and move it forward – just ask Keenan McKenzie, who has recently released the 15-track swing album Forged in Rhythm, a record that sounds utterly timeless while retaining the hallmarks of swing.

A big part of that sound is Keenan’s classic big, fat saxophone timbre which he developed with careful listening and practice.

In Transcontinental Swing, with Keenan McKenzie, the multi-instrumentalist and composer shares his inspirations, his experiences with jazz and swing, and the process of writing, recording and producing his swing album – a collaborative process spanning coast-to-coast.

Swing music continues to be a part of Western music, and for good reason! While many associate the musical style with horns, rhythm sections, and dancing, there are musicians that are taking this classic style to all instruments. Casey MacGill brings swing to one of our favourite instruments, the ukulele, in an interview with Ukulele Mag.

In 1930’s and 1940’s America, swing was king. When R&B, country, and rock’n’roll took over, many players turned to bebop and cool. But Swing never died – many of its elements, including some classic chord progressions, found a new home in later styles of jazz. Nigel McGill takes you through the ii-V-I chord progression.

Keenan learned a lot of what he knows about music from transcribing classic solos. The process of transcribing is very valuable to your growth as a musician, and should be practiced as part of your musicality training. As Gary from Secrets of Songwriting illustrates, this even holds true for songwriters.

Keenan both composes and writes lyrics for his songs. Some songwriters start with lyrics, others put the lyrics in last – Song Fancy has a number of lessons that will teach you the various ways to write songs. To help motivate your songwriting, they are hosting a 5-in-5 songwriting challenge in just a couple of weeks!

Vocal Power

Plenty of musicians (and people in general) will claim that they’re “bad at singing”.

While this may or may not be true, your voice is like any other instrument – with some directed practice, you can improve your singing, and even change the tone of your singing voice!

This week, we interview the co-founder of Vocal Process – one of the best websites for helping you develop your singing voice – on everything from singing technique and singing in tune, to experimenting with your voice to see the different styles it can adopt. Tune in to What Your Voice Can Do, with Jeremy Fisher to learn about the amazing capabilities of your voice!

Jeremy is an expert at sight reading and shared some of his techniques for seeing music as a series of patterns rather than individual notes. This method is used by many musicians and can be highly effective for learning how to quickly and accurately sight read a piece of music. En Hymn continues this discussion with some other basics for sight-reading.

We loved how Jeremy referred to himself as a musical collaborator rather than an accompanist. Playing with other musicians is great fun, and can really help you grow in your musicality. If you have the pleasure of collaborating with a vocalist, Singsician gives tips on how to make this experience delightful and musical.

“There’s an app for that…” is something you’ll hear quite often these days. App creators are finding more and more ways to use your device during music practice. While an app can’t replace the experience of collaborating with another musician, it can be great for practice and becoming more comfortable with a piece of music. Check out Appcompanist for more information on this useful tool.

Intonation and playing in tune with others is a concern for all musicians, but especially difficult for some vocal ensembles. But don’t let that slow you down! Marlene Hartzler explains how to get the members of a choir in tune with one another.

We all want to improve, and we want to do it as fast as possible. Jeremy shared his insights on how to slow down the music to work through a section. You can “run with the idea of slowing down” and increase your musical accuracy by using a metronome in your practice. Once you start playing with a metronome, it’ll become a staple in your routine. The Musical Webb describes how slowing down your practice can actually save you time.

Exploring Tone

The word “tone” can be a tricky one to define in the context of music – not only does it have multiple uses, but it can feel like its usage varies from musician to musician.

In our previous episode About the Word “Tone”, we looked at how it can be used to describe a note, a single frequency, or a particular interval.

This week, we’re back with About the Word “Tone” (Part Two), in which we continue our exploration of the meaning the word “tone” can take on, depending on how you use it to describe music. If you’ve ever wondered how tone applies to tuning, the bass/treble balance, and the overall sound of music, this episode is for you.

Intonation and tuning are something that comes up frequently here at Musical U. While many musicians resort to tuners to tune their instruments, learning how to tune with drones is also very effective – and makes for excellent ear training. Learn more from Colin Dorman.

When we think of guitar tone, we frequently talk about the guitar, pedals, and amplifier. But have you ever considered what the right hand is doing? Fingerpicking, as opposed to using a pick, can change the tone of your guitar playing immediately, as well as give you more variety and control over the strings. Get started with these four patterns from Uberchord.

As discussed, the balance between bass and treble is often associated with discussions about tone. While this may seem like a technical issue, your ear is at the heart of learning this meaning of tone. Musician on a Mission talks about how to train your ears to become a better mixer.

The Character of Your Sound

When we talk about music, we usually cover the obvious bases – dynamics, time signatures, and getting all the notes right.

However, tone and timbre can get left out of the conversation, and wrongfully so! They are the key to getting your music to sound like what you envision.

Our challenge to you this week is: spend some time exploring tone and timbre! Listen to a style of music with a distinctive tone (swing? blues?), and think about how each instrument sounds and how it contributes to the overall tone. Are you a vocalist? Experiment with changing the style of your singing – try vibrato, or (carefully!) vocal fry. Interested in how tone works on a technical level? Play around with the bass, mid, and treble knobs on your amp or stereo, paying attention to how the tone changes as you play with the parameters.

The post Fresh in May, Swing Away, Vocal Power, and Exploring Tone appeared first on Musical U.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-to-learn-to-sing-a-roadmap/
“How can I learn to sing?”

We get asked this question a lot inside of Musical U. And we firmly believe that every musician can and should learn to sing.

In this “big picture” guide for learning to sing, go from zero ability to knowing confidently that you can reliably sing in tune and sound good. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-to-learn-to-sing-a-roadmap/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/overcome-stage-fright/
Have you ever experienced stage fright? It’s perfectly normal for all musicians, even professionals. And there are ways that you can overcome this anxiety and find happiness on stage.

The Musical U team presents 5 different ways you can take control of your live performances. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/overcome-stage-fright/

With so many possible uses, it can be difficult to know exactly what we mean when we say “tone”. In part two of our series about tone, we look at three more common uses for this multipurpose word, and how to contextualize them in music.

Listen to the episode:

Links and Resources

• About the Word “Tone” (Part One)
• Interview with Donna Schwartz
• Donna Schwartz’s course on saxophone tone
• Series on Bass Tone
• Tuning Your Instrument
• Hearing Tone, Timbre, and Texture

Transcript

Welcome back to Part Two of this episode all about “Tone” and the various meanings that word can take. If you haven’t heard Part One please give that a listen first, you’ll find a link in the shownotes for this episode.

In Part One we talked about three meanings the word “tone” can have when it means a sound.

Firstly, people use “tone” interchangeably with the word “note”. Secondly, “tone” can mean a sound which is a single pure frequency, such as 1 kilohertz tone. Thirdly, “tone” can mean the sound produced by a pair of notes a fixed distance apart, either one after the other or both together, i.e. the interval between two notes. It’s another name for the interval of a whole step, also known as a major second.

So let’s move on to the three meanings “tone” can have when referring to just an aspect of a sound rather than the sound itself.

1. Tone means tuning, whether you’re sharp or flat

This is a sketchy one. It mostly comes from the related word “intonation”. A singer or instrument player’s intonation means how accurately they’re hitting the right pitches with their notes. Having bad intonation means being out of tune.

So you might hear musicians, particularly singers saying for example:

“I really need to work on my tone.”

or

“I like how they sing but the tone they produce can be really flat.”

To be honest the word “tone” isn’t often used in this way – but what I’ve found is that musicians hear a lot about “intonation” and then unconsciously merge that together with what they hear about “tone”. That can get very confusing, especially because, as we’ve covered already, the word “tone” *can* be very much about pitch or frequency.

So it’s normally best to separate those two words in your mind. Tone has the various meanings we’re talking about in this episode, and “intonation” is about being out of tune, sharp or flat.

How *should* we use the word “tone” to refer to an aspect of a sound then?

2. Tone means the balance of bass vs. treble

First of all we have the meaning that will be familiar to anyone who owned a stereo system in the 80s or has bought an electric guitar.

Stereo systems often used to have a set of “tone controls”: a knob labelled “bass”, one labelled “treble” and sometimes a “mid” one too. Electric guitars typically have one or more knobs labelled “Tone”.

So you might hear for example:

“I love how bassy the tone is from this guitar amp.”

“I always set my stereo tone to full bass and full treble.”

or

“You’ll want to experiment with your guitar’s tone control when you add distortion.”

This meaning of “tone” is simply the balance between the low and high frequencies in a sound, also known as the “bass” and the “treble” frequencies. So those bass and treble knobs on the stereo adjust the stereo’s tone by reducing the amount of bass frequencies or treble frequencies respectively. On an electric guitar the “tone” knob simply adjust how much high frequency is allowed through, so turning the knob adjusts from a bassier sound to a more trebly one.

So this is a nice clear definition. The trouble is that it often blends into the next, much more general meaning…

3. Tone means the overall sound

If I had to pick two of the meanings we’ve been discussing as the most common, it would be “tone” meaning “a note” and this one: “tone” meaning the overall quality and nature of a sound.

You hear this one for example as:

“Man, Hendrix had a unique guitar tone.”

or

“Donna Schwartz’s course has really helped me get a fuller and more versatile tone from my sax.”

I think it’s guitarists and wind players who talk most about tone, but you’ll hear it among bassists, singers and all instruments and genres, really. In fact at Musical U we previously published a whole series called “Bass Tone” which discussed not just the bass/treble type of tone, but all of the aspects that go into the sound you produce on bass, from the instrument to the amp to the settings to the playing style to the effects pedals you use.

So this meaning of tone is really all-encompassing. And to a large extent it should more accurately called “timbre” which is the traditional word for the quality of a sound produced by an instrument or in music. If a saxophone, a guitar and a piano all play a middle C note any listener can hear that the instruments aren’t the same. And what they’re hearing is the characteristic timbre of each instrument. Which we might informally call the “tone”. In practice we tend to use “timbre” to mean an instrument’s natural sound and “tone” to mean the things you control to bring out the best possible sound from the instrument. But it’s a fuzzy one and you’ll hear both words used for both.

In an ideal world I think I’d recommend avoiding this one, sticking with “tone” to mean bass versus treble, and using that odd-sounding French word “timbre” or even just “sound” to refer to the overall quality of a musical sound. But this use of the word “tone” isn’t going away any time soon!

So those are 6 meanings of the word “tone”. To quickly recap:
– “A tone” can mean simply a note. It can mean a pure sound consisting of a single frequency. Or it can mean the interval between two notes that are separated by a whole step, or major second, two half steps.
– “The tone of a sound” can mean how accurately it’s on pitch and in tune (though it probably shouldn’t be used to mean that). It can mean the balance of low frequencies and high frequencies in the sound, how bassy or trebly it is. Or it can mean the overall character of the sound, what is perhaps more correctly called its “timbre”.

Next time you hear the word “tone” or use it yourself I hope you’ll feel much clearer about which meaning is being used. And although you probably won’t make any friends by going around correcting people, you might like to avoid using the “tone meaning just a note” and the “tone meaning sharp or flat” meanings and sticking to the other, more clearly defined meanings: “tone as a pure frequency”, “tone as a particular interval”, “tone as the balance of bass and treble” and “tone as the overall character of the sound an instrument produces”.

I know this is a word that confuses a lot of musicians – so I hope that it’s been helpful for you. And if you know of any meanings of the word “tone” that we haven’t covered in these episodes, please let me know. Shoot me an email at hello at musicalitypodcast.com.

The post About the Word “Tone” (Part Two) appeared first on Musical U.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/introduction-to-time-signatures/
The time signature of a piece of music is one of the key clues that can help you understand the rhythm and structure of the piece.

It tells you how the music is to be counted, what beats are emphasized, and most importantly, what the “feel” of the music is likely to sound like.

In this introduction to time signatures, we’ll teach you exactly what those fraction-like numbers mean, what kinds of music use what time signatures, and the simple time signature that almost all of your favourite rock and pop jams use.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/introduction-to-time-signatures/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/play-ukulele/
Ready to add another instrument to your repertoire? It may surprise you to learn that one of the best selling instruments in the world is the ukulele.

The ukulele is a fun and unique instrument, and there are many benefits to learning how to play. It’s lightweight and portable, so you can play anywhere. It sounds great on its own or in combination with other instruments.

Get started with this guide! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/play-ukulele/

With the rise of rock, country, and R&B in the 1950s, the big bands began to take a back seat. Hard-core jazz fans turned to small combo sub-genres, like bebop and cool jazz.

But swing music and dance have enjoyed perennial revivals over the years, and as long as people love to dance, it looks like the trend will continue.

Some revival bands blend swing with modern genres (like electro-swing or Brian Setzer’s guitar-driven style), and some find a way to tune in to the 30s-40s style while maintaining their own individuality.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator Keenan McKenzie is definitely in the latter camp. Through his composing efforts and work with multiple swing bands, he has found a unique sound that both pays homage to the swing era greats and retains a timeless quality.

Musical U had the pleasure of interviewing Keenan on his distinctive swing sound, his latest release Forged in Rhythm and the incredible production process behind it, how he balances his life as a performer with his work as an educator, and the myriad of other genres he has explored throughout his remarkable career.

Both my parents play music, so my musical life also started from year one. In fact, I was technically a recording artist at a very early age. My parents made an album of children’s music when my sister and I were toddlers, and it features our tiny voices on the sing-alongs! We also traveled with them on many gigs throughout our childhood. For me, formal musical education began with piano lessons in third grade, and later I played in the school band.

Most of the time, “The McKenzies” refers to my parents, Woody and Marcia. As a duo, they play a mix of traditional and folk music, but they also write their own songs. When I join them, we typically play for contra dances, which are community line dances related to English country dancing. For those events, we play an eclectic mix of Appalachian, French-Canadian, Irish and ragtime music:

When I was about five years old, my uncle Chris showed me a simplified boogie-woogie piano riff that I could play with two fingers. I thought it was the coolest thing! In elementary school, while the normal kids were listening to the current radio hits, I was listening to 1950s rock & roll. I think I really connected to any music that had a bluesy feel to it. Once I got a saxophone in middle school, I started picking up on the common threads between boogie-woogie piano, blues, and jazz.

My parents have played a huge role in shaping my musical sensibilities. Throughout most of my life, music was their second job. Even as I pursued university degrees, they provided an invaluable perspective from outside of the jazz scene. To this day, all the music ingrained in me from childhood has had some effect. Random fiddle tunes still get stuck in my head when I least expect it.

Without a doubt, my core sense of energy and rhythm comes from my parents. The title track of my album Forged in Rhythm is a nod to that idea!

I’ve had many great teachers over the years, but I’ll mention two specifically.

My high school band director, Brian Quakenbush, ran a jazz group that was heavily focused on theory and improvisation. He introduced me to many important concepts and created opportunities for me to cut my teeth as an improviser. He also arranged all sorts of music for the bands at the school, which encouraged me to explore composing as well.

When I was in college, Chad Eby was my primary mentor, and is largely responsible for me checking out old-school jazz players. He opened my ears to countless great recordings, and always knew the perfect solo for me to transcribe next. As a teacher, he was incisive, honest and always fully invested in my success.

I first attended a swing dance during a summer program in high school. In college, I continued dancing casually, but eventually took some classes in Lindy Hop. Around that time, I also started a jazz combo with a singer, and it was a natural progression to start playing for the local dances.

In grad school, I joined the Mint Julep Jazz band, which helped connect me with the larger scene. The swing dance community is strong as ever these days, supporting multiple traveling events most weekends of the year and all over the world!

This topic could easily become an entire article! When playing for swing dancers, you generally want a strong 4/4 pulse in the rhythm section. There is evidence that the walking bass line evolved alongside the Lindy Hop (whereas the two-beat feel of 1920s jazz fits well with the Charleston).

For the drums, you’ll want to use plenty of hi-hat and brushes as opposed to hitting the ride cymbal. It’s also great to have a guitar chunking quarter notes à la Freddie Green:

Overall, the rhythmic placement is a bit more on top of the beat than later styles. Even though you swing the eighth notes, you don’t want to “lay back” too much. Two-bar riffs are great, as they emphasize common phrasing elements in the dance. You also want to avoid extreme tempos and stick to three- or four-minute arrangements, so improvisers have to be economical with their solos.

The song length is largely an artifact of what could fit on a 78 rpm record, but it has become an expectation at modern dances. The best thing to do is listen critically to swing-era recordings. You can find playlists online published by swing DJs – that’s a great place to start.

 

Wow, that’s so flattering to hear! All of those guys are my heroes. I have transcribed Ben Webster solos before, although I’ve probably studied more Lester Young over the years.

In different musical moments, I find myself wanting to channel different players. I could probably find spots on the album where I clearly borrowed something from Ben Webster. Other times, it may be more abstract.

For “Pres,” I had Lester Young’s 1930s dates with Count Basie in my ear, more so than his more introspective recordings. In preparing for this project, I also listened to a bunch of Illinois Jacquet and Chu Berry. When you dig in deep into a player’s sound and style, it eventually blends in with your own personality and everyone else you have checked out. It is super cool to find out what others hear and recognize in your playing!

Excessive flurries of notes have never been my thing, and I think a dance album is probably the last place they belong! That said, I believe there is a place for virtuosity, but it should always serve a musical purpose and not just be an exercise in ego.

The swing-era saxophonists always had a great sense of melody, but one player I always come back to is Sonny Rollins. When you hear him improvise, you get killer lines juxtaposed with the most singable and inspired ideas. Cannonball Adderley is another great example of phenomenal chops that are tempered by musical taste and a deference for melody:

It’s also critical to actively listen to the rest of the band when you are soloing. You are just one part of what is happening on stage, and the rest of the band will enjoy playing with you if you are truly playing with them, and not just over the top of them.

I have been writing music for much longer, but first tried my hand at lyrics in high school. I think I was at least 22 before I wrote something I’d want anybody to hear now.

Concerning melodies and harmony, I suppose I have studied enough old recordings that I can often tell when something sounds anachronistic. For the lyrics, I chose to avoid specific lingo from the time period and go for a more “timeless” sound. I think a lot of material from the Great American Songbook has this feeling.

Many songs grew out of a single phrase, but I also tried to explore writing from the perspective of different characters. Many jazz standards originated in theater shows, and it adds an interesting dimension to a composition if you envision a scene surrounding it! I was also lucky to have Laura Windley on vocals and a band full of musicians who play authentically in the style.

While the recording session for Forged in Rhythm lasted a single weekend, we had prior experience playing together and were all on the same page with the style.

Jonathan Stout (guitar) and Josh Collazo (drums) run their own groups based in Los Angeles. Gordon Au (trumpet) runs a band in New York. Lucian Cobb (trombone) and Laura Windley (vocals) are the co-leaders of the Mint Julep Jazz Band in North Carolina. Many of us have played with Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders, and previously recorded together.

These are all premier musicians in the dance community, so I trusted everyone’s expertise and tried not to micromanage.

All of the composing and preparations were done back home in North Carolina. When it came to the recording weekend in L.A., I think I was taking a bit of a risk. I had invested a lot in the project already, and we had only scheduled two days to record.

Fortunately, all the flights were on time and there were no logistical disasters. We recorded in a cool little studio called Grandma’s Dojo, run by Miles Senzaki. We played about two or three takes of each tune, only rehearsing a few select passages. We even played a show in Pasadena after the first day – which may have been a bit much!

When I got back home, I had a local engineer, Jason Richmond, do the final mixing. It was finally sent off to be mastered by Steve Turnidge in Seattle. Looking back, I’m not sure if this is how I will record my next album, but it was a really special experience with a bunch of talented people!

Probably the most significant is a band called The Shakedown, which began as a wedding band, but has turned into something much more.

A few years ago, we began a series of tribute shows to keep things interesting and fresh. So far, we have performed entire nights of Van Morrison, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra, Prince and more.

I’m usually tasked with arranging the horn parts and helping to direct rehearsals. The band is composed of some of the most talented folks in my area, and I feel incredibly lucky to play such a range of music in one group.

Teaching keeps me honest with my own playing, partly because I want to set a good example for my students with my technique and habits. Beyond that, when you explain a concept to somebody else, it forces you to think about it from multiple angles and consider it independent of your personal experiences and biases. Educating others has refined my own understanding, and students often introduce me to new songs and artists.

It is wonderful that you emphasize aural skills! Regardless of genre, learning by ear is a huge part of the equation.

I made the largest strides in my jazz playing when I started learning improvised solos by ear. Learning off a recording helps you memorize the notes, but you also internalize the tone, articulation, rhythm, dynamics, and much more.

There are so many subtle aspects of music that we don’t have a visual notation for!

A developed ear is critical for improvisation, and everyone can benefit from some experience with the spontaneous. When I’m teaching, aural skills can help introduce a new song that’s not in the book, or transpose a song on the spot so I can accompany a student on the piano.

If you are pursuing music as a career, know that there are many paths it can take. I currently make my living with a mix of performing, teaching, arranging, and composing. Unless you are playing to sold-out crowds in massive venues, you may need to embrace a variety of opportunities and wear many hats.

For everyone: seek out great mentors and collaborators, and accept weaknesses as opportunities for improvement. In my experience, hard work and perseverance eventually matter more than innate talent. Music is a lifelong journey, but each new challenge is what keeps it interesting!

Revitalizing Music

As the popularity of styles fades and resurges, there will always be musicians doing the work of revival: taking cues from the classics, and paying homage to the greats.

Is there a style of music from an era long-past that speaks to you? You’re likely not the only one! Whether you want to play the classic Delta blues or emulate the sound of early electronic acts such as Kraftwerk, chances are, there’s a community of musicians out there doing something very similar, just like the swing music and dance scene that Keenan became a part of.

 

Featured Image of Keenan McKenzie courtesy of Brad Nathanson Photography.

The post Transcontinental Swing, with Keenan McKenzie appeared first on Musical U.