ChristineP, Lead the Band, Circle of Fifths, and The New Music Industry

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This old adage is as true in the music world as anywhere else. But rather than despair that creating something really new is impossible (it isn’t), you can make this truth work for you and not against you. For when we apply what we know already to creating something new, we are more likely to produce something lasting and meaningful.

Then what we create has the opportunity to become “the new old”.

This week at Musical U, we learned effective band leadership skills – yes, we’re still learning how to relate to our fellow humans after how many years?

The Circle of Fifths reflects the very structure of the universe, but remains an ever-living fountain of musical knowledge for all to draw from, and music industry vet Cliff Goldmacher gets down to brass tacks on the everlasting qualities that thrive in today’s rapidly morphing music scene.

But first, let’s see how Musical U member ChristineP found that the same inner musical skills applied to all the varying aspects of her musical expression.

Progress? Journal.

One of the most successful features inside Musical U is the Progress Journal (PJ). With this tool, members have the opportunity to thoughtfully reflect on their musical goals, chart the course of their learning, and make in-the-flow adjustments as they learn and achieve.

What’s more, other members of Musical U team and community are able to lend suggestions, kudos, and support – as well as be inspired in their own musical growth.

Musical U member ChristineP early on mastered the art of the Progress Journal, and through that has been able to evolve her own training journey and claim her own steady progress. What’s more, she’s found that the inner musical skills – such as ear training and solfa (aka solfege) – have fed all the different ways she makes music, from middle-eastern flute, to jazz flute, to piano, to choral singing.

Inspire yourself with her story in Musical U Member Spotlight: ChristineP.

Christine talked about how she came to learning ear training and audiation in her musical journey. Beginning audiation greatly helped in the ability to hear a piece of music before she began to play. Uberchord applies these 10 easy ear training techniques for every beginner guitar player.

While we typically think of children’s lessons when talking about learning music, many find their passion for music later in life. It is tremendous to be able to become passionate about music, and you shouldn’t be shy of picking up an instrument for the first time no matter your age. Music To Your Home agrees: there are many benefits to learning music later in life that can’t be denied!

Hail to the Chief

Ever since humans first appeared on earth, we’ve been trying to figure out how to get along and make things happen together – with varying degrees of success. Experienced bandleader Gino Burgio runs down the four personality types that you’ll find in every band, and how the leader can orchestrate them into a productive, creative harmony.

Ever struggled with leadership roles? Or contemplating starting your own band? Gino’s advice is clear, and breaks down the mystery of How to be an Effective Bandleader.

Forming a band is difficult for many people, especially as they try to find other musicians to collaborate and make music. Rob Chapman reveals that finding potential bandmates doesn’t have to be a stressful experience if you take some simple steps to expand your network:

Many people are not natural leaders and find it difficult to step up to the plate when their band desperately needs leadership. What simple steps can make you a better leader within your group? Pro Audio Land has these simple tips that will take you a long way to being a great bandmate and leader.

For so many of us, some of the best leaders in our musical journey have been the teachers that have helped us along the way. How did they develop the leadership skills that allowed them to lead an ensemble and inspire their students? Learn the secrets to their skills from Band Leadership:

The Eternal Circle

Sometimes, when listening to music of the past it’s hard to see the connection between it and the music of today. Yet the theory behind all music is ultimately governed by the fundamental physical properties of sound. While not described clearly until the late 1670s, the Circle of Fifths expresses just such an ultimate truth.

Yet the Circle of Fifths is no dead, arcane theory. The living, breathing Circle provides endless practical ways for us to both understand the music we love more deeply, and to methodically create new sounds that accurately represent what we want to express. Roll on into the Circle of Fifths, and many of the ways you can make it work for you in your music every day in A Wheel That Needs No Reinvention: the Circle of Fifths.

Memorizing the Circle of Fifths can be difficult for many musicians. Having some tricks and resources to help you do so will greatly improve your ability to use the Circle of Fifths in your music. Music Matters Blog talks about using flashcards to memorize the Circle of Fifths.

Anyone learning music theory will greatly benefit from learning the Circle of Fifths. For a great general overview of the Circle of Fifths, Keytar HQ explains how you can apply this theory to harmony and other aspects of your playing.

Okay, so you have mastered the Circle of Fifths and can recite the key signatures backwards and forwards. Now what? The Circle of Fifths is also a great guide to help modulate to new keys in your music. This article from Certain Sparks talks about using the Circle to modulate and move around the various key signatures.

The Circle of Fifths is an essential part of music theory for every musician to learn. But, many are not aware of how they can actually apply music theory in their music. Andre Tonelli will teach you how to apply the Circle of Fifths to your guitar playing:

Cliff Diving

The music industry has undergone such a fundamental, radical shift in the past two decades that it’s difficult to see where anything about it is the same as it was before.

But after 25 years in “the business”, Nashville insider Cliff Goldmacher – who has penned hits with the likes of Ke$ha, Keb’ Mo’, Mickey Hart, and Spencer Day, to name a few – has witnessed the qualities and skills that still remain crucial to any musician’s success. Find out what you will need to succeed in The Music Business: What’s Changed, What’s Stayed the Same, with Cliff Goldmacher.

Cliff talked about “disintermediation” and how the music industry has drastically changed in the digital era. One way that artists can meet their listeners is through live video and interviews. Jacqueline Jax talks about how to bring your audience “behind the music” with live interviews.

As music technology has changed, so has the format that many fans choose to receive their music. Cliff talked about how the modern musician needs to broaden their income stream if they want to be able to make a living playing their music. Music Gateway discusses the reduction in album sales and how to adapt to the changing industry.

Cliff talked about the importance of leveraging new channels to market music, taking advantage of the opportunities that digital media provides us. Mastering the Mix has this fascinating introduction to marketing your music.

The New Old

As musicians, we dream of creating something lasting and meaningful.

ChristineP took her old organizational skills and transformed her music learning, continuing to build new abilities to express herself musically. Gino Burgio forges new bands with age-old people skills. The ancient truth of the Circle of Fifths flows with an inexhaustible supply of creative new musical tools and ideas. And Cliff Goldmacher is part of a music industry that is charting a new course with old skills and values.

So enjoy this week’s offerings on Musical U. You may discover where you yourself fit in this eternal circle of new and old and new again.

The post ChristineP, Lead the Band, Circle of Fifths, and The New Music Industry appeared first on Musical U.

Seven Reasons To Learn A New Instrument

New musicality video:

Here are seven good reasons to learn a new instrument! https://www.musical-u.com/learn/seven-reasons-to-learn-a-new-instrument/

Why learn a new instrument? Although it might seem too soon if you haven’t yet mastered your first instrument, in fact there are a range of benefits which come from learning a second (or third!) instrument.

With all the instruments I have studied, I have never achieved the mastery that I have with the flute. Yet the music theory, new cultures, understanding of musical roles, rhythmic exploration and income opportunities gained along my multi-instrumental journey all enrich my flute playing immeasurably.

Even if we never master more than one instrument, learning additional instruments can teach us so much about music. Those lessons expand our playing on our primary instrument, teach us more about ourselves and about each other.

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/seven-reasons-to-learn-a-new-instrument/

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Seven Reasons To Learn A New Instrument

How To Focus Your Music Practice: Interview with Music Launch Hub

New musicality video:

Ah, the age old question! Just what do music and business have to do with each other? Quite a bit, it turns out. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musical-u-meets-music-launch-hub-part-1-practicing-music-practicing-business/

When Musical U founder Christopher Sutton recently appeared live on Steve Palfreyman’s Music Launch Hub – Mastermind Tribe, they discovered a lot of common ground between the best approaches for musicians to take when practicing, and when working on the business side.

https://musiclaunchhub.com/

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musical-u-meets-music-launch-hub-part-1-practicing-music-practicing-business/

===============================================

Learn more about Musical U!

Website:
https://www.musical-u.com/

Tone Deaf Test:
http://tonedeaftest.com/

Musicality Checklist:
https://www.musical-u.com/mcl-musicality-checklist

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MusicalU

Twitter:

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MusicalU

Subscribe for more videos from Musical U!

How To Focus Your Music Practice: Interview with Music Launch Hub

All great musicians rely on their sense of what’s called …

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-to-learn-intervals/
All great musicians rely on their sense of what’s called “relative pitch” to play and understand music. “Relative pitch” is the ability to accurately hear the distances between notes. The core skill of relative pitch is therefore “interval recognition“: being able to tell exactly how far apart a pair of notes are. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-to-learn-intervals/

Ear training is only boring if you’re using methods that …

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-can-you-get-excited-about-ear-training/
Ear training is only boring if you’re using methods that don’t suit you. Ear training is (or should be) through-and-through about music: listening to it, enjoying it, understanding it, expressing yourself through it, and loving every second of it. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-can-you-get-excited-about-ear-training/

Sometimes, as we become more familiar with music theory, …

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/when-learning-intervals-be-mindful-of-the-gap/
Sometimes, as we become more familiar with music theory, we start taking the fundamentals for granted. After all, a step is a step, right? In order to really develop your ear, though, it can be surprisingly helpful to look at the basic functions of an interval with fresh eyes. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/when-learning-intervals-be-mindful-of-the-gap/

Musical U Member Spotlight: ChristineP

Thinking about trying Musical U? Maybe you’d like to have a look inside before you commit. Well, lately we’ve been posting Musical U news once a week or so on our blog so you can see what’s going on inside the site. Today we want to give you a glimpse into a real Musical U member’s experience, and also recognize the progress she has made since she joined us.

We were particularly intrigued by ChristineP – a choral singer, jazz/middle-eastern flute improviser, and pianist – who has discovered how much the inner musical skills of ear training, solfa, sight-singing, and audiation touch on every aspect of her varied musical expression. ChristineP also articulates her learning steps clearly in her Progress Journals, inspiring other Musical U community members in their journeys – and we hope she inspires you as well!

ChristineP was gracious enough to share something of her musical life with us, as well has the steps that brought her to Musical U and keep her active in her training:

Q: Hi ChristineP! Being a flutist, pianist, and singer myself, I’ve enjoyed reading about what you’ve shared on Musical U. Would you please tell us about your musical background?

Growing up, there was lots of music in the house: many records, the radio, my mother’s piano, my sister’s recorder… My father taught himself guitar and clarinet, and I started playing flute in fifth grade. We children joined the church choir, and I played in school band and orchestra.

Early on when I started on Musical-U, I made the comment that ear training made me feel awful. I don’t feel that way anymore.

As a child, I taught myself to play piano using my mother’s method books. Then for many years after high school I didn’t have easy access to a piano. Several years ago I finally couldn’t stand the itch any more so I bought a piano and started taking piano lessons for the first time. I also joined a local chorus, and took a few years of voice lessons. More recently I’ve joined classes in jazz ensemble and middle eastern ensemble (both on flute) at the nearby music school.

I had, sporadically, a total of about a year of flute lessons at school, but otherwise didn’t have formal music lessons growing up. I think I did pretty well regardless, but, in particular, I didn’t have any formal ear training. Listening to music in the way that ear training asks you to do was completely foreign to me. So there’s a kind of aural understanding of what I’m hearing that I’m trying to learn to do with Musical U.

Q: Even if you had had more formal lessons, ear training is often neglected, or taught in a dry, ineffective manner. That’s how it was for me. So we can get to know you a little better, could you share your favorite music track these days?

The group Euouae singing “Illumina oculus”, a chant notated in neumes in the St. Gall style.  Neumes are the notation that preceded our modern notation. One might think of them as being less precise than modern notation, but, in fact, they contain a rich expressiveness of their own which Euouae specializes in reading. The passion with which Sven Edward Olmos sings the solo part here (from [1:06]) astounds me.

Q: That’s amazing – most Gregorian Chant performances I’ve seen and heard sound much more emotionally “detached”. The conducting style also seems to give a look “inside” the chant itself. What musical endeavors are you currently working on?

I’m learning the music for my summer chorus’ concert in August. We’re singing an assortment of American music, culminating with Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.

That’s quite a demanding work!

On Musical U, I’m working on the roadmap for playing tunes by ear using solfa [also known as solfege – Ed.].

Q: So before joining Musical U, where were you stuck?

I was stuck on aural identification of musical elements: e.g. intervals, chord qualities, whether a piece is in major vs. minor, etc.

Q: How did that bring you to become interested in Musical U? Why did you decide to try it?

I’m starting to feel like I’m exploring my own journey in musicality, rather than just learning things because someone else says I should.

On a piano forum that I read, the idea of “audiation” being a help in memorization was brought up frequently. I couldn’t make any sense of this: how could knowing how a piece sounded help me to play it? Eventually, I came to understand that there are actually people who can make the connection from the sound in their head, to what they should play. (And then came to want to gain that skill for myself.)

So then I wanted to understand more about what audiation means. That led me to the Musical U article “The Secret Music Practice Skill: Audiation” – but more importantly, to the Musicality Checklist. I filled it out, and from that became convinced that Musical U could help me with the many musicality skills I want to learn.

Q: One step following another… It’s good that you had an idea of what you were looking for. So many aspiring musicians can feel like there’s a missing link, but don’t know how to describe it. That’s why we started the Musicality Checklist.

So, once you joined Musical U, what experiences – and surprises – have stood out during your journey?

The biggest surprise was when I realized I can audiate. I discovered this while working on the major pentatonic scale.

The experience that particularly stands out is discovering that steady work over time has, in fact, increased my ability to work out tunes by ear, and to sight-sing based on understanding solfa.

Q: Steady work is so important! We try to provide structure and encouragement in that direction. So what other benefits have you gleaned from Musical U so far? Why is it important to you?

The experiences and surprises I listed in the previous answer are all due to Musical U, so those are major benefits.

I also found it much easier to learn my chorus music this summer because of my practice with solfa and sight-singing from Musical U.

Beyond specific skills, I have learned how to tailor my musicality training to precisely my own needs, strengths, and weaknesses. From my progress journal:

Christine PJ 1

Some long term goals I have for wanting to improve my musicality include: be able to find pitches precisely when I’m singing, be able to keep track of the form in my jazz ensemble better, have more ideas about what I’m expressing in my jazz flute improvisations.

Q: You have quite a range! Often, as we enter into learning something new, we change course a little as we go along. How have your plans changed along the way?

Hmmm, that’s a hard question! I’m still working on the first roadmap that I chose, so in that sense my plans haven’t changed.

I find myself thinking about musical skills differently than when I started. With the encouragement and support at Musical U, I’m starting to feel like I’m exploring my own journey in musicality, rather than just learning things because someone else says I should.

That’s wonderful, ChristineP! And I’m sure I speak for the Musical U team and the other community members when I say that your progress, and your careful and expressive writing about it in your Progress Journals are inspiring to us all.

One of the most powerful tools inside Musical U, the glue that holds all the varied and abundant educational modules together and puts them at the service of our members’ individual goals, is the Progress Journals. That’s where ChristineP shares her progress in achieving her musical goals and her discoveries along the way, and one of the places the Musical U team can give individual feedback and support. Soon, we hope to see you inside Musical U as well, and help you explore your own “journey in musicality.”

The post Musical U Member Spotlight: ChristineP appeared first on Musical U.

Regardless of where you are on your musical journey, a ke…

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musicality-meansknowing-instrument-inside/
Regardless of where you are on your musical journey, a key part of musicality is knowing your instrument. By truly developing your musicality and skills, you can know your instrument inside out and discover a new world of incredible musicianship and performance. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/musicality-meansknowing-instrument-inside/

Wish you could write down the music you hear? If you’ve b…

https://www.musical-u.com/learn/solfa-transcription-practice-exercises/
Wish you could write down the music you hear? If you’ve been following along with our Solfa and the Score series then you’ll know that solfa is a powerful framework for easily translating the sounds you hear into notes on the page. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/solfa-transcription-practice-exercises/