Blogs

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What Does Music Do to You?
So, what does music do to you? I’m not asking how music makes you feel. I’m asking does music make you change your mind about the world. Does it help you appreciate life and give meaning to your existence? When
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Dragging Bach Into the 21st Century
Ludwig van Beethoven would have been decidedly unhappy in the 21st Century, I think. He didn’t have the highest opinion of humanity to begin with, and all this social media influencing and posturing would have driven him downright crazy. Yet,
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Can You Improvise Classical Music?
As a lover of jazz, especially early jazz, the thing that pulls me towards this form is the improvisation that gives jazz its unique quality. Not all jazz is improvised. In fact, most is not. But at the heart of
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Classical Music Inspired by Your Purry Friends!
That’s right! This article is about cat-inspired music. I love cats, and I have two cats. My older cat, Miss Cruncher, is turning four and she likes listening to music… at least she never runs away when I practice the
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Star Wars and the Nutcracker: The Phenomenon of the Concert Suite
For many people, their first (and perhaps only) exposure to the sound of the orchestra has been through film music. We can all think of the big blockbusters and films we cherish from our childhoods, and the big, lush, orchestral
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Music Is My Life
My first recollection of anything was the sound of music. At age five, so my mother told me, I used to sing from behind a curtain in our lounge room to my family. Supposedly, I was too shy to have
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Toy Piano: From Kid’s Toy to Concert Hall Instrument!
When I was four years old, I received a toy piano as a Christmas present. I loved it. I remember I spent at least half an hour playing it almost every day. I made up songs, and then I performed
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Best Premieres at the “Société Nationale de Musique”
Paris has always provided the fertile soil for specialized music societies. Some have focused on early music, individual composers or single genres. Others were born from political division, or attempts to bridge them. A good many societies were based on
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