I just know that every trumpeter reading this will say, “But that’s exactly what it means!” 
Q: Why do trumpet players screech annoyingly on mezzo forte parts?
A: They think the “mf” means “Maynard Ferguson”.
Keep playing (but watch those dynamics!),
Mark
Tags: dynamics, Ferguson, joke, Maynard, trumpet
Joke of the Day | Mark August 21, 2009 | 
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There are a lot of things happening here at PartTimeMusician.com, and we wanted to give you a quick peek behind the curtain. After all, it’s your site!
First, we’re preparing an update to The PartTimeMusician.com Guide to Free and Nearly-Free Resources for Musicians for release to registered owners. If you don’t know the story behind The Guide, click the link to learn more…and if you don’t already own a copy, what are you waiting for?!? For less than $10, you can save a small fortune on your playing addiction…and get all updates free – forever! Every day you don’t have The Guide is a day you’re losing hard-earned money you could use for necessities…like a new axe.
Second, we’ll be making some minor updates here on the site. Nothing strange or unusual, and nothing that will change the way you move about the site. But we think the changes will make it just a bit better for everyone, anyway.
Finally, we’re preparing to release a recent interview we did with someone who is living the (dual) lifestyle – half of the time at his day gig, half of the time playing his music, and the other half…well, as a PTM, you understand! We’re really excited about this interview, and we’re sure you’ll be excited to read it as well. Included are some history, some day-gig conversation, and some insights on making progress with your playing while holding down a full-time job. You won’t want to miss it!
In the meantime, feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment and let us know what’s on your mind! We’d love to hear from you. We’re all in this crazy obsession together, you know.
Keep playing,
Mark
In a recent article. we discussed the benefits of seeing a live performance. Since then, I’ve discovered something that makes locating a live performance much easier.
BandsInTown allows you to check what live musical performances are coming soon to your area. If you give it some insights into your listening habits, it can even tailor the list to show only those groups similar to your tastes. If you see something you like, you can purchase tickets immediately – while you have the information handy.
Available via the web and as an iPhone application, BandsInTown is a great idea in either format…but where it really shines is as a portable application. Away from home on business? On vacation and find yourself with a free evening? Just fire up BandsInTown, plug in your location (or allow it to reference your GPS coordinates if you wish), and you’ll get a nice list of your live music performance options. If you want to “thin the herd” a bit, you can allow the application to peruse the music files on your iPhone; it quickly narrows the list to only those performers whose styles align with your preferences.
I don’t keep a lot of music on my iPhone, as most of my music still resides on my original iPod. As such, results will almost certainly be better with a better set of inputs for BandsInTown to consider. Even with limited inputs, it’s impressive on the iPhone, and the website is very nice, too. Privacy concerns can be reduced by limiting access to your music library (via iTunes, Pandora, or Last.fm) and/or exact location. If you’re looking for a live performance to boost your mood, pick up technique, or just absorb the music, BandsInTown may be just the ticket.
Keep playing,
Mark
Tags: BandsInTown, iPhone, iTunes, Last.fm, locate. live, music, musical, Pandora, performances
General, Gigs, Learning | Mark August 19, 2009 |
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What makes a movie truly great? Is it the effects? The storyline? The marquee actors?
All of those things can contribute mightily to a movie’s success…but getting back to the original question: what makes a movie truly great? It’s the music.
There are many movies I have appreciated over the years, but a few stand above all of the rest. The Lord Of The Rings movies by Peter Jackson, with scores by Howard Shore, have some of the most breathtaking music composed and produced for the big screen. How about The Mask Of Zorro, with the work of composer James Horner? Latin sounds and rhythms combined with soaring orchestra parts would lift even the most despondent among us! And what of the majesty of the Pirates of the Caribbean music, composed by Klaus Badelt? The videography and storylines of the three movies are very good indeed, but the music…ah, the music! Who can listen to it and fail to be inspired to reach for higher heights with their own music?
Not all music-making involves playing. Like a battery, we sometimes must charge ourselves to produce more (and better!) musical energy for use later. By taking advantage of those times you aren’t “on the instrument” to appreciate the wonderful music all around you, you’ll find your “mind’s ear” more eager and helpful when you are able to play.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but music can best even that. For a quick demonstration, play the video clip below. It has no scenes from the associated movie, only one of the musical selections. Then just try to avoid sitting down to play today, for however long you can.
Nope, I couldn’t do it either.
All the best,
Mark
Tags: Caribbean, Inspiration, inspire, Lord of the Rings, Mask of Zorro, movie, music, Pirates
Inspiration, Videos | Mark August 18, 2009 |
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And now for something completely different.
This video is for those times when you feel you may have bumped up against a wall and just need a few minutes to let down. As a bonus, it’s music-related, so you don’t have to feel guilty (or geeky) if you pass it along to your fellow bandmates, orchestra members, or choir buddies. As fellow musicians, they’ll understand!
Without further ado, here are Igudesman and Joo doing what they do best: playing (instruments) and playing (around). More to follow.
Keep playing…and don’t forget to keep it fun,
Mark
Tags: Igudesman, Joo, Nightmare Music, Riverdance, Riverdancing, violin, violinist
Inspiration, Strings, Videos | Mark August 17, 2009 |
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