Category: General

Modern classical music and the brain

If you want to pick a fight with someone, just pick on their music.  :-)

This article from our friends across the pond really hits several nails on the head(s). In it, they highlight why modern atonal compositions are so difficult to fully appreciate, much less enjoy, even for the well-trained; to the general concert-going public, they are a bothersome chore to endure. I’m convinced that feeding audiences a steady diet of “this is good for you, you must take it” has contributed to the steady decline in attendance within orchestra halls everywhere. Rather than expanding the art, we’re strangling it.

A friend of mine who holds season tickets for a major symphony pointed this out to me years ago, and although his assessment was much less scientific, it was just as accurate. In his words, atonal compositions lack “toe tap-ability”. He enjoyed stretching his brain with the “new stuff”, but what kept him coming back was the “masters”, tonal compositions whose performance resulted in the audience humming them as they left after the concert.

Modern movie music composers understand this, and helps to explain the success of movie music performances in concert halls. They nearly always pack the house.

There will always be room for music that presses – or even shatters – boundaries. Yet this may not be the best goal:

“We measured the predictability of tone sequences in music by Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern and found the successive pitches were less predictable than random tone sequences.”

“For listeners, this means that, every time you try to predict what happens next, you fail. The result is an overwhelming feeling of confusion, and the constant failures to anticipate what will happen next means that there is no pleasure from accurate prediction.”

You may want to read the bold portions again and give them some thought. Less predictable than random? It’s sobering.

Lest I be branded a classical music heretic, I have to say I do enjoy some modern pieces, and I can appreciate aspects of nearly all of them…even those I heartily dislike. That said, the linked article goes a long way toward explaining why “classics” – music that has staying power, regardless of genre – become classics: they are approachable to the listener’s (and performer’s) brain. It’s all in the brain waves…  ;-)

When it’s all said and done, though, it’s all good…and variety just makes it better. So whatever you play, keep playing!

All the best,
Mark

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The Best of PartTimeMusician.com: January 2010

We’re now well into 2010, and it’s time for a quick look at last month’s topics and a note of heartfelt appreciation. Thanks to everyone who is a part of the PartTimeMusician.com family – writers, readers, commenters, well-wishers, subscribers, and all who have contributed in any way – for all you do to make this site the information hub for your playing addiction.Below are some of the “blue ribbon” articles from January that you may want to revisit:

January 5:  Three tips for setting – and reaching – your goals
January 8:  Music publishing for the masses? About Sibelius First
January 11: Keeping it fresh: learning a new instrument
January 13: Music matters
January 14: Fun with music: a classic(al) cinema moment!
January 19: PTMs in the news: “passion players” in the UK
January 21: From virtual musician to real musician
January 25: Build Your Own Soundproof Studio
January 27: Citation/ticket for bass players

And the usual (well-deserved!) plug for your PTM advertisers: if you’re in the market for something, please check with them first. They’re good folks…and their prices, service, and quality are tough to beat. Check out their ads in the right column, and please give them the chance to earn your business. By doing so, you’ll be giving back a bit to the PTM community without paying a single dime more! And please don’t forget about the PTM Guide; we guarantee it will save you money, and all updates are free…forever!

All the best to you all, and thank you for another great month!

Keep playing,
Mark

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Help Wanted

While life has always been hectic (!), the last month brought with it an epiphany of sorts: we just can’t “do it all” ourselves and do everything we want to do for the PartTimeMusician.com community. So…who wants to join in the fun?

If you’ve ever considered sharing some of your PTM musical knowledge or insights, why don’t you give it a try? We welcome article submissions, as a one-time thing or on a regular basis. We would also consider a “staff writer” if you’re so inclined. The pay is the same we get, which is to say the satisfaction of contributing to the PTM community as a whole; nothing monetary, but it’s always good to do right by others.  :-)

The “rules” are simple: short or long articles (or multi-part, if they’re really long) are fine, and most topics are welcome – the primary criterion is that they benefit those of us who work a day job to support our playing addiction. We also believe in sharing knowledge in a way that anyone, anywhere can read an article here – regardless of who may be looking over their shoulder – without embarrassment. Let’s keep it clean so all can benefit.

That’s the offer; who will step up for the prize?  :-D   Drop us a line and let us know! In the meantime, keep playing…

All the best,
Mark

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Build Your Own Soundproof Studio

Have you ever dreamed of having your own soundproof studio? Are you willing to invest a little time and effort to make it happen? Here’s how.

This excellent article from our friends at Instructables lays out the details. Included are recommendations, explanations, and even some diagrams to clearly convey what the author means to say. With any project like this, it’s important to have enough details to do it right, without so many you get lost in the preparation. Two thumbs up on this one.

I’ll admit I’m intrigued and sorely tempted. We have a small outbuilding that I’ve long considered converting, in whole or part, to a practice room. I’m bookmarking this article so I can come back to it when time and weather permit starting a new project. Maybe, just maybe…  :-)

Have you done this? If so, what are your thoughts? Any “gotchas” are good to know before they surface, so post a comment or drop us a line!

All the best,
Mark

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From virtual musician to real musician

It wasn’t always the case, but I now believe that music video games can contribute to the Part-Time Musician’s development in some ways – and they’re a lot of fun! That last part – the fun – is what draws the vast majority of gamers to pick up Rock Band or Guitar Hero. But why should the fun stop when you shut off the game console?

It’s common sense, regardless of the activity: if you enjoy it, you’ll be more committed, you’ll do it better, and you’ll reap more benefits…which leads to deeper commitment, better performance, more benefits…well, you know where this is going.  :-)

I’ve already written about the benefits of music video games to current PTMs, but what about those who have yet to discover their longing to play real music? Don’t we all want to get others hooked on our playing addiction? Well…of course we do!

Fender's Rick Heins rocks out with the new G-DEC 3 amp

I ran across this article about some great things Fender is doing to entice new musicians into the fold and to appeal to current musicians as well. Check out these nuggets:

“Guitarists using Fender’s new $299 G-DEC 3 amplifier, on sale in April, will get the traditional boost, echo, reverb and other heavy amplified sounds. But the G-DEC 3 is also a “band in a box,” letting musicians play along with 100 music tracks in various styles created by guitarists such as Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. There’s an SD slot for adding MP3 files to the amp.”

“Fender just launched ejamming.com, a site where guitarists can plug into the Net and jam with musicians around the world. The site features free downloadable software that allows musicians to connect. The music can be recorded and saved. There’s a one-month free trial and $9.99 a month subscription.”

I’m excited enough about these developments to give ejamming.com a try myself, and if anyone has any connections at Fender, I’d be more than willing to do a review of the G-DEC 3…so put me in touch, please! 8-)

What do you think? While these developments can’t fully replace a live, in-person jam session, they certainly could help keep one driving toward their musical goals with a smile. Interested? Leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you.

Keep playing,
Mark

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