Auxiliary skills for musicians: graphics

Disclaimer: I am not a graphic designer and would not presume to teach you the best practices of graphic design. When it is time for…
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Auxiliary skills for musicians: shooting video

Even before the pandemic, video was becoming a necessity for musicians. You need audition videos for festivals and grad school, and you need to be…
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Auxiliary skills for musicians: public speaking

Most musicians are going to have to speak in public at some point. While the most famous soloists may get away with only playing, it’s…
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Auxiliary skills for musicians: stage management

At some point in your music career, you will probably (hopefully?) put on a performance. Whether it is your senior recital or an improv ensemble…
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Auxiliary skills for musicians: editing audio

I’ve been planning to write on this for awhile, but with The Rise of Covid, more musicians have been asking for this kind of information.…
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Preview: Auxiliary skills blog series

Greetings, friends. I began this blog last summer with the intention of combining some reflections on my creative work with practical advice for emerging composers.…
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The Junk Synth

This is a long running project–a suitcase containing a number of small sound-making gadgets and kits I’ve acquired and built, connected together to streamline the…
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About taking breaks

We are coming upon the end of another year. This one has obviously been quite strange. And while I’ll reflect on my own year in…
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Making great scores with LilyPond

Software debates: Finale vs. Sibelius vs. Dorico For many years, one of the main “debates” for composers was Finale vs. Sibelius. Now that Sibelius has…
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