Introduction Groups of all kinds can benefit from deliberate practice just as individuals do. The idea is the same: find the trouble spots and work on them; spend your time working on the 10% that’s not smooth rather than the 90% that already makes you feel good. Preparation Select a
Deliberate/Efficient Practice
Introduction When learning a piece of music or improving my performance of it, I engage in deliberate practice, or as I think of it, efficient practice. The underlying idea is to identify problem areas, work on them separately, then put everything together. As far as I know, this is the
Tempo Changes with a DAW
When I’m trying to learn a piece of music with changes that happen too quickly for me to identify the details, I slow the tempo of the song to a point where it’s possible for me to do that. Slowing the tempo does not affect the pitch, which is important
God Save the Children, Not the Guns (Make It Stop)
[Listen] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. God Save the Children, Not the Guns (Make It Stop) God watch over our students. God protect our children. God save our babies! God damn the guns! God watch over our students. God protect our children. God
No More Coffee, No More Beer
[Listen] Have you ever wondered what’s going to happen when we run out of stuff? Like fresh water, salt, and whatever your favorite stuff might be. “No More Coffee, No More Beer” began life leaning in that direction. Somewhere along the line it lightened up a bit, depending on how
The Razor Song
[Listen] It’s often funny how songs come about. At the office one day we were talking about our favorite cell phones. Mine was a Razr. I’d probably still be using it but it was in my shirt pocket while I was looking around tide pools and it went for a
We Are All Insane
[Listen] When I commute, I often take the train and then a shuttle from the station to the office. One day the bus driver was complaining about how early he had to get up to be at work on time, how bad the commute was, etc. That stuck with me
Cookin’, Cleanin’, and Agitatin’
[Listen] There’s a song genre that demonstrates the futility of censorship. With the right use of words and inflection, the most ordinary acts can be a thin cover over some more interesting message. One well known song in this vein is Alberta Hunter’s “My Handy Man” in which she’s apparently singing
Àguas de Março – my interpretation
[Listen to a duet version of “Àguas de Março”]. These are the lyrics for my interpretation of “Àguas de Março” mentioned in the previous post: It’s sand, the sky, the sun on the water, the touch of a hand, the “not” and the “want to”. It’s a door and a turn, a
Àguas de Março
[Listen] One of the most beloved songs in Brazil is also one of my favorites, the classic “Àguas de Março” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. On the surface, the song sounds like a list of stuff. A stick, a stone, the end of the road, a tree stump, a little alone.