Chamber Music Reaches a New Low

Sure, you’ve seen string quartets.  You’ve probably even seen saxophone quartets.  But how ’bout this: a bass sax quartet?  That’s right.  Four low, rumbling, oversized, gritty, bass saxophones. In the same room nonetheless!  That’s what you’ll witness in this video of the German/Dutch group Deep...

How Do You Find the Time?

Practice those scales.  Work on sightreading. Draft grant proposal. Begin passion project. Be a good friend. Go to concerts. Take kids to the ballgame. Leave a legacy. Develop website. Improve tone. Read blogs. Market CD. Rewrite bio. Pay bills. Build brand. Meet spouse. Teach. Study. Network. Sleep. Think. Eat. Compose....

String Quartet: The Solo Instrument

Diego Stocco is a sound designer and composer who specializes in creating new sound experiences in unusual ways.  Many of his creations are include found objects or instruments he builds from scratch. This video features his Experibass, which combines violin, viola, cello, bass, a fork, and a kick drum foot pedal.   While there are hundreds of...

8451. And Shrinking…

“Eight-thousand-four-hundred-fifty-one. And Shrinking…” That was his response. After I asked if he’d be participating on some project in which (it turns out) he had no interest whatsoever. I returned a perplexed stare, as if to inquire “what on Earth?”  So he explained.  That’s how many days he has left to live. You see, he...

Writing an Approach Letter

In my recent post Career Mentorship: The Lost Education, I argued the benefits of seeking out individuals to serve as role models and coaches when it comes to career related issues.  The article generated a lot of questions, which I will address in this and future posts.  What’s the best way to make initial contact with a career mentor,...

The Musician-Blogger: Finding Your Niche

Of course! You don’t have time to blog.  You don’t even have enough time to breathe, with all your practicing, composing, teaching, career promotion, life responsibilities, and the occasional social engagement.  If there’s one thing you simply can’t squeeze into the schedule, it’s maintaining a blog! Don’t be ridiculous. That’s...

Clarinet, Costumes, & Ice Skates

Swedish clarinetest Martin Frost is a virtuoso, but he is so much more than that. This video demo shows off his unusal and fascinating world.  Martin Frost is a featured artist in The Savvy Musician.               Photo by Mats Bäcker While there are hundreds of thousands of great performances captured on tape, the music videos...

How To Write a Fugue

Just in case 18th century counterpoint never quite made sense to you, this video showcases Dan Pi explaining the concept of a fugue.  His subject is based on Britney Spears hit Oops, I did it again.     While there are hundreds of thousands of great performances captured on tape, the music videos featured on TSM blog feature musical creations...

Career Mentorship: The Lost Education

Most of the musicians I know are highly educated.  Many have multiple degrees in their field of expertise.  Along the way, they typically work closely with several mentors who move them forward in their journey towards artistic excellence: private teachers, chamber ensemble coaches, conductors, classroom instructors. Obviously this form of...

Rachmaninoff had Big Hands

Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-ki Joo are two classical musicians who have taken the world by storm with their unique and hilarious theatrical shows, which combine comedy with classical music and popular culture. Their clips on YouTube, to date, have gathered over 15 million hits, and they have appeared live on television in several...