Words & Music

by Mike Power

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  • Music 101: Passion

    Music is like sex in a lot of ways. Both are forms of communication that transcend words. Both push the limits of how much fun a person can have. And a good sense of rhythm provides greater pleasure to your partner/audience. Recording is like romantic love. You should take your time to make sure you Read more

  • Music 101: Humor

    Unlike the lessons up to this point – Gratitude, Grace, Humility, and Patience – today’s lesson is not essential to music. Whole genres of music, specifically classical and jazz, are considered “serious music.” A humorless approach to music can deliver something wonderful, even momentous. But… A little humor goes a long way. Even in a Read more

  • Music 101: Patience

    One of the essential elements of music is timing. The space between the notes is as important as the notes themselves and most songs can benefit from a little silence here and there. There are thousands of great actors for every great playwright, or screenwriter. There are thousands of great guitarists for every great drummer. Read more

  • Music 101: Humility

    There are four cardinal virtues, first recognized by Plato, and later by Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas (and probably by people further along in the alphabet): Prudence – the ability to let reason dictate action Justice – the ability to interact fairly with others Fortitude – the ability to persevere circumstance with dignity, and Temperance – Read more

  • Music 101: Grace

    You might try to make music without grace but I can tell you from experience that whatever it is you are creating without grace, it is not music. Grace is a bit of a tricky concept. We have all watched someone move gracefully and felt the calmness of soul that accompanies such movement. That sudden Read more

  • Music 101: Gratitude

    One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a musician came from Carlos Santana. He said that when you work on your instrument – learning scales and patterns, working repetitiously until your playing flows naturally – you should not think of it as ‘practice.’ Practice is a chore. Instead, you should think of it, Read more