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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Music 101: Origin Story
The music of our lives begins with the beating of our hearts. One day it will end with the final beat. Since everything has its beginning, I wondered: when did music start? Was it invented or discovered? Music has been around for so long that it cannot be traced back to a specific time. It… Read more
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