Thanks largely to some of his predecessors’ failed attempts at music careers (just listen to William Shatner’s disturbing version of “Mr. Tambourine Man”), there’s a stigma actors-turned-musicians must overcome to be taken seriously. But Daniels had a weapon—a funny, clever, catchy, and skillfully performed song, “If William Shatner Can, I Can Too.” “That was a […]
I feel like I should be interviewing you, since that’s usually my job,” Lisa Glasberg says in her Long Island accent as we sit in the bright tiled dressing room at the Lucy Moses School of Music in Manhattan. Aside from the photo shoot and interview for her Making Music piece, Glasberg, better known as […]
Folks from all around the state and far beyond arrive at Triple Creek Music Park. Whether they are musical snowbirds from colder climates who come to spend the winter months, music tours passing through the Houston area, or musically-oriented families looking for a unique getaway, park owners Karen and Marc McConnell make them all feel welcome and get them jamming.
Before the industrial revolution, acoustic guitars were strung with gut strings. In that same tradition, classical and flamenco guitars use nylon strings today, and are most commonly fingerpicked. Typically used for classical music, as well as Latin styles, nylon strings provide a warm, gentle sound, and beginners gravitate toward them because they are easier on […]
If you’re thinking about getting into digital recording, you’ll need more than just a microphone, a computer, and recording software. This article is an introduction to two necessary and closely related pieces of gear–microphone preamps and interfaces. These are often the missing links in people’s understanding of digital audio. So, what do they do and […]
While many people pursue music as a hobby outside of their working hours, David Pogue has found a way to integrate the two. His main musical endeavor is parodies á la Weird Al Yankovic, except that Pogue’s remakes all relate to computers and technology. For example, under his hand, “I Write the Songs” is transformed to “I Write the Code”
Stomp boxes have been giving electric instrumentalists a sonic edge for many years. Three very popular effects used to paint shimmering aural landscapes are phase shifters, chorus pedals, and flangers. These three pedals are also commonly confused because they sound very similar. To learn the differences between them, it helps to have a basic knowledge […]
“I got a standing ovation, which is really rare at the Grand Ole Opry; I remember it like it was in slow motion,” she gushes. “I finished my song, and I saw some of the people in the front stand up, and then I saw it spread toward the back, like a ripple, until the whole room was on their feet. And my hand came up to cover my mouth, like, oh my gosh! I just couldn’t believe it.”
When comparing the two instruments side by side, it’s hard to see any similarities, but brass and wood have more in common than you think. They don’t look the same, are made out of completely different materials, and aren’t played in nearly the same way. But look again. Mark Mullins, of New Orleans, Louisiana, electric […]
Sure, it may look harder to play than a big-rig is to drive, but armed with the right knowledge, it’s completely within the realm of possibility for almost any musician to figure out the basics and start playing pedal steel guitar.