A Speech Every Classical Music Student Should Read!
Acclaimed cellist Julian Lloyd Webber delivered a great message to music students at the Birmingham Conservatoire. We reprint his speech in its entirety: In 1977 … Read more
INSPIRATIONAL
This Little Angel Playing the Harp Will Make You Feel Better About Life
Young harpist Alisa Sadikova is a truly gifted girl. She began playing the instrument at 5 years old and was immediately able to play without … Read more
Five Curious Facts about Music and Emotions
Whether you’re commuting, jogging, lounging on your sofa with a glass of Bourbon, you’re likely to have some music in the background. Theoretically, it’s supposed … Read more
Piano Prodigy Solves Earworm Dilemma
I wrote about some scientific and psychological research done to discover the causes of earworms, otherwise known as the effect of getting a song stuck … Read more
Have you ever had a skin orgasm to Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2? You’re not alone.
It’s Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor for me. But for psychologist Psyche Loui, it’s Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. “It,” of course, being the … Read more
The Influence of Nature in the Compositions of Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a composer who, like many of his contemporaries, drew deep inspiration from his natural environment. His passion for his home country … Read more
How to Choose the Right Musical Instrument?
Learning to play a musical instrument as a child can be beneficial in so many ways. Those who have a particular talent for music often … Read more
10 Most Unique Buildings Inspired By Music
Music has inspired architecture in many different ways, whether it be indirectly by influencing how a project is approached by an architect, or more obviously … Read more
The Top 5 Qualities You Need To Be a Successful Musician
In a competitive and saturated industry like music, it often gets hard to distinguish exactly what is needed to thrive. Income is not always stable … Read more
Five Signs You May Be Practicing Too Hard
The gruelling schedules professional musicians go through prior to an audition or performance are familiar to everyone. By rehearsing as much as possible, so the … Read more
Music Lessons Were The Best Thing Your Parents Ever Did For You
If your memory of music as a child is of your parents forcing you to go to that dreaded piano lesson every week, now you … Read more
The Mystical Music of Hildegard of Bingen: A Medieval Composer and Visionary
In a previous article, I was fortunate enough to focus on female composers, and amongst the collection was Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Why did I … Read more
Why Do We Like Sad Music?
Provided that sadness is an emotion we generally try to avoid, why do we even listen to sad music and enjoy it? According to the … Read more
Seven Ways to Procrastinate Less and Do More
Stop making excuses, procrastinators. Whether you overestimate your “natural talent”, complaining about “not having enough time” or being “too old to succeed anyway,” there is … Read more
The History and Influence of Reggae Music
Reggae music has had a profound influence on many aspects of Western culture from fashion to popular music. Across the United Kingdom, the USA and … Read more