• Listening to the Words
    When it comes to music, most people do not listen to the words. They listen to the music. They want the words to be there, and they usually want to understand them, but they don't really listen to them. That is, they listen to the sound of the words but not the meaning. Lyric writing… Read more: Listening to the Words
  • How to Make it in the Music Business
    How do you make it in the music business? Practice of course! Seriously though, the real answer is keep your day job. Wait, wait, come back. Ok the real first step is to define what you mean by making it. Is it to be rich and famous? Sadly unless your name is Prince, and you… Read more: How to Make it in the Music Business
  • Fame and Obscurity in the Music Business
    Many people strive for fame, but few can actually handle it. Fame invades your personal life, alters friendships, and creates a lot of trouble. This is why I have always made sure never to become famous! Several recent films illustrate the contrast between some who became famous in the music business with tragic results, and… Read more: Fame and Obscurity in the Music Business
  • Artists as Workers
    In 1935, with the country in the grips of depression, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Federal Music Project, part of Federal Project Number One, which included related programs for visual artists, writers, and the theater. Despite his patrician upbringing, FDR was not a great patron of the arts, and was only lukewarm about the program.… Read more: Artists as Workers
  • Crying
    A musician friend of mine, who passed away recently, once told me that he had stopped listening to sad music entirely, and only wanted to hear happy music. He said that life was sad enough on it's own and that the purpose of music was to alleviate that sadness, not add to it. Another musician… Read more: Crying