Musicianship Mastery with David Lane

One of the tools every great musician should have in their toolkit is knowledge and experience of studio production.  If you use a professional engineer in your projects, you'll be able to understand the process and communicate better.  Often, you may be doing a DIY recording project, and want to get the best final product that you can.  This is a huge topic, and this episode is limited to just a few basics: choosing the right microphone, microphone placement, minimal gear requirements, planning a production session (even when it's just you involved), and a few finishing touches. Our guest, Liz May, is a professional audio engineer with a pianist background, is very active as a live sound engineer and also owns a recording studio called Soundlizzard Productions. Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

This is the 2nd of an epic 2-episode look at the genre of heavy metal, both in terms of music history and theory.  This 2nd episode takes more of a look at the history of heavy metal since 1980 through the lens of subgenres.  Leading us on this journey is Eric Schwartz, a classical musician and lifelong metal fan who is a co-host of the podcast Heavy Metal 101.  For the final segment of this episode, Eric and I each offer up 5 of our all-time favorite heavy metal albums.  Be sure to play this episode loud! If you missed part 1, we talked more about the origins of heavy metal and got more into the music theory side.  You can find that episode hereL https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit/episode/7e14ef9d/heavy-metal-101-part-1-with-eric-schwartz Eric's podcast, Heavy Metal 101, can be best enjoyed here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1tjsy3NgM063tlvMOv9PQR?si=4cba8bafc3f84dd4 The top 10 albums that we discussed, and 10 more we considered, can be heard in their entirety here:  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zrwEkboZKE5eLcikCdxdg?si=84415f3fa70a4d77&pt=e95433e2fc7ed6227c31035d7374dd5a These are the musical examples played in this episode: 04:39 Iron Maiden: The Prisoner 05:51 Van Halen: Runnin' with the Devil 06:34 Motorhead: Overkill 06:57 Metallica: Master of Puppets 08:31 Death: Scream Bloody Gore 09:51 Emperor: Toward the Pantheon 10:24 Helloween: I'm Alive 11:02 Pantera: Walk 12:02 At the Gates: Cold 12:44 Dream Theater: Pull Me Under 13:51 Black Sabbath: Supertsar 16:41 Mastadon: Crack the Skye 18:12 Zeal & Ardor: Children's Summons 20:13 The Prodigy: Firestarter 22:16 Nine Inch Nails: Heresy 24:47 Def Leppard: Rocket 27:01 Queensrÿche: Speak 27:18 Queensrÿche: Spreading the Disease 27:51 Queensrÿche: Suite Sister Mary 29:18 Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe 29:58 Black Sabbath: Megalomania 30:43 Black Sabbath: The Writ 32:07 Megadeth: Sweating Bullets 32:32 Megadeth: Foreclosure of a Dream 33:39 Beetlejuice the Musical: The Whole Being Dead Thing 36:23 Slayer: Angel of Death 36:42 Slayer: Raining Blood 38:23 Anthrax: NFB 39:01 Anthrax: Got the Time 39:20 Anthrax: In My World 41:47 King Diamond: A Mansion in Darkness 42:15 King Diamond: 7th Day of July 1977 44:42 Avenged Sevenfold: Unbound (Wild Ride) 45:21 Avenged Sevenfold: Dear God 48:07 Judas Priest: Painkiller 48:40 Judas Priest: Hell Patrol 49:02 Judas Priest: A Touch of Evil 50:22 Nightwish: The Poet and the Pendulum 51:03 Nightwish: The Islander 51:22 Nightwish: 7 Days to the Wolves 54:40 Death: Spirit Crusher 55:08 Death: Voice of the Soul 56:09 Death Painkiller   What's your favorite heavy metal band or album, and why that choice?  Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

This is the first of an epic 2-episode look at the genre of heavy metal, both in terms of music history and theory.  This first episode compares how heavy metal came to be and developed throughout the '70s and into the early '80s, and then compares its attributes with Baroque through Romantic era concerti, as well as what metal offers that distinguishes itself as a genre.  Leading us on this journey is Eric Schwartz, a classical musician and lifelong metal fan who is a co-host of the podcast Heavy Metal 101. Be sure to check out part 2 next week when we dive into heavy metal since 1980, the variety of subgenres, and our own personal favorite albums. Eric's podcast, Heavy Metal 101, can be best enjoyed here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1tjsy3NgM063tlvMOv9PQR?si=4cba8bafc3f84dd4 These are the musical examples played in this episode: 9:40 Black Sabbath: The Wizard 11:24 Judas Priest: The Ripper 12:10 Judas Priest: Deceiver 18:37 Soundgarden: Loud Love 19:41 Alice in Chains: Man in the Box 20:05 Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit 22:31 Black Sabbath: Iron Man 28:12 Van Halen: Eruption 29:02 Vivaldi: Summer (III: Presto) perf. by I Musici 29:40 Vivaldi: Winter (I: Allegro Non Molto) perf. by I Musici 30:15 Van Halen: Eruption 32:30 Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath 33:06 Gustav Holst: The Planets (I. Mars) Montreal Symphony; cond. Charles Dutoit 33:47 Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath 36:42 Spinal Tap: Hell Hole 38:30 Deep Purple: Lazy 41:02 Judas Priest: Tyrant 47:12 Metallica: Battery 50:08 Tool: Schism 51:56 Meshuggah: Bleed   Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

Celebrate graduation with insights from three decades of experience! Discover essential advice on personal investment and financial strategies for a stable future. Learn to embrace rejection and stay flexible in your creative pursuits. Prioritize income while maintaining physical fitness. Relish the importance of connection and aligning actions with your values. Finally, find joy in life’s simple moments and the beauty of mindfulness. These life lessons resonate with both graduates and anyone seeking growth!

On this episode, we take a look at composing the score for a big-budget documentary series such as Prehistoric Planet, currently streaming on Apple TV+ with a 2nd season due to come out soon.  Series composers Anže Rozman and Kara Talve talk about working at Bleeding Fingers Music with Hans Zimmer, collaborating with each other in creating the score, and everything about the process from spotting the episodes, to deadlines, to preparing the score to be recorded by a live orchestra, in addition to commissioning and learning to play some of the custom-built instruments for this score such as the Raptor Violin, Hadro Cello, Petrified Wood Xylophone, and many more. All music clips in this score are from the Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack for Prehistoric Planet, Season 1 - available for streaming or download on all major outlets. Check out these two videos about the unique instruments for this score: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrkE-r2uV9N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrcFJ9HsIVt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Do you have any comments on today's topic?  Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

Episode 21 is a brief challenge to be mindful in your decisions, understanding that choosing to do something means that you're choosing NOT to do something else.  Sometimes that something else you're NOT doing is practicing challenging music or technique, or composing, or doing something that feels like work, but you can apply this to any decision you make in life. Today's episode is sponsored by The Unstoppable Singer Summit, a free virtual event for singers who want to overcome the starving artist mentality.  There are 45 speakers over 3 days (May 15-17).  Registration is required and you can do so here: https://thesingersummit.com/toolkit/ref/51/ Do you have any comments on today's topic?  Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

Dr. Frank Lehman, film music scholar and professor at Tufts University, returns to chat with David Lane about a score that is often lauded as the greatest of all time, The Empire Strikes Back composed by John Williams.  This episode is a discussion along with musical examples of the themes, harmonies, and orchestration choices that make this a masterpiece, along with a comparison to the 1st Star Wars series, and a little on the legendary performance from the London Symphony Orchestra.  May the force be with you as you join us as we tackle this ultimate Jedi of scores! If you missed it, be sure to catch the 1st episode with Dr. Lehman, where we discussed John Williams more generally as well as some other scores here: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit/episode/7d49eeaa/episode-8-the-craft-of-john-williams-with-frank-lehman Frank's marvelous catalog of Star Wars themes and analysis is located here: https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Do you have something to add to our discussion?  Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  Musical Excerpts.  All tracks by John Williams and from The Empire Strikes Back except where noted. 18:39 King's Row Main Title (Erich W Korngold) 19:30 Theme from Ivanhoe (Miklos Rozsa) 27:14 Darth Vader Motif from Star Wars 29:02 The Imperial March (2 clips) 34:16 Yoda's Theme 34:47 Yoda's Death (Return of the Jedi) 37:10 Yoda and the Force 39:58 Han Solo and the Princess 40:51 Princess Leia's Theme (Star Wars) 42:20 Rescue from Cloud City 43:55 The Rebel Fleet/Finale 45:12 End Credits 46:36 Droids Theme 47:25 The Wampa's Lair 48:28 Main Title (Luke's Theme) 48:53 Force Theme 49:50 Rebel Fanfare 51:25 Lando's Theme 52:41 Boba Fett's Theme/Attack Position 53:18 Darth Vader's Trap 54:17 Dark Side Motif/Magic Cave 54:46 Yoda and the Force 56:04 The Asteroid Field (2 clips) 59:54 City in the Clouds 1:01:11 Mynock Cave 1:02:16 End Credits (Raiders of the Lost Ark) 1:02:30 End Credits (Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade) 1:04:48 Mynock Cave 1:08:22 The Battle of Hoth (5 clips) 1:15:08 Carbon Freeze (2 clips) 1:18:48 Hyperspace 1:22:37 End Credits   You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

When it comes to practicing music well, there may not be any better incentive than the power of residual effects.  For example, when you learn how to play a 2-octave scale really well, you've not just learned it for that one time.  You've learned it for the next time you need it and will at the very least be a lot further along when you come across anything similar.  Much like saving or investing money early and often, the effects of residual practice compound the more you learn and get a lot accomplished in your sessions.  Listen to this episode to hear what those benefits are, and how to maximize your practice so that you're gaining those residual effects. Does this tip resonate, or do you have anything related to these suggestions?  Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

This is the first of what will be many episodes in the Instrument Spotlight series for The Musician Toolkit, occurring once every few months.  This series is for anyone wanting to choose the instruments as either a primary or secondary instrument, as well as to inform composers and arrangers about the capabilities, challenges, and limitations of such instruments.  Kania Mills is an active performer in band, orchestra, chamber music, and as a featured soloist in North Carolina.  She teaches woodwinds at Livingstone College and Catawba College.  She will help us navigate the clarinet family, how to get started, the challenges with playing well, maintaining the instruments, and also some repertoire. Check out teaching and performance clips of Kania from TikTok below: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaniamills/video/7212036578632404267?_r=1&_t=8bPCRVdlHCc https://www.tiktok.com/@kaniamills/video/7206732376855022891?_r=1&_t=8bPCU4zojoR https://www.tiktok.com/@kaniamills/video/7196109017037737262?_r=1&_t=8bPCQcFR8oQ https://www.tiktok.com/@kaniamills/video/7201345060041002286?_r=1&_t=8bPCbLUJoEQ   List of Musical Excerpts Used in this Episode   12:00 "Scent of Death" from Interview with a Vampire original soundtrack (Eliot Goldenthal) 12:40 "Desert Music" from Sicario original soundtrack (Jóhann Jóhannsson) 34:42 Symphony No. 4 "Italian", mvt 1 (Felix Mendelssohn) performed by Chicago Symphony,;cond. by Georg Solti 35:18 Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream (Felix Mendelssohn) - The Cleveland Orchestra; George Szell 52:46 El Salón México (Aaron Copland) - New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein 53:34 Symphony No. 5, movt. 2 (D. Shostakovich)  - Berlin Symphony; Kurt Sanderling 55:54 Clarinet Concerto, mvt 1 (W. A. Mozart) - Mostly Mozart Orchestra; Gerard Schwarz 56:23 Clarinet Concerto No. 2, mvt. 3 (Carl Maria von Weber) 58:09 Clarinet Quintet, mvt 1 (J Brahms)  - Karl Leister; Amadeus Quartet 58:33 Quintet op. 39, mvt 1 (S Prokofiev) - Kammerensemble de Paris 59:29 Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (Bela Bartok) - The Rogue Ensemble 1:01:17 Black Dog (Scott McAllister) - Robert Spring, Clarinet 1:02:56 Clarinet Concerto, mvt. 1 (Gerald Finzi) - Robert Plane; Northern Sinfonia; Howard Griffiths 1:03:31 Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra (Aaron Copland); Benny Goodman 1:04:33 Solfeggietto/Metamorphosis (Eddie Daniels) 1:07:22 Rigoletto (Luigi Bassi) - Han Kim, Clarinet   Do you have a question about the clarinet family or any additional suggested repertoire? Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

Not every music student or even professional musician has explored classical music, much like not necessarily every classical musician will know something about jazz or any other genre.  However, each genre has certain pieces that one should know from each genre regardless of your preference.  These are 25 of many possible choices, not necessarily "the best", but some pieces you should recognize by title and composer upon hearing. Musical examples used in this episode: 06:53 P. Tchaikovsky: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker - (Montreal Symphony; Charles Dutoit) 12:49 J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 (Hannes Kästner, organ) 13:15 J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 (Czech Philharmonic; Leopold Stokowski) 17:26 S Barber: Adagio for Strings (New York Philharmonic; Thomas Schipps) 19:48 Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (Vienna Philharmonic; Carlos Klieber) mvt 1 and 4 24:03 Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Berlin Philharmonic; Von Karajan) mvt. 4 and 2 28:33 Brahms: Hungarian Dances 4, 5, 6 (Vienna Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado) 30:56 A Copland: "Hoe-Down" from Rodeo (St. Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin) 32:33 F Chopin: Grand Valse Brillante op. 18 (Valentina Lisitsa) 34:22 Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (Royal Concertgebouw; Bernard Haitink) 36:01 Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" mvt 2 (London Philharmonic; Charles MacKerras) 38:16 Grieg: Peer Gynt and Peer Gynt suite no.1 (San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt) 40:13 Handel: The Messiah "Hallelujah" (London Symphony; Colin Davis) 40:43 Handel: Water Music selections (English Chamber Orchestra; Raymond Leppard) 41:30 Holst: The Planets "Mars" - (Montreal Symphony; Charles Dutoit) 42:13 Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Marc-Andre Hamelin) 43:22 Mendelssohn: Overture and Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream (London Symphony, Andre Previn) 45:11 Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro (Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner) 46:16 Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - Promenade and Great Gate of Kiev (Berlin Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado) 48:25 Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 (Vladimir Ashkenazy; Moscow Symphony; Kirill Kondrashin) 49:38 Ravel: Bolero (Boston Symphony; Seiji Ozawa) 51:42 Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe (Rotterdam Philharmonic; Yannick Nézet-Séguin) 52:46 Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee (Berlin Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta) 53:08 Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade mvt IV and III (London Symphony; Charles MacKerras) 55:06 Schubert: Ave Maria (Barbara Booney) 55:31 R Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Chicago Symphony; Fritz Reiner) 57:15 Stravinsky: Rite of Spring (from Part 1) (New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein) 58:21 Tchaikovsky: Russian Dance, Arabian Dance, Dance of the Reed Flutes from The Nutcracker (Montreal Symphony; Dutoit)   Do you have a different recording of these pieces that you'd recommend?  Let me know by telling me directly at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact  The blog post that goes with this episode can be found here: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/post/25-essential-classical-pieces-to-know You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.