Musicianship Mastery with David Lane

Andrew Callo, a talented composer and arranger known for his contributions to the Air Force Band, highlights the transformative power of score study. He discusses how analyzing orchestral scores can deepen understanding of harmony, orchestration, and melodic development. Callo shares insights on navigating score transpositions, the practical challenges of using miniature scores, and recommends resources for musicians. The conversation also touches on the evolution of orchestration techniques, emphasizing the artistry behind creating music that resonates with both emotion and technical mastery.

David Lane was recently asked, "What gave you that idea?" in regards to this podcast.  In this episode, he offers some insight into when he noticed these traits of musicianship, and how it developed before becoming the basis of this podcast.   From this episode, what most resonated with you, or what do you think I should have included?  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.

It's hard to truly understand the full expressive power of music unless you sing.  This is true especially if you're primarily an instrumentalist.  Depending on your instrument, you might be missing out on a chance to sharpen your skills of intonation, tone, breath, vibrato, and expressive details that some instruments lack.  More and more, innovative instrumental teachers include singing in their lessons for beginners to create this more intensely personal connection to music. Our guest this week is Katie Muhlenkamp.  She is an experienced vocal performer in both the worlds of classical and musical theatre, as a soloist and as a choral member.  She also is a private voice teacher, and is here to talk about the basics of vocal production, some of the myths associated with singing, how to choose a teacher, and how to get some free opportunities to practice singing. From this episode, what most resonated with you, or what do you think I should have included?  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.

Discover the essential skill of active listening for musicians, distinguishing between passive enjoyment and deeper engagement with music. Explore the unique listening techniques for classical versus non-classical genres and the value of repeated listens. Learn how full attention can transform your understanding of music, revealing complex elements like harmonic language and emotional dynamics. Dive into the impact of studio craftsmanship in pop music and uncover how active listening fosters self-discovery and enhances your musical growth.

Discover why musicians should explore practices beyond their instruments. The discussion includes the power of gratitude for personal and professional growth. Learn about key habits like maintaining a gratitude journal, enhancing time management, and the benefits of outdoor activity. The importance of physical fitness and meaningful conversations for relationship-building is emphasized. Plus, hear about the value of active listening and engagement in musical collaboration. Expand your toolkit with these essential non-musical skills!

In this engaging discussion, Erica Sipes, a talented pianist and host of the live show Sightreading Maverick, dives into the art of sightreading. She emphasizes the crucial balance of physical tools alongside the often-overlooked emotional and mindset aspects. Erica shares practical techniques for managing dense chord structures and the importance of music theory. With insights on pattern recognition and collaboration, this conversation is a rich resource for musicians looking to enhance their skills and confidence in sightreading.

Discover the two essential phases of music practice and how to avoid common pitfalls that lead to sloppy performances. Learn to recognize the difference between a halfway effort and true mastery. The podcast emphasizes quality over quantity in practice, sharing transformative moments that mark real progress. Plus, get insights from listener feedback on terminology to enhance understanding. Tune in to find out what good practice really looks like!

There's nothing wrong with being average at anything.  As I once heard another podcaster say, "Most people, on average, are mediocre at most things".  To go from average to good takes some effort, but it's a smaller and seemingly less daunting step than to go from good to great.  If you're stuck on being average or good as a performer, one or more of the 7 reasons that are mentioned in this episode might be why. The YouTube clip mentioning the performance of the Hammerklavier Sonata can be found here: https://youtu.be/yRDcgjvjj2E?t=17 From this episode, what most resonated with you, or what do you think I should have included?  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.  

Frank Lehman, a musicologist and Tufts University professor, dives into the genius of John Williams, the iconic film composer celebrating his 91st birthday. They explore Williams' various influences and unique composition techniques, shedding light on lesser-known scores like 'Sabrina' and 'Images.' The discussion highlights how classical music and humor weave into his legendary scores, along with an exploration of the evolving landscape of film music. Lehman’s insights reveal the profound impact Williams has had on both film and composers alike.

Creating music on acoustic instruments (ones that don't require electricity to produce the sound) are operating on properties of physics.  Sound waves have attributes, and each pitch on an actual instrument is producing multiple sound waves at once, with the fundamental (the sound you actually hear) and overtones, which create resonance.  Overtones are inaudible unless you isolate them, which you can do on most instruments.  This is a topic that intimidates a lot of musicians, but it's important to try to dive in.  It not opens your mind to new instrumental effects, but it helps you understand the secrets to creating RICH harmony, and explains why some chord choices just don't work as well as others. This episode is meant to work in podcast format only.  However there are a number of videos, charts, and sheet music examples that might make the video version of this a better choice for some of you.  You can find that here: https://youtu.be/_fNUPW-l5YM Special thanks to Jennifer Lane and Harlan Feinstein for their contributions! If you have a question or feedback after listening to this episode you can leave a voice message 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 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.