Musicianship Mastery with David Lane

Whether you're a student pianist or you're already accomplished when it comes to classical music and reading fully notated scores, it's a different experience to take a lead sheet (with just a melody line and chord symbols) and perform it with accuracy, creativity, good voice-leading, and then add some improvisation.  But if you're a well-rounded musician, this world shouldn't be intimidating. Federico Pivetta is a great pianist who is comfortable in both the classical and jazz worlds, where he is in local and regional demand as one of the best jazz pianists in the area.  He helps us learn about the harmonic language of jazz, how to work with a lead sheet, the basics of improvisation and some exercises to develop this skill, and an intro to some of the various rhythmic styles. 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.  

There are dozens and dozens of genres, but there are really 2 ways of learning music (with small variations of each).  One way can be helped by strong skills of sight reading, knowledge of music theory, and the ability to read written rhythms.  The other way can be helped by a well-developed ear, improvisation skills, and great applied knowledge of music theory.  I call it the Classical vs Jazz approach but (again) I'm not talking about the genres.  For example, you can use a classical approach to learn jazz repertoire and a jazz approach to learn classical repertoire.  Check out the episode to hear the pros and cons and each, and which one I recommend. 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.

Bruce Tippette, an accomplished composer focusing on music for schools and churches, shares his insights on the composition process. He discusses the often-overlooked path of publishing music, emphasizing the need for creativity tailored to various age groups. Bruce delves into the complexities of navigating the grading system for ensembles, balancing artistic expression with marketability. He also offers strategies for getting published and building relationships in the music industry, highlighting the importance of adaptability and resilience for aspiring composers.

Geoff Colvin, an author renowned for his insights on success and talent, discusses the pitfalls of labeling musicians as 'talented.' He emphasizes that this label can diminish recognition of hard work and dedication. The conversation delves into how focusing on effort over innate ability fosters resilience and growth. Colvin encourages a shift in compliments, advocating for praise that highlights consistent practice and commitment rather than simplistic notions of talent. This new perspective could revolutionize how we appreciate artistic accomplishments.

When you work on music, there's so much to think about: rhythm, notes, fingerings, dynamics, articulation, tempo, and so on.  If the piece challenges you, and you're having trouble getting better, you may be trying to do too many things at once.  Hint: 2 things is too many things.  This episode offers 20 examples of how you can reduce your practice challenges down to 1 task. If you have a practice tip specific to your instrument related to "one problem at a time" that you'd like to share, please consider leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit If you're not comfortable leaving a voice message, you can send me a message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact *Episode note: I mentioned that you should increase tempo on a metronome by 1-2%.  It should be 5-10%. If you loved this, please share with your friends, and please leave a 5-star rating and review! You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ 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.  

Welcome to The Musicianship Toolkit with David Lane!  This podcast is dedicated to helping you improve your craft of musicianship.  First, we need to discuss what goes in the toolkit.  The skill of sight-reading, the ability to play by ear, the ability to practice effectively and efficiently, knowledge of music theory, and 16 more tools will be introduced here.  Give yourself a rating of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) of each tool as it's introduced to see where you are right now.  What tool do you need the most help with?  What tools did I leave out?  Send me a message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact If you loved this, please share with your friends, and please leave a 5-star rating and review! You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ 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.

Is it your goal to become a great musician?  Are you already a working musician, but want to strengthen your craft?  Are you a music student with strengths and weaknesses, and not always sure how to address that which needs improvement? Do you need to learn how to be a better sight-reader?  Do you need help playing by ear, transposing, or memorizing music?  Do you sometimes struggle to know how much to practice a piece of music or skill, or what approach to take?  Are you wanting to get better at improvisation, composing, music theory, learning 2nd and 3rd instruments? If so, it sounds like you need to check out... The Musician Toolkit! You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1