Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

The concept of work-life balance is anything but foreign in today's hyperconnected society. But what if finding the elusive balance lies not in tuning out but instead bringing one more key element into our lives? In his new book The Habit of Noticing: Using Creativity to Make a Life (and a Living), Austin-based singer-songwriter Darden Smith says the secret lies in embracing and using your creativity every day.

After the sudden death of his father, Nick Blackburn embarks on a singular, labyrinthine journey to understand his loss. How do you create an existence when all you can see is a void? The Reactor is a memoir about absence and creative possibilities, assembled like the pieces of a puzzle. Through philosophy, music, fashion, psychology, art and film, Blackburn travels a vast panorama of ideas and characters to offer an entirely new exploration of grief.

Did you know that singing is 80 percent confidence? If you believe you can sing, you will. Think positively and you’ll achieve your goals. This book contains a wealth of advice for singers spoken by the author herself. It's full of useful tips for all seasons to keep your voice in top condition. Whether you're looking to sing at La Scala, improve your singing abilities, or just increase your performing confidence, this practical book is the perfect accompaniment.

The book has purposefully been designed for those who want to learn how to write a song, but don't know where to start. It packs everything there is to know about writing a great song, from its structure to its thought process. But the book also doesn't forget about your personal business and hectic schedule, especially if you're a person who's planning on doing this part-time. I've described a really simple way to write a song, all in an hour, with the help of simple and refined techniques.

This is a lesson on a late beginner arrangement of Chopin’s “Prelude in Cm.” The original is an Intermediate level difficulty but this arrangement allows you to play the song much sooner. Also, because this song is in the same key, almost all of what you learn in it will be used when you learn the original, more difficult, version. The song is demonstrated completely and then taught totally “by ear” in two to four measure increments.

Do you dream of being on stage, a rock star shredding like a lawn mower, or serenading your loved ones with melodies that flow from the very depths of your soul? Let this guide be the bridge to those dreams. Just a short while ago, my dream was distant, like a fading star. I had a passion, a desire to sing and play, but I hit wall after wall. Every time I tried to learn, I felt more and more disconnected from the world of music. But destiny had another plan.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your pen, Verse Things First: The 5 Secret Sauces to Songwriting is your step-by-step guide to writing songs that feel real, sound polished, and hit hard. With over 21 years of songwriting experience, Armani D. Williams breaks down five foundational principles that have helped him (and others) craft songs that resonate — from the first verse to the final hook. This isn’t music theory. It’s real-world songwriting wisdom, straight from the heart and the studio.

From James Taylor to Jim Brickman, you will find a wide variety of tasteful piano solo lessons in this Piano By Ear: Pop and Standards Box Set. The styles covered in this set cover country, pop, adult contemporary, and oldies. Some of these solos get close to the advanced level, so this set is most suitable for adult students who have been playing for over three years.

This audio course focuses on developing pitch and note recognition skills through ear training exercises. It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of musical pitch and the musical alphabet to more advanced topics such as scales, chords, and their application in different musical genres. The course is designed to be informative, engaging, and helpful for both beginner and experienced musicians. It provides a comprehensive and practical learning experience that can be revisited as needed to reinforce key concepts.

Can’t seem to get your home recordings to sound as good as your favorite artists? Not sure what steps to take? If so, you're not alone, and this book is for you. The Recording Mindset is your step-by-step roadmap to creating professional recordings from the comfort of your home studio. It allows you to know exactly which gear to use, how to position your microphones, and get the best sounds for your unique songs. Allowing you to confidently create music that competes with your favorite records, and do it FAST.

Children of the Stone chronicles Ramzi's journey - from stone thrower to music student to school founder - and shows how through his love of music he created something lasting and beautiful in a land torn by violence and war. This is a story about the power of music, but also about freedom and conflict, determination and vision.

In this box set you will find a little bit of everything from artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Strait, Lou Gramm, and Peter, Paul and Mary. These songs all contain essential patterns and chords you will want to know as a modern guitarist. This set also includes three well-taught lessons on chord triads which will make any lead or fill-in guitarists a great asset to any band.

The Listening Conductor explores one of the most important aspects of choral training and development—the power of listening. Why do we need to listen in rehearsals? How do we develop and improve our listening? How does focussed listening impact on choral development? How does actively listening to a choir provide conductors with creative opportunities to improve ensemble?

How to overcome stage fright and performance anxiety and perform at your peak - using NLP and visualization.

In this book, the author teaches you everything you need to know to learn how to write and sing a song. If you want to know the types of voices and how to control your vocality, then The Songwriter Masterclass is the perfect book for you. Here is what you will find inside: how to write and sing a song, how to improve your vocality, learn how to manage your vocals, write the perfect lyrics, and much more!

Despite the ups and downs of his personal life and professional career—even in the face of deafness—Beethoven remained remarkably consistent in his most basic convictions about his art. This inner consistency, writes the music historian Mark Evan Bonds, provides the key to understanding the composer's life and works. Discarding tired myths about the composer, Bonds proposes a new way of listening to Beethoven by hearing his music as an expression of his entire self, not just his scowling self.

A literary welcome mat to the beautiful world of classical music, this memoir is accessible and engaging for all. It brings listeners into rehearsals and concert halls, revealing the choices musicians must consider, and what conductors, players, and composers really do. A heartwarming story about passion, determination, and survival, I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms explores music at its core. You will never listen to music the same way again, after hearing Nancy Shear's story.

Musical Momentum: High-Efficiency Rehearsal Systems for Sustainable Ensemble Growth offers a practical, systems-based approach to creating consistent, lasting improvement in ensemble performance. Rather than focusing on isolated rehearsal strategies or motivational techniques, this book reveals how sustained musical growth is built through structure — specifically, the intentional design of learning environments that stabilize skill development and allow progress to compound over time.

Classically trained singers learn how to act with their voice but are taught very little awareness about their bodies as equally expressive instruments. This handbook offers singers of all levels a new, holistic approach to learning how to incorporate meaningful gesture, posture, and body language in their work and become confident end engaging actors in opera and on the concert stage. Performing in Opera and Concert is the first installment of The Lyrical Stage Trilogy, a series about the craft, the repertoire and the value of opera and the classical recital in the 21st Century.

Gertrude McFuzz wishes she had two feathers. She gets her wish but learns that vanity has a price. It starts out harmlessly enough, with a rabbit feeling rather pleased with himself and his talent for hearing. A neighboring bear overhears the rabbit's boasting and takes offense. The challenge is...