Do you remember when you were studying history in school, and how extraordinary the events and people you covered were? And, despite that, did you ever feel like your teacher had the unique ability to turn everything that was exciting and remarkable into the most dreadfully dreary and boring material? Welcome to Marginally Interesting Moments…

In musical notation, dynamic markings instruct performers to play a passage loudly or quietly. Dynamics provided are relative – that is, there is not a specified volume level associated with a particular marking. There are two fundamental indications: f, or forte, and p, or piano. The forte marking means “loud,” and the piano marking means…

Thursday, September 22nd, is the Autumnal Equinox – the first day of Fall. We’ve compiled our listening list! Have you? From yearning for the changing colors of the seasons to sadness about the end of a blissful summer, here are ten songs for the onset of Fall. Did we miss anything? Let us know! 1. Autumn…

Have you been playing scales, arpeggios, and other piano exercises? Looking for some actual music to sink your fingers into? There’s a lot of music out there. Some pieces are amazing to listen to, but technically challenging and beyond the reach of many pianists. Other works are easy to play, but perhaps lacking in musical…

There are few collections of musical compositions more important that Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas. These are the transitional works that signaled the end of the Classical era and the onset of Romanticism. They influenced innumerable composers following Beethoven – their innovative structures, use of counterpoint, dynamic contrast, and general mastery of craft all forever changed the…

The fun part about playing music is the ability to perform a piece you’ve mastered. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get to that point. Practicing is usually frustrating and generally unpleasant. Just as composers suffer the “tyranny of the blank page,” so too do performers have the comparable struggle of learning a challenging…

Was Colin Kaepernick protesting? Or was he just caught sleeping? How many times have you had to suffer through poor arrangements of NationalAnthem The Star-Spangled Banner? Or, worse yet, lousy performances of what is supposed to be a song of great pride and prestige? It can be embarrassing, aggravating, or, in Kaepernick’s case, somnolence-inducing. It’s time to…

With school back in session, many students and their parents are wondering – what elective classes are worth signing up for? Creative writing? Visual art? Physical education? Here’s a case for studying music – not only as an elective class, but regardless of circumstance. There are countless reasons for why studying music is worth your…

Every aspiring artist – whether a poet, composer, graphic designer, etc. – is familiar with the tyranny of the blank page. Where and how does one begin? Where do you find inspiration and motivation? An earlier blog post provided tips for composing music. This post will focus on specific aspects of songwriting. Because of the…

Are your kids dour and less energetic than usual? Is traffic a little bit worse in your neighborhood? Finding yourself buying strange things like scientific calculators, protractors, and graph paper? You guessed it… it’s time for Back to School! You have the class schedule; the materials for math, science, English; the instrument you’ve rented… but…