Category: blog

October 14, 2011

Effective Communication: My Take

Part of my day now includes teaching web technology and communications at Capital University. As we move forward creating web media, it’s always helpful to focus on the core elements of effective communication. The following tips are based from the article 7 Best Practices for Improving Your Website’s Usability by Jacob Gube (a freelance writer [...]

September 21, 2011

Altissimo – Pt.1: Reaching the 4th octave

Altissimo is one of those things that can feel like an [unbelievable] challenge. It’s there, just out of reach for many- but it is attainable for everyone who plays a saxophone – and is willing to do the work.

September 21, 2011

Music and Meaning: Sweeney Todd’s – There’s No Place Like London

Sweeney Todd is a fictional character known as “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Sweeney’s story has been published in various English works beginning in 1846. Various musical versions have been created; usually based on the most common version of the story (by Christopher Bond) in which Sweeney Todd murders his victims with a straight [...]

September 21, 2011

From Europe to Southern India: An Abbreviated look at the Violin in Carnatic Music

Although the violin has little over 200 years of use in South Asia, there it has transitioned from existence as an instrument of European heritage, to one that both in sound and appearance seems as if it were indigenous to India. The violin is used in both Northern and Southern Indian music, but has been [...]

September 21, 2011

A Bit of Transculturation Between African and African-American Culture

*** Due to restrictions the audio examples cited here are not posted for review with this blog. You may however find many of these tracks online at sites like YouTube, Amazon, and others*** The similarities shared by African and African-American music are substantial. Although many diverse styles of music can be found in both cultures, [...]

September 21, 2011

About Radio: Programming Number #1

People have always had an interesting relationship with radio. Radio has been instrumental in breaking the careers of many a musician. Regardless if the musician is a performer, composer, or [other], the relationship of that musician with the audience is due in part to the amount of exposure on radio stations. The radio audience has [...]

September 21, 2011

Is the cell phone the best new field recorder for Musicologists?

Overview I am often amazed at the breadth of technology tools available to the average Joe. When I really think about it, I realize it wasn’t too long ago that many people did not have a need for any of the gadgets that we now use everyday. Each time I leave my house I carry [...]

September 21, 2011

Student Centered Environments Pt.1 – The Need for Change

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about higher education. The classrooms, resources, teachers, goals, methodologies…Each time I get thinking, I feel distraught. In my world, there are professors really trying to do things beneficial for student development working alongside professors who use their position as a way to push their individual agenda into student development.