Duke Ellington was among the preeminent American composers of the 20th century, and the most exhaustively studied of all jazz artists. There are more Source: Hear the Earliest Surviving Radio Broadcast by Duke Ellington, A Historic Find, in Deep Dive | WBGO
Author: Jonathan Harnum
Hi, I'm Jon Harnum, author, publisher, teacher, musician, and scholar. If you'd like to learn more about music or how to publish books, come check out my web sites and online courses. Lots of freebies so you can try before you buy. See you online!
How Myelin Sheaths Speed Up the Action Potential in Neurons
Chapter 4 in The Practice of Practice briefly covers how myelin can help the brain perform more efficiently. I got to wondering how myelin actually works. Here’s a good explanation:
The Gap: Ira Glass
This.
Inside Prince’s Brilliant ‘Piano and a Microphone 1983’ Recording: Songwriting/Practice Insight
If you’re even remotely interested in composition, songwriting, or practice, you should have a listen to this. Prince, in his studio, noodling with ideas. It’s like he’s in the back room, just hanging out, playing. He might have the sniffles. The album/demo, A Piano & a Microphone 1983 was just released. Check out samples from all the tracks…
On the Road with Duke Ellington (1967)
Interesting documentary a fellow musician told me about (Thanks, Tim!). Recorded the year I was born. Louis Armstrong makes an appearance and Duke admits to stage fright. So may performances and the man still gets the jitters. Like Louis said, it’s all about using that energy. Some good insights into Duke, his process, and his…
The Lust Branch: “Private Matters” of Eccentric Musician Percy Grainger
Nothing about practice, or music, apart from one composer’s motivations and inspirations, but still fascinating. Grainger is one of my favorite wind ensemble composers. Check his discography. Source: The Lust Branch: “Private Matters” of Eccentric Musician Percy Grainger – Atlas Obscura
Mastery, by Robert Greene: Animated
Mastery, by Robert Greene, is a book you should read/own. Want to listen to it? If you’re new to Audible, you can get it for free! Here’s a quick summary of Mastery:
Bizarro: Horton Hears the Who
Dan Piraro: One of the funniest comedians out there: Bizarro Blog, Cartoon Archive, Shop, Secret Symbols Source: Bizarro by Dan Piraro – Bizarro Blog, Cartoon Archive, Shop, Secret Symbols
7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: ANIMATED
Pro Tip: Replace every business (or other reference) with “music.”
Jazz in Song: The Singing Instrumentalists
I sang some tunes for the first time in public at a gig a couple of nights ago, between playing trumpet and rhythm guitar, and then this show came on the radio. Perfect timing. Almost. Before the gig might have helped a little. It’s a good program. To listen, click the photo of Diz and…
The Practice of Practice 