Recently I announced that I’m revising and reorganizing my entire archive of blog posts, which has reached the volume of a small book.
This is the first in a new series of posts called Archive Revision Roundup, in which I’ll revisit, revise, update, and improve upon every page and article on this website! Hooray! Let’s dig in.
Ted Greene: Solo Guitar
This is the very first article I ever wrote for this website! It’s dated November 2009. Back then I didn’t even know what this website was going to be about—but I knew that whatever it was, it would connect somehow to Ted Greene’s amazing guitar teachings.
It made my afternoon to find that Barbara Franklin, Ted’s romantic partner, had stopped in back in April to leave a note of thanks and to contribute some great links. Thank you, Barbara!
Click here to read the expanded and updated version of my first-ever blog post here at nicholastozier.com/words!
Book Review: The Elements of Music
“Jason Martineau presents a succinct, highly readable overview of music. From the elementary physics of sound to thoughts on advanced musical forms, the author’s explanations are so clear that the mysterious appeal of music itself shines through.
Unique art and diagrams heighten this ironic effect of demystification evoking awe. The illustrations are both instructional and magical to the eye–and occasionally brilliant. Be sure to check out Martineau’s glyph system of notating intervals and—my favorite—his ingenious triad-building diagram on page 17.”
This book review was my second article for this website. If The Elements of Music isn’t on your shelf, shame on you! Seriously. I’m a fussy reader, and this book is terrific. Click here to read the full review.
Music Theory will NOT Make a Robot of You
Our third stop: my first article post of 2010. This post chronicles the struggles of a “pianist” with no formal training and an intense distrust of music theory. His mistake: believing that learning music theory is the same as installing yourself with a bland, stiff, mathemusical computer that discards your artistic vision and plays only musical scales instead.
The twist: he himself was stuck in a musical rut that I was easily able to diagnose using music theory.
Click here to read the full “Chronicle of Z.”
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Well, I suppose that’s enough excitement for one Archive Revision Roundup. Just sixty-six more articles to go! Cuddles the Robot up there wants you to stay tuned.
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Nicholas Tozier is an independent singer, songwriter, private music instructor, blogger, and instructor at Ampersand Academy of Dance & the Performing arts centered in Gardiner, Maine. His first album, A Game with Shifting Mirrors, is slated for self-release in Fall 2010.