I've busked on sidewalks, in public parks, in bars, and at farmer's markets, always with an inverted top hat nearby. I live and operate in Maine--therefore I sometimes barter. At other times, people …
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Rut Buster: Stop Writing Such Depressing Songs
photo by Shandi-lee A fellow songwriter (my dad!) mentioned this afternoon that it's a challenge to write upbeat, energetic songs. They're more difficult for me, too—my tastes run generally toward …
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Bridge
In songwriting, the bridge is a passage that contrasts all that has come before. It leads listeners on a brief detour, then transitions back into more familiar material--such as the chorus or …
Ghost Melody
When a lyricist writes a lyric inspired by a specific melody, then discards that melody and keeps the lyric, we say that the lyric was written to a ghost melody. Lyricists do this sometimes when …
Good Aural, Part 1: Twelve Common Causes of Poor Listening
This article is part of a series called Good Aural: an Introduction to Listening For Pleasure , which is intended to help you get more out of the music you listen to. True confession: I've been …
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Good Aural: An Introduction to Listening for Pleasure
Whether you’re listening to vinyl on a $10,000 home stereo or to old cassette tapes on a Walkman with $3 headphones, you can upgrade the most crucial part of your listening equipment for free. That …
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