Practice Like a Pro part 5 – Performative Practice

This is the final article in my series on holistic musical practice, set out in the framework I like to call MoPToP. We looked at mental practice, the in depth process of thinking about the type of musician you want to be, where you are at present, what you need to do next and how

Practice Like a Pro part 4: Technical Practice

Now we get to what most people think of when they think of practice, also the part you’re most likely to associate with unpleasant and uncreative chores. But this is where you assemble the toolkit that will enable you to realise your ideas – if you do it right, it will open up avenues of

Practice Like a Pro part 3: Physical Practice

Continuing the series of articles on holistic practice habits for musicians, last time we looked at mental practice – figuring out the kind of musician you want to be and what you need to do about it and organising your creative ambitions ready to take into the rehearsal room or studio. Maybe you’re chomping at

Practice Like a Pro part 2: Mental Practice

Part two in a series of articles on personal musical practice, last time I gave an overview of my MoPToP framework describing what I see as the four main aspects of developing as a musician: Mental, Physical, Technical and Performative. Now it’s time to look at these in more detail, starting with: M – Mental

Practice Like a Pro part 1: Overview

How often do you practice at your instrument? This is a dreaded question among musicians at all levels, conjuring as it does visions of stern authority figures standing over sweating adolescents while they struggle with scales, arpeggios and formal studies written decades ago by “good” composers. For those about to rock, nothing could be further

What makes a relatable track?

Since I joined the moderating team at Fresh On The Net, a few people have asked me what makes us choose one song over another when the overall standard of submissions is so high. It’s a subjective question without a clear answer – even if I could give a reliable formula for a perfect submission

Notes From The Total Perspective Vortex – Finding Your Way In The Big, Big World Of Music

”For when you are put into the Vortex you are given just one momentary glimpse of the entire unimaginable infinity of creation, and somewhere in it a tiny little marker, a microscopic dot on a microscopic dot, which says “You are here.” – Douglas Adams, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe If you

The Colour Of Music – Finding Your Mood Niche

In the last article I looked into the finer points of finding genre niche as part of defining your identity as an artist (also why you should even bother when no-one likes being pigeonholed), but genre, subgenre and even micro genre is only part of what makes up your musical identity. I think of genre

The Perfect Jeans Fit – Finding Your Genre Niche

Quick – what, in a nutshell, is the genre category of your music? If you can’t answer that succinctly, you’re not alone. Every artist goes through a period of exploration and experimentation while they discover their particular voice, and, with the exception of a few purists, no-one likes to think of themselves as a derivative