Piano Guidance
Photo by Brett Sayles Pexels Logo Photo: Brett Sayles

Why do people become musicians?

Musicians seek out opportunities to perform live and record music for a variety of reasons, including both economic (money) and personal/social (non-money) goals.

What are 4 Keyboarding tips and rules?
What are 4 Keyboarding tips and rules?

CSA 1.01 Proper Keyboarding Technique A B Keyboarding Technique Rule 4 Rule 4: Keep your wrist low and off the frame of the keyboard Keyboarding...

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Is it illegal to buy a piano with ivory keys?
Is it illegal to buy a piano with ivory keys?

Buying and selling ivory is illegal. This applies to all ivory items — sculptures, embellishments, keytops, and even entire pianos with ivory keys....

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TEN NON-MONEY REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE MUSICIANS

1) Expressing identity: Expressing aspects of personal identity, such race, gender or sexuality can be a purpose for being a musician. Female musicians have a minority status in the music industries so their performances and recordings are gendered statements, whether they choose them to be or not. 2) Gaining Pleasure: Musicians can find creating live or recorded music a pleasurable experience. There is a sense of anticipation towards the performance or session, joy during the event, and satisfaction upon completion of it. 3) Satisfying Ego: Musicians can be motivated to create music in order to seek attention and praise from others. This form of attention and praise may occur during the gig with the audience clapping and cheering or afterwards when fans seek musicians for conversations and perhaps an autograph. 4) Escaping Self: A live performance or long recording session can help musicians escape from daily realities and challenges. Musicians may seek a mythical lifestyle that involves touring to exotic places or spending hours in the studio as a way to avoid mundane responsibilities or painful interpersonal relationships. 5) Seeking Healing: Musicians can be drawn to music creation in an effort to find healing from past hurtful experiences through the expression of emotions within their songs. One musician shares that he finds it helpful to explore difficult emotions in his songs but doesn’t like to talk about those feelings with others, including journalists. 6) Finding belonging: Finding belonging within a small community can be a strong driver towards being a musician. live performance. Bands often use words like family and brother to describe the bond that they feel with their bandmates. Outside challenges often unify the group in a band against the world mentality. 7) Sharing Experiences (with the Audience): Musicians can be motivated to create music as a way to share experiences with the audience, whether it is through the music or an interpersonal exchange at a live performance. Conversations, autographs, and selling merch can all contribute to creating connecting memories between musician and the audience. 8) Communicating Ideology (with the Audience): Live music or a recorded song can provide a space for musicians to communicate a set of values and beliefs regarding how the world was, is and should be. These values can range from world politics and religion, to statements about personal love and relationships. 9) Inspiring Action (from the Audience): Inspiring action as a motivator for being a musician which is closely tied to the motivation of communicating ideology. If musicians have specific ideas that they believe are true, they ultimately would love for the audience to respond with positive actions supporting these ideas. 10) Providing pleasure (for the Audience): Bringing pleasure to audiences can be a strong motivator for musicians, whether it is through a mad crazy party or through the aesthetic beauty of the minimal folk music. The pleasure musicians seek for themselves (#2) is often intertwined with the pleasure they hope to provide to the audience.

RESOLVING BAND CONFLICT AND BUILDING A CAREER

Have questions about how to navigate your non-money goals with those of your band-mates to resolve conflict and build a career? Email [email protected] and I’d love to chat more!

How do you tell if a key is a transponder key?
How do you tell if a key is a transponder key?

Transponder Key vs Non-Transponder Key The difference between the two keys is that one has a micro-chip inside it and the other doesn't. The chip...

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Why does piano sound so beautiful?
Why does piano sound so beautiful?

It is polyphonic. Thus, unlike instruments like the flute or violin, one can play pieces with complex and rich harmonies when playing alone. That...

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What song has been #1 the longest?
What song has been #1 the longest?

Most weeks at number one Number of weeks Artist(s) Song 19 Lil Nas X (1 week solo, 18 weeks featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) "Old Town Road" 16 Mariah...

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What are the main jazz chords?
What are the main jazz chords?

Basic Jazz Chord Progressions Major ii-V-I. The major ii-V-I is easily the most important chord progression to get a handle on when it comes to...

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How many notes are in a blues scale?
How many notes are in a blues scale?

six-note The blues scale is a six-note progression that sounds right at home in blues, rock, and country music. This scale is essentially the...

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What is the spooky chord?
What is the spooky chord?

The theory behind it is very simple: two minor chords spaced a minor 3rd apart. Don't just play these chords in root position though; the inversion...

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