Miscellaneous

Guest blogger and songwriter Jemy Gijsman takes us through the next step on your journey to success: recording a demo. Once the song is written, the lyrics are finalised and you’ve got the chords down on paper, you want to go further, so you need to get out there and start hustling. Since you don’t have your own studio and only have minimal knowledge about the production and mixing process, you need to do some research and find a studio that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and can help you record your demo. Once you’ve found the right studio, what do you need to prepare? And how can you find the right musicians to help you get the job done?

Guest blogger Iris Siemons is a songwriter and vocalist who recently released her debut EP, but becoming a self-sufficient full-time musician was a long journey, and during that journey, she picked up a few nuggets of wisdom and even founded a musical collective in her home town. Having spent years immersing herself in study, including a course in how to become an entrepreneur, Iris has finally come to a point where she can confidently answer the question: “How can I become a professional musician?” Here she offers five must-do’s for the pro-musician in training.

Guest blogger Iris Siemons writes songs for both herself and for other artists and, for a long time, she just didn’t see the point in learning anything about music theory. Why learn to read notes when you can just record them and then listen back? Now that she’s a little older and a little wiser, her eyes have been opened to the beauty of music theory; how it can not only help you to become a better musician and how it can actually serve as a really helpful tool for your writing practice. Basically, music theory is about far more than just reading music.

Your first DJ gig can be nerve-racking. Not sure what you need or what it involves? Then read on for first-gig tips and some gear advice. While we can’t take your nerves away, we can tell you how to deliver a successful set!

Love horror film music and want to know more about how it’s composed? In this article, I’m going to discuss three types of suspenseful, tension-building styles that are the cornerstone of many-a scary movie, and then give you ten examples of stellar horror soundtracks. In the second half, I’ll share a few writing tips for aspiring horror/thriller film composers. And don’t worry, there are no jumpscares!

Maybe your first booking was at your friend’s or your cousin’s wedding and it was such a success that you want to go professional. More and more couples are getting wed to a live-performed soundtrack, which only increases your chances of getting some gigs booked during the wedding season. Here, Guestblogger and professional wedding musician Kevin Okkema shares his tips to help you get more requests.

Ever considered penning your own original music for a musical? Then you’ve probably already noticed what a challenge it really is. In this blog, we take a look at how show tunes are put together and what separates a musical number from your average pop song or film score. Fix yourself a drink, sit back, relax, and allow the Bax Music theatre to take all you ambitious composers and curious musical-lovers on a tour of how musical music happens.

What exactly is hearing damage and how can it affect you? As a musician, how does hearing damage happen? How easily can it happen and, more importantly, how can you best prevent or limit its effects? Read on to find out more.

Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Nirvana: is there anyone who doesn’t know them? That they all made incredible music is indisputable, but here, Guestblogger Joris van Dijk reveals that these rock legends did far more than just that. The albums that these artists have dropped over the years represent a sort of overview of the rock family tree and all of the influences that lie at its roots. Joris attempts to show this in the space of just seven classic and influential rock albums – which span every time period, from ‘60s psychedelic rock and ‘70s punk to ‘90s alt-rock.

A family get-together, a night in with your mates, a night out at the pub – or even a work bash – a solid pub quiz can really help make it a night to remember. And it doesn’t have to be hard work! If you’ve ever been to a good pub quiz then you’ll already know that it’s always about bringing the laughs. The only technical stuff you need to know is how to piece everything together. Here, we gain the wisdom of one of the experts: Guestblogger, Gerjon, who offers some tips and tricks to help ensure that your music pub-quiz is a hit.

Sampling has been a part of the music-sphere since the eighties, where snippets of forgotten gems or stone-cold classics are spliced into new tracks. Whether it’s a snatched bit of the vocals, melody, bass line or drum beat, sampling has boosted the feel of some pretty big hits. Some purists see it as stealing, but our Guestblogger Marlies sees it as a smart and creative way of recycling fragments of music and even introducing old smashers to a new audience. Here, she presents the top 10 most sampled songs of all time and lines up her own sample-heavy favourites.

BB King, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Tracy Chapman, Beck and Ed Sheeran all started their careers as busking street musicians. Guestblogger Marlies shares her top 10 list of street musicians from around the world. These musicians have just as much talent as the big names mentioned above, so expect to hear more from them soon!