Free Music Articles

One of the most talked about music “compositions” of all time is John Cage’s 4’33″. People discuss its effects on modern composers and what it means for music going forward, but all of this discussion is irrelevant because 4’33″ is not music.

For those who do not know, the piece in question is performed by having a pianist walk out on stage, open the piano lid, and sit there for four minutes and thirty three seconds, occasionally turning pages of sheet music. John Cage “wrote” it in 1952 and it has been constantly dissected ever since by everyone from curious bystanders to music professors in universities.

The internet can provide film composers with all sorts of new self-promotional opportunities, and the benefits of this fact can be great for individuals determined to make it in the film music industry. Not only has the internet expanded the reach of composers to connect with filmmakers around the world, but the cheapening of video equipment and other factors have lead to more films being made and more directors looking for music. In order to take advantage of this fact, the modern film composer must be apt to promoting themselves on the internet.

YouTube has been the premier video site on the web for some time now. Other sites may compete with its quality or special features, but no one can match its user base and traffic, which make it the most profitable video site to be a part of. One of the reasons that YouTube is so great, is that they look for ways to let video producers make money off their uploads, and this includes letting the owners of commercial music videos profit from them. Although some people see it as a bad thing that YouTube is trying to legitimatize the online music video business, it will be a benefit to everyone in the long run.

Well, this is the article that just would not be written. It was going to be “The Top Ten Indie Rock Bands to Watch in 2010.” Yea, except that I had over 50 bands that all seemed worthy of making the list, and no amount of Star-mega-Bucks-coffee-infused-nights at my computer was making the list any smaller. What’s an indie rock lover to do?

In a desperate attempt to stay relevant, Rollin Stone magazine has dedicated their January 2010 issue to 17 global warming offenders who they claim are enemies of the world. It appears that Rolling Stone realizes that no one cares what they have to say about music anymore, and that their lame, mass appeal-pandering commentary isn’t impressing as many people as it used to, so what do they do? Attach themselves to the worthless cause of the day and start spewing out watered down marxism.

Composing music on the guitar is something that every composer should become familiar with. In particular, the guitar offers a new perspective on how notes relate and work together compared to that of the piano; the instrument most composers work with. Although the piano is without a doubt the most powerful instrument for music composition, knowing how to compose music on the guitar is a valuable skill as well, and those interested in becoming as knowledgeable about music as possible should study guitar composition in addition to any other instruments.