The Metronome Revolution In any musical culture there is an exciting turning point that occurs when music as a professional industry starts to emerge. Musicians start to play other musicians’ music, rather than just their own: composers are writing music down for people in the future (or in other countries) to play, multiple performances of… Continue reading The Marvellous Mr Maelzel
Category: History
Instrument Mimics: the birth of sampling
Musical instruments are mimicked throughout the natural worl: from the prodigious talents of songbirds, the singing sand dunes of the Sahara, or the instrumental mimicry of beatboxers and vocalists, the sounds of musical instruments have popped up in all sorts of unusual places. If, however, you aren’t interested in evolutionary reproduction, the physics of fluid… Continue reading Instrument Mimics: the birth of sampling
The Many Failures of Adolphe Sax
Motivational Self-Helpers and Ted-talking business coaches love to talk about personal failure – it lets them extol the virtues of grit and perseverance while selling you the idea that if you keep trying you too can eventually land on the idea which will make your fortunes. This is a similar story, but with a different… Continue reading The Many Failures of Adolphe Sax