Podcast appearances and mentions of hal leonard

Welcome back to my mini-series on how to become a better acoustic fingerstyle guitarist through the use of general guitar method books. I'll show you how to arrange melodies from: • Essential Elements for Guitar: Comprehensive Guitar Method, and • Hal Leonard's Guitar Method Book 1 In today's podcast, I'll walk you through the process of arranging Example 29 from the Essential Elements book.

Muriel Anderson is renowned for her expertise on the 20-string harp-guitar, yet it is her gentle sense of humor and uplifting melodies that leave her audience smiling. Guitar Player Magazine lists her as one of the 50 noteworthy guitarists of all time. She has been listed among the top ten female guitarists, and is the first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. She has recorded with country legend Chet Atkins, performed with Les Paul and countless other greats in Muriel Anderson's ALL STAR GUITAR NIGHT® over 30+ years. Muriel's CD Nightlight Daylight placed first in its category in 11 national awards, followed by Acoustic Chef, an international CD with cookbook. For her recent release Sailing Dreams, she has created a board game to accompany the music. Her open-heartedness extends beyond her music, as she founded the Music for Life Alliance to help foster music education for kids and donates a portion of Acoustic Chef sales to World Central Kitchen.CURRENT “PASSPORT” SHOWMuriel Anderson takes you on a journey through many countries with her 20-string harp-guitar enhanced by a backdrop of visuals by Bryan Allen, artfully projected onto a screen behind her. At many shows, the audience is handed “guitar passport books” to request what countries they'd like to visit in the music and visuals. Her compositions capture the essence of authentic traditional music, and she sings in up to 10 languages. You'll travel with her on her sailing adventures, and virtually (sometimes actually) taste the experiences that led to her release “Acoustic Chef.” If you're not already familiar with Muriel, you will find yourself smiling when you feel the joy of her music shining through a stunning array of styles.Muriel Anderson is a good friend and a great guitarist.  She deserves national recognition.Just one hell of a great player …a great personality and what I like is the touch that Muriel has on the guitar, the way she plays it like we all wish to play.Her double CD “Nightlight Daylight” won top honors in a dozen awards and is the first ever to include an interactive fiber-optic lighted CD cover, her own concept. It includes collaborations with fellow musicians Victor Wooten, Phil Keaggy, Mark Kibble of Take 6, Danny Gottlieb, Stanley Jordan, Tommy Emmanuel, Earl Klugh, Howard Levy, Jeff Coffin, Tierra Negra and members of the Nashville Symphony.Her recording of “El Noi de la Mare” appears in Woody Allen's film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” and her “Heartstrings” recording accompanied the astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery.  Muriel Anderson has released more than a dozen instrumental CD's, eight instructional DVD's and guitar books published by Hal Leonard, Mel Bay, and Zen-On Japan.  Her compositions include commissioned classical works for the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and Vox Caelestis Womens Choir, as well as songs which have appeared as title tracks for three albums by various artists.Muriel has published articles in Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Fingerstyle Guitar, Classical Guitar and Frets magazines, and has been a regular columnist for Acoustic Guitar Japan magazine. She has many teaching DVDs and books. Muriel teaches online via TrueFire.com/h2495 and StringMasters as well as at guitar workshops across the country. many of which are sponsored by her GHS Signature strings. She plays and records on many handmade instruments including Tierra Negra flamenco, Camps, Mike Doolin harp guitars, Mike Brittain harp guitars, DT guitars, Alvarez Yairi, McPhearson, Emerald, and Morris steel string guitars (Japan). She uses Seymour Duncan D-Tar and Barbera pickups.She has demonstrated excellent technique and has the fine musicianship to communicate well to her audiences.Acoustic guitarist Muriel Anderson… has justifiably gained a reputation as one of the world's best, and most versatile, guitar instrumentalists.

Scotty Barnhardt rejoins the Feeding the Starving Artist podcast! William "Scotty" Barnhart is an American jazz trumpeter. A three-time Grammy winner, he hasplayed since 1993 as a featured soloist with CountBasie Orchestra. In September 2013, Barnhart was announced asthe new director of the Basie Orchestra.  He has multiple recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts, as well as recordings with Tony Bennett, DianaKrall, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente. A solo CD, released with Unity Music, is titled Say It Plain and features Clark Terry, Ellis, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Jamie Davis and Etienne Charles; it achieved number 3 on the JazzCharts. Also active as an educator and clinician, he is author of The World of Jazz Trumpet - A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (published by Hal Leonard). He is a professor in the College of Music at Florida State University.Scotty was born in Atlanta, Georgia and was amember of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was christened by Martin Luther King Jr.  

Welcome to my mini-series on how to become a better acoustic fingerstyle guitarist through the use of general guitar method books. I'll show you how to arrange melodies from: • Essential Elements for Guitar: Comprehensive Guitar Method, and • Hal Leonard's Guitar Method Book 1 In today's podcast, I'll walk you through the process of arranging Example 10 from the Essential Elements book.

Scotty Barnhart is an American jazz trumpeter. A three-time Grammy winner, he has played since 1993 as a featured soloist with CountBasie Orchestra. In September 2013, Barnhart was announced asthe new director of the Basie Orchestra. He has multiple recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts, as well as recordings with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray, Charles, and Tito Puente. A solo CD, released with Unity Music, is titled Say It Plain and features Clark Terry, Ellis, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Jamie Davis and Etienne Charles; it achieved number 3 in the Jazz Charts. Also active as an educator and clinician, heis author of The World of Jazz Trumpet - A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (published by Hal Leonard). He is a professor in the College of Music at Florida State University.Scotty was born in Atlanta, Georgia and was amember of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was christened by MartinLuther King Jr.  

In this episode, Laura sits down with Alysia Lee, President & CEO of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, to explore what it means to lead through community, creativity, and shared power. Alysia brings a unique leadership lens shaped by her background as a musician and composer, offering insight into how artistic practice (listening, collaboration, and responsiveness) translates into her approach as a first-time CEO. At the heart of the conversation is Alysia's approach to Ubuntu community-led leadership—a model that challenges traditional, expert-driven systems and instead centers collective wisdom, shared ownership, and trust. She shares how community voice is not just consulted, but embedded in decision-making at the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, including real examples of how community input has shaped funding strategies and organizational direction. Alysia also offers a candid look at the inner work required to lead differently. Moving from having the answers to facilitating collective insight requires unlearning, humility, and a willingness to sit in uncertainty. She speaks openly about what it takes to quiet the instinct to control and instead cultivate environments where others can contribute meaningfully. The conversation also explores the realities of leading within complex stakeholder ecosystems, including youth, community members, funders, and policymakers, and how to navigate differing expectations while maintaining alignment and trust.  About Alysia Alysia Lee is the President & CEO of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, where she leads one of the nation's most innovative public philanthropic organizations dedicated to advancing racial equity and youth leadership. Under her leadership, BCYF has transformed traditional grantmaking by centering community voice, investing in grassroots leadership, and designing systems that prioritize justice, sustainability, and abundance. A nationally recognized thought leader, Alysia works at the intersection of philanthropy, youth development, education, and the arts. She brings a rare blend of operational discipline, visionary thinking, and values-aligned leadership to her work. She has built and managed high-performing teams, navigated complex government partnerships, and launched initiatives that expand access and deepen impact across sectors. During her tenure, BCYF's compliance rate has increased from 30% to over 90%, and the organization launched Baltimore's first-ever Youth Master Plan. Alysia is the Founder of Sister Cities Girlchoir, an El Sistema-inspired choral program that has empowered hundreds of girls across multiple cities through a blend of musical excellence, social justice, and youth development. She is also a proud Kennedy Center Citizen Artist and an in-demand guest conductor, with recent engagements including the LA Master Chorale, Mendelssohn Chorus, and Boston Children's Chorus. Her choral composition "Say Her Name" is published by Hal Leonard, and she has been commissioned by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and Portland Lesbian Choir. She formerly led statewide arts education policy at the Maryland State Department of Education and currently serves on the Board of Chorus America. Alysia is a sought-after national speaker and facilitator, with recent engagements at the U.S. Department of Education, Carnegie Hall, state arts agencies, and universities across the country. As a Black woman leader, she leads with lived experience and a deep commitment to justice, creating space for new models of power and partnership. Whether managing multimillion-dollar investments or conducting on stage, Alysia is known for turning bold ideas into measurable results. She leads with integrity, builds with courage, and brings people together to do what hasn't been done before.   Connect with Alysia Website: bcyfund.org On socials @bcyfund LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysiadlee/   BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat.  May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube.  Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0  Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg  Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/   Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com  Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/  Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading  Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading  Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/  Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts  Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay  

General guitar method books are intended to guide beginner players through a comprehensive study of technique, reading standard notation, playing basic chords, etc. However, they can provide a very useful platform for acoustic fingerstyle practice if you know how to use them!  Today we'll take a look at two widely used guitar method books that are closely related: Essential Elements for Guitar: Comprehensive Guitar Method (Will Schmid and Bob Morris), and Hal Leonard's Guitar Method Book 1 (Will Schmid and Greg Koch) For years, I used the Hal Leonard Guitar Method with my kid students, but at some point, I came across the Essential Elements book (which is also published by Hal Leonard).  This book shares Will Schmid as an author, and most of the treble clef exercises and melodies are exactly the same, but there are a bunch of extra tunes mixed in to give students more chordal practice.  Other than about $3 in price difference, there is really no reason to ever buy the Hal Leonard Guitar Method. These books do have value to beginner players who just picked up a guitar and have no idea where to start.  You can't go wrong working through a general method book, especially with a teacher who can ensure that you are developing the proper technique, who can introduce appropriate supplemental repertoire, etc.  However, if you are trying to teach yourself to play guitar, a general method book will certainly get your farther than watching random YouTube videos.  A book like this will guide you from point A to point B in a linear, sensible course of study, whereas YouTube videos tend to jump around from topic to topic according to YouTube's algorithm rather than your best interest as an aspiring guitarist. Now, I almost never work with adult students straight through a book like this, as many of them already have some experience and have somewhat clear musical goals that may be better served with a more focused book.  For example, there are fingerstyle method books for my fingerstyle students, there are classical method books for my classical students, and so on. However, having spent over a decade teaching kids out of these books, I have found that many of these melodies make great platforms for fingerstyle guitar!  In a typical guitar lesson, a teacher may ask their student to perform a melody from the book.  The teacher will generally either watch and listen closely or they will provide some sort of accompaniment – that is, They will play the melody in unison with the student to help guide them, They'll play a harmony that is written out in the book, or They'll strum the chords.  Over the years I started accompanying my students with solo fingerstyle versions of the tunes to provide both their melody and the underlying harmony.  This has proven to be helpful to my students, challenging and satisfying for myself, and fun for all. I'm planning to do a series of videos breaking down how I create these little arrangements.  My process has been codified in my book Arranging for Fingerstyle, which is available as an eBook which you can purchase through the link in the show description below.  However, for this first video, I'll just give you a sample of how I transform some of the exercises. My own books: Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook.  Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)].  The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Behind the Scenes with Mike Sweeney: Composer, Arranger, and Educator In this episode, we take a deep dive into Mike Sweeney's career as a composer, arranger, and educator. Mike talks about his early days starting the Studio HFL interviews in 2017, his struggle with editing during COVID-19, and his gratitude for sponsors and Patreon subscribers. He details his extensive experience in music education, from his time at the University of Indianapolis to several significant teaching posts. Mike discusses his journey at Hal Leonard, the evolution of the company, and his contributions to the field of music publishing. He also shares his passion for Irish music, his fishing hobby, and his insights into writing music for different skill levels. Timestamped topics include his early career, transition to Hal Leonard, flex band series, and personal interests. 00:00 Mike Sweeney Interview - Podcast 01:24 Introduction & IU Years 08:41 Early Musical Influences 14:49 First Teaching Jobs 19:33 Writing for Young Musicians 25:32 Joining Hal Leonard 38:38 Flex Band Series 44:52 Irish Music Journey 51:05 Life During COVID

Is this one of the best or worst method or repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues by Dave Rubin is another great repertoire book full of 12-bar blues choruses.  I loved the author's other book, Solo Blues Guitar, and now I recommend this one as well – these fun arrangements inspire me to improvise in new ways with new grooves.  However, unlike the arrangements of his other book, these arrangements all need to be played without a plectrum.  This book has some tunes that late-beginner fingerstyle players could handle, but the book is most appropriate for intermediate players. The tunes in 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues contain more repetitive grooves than some of the other fingerstyle blues method books on the market.  Fewer lyrical phrases in the melodies.  Whether that's what you're looking for is up to you.  However, I find that these pieces present some great grooves that you can use as the foundation for your own variations and improvisation. To really get the most out of the book, you will want to: Learn an example as written, Understand and internalize the groove – the shuffle, chord stabs, etc. Create your own melodic variations and improvisations while maintaining the original groove. By treating each short 12-bar tune as a seed or template for your own creativity, you can really milk these ideas and extend them into longer performances. This book presents a lot of great 12-bar choruses from various subgenres.  For experienced players, it is very fast to go through the entire book.  Because each tune is a 12-bar chorus, you get a lot of ideas that you can digest, combine, and make into your own in the future.  This book is simple and effective if you know how to use it. I appreciate the chronological organization of this book, which separates tunes out into subgenres including Delta and Southern Country Blues (the longest section), Ragtime Blues, Piedmont Blues, Prewar Chicago Blues, Texas Blues, Postwar Chicago Blues, and Modern American Solo Steel-String Blues.  Unfortunately, the tunes don't really follow a clear difficulty progression.  Within each section, multiple keys signatures and grooves are presented, and some happen to be a bit harder than others. At the beginning of each subgenre, the author presents some cool history and key players to listen to.  I try to set aside time within my practice sessions to listen to lots of recordings of these players.  Personally, I listen on Spotify.  This listening is time well spent as it attunes me to the sounds and feel that I should aiming for as I play the tunes. 12-Bar Fingerstyle Blues provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement.  Unfortunately, no fingering is provided in the music.  For each example, I notated my own fingering in the music, after which I was able to play much more smoothly, accurately, and confidently.  The skill of choosing sensible fingering is important, and you will need to look elsewhere to further develop this skill. Recordings are available online through Hal Leonard's website.  These will be very helpful to many readers.  As with Solo Blues Guitar, the recordings were done by Doug Boduch, the author of Hal Leonard's Fingerpicking Guitar, which I reviewed in Review #17. © 2012 by Hal Leonard My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)].  The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook.  Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Is this one of the best or worst method or repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Solo Blues Guitar by Dave Rubin is different from any other book that I've reviewed thus far in that it is not a fingerstyle guitar book.  The examples can be played fingerstyle, but most seem to work best with a plectrum/pick/flatpick.  However, I want to review this book for a couple reasons: It is focused on solo blues guitar arrangements I LOVE this book.  These examples are fun and they inspire me to improvise in new ways with new grooves. Solo Blues Guitar by Dave Rubin is a repertoire book for learning to play, well… solo blues guitar!  With a plectrum.  This book is suitable for intermediate players who already have some knowledge of the blues and how to improvise.  Each example provides a groove that intersperses melody and lead lines.  To really get the most out of the book, you will want to: Learn an example as written, Understand the rhythm guitar groove – the shuffle, chord stabs, etc. Insert your own melodies and improvisation while continuing to hold down the original rhythm guitar groove. You can try creating variations to the original groove as well. Other than a half-page introduction, there is no text in this book.  Only full 12 or 16-bar blues examples: (35) 12-bar, single-chorus examples in the keys of E, A, G, and D, (15) 12-bar, two-chorus, slow blues examples in the keys of E, G, and A, and (5) 16-bar examples with non-standard chord progressions in the key of A. Solo Blues Guitar provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement.  Unfortunately, no fingering is provided in the music.  For each example, I notated my own fingering in the music, after which I was able to play much more smoothly, accurately, and confidently.  The skill of choosing sensible fingering is important, and you will need to look elsewhere to further develop this skill. Recordings are available online through Hal Leonard's website.  These will be very helpful to many readers.  Interestingly, the recordings were done by Doug Boduch, the author of Hal Leonard's Fingerpicking Guitar, which I reviewed in Review #17. © 2006 by Hal Leonard My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)].  The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook.  Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Kyle sits down at the Excelcia Music Publishing booth at Midwest 2025 with Michael Sweeney (retired editor and composer at Hal Leonard) about writing for young band and what he is doing in his retirement - and Brian Rhodes (Band Director at Booneville HS, AR and owner of Twin Towers Publishing Company⁠⁠Support the Show Here⁠⁠To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠⁠ thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:⁠⁠Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com⁠⁠⁠⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠⁠If you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!

In this episode, I sit down with Dame Evelyn Glennie to talk about what listening really means and why it matters far beyond music. We start with the origins of the Evelyn Glennie Foundation and how her work evolved organically from teaching, performing, and asking people better questions so they can hear themselves more clearly. Evelyn shares how her own experiences shaped a broader philosophy of listening that encompasses sound, the written word, and the ways we communicate through email, texts, and social media. We also dig into how technology has changed our patience and attention, and why listening belongs at the center of education, wellbeing, empathy, and community.From there, we move into the performer's mindset and Evelyn's lifelong curiosity about sound. She explains why she starts new repertoire from the inside out, how the body becomes an essential listening partner over time, and why recordings are only frozen snapshots rather than definitive answers. I ask her about formative training, the balance of learning by ear and reading music, and how her early environments built a deep listening culture that still guides her today. Evelyn offers a powerful reminder that every performance is a world premiere for someone, and that familiar instruments can become brand new when we hear them in a different context.We also go down memory lane through landmark repertoire and collaborations. Evelyn talks about discovering and recording Paul Smadbeck's Rhythm Song, revisiting it years later, and even developing a creative version for marimba and strings. She reflects on the Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, including the intensity of working at a young age with Sir Georg Solti and the lessons that stayed with her. We then explore her long pursuit of John Corigliano's Conjurer, how the concerto's concept came together, and what it takes to tour a major work night after night, adapting to different instruments and acoustics. Finally, we discuss her experience performing Philip Glass's Double Timpani Concerto with Jonathan Haas, the logistics behind that project, and why she loves the energy of shared soloist roles.To close, Evelyn shares what she is creating right now, including writing for television and film, new books, wide-ranging collaborations, duo projects, and continued foundation work that invites people to slow down, listen deeply, and rethink what connection feels like. This conversation is a masterclass in curiosity, artistry, and attention, and I'm grateful to share it with you.To learn more about Evelyn and the Evelyn Glennie Foundation, visit her website. Music from the Episode:Joseph Schwantner - Velocities for Solo MarimbaPaul Smadbeck - Rhythm SongBéla Bartók - Sonata for Two Pianos and PercussionJohn Corigliano - Conjurer: Concerto for Percussionist and String OrchestraThank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

We're putting The Tonearm's needle on John Mlynczak, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants.NAMM is the trade association for the music, sound, and event industries. Basically, NAMM represents the companies that make the tools your favorite music artists use to create their work.John has spent years at Hal Leonard and PreSonus Audio, where music education meets technology. He built curricula, managed platforms, and taught teachers how to use tech in their classrooms.Now he runs an organization that's rethinking what a trade show means when the music industry has gone digital. NAMM just celebrated its 125th anniversary, but John isn't interested in nostalgia. He's asking harder questions about how people discover instruments, how they learn to play them, and why gathering in person still matters when you can order anything online. The NAMM Show draws tens of thousands of people to Anaheim every January (this January 20 - 24, to be exact), and the numbers behind those crowds tell a story about content, influence, and how musicians connect with gear today.We talk about John's shift from teaching in Louisiana to shaping industry strategy, why music advocacy needs to be offensive rather than defensive, and what happens when trade shows have to prove their value in real time.–Dig DeeperGuest and Organization:Visit NAMM at namm.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInJohn Mlynczak's NAMM ProfileThe NAMM Show 2026 - January 23-25, Anaheim, CaliforniaNAMM Show Registration and App InformationEducational Background and Previous Roles:Virginia Commonwealth University - Bachelor of Music EducationLouisiana State University - Master's degrees in Music Performance and Education LeadershipHal Leonard - Music publishing and educationPreSonus Audio - Audio technology and recording equipmentNoteflight - Online music notation softwareMusic Education Organizations:Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME)Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA)NAMM FoundationSupportMusic CoalitionNAfME (National Association for Music Education)Music Technology Tools Mentioned:GarageBand - Apple's music creation softwareCubase - Digital audio workstationEssential Elements Interactive - Music education platformNAMM Events and Awards:She Rocks Awards - Celebrating women in musicParnelli Awards - Honoring live event professionalsNAMM U - Educational programming and resourcesPerformance Groups:MetWinds - John's current performance ensembleMusical Reference:Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto - The piece John performed as a cocky freshmanIndustry Research and Reports:NAMM Industry Insights - Music products industry dataTrade Show Executive - Conference John mentioned attending–• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're putting The Tonearm's needle on John Mlynczak, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants.NAMM is the trade association for the music, sound, and event industries. Basically, NAMM represents the companies that make the tools your favorite music artists use to create their work.John has spent years at Hal Leonard and PreSonus Audio, where music education meets technology. He built curricula, managed platforms, and taught teachers how to use tech in their classrooms.Now he runs an organization that's rethinking what a trade show means when the music industry has gone digital. NAMM just celebrated its 125th anniversary, but John isn't interested in nostalgia. He's asking harder questions about how people discover instruments, how they learn to play them, and why gathering in person still matters when you can order anything online. The NAMM Show draws tens of thousands of people to Anaheim every January (this January 20 - 24, to be exact), and the numbers behind those crowds tell a story about content, influence, and how musicians connect with gear today.We talk about John's shift from teaching in Louisiana to shaping industry strategy, why music advocacy needs to be offensive rather than defensive, and what happens when trade shows have to prove their value in real time.–Dig DeeperGuest and Organization:Visit NAMM at namm.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedInJohn Mlynczak's NAMM ProfileThe NAMM Show 2026 - January 23-25, Anaheim, CaliforniaNAMM Show Registration and App InformationEducational Background and Previous Roles:Virginia Commonwealth University - Bachelor of Music EducationLouisiana State University - Master's degrees in Music Performance and Education LeadershipHal Leonard - Music publishing and educationPreSonus Audio - Audio technology and recording equipmentNoteflight - Online music notation softwareMusic Education Organizations:Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME)Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA)NAMM FoundationSupportMusic CoalitionNAfME (National Association for Music Education)Music Technology Tools Mentioned:GarageBand - Apple's music creation softwareCubase - Digital audio workstationEssential Elements Interactive - Music education platformNAMM Events and Awards:She Rocks Awards - Celebrating women in musicParnelli Awards - Honoring live event professionalsNAMM U - Educational programming and resourcesPerformance Groups:MetWinds - John's current performance ensembleMusical Reference:Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto - The piece John performed as a cocky freshmanIndustry Research and Reports:NAMM Industry Insights - Music products industry dataTrade Show Executive - Conference John mentioned attending–• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's NAMM Show season, with Sean and Andy kicking it off with a bang in Episode 313 by getting the scoop on everything NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) from CEO and president John Mlynczak. He provides a crash course on NAMM, what he's looking forward to at the show in Anaheim this year, the NAMM Foundation educational program, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Prior to NAMM, John served as president of Music Education & Technology at Hal Leonard, where he oversaw worldwide education market strategy. He also managed Noteflight, Essential Elements Interactive and Essential Elements Music Class, and collaborated on all music education technology related initiatives for Hal Leonard. Previously, he was managing director of Noteflight, and he's also the immediate past-president of the Technology Institute of Music Educators (TI:ME).John has taught online graduate courses at VanderCook College, served as advocacy chair of the Massachusetts Music Educator's Association, served on the NAMM SupportMusic Coalition, and on the NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force. He is a Google Level 2 Certified Educator and a frequent clinician on education technology and music advocacy.​Before his career at Hal Leonard, John served as director of Education at PreSonus, where he developed curriculum, products, and marketing strategies for music education technology. ​In addition, he taught general music, band, choir, marching band, and music technology, starting the first music technology course in Louisiana and writing the state curriculum for an official approved course. From 2011 to 2013, He served as chairman of the Creative Arts Assessment Committee in Louisiana, and provided model assessment for the creative arts.On top of all that, John has enjoyed a long career of performing as a solo artist and in symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, and Top 40 bands.Episode Links:NAMMNAMM ShowNAMM FoundationJohn Mlynczak OnlineEpisode 313 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast.Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we'd love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

John Mlynczak is the President and CEO of NAMM, where he leads the world's largest music products trade association at a pivotal moment in its 125-year history. Appointed in 2023 as the industry emerged from the COVID era, John has focused on evolving the NAMM Show through a relationship-first, technology-driven approach that strengthens year-round engagement and meaningful connections for members and exhibitors.A lifelong musician, educator, and technology leader, John brings a rare blend of creative empathy and strategic vision to his role. Prior to NAMM, he served as Vice President of Music Education & Technology at Hal Leonard, overseeing global education strategy and leading platforms such as Noteflight and Essential Elements Interactive. Earlier in his career, he was Director of Education at PreSonus Audio, where he helped shape curriculum, products, and outreach for music education technology.John has spent many years in higher education as an adjunct professor at institutions including VanderCook College of Music, Louisiana State University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, while also serving as President of the Technology Institute for Music Education (TI:ME). He is a Google Level 2 Certified Educator, a frequent speaker on music education and advocacy, and has served on numerous national committees supporting arts education.As a performer, John is an accomplished trumpeter with experience ranging from orchestral and pit work to jazz and contemporary ensembles. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and Master's degrees in Music Performance and Education Leadership from Louisiana State University.At the core of his leadership philosophy is a belief that technology should enhance - not replace - human connection, and that relationships remain the most powerful force in the music industry.This Episode is brought to you by ETC and Main Light

Get More LVWITHLOVE Content at LVwithLOVE.com Become a partner or contact us David Bennett Cohen is a founding member of Country Joe & The Fish and a keyboard player with deep roots in blues and early rock. He brings the David Bennett Cohen Trio to Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Cohen has been a professional musician for more than 60 years, known for innovative keyboard playing and a career that stretches across major blues and rock scenes. Along the way, he played and recorded with a long list of artists, and he also built a serious teaching catalog through Homespun, plus published piano instruction with Hal Leonard. (more…)

Is this one of the best or worst method or repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Despite the book's title, this is not a traditional method book for learning to play fingerstyle blues guitar. This is a repertoire book containing fingerstyle blues arrangements in a variety of subgenres (i.e. ragtime and delta blues). The book does offer more than a traditional repertoire book in that it has technical and historical notes before each tune, and then it occasionally introduces a new technique through a tune. This book is suitable for late beginner to advanced fingerstyle players but is best for intermediate players. I really like the organization of the book: tunes are organized by subgenre, and within each section the tunes are arranged from easiest to hardest. If you have zero experience playing fingerstyle guitar or fingerstyle blues, this is not the best book to start with. If you do have some experience, this is a great book for learning fun tunes, improving your skills, and learning some background history. What stands out about this book is that some tunes include multiple choruses. If you've studied fingerstyle blues from books, you've seen one or two page arrangements that, as written, are too short for a full performance. You might have gathered that you should play the original arrangement and then create multiple variations to instrumentally simulate different lyrics for each verse of a vocal tune, to extend your performance, and to make it your own. However, most books don't actually write out any variations. The Complete Acoustic Blues Guitar Method is wonderful in that some of its arrangements do contain 2nd and 3rd chorus variations. These are great for beginners and players that just want to play a tune that lasts more than 30 seconds, and they are even more valuable for players that want to see and study concrete examples of variations. You can learn a lot from analyzing these variations and then you can implement these ideas into other tunes in your repertoire. Difficulty ramps up quickly in this book with the majority of the arrangements in that intermediate difficulty range. Beginner players may want to first use a traditional method book: A general fingerstyle method like Alfred's “Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar,” or A more focused method like Bruce Emery's “Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch.” Then you could utilize Woody Mann's book as a supplement as you're working through the method book. Later beginners should aim for the first tune or two from each different section and see what specific styles of fingerstyle blues catch their ear. You will improve faster and have more fun if you play tunes that are aren't too difficult, so don't get bogged down with the hardest tunes in the book. The Complete Acoustic Blues Guitar Method provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement, but neither fretting nor picking hand fingering is provided. At least you can tell which notes should be played with your thumb by looking at the treble clef – bass notes have down stems. Regardless, the skill of choosing sensible fingering is important, and you will need to look elsewhere to further develop this skill. Recordings are available online through Hal Leonard's website. These will be very helpful to many readers. It's fun and educational to hear some of the author's little variations and stylistic techniques (slides, bends, etc.) that aren't written into the music. The book doesn't use the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc. No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. It says that the copyright is © 2014 Wise Publications, but the book seems to be published and distributed by Hal Leonard. My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)]. The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C. Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Christmas repertoire books featuring solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements are great for the holiday season! Whether you simply want to get into the Christmas spirit or you need to perform Christmas tunes at your gigs, there are a number of great Christmas repertoire books. Last year I did a similar multi-book review, but I need to put out an update since I have since gone on a buying spree and purchased 4 more books that I'd been curious about. In this review I will look at the original three books that I reviewed: Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide,” Mark Phillips' “Christmas Carols for Easy Classical Guitar” (Cherry Lane Music Company), and John Hill's “Classical Guitar Christmas Sheet Music” (Hal Leonard) As well as my four new books: Michael Wood's “Echoes of Christmas Past,” Bruce Emery's “Christmas Fingerstyle Guitar,” and Doug Young's “Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar” AND “A DADGAD Christmas.” And finally I'll mention one book that I don't have, but I can see enough from previews to be able to compare to the other books: Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Christmas” To be clear, all books are suitable for either steel string guitar or nylon string classical guitar. I will demonstrate tunes from each book so that you can see and hear what you're getting. Now, whether you are just looking to enjoy playing holiday tunes for yourself, with your family and friends, or on stage, there are several factors to consider. Christmas music is really only acceptable in the month of December, so if you are like me then you'll start preparing in November. As these tunes are kept on the shelf for 10 months of the year, I generally look for the easiest arrangements that still sound as good as possible. I need to be able to whip these into shape in a reasonable amount of time. Perhaps you (unlike myself) are looking for the most incredible sounding arrangements possible, regardless of their difficulty? One of these books in particular fits that bill. Another important factor to consider is whether you are looking to play instrumental arrangements or if you are looking to lead a singalong. Some books are better suited to one or the other. I'm going to try to guide you to the book or books that are best for YOU. Each of these books is valuable in its own way, but one may fit you better. Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide” is the only book out of these that has popular modern/mid-twentieth century tunes like Holly Jolly Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bell Rock, and Let It Snow! Hal Leonard is a publishing giant and has the ability to publish these popular tunes that are protected by copyright. Late-beginner/intermediate. Pretty good arrangements, especially as a starting point. No audio recordings. All of the other books contain traditional Christmas carols like O Come, All Ye Faithful, The First Noel, Jingle Bells, and Silent Night. These are all of the tunes that fall under the realm of public domain, so authors can arrange them without worrying about legal issues or royalties. Out of all of these other books, two books stand out for containing beautiful, yet easy to play arrangements. Wood's “Echoes of Christmas Past” is #1, Phillips' “Christmas Carols for Easy Classical Guitar” is #2. Wood's arrangements are incredibly playable and sound so so good. Very flowing and arpeggiated with a folksy touch. Never too many notes at once, so easy on the hands. No lyrics written into the music, and no audio recordings. Phillips' arrangements also flow very well with lots of arpeggiation and pedaling on the open G string. Definitely has some classical guitar vibes. Once again, no lyrics, but this one does come with a CD for the audio recordings. If you are the type of player who wants a simple arrangement that you can enhance, or if you want to lead a singalong and need a really straightforward arrangement, Bruce Emery's “Christmas Fingerstyle Guitar: Plain and Fancy” and Doug Young's “Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar” are very valuable books. Each contains the most basic arrangements with block chords harmonizing each melody. These are excellent for beginners and work great as lead sheets for intermediate and advanced players (as a platform from which you can create your own variations). Young's book is a bit easier. Emery's book provides each carol at three difficulty levels. Emery's has lyrics in the music so it works better for singalongs. Young's has lyrics on the opposite page from the music, so usable for singalongs, but not ideal. Both provide audio recordings. These two books are both great gigging books, but I if I had to choose, I'd rather have the Wood or Phillips book at a gig. Doug Young's “A DADGAD Christmas” is unique and incredibly beautiful. Much more difficult in comparison – suitable for intermediate and advanced players. Audio recordings are available on Spotify and make for great listening! Some really satisfying arrangements, but not my first choice of Christmas gig book – I generally want Christmas gig tunes to be on the easier side. Hill's “Classical Guitar: Christmas Sheet Music” contains arrangements that can absolutely work on steel string guitars, but they are written only in treble clef. These arrangements are all a bit more difficult to play, regardless of treble clef vs. TAB, and they don't necessarily sound better than the arrangements of the other books. Many arrangements just feel clunky with difficult fingering. One thing that I do like is the arrangement of Tchaikovsky's “March” from the Nutcracker, which you won't find in any of the other books. If you are a classical guitar teacher, these would definitely be useful to use with your students. No audio recordings. So, to organize all of this information: Only one for mid-twentieth century tunes: Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide” Best for solo instrumental gigging: Wood's “Echoes of Christmas Past” is #1, Phillips' “Christmas Carols for Easy Classical Guitar” is #2.  Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide”is an equally important gigging book for me too just because of its arrangements of popular tunes. Best for singalongs: Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide”, Bruce Emery's “Christmas Fingerstyle Guitar: Plain and Fancy”, and possibly Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Christmas” Most beginner friendly: Probably Doug Young's “Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar” orBruce Emery's “Christmas Fingerstyle Guitar: Plain and Fancy,” then Wood's “Echoes of Christmas Past” is #1, Phillips' “Christmas Carols for Easy Classical Guitar” Most sonorous arrangements: Doug Young's “A DADGAD Christmas” Don't buy: Hill's “Classical Guitar: Christmas Sheet Music” Performance: Holly Jolly Christmas, Frosty the Snowman – Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide” Come, All Ye Faithful – in all books other than Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide” andDoug Young's “A DADGAD Christmas” Silent Night – in all books other than Hal Leonard's “Fingerpicking Yuletide” My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon [https://a.co/d/g7Udsso (Book 1) and https://a.co/d/aDbh4H0 (Book 2)]. The first priority of these books is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter, and each following chapter will add icing on the cake. Arranging for Fingerstyle Guitar: go to http://joemcmurray.com/checkout/ to purchase a pdf of my eBook. Learning to arrange melodies will also help your fingerstyle songwriting and your understanding of the inner workings of fingerstyle guitar. My upcoming book, Arranging for Fingerstyle Ukulele, will be published by Mel Bay in 2026. My music is available on all streaming platforms at https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dcokTG6C598OhTslHH5uo?si=hrQb7FViSZewDRSgECw9Ew: Pins on the Map: my third fingerstyle guitar album was released on January 19, 2024. Watch the first single, “Open Road,” on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/uPBh8sZQsT4?si=EM_wAwnHFqU1VC9C.Riding the Wave and Acoustic Oasis: my first two fingerstyle guitar albums.

Is this one of the best or worst repertoire books for learning to play acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar? You can learn to play music using a variety of resources including teachers, online resources, and books. Steve James' Fingerstyle Blues Songbook is a repertoire book drawing from various substyles of fingerstyle blues (general old time country blues, Delta blues, ragtime blues, Texas blues, and bottleneck blues).  Most of the tunes are suitable for late-beginner and intermediate fingerstyle players, although advanced players will certainly enjoy the tunes as well.  The music in this book may sound “old-timey” (much of it comes from the 1920s and 30s), but it is really fun to play if you are interested in the style. This book is comparable to Stefan Grossman's Complete Country Blues Guitar Book (Review #9).  Both are great resources. Fingerstyle Blues Songbook includes solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements of 15 tunes.  Each arrangement features a single chorus of a 12 or 16 bar blues (often with a repeat and a 2nd ending).  No page turns are ever needed!  Each arrangement is presented as a lead sheet with both the vocal melody (in standard notation) and the solo guitar arrangement (in both standard notation and tablature).  Each tune includes a couple paragraphs of background information including notable recordings and some fingering suggestions. Most of the tunes provide you with a single progression of the tune – even with the repeat, none of these will last a full minute as written.  In a real performance you would probably want to repeat the form multiple times with singing, variations, or improvisation.  My only complaint about the book is that it would have been helpful if the author had explained this a bit more.  However, if you listen to fingerstyle blues recordings, then you will hear many arrangement ideas. As mentioned, the book provides both treble clef and tablature for each arrangement.  Tiny chord charts are written above the music with fretting hand fingering, but these do not provide fingering for any of the melody lines.  Additionally, no picking hand fingering is included (although you can tell which notes should be played by the picking hand thumb by looking at the treble clef).  The book starts with a couple easier arrangements, but otherwise doesn't progress from easiest to hardest.  Beginners might find the spiritual Oh, Mary Don't You Weep on page 32 to be one of the easiest arrangements in the book. The majority of the tunes use standard tuning.  However, alternate tunings are used for the four tunes that utilize a slide. This is a repertoire book full of song arrangements.  This is not a method book that teaches you the fundamentals of how to play fingerstyle blues guitar.  However, if you have some fingerstyle experience, then this book will provide you with a bunch of fun tunes.  This is also a great supplement to a method book. Recordings are available on an included CD (which unfortunately didn't come with my used book).  These would likely be very helpful to many readers. The book doesn't use the modern percussive techniques used by modern players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, etc.  No thumb slaps, guitar body percussion, or tapping. For authenticity, I recommend using an acoustic steel string guitar rather than a classical guitar.  You will need a slide for several tunes. Published by String Letter Publishing (Acoustic Guitar Magazine).  © 2005 Distributed by Hal Leonard. My own books: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar: An In-Depth Study of the 12-Bar Blues in E Major – Books 1 and 2 are available in paperback or as an eBook through Amazon at https://a.co/d/g7Udsso.  The first priority of this book is to quickly get you playing a solo instrumental 12-bar blues, and then to build on it until you can freely improvise or “jam.” You should be up and running by the end of the third chapter,

'Comparing our insides to other people's outsides' Jim Carmichael, Cliff Edwards, Hall Johnson Choir,  Seamus O'Rourke, Rangan Chatterjee, Robert Waldinger, Marc Shulz, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Mary Martin with Toots Camarata and His Orchestra, Hal Leonard, Louis Prima, Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman, Laura Mvula, Joyce

“I love the way that contemporary a cappella engages singers who might not necessarily see themselves as ‘choral singers' to be able to sing together and maybe discover a love of more traditional choral music. For me, it's all about engaging more singers. Group singing is such a beautiful community, and I've seen the ways it can really change lives, create beautiful spaces for self-expression, and do some good for the world in a time where we really need it."Rob Dietz is a multi award-winning singer and vocal percussionist who has been arranging, composing, teaching, and performing contemporary a cappella music for over twenty years. Based in Los Angeles, Rob is best known for his work as an arranger and group coach on NBC's The Sing-Off. His arrangements have been performed by top-tier vocal artists, including Grammy-winning groups Pentatonix and The Swingles, as well as VoicePlay, Kings Return, and many more.He earned his bachelor's degree in music with an outside field in business from Ithaca College in 2010. While at Ithaca, Rob had the honor of directing the all male-identified group, Ithacappella, with whom he twice advanced to the finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.As a performer, Rob is an internationally recognized vocal percussionist, with credits including Glee (FOX) and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Rob has a deep passion for a cappella education, and is a founding co-director (along with Ben Bram and Avi Kaplan) of A Cappella Academy. In 2016, he launched Legacy, a youth a cappella group in Los Angeles. In 2023, he transitioned Legacy into Academy Choir: Los Angeles, a larger ensemble blending contemporary a cappella with modern choral music.In addition to directing his own groups, Rob is a sought-after clinician and presenter, having conducted honor ensembles at regional and state festivals. He is also the author of A Cappella 101: A Beginner's Guide to Contemporary A Cappella Singing.Alongside his work in contemporary a cappella, Rob is also an accomplished choral composer, with works published by Hal Leonard, Alfred, GIA Publications, and Heritage. Rob currently serves as the national repertoire and resources co-chair for Contemporary/Commercial music for the American Choral Directors Association To get in touch with Rob, you can visit robdietzmusic.com or find him on Instagram (@rdietz55) or Facebook (@rdietz2).Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

In this week's episode, Paul dives into a common question from students: “Where can I find decent, authentic tabs to learn songs?” Building on last week's three-step song-learning system (practice, playthrough, perform), Paul takes a deep look at both free and paid online resources for guitar tabs, discusses their pros and cons, and gives expert advice on what to trust when searching for accurate music.Key Topics Covered

“We had 10 sopranos, 4 altos, 2 tenors, and 1 bass, and they were all volunteers. We were spending hours trying to learn this music that we didn't have the numbers for, so I ended up writing almost 100 church arrangements, and I made the voice leading very stepwise. Being that close to the music made me a better writer because I'm not just writing for ensembles I don't hear regularly. I'm there in the rehearsal process, and I know what's hard and what might be easier to grab onto.” MaryAnne Muglia (she/her) is a composer, vocalist, and educator based in Arizona. She arranges and writes contemporary choral music, vocal jazz, and indie-influenced original songs. Her music has been performed by ensembles across the country, including Lyyra, Chanticleer, The King's Return, Säje Voices, and more. Recent commissions include works for community choirs, professional vocal groups, and student ensembles of all levels.​MaryAnne's arrangements and compositions have been published by Alfred Music, Graphite Publishing, Anchor Music, Hal Leonard, and Shawnee Press, and she has self-published over 25,000 copies of her work to date. She is the founder of Red Letter Daze, a professional vocal group with over 200,000 followers online and multiple Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) recognitions. With Red Letter Daze, she has headlined major events including the NAU Jazz Madrigal Festival and the BOSS Festival (Boston Sings), sharing her original work and signature vocal arrangements with audiences nationwide. Her viral videos—including harmony breakdowns and arrangements of “The Parting Glass,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Carol of the Bells,” —have garnered millions of views across platforms. She also directs the Vocal Jazz and A Cappella programs at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and teaches at A Cappella Academy, a premier summer intensive for young vocalists founded by Avi Kaplan, Ben Bram, and Rob Dietz.​To get in touch with MaryAnne, you can visit her website (maryannemuglia.com) or find her on Instagram (@maryanne.muglia).Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Michael Sweeney has changed the landscape of music education by his accessible arrangements of master works for Concert Band and Jazz Band. Editor at Hal Leonard since 1982 - Michael Sweeney spends time with us for this first part of a two-part series on all things band - including some highlights of his music. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.com Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years. Connect with us with comments or ideas Follow the show: Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.com On Youtube The Growing Band Director  Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector If you like what you hear please: Leave a Five Star Review and  Share us with another band director!

Meet Nashville Guitar Great: Matthew LeeIf you've strolled down Broadway in Nashville, chances are you have heard the unmistakable sound of Matthew Lee—an exceptional guitarist whose chops are as sharp as his tone.Matthew shares the story of how music first grabbed hold of him, what led him to Music City, and the major influences that shaped his sound. He also gives us a look at some of his favorite gear, including his go-to axes from Lucky Dog and Crook Custom Guitars.Want to dive deeper? Check out his instructional book from Hal Leonard and explore his top-tier lessons over on TrueFire. Whether you're a player or a fan , Matthew's insights are pure gold.Subscribe for more vintage gear stories and rare finds!Follow us on  https://www.instagram.com/askzac/ for more guitar content.To Support the Channel:Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/AskZacTip jar:  https://paypal.me/AskZacVenmo @AskZac Or check out my store for merch  - https://my-store-be0243.creator-spring.com/#MatthewLee #NashvilleGuitarist #BroadwayNashville #LuckyDogGuitars #CrookCustomGuitars #GuitarGear #HalLeonard #TrueFire #CountryGuitar #GuitarLifehttps://www.matthewleeguitar.com/Support the show

From Garage Bands to Gibson: Mike Lawson's Wild Ride Through the Music Industry In this episode of The Tone Mob Podcast, Blake Wyland sits down with Mike Lawson—musician, publisher, gear designer, and all-around music industry lifer. From his early days jamming in Florida to shaping the future of music education and publishing, Mike's career has spanned decades of innovation, reinvention, and pure love for the craft. They dive deep into the golden era of guitar shops, the digital revolution that transformed music production, and Mike's time working with giants like Quincy Jones, Gibson Guitars, Hal Leonard and a whole lot more! Plus, hear about the creation of his signature guitars with Pearl River, his favorite pedals, and—of course—his go-to pizza toppings. Whether you're a gear nerd, a publishing pro, or just love a good behind-the-scenes music story, this one's packed with insight, nostalgia, and plenty of laughs.

Joining me live at the American Choral Director's Association National Conference in Dallas is Scott Harris, Stacey Nordmeyer, and Luke Talen for a wide ranging discussion about the state of the choral industry and how composers can find their place in it!

"It's all about intention." In this episode of the podcast, Lij Shaw sits down with seasoned artist, songwriter, and producer Ryan Ordway, who shares insights from his two-decade journey through the music industry. They discuss various nuances of music production, covering topics from remote recording challenges to the importance of acoustics and effective studio management. Ryan emphasizes the need for adaptability, personal interaction, and practical tips to ensure high-quality sound and a smooth creative process. Aspiring producers will gain valuable strategies for optimizing their craft and navigating the evolving landscape of music recording. Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.com My guest today is Ryan Ordway, a multifaceted artist, songwriter, producer, and audio engineer, proficient in analog and digital recording, mixing, music licensing, session playing, and commercial studio management. With over two decades of experience in the music business, he has recorded and produced nearly 1,000 songs across musical genres. Ordway has designed, built, and operated three commercial recording studios throughout his career. In 2020, he partnered with The Studio Portland in Portland, ME, where he undertook an ambitious remodel completed in 2024. Under Ordway's direction, The Studio became home to 98.9 WCLZ's Studio Z series, through which he has recorded an impressive roster of international recording artists, including: Noah Kahan, Grace Potter, Lake Street Dive, Joy Oladokun, The Heavy Heavy, Gregory Alan Isakov, Josh Ritter, Hiss Golden Messenger, Talk, SMYL, Lucius, Cecilia Castleman, Joseph, and Charlie Crockett, among others. Ordway's songwriting talents earned him an invitation to the renowned Blackbird Studios in Nashville, where he recorded with famed producer Ken Scott (whose client list includes The Beatles, Elton John, and David Bowie). His song "Easy Street," produced by Scott, was featured in Robert Willey's Getting Started with Music Production, published by Hal Leonard in 2015. Recognized for his ability to create transformative experiences for clients throughout New England, Ordway was nominated for Producer of the Year at the New England Music Awards in 2023. His song "Back Again" was nominated for Song of the Year in 2022. Ordway's original music is licensed in over 13 countries and featured on major platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu. His music has appeared in popular TV shows such as NBC's The Office, ABC's Happy Endings, and FOX's Raising Hope. In 2023, his cover of Rusted Root's “Send Me on My Way” won him a multi-year contract for Nature Valley's Life Happens Out There national TV spot He has worked with other national clients, including Klondike, Polo Ralph Lauren, and John Deere. In addition to his technical expertise and commercial success, Ryan is a passionate educator and mentor. At The Studio Portland, he leads professional audio production training programs and recording camps, sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation of audio engineers and producers. Beyond music production, Ryan produces podcasts and provides voiceover (VO) and automated dialogue replacement (ADR) post-production services for elite clients such as Lucas Films, Netflix, HBO Productions, and Penguin Random House Audio Books division. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.com https://www.adam-audio.com https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off! https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off! https://roswellproaudio.com/ https://www.makebelievestudio.com/mbsi Get your MBSI plugin here! https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academy  https://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/ Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5URoEkxCrLa3ESYMgxyR18?si=f386ffda39b14207 If you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/Review CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/492

Neil Berg's latest musical The Sabbath Girl: The Musical, written with book writer/co-lyricist Cary Gitter, just finished an incredible, sold-out run at The Penguin Repertory Theatre (directed by Joe Brancato), before transferring to NYC for a six-week summer run Off-Broadway at 59 East 59th Theaters to rave reviews. The Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording of The Sabbath Girl: The Musical is available on Centerstage Records. Producers are now in the process of moving the show for an open-ended commercial run. Neil is the composer/co-lyricist, along with Pulitzer Prize/TONY-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, of the award-winning new musical The 12, which just finished a very successful pre-Broadway tryout to critical and audience acclaim at the Goodspeed Opera House, directed by TONY award-winning director John Doyle, produced for Broadway by Cody Lassen & Joe Grano. The 12 previously ran at The Denver Center to unanimous rave reviews and won the 2015 HENRY Award for best new play or musical. Original Cast recording will be available in the winter of '24. Broadway opening anticipated in 2025/2026 season. Neil is currently in development as the composer of the new Broadway-bound musical version of My Cousin Vinny, based on the iconic movie, with book/lyrics by original screenwriter, Dale Launer. Neil has a new commissioned musical, How My Grandparents Fell in Love, opening in July of '25 at The NJ Rep Theater, collaborating again with book writer/co-lyricist Cary Gitter, directed by Artistic Director SuzAnne Baribas. Neil's other new musical, Charlie Hustle, with book/lyrics by Ryan Noggle, is about controversial baseball icon Pete Rose and the story of his gambling addiction that led to his downfall. Charlie Hustle will have its first developmental production in Detroit, Michigan in the fall of '24. Neil is the composer for the popular musical version of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, based on the Warner Brothers movie classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which had its official U.S. Premiere at The Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine to rave reviews, and La Mirada Theater in LA, starring Cathy Rigby. Other actors include F. Murray Abraham, TONY Award winner George Hearn, Marilu Henner, and Carole Kane. It is currently produced/licensed at many regional & community theaters across the United States. Licensing rights are with TRW (Theatrical Rights Worldwide). The Original Cast Recording of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical is available on Centerstage Records. Neil Berg is also the composer/lyricist of the hit Off-Broadway musical The Prince and the Pauper, which ran for two years at the Lambs Theater in New York City. The New York Times raved that The Prince and the Pauper "[soars] on wings of theatrical fun." The original cast CD is released internationally on Jay Records, sheet music published by Hal Leonard, and licensing by Samuel French Inc. Songs from this show are also featured with many other classic songs in the official Off-Broadway Songbook, published by Hal Leonard. CARY GITTER is the playwright-in-residence at Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point, New York. His plays include THE STEEL MAN (Penguin Rep); GENE & GILDA (George Street Playhouse, Penguin Rep); THE VIRTUOUS LIFE OF JOSEPH ANDREWS (Penguin Rep), adapted from the Henry Fielding novel; and THE SABBATH GIRL (off-Broadway, 59E59 Theaters; Penguin Rep; Invisible Theatre; Theatre Ariel; published by Stage Rights). His musicals include THE SABBATH GIRL (59E59, Penguin Rep) and HOW MY GRANDPARENTS FELL IN LOVE (New Jersey Repertory Company), both written with composer/co-lyricist Neil Berg. His play HOW MY GRANDPARENTS FELL IN LOVE was a New York Times Critic's Pick as part of the Ensemble Studio Theatre's (EST's) 36th Marathon of One-Act Plays. It was later recorded for the acclaimed podcast Playing on Air, as was his one-act THE ARMY DANCE. He has received commissions from the EST/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project, Penguin Rep, and West of 10th. He is an alumnus of EST's Obie Award-winning Youngblood playwrights' group. His full-length plays have been developed by the Berkshire Playwrights Lab, the Chameleon Theatre Circle, the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, EST, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre, the Jewish Plays Project, the Levine Jewish Community Center, NJ Rep, NYU, Seven Angels Theatre, West of 10th, and Wordsmyth Theater Company. He is a three-time O'Neill semifinalist and a two-time Jewish Playwriting Contest finalist, and he has received NYU's John Golden Playwriting Prize and honorable mentions for the New England Theatre Conference's Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award and the Kennedy Center's Rosa Parks Playwriting Award.

Today's guest schooled me…about NAMM, the North American Music Merchants. Welcome NAMM President and CEO, John Mlynczak. Before we get into the meat of what NAMM is and does, John talks about his musical history. Music and music education have always been an important part of his life. He pursued that path from Virginia all the way to LSU; but I won't hold that against him. He talks about creating the first music technology curricula in the state of Louisiana and how that led him to a job with PreSonus, who make music software, monitors, mixers, and more. That led to a great opportunity with music publishing company, Hal Leonard.  John also talks about the very long process of becoming the President and CEO of NAMM. But before that, he gives a little history of NAMM and shares some of his own experiences at NAMM shows, before he started working there. I learned what goes into planning each NAMM show, what to expect if you go, and how NAMM is expanding to include content creators and influencers. NAMM is an industry show, and John talks about how they've evolved over the years. John explains what NAMM offers its members at the show and throughout the year. He also tells me about NAMM Next and the amazing NAMM archives. John also talks about how COVID affected them, how it made them innovate, and how NAMM is bouncing back, better than ever. Go to NAMM.org to get information about what they do and how to attend the 2025 NAMM show. Follow them @thenammshow on social media. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can send us money to get to NAMM at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now please welcome John Mlynczak of NAMM on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to get started playing acoustic fingerstyle guitar, you will benefit from private lessons with a teacher, online video courses, listening to fingerstyle recordings, and of course… books.  It is beneficial to mix and match all of these resources.  Remember that everyone's brain works differently, so you may gravitate more towards certain styles of learning / methods of presentation.  I love learning from books because I can read the text at my own pace and as many times over as I want.  Seeing the music written out is extremely helpful for me – I always had more difficulty keeping track of song forms or chord progressions without some sort of written reference. So, for those of you who want to utilize a fingerstyle guitar method book to beef up your chops, I've done my homework and I've distilled my favorites into this “greatest hits” list.  I'll try to be objective and describe who each book is best suited to. Best Beginner Fingerstyle Methods: Alfred's Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar (Lou Manzi): Great all-around book to learn solo fingerstyle guitar.  Beginner to intermediate.  Not specific to any one subgenre of fingerstyle.  Nice organization/flow of information with a decent difficulty progression.  Good finger exercises to build some dexterity or to use as warmups, decent explanations in the text (but not too wordy), and nice sounding original tunes.  There aren't any arrangements of famous tunes, but there are tunes “in the style of ___.”  I personally like working through this book with my students.  Additionally, many of this book's lessons have sparked creative ideas of my own.  First book in a three part series, so you can continue your studies!  Audio recordings are available. Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch (Bruce Emery): This book is a gem!  This is a method book for learning to play solo fingerstyle guitar using an alternating bass (in the Travis style).  This is one of the best books I've found for complete beginner to intermediate players who want to learn this specific style.  Even if you want to play other sub-styles of fingerstyle as well, this isn't a bad place to start your journey.  The material progresses logically with lots of exercises that build on each other and lead perfectly into performance pieces (old classics like Oh! Susanna, House of the Rising Sun, Jingle Bells, etc.).  Each time Emery presents a new concept, he incorporates it into updated arrangements of each tune.  Emery's sense of humor is infused into the text of the book, keeping detailed explanations lighthearted and entertaining without losing sight of the important information.  Audio recordings are available. Fingerstyle Guitar from Scratch (Bruce Emery): I don't love it as much as Travis-Style Guitar from Scratch, but it is still great general method book.  You will not learn to play solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements (other than a very brief introduction to the topic), but you will receive a great foundation if you are just starting out with fingerstyle.  Complete beginner to intermediate.  Emery's sense of humor is once again infused into the text of the book, keeping detailed explanations lighthearted and entertaining without losing sight of the important information.  The book is focused on fingerstyle accompaniment using arpeggiation and Travis Style / alternating bass patterns.  This book would make an excellent primer for either Alfred's Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar or any other fingerstyle guitar method.  Audio recordings are available. Hal Leonard's Fingerpicking Guitar (Doug Boduch): Short and sweet method to learn to play accompaniment and solo fingerstyle guitar through famous popular tunes.  Beginner to intermediate.  Guitar teachers may find this book to be a great teaching supplement.  The progression of topics is well laid out, the examples and arrangements are playable and sound good, and the text is concise.  This book is great if you just want to play arrangements of popular tun...

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpeter, Scott Belck, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. You can also watch this interview on Youtube. About Scott: Dr. Scott Belck currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he directs the CCM Jazz Orchestra and teaches applied Jazz Trumpet. He is a founding member of critically acclaimed Tromba Mundi contemporary trumpet ensemble and has toured as a member of Grammy Award winning funk legend Bootsy Collins' Funk Unity Band as lead trumpet. He has served as trumpet and cornet soloist with the Air Force Band of Flight in Dayton, Ohio where he also held the post of musical director for the Air Force Night Flight Jazz Ensemble. He is the Founding Artistic Director Emeritus of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.   His playing credits include recordings lead trumpet/guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops featuring the Manhattan Transfer and John Pizzarelli, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Van Dells, and jazz soloist with the University of North Texas One O'clock Lab Band with whom he recorded four CDs as jazz soloist and section trumpet. He has performed as principal/lead trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and as section trumpet with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Duluth Festival Opera. He has performed as lead trumpet for shows/concerts of Christian McBride, Jimmy Heath, Aretha Franklin, Gerald Wilson, the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, John Lithgow, Donna Summer, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein, Lalo Rodriguez, Sandy Patti, Tito Puente Jr., Tommy Tune, Manhattan Transfer, Lou Rawls, Patti Austen, The Coasters, Yes, Ben Vereen, Doc Severinsen, the Temptations, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Sedaka, the Blue Wisp Big Band, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Ink Spots, the Four Freshmen, The Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Riddell, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Valli, The Maritime Jazz Orchestra of Canada as well as touring Broadway shows and regional and national recording sessions. He has performed as a leader, musical director, or sideman with many top jazz players on the scene today including: Fred Hersch, Rich Perry, Adam Nussbaum, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Claudio Roditi, John Riley, Rick Margitza, Bob Belden, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Watson, Tom Harrell, Tim Hagans, Regina Carter, Wes Anderson, John Hollenbeck, Steve Turre, Conrad Herwig, Gordon Brisker, Hank Marr, Marvin Stamm, Gerry Mulligan, Kenny Garrett, John Fedchock, Phil Woods, Ed Soph, John LaBarbera and Diane Schuur. He has also served as the Artistic Director of the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Central Big Band, and the Miami Valley Jazz Camp in Ohio. He is the author of the text “Modern Flexibilities for Brass”, published by Meredith Music and distributed by Hal Leonard. In his spare time, he is the CEO and founder of Lip Slur World Headquarters. Belck's new book “Progressive Lip Flexibilities for Brass” is quickly becoming one of the most popular sarcastic lip slur books in the lower South-Central Ohio River valley region. Scott Belck is a Powell Signature Trumpet Artist.

“When people talk about what skills kids are lacking in America these days, two of the skills that come up a lot are the ability to listen to each other and have some empathy for each other. Some people would say it's not just kids that are lacking those skills; it might be what is really missing from our society. I think choir is the best subject to teach those skills.”Hailed by The Oregonian for providing “the finest choral concerts in Portland in recent memory,” Ethan Sperry is the Director of Choral Activities at Portland State University, where he conducts the world-renowned Chamber Choir and leads undergraduate and graduate programs in conducting. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers, one of America's most distinguished adult choruses. Choirs under his direction have performed at over a dozen ACDA and NAfME Conferences, won over thirty awards and medals at international choir competitions on four continents, and sung at The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, and the United Nations. Under his direction in 2013 The Portland State Chamber Choir became the first American Choir ever to win the Grand Prix at the Seghizzi International Choral Contest in Italy, and in 2017 they became the first American choir to win the Grand Prix at the Bali International Choral Festival, the largest choral gathering in Asia. Sperry has recorded albums for the Naxos and Gothic labels. A prolific arranger of World Music for choirs, Dr. Sperry is the editor of the Global Rhythms series for Earthsongs Music, one of the best-selling choral series in the world, and is also published by Hal Leonard. Sperry is also a frequent collaborator with film composer AR Rahman and has appeared as a guest conductor for him numerous times including at Bollywood Night at the Hollywood Bowl and the 2008 Filmfare Awards, the Indian equivalent of the Oscars. He also serves as a consultant for the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, the first classical music school in India, which opened in 2009.He has earned a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Harvard College and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern California. Prior to moving to Oregon, Sperry served for 10 years on the faculty of Miami University in Ohio where he conducted the Men's Glee Club, Collegiate Chorale, and Global Rhythms Ensemble. He has also served as Artistic Administrator of the Arad Philharmonic Chorus in Romania and Conductor of the Coeur Regional de Guadeloupe, the only Symphonic Chorus in the French West Indies.To get in touch with Ethan, you can email him at ethansperry@gmail.com. You can find the Portland State University Chamber Choir on Facebook (@psuchamberchoir), Instagram (@psuchamberchoir), or Tiktok (@psuchamberchoir), and you can find the Oregon Repertory Singers on Facebook (@OregonRepertorySingers) or Instagram (@orsingers). Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

In this episode of The Music Rewind Podcast, we dive deep into Queen's iconic album, “A Night At The Opera.” Join us as we chat with John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM, about the album's groundbreaking tracks, its impact on rock music, and behind-the-scenes stories. Tune in for an insightful discussion on one of rock's greatest masterpieces! Season 4 — Episode 7 Album: A Night At The Opera Artist: Queen Year: 1975 John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM since February 2023, brings extensive experience in music education and technology. Formerly VP of Music Education & Technology at Hal Leonard, he has also held key roles at Noteflight and PreSonus Audio. John is a passionate advocate for music education, having served as President of TIME and taught at VanderCook College. With degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and Louisiana State University, he has significantly contributed to music education and advocacy. His leadership at NAMM focuses on strengthening the music products industry and promoting the benefits of making music. https://www.johnmlynczak.com/  The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), is a not-for-profit organization that champions the joys and benefits of making music while supporting the $17 billion global music products industry. Known for its massive annual trade shows, particularly the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, NAMM serves as a central hub for the latest innovations in musical instruments, recording technology, and sound and lighting equipment2. Join us as we explore how NAMM brings together manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and musicians from around the world to celebrate and advance the music industry. Find all the information about The NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA  Jan 21-25, 2025 here: https://www.namm.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenammshow/ AND MUSIC REWIND WILL BE THERE!!! —-------------------------------------------------- Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/musicrewind     —--------------------------------------------------  Want to start your own podcast? Music Rewind and Podbean can help.  https://www.podbean.com/sidereal  —--------------------------------------------------  Useful Links for Music Rewind Music Rewind: All Episodes - https://www.musicrewindpodcast.com/listen Music Rewind Treasure Hunt - https://bit.ly/MixCD_Treasure_Hunt  Music Rewind Selects: A playlist of select tracks from albums covered on the show. - https://bit.ly/MusicRewindSelects    Music Rewind Patreon Early access to future episodes - https://bit.ly/MusicRewindPatreon  Discover our sister podcast, Cinema Decon, deconstructing the movies of the 80's, 90's and 2000's. www.cinemadecon.com  —--------------------------------------------------   “No ownership of music material. All credits go to its rightful owner. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for “Fair Use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners, no copyright infringement intended.” #queen #anightattheopera #namm #music #podcast #musicpodcast #johnmlynczak #thenammshow #freddiemercury #brianmay #johndeacon #rogertaylor    

“In Indonesia, choral singing has just been really popular recently, maybe around ten years. It has become a lifestyle. Everyone wants to be part of a choir because choir is very interesting - you can go on tour, you can do concerts... What drives the choir most is joining a competition: they will have a goal they want to achieve, an opportunity to go abroad, building connection and building the ecosystem better to support each other.”Hailing from Medan, composer Ken Steven (b. 1993) is known for his fusion of Indonesian colours and elements with modern techniques and harmonies. He received his undergraduate degree in church music from The Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Philippines, and completed his Master of Music degree from California Baptist University, USA.Since returning to Indonesia, his creative activity and work have made important contributions to the development of choral music in Indonesia. His music is picking up and starting to make an impact on the international choral music scene. His music is available through several publishers including Pavane, Hal Leonard, Earthsongs, and Walton.  Currently, he serves as the Director of Studies at SMK Methodist Charles Wesley Music Vocational School in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. He is also the conductor of Medan Community Male Choir, founded in 2015, and has led the choir to achieve many international awards in choral festivals and competitions. To get in touch with Ken, you can email him at st.25_ken@hotmail.com or find him on Facebook (@ken.steven) or Instagram (@st.25ken).Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 3 episode from February 16, 2024, to hear how to share your story with us.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Text us about this show.Dave Schoepke is one talented guy. He's a drummer who composes songs for drums and creates some interesting and innovative albums comprised of these songs. On top of that he is the other half of Willy Porter's rhythm section (along with bassist Eric Madunic) and he's an accomplished drum teacher who has his methods published by Hal Leonard Publishing. He's drummed behind Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre and more recently found himself pounding the skins in US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as part of Sundown47 opening for Zach Bryan. You'd think this would expand one's ego, but hardly so with Dave. He simply enjoys drumming and sharing what he has to offer through his albums, performances, and teaching.For more about Dave, visit his website at daveschoepke.com."Spiraling Transmuter" written and performed by Dave Schoepke℗ 2024 Dave Schoepke. Used with permission of Dave Schoepke."Hold" written and performed by felsteg℗ 2024 3876691 Records DK. Used with permission of Dave Schoepke.Support the Show.Visit Into The Music at https://in2themusic.com or https://intothemusicpodcast.com!Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/intothemusic E-mail us at intothemusic@newprojectx.com YouTube Facebook Instagram INTO THE MUSIC is a production of Project X Productions, Appleton, WI.Host/producer: Rob MarnochaVoiceovers: Brad BordiniRecording, engineering, and post production: Rob MarnochaOpening theme: "Aerostar" by Los Straitjackets* (℗2013 Yep Roc Records)Closing theme: "Close to Champaign" by Los Straitjackets* (℗1999 Yep Roc Records)*Used with permission of Eddie Angel of Los StraitjacketsT...

Hal Leonard, the world's largest sheet music and music education publisher, and music innovators Muse Group, launch MuseClass, an assignment, grading, and music content platform set to transform instrumental teaching (grade 6-12) in the U.S. MuseClass allows music educators and band directors to share, collect, and grade assignments on an easy-to-use platform, which also contains a curated library of educational content. Students receive assignments through the MuseClass app (available on iOS, Android & Chromebook), and can submit their progress as video or audio recordings, or upload worksheets.  One notable MuseClass feature is AutoGrade, the AI-powered practice tool. This pioneering technology listens to a student's performance and provides immediate feedback on timing and pitch, even for polyphonic instruments like piano or guitar. The tool can inspire students to repeat their practice sessions, or a teacher can set an AutoGrade challenge as an assignment. At launch, MuseClass includes free digital content from Hal Leonard's iconic Essential Elements, the gold-standard curriculum for bands and strings in the U.S. now available in concert with next-generation digital tools for the first time. The content library is set to rapidly expand in the coming school year with pedagogical scores and method books drawn from Hal Leonard's exclusively licensed, premium arrangements — current titles span everything from Taylor Swift and The Beatles to John Williams and Disney soundtracks. Teachers can also compose their own exercises or worksheets with MuseScore Studio, Muse Group's award-winning, intuitive notation software. The platform is completely free for all schools until August 1 2025 and will continue to be developed with close feedback from music educators. In year two, MuseClass remains free for teachers, with a $15.99 annual cost per student and custom offerings for school districts. MuseClass marks the first major release since Hal Leonard joined digital-content and technology leader Muse Group last year, with a shared vision to provide unparalleled access to the best resources to music makers worldwide. The new MuseClass reworks a Muse Group prototype, which is transformed with the addition of Hal Leonard's content catalog and unparalleled 70 years of experience collaborating with U.S. educators. The AutoGrade tool within MuseClass is the next step in the evolution of Muse Group's machine learning listening technology. In September 2023, the iPad app StaffPad launched ‘Piano Capture,' a feature that hears real piano performances and converts them into readable sheet music — technology recently spotlighted in Apple's M4 chiplaunch. In January 2024, the same capability was deployed in Ultimate Guitar's Practice Mode, extending this breakthrough technology to millions of digital music makers. Now in MuseClass' AutoGrade, a whole generation of young learners can enjoy the benefits of practicing and improving instrumental skills with AI-guidance. In the future, the MuseClass feature set and content library is set to expand based on the evolving needs of U.S. teachers — including print offerings for band leaders and Google Classroom integration. MuseClass software for Kindergarten to Grade 6 educators and for regions outside the U.S. is also coming soon.  MuseClass is available now, and completely free to get started in 2024. ‍

The past two years have seen enormous growth and development at ArrangeMe, and today on the show Scott Harris is here to break it all down and talk about the future of the program. We hit all the big topics: the acquisition of Hal Leonard by Muse Group, the expanded distribution of ArrangeMe titles through the Pass Program, the redesign of the Sheet Music Plus website, Artificial Intelligence, and much more! Join the world's largest self-publishing community at ⁠⁠⁠ArrangeMe.com⁠⁠⁠ today. --- Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sellingsheetmusic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode transcripts and additional resources for publishers and composers. Subscribe to Garrett Breeze on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for video versions of the podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garrett-breeze/support

Sarah Jeffery is a wonderful and versatile recorder player based in the Netherlands, known worldwide for her outreach with her YouTube project Team Recorder, which at the time of this podcast release has well over 205,000 very engaged followers. She is the Recorder Professor specializing in Contemporary music at the Royal College in London, and we talked about her work teaching recorder technique, improvisation in different styles, her varied career including experimental theatre and her synesthesia which directly informs her work as a musician. There's lots more to this wide-ranging episode, which features some fantastic recorder performances as well.  Transcript and Video link on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/sarah-jeffery-of-team-recorder Sarah Jeffery website: https://sarahjeffery.com/ Bach Sarabande: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9paJfIegQ3Q Constellations album https://team-recorder.myshopify.com/collections/audio Support this podcast in several ways! Merch store: https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more Buy me a coffee? Monthly or one-time support through Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks! Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman photo: Claudia Hansen Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:49) Team Recorder (06:37) winning the International Nordhorn Competition  (09:13) album Constellations, about Vermont Counterpoint Steve Reich (11:41) excerpt from Vermont Counterpoint by Steve Reich (13:46) trio axoLot (14:54) excerpt from Virgo splendens with trio axoLot  (16:14) Austro (17:54) excerpt from Austro by Giorgio Tedde (19:28) recorder family (20:46) synesthesia (23:39) recorder challenges (26:04) Bach Sarabande G major Cello Suite on bass recorder (29:32) parenting and music education (32:11) please support the podcast! (33:01) community of recorder players, importance of music education funding, Team Recorder (37:17) mentors in England, encouragement to pursue music from high school teachers (41:08) moving to the Netherlands, learning Dutch (43:58) teaching improvisation, SoundLAB Amsterdam (47:42) improvisation, band Jerboah (49:35) Walking with Jerboah (55:17) interesting theatre performances, Jetse Batelaan (01:01:19) challenges with lack of arts funding (01:02:23) Royal College recorder department, historical instruments 3D printing (01:05:57) studio work, Bob's Burgers (01:06:58) approach to teaching, the future of Team Recorder, Schott publishing books and Hal Leonard 

Scott Harris, program director of Hal Leonard's ArrangeMe is back on the show to introduce ArrangeMe PRO, a new subscription which unlocks new features for users including a higher royalty rate, expanded distribution on the InStore network, publisher profile pages, and more! Join the world's largest self-publishing community at ⁠⁠ArrangeMe.com⁠⁠ today. --- Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sellingsheetmusic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode transcripts and additional resources for publishers and composers. Subscribe to Garrett Breeze on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for video versions of the podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garrett-breeze/support

Full Rig Info: https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundown/helmet-2024Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube“I could not exist without guitar,” admits Helmet founding lead guitarist and singer Page Hamilton. “I know this to be true because I'm a miserable asshole if I don't play guitar. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is play guitar. It's an incredible instrument and I just love it.”But what does one do with that creative codependency? Page Hamilton's impactful contributions to rock music were cemented when Helmet wrote and recorded a pair of back-to-back blisters with 1992's Meantime and 1994's Betty. Those pillars of '90s alternative metal and guitar granite forever chiseled out his place in hard-rock history. Since 1989, Hamilton and Helmet have dished out a total of nine studio albums (plus a live set) that balance punishing, fastened-down ferocity with mercurial moments of melody that make their sledgehammer fall harder. Beyond that legacy, Page was a part of David Bowie's band for the 1999 Hours tour, playing Saturday Night Live and being included on two live albums from the Starman. Further diversifying his guitar vocabulary, he's contributed to several film scores for Heat, Titus, In Dreams, Catwoman, and Chicago Cab. He's explored the instrument's outer realms with German avant-garde guitarist Caspar Brötzmann on a live improv album (1996's Zulutime), and expanded his vocabulary by diving into jazz guitar, noting in our Rundown he'll release an album next year. Hamilton has even put out a guitar instruction DVD, Sonic Shapes: Expanding Rock Guitar Vocabulary for Hal Leonard. All of this (and more) accomplished because guitar is his lifeblood.And we found out during our Rig Rundown—filmed May 7, 2024 at Nashville's Exit/In—that most of this material was spawned from three key ingredients, all still in his rig: ESP Horizon guitars, Fryette amps, and DiMarzio humbuckers. These partnerships with each company are not gratuitous or grifting. He's been aligned with ESP since 1989. He started working with DiMarzio in the early '90s, and he and Steven Fryette have sharpened his sound since 1996. These three friendships have fostered an integral strand in Page's tonal DNA, and Hamilton covers each at length with us. Plus, he breaks down the simplifying move from a complicated Bradshaw rack-switching system to something more modern and efficient, with five Boss boxes and a duo of H9s.Shop Page Hamilton's Gear:ESP LTD Horizon 87 Solidbody Electric Guitar - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/9gKdg4 DiMarzio Air Norton - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k0x2O0 D'Addario EXL140 XL Strings - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/anEGON Eventide H9 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/baQr0x Boss MT-2W Metal Zone Waza Craft - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/AW4MPK Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/1r4d9D Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/JzDdK2 Boss ES-5 Effects Switching System - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQgj6K Pedaltrain Nano+ - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/XYJ9mGFull Rig Info: https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundown/helmet-2024Subscribe to PG's Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTubeWin Guitar Gear: https://bit.ly/GiveawaysPG Don't Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENLMerch & Magazines: https://shop.premierguitar.comPG's Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierguitarPG's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierguitar/PG's Twitter: https://twitter.com/premierguitarPG's Threads: https://threads.net/@premierguitarPG's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierguitar0:00 - D'Addario Strings0:15 - Chris Kies Intro1:43 - Page Hamilton Intro3:09 - ESP LTD PH-6004:23 - ESP LTD...

We last visited with Steinberg’s product marketing manager Daniel Spreadbury on the podcast upon the release of Dorico 4 in January 2022, and more recently last summer in Berlin at the MOLA conference in a panel discussion with his colleagues and competitors in the music notation software industry. Although Dorico didn’t have much of a presence at the 2024 NAMM Show, we welcome the opportunity to visit with Daniel here in a similar manner that we did with many of those colleagues and competitors at NAMM. We start not by focusing on the latest Dorico features, although we do discuss those. Instead, we speak with Daniel about how the Dorico community influences product development, to what extent Steinberg prioritizes customer requests and specific features, and how they balance those with some of the more long-term vision that they may have for the product. He gives us a sense of Dorico’s role within these companies, from a strategic, philosophical, and technical perspective. We explore how much of what they’re doing is done with the other products and services in mind, how those decisions are made, and how Dorico users benefit. We also talk about industry changes and how those philosophies end up shaping what customers see on their screens and even what kind of music they create. If you didn't hear our NAMM wrap-up episode, and interviews with NAMM CEO John Mlynczak, Avid's Sam Butler, MakeMusic's Jason Wick, and Muse Group’s Jack Sutton, check those out in the Scoring Notes podcast feed. More from Scoring Notes: Dorico 5 review: Moving the music forward Dorico 5.1: Filling the gaps Dorico 5.1.10 update is available Dorico 5.1.21 update is available NAMM 2024: An interview with Muse Group’s Jack Sutton NAMM 2024: An interview with MakeMusic’s Jason Wick NAMM 2024: An interview with Avid’s Sam Butler NAMM 2024: Wrap-up and interview with CEO John Mlynczak NAMM 2024: John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO NAMM 2024: Muse Group's Jack Sutton on Hal Leonard, MuseScore development and more NAMM 2024: MakeMusic's Jason Wick on MakeMusic Cloud, Finale, and more NAMM 2024: Avid's Sam Butler on upcoming Sibelius features, Android app, and more NAMM 2024: Exhibition mission

Michael Sweeney has changed the landscape of music education by his accessible arrangements of master works for Concert Band and Jazz Band. Editor at Hal Leonard since 1982 - Michael Sweeney spends time with us for this first part of a two-part series on all things band - including some highlights of his music. To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of⁠ growingband.com⁠ Our mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years. Connect with us with comments or ideas ⁠Visit our merchandise store to purchase exclusive swag from The Growing Band Director Podcast ⁠ Follow the show: ⁠Podcast website : Growingband.com⁠ ⁠On Youtube The Growing Band Director⁠  ⁠Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast Group⁠ ⁠Instagram @thegrowingbanddirector⁠ ⁠Tik Tok @thegrowingbanddirector⁠ If you like what you hear please: Leave a Five Star Review and  Share us with another band director! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kyle-smith95/support

At the 2024 NAMM Show, we interviewed representatives from the businesses in our field of music notation software and related technology. Today's podcast episode is a conversation Philip Rothman had with Jack Sutton, Muse Group's head of communications. Jack's first visit to NAMM coincided with the company's first official presence at the show as the parent company of Hal Leonard, which they recently acquired. We spoke about some early fruits of that deal and the longer-term plans that they have for the future of their combined business, which brings together cutting-edge digital products with a vast library of published content. We also discussed MuseScore and the latest developments with their flagship notation product, and specifically the improvements they've made, and plan to make, in the areas of guitar and percussion music, as well as the overall quality of output that they hope to achieve with MuseScore in the future. If you didn't hear our NAMM wrap-up episode, and interviews with NAMM CEO John Mlynczak, Avid's Sam Butler, and MakeMusic's Jason Wick, check those out in the Scoring Notes podcast feed. More from Scoring Notes: NAMM 2024: An interview with MakeMusic’s Jason Wick NAMM 2024: An interview with Avid’s Sam Butler NAMM 2024: Wrap-up and interview with CEO John Mlynczak NAMM 2024: John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO NAMM 2024: Muse Group's Jack Sutton on Hal Leonard, MuseScore development and more NAMM 2024: MakeMusic's Jason Wick on MakeMusic Cloud, Finale, and more NAMM 2024: Avid's Sam Butler on upcoming Sibelius features, Android app, and more NAMM 2024: Exhibition mission

At the 2024 NAMM Show, we interviewed representatives from the businesses in our field of music notation software and related technology. Today's podcast episode is a conversation Philip Rothman had with Jason Wick, MakeMusic's director of product development. Jason talked with me about their MakeMusic Cloud product, including their Practice tool, Sight Reading Studio, a free online composing application, and their classroom suite. We also discussed MakeMusic's tight integration with the Alfred Publishing side of their company, the future of Finale, and more broadly considered the company's values and strategies in today's landscape of industry consolidation. Come back next week for another great conversation from the NAMM Show. And if you didn't hear our NAMM wrap-up episode, and interviews with NAMM CEO John Mlynczak and Avid's Sam Butler, check those out in the Scoring Notes podcast feed. More from Scoring Notes: NAMM 2024: An interview with Avid’s Sam Butler NAMM 2024: Wrap-up and interview with CEO John Mlynczak NAMM 2024: John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO NAMM 2024: Muse Group's Jack Sutton on Hal Leonard, MuseScore development and more NAMM 2024: MakeMusic's Jason Wick on MakeMusic Cloud, Finale, and more NAMM 2024: Avid's Sam Butler on upcoming Sibelius features, Android app, and more NAMM 2024: Exhibition mission

At the 2024 NAMM Show, we interviewed representatives from the businesses in our field of music notation software and related technology. Today's podcast episode is a conversation Philip Rothman had with Sam Butler, Avid's director of product management. Sam talked with us about the new Sibelius features that Avid previewed at NAMM, the new Android application, and Sibelius Cloud publishing improvements. Come back the next couple of weeks for more conversations from the NAMM Show. And if you didn't hear our NAMM wrap-up episode, check that out in the podcast feed — David MacDonald and Philip Rothman review all the industry news and analyze what it means for you. More from Scoring Notes: NAMM 2024: Wrap-up and interview with CEO John Mlynczak NAMM 2024: John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO NAMM 2024: Muse Group's Jack Sutton on Hal Leonard, MuseScore development and more NAMM 2024: MakeMusic's Jason Wick on MakeMusic Cloud, Finale, and more NAMM 2024: Avid's Sam Butler on upcoming Sibelius features, Android app, and more NAMM 2024: Exhibition mission

The 2024 NAMM Show was full of exciting news, products — and, most of all, the interesting people that create the news and products. Especially as it pertains to the Scoring Notes beat of music notation software and related technology, there was a lot to cover, and many miles were logged in service of bringing as much of the experience back to our audience. David MacDonald and Philip Rothman review each of the major interviews that took place for Scoring Notes during the show with representatives from Avid, MakeMusic, and Muse Group. We also more generally analyze the experience, the information, and what it means for the year ahead in the field. Concluding this episode is a special interview with John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO of NAMM in which we discuss his roots in the music notation field and its importance to the philosophy of the organization. Stay tuned all this month to the Scoring Notes podcast feed, where each week we will bring special bonus coverage of interviews with Avid’s Sam Butler, MakeMusic’s Jason Wick, and Muse Group’s Jack Sutton, as they each talk about their respective products and companies, and discuss their strategies and approaches to their business. More on Scoring Notes: NAMM 2024: John Mlynczak on his first show as president and CEO NAMM 2024: Muse Group's Jack Sutton on Hal Leonard, MuseScore development and more NAMM 2024: MakeMusic's Jason Wick on MakeMusic Cloud, Finale, and more NAMM 2024: Avid's Sam Butler on upcoming Sibelius features, Android app, and more NAMM 2024: Exhibition mission

With the Muse Group acquisition of Hal Leonard, and Dorico, MuseScore, Sibelius, and Finale all freshly updated, 2023 is going out with a bang. We gather round the fire and discuss all the news, as we get ready for the year ahead in music notation software and related technology. More on Scoring Notes: Muse Group acquires Hal Leonard Dorico 5.1: Filling the gaps MuseScore 4.2 adds more guitar features and improves scores with parts Sibelius 2023.11: Sonoma support, more system object positions, better Keypad Finale version 27.4 supports macOS Sonoma, true black printing, other fixes