Heavenly Holst - What "The Planets" Means to Me as a Composer and as a Performer

Image Credit: Nasa.gov

An enjoyable and accessible piece of music, The Planets is a 7-movement suite that every composer wishes they'd written. But what about the performers - do they enjoy performing the work as much as audiences like to hear it?

Top 10 Most Annoying Instruments

Who will it be? Who will win the prize? (There's no prize.)

I base this on a random, completely unscientific survey of musicians that I know and happen to talk to on a semi-regular basis. All hate can be directed to the comments.

What's That Weird Sound? Brass Edition

I decided to write about brass instruments and effects a few weeks earlier than I anticipated, mostly because I needed something loud in my headphones to drown out the car alarm that's been going off in the parking lot for the past 4 (yes, FOUR) hours. Unlike the string family, the brass instrument family wildly varies in size, tone, timbre, articulation, and technique.

May the Fourth be With You: Jedis, Jawa, and John Williams

Star Wars! Because who hasn't blasted the soundtrack while preparing for an audition or interview? (Just me, then?) This music is the definition of iconic, and even people who hate Star Wars know the music. With John Williams at the helm, who would expect anything different?