Music Student 101

We are musicians, composers, engineers, teachers and students alike. The path through academia, as a musician, can be challenging and uncertain but it can also be enriching and great fun! This is the path we chose and we are here as your resource. Explore theory, history, ear training, technique, special topics and overall musicianship.

130-Listener Compositions Pt.7 03/28/2024

130-Listener Compositions Pt.7 It is time for our 7th Listener Compositions episode. So let's enjoy the talents of our listeners! This episode will feature the original music of Fred Lancia, Mark Christie, Evan Bjork, Tom Richardson, Nikita Menkov and Devin Montes. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/30587848

129-Perfect Pitch 02/27/2024

129-Perfect Pitch One out of every 10,000 people have absolute pitch (a.k.a perfect pitch). Many more, epecially musicians, wish they could have it. It's time to discuss this phenomenon and how it differs from relative pitch! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/30141738

128-Form and Analysis Pt.5-Baroque Forms 01/29/2024

128-Form and Analysis Pt.5-Baroque Forms Continuing our discussion from Ep.114, we will now focus on some of the more widely known forms of the Baroque period (1600-1750 CE). We will discuss the church and chamber sonatas, the French overture, the dance suites and the fugue, just to name a few. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/29686758

127-Harmonic Progression Pt.11-Neapolitan Chord 10/29/2023

127-Harmonic Progression Pt.11-Neapolitan Chord The Neapolitan chord is a great tool for modulation and for adding intrigue to any chord progression. In this episode, we will talk about it. We will listen to it. We will test our ears and their ability to identify it! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/28451090

126-Native American Music Pt.1 09/29/2023

126-Native American Music Pt.1 Today there are hundreds of Native American communities on the continents of North and South America. With each, their own cultures, cuisines, languages and rituals. But at the heart of all of these communities are dance and music. Let's learn about the sounds and origins of their music! This episode will focus on North America (Canada, The United States and Mexico). /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/28175069

125-Altered Chords Pt.4 08/27/2023

125-Altered Chords Pt.4 Continuing from episode 112 (Altered Chords Pt.3), we will top off our discussion of altered chords. Ready your theory brain for coloristic chord successions, chromatic sequences and non sequential linear processes! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/27858231

124-Instrument Care Pt.4-Woodwinds 07/29/2023

124-Instrument Care Pt.4-Woodwinds To keep your woodwinds sounding their best, it's important to keep them safe, clean and properly maintained. In this episode, we will review the instruments of the wood wind family: the oboe, clarinet, saxophone, flute and bassoon. We will also discuss the many parts involved and how to properly care for them. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/27598581

123-Melodic Dictation Pt.6-Lydian Mode 06/28/2023

123-Melodic Dictation Pt.6-Lydian Mode Melodic dictation, the act of transcribing and notating a melody by ear, is a crucial skill for a musician to cultivate. In this episode, we will focus on the Lydian mode. Let's listen! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/27316083

122-Sound Engineering (feat. Raymond Calhoun) 04/28/2023

122-Sound Engineering (feat. Raymond Calhoun) The sound engineer is the driving force behind a good listening experience at any live concert. If you enjoy the tech end of the music world, you will enjoy what our special guest, Raymond Calhoun, has to say. This career path can lead to some awesome places and some amazing people. So let's get mixing! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/26680233

121-Harmonic Rhythm 03/28/2023

121-Harmonic Rhythm Harmonic rhythm addresses the rate in which chord changes occur within a piece of music. On the surface, it seems like a simple concept. On a deeper level there's so much more to discuss. So let's discuss! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/26369094

120-Listener Compositions Pt.6 02/28/2023

120-Listener Compositions Pt.6 It is time to add yet more listeners to our composing community! They work hard, that we may listen hard! So let us listen! This episode will feature the original music of: Visa Oscar, Alex Turnbull, Aubriel, Lemongrass, Neal Malley and Steve From an Undisclosed Subterranean Location. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/26085606

119-Animals and Music Pt.1 01/29/2023

119-Animals and Music Pt.1 Do animals appreciate music? Do they create their own music? Could they benefit from exposure to the right kind of music? The field of zoomusicology attempts to address some of these questions. In this episode, we will revisit some scientific studies involving primates, pets and some of our underwater friends. It's gonna be a wild time! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/25757934

118-Harmonic Progression Pt. 10 (Augmented 6th Chords) 12/29/2022

118-Harmonic Progression Pt. 10 (Augmented 6th Chords) On this episode, we will dig deeper into augmented sixth (+6) chords. We will discuss the difference between these chords and the standard augmented triad. We will discuss the three types: Italian, French and German. Then we will test our ears to see if we can identify them in a chord progression. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/25452681

117-Melodic Organization and Thematic Development 11/29/2022

117-Melodic Organization and Thematic Development Once you've written a theme, or a main melody, there are a number of ways you can develop it and organize it into your overall piece. Repetition, transposition, expansion, contraction, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, variation and melodic sequences are just a few of the many ways this can be achieved. Let's, listen! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/25157757

116-What Makes Scary Music Scary? 10/28/2022

116-What Makes Scary Music Scary? What makes scary music scary? We can only SPOOKULATE! Join us as we examine some well known scary scores in the classic music and cinematic genres. We will discuss some reoccurring themes, such as the dreaded "Dies Irae". We will discuss reoccurring intervals, such as the minor 2nd and the tritone. Grab your pop corn and maybe don't listen all by yourself. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/24836496

115-Music and Productivity 09/30/2022

115-Music and Productivity Does listening to music make you more productive? Does it elevate your mood and help you get through your chores. Many have asked this question. Many have researched the answer. Let us discuss! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/24550164

114-Form and Analysis Pt. 4-Rondo 08/28/2022

114-Form and Analysis Pt. 4-Rondo Moving forward in our discussion of form and analysis, we will dig deep into the rondo form. We will listen to a popular example, Fur Elise, and yap about the form in real time. Ready your theory brains! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/24184200

113-Melodic Dictation Pt.5-Aeolian Mode 07/27/2022

113-Melodic Dictation Pt.5-Aeolian Mode Melodic dictation, the act of transcribing and notating a melody by ear, is a crucial skill for a musician to cultivate. In this episode, we will focus on the Aeolian mode (a.k.a. the natural minor scale). Tune in and tune your ears! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/23881617

112-Altered Chords Pt.3 06/28/2022

112-Altered Chords Pt.3 Continuing our discussion from episode 106, we will find yet more ways to alter chords. We will listen to non-dominant, extended tertian chords. We will marvel at the common tone diminished chord. We will revisit linear chromaticism and reckon with the appoggiatura chord. Finally, we will ponder a few good simultaneities! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/23562362

111-Music and War 05/28/2022

111-Music and War Musical instruments, compositions and techniques have served many purposes. Some were for communication, some for support and some for intimidation and the extraction of information. On this episode, we discuss music and war, from some of the earliest accounts to the modern era! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/23257355

110-Listener Compositions Pt.5 04/27/2022

110-Listener Compositions Pt.5 Once again, the students become the teachers! There's so much talent among our listeners, we simply must feature it. So, get ready to listen and discuss! This episode will feature the original music of: Treybien/Alex, Gerald P. David, Linda Felcone, Rev. Jack Ladybird, Adam Hayes, Kara Ciezki and Andersonlane /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/22935023

109-Harmonic Progression Pt.9 (vii/IV, vii/iv, vii/VII) 03/28/2022

109-Harmonic Progression Pt.9 (vii/IV, vii/iv, vii/VII) Continuing where episode 98 left off, we will top off our ear training for secondary seven chords. We will listen how to tonicize the IV chord (in major and minor) and the VII chord in (minor). Then, we will test our ears with some chord progressions... a.k.a. Jeremy Torture! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/22588196

108-Reading Music Pt.2 02/28/2022

108-Reading Music Pt.2 Resuming from the previous episode, it's time to top off our discussion on reading music. We're going to take it back to the basics with the clefs, the lines and spaces of the staves, the notes they represent and some methods for grouping them. We'll also cover the notes and rests, their symbols, and the time values they represent. Finally, we'll cover some dynamics, tempo and form indicators that we may have missed in past episodes! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/22275068

107-Reading Music Pt.1 01/28/2022

107-Reading Music Pt.1 Reading music is a complex but essential skill for one who wants to learn and reproduce new melodies or songs. On this episode, we will discuss some tips and philosophies on how to approach reading and sight reading music. We will also share some of our own experiences and challenges in this endeavor. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/21927659

106-Altered Chords Pt.2 12/28/2021

106-Altered Chords Pt.2 Continuing our discussion from episode 88, we will dig deeper into extended tertian harmonies from a theory perspective with the 9th, 11th and 13th chords. We will listen to chords with substituted 6ths and raised and flatted 5ths. We will discuss how they work in traditional, and in not so traditional, ways! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/21612782

105-Melodic Dictation Pt.4-Dorian Mode 11/30/2021

105-Melodic Dictation Pt.4-Dorian Mode Melodic dictation, the act of transcribing and notating a melody by ear, is a crucial skill for a musician to cultivate. In this episode, we will focus on the Dorian mode and some of the chords that compliment it. It has one small difference from the minor scale, or Aeolean mode. Let's listen! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/21318968

104-Studio Effects Pt.1 10/28/2021

104-Studio Effects Pt.1 If you love to play music, you probably love the idea of recording. Once you plug in, or approach the microphone, you may find some of these effects to be a great help. With dynamics, such as compression, limiting and gate, you can tame your volume levels. With equalization (EQ), you can add or subtract frequencies to better shape your sounds. And with reverb, to can add depth and dimension to an otherwise sterile sound by adding the reflections that would otherwise occur in large spaces. /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/20976254

103-Temperament 09/30/2021

103-Temperament Today's most widely used tuning system is equal temperament. It sounds great to our ears. But it is a compromise! Musicians and mathematicians have always struggled finding tuning systems that didn't compromise the pure tones provided within the natural harmonic series. On this episode, we will discuss these struggles and the systems that arose from this effort: just tuning, Pythagorean tuning, meantone tuning, well temperament and equal temperament! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/20653316

102-Enharmonic Reinterpretation 08/27/2021

102-Enharmonic Reinterpretation Follow along as we delve into enharmonic spellings and reinterpretation and the various reasons why they are necessary. We will also demonstrate some great ways to use these reinterpretations for some snappy modulations to far away places! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/20289692

101-Listener Compositions Pt.4 07/28/2021

101-Listener Compositions Pt.4 It is time for us to give a listener to another round of fantastic listener compositions! They work hard, that we may listen hard! /episode/index/show/musicstudent101/id/19963295

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