Music Publishing Royalties: A Primer

February 21, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Thinking about writing some songs or compositions? Considering trying to generate a new source of revenue by putting music on streaming services like Spotify, or uploading videos to YouTube? Check out a series of informative webinars: The World of Music Publishing Royalties, by SongTrust. In addition to the webinar recordings, you can also download and […]

3 Questions to Help Evaluate Your Marketing

February 14, 2019 In: Sound Bits

I know, we are oversaturated with marketing these days. Social media ads, robo-calls, TV commercials, YouTube ads, junk mail…it goes on and on. But I think it’s important to periodically evaluate how we are marketing our work – as a freelance musician, an ensemble, a presenting organization, a community music school, or something else! These […]

3 Excellent Tax Resources for Musicians

February 7, 2019 In: Sound Bits

It’s that time of year again – tax season! I know, it’s not actually that exciting. But even though taxes can be complicated and frustrating, you can save yourself some money if you do them well. A new tax law went into effect for 2018, so things will be a little different this year. We’ve […]

7 Tips for Using Skype / FaceTime in Professional Work

January 31, 2019 In: Sound Bits

The advent of technologies like Skype and FaceTime have allowed musicians to connect with (and work with) other musicians around the world, at a moment’s notice! Certainly other industries are using video conferencing for work meetings, presentations, and more. In music, we can do the same. We can use these tools to hold board meetings, […]

One of the Most Inspiring Quotes about Being a Musician

January 24, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Karl Paulnack, currently the Dean of the Ithaca College School of Music, was previously the Director of the Music Division at Boston Conservatory.  In a welcome address he gave to the parents of an incoming Freshman class at BC (and in an address to the students as well) he said: “If we were a medical […]

Video: 3 Principles for Web Design

January 18, 2019 In: Sound Bits

In a concise, 20-minute video presentation, Joseph Van der Stel walks us through 3 key principles of web design. These principles will help you develop a critical eye for website design, and will also provide a valuable perspective if you are embarking on a new website or redesign.

7 Copyright Resources to Help You in 2019

January 9, 2019 In: Sound Bits

Happy New Year! Do you have a new year’s resolution to learn more about copyright and its implications on your work? We thought so! That is precisely why we have put together this handy list of resources for you: Video: Copyright Basics | A great 6-minute tutorial from the Copyright Clearance Center Copyright Term and […]

2018 Editor’s Choice

December 13, 2018 In: Sound Bits

First, thanks to all our readers out there! We appreciate you and always strive to provide you with practical, helpful content that will be useful and inspiring to you. As we look back on 2018, we thought we would do a round up of some of the content that resonated the most. Here goes: An […]

Spotlight on Innovation: South Dakota Symphony Hosts Youth Composition Academies

December 10, 2018 In: Ahead of the Beat

The following post was written by the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, a 2017 Paul R. Judy Center Grant Recipient. “The world of Symphonic Classical Music needs new voices, we need to hear what’s in the minds of young people today to refresh our music and continue its evolution… This has been a great opportunity to […]

Sir Simon Rattle’s 7 Pieces of Advice for Young Musicians

December 5, 2018 In: Sound Bits

These nuggets of advice from Sir Simon Rattle can really apply to musicians at any point in their career. Certainly young musicians, yes. But also the rest of us too. I think these are some of the most thoughtful pieces of advice for musicians that I have ever read. The writer doesn’t simply say, “make […]