We might think that Madonna or Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus take the cake when it comes to music controversy. You might be hard pressed to find classical composers twerking, but many were controversial in their day.  Miley Cyrus twerking on the Video Music Awards show might seem more burlesque than Beethoven, but many classical composers were controversial in their day. Do you think we would be talking about Lady Gaga as much if she didn't wear a meat dress or what if Madonna hadn't come up with her scandalous book and controversial music videos?  As they say in showbiz, "All publicity is good publicity." Now let's jump back to classical music. As a humanities professor for over a decade I find the irony is that much of the classical music that we listen to today actually was the "popular" or "mainstream" music of their era. Before movie theaters and television and Youtube there were concerts, operas, and private recitals. Were there ...

MUSIC SECRETS EXCLUSIVE: Is Being an Indie Musician Right for You? An indie musician or music composer today needs to learn these three must-read tips regarding technology, media, and music marketing to make it in the ever changing music industry. Top tips from a music professional.  Media technology has enabled industrialized nations and nations that have made significant recent technological advances to develop new and innovative ways of expressing music. Musicians use everything from video games to the internet to apps to interactive multimedia works to bring music and the arts to a higher level of interactive experience and artistry. Rock Band and Reverbnation For example, the popular video game Rock Band allows indie bands to submit music for the online video game store through a music distributor called Reverbnation. An independent musician can have their music played on the video game console along with Metallica, the Beatles , and Green Day! Video games are cha...

Success in Music During the Digital Age How can a musician achieve success during the Digital Age? Can we all be the next Lady Gaga or Bieber? What does it take to make it in the 21 century?  In the last several years, you might have noticed that some big name "oldies" bands have hit the road again. Why? Because they can make more money on concert tickets and music merch. Some bands need this to survive (or to at least keep up with their mega mansions and lifestyles), but I think that the majority of musicians that are going to make it today will have to be content with less lavish lifestyles and fame. Sure, we will always have the Lady Gaga and the Bieber making their way through the music scene , but there will be thousands of other musicians balancing a "day job" with their love of music. I think that part of the digital revolution is the new definition of "success". Does a successful musician have to have a limo, three mansions, and a dozen o...

From Budgeting to Licensing, What Every Pro Knows  All Your Music Are Belong To Us Amateur or Professional Film Director, these insider tips will save you serious dough when putting together the music soundtrack for your science fiction film .CONTENT: Creating a science fiction film music score today involves more than simply taking your nearest theremin emulator and creating some whacked out sine waves or editing in Zowie's "Broken Machine".  While writing science fiction film music might seem pretty simple,  a good film score always keeps the story and main characters in mind,  whether the music represents killer ants from outer space, Transformers, or zombie grandmothers from the planet Mars. Follow these professional film music tips to get the most out of your science fiction film music score. 1. When is the science fiction film set? Whether you direct the latest possible Hollywood blockbuster or a film school indie project, ...