Musicality Now

Melissa Mulligan is a vocal coach and advisor to top Billboard-charting artists, and the founder of the highly popular Music Career Accelerator program at MastermindRoad.com.   In this mini-interview she shares her take on "talent" and what really matters in crafting a successful music career or non-professional musical journey.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 253   Links and Resources • MastermindRoad.com, home of Music Career Accelerator • Register for the upcoming live training at YourMusicalCore.com!     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We had a really interesting comment on YouTube this week, which boiled down to:   "Learning from notation, and the traditional teaching methods worked for me - so why should I change it? P.S. I'm offended that you're criticising what's worked for me and lots of others."   There is a LOT to unpack in this one! Here's my response.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 252   Links and Resources • Register for the upcoming live training at YourMusicalCore.com • Gregg Goodhart online   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Meet Musical U's Head Educator, Andrew Bishko and discover the fascinating musical background which produced his unique skillset and made him the perfect match for Musical U!   In this interview we dive into Andrew's musical background, featuring piano, flute (classical, jazz and Native American), reggae, Klezmer, mariachi and more. We hear how he gradually learned to play by ear and improvise, developing his own methods and techniques which he then began to teach his students.   Then, in a surprising and unlikely way, how he found his way onto the Musical U team, contributing in a content editing and member support before starting to create and oversee the development of new material inside Musical U membership, culminating in the Living Music and Next Level programs.   Andrew also shares three weird and surprising things which can have a big positive impact on your musical development.   REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING LIVE TRAINING! → YourMusicalCore.com     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 251   Links and Resources • Andrew's interview with CNVS • Andrew's interview with Dave Bainbridge • Meet the Team: Andrew Bishko (2017 interview) • Musicality Now: The Musicality of Sitting on a Rock (2018 podcast interview) • Next Level Coaching • Coaches Corner, Episode 1 • Register for the upcoming live training at YourMusicalCore.com   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Join Christopher and the Next Level coaching team to discover the latest tips, tricks and techniques you can use to advance in your own musical life.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 250   Links and Resources • Gregg Goodhart, "The Learning Coach" • Learn more about Next Level Coaching     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We had a great question from @Lutemann on YouTube this week:  "So I wanted to be able to play on sax what I hear in my head.  I wrote out 60 diatonic patterns (Example: 5, 4, 1, 7, 6, 8). Then I would pick a key and sing these patterns while fingering notes on the sax.  I did this for a couple of months and got no results.  Do you think I gave up too soon?" Here's my answer.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 249   Links and Resources • @Lutemann on YouTube, thanks for the question! • Musicality Now: Q&A: What can you do if you struggle to audiate (imagine music)? • Ear training: How long does it take? • Musicality Now: Is it time to “break up” with music? • Musicality Now: When to stick with it – and when to move on   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Dive into rhythmic improvisation in this segment of Jeffrey Agrell's Musical U masterclass on "Exploring Rhythmic Improv"!  In this beginning section, Jeffrey introduces a rhythm vocabulary, using simple hand-drumming as a way to experiment and explore. Then he shows how you can start improvising creatively just by mixing up bits of that rhythm vocab with accents, rests, note length and meter. Note: If you're listening to the audio only, you won't be able to see the patterns he's showing on screen, but you'll still be able to follow along. You might want to hit 'pause' and give yourself some extra time, or run through the exercises again afterwards.  Remember to have fun with it!   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 248   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - If It Makes You Laugh, GOOD! (with Jeffrey Agrell)     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We’re joined by Jeffrey Agrell, a returning guest on the show, and one of our absolute favourite music educators. Jeffrey has authored half a dozen books providing "games" which serve as a gateway into creativity and improvisation - even for the most buttoned-up, perfectionist classical players!   In this short conversation before his Musical U masterclass on Rhythm Improv Games, Jeffrey shares:   • Why one of his best character traits is... having a very high tolerance for looking foolish!   • An elegantly simple definition of Creativity: "it just means 'do something different'."   • And why something you play seeming silly or making you laugh is actually a GOOD thing.       Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 247   Links and Resources • Jeffrey Agrell online • Musicality Now - Making Improv a Game, with Jeffrey Agrell     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Join Musical U Director Christopher Sutton for a live update on the reboot of our video series and podcast, Musicality Now, including a sneak peek of exciting things to come...   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 246   Links and Resources Tune in Live on Facebook Tune in Live on Instagram Tune in Live on YouTube Next Level Coaching   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Scales... Most music learners think scales are just an exercise you've got to do as part of learning your instrument. But did you know there's actually a whole area of ear training dedicated to scales?   In fact there are two! In this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U we talk about these two types of scale ear training and how each can help you.   If you want to get more out of scales and ear training, don’t miss this episode.     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 245   Links and Resources • How to Make Scales Less Boring • Musicality Now - Music Theory You’ll Love to Learn, with Glory St. Germain • Musicality Now - About the Power of Solfa • Musicality Now - About Scales and their Flavors • Musicality Now - How to Improvise For Real, with David Reed   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Do you sometimes get the notes wrong when you sing?   At Musical U we strongly encourage every music learner to sing because of the huge positive impact it has on your musicality - but what if you find you just can't get the notes right? Here's a clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U where we talk about just that.   Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 244   Links and Resources • How to Learn to Sing in Tune • Musicality Now - Finding the Notes Yourself, with Sara Campbell • Musicality Now - About Singing as a Tool • Musicality Now - How to Sing Smarter, with Meghan Nixon • Musicality Now - Singing that Sounds Good – and Beyond, with Davin Youngs • Musicality Now - All Things Vocal, with Judy Rodman • Musicality Now - The Instrument Inside You, with Ben Parry • Musicality Now - What Your Voice Can Do, with Jeremy Fisher • Musicality Now - Find and Make Peace with Your Voice, with Nikki Loney • Musicality Now - About the Power of Solfa   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

If playing music is like speaking a language, how should we think about harmony, or playing two hands on piano?   We answer that question in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U. Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 243   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About the I, IV, V and vi Chords • Musicality Now - Choose Your Words Carefully, with Glory St. Germain (Ultimate Music Theory) • Musicality Now - In Perfect Swinging Harmony, with The Quebe Sisters • Introduction to Chord Progressions • What can you already play by ear? Harmony & Rhythm? • How To Sing Harmony Like A Pro   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Did you know that wearing good headphones is one of the easiest ways to improve your ear training? Why is that - and what exactly makes a pair of headphones "good"?   Learn how to choose the right headphones to level up your ears in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U. Enjoy!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 242   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About the Ear Training Trap • Musicality Now - About Active Listening • Musicality Now - About Listening as the Route to Musicality • Musicality Now - What Is Ear Training? (and why does it normally fail?) • Wired For Sound Part 4: Headphones • What are the best headphones for ear training?     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Audiation is one of the most powerful ways to develop your musicality - but what if you find you really struggle with it? In this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U we share some practical tips to help you audiate. Enjoy!   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 241   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - About Audiation • Musicality Now - Audiation and Thinking Music, with Cynthia Crump Taggart • Musicality Now - How to “Hear Like A Musician” • The Secret Music Practice Skill: Audiation   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Have you ever felt like you were guessing the answers while working on ear training? Believe it or not, that may not be a bad thing! Find out why in this clip from the archive of live member Q&A calls at Musical U - stay tuned!     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 240   Links and Resources • Musicality Now - What Is Ear Training? (and why does it normally fail?) • Musicality Now - Boosting Musical Brainpower, with Josh Turknett (Brainjo) • Musicality Now - Intervals Versus Solfa: Which Is Best? • The Ultimate Guide to Interval Ear Training • Musicality Now - About the Ear Training Trap     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We’re joined by Dylan Hart, one of the top French Horn players in Hollywood today. He has played on many well-known soundtracks including Moana, Frozen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Baywatch, The Good Place, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.   You’re about to hear Dylan’s unlikely journey to becoming a highly-successful session player, concert performer, and French horn teacher.    In this conversation Dylan shares:   • The importance of “getting out of your own way” when playing - and how to do that. • His unexpected advice on how to sight read at the extremely high level required of session players. • Why we must look for the root cause of problems rather than just treating symptoms - and how that applies to practicing off your instrument, sight-reading, and performing at your best under pressure.   In everything he does and teaches, Dylan has a focus on the inner instinct for music and a deep connection with your instrument. You’re going to love this conversation packed with thought-provoking ideas.     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 239   Links and Resources • Dylan Skye Hart Online • Annie Bosler Online • Norman Doidge - The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science • Daniel Coyle - The Talent Code • Daniel Coyle - The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills • Dr. Bob Rotella - Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect • Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan - The Breathing Gym • Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan - The Brass Gym: A Comprehensive Daily Workout for Brass Players • Jaume Rosset Llobet - A tono: Ejercicios para mejorar el rendimiento del músico • Alexander Technique • California State University Long Beach • Musicality Now - How The Best Play Their Best, with Annie Bosler • Musicality Now - Your Peak Performance Toolkit, with Mark Morley-Fletcher (Play In The Zone) • Musicality Now - The Keys to Performance Success, with Dr. Don Greene (Winning On Stage)     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

We are excited to bring you another inspiring edition of Pathways. In this special series of episodes you’ll hear the stories of music-learners just like you, reaching out and lending each other a hand on our musical journeys. We’re speaking with Oli Fuhrmann, a swing dancer and swing dance teacher from Berlin, Germany.   Oli started learning piano and trombone in the last three years to play the music he loves to dance to. He’s eager to try new things and happy to risk failure. You’ll hear how his attitude has really payed off for his music learning and the richness of his musical life.   In this conversation Oli shares:   • Why it was easy for him to start joining jam sessions despite being only a beginner-to-intermediate player - and a few specific tips for how you can make it easy for yourself. • How learning trombone was relatively simple after piano, and why he realised the importance of a good musical ear. • How he discovered the power of community support as part of his online learning.   Enjoy this episode and be inspired to be more bold and risk new endeavours in your own musical journey.     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 238   Links and Resources • Swingstep Online Courses • Mad Oli Facebook • Oliver Fuhrmann Facebook • Mad Oli Instagram • Musicality Now - Pathways: Nick Cheetham • Musicality Now - Pathways: Sharilynn Horhota • Musicality Now - The Truth About Talent, with Professor Anders Ericsson     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Have you been feeling stuck on something challenging in music? A section of a piece, a specific technique, an overall plateau, or maybe practice goes fine but then everything falls apart in live performance.   Have you felt like you just don’t have enough time for learning your instrument and learning new music? Maybe you feel like you’re putting in the time and effort but just don’t seem to be getting much payoff in terms of results.   Have you been frustrated by struggling to memorise things, or finding the things you did work hard to memorise slip away over time?   Or maybe it feels like whatever you try, you’re just spinning in circles, or tripping yourself up, so that you never quite make solid progress towards your musical goals - like there’s something continually sabotaging you - and it might just be all in your head.   If you’ve felt one or more of these frustrations in your musical life you are certainly not alone. And believe it or not, there’s a single solution which can quickly eliminate all of these challenges.   It’s time to re-learn what it means to “learn music”. It’s time to discover the techniques of musical superlearning.   What does that mean, exactly? That’s what we’re talking about in this special episode with Christopher and Andrew from the Musical U team: what does “musical superlearning” look like in practice, and is it right for you?     Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 237   Links and Resources • Musical Superlearning • Practice Q&A [1/5] How To Find More Music Practice Time, with Gregg Goodhart • Practice Q&A [2/5] How To Get Maximum Results In Minimum Time, with Gregg Goodhart • Practice Q&A [3/5] How To Conquer Tricky Sections And Break Through Plateaus, with Gregg Goodhart • Practice Q&A [4/5] How To Stay Consistent - Without Discipline, with Gregg Goodhart • Practice Q&A [5/5] How To Spend Practice Time And Prevent Overwhelm, with Gregg Goodhart     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Feeling overwhelmed by all the information about what to practice?   This is the fifth and last in a special series of episodes on how to tackle the biggest sticking points in your music learning. We recently surveyed our audience to learn about their experiences with music practice. The results were astounding! Across several hundred responses, we found a handful of really common and painfully frustrating practice issues – including, “How can I know what to practice?”   To answer these big burning questions, we invited Gregg Goodhart, The Learning Coach, back on the show. Gregg is a leading expert on how to apply all of the latest scientific research and understanding of how the brain learns to skill acquisition, including in music.   Learn what to focus your music practice on in this episode.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 236   Links and Resources • Learn Music Faster • Gregg Goodhart – Learning Coach • What is a Practiclass? Sax, cello, guitar, The Learn Like A Genius Institute • Learn Like A Genius – Piano Practiclass (Full), Houston, TX with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - How to Learn Like a Genius, with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - The Truth About Talent, with Professor Anders Ericsson • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience • Carol S. Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success • Barry J. Zimmerman - Dart Throwing Study     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Have you lost your motivation for practice?   This is the fourth in a special series of episodes on how to tackle the biggest sticking points in your music learning. We recently surveyed our audience to learn about their experiences with music practice. The results were astounding! Across several hundred responses, we found a handful of really common and painfully frustrating practice issues – including, “I feel bad because I don’t practice enough”   To answer these big burning questions, we invited Gregg Goodhart, The Learning Coach, back on the show. Gregg is a leading expert on how to apply all of the latest scientific research and understanding of how the brain learns to skill acquisition, including in music.   After watching this episode you’ll regain your enthusiasm for learning music.   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 235   Links and Resources • Learn Music Faster • Gregg Goodhart – Learning Coach • What is a Practiclass? Sax, cello, guitar, The Learn Like A Genius Institute • Learn Like A Genius – Piano Practiclass (Full), Houston, TX with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - How to Learn Like a Genius, with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - The Truth About Talent, with Professor Anders Ericsson • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience • Carol S. Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success • Barry J. Zimmerman - Dart Throwing Study     Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review

Struggling to get that complex section up to tempo?   This is the third in a special series of episodes on how to tackle the biggest sticking points in your music learning. We recently surveyed our audience to learn about their experiences with music practice. The results were astounding! Across several hundred responses, we found a handful of really common and painfully frustrating practice issues – including, “How do I break through plateaus?”   To answer these big burning questions, we invited Gregg Goodhart, The Learning Coach, back on the show. Gregg is a leading expert on how to apply all of the latest scientific research and understanding of how the brain learns to skill acquisition, including in music.   Enjoy this episode and unlock your music learning super powers!   Subscribe For Future Episodes! Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS | YouTube   Full Show Notes and Transcript: Episode 234   Links and Resources • Learn Music Faster • Gregg Goodhart – Learning Coach • What is a Practiclass? Sax, cello, guitar, The Learn Like A Genius Institute • Learn Like A Genius – Piano Practiclass (Full), Houston, TX with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - How to Learn Like a Genius, with Gregg Goodhart • Musicality Now - The Truth About Talent, with Professor Anders Ericsson • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience • Carol S. Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success • Barry J. Zimmerman - Dart Throwing Study   Enjoying the show? Please consider rating and reviewing it! Click here to rate and review