MusicBizAustralia.com - Point Of View Articles

Aug '10 - Is good improvisation truly original or just recycled clichés?

1 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

To play jazz requires a musician to improvise; to make up original music spontaneously. But is every improvised solo truly original or is it made up of preconceived ideas rehashed in a new order? USA-born Australian jazz multi-instrumentalist, Glenn Henrich, gives his take on this notion in his answer to
"Is good improvisation truly original or just recycled clichés?"

Jul '10 - What is the difference between digital and analogue recording?

1 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There is much dispute amongst musicians about the merits of analogue sound equipment as compared to digital. Some just think analogue sounds better. Others make a judgment based on cost, size, practicality and a subjective audible comparison. But one question is always asked and Australian musician/sound engineer, Steve Newton, answers it:
"What is the difference between digital and analogue recording?"

Jun '10 - What's wrong with the music work scene in Australia?

1 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Many of the more mature Australia musicians remember a time when there was a band in every pub and the work was plentiful. It's not like that any more. What caused the change and can we improve it? Australian singer/bassist, John Leigh Calder, gives his take on the problems Australian musicians encounter in his answer to this question:
What's wrong with the music work scene in Australia?

May '10 - What's your job? - A brief look at ensemble etiquette

1 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Are you a musician who performs as part of a group? Do you really understand your role in the group? Does it help when someone tells you what your job is? Australian jazz/blues guitarist, Richie Robinson, gives his take on the problems that can arise on the bandstand when there is confusion in this area in his answer to this question:
What’s Your Job? – a brief look at Ensemble Etiquette

Apr '10 - What is the correct number of notes to play in Jazz?

1 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

How many notes does a jazz musician play in a performance? Is there an optimum number? Does the quality of the playing suffer when more notes or less notes than this optimum are played? Was this article published on April fools' day? Australian composer, Tony King, grapples with this crucial question in his inimitable style:
What is the correct number of notes to play in Jazz?

Mar '10 - Is Australia facing a "dark age" of copyright litigation?

1 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What does the recent legal decision in the Larikan Music versus 'Men At Work' case mean for most Australian musicians? How often do jazz musicians quote other composers' songs in their solos? Larikan were successful in this case and the ramifications are huge! Australian jazz musician, Andy Firth, gives his take on the effect of this decision in answering the question:
Is Australia facing a "dark age" of copyright litigation?

Feb '10 - Can any musician learn to play jazz?

1 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Even the finest musicians are not necessarily proficient composers as well. Yet jazz is an art form which requires performers to improvise new music at every performance. Does that mean jazz is a prohibited area for many musicians? Australian musician/teacher, Greg Foster, gives his opinion on this topic by tackling the question:
Can any musician learn to play jazz?

Jan '10 - Just How Important Is It To Support Live Music?

1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Live music is competing with so many other forms of electronic entertainment these days - chatting online, surfing the web, Facebook, Youtube, DVDs and CDs, computer and video games, etc., which does unfortunately encourage people to get their 'social life' and entertainment in front of a screen at home. Australian guitarist, promoter and band manager, Darren Bridge, gives his opinion on this topic by answering the question :
Just How Important Is It To Support Live Music?

Dec '09 - Is a minor key sad or are we taught that it is sad?

1 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are countless eternal questions regarding the human mind and man's perceptual experience of the world. Many of these are probably unanswerable. Some are subject to philosophical debate and are often influenced by cultural bias or strong personal belief. Distinguished New Zealand pianist Wil Sargisson, ponders one universal conundrum in his answer to the question:
Is a minor key sad or are we taught that it is sad?

Nov '09 - Is there a place for the Avant Garde in Music?

1 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A controversial movement in music which began in the post World War II years led by John Cage in the USA, Stockhausen, Boulez, Berio and Xenakis et al in Europe and which was continued in Australia in the 1970s by Richard Meale, AZ Music with David Ahern, Peter Evans, Roger Frampton and others is described as avant-garde music. It was a radical departure from what music had been. Although it was composed or improvised by significant composers and musicians many people do not seriously regard it as music at all. Apart from the occasional use of traditional musical instruments it incorporated the sounds of everything from vacuum cleaners, electronic feedback, creeks, explosions and screams to, in it's most notorious form in Cage's 4'33", no sound at all. Does it have a legitimate place in the context of musical composition? Australian singer/guitarist and composer, Tony King, takes up the challenge in his answer to this question :
Is there a place for the Avant Garde in Music?

Oct '09 - Is There Any Intrinsic Musical Value In Rap?

1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Is rap really music? Could it be more accurately described as street poetry with rhyming lyrics chanted to a musical accompaniment? There are strong opinions for and against its legitimacy as a form of music. Eminent Australian saxophonist and drummer Willy Qua, gives his view in his answer to this question:
Is There Any Intrinsic Musical Value In Rap?

Sep '09 - Can Musicians approach Harmonic Colour like an Artist does his Paints?

1 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We refer to the sound of a voice or an instrument in terms of its tone colour? We say its sound is dark or light, dull or bright, mellow, raspy, brittle, wet or dry. These are all descriptive words associated with the senses of sight, touch and taste yet we are using them to describe sound. The terms colour, light and shade, texture and mood are equally suitable when describing a painting or a piece of music. Is there a basis for why senses are so often mingled in our language, particularly in the area of creative arts? Prominent Australian jazz pianist Matt Baker, discusses possibilities from a jazz improvisation perspective in his answer to this question :
Can Musicians approach Harmonic Colour like an Artist does his Paints?

Aug '09 - What is success for a jazz musician?

1 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Success in one's chosen profession may be fame and fortune for one person, or power and prestige, or revenge or satisfaction or any number of diverse personal ambitions for another. Gold Coast-based jazz bassist/singer Ian Beddows, gives his own personal slant on this issue in his answer to this question
What is success for a jazz musician?

Jul '09 - Does experiencing music involve more senses than just hearing?

1 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch are senses that have separate roles in our experience of life but in some people they overlap and merge with each other. In rare cases when music is played vivid colours appear for each different note played. The violinist/artistic director Chris Latham, explores the phenomenon of synaesthesia in his answer to this question:
Does experiencing music involve more senses than just hearing?

Jun '09 - How do R and B/funk drummers keep the groove whilst soloing?

1 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

San Francisco producer, song writer, vocalist and drummer, Larry Vann read Gordon Rytmeister's article on constructing a drum solo (March 2009) and agreed with his ideas. He approaches the same subject from the R and B/Dance/Funk drummer's perspective in his answer to the question
'How do R and B/funk drummers keep the groove whilst soloing?'

May '09 - Is musical talent innate or learned?

1 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Are we born with musical software already installed in our DNA or do we only develop musical talent as we are exposed to music in our environment? The controversial nature vs nurture debate enters the realm of music. Australian composer/pianist and a former musical child prodigy, Bill Risby, shares his opinion in his answer to this question
'Is musical talent innate or learned?'

Apr '09 - Is three chords and the truth enough?

1 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Those who seek to belittle country music often criticize it's naive simplicity where the story is more important than musical finesse, but it is just this element that prolific American songwriter Harlan Howard used to define what makes it great. A great country song, he said is 'three chords and the truth'. Renowned Australian guitarist singer/songwriter, Mike McClellan, discusses the question
Is 'three chords and the truth' enough?

Mar '09 - What makes a good drum solo?

1 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The rhythmic foundation in most music groups is provided by the drummer. In jazz bands from trios to big-bands the drummer may also be called on take an improvised solo but how can a kit of untuned percussion instruments be used to create an effective solo passage. Master drummer Gordon Rytmeister, explains how it is done in his answer to this question..
'What makes a good drum solo?'

Feb '09 - Why should music be taught in schools?

1 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's the start of a new school year. Do you think music should have a place in the school curriculum or should it be relegated to the status of a leisure activity? Australian pianist and music educator, Chris Wilder, argues the surprising merits of music in education in her answer to the question..
Why should music be taught in schools?

Jan '09 - What is jazz and what is not jazz?

1 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Can any music that is improvised be called jazz? What does it mean to perform music in a jazzy style? Are there set rules and parameters that define jazz? Prominent Australian jazz pianist and music educator, Matt McMahon, explores the controversy surrounding the mysterious and elusive nature of 'jazz' in his discussion of the question..
What is 'jazz' and what is 'not jazz'?

Dec '08 - Has sound quality improved with digital replacing analogue?

1 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Do advancements in technology always make things better? Is music produced today of superior quality to music we used to listen to? Renowned Australian bassist and electronics engineer, Gavin Pearce, gives his slant on the question...
Has sound quality improved with digital replacing analogue?

Nov '08 - Is Classical Music a more serious art form than Jazz or Pop?

1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The common perception is that Classical Music is a serious art form for the higher social strata whilst Jazz, Rock and Pop are lower forms of music for the unwashed masses. Richard Gill, pre-eminent Australian conductor and music educator, shares his views on this question...
'Is Classical Music a more serious art form than Jazz or Pop?'

Oct '08 - Has jazz plateaued or is it still evolving?

1 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Jazz came into being 100 years ago in the USA. Several significant changes in style have occurred over time like mutations on its evolutionary journey but is it still evolving or has it gone as far as it can go? Australian jazz composer/pianist Bill Risby, examines this in his answer to this question...
'Has jazz plateaued or is it still evolving?'

Sep '08 - Can music-making create better business organizations?

1 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How could the cold and competitive business of high-finance, maximizing profit and market-share possibly benefit from a relationship with music? Australian 'cellist and professional business researcher, Joy Medley Park, explains in her answer to this question...
'Can music-making create better business organizations?'

Aug '08 - Is having a sense of humour compulsory for jazz musicians?

1 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Have you ever met a jazz musician, even a very serious one, who doesn't have a good sense of humour? I don't think I have. Who better to explore this question than jazz violinist, singer, actor, comedian, George Washingmachine. We asked him the question...
'Is having a sense of humour compulsory for jazz musicians?'

Jul '08 - What is a music savant?

1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

How is it possible for a person with profound disabilities to listen to a performance of part of a piano concerto and then immediately sit at the piano and perform it from memory? The phenomenon of the music savant is discussed by musician and special needs teacher, Greg Foster, answering this question...
'What is a music savant?

Jun '08 - Do musicians have to leave Australia to achieve success?

1 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Can Australian musicians make it big in their own country or do they have to be successful overseas before Aussies take them seriously? Australian musician, Andy Firth, who has played Carnegie Hall under his own name, answers the question...
'Do Australian musicians have to leave Australia to achieve success?'

May '08 - Is there a formula for writing a hit song?

1 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just about every musician secretly yearns to write the hit song that will fund his or her retirement. One man who wrote songs all Aussies sang in the shower, the legendary Australian songwriter, singer, pianist, Billy 'Bad Habits' Field answers this question in his own inimitable style...
'Is there a formula for writing a hit song?'

Apr '08 - What makes it swing?

1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's a feel. It's a groove. It's a floating, rhythmic pulse that has forward motion - I hear you say. The swing feel may be as difficult to define as jazz itself. Prominent Australian jazz drummer/ music educator/big band leader, John Morrison gives his slant on the qustion...
'What makes it swing?'

Mar '08 - Why write musicals anymore? Don't they all suck?

1 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So, why on earth would anyone want to write musicals anyway? They all suck. Nobody likes them, well except for a few show queens and teenage girls. And in Australia of all places? I mean theres no infrastructure or market for it. Award winning Australian musician/writer/composer, Sean Peter answers the question...
'Why write musicals anymore?'

Feb '08 - What is musical improvisation?

1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Music comes from such a diverse and unlimited source that it can be hard to claim ownership over anything we play as musicians. Improvisation is the supposed ability to make something up out of nothing, to 'make it up as you go'as it were. Is this really the case? Eminent Australian jazz composer/pianist, Bill Risby answers the question
'What is musical improvisation?'

Jan '08 - Why is Country Music so popular?

1 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

January is the month that the famour Tamworth Country Music Festival gets under way. Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger so we asked renowned Australian guitarist singer/songwriter, Mike McClellan to answer the question...
Why is Country Music so popular?

Dec '07 - Has Traditional Jazz had its day?

1 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The form of music we know as jazz has been around for 100 years and in that time it has been through many changes and developments. At the risk of being offensive we asked eminent Australian jazz trumpeter and band leader, Eric Holroyd to respond to the question...
'Has Traditional Jazz had its day?'

Nov '07 - Is music essential or just an optional extra?

1 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It doesn't matter which of the thousands of cultures of the world you consider, every single one of them, without exception, has music in some form as an integral part of its make-up, and often at its very heart. We asked respected Australian musician/composer, Greg Foster to discuss the question...
'Is music essential or just an optional extra?'

Oct '07 - Does perfect pitch really exist?

1 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many musicians and singers develop a good sense of relative pitch. They are able to play or sing any musical interval after the key note has been established but is there really such a thing as perfect pitch, where the musician can recall the pitch of any note required? We asked renowned Australian jazz and classical composer/ pianist, Mark Isaacs, to respond to the question...
'Does perfect pitch really exist?'

Sep '07 - What is music therapy?

1 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For many people music is a way to escape, or relax or to express themselves but can music really be effectively used directly as therapy? We asked respected Australian music therapist/pianist, Enid Rowe, to respond to the question...
'What is music therapy?'