I rarely use my blog simply to embed a video. There are just too many great videos out there which would quickly glut a space like this. However, I will make a rare exception for this most exceptional video. This is one of the most informative and educational videos on any musical topic that I have ever seen. Youtuber Vihart has condensed many hours of information into the densest half hour explainer on serialism one could imagine. With all of the great math, music, and sketches, she even manages to inform on issues like copyright law in the process! Have a look and a listen:

 

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Orchestrating for Success
Orchestrating for Success

When working with young composers preparing a composition to be read for the first time by orchestral musicians, I have a very simple premise. The best shot a composer has at a successful premiere is to have:

  1. excellent musical ideas, 2. cast within thoughtfully engraved parts.

Priceline
Priceline

This post is one of a series on composer Florence Price.

Below is a timeline of some of the major events of the life of Florence Beatrice Price with many linked sources allowing the reader to explore further.

Listen to a Baltimore-Themed Holiday Playlist
Listen to a Baltimore-Themed Holiday Playlist

I recently began contributing to Baltimore Magazine. Here's my first piece:

Wendel Patrick, “Let’s Ride”
The holidays get me thinking about sleigh rides, which, while they weren’t the inspiration for this track, still make me think of “Let’s Ride.” The vintage keyboard sounds alongside spicy drumbeats and clean electric guitars make this a perfect fit for our off-the-beaten-path sleigh ride. When you’re finished, check out some of Patrick’s other projects and collaborations, like the Baltimore Boom Bap Society and Bond St. District.

Jordan Randall Smith is the Music Director of Symphony Number One.