In 2011, the UNESCO General Conference in coordination with the Thelonious Monk Institute in New Orleans (https://monkinstitute.org/), proclaimed April 30 as “International Jazz Day”. The idea was to not only celebrate the music but also the values of freedom, creativity, empathy and peace it embodies. Each year the event is celebrated in several countries around the world with one city playing the role of a …

There’s this musical challenge called the #TwinkleTwinkleLittleStarChallenge which is trending right now. It was kicked off on Instagram by the American Gospel musician Bart Orr and asks for musicians around the world to share their own versions of this classic song. And as viral things go (recall Why this Kolaveri Dee?!) this challenge took off in no time and has become hugely popular. From 7 …

In an interview the famous musician and composer Shanker Mahadevan was asked about his experience in making his first demo tape for a studio audition. He said “….sorry I was blessed with a silver spoon. From day one I was always running after a backlog!”. Few are as lucky to be able to say that; whether it Jimi Hendrix or Mariah Carey or Adele Atkins …

A very common question among many middle-agers and retirees is if they are too old to begin to learn an instrument. They hear aphorisms such as What won’t bend at five won’t bend at fifty; or, You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, etc. Is there really an upper age limit or can anyone learn to play music at any age? Are there some …

Whether this is your first stage performance or you are part of a seasoned band that has been regularly playing on the circuit, it takes a concerted effort to get over stage fear and pull off a memorable performance. Even an award winning highly decorated artist such as Adele says “I am sacred of audiences”! In this blog post we will share some advice for …

Practice is the process by which you try to improve your performance on the execution of some task, through its continued repetition. In music practice, it is important to know what your current shortcomings are, so that you can work efficiently on addressing them. In this article we will present you with five tips that may help you overcome some common difficulties. The first tip …

While learning a piece of music is a intensely solitary activity, playing music is anything but solitary. Unless one is dealing with strictly Solo compositions, much of classical or popular music whether it is Symphony or Ghazal, Rock or Bollywood, is a multi-instrument arrangement sometimes involving tens of people! Knowing how to play along with others not only necessary to be in a band but …