Music Notes

An Artist's Perspective on Growth

The other day I was buying plants, among them were tomato plants. I said to the cashier "I usually plant these from seeds but I didn't...

Jul 5, 20232 min read

5 Things That I Work On With My Students

We're all works in progress. Life is growth. There are some lessons that I work on with all of my singing and songwriting students at...

Jun 30, 20234 min read

Song Story: "Let Me Love The Whole Of You"

This song is about truly knowing the whole person that you love. We are all multidimensional people. We have different aspects that we...

Jun 26, 20232 min read

Music, Mood, And Overall Well-Being

Music Can Be Used With Intention As A Tool For Wellness A LITTLE HISTORY: The ancient Greeks called it "The Ethos of Music" (character or...

Jun 20, 20235 min read

This vocal jazz album changed me over 30 years ago and continues to today.

I have been a Carmen McRae fan since receiving "Carmen McRae Sings Monk" as a gift from a family friend on my sixteenth birthday. I...

Jun 14, 20231 min read

One Songwriter's Approach.

I have always written music quickly. Capturing moments or thoughts as they pass through my lens. Imagine that you are sketching the...

Jun 7, 20233 min read

We Are Prewired For Music Whether We Understand It Or Not.

I always found it to be an amazing thing that folk music around the world, across time, uses the pentatonic scale. It seems to be part of...

May 30, 20232 min read

Thank you, Duke Ellington

There are many reasons to be thankful to Duke Ellington, (born Edward Kennedy Ellington: April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) — a founding...

May 25, 20234 min read

Overcoming Barriers in The Creative Process

I write music. A lot. I make creating a daily practice, as doing something is the only way to get better at anything. There was a time in...

May 19, 20233 min read

She is known as "The Mother of Jazz"

Born as Mary Elfride Scrubbs on May 8th, 1910, the world knows her as Mary Lou Williams, an American pianist, and composer. She wrote...

May 14, 20232 min read

Vocal music and the brain

We know that all living things respond to music. Plants will lean towards or away from music based on the nature of the soundwaves...

May 5, 20232 min read

Timeless advice from two jazz masters.

Thelonious Monk and Chick Corea are two of the most dynamic and thrilling pianists in the pantheon of great jazz artists. Thankfully they...

Apr 26, 20232 min read

An Exciting Musical Gem For Everyone's Collection

I was just talking with a well-known fellow jazz professional musician, and I mentioned this album in conversation. They didn't know it....

Apr 20, 20232 min read

An introduction, by way of my influences.

What makes an artist who they are? Their life, their experience, their worldview, their training, and THEIR INFLUENCES. One of the things...

Apr 14, 20231 min read

AI Radio: what could this mean for DJs, Artists, and Listeners?

AI is getting incredibly sophisticated. Query ChatGPT and be prepared to be blown away by its capabilities. As with all things...

Apr 8, 20233 min read

Monika Ryan