The Early Life of the Prodigy, Franz Liszt After the Pressburg concert, aristocrats, amazed by my talent, offered to sponsor my education in Vienna. I was nine years old at the time and already creating a fan base that would follow me for the rest of my life. I debuted in Vienna on December 1, …
How to Learn an Instrument Without a Teacher (& Do It Well!) Have you been considering learning an instrument but don’t have the money to spend on a teacher right now, want to be frugal, or just prefer learning on your own? Learning without a teacher is a great way to start. There are plenty …
Is It Easier to Learn A Second Instrument? As a musician, having the ability to play a second instrument opens up opportunities in the music world. Ensembles love players who can double, triple, or even quadruple on instruments. If you are considering learning a second instrument, do it. Assuming you have already learned your first …
Early Life of Camille Saint-Saëns: A Young Prodigy I was born in Paris on October 9, 1835. From a very young age, I displayed inordinate musical talent, debuting at only ten years old at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. My father died of consumption [tuberculosis] when I was very young, and I was sent away …
Georges Bizet Early Life and Family I was born in Paris on 25 October 1838, and was originally registered as Alexandre César Léopold. I was baptised ‘Georges’ on March 16, 1840, a name gifted to me by my godfather which stuck better than my original name. My father had been a hairdresser and wigmaker, but …
Maurice Ravel Growing Up and the Beginning of a Musical Life I was born March 8, 1875, in the Basque town of Ciboure in France, near Biarritz, into a talented family. My father, Pierre-Joseph Ravel, was a clever engineer and manufacturer and while my mother did not work, his fruitful career provided for us all. …
Edvard Grieg’s Early Childhood and Musical Inclination I was born in Bergen, Norway, in June, 1843. My family was rather musically inclined, with my mother being a music teacher and the daughter of Edvard Hagerup, for whom I was named after. My father worked as a merchant and consul in Bergen, but he, too, enjoyed …
Frank Zappa Quotations Frank Vincent Zappa, wanted to be known, first and foremost, as an American composer, for which he excelled in both pop and classical music mediums, producing over 60 albums by his band, ‘The Mothers of Invention’. He was also a vocalist, guitarist, conductor, film director, bandleader and a stellar example of entrepreneurial success. The …
Claude Debussy, Composer Claude Debussy is perhaps the most influential French composer in western music. His influence was prominently felt for composers who were contemporaries and in the decades to follow. Debussy’s music continues to be influential in our time for 21st century composers. Musicians and audiences alike are swept away by the beauty, color …
How Long Does It Take to Master An Instrument? Authored by Marci Ricklick & Richard J. Chandler, BA, MA We define music mastery as possessing expert skills on their musical instrument. Musicians who play at a professional or semi-professional quality level will qualify as master-level musicians. Although there is no precise agreed-upon time frame, music …