Effortless
Kenny Werner promised effortless mastery. I heard permission to stop practicing. Twenty-five years later, I know what he actually meant.
The Loafer
An essay on the difference between technicians and musicians, why Tim Henson leaves you cold, and what Brian Blade’s shoe tells us about what music actually is.
The Comfortable Silence
Technique without expression is a very sophisticated silence. On tabs, tribute bands, and the terror of having something to say.
The Note That Is Not One Thing
One note. Many notes. The harmonic series, the lying brain, and what listening carefully might teach us about everything else we think we perceive.
What The Music Is For
On why betting your life on beauty still makes sense — even when the person running your country can't imagine why anyone would.
What the Music Knows Before We Do
The music before both World Wars sounded like dread. What does it mean that today's pop sounds like nothing at all?
