Everything you need to know about Splice in 2024
We've compiled a checklist of the best ways to get started with Splice, so you can get up to speed quickly and make the most of your subscription.

How TikTok Music Videos Go ViralThis week, Ari is joined by Evan Blum, a director specializing in creating large batches of short form vertical content for musicians.

New on Splice: Create mode updates, better search, and more
We’ve recently made a few improvements that we hope will make Splice an even more inspiring place to start your musical creations.

Why Spotify’s New Payment Model Falls Short For Emerging ArtistsListen on your favorite podcast platform: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Acast This week, Ari discusses his recent Variety article entitled “Why Spotify’s New Payment Model Falls Short For Emerging Artists.” Read the full article on Variety: https://aristake.io/spotify-variety Articles mentioned: Spotify’s article (Modernizing Our Royalty System to Drive an Additional $1 Billion toward Emerging and Professional Artists): https://artists.spotify.com/blog/modernizing-our-royalty-system Streaming […]

Hearing Amazônia: MIT musicians in Manaus, BrazilOn Dec. 13, the MIT community came together for the premiere of “We Are The Forest,” a documentary by MIT Video Productions that tells the story of the MIT musicians who traveled to the Brazilian Amazon seeking culture and scientific exchange.

The film features performances by Djuena Tikuna, Luciana Souza, Anat Cohen, and Evan Ziporyn, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim. Fred Harris conducts the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble and MIT Wind Ensemble and Laura Grill Jaye conducts the MIT Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
The impact of ecological devastation in the Amazon reflects the climate crisis worldwide. During the Institute's spring break in March 2023, nearly 80 student musicians became only the second student group from MIT to travel to the Brazilian Amazon. Inspired by the research and activism of Talia Khan ’20, who is currently a PhD candidate in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, the trip built upon experiences of the 2020-21 academic year when virtual visiting artists Luciana Souza and Anat Cohen lectured on Brazilian music and culture before joining the November 2021 launch of Hearing Amazônia — The Responsibility of Existence.

This consciousness-raising project at MIT, sponsored by the Center for Art, Science and Technology (CAST), began with a concert featuring Brazilian and Amazonian music influenced by the natural world. The project was created and led by MIT director of wind and jazz ensembles and senior lecturer in music Frederick Harris Jr.

The performance was part eulogy and part praise song: a way of bearing witness to loss, while celebrating the living and evolving cultural heritage of Amazonia. The event included short talks, one of which was by Khan. As the first MIT student to study in the Brazilian Amazonia (via MISTI-Brazil), she spoke of her research on natural botanical resins and traditional carimbó music in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. Soon after, as a Fulbright Scholar, Khan continued her research in Manaus, setting the stage for the most complex trip in the history of MIT Music and Theater Arts.

“My experiences in the Brazilian Amazon changed my life,” enthuses Khan. “Getting to know Indigenous musicians and immersing myself in the culture of this part of the world helped me realize how we are all so connected.”

“Talia’s experiences in Brazil convinced me that the Hearing Amazônia project needed to take a next essential step,” explains Harris. “I wanted to provide as many students as possible with a similar opportunity to bring their musical and scientific talents together in a deep and spiritual manner. She provided a blueprint for our trip to Manaus.”

An experience of a lifetime

A multitude of musicians from three MTA ensembles traveled to Manaus, located in the middle of the world’s largest rainforest and home to the National Institute of Amazonian Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, or INPA), the most important center for scientific studies in the Amazon region for international sustainability issues.

Tour experiences included cultural/scientific exchanges with Indigenous Amazonians through Nobre Academia de Robótica and the São Sebastião community on the Tarumã Açu River, INPA, the Cultural Center of the Peoples of the Amazon, and the Museu da Amazônia. Musically, students connected with local Indigenous instrument builders and performed with the Amazonas State Jazz Orchestra and renowned vocalist and Indigenous activist Djuena Tikuna.

“Hearing Amazônia: Arte ê Resistência,” a major concert in the famed 19th century opera house Teatro Amazonas, concluded the trip on March 31. The packed event featured the MIT Wind Ensemble, MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, MIT Vocal Jazz Ensemble, vocalist Luciana Souza, clarinetist Anat Cohen, MIT professor and composer-clarinetist Evan Ziporyn, and local musicians from Manaus. The program ended with “Nós Somos A Floresta (We Are The Forest) — Eware (Sacred Land) — Reflections on Amazonia,” a large-scale collaborative performance with Djuena Tikuna. The two songs were composed by Tikuna, with Eware newly arranged by Israeli composer-bassist Nadav Erlich for the occasion. It concluded with all musicians and audience members coming together in song: a moving and beautiful moment of mediation on the sacredness of the earth.

“It was humbling to see the grand display of beauty and diversity that nature developed in the Amazon rainforest,” reflects bass clarinetist and MIT sophomore Richard Chen. “By seeing the bird life, sloths, and other species and the flora, and eating the fruits of the region, I received lessons on my harmony and connection to the natural world around us. I developed a deeper awareness of the urgency of resolving conflicts and stopping the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and to listening to and celebrating the stories and experiences of those around me.”

Indigenous musicians embodying the natural world

“The trip expanded the scope of what music means,” MIT Vocal Jazz Ensemble member and biomedical researcher Autumn Geil explains. “It’s living the music, and you can’t feel that unless you put yourself in new experiences and get yourself out of your comfort zone.”

Over two Indigenous music immersion days, students spent time listening to, and playing and singing with, musicians who broadened their scope of music’s relationship to nature and cultural sustainability. Indigenous percussionist and instrument builder Eliberto Barroncas and music producer-arranger César Lima presented contrasting approaches with a shared objective — connecting people to the natural world through Indigenous instruments.

Barroncas played instruments built from materials from the rainforest and from found objects in Manaus that others might consider trash, creating ethereal tones bespeaking his life as one with nature. Students had the opportunity to play his instruments and create a spontaneous composition playing their own instruments and singing with him in a kind of “Amazonia jam session.”

“Eliberto expressed that making music is visceral; it’s best when it comes from the gut and is tangible and coming from one’s natural environment. When we cannot understand each other using language, using words, logic and thinking, we go back to the body,” notes oboist and ocean engineer Michelle Kornberg ’20. “There's a difference between teaching music as a skill you learn and teaching music as something you feel, that you experience and give — as a gift.”

Over the pandemic, César Lima developed an app, “The Roots VR,” as a vehicle for people to discover over 100 Amazonia instruments. Users choose settings to interact with instruments and create pieces using a variety of instrumental combinations; a novel melding of technology with nature to expand the reach of these Indigenous instruments and their cultural significance.

At the Cultural Center of the Peoples of the Amazon, students gathered around a tree, hand-in-hand singing with Djuena Tikuna, accompanied by percussionist Diego Janatã. “She spoke about being one of the first Indigenous musicians ever to sing in the Teatro Amazonas, which was built on the labor and blood of Indigenous people,” recalls flutist and atmospheric engineer Phoebe Lin, an MIT junior. “And then to hold hands and close our eyes and step back and forth; a rare moment of connection in a tumultuous world — it felt like we were all one.”

Bringing the forest back to MIT

On April 29, Djuena Tikuna made her MIT debut at “We Are the Forest — Music of Resilience and Activism,” a special concert for MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s inauguration, presenting music from the Teatro Amazonas event. Led and curated by Harris, the performance included new assistant professor in jazz and saxophonist-composer Miguel Zenón, director of the MIT Vocal Jazz Ensemble; Laura Grill Jaye; and vocalist Sara Serpa, among others. 

“Music unites people and through art we can draw the world’s attention to the most urgent global challenges such as climate change,” says Djuena Tikuna. “My songs bring the message that every seed will one day germinate to reforest hearts, because we are all from the same village.”

Hearing Amazônia has set the stage for the blossoming of artistic and scientific collaborations in the Amazon and beyond.

“The struggle of Indigenous peoples to keep their territories alive should concern us all, and it will take more than science and research to help find solutions for climate change,” notes President Kornbluth. “It will take artists, too, to unite us and raise awareness across all communities. The inclusivity and expressive power of music can help get us all rowing in the same direction — it’s a great way to encourage us all to care and act!”

What is MIDI in music (and how do you use it)?
Learn about what MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is, its unique history, and how to use it as a powerful tool for making music.

The best sampling software (VSTs and apps) in 2024
We’ve tried our fair share of virtual samplers—here are 16 of our favorites, from VST plugins to mobile apps.

Building new paths for your creativity: Looking back on 2023
The world of music will continue to expand and morph at the speed of human thought—we’re listening, and we’re working hard to keep pace with your creativity.

Nashville Venue Defends Merch FeesThis week, Ari is joined by Sara Barnett, General Manager of the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.

4 producers celebrate their South Asian roots through music
Hear Nikitaa, Ikky, Chitra, and Leo Kalyan share their stories and sounds that celebrate their South Asian roots.

How to mix your music with iZotope’s Neutron
From new views to unique modules and features, learn about some of the many powerful tools that iZotope's Neutron 4 has to offer to your mix.

The best tools for music producers (free sounds included)
From sound design plugins to platforms for sharing your music, explore some of the best tools out there for music producers.

How This Record Label Sells More Vinyl Than StreamsThis week, Ari is joined by Terry Cole, owner and operator of Colemine Records and Plaid Room Records.

The Dorian Scale for Jazz ImprovisationUnderstanding the Dorian Scale

Dorian is the 2nd mode of the major scale. So if we start any major scale on the 2nd degree we get a dorian scale.

Step 1 – We are going to play the major scale and then the related dorian scale. 

A useful variation of this step is to understand where the half-steps are in the dorian scale and then play all dorian scales without considering the related major scale.

Step 2 – Play all dorian scales by thinking of where the half-steps are and the degrees that you’re playing. The formula for dorian is W H W W W H W.

And the scale degrees are 1 2 b3 4 5 6 and b7.

Chordal Implications of the Dorian Scale

If we stack notes from the Dorian scale by 3rds, we get a m7(9,11,13) chord.

So this scale is ideal for related 2 chords. Related 2 chords are m7 chords that are followed by the related V chord.

For example: in a Dm7 G7 progression, the Dm7 is the related 2 chord of the G7 chord because Dm7 to G7 is a 2-5.

But, not all m7 chords are good candidates for the Dorian scale. In the progression Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7, the Am7 does not want to be paired with the dorian scale. And that’s because Am dorian contains an F# which is not part of the C major scale. And of course Am7 is not part of a 2-5.

Another possible use of the dorian scale on m7 chords is on modal tunes, like in Recorda-me. In this case the Am7 pairs well with the Dorian scale. You can even see how the F# is part of the melody under the Am7 chord.

It is also worth noting that the 13 in Dorian is a tricky note to use on a m7 chord acting as a related 2. And that’s because the 13 creates a tritone with the b3 of the chord. In a Dm7 the 13th is B and the b3 is F. These two notes create a tritone F to B which is exactly what the V chord (G7 in our case) uses to create tension. That does not happen in a modal context -as I’ve shown you before in Recorda-me.

Step 3 – Play the dorian scale in 3rds like this:

Notice how we are arpeggiating the m7 chord and then we introduce tensions 9 and 11, and finally tension 13.

Pay attention at how tension 13th sounds in this m7 context. It turns the sound of the m7 into a dorian modal sound.

Applying the Dorian Scale

The last 3 steps are more about lines using the dorian scale in a 2 -5 progression.

Step 4 – Play an arpeggio with the 9th as an approach tone, and we end up landing on the 9th, which is the 13th of the V chord.

Bebop-izing the Dorian Scale

We turn the dorian scale into a Bebop scale using a chromatic passing tone. 

Step 5 – Start on the root of the scale and use the maj7 as a passing tone between the root and the b7. The cool thing about the bebop scales is that all the chord-tones from the m7 chord are played on the downbeats, while the rest of the notes from the dorian scale are used as passing tones.

Step 6 – We’re going to add two chromatic passing tones, which allows us to start on the 9th of the dorian scale.

If you’re looking for a complete course on the modes of the major scale and how to use them for jazz improvisation, you can check out Jazz Scales & Modes Vol.1: A Guide To Improvisation available for Piano, Bass Instruments, Bb and Eb Instruments.

Learn more on mDecks.com

The Major Scale (Ionian) for Jazz ImprovisationThe Major Scale (Ionian)

The major scale serves as our “source scale,” the point of reference for its related modes. We will delve into the intricacies of this scale, explore its unique properties, and discover its role in improvisational music.

The Concept of Source Scales

In the realm of musical modes, the Ionian scale takes center stage as the most familiar and frequently employed scale. We designate it as our “source scale,” a reference point from which we derive all related modes within its group. 

Whether it’s Dorian as the 2nd mode or Lydian as the 4th mode, these modes find their origins within the Ionian scale. The choice of the source scale is primarily based on its prevalence in musical practice, and there are no intrinsic properties guiding this selection.

Understanding the Ionian Scale

Step 1 – Play the Ionian scale in all keys.

Throughout the book we will use a modulation pattern of a perfect fifth down. This is the most-often-found root movement in music.

Step 2 – To deepen our understanding of the Ionian scale, we’ll explore its structure in terms of whole and half steps. This perspective helps us navigate any scale more intuitively and utilize its degrees effectively. 

The half-whole pattern of Ionian is: W W H W W W H

This gives us all major/perfect degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

Chordal Implications of the Ionian Scale

Stacking notes from the Ionian scale by thirds reveals a maj7(9,11,13) chord. We’ll investigate the unique relationship between the 11th and the 3rd, understanding the dissonance they create in tonal contexts. In modal harmony, we can leverage these tensions to emphasize the Ionian sound.

Step 3 – Transformation of Maj7 to 6 Chord

The Ionian scale’s adaptability allows us to transform a maj7 chord into a 6 chord, a valuable skill in jazz improvisation. We’ll explore this transformation and its applications.

Bebop-izing the Ionian Scale

Much like Dorian and Mixolydian, we can enhance the Ionian scale by adding a chromatic passing tone between the 5th and 6th degrees, creating a Bebop scale. This alteration aligns chord tones with downbeats.

Step 4 – Play ascending bebop scales.

Step 5 – Play descending bebop scales.

The Passing Diminished Chord

By integrating all passing tones into the major Bebop scale, we form a diminished chord. This chord plays a significant role in jazz, facilitating reharmonization of passing tones. 

Step 6 – Play ascending scales using passing diminished chords.

Modal Perspective of the Ionian Scale

In a modal context, the Ionian mode presents unique challenges due to its tonal implications. We’ll focus on the characteristic tones, the 4th and 7th degrees, and explore their role in defining the modal sound.

To further our modal understanding, we’ll construct altered quartal voicings using the root, 4th, and 7th degrees. This unorthodox yet captivating sound adds depth to our Ionian explorations.

Putting It All Together

Step 7 – Combine modal quartal voicings with melodic lines. This comprehensive approach helps us grasp the full potential of the Ionian scale within the realm of improvisation in a modal context.

If you’re looking for a complete course on the modes of the major scale and how to use them for jazz improvisation, you can check out Jazz Scales & Modes Vol.1: A Guide To Improvisation available for Piano, Bass Instruments, Bb and Eb Instruments.

Learn more on mDecks.com