I listen to all genres of music. Some I like while others not so much. I keep an open mind when it comes to music. I have learned at least one thing from every genre. It could be a short section, a short bass or lead line, rhythms, chord progressions, etc. I don't speak for any group. I only speak for myself.
More power to you and I generally agree. But "all" is a giant of a word. I certainly don't (and can't and haven't) listened to all genres as there are far too many and I'm sure there are some I'm flat out unaware of and/or don't have access to. And life is still good and I'm moving forward.
I too try to learn something from the genres I do listen to and have learned (for me) there is little if anything I can learn of value from free form jazz and Yoko's screaming. That said, I do have an open mind.
Plus once you realize that in the big scheme of things, we (even your kids and grand kiddies) will all be dead soon, that you try to spend your valuable and limited time wisely. For me I'd rather study Sting and Paul McCartney so as to improve my tradecraft than study Yoko.
Some of us have decades ahead, some a few years, some a few weeks, while others have hours or less. So live long and prosper as Spock would say.
It all comes down to what it is you value and enjoy.
PS> So let's all try to keep those trucks muffled and our brainstems healthy, we're going to need those stems
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
To be fair Comparing Sting or McCartney to jazz is like comparing KennyG to Michael Brecker Totally different animals.
There is a lot to be learned from each though. It doesn't have to be free form at first, start with something easier, like Brecker Bros. "Straphangin", but that's how they get you hooked. Next thing you know you're free-forming in Harlem <grin>
/geez I hope *somebody laughed
Last edited by rharv; 12/18/2503:09 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Whether we hear beauty or ugliness or "music" in sound is SO personal. For example, free jazz almost always makes me smile. But I like the sound of a concert orchestra tuning up, too. Plenty of people cringe at both. I may have once upon a time, but can't recall.
I like your idea about finding a gateway into a new genre and pivoting from there. That's always an insightful journey, no matter the outcome.
DC Ron BiaB Audiophile Presonus Studio One ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM Presonus Faderport 16 Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
To be fair Comparing Sting or McCartney to jazz is like comparing KennyG to Michael Brecker Totally different animals.
There is a lot to be learned from each though. It doesn't have to be free form at first, start with something easier, like Brecker Bros. "Straphangin", but that's how they get you hooked. Next thing you know you're free-forming in Harlem <grin>
/geez I hope *somebody laughed
HaHa free-forming in Harlem? I’d say quite unlikely. But I’m not comparing Sting or McCartney to jazz at all. I’m saying time on this rock is limited and so priorities and time management is a must if I want to achieve my goals. Plus personal taste is huge.
I don’t know Brecker Bros but I do like, learn and play smooth jazz and jazz-rock artists like Steely Dan, and George Benson. One goal is to learn and interpret an easy Snarkey Puppy song (if there is such a thing) for my Bass Overlay project.
I’m about halfway thru the book and it’s getting better and better. At the end of chapter 6 he says:
The story of your brain on music is the story of an exquisite orchestration of brain regions, involving both the oldest and newest parts of the human brain, and regions as far apart as the cerebellum in the back of the head and the frontal lobes just behind your eyes. It involves a precision choreography of neurochemical release and uptake between logical prediction systems and emotional reward systems. When we love a piece of music, it reminds us of other music we have heard, and it activates memory traces of emotional times in our lives. Your brain on music is all about, as Francis Crick repeated as we left the lunchroom, connections.
How we process music is indeed a BIG and fascinating story, a story that I don’t think we yet know everything about, but pieces are falling together. And this is the same Francis Crick who played a role in deciphering the helical structure of the of DNA molecule. Crick was also interested in music from a neuroscience perspective.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
I like my music to be predictable most of the time but with nice surprises mixed in. I like themes and/or motif development, as that adds interest to me. I think melody is important, probably because my primary instrument is saxophone. Too much repetition bores me, as it becomes too predictable. I also like a release from the tonic key somewhere in the song. Too much of the same becomes too predictable, too.
I don't play the sax, and agree with this. One way I look at music is a dialog or conversation between the composer/performer and me. A piece of music is trying to communicate something, quite often emotionally. The question becomes, am I able to interpret and understand what the "message" is. If the answer is yes, there is a possibility I will like it. If the answer is no, it's not for me.
Since you play an instrument, I'm curious about your thoughts on the "10,000 hour rule". Here is what Levitin says.
The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything. In study after study of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything. In study after study of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.
I've been working at my job for 14 years (X 2000 hrs/yr = 28,000) I must be a world class expert.
I think maybe you also have to have a certain knack for something, to begin with, before that 10,000 hrs can start ... otherwise all us old guys would be world class experts
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
I've been working at my job for 14 years (X 2000 hrs/yr = 28,000) I must be a world class expert.
I think maybe you also have to have a certain knack for something, to begin with, before that 10,000 hrs can start ... otherwise all us old guys would be world class experts
I wouldn't sell yourself short. After 28,000 hrs of doing essentially the same job you probably are a world-class expert. Whether you are recognized as such by society or even your boss is another question
Like most rules, the "10,000 hr rule" has value but I'd say, it can't be an absolute rule. I'd guess that some have reached world-class status in less that 10,000 and others required more. The value I take away from this "rule" (even if it has been observed over and over) is that persistense and perseverence is required; I call this a "fire in your belly". Some have it, most don't; indeed, from my observations, most people are flat-out lazy and lethargic when it comes down to it, never accomplishing much in life.
But even more than fire is required. I'm probably approaching the 10,000 hr mark on my bass; approx 3 hrs per day over 10 years. BUT I'll never be world-class even though I have a bit of "fire". I'm self-taught and the "practice" I do is far from optimal, plus I started late in life. For neural pathways to really be solidified, the younger the better. Of course, there are exceptions to this too, but I'm not one. In any event, what does it take to become world-class is an interesting question.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Since you play an instrument, I'm curious about your thoughts on the "10,000 hour rule". Here is what Levitin says.
The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert – in anything. In study after study of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again.
I don't think we can quantize it like that. Some people can master an instrument in less time than that, and some could probably put twice that amount of time and never master it. We all have different talents and abilities.
I've been playing sax since I was a kid, I do this for a living, so I figure I've put a lot of hours at it. Have I mastered it? What does that even mean? I'm very comfortable playing it, it's an extension of me, but I still learn things, too. But that's one of the things I like about it.
Although sax is my primary instrument, I also play flute, wind synthesizer, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals in various levels of competency/incompetency.
I don't think about mastering any of them. I just play, enjoy what I'm playing, and I also enjoy learning new things about each instrument.
One thing I've learned is this: No matter how good you are on your instrument, there is always someone better, and conversely, someone not as good as you. Does that matter to me? Nope, I accept that.
Life is too short. I'm having a good time making a living doing music and nothing but mucic. I didn't make the big time and become filthy rich, and the odds are against that happening now, But I live a modest life without a ton of possessions, but no debt, and I'm rich in enjoyable life experiences.
I consider myself lucky to be able to do what I love and make it my vocation.
FWIW - If you think that you have mastered an instrument you are totally mistaken and might as well quit playing. There is always more to learn. In every professional musician's interview I had ever read they say there is more to learn. If they are still learning then I have a long way to go!
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I've been playing sax since I was a kid, I do this for a living, so I figure I've put a lot of hours at it. Have I mastered it? What does that even mean?
You’ve got a great story.
Note that he’s talking about the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert. When I combine “mastery” and “world-class expert”, people like Beethoven come to mind but also a select few that are less accomplished musicians; but not a whole lot less. The bar is high.
On page 193 he says: The ten-thousand-hour theory is consistent with what we know about how the brain learns. The strength of a memory is related to how many times the original stimulus has been experienced. Memory strength is also a function of how much we care about the experience. Caring may, in part, account for some of the early differences we see in how quickly people acquire new skills.
What is instrument “mastery” you ask?
One definition is a deep understanding of the instrument that has come from significant study and experience. A “master” understands the strengths and limitations of his instrument such that he/she is able to reliably control it to express what they want, when they want, such that others admire their talent and place them in a rarified, lofty group of elites. I would also say that to have mastered an instrument that others would favorably compare them to other “greats” that have come before. And almost by definition, a world-class master is rare and often are sought after (around the world) for their performances and teaching. Additionally, other masters and highly accomplished people will publically acknowledge their talent, be it in books, film, TV, podcasts, college course material, etc. [Others may have their own definition(s), but this is what comes to my mind.]
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
FWIW - If you think that you have mastered an instrument you are totally mistaken and might as well quit playing. There is always more to learn. In every professional musician's interview I had ever read they say there is more to learn. If they are still learning then I have a long way to go!
Agreed.
I think these 7 siblings would also agree. The video is located on the right.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
FWIW - If you think that you have mastered an instrument you are totally mistaken and might as well quit playing. There is always more to learn. In every professional musician's interview I had ever read they say there is more to learn. If they are still learning then I have a long way to go!
Agreed.
I think these 7 siblings would also agree. The video is located on the right.
I read the article but for some reason the video would not play. It turned back as soon as I click on it. That was an amazing story.
I enjoyed it on broadcast TV last night and then this morning googled it. If you click the video, an ad may first play, followed by the actual video; it looks 13:11 long.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
I read the article but for some reason the video would not play. It turned back as soon as I click on it. That was an amazing story.
I enjoyed it on broadcast TV last night and then this morning googled it. If you click the video, an ad may first play, followed by the actual video; it looks 13:11 long.
When I click on the video that little window goes completely black and nothing plays, even after waiting for awhile.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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