An illustration shows the side profile of a woman's head, and inside her mind we see that she is thinking of how she plays her oboe.

Mental Practice Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide for Musicians

As a musician, not all of your practice will be on your instrument. Some of it will be in your head, and some of it may even be on objects that just look like your instrument. We call this mental practice, and in this excerpt from Barbara LaFitte’s Practicing Techniques for Musicians course, the former principal oboist in the Boston Ballet Orchestra shares tips on how to practice your instrument when you just aren’t able to actually play your instrument.

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A musician with colorful nail polish on their fingernails plays a professional keyboard rig in a live concert.

Keyboard Rigs for Live Performance: Choosing the Right Setup

Creating the perfect keyboard rig for live performances is all about matching your setup to the gig at hand, whether you’re playing a cozy club, a grand corporate event, or embarking on a nationwide tour. With the help of Adriana Balic (Berklee course author and keyboardist for P!nk), learn how to choose the right keyboard rig to ensure your performance is seamless and stress-free, no matter where you’re playing.

Vocalist singing at a piano trying to find their vocal range

How to Find Your Vocal Range for Singing Pop and R&B

The key of a sound recording may not always work for you; It may be too high or too low. This doesn’t mean that you can’t sing the song. In this excerpt from Berklee Online’s Improvisation Techniques for Singing Pop and R&B course, Gabrielle Goodman teaches you how to find your vocal range so you can pick a key that will make your voice shine.

Leon Silva is shown playing saxophone with high profile musicians, and holding the diploma he received after decades away from Berklee.

Saxophonist Leon Silva on Justin Timberlake, the Bosstones, and Earning His Berklee Degree

Leon Silva has played sax with Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Ariana Grande, and more, but he may be even prouder of earning his degree from Berklee after a 20-year absence.

Freesia Denyse DJing on a rooftop

Academic Advisor by Day, DJ by Night: Freesia Denyse’s 5 Tips to Start DJing

Academic advising and DJing share the common requirements of empathy and emotional intelligence. Academic Advisor and DJ Freesia Denyse shares her five tips to start DJing.

Matt Rollings at a piano

Pianist Matt Rollings: How to Be a Session Musician People Want to Hire

Grammy-winning producer, pianist, and songwriter Matt Rollings shares what it takes to be a successful session musician, including what to charge and when to say yes or no to a project. He also shares how his recording career took off after he said yes to a young Lyle Lovett. 

Jimi Hendrix and 9 Other Musicians Who Changed the Way We Play

Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt, and Louis Armstrong redefined their instruments so drastically we need to look at their innovations in a historical conext.

Anna Bulbrook discusses her life in music in this podcast.

Anna Bulbrook on Toxic Violin, Kanye West Epiphanies, and Girlschool

Anna Bulbrook began studying violin at four. She quit at the age of 21, but then changed the terms of the relationship after a gig with Kanye West, and went on to become a founding member of the Airborne Toxic Event.

Ethiopian musician Hailu Mergia

Hailu Mergia on Walias Band, Dahlak Band, and Fleeing Ethiopia

Hailu Mergia is an accordionist, keyboardist, and bandleader from Ethiopia, where he played with Walias Band and Dahlak Band before defecting to the US.

Huey Lewis is pictured on the cover of his 2020 album, "Weather."

Huey Lewis and the News on His Hearing, the Power of Love, and More

Huey Lewis: Some of his lies are true, including the ones about stowing away on a plane to Europe, playing soccer with Black Sabbath and Ozzy, and being dressed by Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He also touches upon his meteoric rise to fame in the 1980s and his struggles with Ménière’s disease.