Michael Cain 1/30/25 Michael Cain 1/30/25

Music Ideation: The Creative Foundation

When we think about digital tools and music creation, we often assume the work starts with engaging a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). But before creation comes ideation, the crucial step where inspiration is explored, ideas are formed, and creativity is nurtured. Ideation is the work that happens before the work—the process of discovering and deeply connecting with musical ideas, testing their boundaries, uncovering their essence, and imagining where they might lead.

Michael Cain 11/7/24 Michael Cain 11/7/24

Middle and High School Band Participation Post Pandemic

The global pandemic left an undeniable impact on every aspect of education, and middle and high school band programs were no exception. The integration of diverse musical genres and digital music production in middle and high school band programs post-pandemic offers exciting opportunities to transform music education.

Jeff Sugerman 12/21/23 Jeff Sugerman 12/21/23

Ekwe x Maia Dave Scholarship recipient creates program to support Women in Music Production.

During her studies at KM Music Conservatory in Chennai India, Aaina Padiath noticed how few women were taking music production classes: “It is not very common for female musicians to participate in the production of their own music. They tend to defer to male colleagues who are viewed as more experienced in studio production. As a result they lose control of the full music creation process.” As part of her Ekwe x Maia Dave Scholarship for Creative Women in Music Technology, Aaina set a goal of helping demystify music production by creating a 4 part seminar called, Women in Music Production (WIP).

Jeff Sugerman 12/15/23 Jeff Sugerman 12/15/23

Ekwe Pro Tips: Using Ekwe to begin building music improvisation skills

We recently caught up with Joe Kaiser, who teaches cello and chamber music in the Individual Instruction, Group Instruction, Suzuki, and School Partnerships programs at MacPhail Center for Music. He has been using the Ekwe app to teach improvisation and group composition skills in two Suzuki classes.

Michael Cain 12/10/23 Michael Cain 12/10/23

Unlocking Musical Creativity: Exploring Improvisation with Samples and Loops

Exploring improvisation with samples and loops is a pathway to unlocking musical creativity. It offers students the opportunity to break free from traditional constraints, experiment with new sounds and genres, and collaborate with others.