Blog: Sonical.ly - Educating Music Creators

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Julia Zhu |

2.14.23

Koji Kondo: Nintendo’s Melody Maestro

What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...

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Kaitlyn Meyers |

2.8.23

Taylor Swift on Industry Sexism and Music Rights

Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.

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Ethan Stafford |

2.8.23

What’s the Ideal Length for a Single— Are Songs Getting Shorter?

“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are

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Ethan Stafford |

2.6.23

SG Lewis: Who Is He - and What’s Next For This Rising Star?

SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely

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Ethan Stafford |

2.4.23

Lessons to Learn From the Launch Of Sam Smith’s “Unholy”

Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.

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Julia Zhu |

2.5.23

Are Virtual Idols the Future of Music?

Virtual reality and the metaverse have become popular topics in the music industry where more and more technology and music have been combined, creating something that could revolutionize the entire

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Kaitlyn Meyers |

2.5.23

Grammy Awards Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: The Category Songwriters Deserve

The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all

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Ethan Stafford |

1.31.23

How Zach Bryan’s Authenticity Makes His Music So Appealing, Even to Non-Country Fans

Zach Bryan released his first album in 2019, and in the short time since he has become one of the biggest names in country. His biggest album, “American Heartbreak”, broke single-day album streaming

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Ethan Stafford |

1.31.23

Miley Cyrus is Going to Take Over Pop in 2023

Miley Cyrus was born into the music industry, and has spent her career channelling her Nashville and Hollywood roots into a diverse discography stacked with hits. Add to that countless covers that are

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Kaitlyn Meyers |

1.31.23

Why This Pop-Rock Band Got Hate For Starting On YouTube

Before the invention of TikTok, many music artists gained popularity through YouTube. However, similar to the TikTok stars of today, people in the music industry saw ‘YouTube bands’ as lesser because

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Nate Moore |

2.1.23

Will Google End Work for Music Creators with their New Music AI?

Google has done it. They have created an AI that can generate music from text descriptions. The announcement of this is timely because recently Chat GPT, (a language learning model created by OpenAI

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Julia Zhu

1.28.23

The Road to Success: What qualities can we learn from Kpop Idols?

What does it take to be a professional singer in South Korea? On stage, these Kpop idols capture our attention with catchy songs and amazing choreographies, but what about off-stage? Behind the ...

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Julia Zhu |

1.26.23

Songwriter's Block: Inspiration Tuning in From Around the World

Writer’s block is real, and it’s not just authors, but also songwriters and composers. Thinking of top hit songs can be difficult, so how do the pros do it? Where do they get their inspiration from?

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Kaitlyn Meyers |

1.26.23

Arcane: How A Video Game Adaptation Ended Up With A Banger Soundtrack

What does a TV show based on a video game and the music industry have in common? Near the end of 2021, Arcane took the world by storm after debuting on Netflix. Not only did it dazzle us with its...

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Mark Singleton |

1.23.23

How Black Pink Should Negotiate Their New Contract with YG Entertainment

As the contract between Blackpink and YG Entertainment nears its end, fans of the popular South Korean girl group are wondering if the group will renew their contract with the agency...

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Nate Moore |

1.19.23

Writer's Block is Real, Even for J.Cole: Here are 8 Tips to Overcome

Rapper J. Cole has recently announced that he had been struggling with writer's block, but found a way to break free from it by using a type beat from Youtube music producer BVTMAN's YouTube...

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Nate Moore |

1.19.23

Hania Rani: A Virtuoso in the World of Classical and Electronic Music

Hania Rani is a Polish pianist and composer whose music has been described as "hauntingly beautiful" and "evocative." She is known for her unique blend of classical and electronic music, which she...

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Stevan Oostenbrug |

1.16.23

Ryan Tedder’s Studio Review: Writing Three Songs From Scratch

Ryan Tedder is a highly accomplished and sought-after music producer and songwriter. He is known for his work with a wide range of artists including: Adele, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and OneRepublic...

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Nate Moore |

1.6.22

Quentin Miller only got paid $30,000 for writing 6 Drake songs.

Drake's ghostwriter controversy has been a topic of conversation since the rapper's feud with Meek Mill in 2015. Quentin Miller, a lesser-known rapper from Atlanta, was named as the ghostwriter....

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Stevan Oostenbrug |

12.28.22

Timbaland’s Beatmaking Masterclass Review: A Class on Feeling the Flow

Many artists are using their personal brand and influence to educate artists, from beginners to fellow professionals. Timbaland has partnered with Masterclass to teach musicians how to make unique...

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Stevan Oostenbrug |

12.7.22

Rina Sawyama -- The Voice of a Genre-Spanning Pop Star

Rina Sawayama has burst into the consciousness of queer music listeners in recent years. My first time listening to her work was Cherry, a track that is bubbly ...

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