A couple of curious projects have recently sprung new releases. Of a sort. Mugs The simpler, and sillier, one first: I've entered the mug trade! Or strictly speaking, our company (hitherto entirely software) has. Either way, you can now buy a mug with two of my drawings of cartoon giraffes playing musical instruments on it.… Continue reading A new bit of software… and mugs!
Tag: music
On picking up the cello again after 30 years
For most of the last 30 years I've had a cello sitting in a case in a corner of the flat, unplayed. I described myself as a lapsed cellist, former cellist, sort-of cello player when younger, someone who is just not really playing these days. Occasionally I would get the cello out and tune it.… Continue reading On picking up the cello again after 30 years
Bowie
Here's a playlist of good David Bowie songs that I had never heard until after he died last week. Spotify playlist YouTube links: Dead Against It (1993) Up The Hill Backwards (1980) Move On (1979) Dancing With The Big Boys (1984) (with Iggy Pop) I Would Be Your Slave (2002) Girl Loves Me (2016) You've… Continue reading Bowie
Performance Practice as Unanticipated Pit
Last Tuesday afternoon I went to the weekly meeting of my research group. (But this isn't a post about work.) The weekly meetings have a rotating series of themes: this week's was "Music Performance and Expression". Accordingly, the first part of this meeting was a bit of a concert. To open the subject, Elaine Chew… Continue reading Performance Practice as Unanticipated Pit
Comfy headphones
"Before I switched to closed Sennheisers for my primary headphones..." — I think this writer should try the Beyerdynamic DT250 (80Ω version for standard headphone outs). They won't block out as much external sound as some, but they don't radiate much either, they sound clean and balanced, and they're as comfy as an old pair of… Continue reading Comfy headphones
Is music recommendation difficult?
My research department works on programming computers to analyse music. In this field, researchers like to have some idea of whether a problem is naturally easy or difficult for humans. For example, tapping along with the beat of a musical recording is usually easy, and it's fairly instinctive—you don't need much training to do it.… Continue reading Is music recommendation difficult?
The Breakfast Post 