String Theory
Learn about the history of strings and how the different materials used in producing them affect the sound. This will help you chose a type and potentially a brand of...
LIVS Blog
The Acoustic Player’s Guide to Going Electric: A No-Fear Transition
Dive into the world of Electric Violin music with Dr. Jess Ingrassellino of Electric Violin Labs! Here are some tips for acoustic players that will help them make the transition.
The King of Ragtime: The Life and Legacy of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime, learned violin before moving over to piano. He overcame poverty and racial bias in post-Civil War America and enjoyed success as a musician and...
The Importance of Music Education: A Lifelong Investment in the Mind and Spirit
The Importance of Music Education explains how studying music is beneficial to your brain, thinking, memory, attention, and learning. This applies to children as well as adults.
Button Up Your Overtones
Understanding overtones and how they're produced can help a musician improve their pitch, timbre, tone and style. Learning to listen carefully develops and awareness that helps musicians have a more...
Smart Practicing for Everyone
Smart practice techniques can lead to success. Learn to employ strategies into your instrumental practice sessions and achieve your goals. Build a toolbox of techniques that will help you learn...
Humidity and Instrument Maintenance
Dry weather and low humidity will influence your instrument’s tone as well as lead to potentially costly repairs. To avoid repairs, it is critical that you provide a good environment...
How Music Therapy Helps Kids with ADHD Tune In, Not Out
Children with ADHD often struggle to maintain attention over time, especially when tasks feel arbitrary or overstimulating. Music therapy, by design, introduces a form of structured repetition. Patterns they can...
The Magic of Antonio Stradivari
The Magic of Antonio Stradivari. What makes these instruments so famous, highly desired, and special?
Julia Perry - Neoclassicist Composer
A native to Lexington, Kentucky, Julia Perry was born to America Lois Heath Perry, a Virginia native and graduate of Morristown college, and Dr. Abraham Murphy Perry, a physician and...
Playing Modern Songs with Classical Instruments
While playing popular music on instruments such as the violin and cello is not a new concept, with artists such as Lindsey Stirling and 2Cellos becoming household names, pop music...
Tuning a Cello with Tuning Pegs
Oh no! Your cello has slipped out of tune and now your open strings sound like something out of a horror movie soundtrack. While this may be a bit scary,...
A Musician's Corpus Callosum
The Link Between Academic Achievement and Playing an Instrument Many years ago, when I was in school, the Honor Roll and the High Honor Roll used to be posted outside...
Pablo Casals Biography: The Legacy of a Master Cellist
Pablos Casals, Catalan birth name Pau Casals i Defilló, was born on December 29th 1876 in Tarragona, Spain. His father was a native of Spain and the organist in a...
How to Choose Violin Strings
Gut, synthetic, aluminum, silver, gold-plated, high-tension, thick, thin, so many options and so many choices. Some players find a brand they like and stick with it, others are constantly searching...
Effective Instrument Practice Tips
Has a piece ever left you frustrated despite working hard to learn it, or you can’t get the melody right even though you’ve put the time in? Don’t worry, your...