Portamental is dedicated to the exploration of music in all its forms and the promotion of musical understanding for all. Contributors include:
Pianist, instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, molecular biologist and music theorist. Former Music Director of the Achordants. For arranging services, see Broze Brothers Music; for performing and lessons, see Yuri Broze.com.
Accomplished guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and photographer.
Composer, arranger, double bassist, writer, and didgeridoo builder. Music Director of Brandeis University's Rather Be Giraffes. For arrangement and other sundry music services, check out MusicaRanger.
We like InterCaps.
Quite ridiculous are the comments made by YouTube viewers — even with the audio preview feature implemented, comments tend to be somewhat inane. Please enjoy this art project of a video, of Leonard Bernstein conducting Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. If you can see this, then you might need a Flash Player upgrade or you need [...]
Kirei neeeeeeee…. I had never heard this piece until it came as one of the preset ringtones on my Japanese cellphone. Trying to fit so much intense melodicism through that tiny little speaker didn’t really do it justice though, I have to say. For a while, it even served as my alarm clock sound in [...]
This is a delightful track that bears closer scrutiny. It begins in an ambiguous 6/8 and 3/4 that also has an overriding 4/2 feel in the vocals that combines two measures at once. This is already incredibly clever, but at 0:38, suddenly we’re thrown for a loop into 4/4, with syncopated melody. Then, there’s a [...]
Not music-related per se, but certainly an important figure in the history of artistic movements. Most certainly you’ve seen some of his works of art, although I personally hadn’t been particularly aware of just what he was doing, when, or why. Well, here are the answers, in order: What: Neo-Plasticism, a Dutch style that I [...]
There seems to be a pointed dearth of groundbreaking composers these days; at least, it’s difficult to pinpoint those who are truly revolutionary and inspiring leaders of the art, since there’s no longer a sense of celebrity attached to knowledgeable and skilled art music masters. Why is this? I suspect the reasons are (at least) [...]
