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.
This is a classic short film which won the Academy Award, and has a very interesting soundtrack to say the least: The creator and composer is Norman McLaren, who apparently cut little wedges and nicks into the side of the film to create the score! I would be curious to know how he managed to [...]
Boys and girls, high and low, with every voice specialized like a well-run machine…ahh. Hopefully the group you’re arranging for is already balanced in terms of boys and girls, but make sure you know when you’re making a custom arrangement. It would blow if you wrote a SSAATTB part for a group that has no [...]
A rather excellent YouTube video, detailing the dangers of the “isms” and the wonders of American Freedom! The music within is pretty classic soundtrack music of the era — very influenced by the art music of the period, but also much more likely to be enjoyable to the ears of the audience. Have we lost [...]
The best way to get better at your craft is study the work of others and practice. And steal. There was a whole phase in contemporary music when quoting famous pieces was in vogue. The art of “mashup” is when your material is, essentially, other people’s stuff (plug for Girl Talk; I never danced harder [...]
If you can see this, then you might need a Flash Player upgrade or you need to install Flash Player if it’s missing. Get Flash Player from Adobe. Man, I love Paul Gilbert. Stupid-fast metal guitar always appeals to that pick wielding side of me, and he has such a sense of humor about it. [...]
Howdy campers, and well met! My name’s Dan, and I’m a newly inducted member of the SmarterMusic family. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’ve been music directing a co-ed all-genre a cappella group called Rather Be Giraffes at Brandeis University for almost four years now, as well as years and years of orchestra and [...]
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 [...]
Sounds like a nice pasttime, doesn’t it? Also with video goodness, and the price is right!
When we were seven, we unknowingly listened to the likes of Beethoven, Rossini, Debussy, and even Raymond Scott on an almost daily basis, and we ate it all up. So much for kids not appreciating the classics – looks like all it took to spoon-feed a bit of “The Thieving Magpie” was to sugarcoat it [...]
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 [...]
