Good music and bad music: those terms circulate in just about every discussion on music. The avant-garde? Yes, we are still having the discussion as to whether serialism is good or bad. We’re still having that same debate about John Cage, believe it or not. Are we in middle school? Between classical music and popular […] The post Good music and bad music appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

iZotope, creator of products such as Ozone, RX, and Neutron, is a company known for making really polished, stable, and well-working audio software and tools that allow even the most novice of mixing engineers (or musicians in general) to record, mix, master, clean up audio, and much more. In this article, I will be reviewing […] The post iZotope Ozone Review – the good, the bad, the ugly appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

There are many approaches to composition. Some people rely heavily on score study. Some people rely on the guidance of a mentor or teacher. Others experiment with different forms of art and let that inform their music. In any case, we rely on methods, habits, guidance, information, and other sources to help us in our […] The post Self-awareness is key (and no one can teach you it!) appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

Genres and Stylistic Pluralism As you may know, I am a big fan of stylistic pluralism. I love mixing genres, styles, moods, techniques, and anything else that I have at my disposal into certain pieces of music, to contrast the use of consistency in most musical compositions one hears. I was recently reflecting on Steven […] The post Why is mixing genres such a big deal? appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

MuseScore is a free music notation software program that was updated recently to massively improve its engraving performance. The post MuseScore 3.6 – A massive step forward appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

The Way of The Blade is the brainchild of moviemaker R. Kolby Woodfield. I was lucky enough to be able to write the music for it. Fresh off hiatus, KNOWITALL Productions is back! This time it’s pure pulp, screaming, “Hey, Warner Bros…. this is how its done!” If you enjoy Tarantino, Zombie, and Fincher then […] The post The Way of The Blade appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

Listen to new music! In the time during my hiatus from this blog, I am writing a lot of music. Here are some projects I am working on. As always, you can find them on https://danlis.com/. For sheet music, check out the listing below. For more on me, check out Dan Lis. Scrolling scores – […] The post Listen to new music appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

David Pennise is a wonderful musician, composer, producer, and contributor to Composer's Toolbox, where I feature his work "Unspoken". The post David Pennise – “Unspoken” – The Final Review (for now) appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

As you may or may not know, I have bipolar disorder. It has been exacerbated by COVID and the quarantine, and I’m working through some issues. So, for now, I am taking a break from posting long articles on the blog. I will post intermittently short promos of people’s works, including my own as I […] The post A farewell, of sorts appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more

Here is your New Music August Mixtape from Composer's Toolbox! This is a stylistically diverse array of compositions. Take a listen! The post Your New Music August Mixtape appeared first on Composer's Toolbox ..read more