Sound Field

Music from the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence

Since the beginning of time Phi—also known as the golden ratio—has inspired the world around us. Have you ever noticed how some pieces of music just seem to make sense? From the notes and chords to the phrasing and dynamics, they can all feel like they were meant to go together. Many people believe this is not a coincidence but the golden ratio in action.

The Metal Scream: From Nordic Vikings to Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were some of the first bands to perform the metal scream, but the origin of screaming in music actually goes back a lot further to the Nordic Vikings.

Is This Even Music? John Cage, Schoenberg and Outsider Artis

What is music? From John Cage to Legendary Stardust Cowboy, avant-garde artists have forever been pushing on the edges of what is considered music. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Harry Partch and outsider musicians like The Shaggs are constantly changing music.

Pitch Shifting in Music: From Chipmunks to Kanye

Have you heard the conspiracy theory that Nicki Minaj songs are just Jay-Z pitched up? Well that may not be true, but changing the pitch of their songs can create a hilarious effect. LA Buckner and Nahre Sol explore the history of how pitch shifting has been used in music for artistic results, from Alvin and the Chipmunks to T-pain.

How The Exorcist Changed the Sound of Horror

Why do so many horror film scores today sound similar to The Exorcist from 1973? A lot of that is thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer whose music was used by director William Friedkin to score The Exorcist. Penderecki's music can be heard in the works of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, and has even inspired the scores of modern horror films such as Bird Box.

How Kacey Musgraves Changed Country With "Golden Hour"

Kacey Musgraves won the Album of the Year award at the 2019 Grammys, becoming only the 4th country album to ever win that award. Two of the producers of the album, Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, talk to us about how they and Kacey were able to make such a crossover success.

From Mozart to Weird Al: The Evolution of Parody

"Weird Al" Yankovic might be the first person to come to mind when you think of parody music, but did you know that composers like Bach, Mozart, and Satie have been parodying each other's work for centuries?

What Is the Spotify Sound?

Streaming services like Spotify are changing more than the way we listen to music - they are actually changing the way music is written.

The Magic Formula Behind Disney Music

The songs of Disney musicals do more work than you might think. Under all that fairy dust and sparkle, there are techniques songwriters use to make sure Disney musicals keep the story moving. LA Buckner and Nahre Sol unlock the magic of Disney musicals and with the help of Alexandra Smither, try to write the next Disney hit song.