by Benno | Sep 26, 2025 | Essays
Steely Dan is ironic, sardonic, polished, and sophisticated (yet oddly dark underneath it all). Spotify recommends yacht rock bands alongside The Dan, something like Kenny Loggins (that smoooth rock). It might go further and say “you’d like Michael McDonald.” It makes...
by Benno | Mar 28, 2025 | Essays
To hell with all these theories, if they always serve only to block the evolution of art and if their positive achievement consists in nothing more than helping those who will compose badly anyway to learn it quickly. —Arnold Schoenberg Music theory is used to...
by Benno | Sep 10, 2024 | Essays
Personal taste in music is often discussed through genre terms, which by extension creates labels for music that resonates with us; someone likes rock music, another likes rap. But the features that draw me towards certain artists, irrespective of genre, are illusive....
by Benno | Aug 20, 2024 | Essays
I often get lost thinking about the creative process, the qualities I want to infuse into my music. But one concept recurs over and over: The classic story visual, where films and novels are represented on a linear graph. Graphic representations in literature and film...
by Benno | Aug 12, 2024 | Essays
From folklore to daytime television, stories of simple, unassuming characters who bumble through life have entertained us. Whether it’s Winnie the Pooh, Trailer Park Boys, or traditional fairytales, these whimsical narratives often feature protagonists whose lack of...