COFFEE BREAK | Reno erat Rudolphus or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

By Michael Vincent on December 11, 2014

(via) In the spirit of Advent, we give you Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, translated to latin, and composed using a Gregorian chant melody. (The fun things you can do with music degrees!). Though you probably won't hear this sung at a church anytime soon, this is very well done!

COFFEE BREAK | A Genius Scrolling Score to Steve Reich's Clapping Music

By Michael Vincent on December 10, 2014

Today we dive into the fascinating minimalist score to Steve Reich's 1972 Clapping Music. The premiss is simple: a one-bar rhythm that shifts one eighth note at eight bar intervals. Watch the video to see the score in action - from a musicians point of view. We tried performing it at the MT office, but sounded more like a bunch of frat boys watching a hockey game. Your mileage may vary.

COFFEE BREAK | Cool Video of Organist Vincent Boucher Playing the Beckerath Organ

By Michael Vincent on December 5, 2014

Just released from ATMA Classique is a cool video from organist Vincent Boucher’s recording session at St Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. The video has some really trippy shots of the Beckerath organ.

COFFEE BREAK | Chopin Boogie Woogie

By Michael Vincent on December 3, 2014

Filmed on location at Domaine Forget, Québec, Canada, pianist Matt Herskowitz plays his version of Chopin's most famous étude, all in one take.

COFFEE BREAK | How Often is Each Piano Key Pressed in Chopin's Op. 25 Etudes?

By Michael Vincent on December 2, 2014

Pianists, which etude will you scale next? We'll be looking for the complementary set to Chopin's Opus 10 next...

COFFEE BREAK | When Should you Clap - A Helpful Guide

By Michael Vincent on December 1, 2014

COFFEE BREAK | How to Make a Clarinet With Just a Drill and a Carrot

By Michael Vincent on November 23, 2014

Linsey Pollak believes all it takes to create music is a bit of ingenuity. People laughed at him. "This is a joke right?" But after you hear the result, everyone is left speechless.

COFFEE BREAK | What Composer Personality Are You? (The Quiz!)

By Michael Vincent on November 21, 2014

What are you waiting for - discover your untapped musical potential, thanks to our state-of-the-art composer matchmaker game!

COFFEE BREAK | Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (the game!)

By Michael Vincent on November 19, 2014

When you think about Tchaikovsky's bombastic 1812 Overture, you might think US Independence Day celebrations with fireworks and cannons galore! But have you ever wanted to be the percussionist during the last few final measures of the score? We here at the Musial Toronto office have been obsessed with this game from Us vs Th3m for a little over a week. It's not fair that we hoard all the fun for ourselves, so give it a try.

COFFEE BREAK | Danish Orchestra attempts to play after eating red hot chili peppers (Video)

By Michael Vincent on November 6, 2014

The Danish National Chamber Orchestra did a little experiment last week. They were curious to see (and hear) what Tango Jalousie by Jacob Gade would sound like after eating one of the worlds hottest Chili Peppers. Watch what happens.