Whether they’re paid pros or passionate dabblers, every musician wants to make the most of their skill and talent, which involves getting rid of limitations and problems. Makes sense, but there’s no point in any of it if you’re not doing it correctly, so let’s look at what it takes to be a good musician.

What’s the secret to solid setlist writing? Professional musician and experienced setlist-writer, Sander actually believes that it’s better to throw out your setlists altogether and structure your gigs based on how the crowd reacts to your tunes.

While they have a rich history that dates back more than a century, big bands and jazz orchestras are still booming to this very day. What’s it like to play in a big band and what does it take? Read on and find out!

Are backing vocalists simply failed lead singers? That’s a hard no for Marjolein Spijkers, who’s one of the most requested backing singers in the Netherlands. For thirteen seasons, she sang on the popular Dutch TV show ‘Ik Hou Van Holland’, and she was one of the original Frogettes (backing vocalists for big-name Dutch singer, René Froger). She has also performed at big venues, including the Amsterdam Arena, and knows exactly what is asked of a professional backing vocalist. Comparing the job to being part of the brass section,, Marjolein believes that “backing vocals are an integral part of any live show.”

Sooner or later, anyone working with other people in a band is going to have to deal with criticism. This can be difficult for one of two reasons: giving your band mates feedback is hard – how are they going to react? And receiving criticism can be hard on any musician’s ego. But, all going well, some constructive criticism can often make you a much better musician.

Evergreens: those songs that everyone knows and can sing along to – those enduring super-hits. Are they still being written? This is the question we put to trend-watcher Thimon de Jong, who, after extensive research has uncovered the sad news that the Evergreen library is in serious need of a restock – and for multiple reasons.

Want to get into pro-level recording? Then don’t get too hung up on picking out the right microphone, but pay attention to every step in the process.

Want to write catchier songs? Then you’ll need to come up with a hook: a catchy, recurring part that makes your song instantly recognisable.

In our series on vocal technique, we’ve looked at singing with and without compression quite a few times, but we haven’t touched on one part of it yet: the transition from singing with compression to singing without compression and the voice break that comes with it. Read on and learn how to deal with it.

Guitars and keys are a great combo but can also be a real challenge when it comes to making them work together in a band. Read on and learn how you can make the guitarist and keyboardist in your band best friends — musically that is.

While the composer shapes the contours of the central melody and chords, it’s the arranger who, using countless tricks, colours everything in. What kind of technical colours does the arranger have in their tool box and what can you do to make even the most beautiful song even more beautiful?

Pain, hoarseness, losing your voice or even developing a lump or polyp on your vocal cords: these are all some of the greatest fears of any singer. So, how can you best protect your voice and prevent damaging your vocal cords? And if you are having vocal issues, how can you get rid of them? Rather than fearing that you’ll never be able to sing again, the first thing to do is trust the healing ability of your own body and take the time to relax every moment you get!