73 episodes

To be a great musician is to be able to sight-read, play by ear, compose or improvise, understand the art of practice, and be versatile in many other ways. The Musician Toolkit explores these tools, how to improve them, and how to apply them to a variety of gigs and musical careers. Join us on a quest to improve your musicianship and to make you the most well-rounded musician you can be!

The Musician Toolkit with David Lane David Lane

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 11 Ratings

To be a great musician is to be able to sight-read, play by ear, compose or improvise, understand the art of practice, and be versatile in many other ways. The Musician Toolkit explores these tools, how to improve them, and how to apply them to a variety of gigs and musical careers. Join us on a quest to improve your musicianship and to make you the most well-rounded musician you can be!

    How to Compose a Canon | Ep72

    How to Compose a Canon | Ep72

    Composing and Improvising are essential tools for every well-rounded musician, but they are different skills.  Quite often, when someone decides to become a composer, they are making up something from their instrument and then writing it down on staff paper.  This is actually more of a transcribed improvisation than it is true composition.  There's nothing wrong with that, but it is an incomplete look at the craft.  Composing a 2-part canon is a simple exercise that will force you to think like a composer and less like an improviser.  In this episode, David Lane composes an easy canon from scratch.  You can download that canon on the link below, and follow along.
    Link: Sample Canon from this Episode
    More or fewer episodes like this? Let me know your thoughts at: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact
    You can also let me know your thoughts on this episode as a voice message to possibly share on a future episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.
     

    • 32 min
    Creating Value as an Entrepreneurial Musician (with Brian Witkowski) | Ep71

    Creating Value as an Entrepreneurial Musician (with Brian Witkowski) | Ep71

    Many professional musicians and music teachers struggle with charging what their worth, or even what they need to charge to make even a decent living.  Brian Witkowski of The Lucrative Artist helps musicians and other artists to develop their "money voice", to change the way they think about money.  In this episode, we chat about a variety of ways that you can charge more while also creating something incredible and memorable for those you serve.  We also talk about how to make a decision on whether or not to take a gig.
    Links:
    The Lucrative Artist
    24 Ideas to Charge More in 2024
    More or fewer episodes like this? Let me know your thoughts at: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact
    You can also let me know your thoughts on this episode as a voice message to possibly share on a future episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Helpful and Harmful Practice Mindsets | Ep70

    Helpful and Harmful Practice Mindsets | Ep70

    Even after you've scheduled your practice time each day and planned what your focus is during that time, the mindset you bring to your practice will absolutely affect how well or poorly you do during your session.  There are 5 common types of practice mindsets, 2 which are helpful and 3 which are not.  Which one or ones do you gravitate towards the most, and might a shift be helpful in improving the effectiveness of your practice time?
    More or fewer episodes like this? Let me know your thoughts at: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact
    You can also let me know your thoughts on this episode as a voice message to possibly share on a future episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

    • 14 min
    The Business Side of Private Teaching (with Andrea Miller) | Ep69

    The Business Side of Private Teaching (with Andrea Miller) | Ep69

    If you're an independent teacher, there are a number of important steps to go from being a hobbyist to becoming a legitimate business.  Andrea Miller of Music Studio Startup talks about all of this including making a decision about becoming an LLC and what steps go with that if you choose, making quarterly tax estimates, deductions, and other general information to help you be a thriving music studio.
    Find out more about Music Studio Startup (including Andrea's podcast with the same name) at: https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/
    Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

    • 1 hr 7 min
    25 MORE Essential Classical Pieces You Should Know | Ep68

    25 MORE Essential Classical Pieces You Should Know | Ep68

    This is a follow-up to Episode 17 from last year, where this podcast introduced 25 pieces of classical music, not necessarily the best or most acclaimed pieces, but 25 that you should know even if classical music is not your genre of focus.  Even after 25 more pieces, there are so many that were left out, but this plus the previous episode in this series will give you 50 pieces you should know no matter your genre as a musician.
    Previous episodes mentioned:
    Part 1 of this series
    Listening Approach for Classical vs Non Classical Music
    This episode uses excerpts from the following pieces in this order:
    Pieces:Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from “The Nutcracker” (Tchaikovsky) - London Philharmonic Concerto for 2 Violins (Bach) - Issac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, New York Philharmonic, Zubin MehtaMusic for Stringed Instruments, Percussion, & Celesta (Bartok) - Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph Von DohnányiSonata Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight” (Beethoven) Daniel BarenboimSuite No. 1 from Carmen (Bizet) Lamoureux Concert Associations Orchestra, Antal DoratiEtudes Op. 12 (Chopin)  Vladimir AshkenazyThe Sorceror’s Apprentice (Paul Dukas), Cincinnati Symphony, Jesús López-CobosPomp and Circumstance No. 1 (Edward Elgar) - English Symphony Orchestra, William BoughtonString Quartet Op 76, No. 3 “Emperor” (Haydn) - Kodály QuartetSymphony No. 4 “Italian” (Mendelssohn) - Cleveland Orchestra, George SzellSerenade: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart) - I MusiciCarmina Burana (Orff) - London Symphony, Andre PrevinCanon in D (Pachelbel) - London Baroque Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev) - London Symphony, Andre PrevinWilliam Tell Overture (Rossini) - National Symphony, Riccardo Chailly Carnival of the Animals (Saint-Saens) - George PrêtreStars and Stripes Forever (Sousa) - US Marine BandOn the Beautiful Blue Danube Walzes (J Strauss Jr) - Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von KarajanThe Firebird (Stravinsky) - Phiharmonia, Robert CraftOverture to Romeo and Julet, 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky) - Russian National, Mikhail PletnevWhy Fumeth in Fight (Tallis) - Chappelle du Roi, Alistair DixonFantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Vaughan Williams) - London Philharmonic, Leonard SlatkinThe Four Seasons, Op. 8 mp 1-4, (Vivaldi) - I MusiciRide of the Valkyries (Wagner) - London Philharmonic, Adrian BoultLohengrin: Prelude to Act 3 and Bridal Chorus - Vienna Philharmonic, Rudolf Kempe
    Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

    • 39 min
    Instrument Spotlight: The French Horn (with Kate Warren) | Ep67

    Instrument Spotlight: The French Horn (with Kate Warren) | Ep67

    The Instrument Spotlight series within The Musician Toolkit is meant to introduce instruments as possible primary or secondary instruments, the challenges, the repertoire, and the capabilities.  Kate Warren is a freelance hornist and educator who also serves as Yaffe Post-Graduate Teaching Fellow for the Yale School of Music's Music in Schools Initiative.  In this episode, we talk about the horn, types of motivation, transposing, and practice organization.
    Kate Warren can be followed at https://www.katewarrenmusic.com/
     
    Music excerpts are featured in this order: Mvt 2 from Symphony No. 1 (Gustav Mahler) - Chicago Symphony, Georg Solti | "Poppyfields" from The Shadow original soundtrack (Jerry Goldsmith) | Incommensurable (Christopher Biggs) - Kate Warren, horn and Amer Hasan, clarinet | "The Escape to Sherwood" from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (Michael Kamen) | Excerpts from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi (John Williams) - London Symphony Orchestra | "Andante Cantabile" from Symphony No. 5 (Peter Tchaikovsky) - London Symphony, Igor Markevitch | "Allegro Vivace" from Sextet for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (Francis Poulenc)  - Alexandre Tharaud, Phillipe Bernold, Oliver Doise, Ronald Van Spaendonck, Laurent Lefevre, Herve Joulain | "The Anvil of Crom" from Conan the Barbarian original score (Basil Poledouris)

     

    Full clip for Incommensurable on Kate's YouTube channel
     

    Previous Episode in Instrument Spotlight series:
    The Clarinet Family (with Kania Mills) | Ep18
     

    Also mentioned:
    Episode 7 - The Overtone Series
     

    Let me know your thoughts on this episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact 
    You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/.  If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice.  You can also now find the podcast at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/toolkit
    You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1
    This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
11 Ratings

11 Ratings

The Robonzo ,

A podcast for any musician looking to improve their craft

I had the pleasure of discovering the Musicians Tool Kit recently, and I must say that David comes across as a professional. He presents his expertise with both authority and humility, making his podcast a must-listen for any musician looking to improve their craft.

As a performer of rock, blues, and pop, I was curious to find out if the content of this podcast would be relevant to my niche. However, after just a few episodes, I quickly realized that David's insights are applicable across genres and musical styles.

One thing that really stands out about the Musicians Tool Kit is David's passion for music. You can hear it in his tone and delivery. As a listener, I find myself getting excited about music and eager to apply the tips and tricks that David shares on his podcast.

Overall, I highly recommend the Musicians Tool Kit to any musician looking to take their skills to the next level.

Classmate!! ,

Thank you for keeping it simple!

I love being able to come here and not know too much about instruments, remote things. I love that you share stories and experiences that you've gone through. Thank you for your truth and authenticity. Thank you for being of service to a creative, musical world! I've never learned to play an instrument, but I love music. Music helps me feel every day. Music helps me be better and grow through what I go through!!!

Bicoastalmama ,

Great info!

I follow David on TikTok and this information is so helpful for musicians! Looking forward to this podcast!

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