Stay In.   Play On!

Free 45-day trial for students and teachers.
“We have had, literally, thousands of people express interest in how the CADENZA™ Practice App can support online teaching. And we are here to help. For the first 45 days, you and your students can use CADENZA™ for a free trial. Who knows—that might even see you through the crisis. But we hope that you also discover the benefits of using CADENZA™ to improve your pedagogy and enhance student motivations—whether you are teaching face-to-face or through virtual means.”

→ View details here

Free access to piano improvisation lessons through the month of April
“Through learning to improvise, you can move your musical story from sadness through to hope, from fear to peace and … from boredom to fun! In the spirit of sharing we want to gift this experience to your family. Learn to improvise on the piano along to our stories and movie clips, fully guided by our recorded coaching sessions (all included). No previous piano experience is needed. Free access through the month of April.“

→ View details here

Watch on-demand webinar replays by world-leading experts about earning money with your music.
“In 2018 & 2019 the Profitable Musician Summit brought together thousands of attendees, over sixty speakers, respected music brands and created a vibrant community of musicians & independent music professionals all with a common goal: to say goodbye (forever) to “the old way” of building a music business.

And right now, we know the music industry needs what our speakers have to offer… More than perhaps ever before in history.

Join us for 4-days of open access to our expert sessions. And prepare yourself to get smart, get profitable & get back to making music.”

→ View details here

Get the resources you need to keep creating and building your career during this difficult time
SoundCloud are updating a dedicated “Keep the music going” page with the latest tips and resources to help music-makers during the current crisis, including a 50% discount on SoundCloud Pro, free Office Hours calls and more.

→ View details here

Join in free group-singing classes led by an experienced singing leader
“A free online singing project run by musician and singing leader Dominic Stichbury and set-up in response to the coronavirus epidemic. It is open to EVERYONE! 

Dominic will get your voice warmed up and then slowly guide you through learning a song. The limitations of technology means we aren’t able to synchronise or experience singing together, but we’ve discovered that watching others sing and experience the music whilst we join in can be a moving and uplifting experience.“

→ View details here

Spotify are matching donations up to $10M for musician charities
“At times of great challenge, music helps to uplift us. But right now, thousands of creative professionals in the music industry need our help.

While streaming still gives artists a way to connect with their fans, so many other sources of revenue have been put on hold by this crisis. To play our part, we’re working with a growing list of organizations offering financial relief to creators around the world to find ways to support our community.

The Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project has been created to amplify the efforts of organizations that focus on helping those most in need, beginning with those listed below. Spotify is making a donation to these organizations and will match donations made via this page dollar for dollar up to a collective total of $10 million.”

→ View details and donate here

Online group recording studio offers free access for schools
“In response to current needs, we have decided to make Soundtrap for Education free, on an extended trial basis, for any school that signs up to try it with students this semester. Free access will apply to all schools that register for a trial account, including those that are not currently closed or directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Our team will work with educators to ensure access to our studio continues through the end of their semester.

Using Soundtrap, teachers and students can create, communicate, and collaborate to explore creative sound making through audio stories, music creation, podcasting, literacy training, and more. The cloud-based studio offers a safe learning environment that can be accessed via any device, at any time, from any location.”

→ View details here

Chris Rowbury shares online group sing and virtual choir projects 
“Social isolation can be difficult at the best of times, but it’s even harder when we’re used to gathering regularly with a bunch of other people to make music. I’m sure many of you are missing your choirs right now.

In these times of seclusion, separation and retreat from the world, are there ways of continuing to make and enjoy music together?”

→ View details here

UK organisation supporting amateur music-making shares the best resources for staying connected.
“We know how important music groups are to the people in them. It goes beyond the music, and is as much about social connections, wellbeing and shared creativity – all of which have been hit hard by COVID-19. However, a positive factor that has come out of this is the fantastically creative ways people are finding to stay in touch and keep making music.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the great ways to connect musically that we have come across, which you could share with your group. There will probably be some ideas out there that we have not heard yet, so please let us know about them and we will add them to the list.”

→ View details here

Free guitar, bass and ukulele lessons for three months
“We’re blown away by the overwhelming response to our 3-month offer for free guitar, bass and ukulele lessons. It’s clear we need music more than ever. So, we’re keeping it going and extending the offer to the first 500,000 who sign up for Fender Play. There’s no cost. No catch. Just music. We’re all going to be spending more time inside – so we might as well make some noise.“

→ View details here

A roundup of apps, plug-ins, sounds, lessons, and DAWs that are currently free
“Life looks very different right now as the novel coronavirus has millions around the world stuck indoors. Festivals, clubs, and even house parties are banned in many cities, leaving musicians (and music lovers) housebound and searching for creative outlets. Over the past few weeks, several music companies have responded by offering freebies in order to, as Korg said, provide “a musical way to occupy your mind.”

Below, we’ve rounded up an array of apps, plug-ins, sounds, lessons, and even digital audio workstations (DAWs) that are currently free to give tools to musicians and those looking to learn musical skills during the pandemic. A few were already free, but the majority are only free for a limited time.”

→ View details here

FREE Jazz Targeting Membership
“How to Improvise Without Learning Hundreds of Scales: Are you frustrated by trying to improvise by placing this scale with that chord, but finding it is not working? You need to learn about Targeting and the tools to get to them. It changes everything!”

“This is a limited-time pricing plan which will be active during the Covid-19 pandemic that allows students and educators to have access to this resource”

→ View offer here (select “Free” under payment plans)

Four free guitar books on Kindle
Joseph Alexander writes: “As the world goes into hibernation, music has been a continued and powerful force that brings us together. Just watching people sing from the balconies of Italy and Germany has been particularly inspiring.

At Fundamental Changes, we want to help you get through this. We’re all struggling, worrying about wages and what the future may hold. We can’t do much, but we can make some of our books free, to help you fill your time more meaningfully.

So, this week I’ve decided to make the following four titles free on Kindle.

Click each link to go to Amazon and download it. When you click the links above, you’ll be taken to an Amazon product page in your own country. You’ll have two options to purchase: “Read for $0.00” and “Buy now”. Please click “Buy Now”. The price is $0.00, but if you click “read for $0.00” it’ll try to enrol you in Kindle Unlimited – Amazon’s Netflix for books.”

→ The First 100 Chords for Guitar

→ The Circle of Fifths for Guitarists

→ Complete Technique for Modern Guitar

→ How to Memorize the Fretboard

Note: Due to Amazon restrictions this offer must end on 28th March. 

$10 off any item in online store, including For The Love Of Music
Natalie Weber from Music Matters Blog has kindly allowed us to include here the special discount offer usually available exclusively to Musical U members.

Enjoy $10 off any item from the Music Matters Blog store, including For The Love Of Music, a self-guided 5-day course to help pianists learn to read music, featuring a 98-page workbook, 98-page answer key, 10 photos, 25 supporting videos, 56 audio clips for dictation plus a book of scales and keys worth an additional $15.

Just enter code “MUSICALU” during checkout to access the discount.

→ View store here

Free Access For Schools
“Due to the sudden need for home-based music education resources caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, we are opening up premium access to teachers and students free of charge through June 15th, 2020. Please fill out the form to receive free access for your school.”

→ Access the offer here

Peaceful Piano Improvisation at Home
A new 3-session live group coaching online for anyone home-bound who needs some stress relief. Currently significantly discounted to just $47 for 3×45 minute sessions (normal pricing: $141). Students will learn the basics of improvising without self-judgement, how to play in the minimal piano style, techniques in the style of modern contemporary classical pianists: Einaudi, Yirumi, Max Richter & Haushka.

Suitable for: Late beginner to intermediate pianists.
First session: Saturday 28th March, 4 pm (EDT) / 9 pm (CET)

→ Access the offer here

Free Online Group Jazz Piano Class
“Check out how online group jazz piano classes look and feel. All experience levels are welcome.”

→ Access the offer here

Get “Composer Boot Camp: 50 Exercises for Educators, Students and Music Professionals” Half Price
This detailed step-by-step guide by Musical U author and award-winning composer Sabrina Peña Young is packed with exercises to help anyone start or improve their song-writing and composition. With this offer you get not just the eBook as sold on Amazon but also sample tracks, scores, and a PDF copy of the complete book, all for 50% off (just $7.50).

→ Access the offer here, enter code “musicalu”

Full Access for 30 days for just £10
The Complete MyMusicTheory Membership Package (normally priced at £199) provides comprehensive training for ABRSM theory grades 1-8 and more.

→ Access the offer here

Free downloadable check sheets, assessments and practice logs for better practicing
The book “The Musician’s Way” is a renowned guide to music practice and performance and the author Gerald Klickstein is generously providing these valuable resources which can help you get more from every practice session.

→ Access the offer here

Free access to Noteflight Learn and free 30-day trial of Noteflight Premium
The leading provider of online notation software is offering special opportunities for teachers and individuals:

“For any school or district with closures, we are offering free access to Noteflight Learn and all of the Noteflight Learn Content Libraries through June 30, 2020.”

→ Access the Noteflight Learn offer here

 “Have some extra time to compose music? We offer a free 30-day trial of Noteflight Premium so you can explore all the benefits, including unlimited scores with individual parts, over 85 instruments, audio recording, and more!”

→ Access the Noteflight Premium trial offer here

Save $50/year for life when you start an annual membership now
Get full access to the world’s leading online bass academy with over 40 video courses, weekly live sessions and more. Save $50 on annual membership in the current “March Bass Madness” promotion.

→ Access the offer here

Beginners piano course and 24 songs now free, plus free Skoove Premium for teachers 

“In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we at Skoove are making some of our premium content available for free to help those who may be struggling during these difficult times.

We hope we can make your time spent at home more enjoyable with music.

From now on:
– Our beginner piano course is now available for free
– 24 songs are now available for free (see full list on the announcement page)
– Teachers and educational institutions get Skoove Premium for free”

→ Access the offer here

A list of organisations offering grants and other funding to musicians in need

A thorough and ongoing list of links to all (U.S.A.) organisations offering financial assistance specifically for musicians during this crisis.

→ Access the list here

Andrew offers private 1-to-1 lessons for piano, flute, saxophone, accordion, and more. Andrew also specialises in Native American flute, improvisation and songwriting.

Contact: [email protected]

Andrew is also running online classes at Outschool.

Dylan is our Resident Pro for Guitar at Musical U, teaching musicality skills such as playing by ear and improvisation on guitar. In his private teaching he specialises in providing lessons centered on application and real-world use.

Contact: Click here for full details

“Nashville Guitar Guru” and author of The Perpetual Beginner (as featured on Musicality Now), Dave Isaacs is currently offering special pricing of $60/hour for 1-to-1 online video lessons. His students are working musicians, performing artists, professional songwriters, hobbyists, weekend warriors, and just people who love music. Lessons are flexible and tailored to the individual.

Contact: Click here for full details

Clare is our Resident Pro for Singing at Musical U, helping our members with skills such as ear training, harmonisation, and expression, as well as core skills like breathing and posture. A former member of famous a cappella group The Swingles, Clare is an world-class performer with experience teaching singers of all ability levels.   

Contact: Click here for full details

Providers of world-class piano teaching in London since 2010, WKMT are currently providing all their teaching online and are welcoming new students with a special trial lesson offer.

Contact: Click here for full details

Free Webinar: “Teaching Instrumental/Vocal Classes Online: A Better, Easier and More Rewarding Way?”

“Why try to duplicate rehearsals when we can create spectacular rehearsers? It sounds weird, but there are research-based things we can use in our current situation that lend themselves perfectly to developing self-motivated focused learners.

We will discuss the relevant cognitive science in immediately applicable ways to develop superior learners (practicers) for any content. Admin will love the use of science-driven learning (that applies to all subjects) and you will get a lesson, unit or even whole quarter of instruction that will be easier and more enjoyable to teach and learn. A PowerPoint to teach this and handouts will be included. There is no charge.”

Date and Time: Saturday April 4th, 12pm EST

Date and Time: Saturday April 11th, 12pm EST

→ Register here

Free “Teaching Online” Webinars From Katie Wardrobe, Top Expert In Using Technology For Music Education

Katie Wardrobe of Midnight Music is hosting several special webinar events next week with more ideas for teaching online. Each webinar will be focused on a specific type of music teacher.

One is for ensemble teachers, the next is for studio teachers, and the third is for general music teachers. You’ll need to register for the webinar(s) you’d like to attend. If you can’t make it live, a replay will be sent out to all who registered.

→ Sign up to the free webinar for Ensemble Teachers here.

→ Sign up to the free webinar for Studio Teachers here.

→ Sign up to the free webinar for General Music Teachers here.

How to Maximize Your Effectiveness When Teaching Lessons Online
This free interview covers all the essentials of teaching online including technology, lesson planning, pricing and more.

→ Listen here

Two-part online workshop on teaching music online
Based on years of experience teaching lessons online and training other teachers to do the same, Bradley covers everything you need to teach online successfully, including the before/during/after essentials, pedagogical tips, all the things you never thought of, and Q&A with attendees.

→ See full details here

Learn how to teach online music lessons during COVID-19 pandemic
Glory St. Germain from Ultimate Music Theory and special guest Dr. Melody Payne share the simple resources to get you started teaching piano and music theory online with free Resources to easily get set up right now.

Listen to the how-to teach music online, what systems to use, resources and everything from setting up to lighting, audio, video camera – what do you really need to simply start teaching online lessons?

→ Watch/Listen here