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A Musical Life

A Musical Life

Stories about making music and whatever moves our souls.

Aurélia Azoulay-Guetta, Co-Founder of Newzik Sheet Music App for iOS

February 3, 2020 by hughsung Leave a Comment

Aurélia Azoulay-Guetta is one of the co-founders of a fascinating sheet music reader app called Newzik for iOS. 

First, a little bit of history – it really starts with me, because I was one of the first professional musicians to go completely paperless. Back in 2001, I came up with a system for using computers to convert my paper sheet music scores into digital PDF files. Back then, there were no tablets, there was no Kindle, no iPad, but Microsoft came up with a computer called the Tablet PC, and, believe it or not, for the first time, you could take a computer screen and turn it into a portrait mode so you could see a full sheet of music instead of just half a sheet like you would on a laptop.

For me, that was revolutionary, and so, as a result of that, I actually then started exploring ways of turning pages with foot switches, and that’s what led me to co-found a company called AirTurn, and we sold page-turning pedals around the world.  AirTurn started in 2008, and in the beginning, sales were actually quite meager. But when the iPad came on the scene circa 2010, that was a game changer. Suddenly, it made sense to start thinking about reading sheet music on a device rather than on a book, and while people thought we were crazy in the beginning, suddenly with the iPad it made sense, and the whole new field of digital sheet music exploded. One of my jobs back when I was with AirTurn in those early days was to reach out to developers to try to see if we could get them to collaborate with us.

One really weird thing that I think was a blessing in disguise; Apple’s iPad iOS system was trying to block everybody. They did not want any other manufacturers to work within their operating system. They wanted to control everything. Steve Jobs I think hated us. He knew of us. He didn’t like us because we broke into his iPad and we figured out how to get our early prototype AirTurn page turning pedal to work with it. I actually believe we were one of the first Bluetooth external devices that could control an iPad, but we had to have a special code embedded in an app, so that meant I had to reach out to all these other app developers, nascent app developers, to try to get them to use our code so that our AirTurn would be compatible with other programs.

Now, one of the interesting problems that I was finding was that the apps were okay, but they weren’t great, and they were all limited in one fashion or another. When I was using my old Tablet PC, I was using PDF readers, and there were things that I started using that I really, really missed. Certain apps could do some things well, other apps could do other things well, but no app really got it 100% the way I wished they could.

Now, skip forward to around four or five years ago, when a brand new sheet music app, Newzik, launched. Back then, I had just left AirTurn, launched an online popular piano school with ArtistWorks, and was simultaneously launching my podcast show, “A Musical Life”. Aurélia reached out to me, and by that time I had already started using certain apps for reading sheet music, and while it was pretty good, it wasn’t perfect. Aurélia wanted to introduce me to her new app, Newzik. By this time, I had already talked to dozens and dozens of sheet music app developers, and most of these developers were single programmers, guys working by themselves in their basements and very talented, very smart. I took a look at the early build of Newzik, and we talked through the app’s feature set. I liked some of the things I was seeing, but it was a very early-stage app. As I shared with any app developer, I was sharing some of the limitations that I was seeing as a professional musician, things that I wished the Newzik developers would do, and then we dropped off and we both went our separate directions. (Back then, Aurélia was living in Tel Aviv – now she lives in Paris, where the Newzik team is based.)

Now, skip forward to the present day. I just relaunched my redesigned website and weekly newsletter a few weeks ago. The day after my new newsletter went out, Aurélia emailed me and said, “Hello. Do you remember me?”

I have to be honest, I was a little surprised because I never really took a hard look because I saw the limitations of Newzik four years ago. Aurélia wanted to talk about what she was doing now with Newzik. I took a fresh look at the app, and, oh, my goodness, it’s like the Newzik team read my mind and answered most my wishlist items of features I wanted to see in the perfect digital sheet music reading app! Needless to say, I am so excited to share what I’ve learned about Newzik to my colleagues on the Net!

Now, I don’t believe it’s ever possible to have a 100% perfect music reader, but the Newzik team is doing some really amazing things in digital sheet music. First, I asked Aurélia what inspired her to start developing Newzik, and then we’ll take a quick tour of what this app can do. I’m also going to share my favorite feature which is, believe it or not, one of the main things that nobody’s been able to do up to this point. This feature, for me, solves the most basic problem of digital sheet. music What is it? Well, to find out, watch the interview below, or read the full transcript on my personal website at HughSung.com.

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Ja Yeon Kang, Collaborative Pianist

August 16, 2019 by hughsung Leave a Comment

During a recent trip to South Korea, I had the opportunity to meet the wonderful collaborative pianist Ja Yeon Kang. Collaborative piano – also known as accompanying – is the oft neglected art of working together with other musicians who are featured in the limelight, providing them with musical support through a keen ear for ensemble playing and exceptional emotional empathy. Where soloists strive to draw attention to themselves, collaborative pianists defer to serve others. As a collaborative pianist myself, I welcome any opportunity to recognize the remarkable work of amazing musicians such as Ms. Kang as vastly under-appreciated musical heroines/heroes.  Ms. Kang was kind enough to share some of her international pedagogical background, as well as her insights into what life is like for professional musicians in the South Korean classical music scene.

Ja Yeon Kang, Pianist, has appeared as both soloist and collaborative artist at Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Holywell Music Room, and LSO St. Luke, in London as well as throughout the numerous venues in the United States and Korea. A native of Korea, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree at the Seoul National University and a Master’s Degree at the Peabody Institute where she received the Laura Adelberg Award for her chamber work. Ms. Kang finished a Doctorate degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and City University London, supported by the Guildhall Trust and the Leverhulme Trust. She received the accompanist prizes at Guildhall school and the Concordia Foundation Award. Her primary teachers include Yong Hi Moon, Ronan O’hara, and Graham Johnson
Ja Yeon’s doctorate dissertation is on Schumann’s late vocal and piano music and she recently finished translating Nancy Reich’s 『Clara Schumann』 in Korean.
Previously, she was on the faculty of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the keyboard study and worked as a repetituer at the National Opera Studio in London. Operatic experience includes Jonathan Dove’s ‘Flight’ with British Youth Opera and ‘Elvin und Elmire’ with Lieder Theater London.
Kang currently serves as the Adjunct Professor of Collaborative Piano at the Sookmyung Women’s University and teaches piano literature at the University of Seoul. She recently joined as a faculty at the Montecito International Music Festival in USA and has been also engaged as an official pianist for the Osaka international music competition.

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The Best Guide on How to Buy, Care For, or Sell a Piano

December 23, 2018 by hughsung Leave a Comment

How to buy, care for, or sell a pianoIn this special video episode of A Musical Life, I wanted to talk about the world of the piano from the perspective of a professional pianist. Contrary to what you might think, I’m actually embarrassed to confess how little I’ve actually known about the different makes and models of pianos, much less how they actually work to make beautiful sounds beyond my own instincts and musical training. If a professional pianist has a hard time understanding the differences between piano manufacturers and the mechanical details of what makes one piano different from another, then how is an average lay person or first time piano buyer supposed to fare? To that end, I’m incredibly grateful to author Larry Fine, a piano technician who wrote the pioneering book, “The Piano Book”, and then went on to share his in-depth knowledge of pianos on his website, http://pianobuyer.com

Larry recently published a compendium to his massive website, titled “The Best of Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer“. This is a fantastic guide to everything about the piano – what they are, how they work, how to care for them, and even how to restore older pianos and dispose of unwanted ones. The book includes an overview of 80 brands of major piano manufacturers, and is an essential guide for everyone interested in pianos.

You can purchase a copy of “The Best of Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer” at http://pianobuyer.com or on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2CxfiH3 or at local bookstores everywhere.

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In Memory of Nelly

June 16, 2017 by hughsung Leave a Comment

Nelly Berman's CompetitionIn 1976, Nelly Berman immigrated to the United States from Odessa, the former Soviet Union, as a single mother and piano teacher with two children, $17 in her pocket, and a suitcase full of music scores. A gifted piano teacher, Nelly passionately loved classical music and wanted to teach children who love music to play on a professional level, regardless of their future careers. She dreamed that classical music in America would one day be as celebrated as much as sports, if not more so, as it was in her former homeland of Russia.

In 1995, Nelly founded the NBS Classical Music Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to provide merit-based scholarships to students as well as to bring high level classical music concerts and competitions to the community. The “Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow” competition was her creation. The Nelly Berman School revived the competition this year in Nelly’s memory, and it is now hailed as “one of the top classical music competitions on the east coast” by the distinguished panel of judges, representing the Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, several prominent university music programs and schools, and international performing artists.

On Sunday, June 18th, the Nelly Berman School of Music and the NBS Classical Music Institute will present the Gold and Platinum winners of the “Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow” International Music Competition in concert at the Perelman Theater of the Kimmel Center. Gold winners will perform in the 10:00 am concert, and Platinum winners will perform in the 3:00 pm concert featuring guest performer Derek Barnes, cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

To purchase tickets, please call the Kimmel Center box office at 215-875-7633 or visit their website at kimmelcenter.org. To learn more about the competition and the concert, visit nbsmusic.com. 

 

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A Musical Life and Contrabass Conversations at NAMM 2017

January 21, 2017 by hughsung Leave a Comment

2016-grand-plazaTwo podcast hosts meet in person for the first time at NAMM 2017! Hugh Sung from A Musical Life and Jason Heath from Contrabass Conversations talk about what they’ve learned and experienced at NAMM, which stands for the National Association of Music Merchants convention, one of the largest of its kind for the music industry.

Watch the video

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Winning The Audition – Free Webinar

November 15, 2016 by hughsung Leave a Comment

free-webinarWhat does it take to win an audition? What are the secrets behind those musicians who have won orchestra jobs and prominent teaching positions? Jason Heath, host of the popular “Contrabass Conversations” podcast, has just written new book, “Winning the Audition”, where he sits down with 27 successful audition winners and finds out what they did to prepare and win. This Thursday, November 17 at 9 pm EST, I will be co-hosting a webinar with Jason to explore what it takes to win an audition.

To sign up for this free webinar, go to amusicallife.com/audition.

 

 

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Branding for Musicians Webinar with Mark Samples

November 7, 2016 by hughsung Leave a Comment

aml-marksamplesA lot of musicians struggle to find their artistic core, and communicate it to others. Mark Samples has developed a process for identifying and naming your core brand values so that you can tell a better story, reach more people, and get back to doing what you love: making music.
Branding is not just about colors, fonts, or logos. It is first about  knowing who you are at your professional and artistic core, then telling your story in a coherent and powerful way. In this webinar, you will learn the principles of branding from music’s greatest success stories, then apply them to your career. In this hour-long workshop, you will learn:
• Why it can seem like you are always working (gigging, recording, practicing), but all of your efforts are not working toward anything…and how to realign your efforts around a common core set of artistic values.
• The specific reason why the coolest musician you can think of right now holds such a distinct place in your mind, and in the minds of others…and how you can use the same strategy for your own career.
• How branding, when done right, doesn’t have the effect of stifling creativity, but can lead to an explosion of new artistic opportunities.
• The four most important qualities for your core artistic values to have, and examples of how they work in the careers of today’s most successful musicians and performing groups.
• A formula that you can use to immediately generate a short and powerful statement of your artistic identity and value to others.
And more…
Join me for this free webinar and begin to take ownership of your distinct artistic identity and values.
When: Thursday, Nov. 10 at 9 pm EST
Where: https://www.amusicallife.com/mastermind/webinars/branding-for-musicians-webinar/
SignUpTodayButton

Mark Samples is a musician, scholar, and teacher who helps overwhelmed musicians understand their core artistic identities so that they can share their stories with more people and get back to doing what they love: making music.
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“Break Into The Scene” Webinar with Seth Hanes

October 10, 2016 by hughsung Leave a Comment

BreakIntoTheScene_cover_3DMockup-wood-300

Are you a musician struggling to find work? Wondering how to find and meet the right people to get the gigs you really want to play? This Thursday, Oct. 13 9 pm EST I’ll be co-hosting a special webinar with Seth Hanes, author of, “Break Into The Scene”, a new book that gives you all the tools you need to take control of your musical life and create your own musical opportunities. In this free webinar, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and get actionable advice to get the gigs you want to play and “break into the scene”.

Seth Hanes is a musician, digital marketing consultant, speaker, and founder of musiciansguidetohustling.com, As a digital marketing consultant, Seth has worked with multi-million dollar organizations, book publishers, and musicians from ensembles like the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. His new book, “Break Into The Scene”, is a guide for musicians looking to start their careers and create their own opportunities in music.

To sign up for the webinar, visit https://www.amusicallife.com/mastermind/webinars/break-scene-webinar-seth-hanes/

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Over A Quarter Million Downloads of “A Musical Life”

May 12, 2016 by hughsung 1 Comment

AML-250kDownloads

Thank You!

In only 7 months and 35 episodes since “A Musical Life” launched, the podcast has reached over a quarter of a million downloads!

It has been such an honor and a privilege to share the stories of some of the world’s most remarkable musicians with you each week! Thank you for all your support!

If you’d like to continue hearing these amazing stories week after week, please help us cross the next quarter of a million downloads by the end of the year by telling a friend about this show and posting a quick review on iTunes.

I’m so excited about the amazing roster of artists we have scheduled for future episodes! And as always, I really appreciate all of your wonderful feedback! If you have a story or an artist you’d like to suggest for the show, feel free to send an email and let me know.

All the very best,

HughSungAutograph

Hugh Sung

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Interview with Hugh Sung on “Inspiration to Compose You”

March 17, 2016 by hughsung Leave a Comment

“Inspiration to Compose You” by pianist Margaret Wacyk is a delightful new podcast that explores ways in which music inspires, heals, and refreshes us. She asks some terrific questions, like: which composer would I want to meet and what would we drink together? We look at some of the ways that I work and live as a modern music entrepreneur – I share a new idea for creating a “live” version of my own podcast show with guest musicians combined with great food – how I teach people all over the world how to play “Clair de lune” from scratch, and how a special sermon inspired my parents to get me started in music. Thank you, Margaret!

http://musictocomposeyou.com/2016/03/an-interview-with-hugh-sung/

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Aurélia Azoulay, co-founder of Newzik

Aurélia Azoulay-Guetta, Co-Founder of Newzik Sheet Music App for iOS

Aurélia Azoulay-Guetta is one of the co-founders of a fascinating sheet music reader app called Newzik for iOS.  First, a little bit of history – it really starts with me, because I was one of the first professional musicians to go completely paperless. Back in 2001, I came up with a system for using computers... Read more →

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Hugh Sung is a classical pianist, techie, and author dedicated to helping folks discover the joy of making music.

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