How do you start a truly diverse jazz/improvised music performance collective in Oakland?
How would we start a jazz/improvised music performance collective that was truly inclusive and diverse* for performing musicians in Oakland? This is a serious question. I realize that some of these already exist (Oakland Public Conservatory, La Peña, The Sound Room), and there are jams as well, such as the one started by tenor saxophonist...
My new book, Practice Secrets of the Pros, is now available on Amazon!
Now available on Amazon! Practice Secrets of the Pros: Motivation, Method and Memory for Musicians… and Other Athletes by Alexa Weber Morales Kindle edition In 2010, Grammy-nominated latin jazz singer-songwriter Alexa Weber Morales began a quest for pragmatic, inspiring advice about musical mastery. She interviewed experts, researched the techniques of memory champions and dove into...
You don’t have be a freak to master music! Q&A with mastery expert K. Anders Ericsson (from my new book!)
Since the release of my album I Wanna Work For You, I’ve been writing a book about practicing. More specifically, I wondered how I could finally get better at things that had eluded me despite a lifetime of effort. Were there keys to motivation, method or memory that the virtuosos knew? After much research, I...
Alexa Weber Morales: ‘I believe musicians should be allowed to marry,’ addresses rumors of her own musicianship
Oakland, CA. Alexa Weber Morales has built a career singing quirky songs about economic and romantic instability. Tunes like “I Wanna Work For You,” “But I’m Weak” and “Catastrofe de Amor” have led to rampant speculation about her relationship status and credit worthiness. Today, she’s breaking the silence. “Oh, there’s all those rumors that I’m...
Effortless Mastery, the Myth of Flow and Other Green Room Conversations
After making music with them, what I like most about musicians is talking to them. The hang before and after a gig is usually a source of inspiration. Last night was like that. We filed off stage, all 19 of us, either onto the dance floor or into the green room. One thing that’s annoying...
Birth of an Arrangement: The Names of the Winds
It was the second set of our show. The pianist shot me a malevolent glare, then proceeded to butcher the opening chords of the song I was about to sing, obfuscating the key so I couldn’t tell what note to start with. He finished the intro; silence lingered as the band waited for me to...
