Bret Piontek

The ABC’s of Song Structure

I'm certainly not one to try set specifications how art should be created or performed (that kind of defeats the purpose of art). Like many expressions of art, songwriting doesn't have to follow any hard set rules, but for your music to have broad appeal ... Read >

5 Tips on Singing Breathing for New Vocalists

"Sing from your diaphragm. Sing from your diaphragm!" Have you ever heard this before? Ugh! What does that even mean? It seems to be a common direction when people talk about proper singing technique (although the person who used to tell me this is a h... Read >

Music Production School and the Alternative

You've probably seen the ads when you're watching tv late at night. Some career college or vocational school is advertising a music production, digital media, or recording technology program of some sort. There are many colleges, universities, and spe... Read >

Is Singing a Natural or Crafted Talent?

It's a rather old question. Are great vocal pipes something you're born with or something you build from the ground up? Consider the fact that speaking and singing are not the major function of your vocal folds. Their physiological function is to suppo... Read >

The Nashville You Never Knew Existed

Nashville has changed immensely in the last decade, and although certain elements of the city remain intact, there are alot of misconceptions about the vibe (and for my readers, the music industry). I'm mainly going to touch base on things to do and s... Read >

Putting the Cart Before the Horse: When is Your Music Ready for Public Consumption?

I may very well receive some hate mail from this article, so be forewarned that it's full of advice that some aspiring artists may not want to hear (but need to). Recently I met an aspiring artist (I'm not in the business of disparaging people, so ... Read >

Learning Music Online

With online media in full force, we have a surge of instructional material available at the click of a mouse. Music instruction is no exception, and there are lots of benefits to choosing an online or digital download option. Singing, guitar, piano... Read >

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

A couple months ago I was packing up my stuff to move, and I noticed my digital piano which had been sitting in a corner for some time. I was contemplating if it was going to fit in my car (fortunately the back seat was able to accommodate), but what ... Read >