Timberline lodge from the moving "The Shining"

Horror Music from ‘The Shining’ Main Title Explained

In many ways, the idea of using twentieth-century concert music to elicit fear and suspense in film was pioneered by The Shining. In this excerpt from Ben Newhouse’s Music Composition for Film and TV 1 course, you’ll examine melody, tone color, tempo and rhythm, harmony, and time associations from the main title sequence of the movie.

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A collage shows the different stages of film development, and roles of people who make films, including producer, director, writer, actor, film crew, composer, and sound mixer.

A Film Composer’s Guide to the Movie Set: Directors, Producers, Writers, and More!

In this excerpt from Berklee Online’s Film Scoring 101 you’ll get a sense of who does what on a movie set, whether it’s a director, producer, writer, or composer.

A white music staff over a black background with two lightsabers making an X through it.

John Williams and the Music of ‘Star Wars’

It’s hard to overstate the importance of the career of John Williams in the history and evolution of film music. In honor of Star Wars Day on May 4 (may the fourth be with you), we’ll explore how John Williams and his music became such an essential aspect of the beloved franchise.

A VU meter on a stereo console shows the levels of a song when audio mastering techniques have been executed.

Music Mastering Techniques from the Pros

In music mastering, our ears, loudspeakers, and room acoustics play pivotal roles in shaping what we perceive as quality sound. In this excerpt from the Berklee Online course Audio Mastering Techniques, professors Marc-Dieter Einstmann and Jonathan Wyner discuss the importance of these three components.

A woman plays piano, hypothetically working out major and minor modal scales.

Music Modes: Major and Minor Modal Scales in Music Theory

As we remember Paul Schmeling, the author of the first Berklee Online course, we share this insightful lesson on mastering the major and minor music modes with this excerpt from his course, Music Theory 301: Advanced Melody, Harmony, Rhythm.

Matt Rollings at a piano

Pianist Matt Rollings: How to Be a Session Musician People Want to Hire

Grammy-winning producer, pianist, and songwriter Matt Rollings shares what it takes to be a successful session musician, including what to charge and when to say yes or no to a project. He also shares how his recording career took off after he said yes to a young Lyle Lovett. 

Music producer sitting at their home studio setup

Home Studio: Recording Equipment Basics

There is an extraordinary range of affordable tools that make it possible for most musicians to produce their own music from a home studio. The goal of this article—and the Berklee Online course it comes from—is to familiarize you with the basic equipment and techniques used in electronic music production.

Two musicians standing on stage with a written setlist at their feet

How to Prepare a Setlist

Setlists are essential for organizing and structuring a performance, ensuring that your music flows smoothly from one song to another, and energizes the audience. In this excerpt from the Berklee Online course Jazz Singing 201, authored by Patrice Williamson, you’ll learn how to prepare a successful setlist with her tried-and-true practices that will take your audience where you want them to go.

A young music listener puts on his headphones and prepares an intense session of ear training, which we can surmise from his huge cup of coffee.

Ear Training Exercises to Help You Become a Better Musician

In these ear training videos, we uncover key exercises to help you develop your inner hearing: conducting in 6/8, singing the root, and identifying chords.

A muscular man plays a Fender Telecaster guitar, presumably delivering some hot country music licks.

Country Music Guitar Essentials: Chicken Pickin’, String Bending, and More

Mastering country music on guitar includes learning some of the same licks, tricks, and scales as other styles of guitar playing, but you also need to learn other phrases in the language of country music. Here is a quick primer.