This blog post discusses the journey of creativity, highlighting the transition from initial excitement to facing challenges. It emphasizes the value of routine, the shift in perspective on "no's," and the fulfillment found in artistic expression.

Learn five ways to get compensated as a freelance creative. From monetary payment to creative autonomy and building solid relationships, this guide offers insights on how to navigate compensation in the creative industry for long-term success.

Stop waiting for inspiration or the perfect moment. The fastest way to create is to start now, no matter how small. Embrace your creativity and let it flow without hesitation or fear.

Mastery is all about daily practice, even if it’s just for five minutes. Whether you’re playing guitar or writing, it involves committing to a small but meaningful task each day. Ultimately, mastery is about consistently returning and reengaging with your craft.

Embrace the practice of measuring progress backwards. Acknowledge small wins, enhance your happiness, and approach long-term projects with clarity and purpose.

Discover how measuring progress backwards can transform your mindset and boost personal growth. Learn to celebrate small wins and enhance productivity. This simple yet effective approach helps you focus on your achievements, build momentum, and feel more fulfilled in your journey.

There are two possible outcomes when asking someone to pay you what you're worth.

There's a deep power in carefully gauging your level of commitment to anything you’ve already said yes to. Often, a "tepid yes" is all it takes to reprioritize your commitments effectively and gain back your time and energy. Doing so can help you avoid burnout and make smarter choices in your personal and professional life.

How an innocent endeavor turned into a nightmare, and how I learned about sunk-cost bias the hard way. This is the story of Sprightly Moans.

Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller's conversation highlights the importance of valuing “enough” over the relentless pursuit of “more.”

Discover how restructuring your schedule can enhance creativity and fulfillment. Learn to balance focused creative time with engaging interactions for a happier, more productive life.

Discover the best way to learn music theory from scratch, focusing on ear training, notation, triads, key signatures, and essential concepts for music theory awesomeness.

From crappy acoustics to sonic awesomeness: Building the QD-23 Diffuser by Acoustic Fields, in photos.

Learn to make powerful decisions by evaluating trade-offs. Consciously choosing the best option can enhance well-being and success. Embrace Thomas Sowell's wisdom: "There are no decisions. There are only trade-offs."

Reed Hastings transformed Netflix from a DVD rental service into a streaming giant by sorting through many options to find the best one. His journey teaches us artists the importance of filtering out insignificant options and focusing on what truly matters in our creative pursuits.

When I embraced the idea of committing to a bare minimum routine, everything changed. Those small, manageable tasks opened the door to creativity, proving that even the tiniest steps can lead to mastery. Just show up, and let inspiration flow.

In 9th grade, I permanently borrowed The Artist's Way from my Mom's bookshelf. The title arrested my attention... I had no idea why, but I just needed to liberate it from her bookshelf and keep it for my very own. Sorry, Mom! Only later did I realize how pivotal that act would be for my personal and professional life.

Can you handle disappointment if you don’t get what you want, even after asking for it? Even after setting a new years intention and checking on it's progress? I say go ahead and ask for it, no matter the outcome.

The humbling and humiliating behind-the-scenes journey of creating "Archive Volume Three" and what it’s like to revisit recordings from two decades prior.

Since 2008, the DFX Transverb audio plugin has transformed my creative process. Its stunning delay effects create an unmatched atmosphere, making it an essential tool in my music production. Whether I'm layering guitar riffs or crafting ambient soundscapes, DFX Transverb helps me achieve that enchanting, ethereal quality I love.

In just over 15 minutes, Dave manages to deliver four soundfully winding tracks, where he can turn the experiments into tracks that end up generating various sensations and can have diverse functions, such as being themes of films, series, games and documentaries, even as something ambient.

“Play Artful” is a reinvention of sound and memory, a work that transforms forgotten cassette fragments into a vibrant sonic canvas where experimentation meets playfulness. By blending lo-fi electronica, dreamy synth textures, IDM-inspired rhythms, and expressive jazz guitar, The Double Headed Seagulls craft a listening experience that feels at once nostalgic and refreshingly new.

All in all, “Play Artful” by The Double Headed Seagulls — a livening breath of fresh air that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries — heck, *to redefine them entirely*. The epitome of self-expression, this album is more than worth a listen.

In a music landscape often saturated with repetition, *Play Artful* stands out as adventurous yet approachable. It’s a sonic playground that rewards careful listening while still encouraging you to simply let go and enjoy the ride.

'Play Artful' thrives on contrast, where lo-fi electronics sit alongside lush, ambient washes, while melodic improvisation dances atop propulsive rhythms. Each song feels meticulously handcrafted, yet retains the spontaneous energy of discovery, as if he is uncovering new possibilities with every layer.

It sounds like music boxes attained intelligence and learned to communicate with each other via electrical wires in on the process of communication in a collective, harmonious process in which every entity involved contributes to a dynamic sound that reflects a joyful spirit sustained for the track’s two minute and thirty-seven seconds run time.

“The feeling [Play Artful gives] is that of finding an old chest in the attic and discovering that the toys stored inside still work, but now speak a more complex and enchanting language.”

“It’s an imaginative, cathartic record, one that requires a certain amount of effort and commitment from the listener. At times melancholic, at times calming, otherwise bittersweet: The Double Headed Seagulls has mastered the art of communicating through aural fragments and liminal soundscapes.”

“Influences from Brian Eno, Four Tet, Pat Metheny, and Radiohead subtly seep through, but the result feels distinctively their own — both experimental and inviting. “

“[Play Artful] sounds like music boxes attained intelligence and learned to communicate with each other via electrical wires in on the process of communication in a collective, harmonious process.”

On Play Artful, The Double Headed Seagulls, the project of award-winning film composer and producer Dave Wirth, it’s quite easy to say he’s achieved something rare. This record feels both like a culmination and a fresh beginning. It’s a collection of four tracks, but the experience stretches post-rock, IDM, and jazz for something extremely original and fresh.

Dave Wirth’s Double-Headed Seagulls EP "Play Artful" blends post‑rock, lo‑fi IDM, jazz guitar and ambient into four vivid tracks — from the yin‑yang synth pop of “Full Oxford” to the inventive title track, the oddball build of “One Pot Screamer,” and the haunting closer “Doss Money.”

“This is no ordinary record. It’s an exercise in turning sound into sketches, tones into brushstrokes, and rhythm into unexpected shapes. Wirth folds together post-rock dynamics, lo-fi electronica, IDM patterns, experimental ambient layers, and the fluidity of jazz guitar to create something vibrant and exploratory.” - Broken 8 Records

“It's a playful, eclectic, and wonderfully textured ode to how old recordings can be manipulated and rearranged to create something completely new. Caught between deft fusions of digital synthesizers, direct-to-interface guitars, and vibrant real-time feedback, it echoes the work of masters like Brian Eno, Radiohead, and Four Tet, creating a world torn between styles. The result is a captivating and whimsical listen, the musical equivalent of a child with a box of crayons, happily drawing on the walls while their parents watch with amused affection.”

“Play Artful” gives you the opportunity to close your eyes and reconnect with simpler times, where the joys of finding new music you love, the beauty of the sun above, and the potential of every day was as exciting as it has ever been.  We might not be able to physically go back there anymore, but songs like this can transport you.

Through fifteen-plus minutes of saturated ambient textures, Wicked Cities From A Distance disseminates a comprehensive and dynamically intense soundscape on "Lodern", a sprawling single replete with sustained distortions...

Explore the depths of experimental music with Evil Gima's Elements. Experience intentional sounds that challenge and invite.

Director Maurice Moore challenged composer Dave Wirth to create a score for Finding Solace that could stand alone from the film. Drawing from America's cinematic legacy, Wirth crafted a 65-minute orchestral soundtrack blending drama and horror, using piano and guitar to evoke tension and intensity, achieving a remarkable feat in independent cinema.

Play Artful by The Double Headed Seagulls invites listeners on a journey through vibrant lo-fi electronica and jazz guitar chords, showcasing dreamy synths and an energetic playfulness.

Slowcore Christmas by Grande Valley Auction Incident. I recently stumbled upon a couple of Christmas songs in my back catalog. They’re quite slow and reminiscent of "The Red House Painters," of the most incredible slowcore bands ever.

Archive Volume Three by Grande Valley Auction Incident

Unlock amazing music deals this Black Friday 2024! Get a lifetime subscription for just $4/year and access all past, present, and future albums. Enjoy exclusive members-only content, discounts on merch, and bonus material. Alternatively, grab the entire discography for only $61. Don’t miss out on these unbeatable offers to support independent music.

I have a rule. Whenever I'm taking things too seriously, I need to poke fun at myself. And here's the way I'm gonna do that: The latest Grande Valley Auction Incident record, Archive Volume Three! This is a compilation of songs from my last year of graduate school, in 2003…

Lodern (coming from the old German verb “to blaze”) by Wicked Cities From A Distance, is music of transformation. Inspired by the relentless change in the modern era, Lodern invites you to suspend time, enter the liminal space, and exit a little wiser.