Rick Schmunk

The power of sound in learning. Sound processing supports connection, communication, collaboration and integration of our senses to make sense of the world. Sound processing engages memory, attention and automated responses. Sound processing is a superpower for brain development. It is at the heart of how we learn, build relationships, regulate and thrive. So when it comes to designing learning environments, are we truly giving sound the attention it deserves? In today’s world of constant noise, digital alerts, and addictive scrolling, are we losing the superpower of the sound processing system? Are we overlooking one of our most powerful senses – and the critical role it plays in cognitive function for both children and adults? When Dr Kathryn Murray and I first worked together to research this topic, 2 years ago, there were few people talking about it in early years. It's great to see the topic being discussed more widely. Boogie Mites music activities are informed by the neuroscience evidence showing us that music and movement is a supercharge for the sound processing system. If we equip our early educators and parents with music confidence, knowledge and resources, we contribute to a calm and productive sound environment for optimal development of the sound processing system. Thank you Community Playthings UK for publishing our article to help raise awareness of the importance of the sound environment in early years settings and homes.https://https://lnkd.in/eZJwYsaP Thank you Kathy Brodie for publishing the our Masterclass on this subject: https://lnkd.in/eFNgN8xW

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For Artists / Producers that follow me and want to get into Sync - Here are 3 tips that are simple to apply but so necessary. 1. Make sure your music is clearable. Don't use uncleared samples + If you use splice or other samples... Change the key / tempo! You can always test it with Shazam and see if it picks up a song that's already used that sample. 2. Along the same lines as # 1 - Have all your songwriters data in order. This includes outside contributors. And if you can make it all one stop with you that will simplify a supervisors life - it's not always possible if writers have an admin or outside publisher but try your best. 3. Make music that's dope and JUST HAPPENS to be great for sync. Supervisors know a sync record when they hear one. There is definitely a market for it but the more you just make dope music - the better chance you have at getting dope placements. Happy Syncing!

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Getting music sync’d for over a decade isn’t about making the “best” track. It’s about being reliable. Music supervisors and publishers don’t chase geniuses. They work repeatedly with the people who: • Deliver on time • Send clean stems • Provide alt mixes • Label their files clearly Talent gets attention. Professionalism gets repeat business.

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(Tough Love for Music Producers in Sync Licensing) If you have fewer than 50 tracks in circulation across all the libraries you’ve partnered with, you haven’t really reached the starting line yet. 👇 That might sting to hear, but it’s the truth. 3 tracks in a library is better than zero. But in this business, numbers really do matter. Libraries often have tens of thousands of tracks in their catalogs. If you’ve sent them only a handful, the odds are not in your favor no matter how good those tracks are. Too many producers send off a small batch of songs, then sit back and wait to “see what happens.” They don't commit to creating new music for the Library. They stop asking the Library what’s needed next. They start judging the Library’s value based on a few months and a tiny sample size. That mindset will stall your career before it even begins. 💀 This business requires consistent output, trust, and a willingness to invest time and energy long BEFORE you see results. Read that sentence again... When I crossed 10,000 placements, it was because I kept delivering music month after month and year after year before I had proof it would pay off. I didn’t wait for libraries to prove themselves before doing my part. Sure, some of them performed better than others. And in the long-run I adjusted my efforts accordingly. If you want sync licensing to be a serious income stream, you have to treat it like a 401K plan. You just keep contributing, long before you see the payoff. That means committing to consistent production and submissions. It means building relationships with libraries with a hungry attitude. It means taking initiative instead of waiting for opportunities to come to you. It also means accepting that even perfect-fit music with a great library has no guaranteed timeline for placement. For those just dabbling, that’s fine. Send a few tracks, see what happens, and enjoy the ride. But if you’re aiming for full-time or meaningful part-time income, you’ll need to outpace the dabblers. Keep your head down. Keep creating. Keep feeding the system until the numbers and the quality work in your favor. The producers who win are the ones still writing, still submitting, and still showing up long after others have stopped: https://lnkd.in/gA5mRYN6

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~The Benefits of Aural Training in Music Education~ Aural training (ear training) is a foundational component of musicianship, strengthening the connection between hearing, understanding, and performing music. Its benefits extend across cognitive, perceptual, and performance domains. 1. Enhances Pitch Perception and Intonation: 💡Improves the ability to accurately identify pitch, intervals, and tonal relationships. 💡Strengthens internal pitch representation, enabling musicians to sing or play in tune consistently. 💡Essential for ensemble performance, where precise intonation ensures harmonic cohesion. (McPherson & Gabrielsson, 2002; Karpinski, 2000) 2. Strengthens Musical Memory: 💡Develops both short-term and long-term auditory memory. 💡Enables musicians to retain melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterns. 💡Supports memorised performance and sight-reading accuracy. (Lehmann, Sloboda, & Woody, 2007) 3. Improves Sight-Reading and Performance Skills: 💡Facilitates the ability to hear music internally before performing it (“audiation”). 💡Enhances fluency and accuracy in sight-singing and sight-playing. Leads to more expressive and confident musical performance. (Gordon, 2012; Karpinski, 2000) 4. Develops Stronger Rhythm and Timing: 💡Improves rhythmic precision and coordination. 💡Enhances temporal processing and synchronisation in ensemble contexts. Supports accurate interpretation of complex rhythmic structures. (Hallam, 2010) 5. Strengthens Listening and Analytical Skills: 💡Enables deeper understanding of musical structure, harmony, and form. 💡Improves the ability to recognise chord progressions, tonal centres, and modulations. 💡Supports music analysis, improvisation, and composition. (Huron, 2006) 6. Enhances Overall Musicianship: 💡Integrates listening, performing, reading, and thinking into a unified musical skill set. 💡Promotes independent learning and musical self-correction. 💡Develops professional-level musical awareness and sensitivity. (Kodály, 1974; McPherson & Welch, 2018) 7. Supports Brain Development and Cognitive Function: 💡Strengthens auditory processing and neural efficiency. 💡Enhances attention, pattern recognition, and working memory. 💡Demonstrates experience-dependent neuroplasticity through structured listening training. (Kraus & Chandrasekaran, 2010; Herholz & Zatorre, 2012) Aural training is essential for developing complete musicianship. It strengthens pitch accuracy, musical memory, sight-reading, rhythmic precision, and analytical listening skills. Beyond performance, it enhances cognitive function and auditory processing, reflecting the brain’s remarkable capacity for neuroplastic adaptation through structured musical training (Karpinski, 2000; Kraus & Chandrasekaran, 2010; McPherson & Welch, 2018). Strong ears create strong musicians.

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We’ve all spent far too much time working from scans and low-quality PDFs… and we’ve all learned to just “deal with it.” But that shouldn’t be the standard anymore. Tools like Enote are finally giving musicians what we actually need: ➡️ Instant navigation across movements & repeats 📖 Edition comparisons side by side 🟠 Smart annotations with automatic symbol highlighting rules It’s not just about convenience. It’s about understanding scores more quickly and practicing more effectively. If you’re serious about your craft, it’s worth trying a tool that’s built for musicians — not just another file viewer.

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