We’re ecstatic to have Max Brown join us to talk about his life in music, including as lead instrumentalist and band director for the War and Treaty. We learn about his early influences, what it’s like to be part of one of music’s hottest acts, and understand just how passionate Max is for all things music.  Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Special thanks to Max for joining us. You can follow him on Instagram, you should also check out the War and Treaty’s website as well as their music on Spotify or Apple Music. We used the following songs in this episode: Stealing a Kiss Ain’t No Harmin’ Me Jubilee Hustlin Hearts Town Five More Minutes Additional music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool

Pull out your handy dandy notebooks as Eddie first provides some historical and theoretical grounding in the blues. Then, Brian Burleson educates us on what the blues can be, as he takes us along on his journey with music, the band, the making of the Noir Album, and life overall. What happens when you throw Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pink Floyd, and film Noir into a blender and serve it with a side of Chinese takeout? You’re about to find out. Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Special thanks to Brian for joining us and allowing us to use his music for this episode. Check out their website as well as the Noir Album on Spotify or Apple Music. We used the following songs in this episode: About to Get Evil Red Carpet Ben Franklin and the Number Five Combo Five Hundred Large Additional music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool

Can something really sound like a warm chocolate chip cookie? How about a double stuffed? Wait…how many strings does a piano have? We discuss timbre (pronounced tam-ber) and the elements that can influence it in this week’s episode. Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool Bach Cello Suite No.1 , G Major, Prelude is by Cooper Cannell Take Me Out to the Ballgame is by E’s Jammy Jams Devil’s Organ is by Jimena Contreras The Black Cat is by Aaron Kenny Over Time by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Credit to The Quiz Channel for the Voice Quiz game.

Honest - defined as “free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere, genuine, real.” Or you can listen to Stephen Kellogg talk (or sing) and understand what it means to be honest too. You read that right, Stephen Kellogg joins us to discuss what goes into writing lyrics and we learn much more. Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits: Thank you to Stephen Kellogg for allowing us to use his music in this episode. You can check him out on his website, Spotify, or Apple Music. The following songs were played in this episode: To the Ones Who Need it Most It Goes Fast Satisfied Man 4th of July My Favorite Place Almost Woke You Up (live version with the Counting Crows) The Wild Heart Next Steps is by half.cool and was sourced from the YouTube music library

Nick and Eddie are joined by Alison Hendrix as she teaches them album making 101. Learn the various ways to construct a song, why there’s no such thing as too much trombone, and why sometimes stomping is the answer. Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits: Thanks to Alison Hendrix for allowing us to use her music in this episode. You can check her out on Spotify or Apple Music. The following songs off of the album “None of These Songs are About You” were featured in this episode: None of These Songs Are About You Alone with You Girl of Your Dreams Keep Your Hands To Yourself Next Steps is by half.cool and was sourced from the YouTube music library

Eddie teaches Nick about chords in a major (and minor) way. Scales vs chords. Tension vs resolution. Triads? Tritones? We get into it all in this episode of the 4|4.  Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool Symphony No. 5 (by Beethoven) is by Beethoven Baroque Coffee House is by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions

After inviting himself to a performance of the School of Rock conducted by Eddie, Nick poses questions to both Eddie and his brother Tim (who played in the pit for the show and is heavily involved in the world of music). We get to know a bit about Tim, cover the logistics of a musical performance, learn what a conductor actually does, why a baton is “necessary,” and more! Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool No.1 A Minor Waltz is by Esther Abrami The Black Cat is by Aaron Kenny Bach Cello Suite No. 1, G Major Prelude is by Cooper Cannell Procession is by Geographer Devil’s Organ is by Jimena Contreras W. A. Mozart, Symphony No. 38 in D major is by Far Cry

Eddie begins teaching Nick musical theory in more detail. We begin with rhythm, harmony, and melody, and somewhere along the way determine we need to define a new term, simply known as Nickness™.  Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool Stars and Stripes Forever is by The U.S. Army Band Seaside Piazza is by Aaron Kenny Timpani Beat is by Nana Kwabena 5 Star is by Causmic The Black Cat is by Aaron Kenny Si la Rigueur is by Ron Meixsell and Wahneta Meixsell Fanfare for Space by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300026 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Not sure how to make sense of your music choices this holiday season? We’re here to help on this very special bonus episode. Happy Holidays from the 4|4! Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool The Black Cat is by Aaron Kenny Late Nights is by Causmic Holiday Brass Ensemble is by Doug Maxwell/Media Rights Productions Jingle Bells (Instrumental Jazz) is by E's Jammy Jams O Holy Night is by DJ Williams Silent Night (Instrumental Jazz) is by E's Jammy Jams Dance of Sugar Plum Fairies is by Tchaikovsky Carol Of The Bells by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/  We Wish You A Merry Xmas by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/   Music discussed in the episode: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Rock Version by Manheim Steamroller Silent Night by Manheim Steamroller Christmas in Cancun by Stephen Kellogg

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth*…musically speaking. In this episode, Nick and Eddie travel from the oceans of Earth to Jupiter (and back). We’re in good Hans, as we embark on an interplanetary musical journey to understand how we each break down music today. Visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram to learn more about the 4|4. Music credits (all music sourced from the YouTube music library): Next Steps is by half.cool Immortality is by Aakash Gandhi Desert Planet is by Quincas Moreira Bach Cello Suite No. 1, G Major, Prelude is by Cooper Cannell Cantus Firmus Monks is by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions The Black Cat is by Aaron Kenny Music discussed in the episode: The Tide by Hans Zimmer Jupiter |The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst Little Ducks by Hans Zimmer   *Credit to Mike Tyson for this memorable quote