L&M Blog Opens New Tab

Three Great – and Affordable – Acoustic Performance Guitars

In my experience, when buying a guitar, I have found that you don’t have to spend a mint to get a great instrument. Most of the guitars in my own collection cost less than a thousand dollars – and many of them are gems.

Review: Warm Audio Tone Beast

"Open slowly,” it says on the packing. “Don't startle the beast. This unit bites back." So carefully … I peel away the packaging … revealing a Warm Audio TB12 tone shaping microphone preamp, aka the "Tone Beast".

Seven Exercises for Getting Past Writer's Block

You’ve got a case of songwriter’s block. We’ve all been there. It’s frustrating and disheartening, and to make things worse, it seems the harder you try, the more elusive creative ideas become.

Portable PAs: Big Sound in a Small Package

When it comes to buying or renting a PA, whether you are looking for a single microphone system for a speaking engagement, or a full rig for a wedding or dance hall dust-up, the less you have to worry about the better.

The Benefits of Being a Weekend Warrior

Everyone can benefit from discovering a new instrument. Whether it’s wanting to follow along with as your child learns, or maybe you have a group of friends who love to make music together, there’s always a way you can let music enrich your life.

Hybrid Drumming

Hybrid is hot right now. Everything is a hybrid of some kind. Add a sample pad to your kit. Trigger your bass drum. These little steps will take your playing and your band to a whole new level. Let’s take go back in time to the experimental time of the 1980s

Getting the Best Performance in the Recording Studio

One of the hardest parts about making an amazing recording is getting an amazing performance. For the musician, it’s a performance you will relive repeatedly and possibly share with the world; you want to be proud of it.

Teaching Music to the Blind

I have been a music teacher for over half my life. It is something that runs in my blood; my mother and I teach out of the same studio in Mississauga. This past year I spent time working with and teaching music to blind children in Thailand.

How To Drum Without Risking Eviction

It is 10 pm. You are bored and there is nothing on TV. You eye your drum kit that is set up in the corner. Your heart rate goes up, palms get sweaty. You grab a pair of sticks and proceed to play the groove from the song Sober, by Tool.

How To Run a Band Rehearsal

Every band needs to rehearse. That should go without saying. But some young bands might not fully appreciate what is needed to run a proper band rehearsal. So here are some pointers for getting the most out of your band rehearsals.

Guitar Effects 101

Everybody likes gadgets, and guitarists are no different. What starts as a quest for the perfect lifelong guitar might well end in an impressive collection. The most fun you can have, though, is with a multitude of coloured effects pedals.

12 Music Films to Watch

Movies help to unify us as a society. The universal themes explored in the stories teach us empathy, and illuminate our values and dreams. Here's my list of Top 12 music related films to watch again and again.