Riff Rafting

by Ed Rawlings


I love guitar riffs. Great riffs encapsulate the chords, melody, and feel of a song. They are a force that propels the songs forward. A good song also tells a relatable story, but a great guitar rock and roll riff can draw people quickly into that story.

Sometimes, riffs are memorable guitar melodies, like The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” or  Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” I particularly like riffs that are part chord, part melody, and are often as memorable as the lyrics, or maybe more so – like Chuck Berry’s opening riff for Johnny B. Goode – one of the classics of rock and the inspiration for many riffs to come.

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Borrowed Voices

by Tim Oestmann

Tim Oestmann


Greetings! My name is Tim Oestmann, from Adelaide, Australia.

Music is such a gift. It is a community event. Many of us are influenced by others’ gifts of a song or a tune, and hopefully, we can provide a tune in return. None of us makes music in a vacuum.

My background is as a guitarist and bass player in a number of local bands. I was fortunate enough to perform for a few years in front of live audiences, which was often a privilege. I also learned a lot from playing to an audience that gave instant feedback if you were hot, or not, they would let you know. I also did some roadie work for other performers, and so heard a lot of live music.

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Lo-fi post-rock electric guitar & beats

by Marcelo Badari (Looming Flames)

Lo-fi post-rock, electric guitar & beats by Marcelo Badari (Looming Flames)
My name is Marcelo Badari, and I am a musician from the southeast region of Brazil. Looming Flames is my instrumental solo project since 2011.

The idea behind Looming Flames is to create music with an electric guitar, a loop pedal, and some effects pedals in a minimalistic way. I also use a Boss SP 202 sampler in my guitar chain. With it, I can have sampled acoustic drum beats, played by me, in my compositions. I have some electronic beats and some noises sampled in the SP 202 as well.

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The Value Of Music

by Rob Sheppard

The Value Of Music by Rob Sheppard
As somebody who enjoys making music, I often find myself getting lost in a series of questions when writing and producing. The overriding thought being “What value does this have?”.

It is easy to deter ourselves from creating art, and putting ourselves in a vulnerable position, simply by talking ourselves out of finishing or sharing a creation in fear that it doesn’t add anything of value to the world, or worse; detracts value.

Due to these thoughts and conversations within my own mind, I haven’t shared an entire song or idea for many months, perhaps even years now.

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