When classical music and YA literature collide
Look, we've all been there before. You have this great idea for a book, but then you realize you have to make a plot to go with it...and you die a little on the inside. Maybe you do a simple Google search like "How to plot a novel", click on the first article, and die … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Plotting Your Novel Without Thinking
For musicians, but especially pianists, life is always about dedication, practice, and constant improvement. You have competition after competition, recital after recital, playing the same pieces over and over again until they are the best they can be. The question is, when, really, are you ready to show the world what you've got? What things … Continue reading 8 Key Signs You’re Going to Win Your Piano Competition
We as people firmly believe that writing is just as much of an art as music, and no one ever plays a piece to the best of their ability their first run-through. Unless they were sight reading, which still means the level of the piece wasn't the hardest it could be. Though, that's a conversation … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Editing a Book Without Dying
All things considered, it's a pretty well-known fact that here at Nerd Overload, we love to talk about classical music and playing instruments. In fact, it's so well-known that if you don't know this, have you even read our tagline? We don't cater to country fans, but you can't do everything! So it should come … Continue reading The Five Stages of Playing an Instrument
Of all the things that go into a story to make it feel complete and not just a bundle of ideas, the villain is arguably the most important element. Coincidentally, it's also one of the hardest pieces to write, as well as the most enjoyable. There's something satisfying about creating a big baddie who wants … Continue reading How To Write a Threatening, Complex Villain
A couple weeks ago, I came face to face with every musician's greatest daydream and nightmare: I was asked to play at a piano dinner party by one of my mother's coworkers, and this said event was in less than an hour. I could have just done a half-baked job and memorized the rest of … Continue reading Beautiful Piano Pieces You Can Learn in One Hour
When it comes to being good at playing instruments, the secret to success isn't exactly that hard to figure out. You just practice and practice and practice and hope that somewhere, the Gods of Music are observing your hard work and give you a lucky break. But not all musicians realize that the playing field … Continue reading How to Get Better at Playing an Instrument