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7 Basic Chord Progressions Every Producer Should Know
Whether you’re producing pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic music, or scoring for visual media, chord progressions are the foundation of your track. While sound design and drum programming get a lot of attention, harmony is what creates emotion, tension, and movement...
Musicians Institute Industry Mentors Winter 2026
Meet your Winter 2026 MI Industry Mentors.
How to Book Your First Gig as an Independent Musician
Booking your first gig can feel like one of the biggest hurdles in your music career. You might be ready to perform, but figuring out where to play and how to get booked can feel overwhelming. The good news is that every working musician started exactly here. Booking...
Your First Gig: Essential Tips for Musicians Before You Step on Stage
Playing your first live show is a defining moment in any musician’s journey. Whether you’re performing at an open mic, a small local venue, or a DIY house show, that first gig represents a shift from practicing in private to sharing your music with the world. It’s...
Musician Institute Partners with Kawai Pianos to Support the Next Generation of Contemporary Musicians
We’re excited to announce a new partnership between Musicians Institute and Kawai Pianos, uniting MI’s cutting-edge music education with Kawai’s nearly century-long legacy of piano craftsmanship. Kawai America Corporation’s collaboration with MI means that premium...
Essential Guitar Gear: 10 Must-Have Tools for the Beginning Guitarist
Building Your Foundation for Success Progress as a musician depends on more than just picking up a guitar and strumming a few chords. Many beginners soon realize that frustration and plateaus are common if the proper groundwork isn’t set from the start. Equipping...
#TBT
#TBT Steve Vai Autograph Signing
For this throwback edition on The Mix, we scoured through the MI vaults and found these sweet snaps from a special autograph signing with none other than guitar legend, Steve Vai! Steve Vai has a long history with MI and considers himself a big fan of the music...