The Company
Lotus Music is dedicated to enlightening people to their own musical potential. At Lotus Music I see everyone as a musician whether or not they have ever picked up an instrument. I recognize that in each of us is a creative spirit with a unique voice. I believe that for the sake of health that voice needs to be expressed. When that voice is a musical one, Lotus Music provides products and support that help that voice come forth.
Lotus Music is about more that teaching music. It's about the healing power of music to meet human need for joy. That's why I encourage and support efforts of individuals and groups who work to bring music to their community. It is my goal to use my mental, physical, and spiritual resources to enrich the lives others through music.
In this way, I hope to enlighten you to your own wonderful musical potential and by doing so add something to this world can't do without — melody, rhythm, and harmony.
My Story
I came to music late in life. I only started playing the guitar a few years ago. I had tried to teach myself guitar several times over the years but nothing much ever happened. Finally, I went to a guitar teacher for help. The first thing he did was start teaching me music theory. "Great," I thought. This is what musicians know.
For the next several lessons he piled one seemingly arbitrary music theory rule on top of another until I was overwhelmed. When I couldn't take it any more I got motivated to make it simpler. I knew that there had to be a reason for these rules. I knew that there had to be some underlying guiding principle to all of this. Since I'm kind of a nerdy science guy I gathered all the rules together in order to find a unified principle. I wanted to know how music was put together. It couldn't be difficult, could it? I mean I've seen guys who couldn't make change for a pizza play the most awesome riffs. If they can do it, why can't I?
Eventually, I began seeing how all these rules my teach told me related to each other. I saw that if I layed out scales in a certain way I could understand how chords were constructed. I began to see patterns and relationships that made sense. I didn't have to know the rules if I could only understand the principles. At last I had my map, so to speak, that would show me how to make music. I saw that if I put this "map" around a cylinder I could see the same information in every key as I turned the cylinder.
This map around a cylinder was originally for my own use but I noticed how it amazed my friends. They all wanted me to make them one. Well, two years later I had a patten and a warehouse in central Austin full of my invention I called the Harmonizer. Soon after creating the Harmonizer I was able to join two bands. Music theory changed my life. I know it will change yours.
Now that so many people have iPhones I decided to retire the Harmonizer and create an app that shows the same information. This app is called the Music Theory Illustrated app and available on the Apple App Store.
Cheers,
Tom Michero