About

Hack Music Theory founders Kate & Ray Harmony (a.k.a. Revolution Harmony). Vancouver BC, Canada.

Hack Music Theory founders Kate & Ray Harmony (a.k.a. Revolution Harmony). Vancouver BC, Canada.

 

Be careful who you learn from...

 

Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.

You've probably heard this saying. Sadly, it's mostly true. Especially following the 2020 lockdown when it became almost impossible for musicians to make money, so many of them launched YouTube channels and online courses. But now, for people like you who want to learn how to make music, it's so overwhelming trying to choose a teacher.

Here's how to choose. A good teacher is someone who has studied music and education. You see, teaching music requires two completely different skill sets: knowledge of music, and knowledge of how to teach. Unfortunately, most online music courses are taught by people who are not qualified in either skill.

Hack Music Theory is taught by Ray Harmony, a multi award-winning college lecturer. Ray studied at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California, and has made music with multiplatinum Grammy-winning artists. He did his teacher training at West London College in England, where he taught music theory and composition for 10 years.

However, if you feel Ray's unorthodox approach to music education is not right for you, we totally understand, it's not for everyone. For an orthodox approach, we recommend Music Matters courses, taught by the brilliant Gareth Green.

Ray Harmony

Hello, I'm Ray Harmony (né Ray Holroyd). I was born in Cape Town, where I began playing piano at the age of seven, and guitar at 12. I started teaching privately in 1995, and went on to form the band Royd. We received national acclaim in 1996 when our debut single reached No. 1 on the rock chart of South Africa's most popular national radio station, 5FM. We returned to the No. 1 spot in 1998. After achieving the highest grade from the Royal Schools of Music in music theory, classical guitar and piano, I moved to California in 1999 to study guitar and voice at the world-renowned Musicians Institute. I lived in Hollywood for two years while studying, making an album with my new band Gray Race Evolution, and playing the Los Angeles music circuit, including shows on the legendary Sunset Strip.

In 2001, I immigrated to England, where I studied education and did my teacher training. For the next 10 years I lectured music theory & composition at one of the UK's largest colleges, West London College, later becoming the course director and lead internal verifier for the music department. In my decade at the college, I was honoured to win two prestigious awards: Learner First, and Vocational Qualification Hero. In 2006 I formed a new band, 12 Ton Method. A couple years later we got signed and released our debut EP, only to break up a few months later. At this time I unintentionally became a music journalist (long story), and after writing for Kerrang! magazine from 2009 to 2010, I moved on to Terrorizer, where I also became the editor of their new guitar magazine, Sick Sounds. I ended up writing for Terrorizer magazine from 2010 until 2017, when Kate and I started our YouTube channel.
 
Winning the prestigious Learner First Award in 2010
 

I founded and ran the non-profit record label Grade 9 Records from 2008 to 2012, which exclusively released my students' music and donated all the proceeds to charity. In 2011, I relocated to Vancouver BC, Canada, and developed this dream by launching my new and improved non-profit record label, Revolution Harmony, which released over 40 records worldwide, including Cryptopsy's self-titled 2012 album. In 2013, I streamlined Revolution Harmony to focus exclusively on my All-Star charity singles, which featured multiplatinum Grammy-winning artists: Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, Serj Tankian from System Of A Down, and many more. All the proceeds from these singles were donated to charities that restore harmony between people, animals, and the environment.
 
In 2014, I moved to Salt Spring Island BC to get away from distractions and focus on writing my music theory book. On the island, I also met the love of my life, Kate, and together we started a music school. In 2015 we relocated to Victoria BC to re-immerse ourselves in city energy and kick up our production. After the success of our Hack Music Theory YouTube channel in 2017, we moved back to Vancouver BC to grow our notation-free music theory revolution. Thank you for being here! You're a vital part of this, cos together we are all the Revolution Harmony. XVX

Featured Releases

Hello

Ray Harmony

  • Ray Harmony - composition, arrangement, production
  • Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) - guitar solos
  • Eric Wainaina - vocals
  • Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) - vocals
  • Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs) - vocals
  • Madchild (Swollen Members) - vocals
  • Chris Turner - vocals
  • Stefan Loh - guitar
  • Mixed by Rohan Onraet
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen
  • Art by Maria
  • Ray Harmony - composition, arrangement, production
  • Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) - guitar solos
  • Eric Wainaina - vocals
  • Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) - vocals
  • Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs) - vocals
  • Madchild (Swollen Members) - vocals
  • Chris Turner - vocals
  • Stefan Loh - guitar
  • Mixed by Rohan Onraet
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen
  • Art by Maria Picassó
Read more…
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  1. 1
    Hello (feat. Tom Morello, Eric Wainaina, Steven Wilson, Kool Keith & Madchild) 4:54
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We Are

Ray Harmony

  • Ray Harmony - composition, arrangement, production
  • Serj Tankian (System Of A Down) - vocals
  • Ihsahn (Emperor) - vocals
  • Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) - guitar solos
  • Abbie Johnson - vocals
  • Stefan Loh - guitar
  • Mixed by Rohan Onraet
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen
  • Art by Diederick During & Maria Picassó
Read more…
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  1. 1
    We Are (feat. Serj Tankian, Ihsahn & Devin Townsend) 6:38
    0:00/6:38

Kate Harmony

Hello, my name is Kate Harmony (née Kate Haddow). I've been singing and playing music for about three decades.
 
I studied voice and piano through my teenage years, accompanied by regular solo performances and choral concerts. As an adult, I studied popular music theory through the London College of Music and achieved a Distinction at Grade 8 (the highest grade).
 
I then undertook formal teacher training from Ray in 2014, who also trained me to teach his Hack Music Theory method; I'm the only person on the planet he's trained to actually teach his method! Following that, I went on to study vocals through the Berklee College of Music.

Back in 2006, I embarked on a life-changing charity trip to Botswana in Africa. It was there that I discovered the true power of music! On returning to Canada, I immersed myself even deeper into the singing world and began working with choirs, improvisation groups, and non-profits.
 
This eventually lead me into the world of holistic singing. As part of my exploration into the role that singing plays in the mind/body connection, I studied yoga and did my teacher training at Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja, Mexico.
 
For the last few years I've been teaching and performing in a variety of contexts, from yoga centres to festivals, but nowadays I'm excited and grateful to be working full-time on Hack Music Theory with the love of my life :)

Featured Releases

Split the Skin

Kate Harmony

  • Vocals, lyrics, composition, arrangement, production by Kate Harmony
  • Guitar by Ray Harmony
  • Mixed & mastered by Rohan Onraet
  • Photography by Billie Woods
Read more…
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  1. 1
    Split the Skin 3:49
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All I Have

Kate Harmony

  • Vocals, composition, arrangement by Kate Harmony
  • Lyrics by Emily Dickinson
  • Mixed & mastered by Rohan Onraet
  • Artwork by Pierre Joseph Redoute
Read more…
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  1. 1
    All I Have 2:08
    0:00/2:08

The Harmonys

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