music: มกราคม 2009

วันเสาร์ที่ 31 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Piano Lessons - Group or Private?

Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage creative thinking, develop math and reading skills, and improve students' overall educational progress, as well as building a fun life-long skill. As a result, over six million children in the United States take piano lessons! One of the choices that parents have when their child is beginning piano lessons is whether to enroll their son or daughter in a private or group lesson. Parents often have misperceptions, or at least several questions, in making this choice.

Q: What is the difference between private and group lessons?

A: Individual lessons are usually thirty minutes in length, with the piano teacher working one-on-one with a student. Individual lessons provide a high degree of personal attention for a student. Group lessons are generally 45-minutes to an hour in length, and consist of between two and four students working with their piano teacher. During group lessons, each student plays their own piano or keyboard and receives both individual and group instruction. Students are introduced to new skills in the group every week and are then given individual playing assignments. They practice these assignments using earphones and the teacher rotates among the students to check on their progress and provide additional instruction.

Q: Don't children learn more in a private lesson?

A: Not necessarily, and it depends very much on the student. Some children thrive with individual instruction. However, private lessons can also create a dependence that students may have a hard time overcoming, as some children grow to feel that they cannot learn on their own without their piano teacher repeatedly showing them every new thing. To prevent this, successful piano teachers create supportive learning environments that let children know that they are responsible for their own success. This helps children learn how to set goals and that their own effort makes a difference. That's why, even in a private lesson, students need some time to work independently.

Group lessons are a great way for children to learn, and many children learn faster in a group setting than in individual lessons. Group lessons create a fun and supportive environment, and students learn both from the teacher's instruction and from each other. It also helps many children to know that other students are learning the same skills.

I encourage most new students who are seven years of age or older to start out in group lessons. However, I have found that private lessons typically work best for two groups of students. First, they can provide a solid learning foundation to very young students (ages 5 to 7) who need one-on-one instruction to help get started. Parents of these very young children sometimes stay with them during their lessons. When children get a little older and have the basics, they usually can transfer to a group lesson. Second, private lessons are appropriate for late intermediate to advanced students who are looking to apply music theory and advanced playing techniques requiring intense instruction and dedicated home study.

Q: Can't group lessons be intimidating for students due to peer pressure and competition?

A: While some parents may initially be concerned that group lessons create peer pressure and competition, the lessons actually help students feel more independent and confident in piano. Students play the pieces they've just had instruction on before they leave the lesson, which helps them feel secure about playing the songs at home. As students often play their songs for each other during lessons, it helps avoid the performance anxiety that students taking individual lessons can feel before recitals. Plus, students generally find that working together with other students increases creativity and fun! Over time, experience has shown that most children learn more in small group lessons because these lessons encourage independence and build confidence, which is a strong foundation for success not only in piano lessons but in the other areas of student's lives.

Cynthia VanLandingham is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studio in Tallahassee, Florida where she has been teaching piano for 20 years. She is a member of the American College of Musicians, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education, and President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC.

You can visit her website and download her original compositions free at <a target="_new" href="http://www.tallypiano.com">http://www.tallypiano.com</a>

Cynthia is also an author of a series of exciting books for children, with the mission of Using Music, Art, Science and Literature to Help Children Achieve their Dreams. Her illustrated series for piano students is called, Little Bear's Piano Adventures!TM These stories take young piano students on a Musical Adventure to find out what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that children can easily understand.

For more information about these wonderful books E-mail Cynthia at <a href="mailto:cindy@tallypiano.com">cindy@tallypiano.com</a>, where you can also subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters!

TallyPiano Studio: (850) 386-2425
Hotline: (850) 264-7232

Good News for the Musically Untalented

Have you ever been told that you were good at something but not good enough to make it a career or life ambition? Especially with music, if you're passion is music you are hopelessly outnumbered right from the beginning. "You better have a back-up job" or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" are common refrains heard from well meaning adults who inadvertently had their dreams crushed out of them.

The world has more then enough computer programmers and engineers and these professions are well paying ones. What are we musicians to do? Well, for one thing we can forget about needing "talent" to make it. What is talent anyway but a person's ability to connect with his or her audience. You might think that talent means technical proficiency. You couldn't be more wrong.

Here's the good news. Connect with yourself and your art and you automatically become talented. This means you don't have to wait years and years before you begin to share what comes out of you with others. In fact, most so called "really talented people" last in the limelight for a few years or so and then burn out to non-remembrance. If you consider yourself hopelessly untalented you are focusing on the wrong problem.

The question isn't do you know enough. The real question is, are you confident enough to believe in your own abilities. If you do, you will go far. If not, there's not much hope. Those who are able to let go and connect with the music inside of them are already truly talented.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at <a target="_new" href="http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html">http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html</a> for a FREE piano lesson!

New Age Music - How Its Made

Different styles of music have different "sounds." We can all pretty much agree on that point. For example, Jazz uses seventh chords almost exclusively. This, and the kind of chord progressions used in Jazz gives it its unique flavor. But what about new age music? Does it have it's own special ingredients? Yes it does.

Now, there are no hard and fast rules here but for the most part, new age music is a consonant music. That is, there is little or noharshness going on in the music. No Saxes wailing and what not. Having said that we can eliminate most of the tense jazz chords and their voicing. So what are we left with? Mostly Major and minor chords based on the regular scales and the modes. The chord progressions are simpler and usually start on the l chord. No ll-V-l progressions here.

What about melody? In jazz, we have a soloist who usually plays a lot of chromatic notes. This is rare in new age music because it would create dissonance. New age melodies tend to be softer and more on the spiritual side. Solos, if there are any, are not so much concerned with the expression of the self than they are with letting the music express itself. A subtle but very important distinction. Jazz players may have some ego invested in their performance. New age musicians learn to let the music play them. They learn to become a channel for the music itself allowing it to speak through them. Of course, I'm not saying that this can't happen in Jazz, but, just watch a Jazz performer and you'll see what I mean.

Last but not least is rhythm. Let's do a comparison/contrast between Jazz and New Age music. Jazz has a definite discernible rhythm. It is what makes Jazz Jazz. New age music can have a pattern or an underlying rhythm to the music. It can be used to create trance like states in the listener. Drums are usually a part of Jazz music. Percussion is mostly absent from the New Age sound simply because it would not add to the atmosphere most New Age musicians create. Timing is very important to the Jazz musician. The soloist has the freedom to play whatever he wants as long as he maintains the meter and stays in time. New Age music is more elastic in that timing is there, but is not a master of the player. The New Age player can disregard time altogether. Just listen to Zen flute music as a good example of this.

Now, what does all this mean for the aspiring New Age musician? A couple of good things. It means that there is a definite new age "sound" out there. That it is here to stay and that people like and need to hear it. And it means that there are some guidelines out there for what defines the meaning of New Age music.

วันศุกร์ที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

How to Find Musical Ideas

The Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky once said: " A good composer does not imitate; he steals."

I think what he meant by this is that it's OK to use a technique developed by another and make it your own. To imitate is to steal a technique or style and, somehow, not incorporate your own voice and energy into it.

We all get our ideas from somewhere, whether by accidentally listening to a piece of music and subconsciously storing it away, or by a conscious act where we say to ourselves: "This sounds great and I want to use it in my own music."

Some people have the idea that everything created must be original and by that they mean that there must be no outside influences - but this is unrealistic. Haydn taught Beethoven. Italian composers influenced Bach and so on. All past and present composers on this planet have their influences whether they admit them or not.

Now, most of you know that I have two major influences: George Winston and John Herberman. You may or may not know of these people. The point is I admit that they shaped my own style. How? Because I liked listening to them. It's that simple.

When I sit down to play, I inevitably gravitate towards one style or the other. I'm fine with that. It doesn't mean that I'm unoriginal. It just means that I acknowledge reality and don't try to come up with "something original." What sounds new is 99.9 times out of 100, a modification of what came before.

The whole point I'm trying to make is this: Don't try to be original. Instead, focus on what you like and love and your own voice will come through in the end. The music may be modified to an extreme (innovation) or just a little (homage). Just don't imitate.

Writing Hit Songs

There are a lot of factors to writing a hit song. First, you should focus on writing a good song. Once you've done that, you are not far away from writing a hit.

Like most other things in life, it takes persistence, patience, drive, knowledge, belief and maybe some luck.

Stop and think about your favorite songs. Really analyze them and figure out what it is that you like about those songs.

Different factors may come to play here. Maybe it is the good beat, lyrics that hit home, a beautiful melody, something spiritual or patriotic, or maybe even that it is humorous.

If you include one of these elements in your songwriting you are well on your way. If you combine two or more of these elements, you may have yourself a hit.

A Good Beat

Rhythm is important in music. I have to laugh and think of Jerry Van Dyke on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" years ago trying to play the banjo and sing, "I've got rhy-rhy-thm, I've got mah-mah-music..."

But, unless you are very funny like Jerry Van Dyke, your audience is not very likely to stay with you.

Your music not only needs to have a good beat, but must fit the genre of music you are trying to write. A Metallica beat in a George Strait type song may not get you very far. A song with a good enough beat might be a hit even with no melody and no lyrics. Remember "Green Onions?"

Along with the beat is the tempo. Country music is easy to write (I did not say it is easy to write well) because it is about people's lives and everyday experiences. However, too often people write slow songs for country music, when in fact the industry is starving for upbeat country material like "Country Roads" and "Rocky Top." It is much harder to write a good up-tempo country song than it is a tear jerker.

Lyrics in popular music can range from broken relationships to political issues, and just about any point in between. Those that tend to be the most popular are about situations you and I may encounter in our everyday lives; "Workin' 9 To 5," "I Just Called To Say I Love You," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "God Bless The USA" (which ingeniously incorporates spiritual, political and patriotic views).

A beautiful or interesting melody can get you into the ranks of hit songwriter with no lyrics required. Going back in time to prove a point about beautiful melodies, you might consider songs like "Last Date" and "Sleepwalk."

Songs with great melody lines are very easy to be found in many hit TV show themes like "Peter Gunn," "Hawaii 5-0," along with many of the 60's surfer songs like "Wipe Out."

Well done humorous songs usually find an audience, such as Ray Stevens "The Streak," and Jerry Reeds "She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft." If you have a knack for both humor and music, you might make a fortune.

Spiritual and patriotic songs, if they are well done and come out at the right time, are easy hits. Every time the U.S. gets involved in any type of world conflict, the songwriters get their pens out.

Keep your ears and eyes open, and keep a shoe box to put your ideas for songs in. Every time you think of an idea for a song or a song title, write it down and drop it in the box. It could be your first, or your next, big hit.

Michael Russell
<a target="_new" href="http://mgrcentral.com/">MgrCentral.com</a>
Established 2001
Home Business Training and Information Guides

College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians

For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on a radio promotion campaign can, in itself, become overwhelming. But, this idea is usually based on such artists attempting to obtain worldwide airplay on a local budget.

And, in doing so, self-promoting independent artists quickly discover another factor not usually considered previously... that engaging in a worldwide radio promotion campaign translates to hundreds and, possibly, thousands of CD units for media contacts alone.

As you can see, this can also quickly become a nightmare for indie artists, particularly, if the promotion budget only allows for the purchase of 1,000-CD packages at a time.

Starting in the 1980's, college radio became a dominant force in not only discovering independent recording artists, but also in introducing new artists to the general public. Hundreds of these particular artists have gone on to become established 'household' names.

Likewise, the college radio level has a continued history of presenting, practically, all forms of music, much of which would never see the proverbial light of day at the commercial radio level and, in many cases, neither at the non commercial level.

Therefore, if an artist has limited funds for radio promotion, it is highly advisable that the he begin exclusively with college radio for the following reasons:

* Far easier and faster access to airwaves

* Far more plentiful specialty and mix shows and programs

* Greater chances for both in-studio and telephone interviews to promote music releases

* More possibilities for station ID checks for further publicity

* Corresponding college campus newspapers that will more readily accept and support music aired on their campus stations for creating a campus-wide buzz

* A ready and built-in market in the campus community for repeated live performances to further support and supplement campus airplay and campus press coverage

* An opportunity for grassroots distribution through supplying both campus bookstores and campus music stores with music releases

Is the college market a viable market for your music sales?

Though the question is rhetorical in nature, please review the below U. S. college population statistics:

* There are 631 public 4-year colleges and universities that have a combined student population of 6,236,455.

* There are also 1,835 private 4-year colleges and universities with a combined student population of 3,440,953.

* Additionally, there exists 1,081 public 2-year colleges with a combined student population of 5,996,701.

* Even further, 621 private 2-year colleges host another 253,878 students.

This brings the average U. S. student population total to a whopping 15,927,987 minimum every year. And, more people are attending some form of higher education than ever before.

Now, even the least popular music genres are certain to find a financial comfort zone with a market of almost 16 million unique principals.

So, what results could really popular commercial music genres experience, simply by working the various entities of the college market, i.e., campus radio, campus press, campus bookstores, campus music stores, campus live performances? Quite pleasant ones, I would suspect.

But, remember! The above statistics only reference the United States college/university potential listenership. College radio also has a respectable portion of listeners who are *not* students.

Add to that, listeners of college radio who strictly listen to the streaming portion of college radio online, and who may, or may not, be in the college's geographical area, i.e., military service members.

Plus, there is lot more of the college market abroad, of which U. S.-based artists would do well to approach English- speaking nations first, i.e., United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, subsequently, moving into additional nations.

While it may (or may not) be true that it is possible for commercial radio stations to be the primary driving force behind most retail sales, that theory may not be so valid today, given the fact that:

* With the Internet, artists are no longer required to sell millions of CDs to make a great living financially

* Artists have greater and easier access to far more radio stations (broadcast, satellite, internet, college)

* With the college community, and all of its combined promotion and sales aspects (radio, bookstores, music stores, live performances), if conducted correctly, the college market campaign can equalize and, in some cases, even supersede commercial radio results. ______________________________________________

[---Additional Statistics---]

Top 10 College Enrollment:

Miami-Dade College (51,717)
University of Texas at Austin (50,616)
Ohio State University (48,477)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (46,597)
University of Florida (46,516)
Arizona State University (45,693)
Texas A&M University (44,618)
Michigan State University (44,227)
University of Wisconsin Madison (40,912)
Pennsylvania State University at University Park (40,828)

(The above figures were reported in Almanac 2004-2005, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, August 27, 2004.) ______________________________________

What College Students Spend on Music:

According to a recent Harris Interactive survey, college students spend $200 billion...that's right...BILLION dollars per year, with 76% of the students having spent $2,746,000 on music alone.

Note: As an added advantage, the self-promoting independent artist should also create an Internet radio promotion campaign simultaneously, since most 'net stations are accepting of MP3 files for airplay, thus, reducing packaging and shipping costs of CDs to stations.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About the Author:

Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com, a radio promotion, media publicity and music business/career firm for musicians. He is also the author of "Explosive CD $ales Tips," as well as publisher of The B# Newsletter, a highly informative music business resource. Visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.MuBiz.com">http://www.MuBiz.com</a>

New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal

There are 3 pedals on most pianos. The one on the left dampens the strings and makes the sound come out softer. The one in the middle - I have no idea what that one does, but the one on the right - the sustain pedal - this one is the pedal I have my foot on when I play the piano.

I like to let the tones ring out, but if I keep the sustain pedal depressed for too long, the music turns into a mud puddle - hundreds of overtones coming out everywhere. Don't let anyone tell you that there is a proper way to pedal the piano.

Each style of music uses the sustain pedal differently. New age music, fortunately for us, is much more liberal with its use. Why? Because we usually throw the pedal "rules" out the window. The key to pedaling is to listen for the sound YOU WANT then pedal accordingly.

How do you think the great pianists and composers of the past did it? Do you think they asked themselves, "well maybe I should pedal here?" Of course not. They put pedal marks down where they themselves used it in a piece. You should do the same.

There's nothing like the ringing sound of overtones you get when you let the notes hang in mid-air. In fact, this is one of the charms of the piano - that mysterious echo barely discernible to the untrained ear, but there nevertheless providing warmth and realism to the music.

It's all accomplished through the use of the sustain pedal. When you want your music to breathe, use it. Experiment with it. Don't be afraid to keep it depressed for as long as you want to.

Music as Therapy?

Frustrated in a gridlocked?

Job got you stressed out?

The children have you going crazy?

You pop in your favorite tune and you take a deep breath and as if by magic for a few minutes nothing matters anymore!

No it's no magic! It's music and it's power!

Truly amazing isn't it?

Even plants responds to music as was proven by some researcher at a well known university in the USA.

Why? Many reasons, I am sure some scientist would quote something about physiological responses to stimuli within the progressions of notes.

A psychologist on the other hand would no doubt say it's psychosomatic.

Myself I simply think that while we are focusing on the music we ignore whatever is troubling us a kind of bio feedback effect so to speak.

The important fact of the matter is that it works!!!

That in itself is ample reason for me, I really dont care about any other reason there might be, it's not important except to that particular researcher or scientist with a thesis to prove.

I believe it's high time we move away from the television! I read somewhere there are more televisions being sold than tubs and showers combined which goes to show more brain being washed than bodies.

It's time for parents and children to get together and listen and talk about each others music. ask each other:

"Why do you like it?"

"What does it say?" Why is it important to you?

If you ask me it's a simple and easy way to make contact, to initiate communication on a safe level and discover thing about each others you did not know...

Music as therapy? Why the heck not? It's a lot cheaper and make more sense than most self help gurus that try to sell you some high price drivel...

Remember that famous phase that said "Make your baby listen to Mozart and you will have a baby genius?

The study, in fact, showed it was a very limited and tempory effect and all the tests had been done on adults only!!!

That did not stop a whole slew of profit minded individuals and companies from exploiting this to make a bundle on a false assertion.

Music is not the end all but merely one more mean to make us feel better!

No more! No less!

Listen to music because it makes you feel good, simple enough?

Claude Gagne is the owner of <a target="_new" href="http://www.klodradio.com">http://www.klodradio.com</a>, an amateur music historian and multidisciplinary artist whose works can be found at:

<a target="_new" href="http://www.lulu.com/claudegagne">http://www.lulu.com/claudegagne</a>

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 29 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Soul Band for a Party

Was the request six months ago, a sixtieth birthday party, the client said. It got me thinking. There is a whole untapped market out there for people who lived as teenagers and twenty somethings through the sixties and seventies. They are all coming up to this big sixtieth birthday date and they all love the kind of music I love to play and earn my living out of! More than that, their kids are off their hands, their mortgage is paid up and they can afford to splash out on a big celebration.

That isn't the real reason for writing this article, in fact it has very little to do with the subject which is about the day in the life of a working professional London musician. It did get me thinking, however, how things have changed from my own youth. When I was young, sixty-year-old men smoked untipped fags, wore flat caps and suits and listened to Max Bygraves. Now the average sixty year old will be a fan of Wilson Pickett, Otis Reading, James Brown and The Stones and be dressing in Gap. He or she will definitely not be a smoker!!

The engagement was in West Sussex, a lovely part of the world, in late June. The weather was perfect as I loaded up the car. For a soul band music gig you need amplification and some lighting as well as a cd player for keeping the music and atmosphere going for when the band takes a break. I picked up my bass player Andy mid afternoon, and we drove down together to the sixtieth birthday party. Andy is no stranger to soul band work. He was musical director a few years ago to the Flirtations, a sixties Motown soul music band who had three or four hits back in the nineteen sixties. A very experienced and talented musician Andy has also worked with Van Morrison, Phil Collins and Eddie Reader as well as 1980`s swing band Wall Street Crash. Being a close friend for twenty-five years the trip down to the party was a pleasure. Good company, good conversation, lovely weather and countryside and the anticipation of a very rocking gig with some great players!

As usual we arrived early. The party we were playing soul music for were still having dinner and would be at least another hour. That was fine with us as the venue of the party was delightful. The person who's sixtieth birthday it was had arranged drinks for us and so while we brought the musical gear in to the venue a pot of tea was rustled up for us. Over a brew and the gear sitting outside the function room, we decided on what order the soul music for the party should take. There is no point playing the real lively soul music tunes too early on. A group of sixty year olds with full stomachs are not going to appreciate being coerced into getting down to Mustang Sally by a full on soul band after a big rich pud! The party is always best started with some more laid back soul music by people like Al Green and Ben E King.

The other musicians from the band start to arrive and bring their gear in. There is still time for a cup of tea and we order it for them whilst guitars and drums are brought into the hotel. Shortly the room begins to clear. The sixty-year-old birthday boy is obviously keen to party and doesn't want to waste time on speeches! As the guests make their way to the bar, go out for a smoke (the young ones?they'll learn) or take the lovely Sussex evening air, the band dives in and sets up the gear for the party. We meet the host who insists on describing, in detail, a gig he went to in the sixties featuring Stax star Otis Reading who was a master of the soul music genre and a legend in soul music. We are torn between setting up on time and listening to some one recount their memories of a legend! Being a big fan myself I am able to recount a few memories of my own of seeing the Blues Brothers soul and blues band with legendary players Booker T, Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn. These guys are soul music legends too, having played and written the hit "Green Onions" and having backed Otis Reading and Sam and Dave on many of their live gigs both in London and America. Steve Cropper was also the writer of "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay", "Knock on Wood" and "In the Midnight Hour", all soul music tunes we play in our soul band as part of our set and tunes we intended playing for the sixtieth birthday party that very night.

The band is set, the lights are on and we have started our evening's entertainment. There are already a few people on the floor dancing to that great Bill Withers tune "Lovely Day" and it makes me realize that people who were growing up in the sixties are much more in tune with live music and are used to dancing to a live band than the current generation. What also hits home is how the generation of today, when they get the opportunity to listen to a great soul band playing great soul music, get caught up by the music we play and respond so well to it. It makes me realize that bands such as mine will be playing soul music for a party like this and like we do for younger persons weddings, long after current musical trends die.

The evening progresses, the soul band picks up in tempo, the horns are riffing those familiar riffs from such favourites as "Hold on I`m Coming," "Dancing in the Street" and "I Feel Good". I always kid Mark our main singer and master guitarist when he sings "I Feel Good" by James Brown. James Brown is in his mid seventies, American and black. Mark is white, in his forties and from Scunthorpe! At the end of the tune I say what I always say?.it always gets a laugh?"Its like James Brown was in the room!"

The audience is hanging in there with us. Drenched in sweat and transported in time, they are back in the Flamingo in Soho or some other sweaty dive of their youth. I look round and the boys in the band are having a ball. We are working real hard; we are sweating more than the audience. To make a band like ours rock as hard as it does requires a great deal of energy. Soul music isn't music played off the back foot; it is high-energy music that drives. As such, whether it is loud or quiet, it requires total commitment and all ones physical resources. An amateur band just doesn't cut it. They are unable to give the energy coupled with the sense of groove that good soul music requires. It needs relentless practice of ones instrument, high energy all evening that cannot drop?in fact it must increase as the evening progresses and a lot of stamina that only constant work on your instrument gives you.

Before we know it the night is over. We manage to persuade the birthday boy, after two encores, that it is time to finish. He is delighted with the band and the soul music we have played for his party. A few of his guests have come up for business cards. They too have sixtieth birthday parties coming up and they too love their soul music!!

We have been paid and the gear has been packed away. We are debating whether to employ a roadie at the moment. Everyone in the band loves playing soul music for a party but no one likes to cart gear! The funny thing is this. Every year technology makes musical gear lighter but somehow every year the gear feels slightly heavier!! As you, me, everybody, gets nearer to his or her sixtieth birthday party I suppose everything gets just that little bit heavier!

We say our goodbyes. Hugs and handshakes. You wouldn't believe that we see each other on average two or three times a week! On the way home we leave the radio off. It is time for quiet reflection. We discuss the gig. What went well. How we could improve the set order. We decide we can`t. What new tunes we want to incorporate into our soul music band party repertoire. This isn't easy. The most important criteria is to get people up dancing. There is sometimes a conflict between favourites and the sort of tunes, which will fill the floor for the party. This is always our main priority. It is what we get paid for. Paid well for. We have a reputation to maintain.

Andy has been dropped off. It is two o'clock. I am home fifteen minutes later. The gear is brought into the house. Must look into getting that roadie!

On goes the computer. Must check my emails. June and July are a busy time. Just as I thought. Three pressing messages that require an answer. Get to bed at three thirty. Please God don't let the kids wake me up before ten on Sunday morning. I'll need to be up then as the band are in Birmingham in the evening doing another soul music party and the M6 can be murder at this time of the year.

The kids come jumping into our room at eight thirty! It doesn't matter. Monday I am totally free. I can get them off to school and come home and sleep. Someone once said " If you can earn your living doing what you love you will never do a days work in your life" How true.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Williams is a London based trombonist and vocalist who has worked all over the world in most areas of the business. He also runs a successful, specialist, live music agency using the best of London musicians, servicing both private and corporate clients playing all over the country. He would be happy to advise you with your own event or party and offers bespoke solutions for the perfect occasion.

Contact him on 020 8761 8932 or 07747 801471
Email him on bonejeff@aol.com
Visit the website <a href="www.jazznotjazz.co.uk" target="_blank">www.jazznotjazz.co.uk</a>

วันพุธที่ 28 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have appreciated, enjoyed, and incorporated some form of music in their everyday lives. However, just as one man's trash is another man's treasure, one man's music can often be another man's noise, and vice versa. Still, certain universal aspects of music can serve as a means of communication between two people who have little else in common.

Some say that the only thing that makes music different from noise is the culture of those listening to it. There is some truth in this; you wouldn't expect a typical American teenager to be found head banging to a CD of tribal African chanting. Similarly, you'd be surprised to find that African tribe knowing what to make of a boy band ballad. Of course, such vastly different cultures may not share musical preferences, many slightly more similar cultures can enjoy a real connection as a direct result of shared musical abilities and experiences.

In an attempt to appeal to newer markets, music artists are evaluated for their international appeal as international sales can equal or even surpass the domestic sales figures. This worldly appeal can be successful in creating a shared interest and bond between citizens of greatly different lands: Americans and Chinese, Russians and South Africans. It is thus not surprising that a typical music promotion tour includes various international destinations.

Music artists of today and yesterday have been known to help cross cultural divides in times of conflict and even war. Their music can bring crowds of people in warring countries to their feet, tapping their feet to the rhythm. News broadcasts are frequently carrying stories of disheartened soldiers abroad smiling again after a visit from familiar pop music artists.

On the other hand, music is also a frequent bone of contention between the generations. Why is the music of different generations more often referred to by its respective decade (i.e. 'the sixties', 'the eighties') rather than by its most popular artists or a particular genre? Grandparents are rarely found enjoying the same music as their grandchildren. Much more common, they are often heard complaining that the other's music is too loud, too soft, too fast, or too slow. Even music artists with a wide-ranging appeal, like The Beatles, are not always appreciated by both extremes of the generation gap. Though their music stands a much greater chance of acceptance from fresh ears than rap has from a Frank Sinatra crowd.

Music hence signifies different things to different people often extending to a deeply personal level. Each generation~s music represents the aspirations, heartbreaks, achievements of people living in that specific time period. And as they carry different viewpoints on many daily social and political issues they get further divided by varying taste of music. However, the feeling to be human and alive to the world around us, and the desire to express life's experiences through music remains common to all irrespective of the generation gap - and is capable of crossing the most guarded country borders.

About The Author

Kirby Jones MBA, BSc is the webmaster for Dav Music - probably the largest information resource on music related topics. Visit his web site and get immediate access to his archive of articles here: <a href="http://www.davmusic.com/articles/" target="_new">http://www.davmusic.com/articles/</a>.

The Music Industry and Its Lack of Talent

So it has come to this... what we see overrides what we hear. What we see now influences HOW we hear. And what we see drowns out all that is heard to the point that we are virtually deaf.

Be it the pop music forced down our throats by the incessant rambling of the local radio station, or the sexy video bombarding our television on MTV, all is lost. Or at least misplaced somewhere deep within our own psyche.

Since when has what is being seen suddenly dictated what is being heard? This cannot be the reality of it all, yet it has become all too clear that in fact this is the only reality: sex and image comes before content and talent.

No one shall ever hear the likes of classic rock and roll again, as the music industry is overrun with cookie-cutter sex pistols whose waistline is the most important thing, not the talent held within that waist. For some time now, music has not been music, but a corporate image force fed to its "fans" with commercial weight absent of anything worth hearing, and overloaded with what may be worth seeing.

At no time will any music now or in the future possess anything resembling a creative lifeforce that grew in the 1920's, flourished in the 50's and 60's, and fizzling out in the mid-to-late 70's. For so long now music has lacked style while becoming bloated upon gaudyness and imagary. And now, it is too late.

Thank the heavens for my 8 track. At least Edison created the recording device so that the greatness of the past can be heard again... you just need to know where to look.

I attended Rutgers University and played trumpet, piano, and any other valved instrument thru college to this very day.

วันอังคารที่ 27 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Establishing Your Mix

Now that you've spent hours and days and weeks and months recording your musical masterpieces (and you've also read my article "Tips for a Great Recording Session"), you have arrived at my favorite time in the studio; The Mixdown.

But don't think your job is done yet! The mixdown is just as important as recording. As an artist, you have to approach the mixdown from an artist's point of view and stay on the 'creative' side of the fence where it's still possible to shape and mold your songs throughout the mixdown process.

Remember the old "Yin-Yang" principle which states, "whenever you turn something up, something else disappears. Furthermore; whenever you turn something down, something else gets louder". This applies to EQ, levels and almost anywhere you have two or more tracks.

The Beginning Of The End

STOP!! Don't even think about starting your mixdown on the same day you finish tracking. Take a day off, have a break and then come back refreshed with a new perspective.

Now back to business...

First of all, let's "zero the board". This is simply the action of bringing all the faders to the bottom (-∞) and centering all the pan knobs and effects sends.

I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "but our mix sounded good when we were tracking!".

OK, but did the mix actually sound good or were you just accustomed to hearing it that way? That's why zero-ing the board is important. It flushes your memory and allows you to start from scratch. It might even be better to mix a song that you finished recording a while back.

1. Get Kicked.

This is where I prefer to start. Other people like to start with the vocals and build around them. But I'm more rhythm based and prefer to start with the kick drum.

One tricky part of any mix is getting a good gain-stage structure where you don't clip the master faders at the end of your mixing session when all your instrument faders are raised. We must be careful to keep watching the master bus clipping lights to make sure they never get into the red. Here is why the kick is a good place to start.

Play your songs and watch the master bus VU meters. This is probably the only time you will "mix with your eyes". As you're watching the master VU meter, slowly raise the kick fader until the master meter reads about -7dB. If you are a four piece band, then you can leave the kick there and move on. But if you have a really dense tune, then you may have to lower the kick to -8dB or so (to leave room for all the other instruments as they come up).

Now you are set to mix. The kick should be the only channel that you set levels by watching. Every other channel mixed into the song will be with your ears relative to the kick.

2. Moving On

From now on, it's pretty much a free-for-all. Some people like to move on to the bass next, in order to find the balance for the low-end of the song. Other people like to keep working on the drum kit "as a whole" before moving to other instruments. I prefer to move onto the drum kit over-head mics.

They say that a great drum kit sound can be captured using only two over-head mics, and a kick mic. And it's true. Some of my tunes only use three mics on the final mixed versions, even though we had used up to ten mics for the recording of the kit.

If you placed your over-head mics properly (i.e.: so the snare sounds centered in the stereo image, and not skewed to the left or right speaker) then you will have a better stereo image of the drum kit when the mix is finished. Otherwise you might have to do some fancy panning or EQ to get a balanced image with the drum kit.

You can now bring in the rest of the kit underneath the over heads to fill out the sound. I prefer to leave EQ and effects to the very end of the mix, after all of the instruments are playing. Try to place your toms in the same panning position as the overhead mics recorded them. If your floor tom in the overheads is to the right at 3 o'clock then pan your individual floor tom fader to the same position.

And don't forget to check your phase between your mics pointing down and your mics pointing up.

3. Big Bottom

Now I like to add in the bass. Nothing too important here if you have good source audio. I'm also a huge side-chaining fan. I LOVE to side-chain the bass with the kick so the low end frequencies wouldn't fight for space in the mix. It just makes things sound "tighter". Sometimes you may have to eq the lowest of the lows out of the kick in order to make a little more room for the bass to sit in the mix.

4. Pads and More

Here is where I add the "pad" type of sounds. These are sounds that usually have longer sustains and hold the chords of the song. Sounds like strings, sustained electric guitar chords, synth pads, and maybe even some rhythm acoustic guitars are great foundation instruments.

I like to lay these instruments on top of the drums and bass tracks we have already mixed. You can get very creative with the panning of these sounds and create a wide stereo field. This will help make your mix interesting by allowing your lead instruments and vocals sit in the center of your stereo image, attracting attention to themselves.

5. The Vox

Let's finally add the vocals. I usually start off with the lead vocal, and then place all the harmony and background vocals underneath the lead. Sometimes, you can end up putting the vocal a little too high in the mix, and a great way to check this is to turn your monitors way down and listen to the mix at an almost inaudible level. This way of listening to your mix will surprise you, but you have to be confident and trust your ears. If something sounds disproportionately loud at this quiet level, then it is too loud. If you must, then you can compress the vocals too, but that really depends on the song's style. Maybe a few fader rides are a better choice then some static compression.

6. The Rest

You can start adding effects and other fancy shmancy things to your tune. Get funky with automating some pan knobs, fade-in some pads etc.. Here is a good time to get creative.

It's also a very good time to actively listen and re-adjust your mix. Is the kick too loud? Should I put some higher frequencies on the bass? Should I compress the backing vocals more? Is the coffee finally ready?

When you feel you have a good mix, burn it to CD and listen to it EVERYWHERE! In the car, in the bath, at home, on the TV set, at your friend's place etc., and make a lot of notes. And at the end, if all your notes cancel out, then you are finished!

?2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)

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About The Author

Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com">http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com</a>

Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records?

In the late 1940's, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM record. The 45 was smaller, less breakable and could be made and sold more cheaply. Despite these advantages, it took ten years before the 78 became obsolete, and in the meantime, record companies sold their product in both formats. In 1982, the major record companies introduced the compact disc, which offered a smaller size, "perfect" sound, and less likelihood of damage in day to day use. As the compact disc offered a much larger profit margin than did the long-play record album (LP) the record companies were eager to rid store shelves of records once and for all. Given that the 78 lasted ten years after the introduction of the 45, it seemed likely that the LP would be gone from the market by 1990. The expected disappearance of the LP never happened. Despite the efforts of the music industry, music fans and collectors not only continue to buy records today, but sales of records and record-playing equipment are on the rise.

Each year in January, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held in Las Vegas. At this event, audio and video manufacturers show off the latest and greatest in their product lines. An unusual sight this year was not the large number of cutting-edge compact disc players, but the largest number of record turntables that had been seen at the event in years! Sales of both new and used records are hot, and equipment manufacturers are eager to reintroduce the turntables they quit making years ago. Why are record sales increasing when compact discs are supposed to provide perfect sound in an unbreakable format? There are several reasons:

<Li>Price. Price is always a factor when consumers buy anything and the prices of new and used record albums are less than the prices of new and used compact discs, respectively. Used CDs may sell for $5-8; used record albums sell for $3-5</Li>

<Li>Physical size. A lot of people prefer the larger size of record albums. They don't store as easily as compact discs, but the covers and lyrics are easier to read, and the product feels more substantial. Buyers feel like they're getting "more" for their money, even if it's just extra weight.</Li>

<Li>Sound. The digital sound of compact discs has a certain cleanness and purity to it, but many listeners find the sound of compact discs to be "artificial" or "metallic", lacking the "warmth" of the sound of a record. Arguments have been going on for years, and fans of compact discs claim that there really is no difference in sound, but millions of record fans would probably disagree.</Li>

<Li>Nostalgia. A lot of Baby Boomers grew up listening to records, and records have a fond familiarity to them that listeners like.</Li>

New record albums continue to be released every day. Aided by artists who are still recording who demand that their albums be released as both records and compact discs, such as Diana Krall, <a target="_new" href="http://www.rarepinkfloyd.com/">Pink Floyd</a>, and Metallica, record album sales continue to thrive. Despite industry efforts to kill the format back in the 1980's, It appears that the record album will continue to live on, well into the twenty-first century, and music fans couldn't be happier about it.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm that operates several retail Websites, including AluminumChristmasTrees.net, a site devoted to vintage <a target="_new' href="http://www.aluminumchristmastrees.net/">aluminum Christmas trees</a> and accessories, and RarePinkFloyd.com, a site devoted to rare records, compact discs and by the band <a target="_new" href="http://www.rarepinkfloyd.com/">Pink Floyd</a>.

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 25 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Five Great Practice Ideas I Learned From My Piano Students!

Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the student does from the teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to share with you some great practicing ideas that have come from my piano students over the years:

1. A Colonel in Virginia that I taught for several years got up at 4AM every weekday morning and practiced on an electronic keyboard with headphones so he wouldn't disturb anyone at that time of the morning. "I love the early morning", he said, "because it's so quiet and peaceful and I'm fresh and raring to go. No phones are ringing, no people walking into the room, no disturbances at all. I practice for a half-hour, have breakfast, and then hit it for another half-hour -- all before I have to show up for work. When I get home in the evening, if I'm too tired to practice, I don't feel guilty because I've already got my licks in for the day. And if I'm up to practicing some more -- well, it's a bonus!"

2. An elementary school teacher in Indiana told me she took each piece I assigned her and transposed it into all 12 keys -- not written out, but at the piano -- in her head. She said "It doesn't always sound so hot, but I find that if I keep at it day after day, I can at least get by in the most difficult keys, and it makes the easier keys seem real simple. And it gives me a perspective that I just wouldn't get it I just played it in one key -- the key it is written in. I've learned that each key has it's own "feel", and some keys are bright (like "D") and some keys are mellow (like "Db").

3. Another piano student with a similar idea, who was the Minister of Music in a Catholic church, said he took one whole month of the year and devoted it to mastering just one key. Since there are 12 months in the year and 12 Major keys, that works out perfectly. So in January he played everything he could find in the key of C, and transposed anything that wasn't in C into C. In February he went up 1/2 step to the key of C# (also known as Db enharmonically) and played everything in Db and searched for pieces written in the key of Db, and so on. By the time the year was up, he had a pretty fair grasp on the 12 Major keys. I suggested that he devote the next year to the 12 minor keys, and the next year to the modes, and the next year to polytonality, etc., etc. -- but as I recall he decided to just recycle through the 12 major keys, since he used them so much more than the ones I suggested.

4. Still another piano student took an idea from me and twisted it a bit. I suggested that she play along with pieces she liked on tapes and CD's, so she would get a feel for the motion of the song. (I used to do that by the hour when I was a teen-ager, and it paid off big time for me!). She took the idea and tried it and liked it so much that she started getting videos of people playing the piano. She arranged her TV and video player so that she could be at her piano while the video was playing, and she would play along with the pianist on the screen, following her/his hand motions and arm motions and finger position and thereby getting a feeling for the flow of the music. (Patterning). Her creativity is paying off for her -- she is advancing rapidly. (And by the way, don't think she is "copying" the person she is watching -- not at all. It's the same principle as watching Michael Jordan moving toward the basket, or watching Sammy Sosa swing a bat -- it just gets you in the right groove before you apply your own style to it.)

5. A doctor I have taught for years makes a idea file of things he has learned about piano playing over the years. He notes where in a given book or tape or video I discuss such and such a topic, and files that alphabetically. Then later when he needs to refer to that idea, he simply looks up the idea in his file, locates the video or cassette or book, and presto -- he can review that idea or concept almost instantly. It's like a card catalog in the library -- makes finding things so much faster than flipping through endless books trying to find that idea you saw long ago. With the advent of the computer a person could store and categorize ideas such as this very quickly.

Hope this gives you some ideas of your own!

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His instant piano chord finder software titled <a target="_new" href="http://www.keyboardchords.com/">"How To Find Any Piano Chord Instantly!"</a> has been used around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled <a target="_new" href="http://www.playpiano.com/">"Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions"</a> with over 58,600 current subscribers.

วันเสาร์ที่ 24 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

An Interview with Jon Bon Jovi ? 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong

The idea originated with singer Jon Bon Jovi. Jon kept upping the ante with his label and ultimately they consented to a four-CD set of essentially new material. Here, he talks about this 20th anniversery project (100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong) and the things that make Bon Jovi unique.

100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong was released November 16, 2004

Steven:
Did it begin as a simple one or two CD box and then just started to grow?

Jon:
I didn't know what it would be, to be honest with ya. It was dependent on what the record company would allow and what kind of package they would want to do. So, being brutally honest with you, it was dependent on what they were willing to pay for. It came down to what they would sell it for and there was this whole discussion [about that]. So they were cool. At first they were like, 'Well, we'll do a 24-song set' and I said, 'Keep it, that's not a box to me, it's a two-record set.' And then they said, 'Well, what do you want to do?' and I said, 'Well, how 'bout 50 songs?' And they said, 'OK, we'll do that.'

Steven:
Was there a lot of re-mixing and re-mastering that had to be undertaken?

Jon:
No; 40 of these songs nobody in the world has ever heard. Forty. And the other ten are rare soundtracks and things that people wanted us to release and we didn't have the vehicle. Like there's a song called 'Edge Of A Broken Heart' that was a fan favorite from the Slippery When Wet era that was on a soundtrack for a little movie called The Disorderlies. And so this was an opportunity to release it finally. So, that was like a no brainer. Things like that.

Steven:
Jon, not having heard the record, can I randomly choose some titles here and have you talk about them?

Jon:
I think it would be better for me to tell you a couple songs because you haven't heard them. You know what I mean? It would be a better story. There's a couple things on the first CD but there's one called 'Why Aren't You Dead?' Certainly would be a fan favorite and it was during the period between '90 and '92; we wrote it, having written songs in the past like 'Bad Medicine' and 'You Give Love A Bad Name' so we knew how to write those kind of tongue in cheek, cute choruses.

When we tried to do it because we knew how when we did it for what was to become Keep the Faith, it didn't ring true anymore. We knew it was time to move on, so this is the classic case of this is the one that got away. So, people who were big fans of that era of the band will hear this one and go, 'Yeah, that's what I love.' So that's a good example of that.

'Miss Fourth of July' is a great one. That one and a song called 'Only In My Dreams' that Tico [Torres] sang, very influenced [when I was] in my Tom Waits era. Tom was such an influence on me in those great ballads that he writes and the great picture lyrics. And I wrote songs like 'Bed of Roses' because of Tom but while I was knocking out songs like this, these didn't make it. But '?Fourth of July' which is really a pretty neat song, something that perhaps I'd love to hear Don Henley sing, really talks about the loss of innocence and youth and how at that point in my career, I was really dis-enfranchised by what the business of music had become.

Steven:
Speaking across the board, when you're trying to determine what songs will eventually make their way onto a CD, you try to determine what really makes the song work, the poignancy of the lyrics and ?

Jon:
What works for a record when you consider that, for me, a record has to say something about who you are at that point in your life and that it's not repetitious and then finally that there's continuity in the record so it has, in fact, a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can't have two songs that are a 6/8 waltz, the Tom Waits-influenced thing. You can have one and then you move on and the other one doesn't get hurt.

Steven:
As you were sequencing the material and re-listening to this music, could you sense a growth in the songwriting and your own profile as a musician?

Jon:
Oh, sure. I think we've gotten better with time but that's subjective, I guess. It depends on who you ask and how the song touched people. You know, you get a song like 'It's My Life' and it moves the masses; you get a song like 'Everyday,' you think it's the end all, be all, and it's not a hit single, it doesn't mean I don't love it just as much. So, am I supposed to judge everything by hit singles? No. It's a hard question to answer. I think we've gotten better; we're certainly diversified, we've grown. We're not still writing 'You Give Love A Bad Name' twenty years later, or trying to. Let's put it that way.

Steven:
What about your relationship with Ritchie as a guitar player? How would you explain that?

Jon:
Ritchie is twenty times the guitar player I'll ever be. I play guitar as good as a songwriter, to be honest with ya. You know what I mean? Jeff Beck's got nuttin' to worry about with me. The truth of the matter is what I wanted to do with the guitar was write songs and the way I learned to play was about that. It wasn't mimicking some guy's hot solos, it was 'What chord progression was that?' and 'What inversion is that?' That stuff actually never ends either; you never stop learning.

In fact I really feel humbled on this new studio record by John Shanks who I think is going to surprise a lot of new people. Because he and Richie went just crazy with guitar stuff like tunings and different instruments and it was really fun to watch. You know when to chime in and when not to but those guys, they're great.

It [new record] sounds like us but it's very contemporary. It's hard to describe what it is but it's pretty rockin,' I can tell you that. And there's only one song that's a slow song on the record. That song is called 'These Open Arms' but that's it, man. This is a rock record.

Steven:
You just mentioned how this new record sounds like you and at the some time has a modern feel. How have you been able to consistently change without ever losing your core integrity?

Jon:
When grunge came along, we didn't pretend we were from Seattle; when rap came along we didn't add a scratcher. And a lot of times, guys are real guilty of that stuff, they jump on the bandwagon. Even the great Stevie Tyler was out there singing with Britney Spears and 'N' Sync [during the halftime ceremonies of a Superbowl game]. I wouldn't have done it. A lot of my peers suddenly in '92 pretended to be from Seattle and got all dark and pretend to be somethin' they weren't. Or, as much as I dig Gwen Stefani, when I heard them puttin' a rapper in the middle of the record, I went, 'Oh, that's a different thing.' That's not for me, I'm not doin' it. We stayed true to who we were, we grew with what we did.

Like it or not and trust me, there's people on both sides of that coin, the one thing I can say is it's honest. It is what it is but at least you know what it is. It's not trying to be something it's not.

Steven:
So you were honestly a bit skeptical about the reception of Crush in the marketplace?

Jon:
Not skeptical, I believed in it, but I didn't know it was gonna find another generation of fans. That was the amazing thing because that record touched six-year olds and sixty-year olds. Everybody felt some reason to say, 'No, it's my life.' And of course everybody wants to be in control of their own life. I didn't realize that when we wrote it. When we wrote it I was selfishly thinking of my movie career. Like Frankie said 'I'll do it my way.' Sinatra. I'm gonna get a president elected, I'm gonna make movies, I'm gonna make records, I'm gonna do everything you tell me you don't want to hear from me. And that was exactly what that song was about and then you see athletes using it, kids chanting to it, and all this amazing stuff happened. Who knew?

Steven:
And that guides us to the final question: You have all the money and cars and prestige anyone could ever want so what is the guiding force?

Jon:
You know, I just really enjoy writin' a song. That gives me greater pleasure than recording it, which is second, and touring it, which is last. I get great pleasure out of it. You know it's gonna be there forever and that to me is the greatest feeling of all of them.

Thanks a lot for your time, you did a great job.

Steven Rosen is a Rock Journalist. Since 1973 he has accumulated over 1000 hours of audio content and 700 articles and interviews...all now available for licensing or purchase.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.classic-rock-legends-start-here.com/classic-rock-interviews.html">Contact Steven Rosen</a> for more information. Discover <a target="_new" href="http://www.classic-rock-legends-start-here.com/index.html">The Classic Rock Legends of rock and roll</a>

New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal

It's all accomplished through the use of the sustain pedal. When you want your music to breathe, use it. Experiment with it. Don't be afraid to keep it depressed for as long as you want to.

วันศุกร์ที่ 23 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Getting the Best Performance From Your Artist

So now you've decided to record your songs. Good for you, except that you will need people to play the instruments for which your music calls for. If you can play all the instruments on your own, then all the better. You will have less people to argue with! Other wise, you will have to hire (read: bribe with beer/food/hockey tickets) session musicians and vocalists to play and sing for you, putting you in the producer's chair.

Your songs are only as emotional as the performers who play them. It goes without saying that you should hire the best performers your budget will allow. But if $100/hour for a professional vocalist is a little steep, here are a few ways to help encourage the best from your session players.

1.) Always praise, never criticize.

The is THE most important rule in my book. The only way any session musician could ever get comfortable at your studio is if YOU put them at ease. That's one of your jobs as a producer.

When trying different versions of a take, tell them how you would like it to sound, instead of what they did wrong ie: "That was great, but let's try to hit the high note a little stronger" instead of "you know, you were a little off on the high note, it didn't sound that good".

Always start with praise, then with a correction. Keep your vocabulary positive. The best producers make the artist feel as if they can do nothing wrong.

2) They Can Do Nothing Wrong

Remember this rule while you are writing or recording. There is no "wrong way", there is only "a different way". Don't tell people that their way is wrong. Remember that music is an art, and there are no rules in art. When a performer is playing something you don't like, correct them by saying "let's try it this way too". Don't start off my saying "nope, you were wrong, do it the right way".

3) Let Them See The Light

Ambiance, atmosphere, vibe: whatever you call it, they need it. I guarantee that you will get a much better performance if you have water on the table, comfortable chairs, maybe a few candles, a towel, mints, and candy. Have you ever tried recording in an office with harsh florescent lights and hard wood chairs?

4) Take Your Time

If you're recording at your own studio, you have all the time in the world (which is an evil thing in my opinion). Let the artist relax, "get into the groove", talk a little and get comfortable with the other people in the control room. A tense artist's performance will always sound 'artificial' in the final song.

Don't be worried if it takes another 10 minutes to finish the take. Each performer works at their own pace, and the best thing you can do as the producer is to respect that and adjust your pace to theirs. Unless you have a record company breathing down your neck. Then everyone has to work at THEIR pace!

5) Ask For Help

Artists love to be listened to. It's always good to ask them for their opinion. Whether you actually listen is up to you. But once in a while, a simple question like "What do you think? Do you want to keep that take?" can do wonders for their performance. It helps keep them involved in the project and make them feel less like a "hired hand".

Obviously, if it was the worse singing you've ever heard and they want to keep it, just mention that you will do "one more take as a safety". And then, when they're not looking, use the better take instead and auto-tune it to no end. This is a little producer's secret, but don't let the artists know!

6) Know The Words

Make sure that you, the engineer, the assistant engineer and everyone else in the control room has lyrics to all the songs. The best way for your studio team to find their way around the songs is with the lyric sheets. Another good idea is to USE THE WHITEBOARD! That's why it's there. If you don't have one, get one. Write down the chord progressions, lyric ideas, timing marks, track listings, McDonald's lunch orders, everything.

7) It's MOSTLY About The Music

I've heard people say "it's ALL about the music". Well, in my books, that's not the truth. I'd rather say "it's mostly about the music". Because you have to remember, it's also about having fun, having a good time, writing and performing the best you can and above all, sharing your talent and gift with others. Try to make it less of a job, and more of a passion and you'll find yourself doing it for the rest of your life!

?2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)

Music and Emotion

The Age-old Puzzle of Human Response

If you've listened to more than a little music, you've most likely received an emotional reaction from some of it. You've probably noticed that whenever that happens, the effect is initially unexpected and varies in its intensity. Its also a safe bet that you cannot truly explain or define why it affected you.

You might be listening to a Symphonic work, a Jazz combo, something Country or a Folk song. Whatever the style, it becomes obvious that certain musical creations are able to communicate in a way that transcends the moment.

Those with a broad and varied interest in music soon discover that not all music is equal. Some of it may simply be functional, contrived, uninspiring and produce little or no emotional reaction. Other music may call forth a few emotional moments here and there but you find yourself wishing for more.

Then, there are those truly inspiring musical creations that lift one out of oneself, somehow transporting the listener in a way that defies explanation.

Inspiring music appears to contain an abundance of emotional peaks and valleys that may evoke pleasure, sadness and other diverse manifestations of emotion. For the listener, this often becomes a very unique and moving personal experience - and the oddity is that neither the composer nor the performers of the music will be able to explain exactly how or why it creates that effect.

This seeming inability has nothing to do with the extensive technical abilities of the composer or members of the orchestra. Rather, it concerns the difficulty anyone encounters when attempting to define or describe the ethereal nature of inspiration. For example, how does one go about describing the Source?

Apparently, it matters not the musical style - a simple folk song might trigger an emotional reaction as powerful as that created by a complex symphonic work.

Why this happens has been debated for ages but most musicologists will agree that trying to find the answer to this and other human response questions becomes a gigantic task due to the plethora of human, technical, psycho-biological and other variables that permeate an inspiring composition and its performance.

Another unusual aspect is that no two people will react to any given piece of music in exactly the same way. What might be a moving experience for one person might be somewhat different for another.

Back to the future

In order to gain a better understanding of why this disparity occurs, look to the subject of human conditioning - for it contains insightful information regarding how and why people react in the manner that they do.

The concept of human conditioning is based upon the premise that human perspective is influenced from birth onward by parental, societal, religious and other forces. Consequently, all future human experience is filtered through and measured by past experience.

Therefore, it does not require too great a stretch to understand why individual responsiveness to music may vary from person to person. Simply stated, each life experience is different for each person and though experiential similarities may exist, responsiveness remains uniquely individualistic.

A mysterious something

What is it in music that gives it that remarkable ability to reach and so strongly affect the human psyche? How is it able to calm, soothe, heal and minimize pain? And what about its darker side - wherein it is capable (as some researchers suggest) of actually creating pathological conditions in humans, animals and plants?

Regarding the latter, a number of research projects have convincingly demonstrated that music can be harmful or beneficial dependent upon the type. Most notable is the work of Dorothy Retallack, Dr. T.C.Singh, Dr. Harvey Bird and Dr. Gervasia Shreckenberg. (see below)

Unlike the research mentioned above, other sources of information often prove to be more conjectural than factual. For sure, one can find the usual authoritative comment in any good library...but much of that opinion appears to focus on the effects of music rather than its ethereal nature and origin.

However, deciphering and understanding the ethereal may ultimately require more than human rationalism and logic can provide. Perhaps this is one reason why the puzzle of human response to music has yet to be solved.

Logically, one would think that thousands of years of musical endeavor should have produced something in the way of bona fide evidence; something that would provide an irrefutable explanation for that musical-empathic link that so often lifts the human spirit. Obviously, that link has yet to be established and if history is any indicator, the solution to the puzzle may be a long time in coming.

Meanwhile, inspiring music continues to fulfill a strong human need. It speaks to the heart and because of this, improves and enhances our lives. This is why certain music has been so successful as a stress management tool. It calms and provides respite wherein recovery may take place.

As for solving the puzzle, that is best left to the musicologists. Listeners need not and should not be too concerned with the complex issues and technical aspects of music. As a matter of fact, focusing on the complex tends to block one’s ability to feel. Why? Because it is impossible to analyze and feel simultaneously.

A passing mention should be given here concerning the existence of something that is best described as sonic mayhem. Sonic mayhem cannot subsist for long without the support of high-powered marketing hype, numerous theatrical effects and high decibel amplification. It is called music by its practitioners and followers but that is a misnomer. Rather, it is a form of abrasive-aggressive entertainment. This subject will be pursued further in a future article.

So where does all of this leave us? Well, we have a world of music at our disposal and where we go from there is up to us. Perhaps, during the process of listening to music, we may experience one of those magic moments wherein we discover ourselves.

Finally, inspiring music contains a message for everyone and to receive that message, all we need do is simply listen with an open heart and allow the music to do what it has always done best - uplift the human spirit and soothe the soul.

For more about the work of Dorothy Retallack, Dr. T.C.Singh, Dr. Harvey Bird and Dr. Gervasia Shreckenberg go to: http://www.channel1records.com/how_music_affects_your_kids.htm

Bill Reddie is the owner of Channel 1 Records, a company that has been producing music for stress relief and stress management since 1972. Further information regarding the beneficial effects of music and its potential for relieving stress, anxiety and burnout may be found at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.channel1records.com">http://www.channel1records.com</a>

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in a single octave, the root on the bottom, the third in the middle, and the fifth on the top.

Usually chords are "voiced!"

This basically means that the positions of a chord's tones are scattered over the keyboard. The tones may be altered, doubled, added to, missing, and so forth.

There are a great variety of possibilities available in voicing chords. Voicing chords properly is an art within itself. Using the correct voicing techniques in your playing will give your improvisation a "hip," mature and full sound. Chords played in root position just does not seem to do the job when playing Jazz, Rock, Pop, Blues, Gospel and "Smooth Jazz" piano.

Learning and mastering good voice leading techniques in your playing is not difficult if you just follow some simple rules.

1. The most important notes in any chord is the 3rd and the 7th. The 3rd of the chord defines whether the chord is a major or minor chord. The 7th of the chord will define whether the chord is a dominant or major chord. Usually the bass player will play the root and fifth. The root and fifth are not essential tones and can be completely left our from your chord progressions. If you must use the root and fifth try using it in your right hand, not your left. You should add your "color" tones in your right hand.

2. When you are taking a solo and not "comping" (accompanying) for another soloist you should play your chord voicings in your left hand, so that the right hand can be free to improvise, do fills, double the left hand, add extensions, etc.

3. The range of your voicings is also very important. A good rule of thumb to remember when voicing your chords, is to always try to voice your chords around middle C. Keeping your voicings around middle C will sound full and clear. Limits of approximately an octave above or below will assure best results by preventing the voicing from assuming a quality of thinness or muddiness.

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer. His Web Site Offers Proven Tool, Tips and Strategies (that anyone can learn) to Play Rock, Pop, Blues, R&B and Smooth Jazz Piano. <a target="_new" href="http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm">http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm</a>

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 22 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Be An Organized Church Pianist

Playing in front of a congregation each Sunday is no easy feat. Make sure you are well prepared before giving your best for God and before others.

1) Practice the piano and more preferably the songs you will be playing early in the week and often.

2) Sing while you play so you can have a feel for how well your playing will mesh with the singing.

3) If you use sheet music make sure it is organized and ready to go. Write up your introductions and endings or make sure the ones you have used before are the ones you will want to use this time.

4) If you are accompanying a soloist make sure you set aside good time to practice.

5) If you are still working on your craft then make sure you are studying your piano lessons and practicing those in ADDITION TO practicing your Sunday songs. Don't stagnate. Add to your skills. Learn new songs or new ways of playing old favorites.

6) If you are the worship planner also a nice resource to have is an index that lists songs by scripture,by topic, and by key.

7) Don't give up because you don't have a piano. A keyboard will keep you going until the Lord sees fit to bless you with a piano. Truly. This happened to me.

8) Do you want to play in a particular style? You could just purchase music that is arranged in the style you want to play. But an easier option is to learn what specific notes or chords are making that special sound.

Use these ideas for how you can keep yourself together so come Sunday morning you can concentrate on making a joyful noise for the Lord!

See more ideas for a beginning church pianist in my book The Struggling Church Pianist

Kemi is a church pianist and author of the book <a target="_new"href="http://www.lulu.com/content/121356">The Struggling Church Pianist</a>. Visit her website and download some free musician tools at... <a target="_new" href="http://www.strugglingchurchmusician.us">http://www.strugglingchurchmusician.us</a>

Music Industry Secrets Revealed - How To Become Succesful The Music Industry Without A Record Deal

Before the internet, unsigned music artists couldnt make a living, off the thing they love and enjoy the most: Their music! They would have to send in demos to major record companys, hoping that the CEO's would love their music and actually call them up on the phone offering them a recorddeal! But what they dont know is that the CEO's dont give a f*#% about music!! They ONLY offer recordeals to artists who they know will become succesfull!

To say it in another way: They NEVER risk millions of dollars on bands that they dont see any future with!

Today there's thousands, maybe millions of music artists looking for a way to make a living off their music. Those artists may now have a chance!

Former A&R Agent - Interscope Records, Fisnik Imeraj has written an eBook explaining just what the unsigned music artists should do! Publish their own music! Thats right! Since the internet is already invented, then why not take advantage of it?

In his new book Fisnik Imeraj explains to the ambitious artists how they can publish their own music on the internet, and keep 100% of their profits themselfs! He explains every part of music publishing on the internet! From creating a website to marketing their music! And the best part is that any artist can start with virtually NO money!!

If you ever dreamed of becoming a successful music artist, you should definately purchase this book! It might change your life! The book can be downloaded instantly after payment on <a target="_new" href="http://www.deluxepass.dk">http://www.deluxepass.dk</a>

Fisnik Imeraj has worked along with THE biggest names in the music industry! He now reveals everything about music publishing on his new book "Music Industry Secrets Revealed!" How to become successful in the music industry without a recorddeal!

วันพุธที่ 21 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Tips for a Great Recording Session

You know your songs are great (and so does your girl/boyfriend, family, pets etc), and you finally decided to record an album in a real studio. That's great! But what actually happens when you get there?

When you finally do pick the perfect studio, one that you feel comfortable at, there is a certain routine that must be followed in order to get the best performance and the best recording for your budget.

1. Tune Your Instruments. This also includes your drums and any tunable percussion instruments you may have. There is absolutely nothing worse in the world than to have a perfectly written song with a perfect performance be ruined because someone didn't take an extra 2 minutes to check their tuning. Tuning takes a few minutes; a recording lasts forever.

2. Be Well Rehearsed. You'll be surprised how many bands suffer shock when they get the final recording bill. The main reason for this is because they confuse rehearsal time with recording time. Rehearse at home, in the garage, at your uncle's house; anywhere but at the recording session. When you arrive at the studio, you should know your songs inside-out and be ready for the red light.

3. Practice with a Click Track. A lot of drummers aren't able to play with a click track. Make sure yours can. A click track is essential in getting a good basic rhythm track that the rest of the band can lock in to, and to sync-up loops and delay times.

4. Be Early. Many studios start charging their clients from the exact time agreed to in the contract. Just because you decide to show up late, doesn't mean that the studio should give up that time for free. Be early and be ready to go.

5. Get the Sound Right. Never, ever try to "fix it in the mix". It doesn't work like that. Take an extra few minutes to tweak the sound before recording it. Turn that knob, tighten that string, have another sip of water. Remember again, tweaking may take an extra minute, but the recording will last forever.

6. Know When To Quit. Recording often leads to diminishing returns. Spending 20 hours in a row at the recording session isn't going to make your song twice as good as spending 10 hours. This rule also applies to mixing. If you're tired, call the session and come back the next day fresh and ready.

7. Record Alone. Don't bring your friends, family, parents or anyone else into your sessions. As fun as it may be, you are there to do a job and record the best music possible. If you are a millionaire, then by all means, have a party at the studio, but don't count on getting anything done.

8. Mix and Match. After letting the engineer do the first rough mix alone (which he should) do an A/B comparison of your mix to some of your favorite CDs. Remember that the production CDs you are listening to have already been mastered. But it's a good way to compare levels and panning.

9. Bring Spares. Always bring spare strings, drum heads, bass strings, water bottles, throat lozenges, etc to a session. You'll always need the one thing you forgot to bring, so bring it all and leave them at the studio until your recordings are finished.

10. Have Fun! This is THE most important point of all. Creating and recording music isn't rocket science. Although there is a science involved, you should let the engineer worry about that. If you're not having fun, then you're in the wrong business!

? 2004 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)

Richard Dolmat is owner and engineer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com">http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com</a>

Memorizing Music - How Is It Best Achieved?

When memorizing music there are several things you can do that will make your job that much easier. Memorizing music is important as most people know you play better when having the music in your head rather than having your head in the music. So where to start when memorizing music effectively?

I agree with Fred Noad, when discussing memorization in his book, Solo Guitar playing, he states...Learn to play a piece from beginning to end with absolutely correct fingering and with complete continuity (however slow) before committing it to memory.

To learn music in this fashion helps with an overall visual memory of the piece and it helps with continuity rather than have the piece sound disjointed and fragmented. If you think about it you will realize that our thoughts and memories are nothing more than powerful images or, pictures, if you like.

To prove my point let's say I ask you to think of an elephant. What do you see? Is it the word elephant written down (which could be a picture) or is it a picture or part picture the animal itself? I bet you I know the answer. Another test would be to ask how you dreamed at night. Do you dream in words or are your dreams a series of pictures rather like a scene from a movie?

You need to work with your brain rather than against it. Why not utilize the natural operation of your memory? It's crazy not to!

I also know from my days at Teacher's College that most people have different strengths when it comes to learning something new based on the body's different senses. Some people are visual learners, some learn better with their tactile (touching) sense and some are strong auditory learners.

What is clear in most literature about memory is that a combination of as many of your senses as possible is a stronger way of learning anything. Because of this we should employ most of our senses when learning a new piece of music. Of course we can't include taste and smell to any great degree (unless you want to eat your music!) but we should definitely try to use our other senses of sight, hearing and touch.

So, having established a method of learning a new piece of music what comes next? What are the nuts and bolts, so to speak?

I would actually take a step back. That is, start not with playing a piece of music but rather just reading it, just like a book, on its own. What I would be looking for is how it is put together. I would look at the key, form, and structure of the music? What about sequences and repetitions? What about dynamics, articulation and tone?

Breaking a piece up into its component parts first before you start to play it and get a visual memory of the piece allows you to take a short-cut of sorts. If you understand where the repeats are, for example, you have already cut down on the amount of bars you have to memorize. If you know about the dynamics of the piece before you play it physically your brain won't have to deal with too much information at once.

As Sharon Isbin says in the Classical Guitar Answer Book..."The more you understand the language and structure of a piece, the easier it will be to memorize."

I liken it to driving to an unfamiliar place or suburb in your car and using a roadmap. If you just turn up and expect to find the street it would be very difficult indeed. But if you look at the map beforehand you stand a much better chance of finding your destination by noticing the signs along the way. You recognize where you are, with much less stress!

Of course, I'm talking about reading the music AWAY from the guitar. This should be your very first step. I would then employ the Noad method after this.

Next I would test my memory by playing the separate phrases in the music. If you definitely know a phrase, try to string it together with the next phrase in the piece and so on until you get to the end of the piece. If you are not confident to play phrases try playing one bar at a time and going back to the printed music when a bar is forgotten.

In this way the music can be overlapped until the whole piece can be played by memory.

I would leave the piece for several days to a week after that. Then I would test my memory again by trying to play the whole piece, making note of where I faltered or needed to consolidate. Leaving it for a period of time allows your subconscious brain to keep "working" on it for you. The subconscious is really quite powerful and when you get out of its way, you'll be amazed at what it can achieve.

Studying a new piece in this fashion should yield results. And remember, the more you practice (properly) the easier it will become. Good luck!

Trevor Maurice is an Australian, living in beautiful seaside Maroubra, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

He's been involved in playing guitar (mainly classical) for longer than he cares to remember and has also taught the instrument for many years. He is teacher trained, having a Diploma of Education (Majoring in music)

He has also taught Primary (Elementary) school for many years and had a long-held dream to build a quality website for the classical guitar that is of use to anyone even slightly interested in this beautiful instrument. He has now made that dream a reality with the highly rated...

<a target="_new" href="http://www.learnclassicalguitar.com/index.html">http://www.learnclassicalguitar.com/index.html</a>

วันเสาร์ที่ 31 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Piano Lessons - Group or Private?

Good News for the Musically Untalented

New Age Music - How Its Made

วันศุกร์ที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

How to Find Musical Ideas

Writing Hit Songs

College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians

New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal

Music as Therapy?

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 29 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Soul Band for a Party

วันพุธที่ 28 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

The Music Industry and Its Lack of Talent

วันอังคารที่ 27 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Establishing Your Mix

Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records?

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 25 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Five Great Practice Ideas I Learned From My Piano Students!

วันเสาร์ที่ 24 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

An Interview with Jon Bon Jovi ? 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Cant Be Wrong

New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal

วันศุกร์ที่ 23 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Getting the Best Performance From Your Artist

Music and Emotion

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 22 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Be An Organized Church Pianist

Music Industry Secrets Revealed - How To Become Succesful The Music Industry Without A Record Deal

วันพุธที่ 21 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Tips for a Great Recording Session

Memorizing Music - How Is It Best Achieved?

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