You are currently browsing the monthly Archive for March, 2008.
My youngest daughter is currently in the throes of a “Dog Whisperer” worship phase. Not only do we endure regular readings from the “Gospel of Millan”, but our 3 dogs have had more exercise in the past week than probably all year. Having said this, I’d have to give an approving nod to ol’ Cesar; what you’re preaching seems to work! Now given my penchant for divergent thinking, I’m wondering what applications of his techniques would be possible outside of the dog world.
Ladies and Gentlemen; –imagine the Dog Whisperer’s Guide to the Music Business! This exciting new concept in video format would feature episodes on:
1. The basics of Band Behavior.
2. How to become the Band Leader.
3. How to use Energy and Body Language to influence your Band.
4. How to create Rules, Boundaries and Limitations.
5. Getting control during Tours.
6. Indispensable advice on adopting Drummers from shelters and rehab/rescue groups.
7. Correct Bad Behavior.
8. Exercising your Band.
9. Achieving your Calm-Assertive State-of-Mind.
10. ”Never work against Mother Nature”
Hey, I think this concept could work; –don’t you?
“The Band Whisperer”….
(followed soon by “The Producer Whisperer”….)
-j
Well, it’s almost time to pack; –Monday a few dozen of my students and I will embark on a 2 day trip to Nashville to tour some studios and the Hall of Fame, attend a music showcase, and visit with the BMI and NARAS people. And stare at the statue of naked people on Music Row.
When Nashville went looking for a statue that symbolized their rich musical heritage, apparently the majority agreed that a bunch of naked dancing people summed it all up. Am I the only one scratching my head about this choice? And to think that they placed it in the center of a traffic roundabout (whose bright idea was this?)…I guess it’s there to slow down the traffic.
Here’s a few more places on the itinerary:
RCA Studio B - “Home of a Thousand Hits”
Oceanway Studio, another famous space created from an old church:
and Kristen Cothron’s industry showcase concert at the Rutledge.
She’s hoping the right people come and hear her show and “make her a big star.” Of course, not all musicians think that Nashville is on their side. In 1998, a very angry singer placed this ad in Billboard magazine to let the Nashville industry people know just how much he appreciated their support. Geez, Johnny, I didn’t know ya had it in ya!
So that’s the week to come; hope I can squeeze in a post or two before the bus leaves.
Peace, Ya’ll…
J
My apologies for lack of posting; my time is being monopolized by a certain musical about bodily functions. Some gigs I regret taking, but as I mentioned before; –once I’m booked, I’m booked. Like the old saying goes; “when ya’ gotta go, ya’ gotta go…”
(Reliable Drum Cat photo borrowed from www.conservativecat.com)
I’m looking for a word to describe those musicians who will show up and do their best even when they’re deathly ill, tired, or troubled in other ways. Over at GuitarFlame, they’re talking about performers who don’t show up at gigs, rehearsals, etc… and it made me think that I’ve been lucky to have dealt with very few of these types over my years of playing. I’m seriously trying to remember if I EVER missed a gig. Seriously.
Don’t think I’m some kind of superman, but I posted recently about my struggle with the flu. Last night I played a 3 hour rehearsal (from Hell) after working a particularly exhausting 10 hour day(but that’s normal ). I’ve traveled many, many miles and endured incredibly bad venues (including many churches!) and low (or no) pay but if I told someone I would play, then that’s it; –I’m going to play.
OK –mea culpa; a confession. Over my years of accompanying (15+ years at TROY), I now recall that there was one senior recital that I missed because my sister-in-law passed away and we had to go back to Indiana. The player kept the piece on the program and one of my piano-playing students tried to cover for me, but I missed it; I couldn’t make it. I still feel guilty about it because that recitalist was depending on me.
So far this post has only been about ME. I still need to find a word to describe that overwhelming sense of responsibility to the task that a professional musician has. So help me out:
1. What’s the word?
2. What’s your story? Ever made it to a gig under the most adverse conditions? Played even when you felt like you were going to die?
3. Do you need to confess a missed gig? If so, post your gig sin here and I’ll see if I can get it absolved.
4. Do you have a word that adequately describes a musician who thinks nothing of skipping out of an obligation? (Let’s keep it relatively clean, folks; I have impressionable students who read this blog!)
Peace,
J
Second installment:
I’d have these weird experiences where I’d just be walking down the street with this chord progression in my head, this happened more than a few times, and I’d walk home and find a fax in my machine and it would match the music in my head.
Duncan Sheik
Years ago when I was trying to make a go in retail music with 5 partners, we had a pretty nice little store with full lines of most anything you’d want. One day the Randall amps representative (if memory serves me) came in and (after begging everyone else in town) offered us the line for a rather small investment. If we took the line, we’d also get a clinic with Michael Angelo Batio (from the band Nitro). Everyone thought this was a good idea at the time (even though we already had Marshall, Ampeg, and Crate lines), so we took the line and booked a clinic. Michael Angelo was an incredibly nice guy and brought his double-neck and another guitar and drew a pretty big audience for B’ham, Alabama in the late 1980s. Frankly, I’d not heard of him, but when he played, I was very impressed. This video illustrates why you should learn to play your tetrachords! (@45 sec.s) Read the rest of this entry »
Found this on Youtube- Dweezil demonstrating Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig software.
Any guitar sound that you like can be created, stored and emailed to your friends using your computer, not your amp. Guitar Rig is a plugin for popular sequencers/recording software.
It’s kinda cool to hear Dweezil play Van Halen then one of his dad’s old solos. His 2nd tour (Zappa plays Zappa) is coming to play a concert in Atlanta in a few months…I wonder if the wife would go. Hmmm…. Read the rest of this entry »
The first installment:
The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.
–Hunter S. Thompson
Folks, if you’ve never seen one of these before, you should try to appreciate the people who are dedicated to keeping the “old school” way of producing music alive. Read Wiretotheear’s post here:
Then visit the owner’s site for more information.
I intended to get this post up earlier. Too many people demanded too many things of me. Tomorrow I may just shave my head and do what I want.
Here’s the news:
Musings on why Starbucks is failing in it’s bid to be a music distributor. (Coolfer)
See the Iso booth construction at DM Mobile Studio.
Protooler shares:
1. Reactions to Digidesign’s “New Thinking”
2. A quick look at all the audio consoles at the Frankfurt musicfair.
3. A video of the SSL Matrix console (I want one!).
4. Videodiary of the Frankfurt music fair (part 2 -wrap-up).
JamLoop unveils its first ever Used Musical Instrument Search Engine! (woohoo!) (harmony central) I did a search for a Kalimba and most of my results were from ebay. (booo!)
Faltering Warner Music Group is paying its CEO $1 million dollars for base pay for 5 MORE YEARS! Warner stock has fallen 68% in the past year (according to Music Row). Why can’t record label execs do their jobs for less pay? (Hypebot).
9 mistakes to avoid when making your next CD (Musicthinktank via New Music Strategies).
From Cnet news; the US House of Representatives is threatening to block financial aid to universities who don’t police P2P music sharing on their networks. (Ad-Supported Music).
Guitar flame echos one of the points I try to make when teaching aspiring music industry students: The Guitar Is Not The Most Important Track in a recording. See there, guys–I keep telling you this…
On Seth Godin’s blog:
1. Watch this video before you buy your next ad. (funny)
2. If you’re remarkable, you shouldn’t bother with a resume. (thoughtful)
PTNewbie shares a tutorial on how to use REASON(software) in Pro Tools.
Finally, KilledbytheVideoStar shares a cool review on the up-and-coming band Vampire Weekend. Hmmm. Ovidiu, it sounds to me like these guys should have read your post before entering the recording studio. Also, if anyone can tell me if they filmed this really slowly and then sped it up, please do. If this is some sort of video plugin, I want to know about it.
Alternate link = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XC2mqcMMGQ
Have a great week!
j
How many record executives does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Why not get the answer from the horse’s mouth?
You can read this funny tidbit via Seth’s Blog.
It’s actually an excerpt from what appears to be a very humorous book by a Mr. Dan Kennedy on Permission Marketing.
I don’t want to mess it up by condensing/paraphrasing it.
It’s the time of year I always dread; the income tax deadline looms ahead. If you’re facing the same deadline I am, I’ve gleaned a few choice tidbits from the web to get you in the mood (after the break). Students, I haven’t left you out; –there are tax tips ahead for you, too!
Sometimes when you glance at your inbox, you don’t really pay much attention to all those ads from vendors trying to get your attention with their product. Such was the case a couple of days ago when I trashed an email offering me special pricing on a new Celemony edition. I use Celemony for pitch, timing and vowel correction on vocal tracks because you can easily sculpt the track and still have the element of believability (unlike some other plugins). Today when I read WiretotheEar’s blog post and watched the video I realized I’d made a huge mistake in deleting that email.
Folks, this is going to revolutionize recording and remixing. Imagine after listening to your track you notice that your B string was kinda out of tune. No problem. You can fix it. What if you’re playing chords? Still no problem.
My mouth drops open here; prior to DNA there has not been a successful way to reach inside a polyphonic track (it’s got a bunch of notes happening at once) and fix things. Heck, now you can even rearrange the music (change the chords, timing and everything).
I can even use stock loops and rearrange them into something totally different. I’ll be a virtual Dr. Frankenstein of audio!
Can you imagine the possibilities of someday being able to reach inside a classic song (Insert your favorite song here) and totally change its feel, key, modality, or even mute the vocal track and replace it with your own! The future is somehow both disturbing and exciting!
My wife and I stumbled on this injured dog at my parents home. My father said this dog had been hanging around for a couple of weeks. His tags had been removed and it appeared he had been hit by a car. So we loaded him up and carried him to the veternarian and got him checked out and treated for his wound. The vet estimates his age at 9 months. No one we asked other than my dad had seen this dog before, so I called the local radio station and placed a “found dog” ad. He’s certainly making himself at home.
Anyone lose a dog out there?
Slate Magazine’s William Weir made some good points with Tuesday’s Music Box column: Read the rest of this entry »
For beginners, watching your hands is crucial; –remember learning your first G chord on guitar? But some of us never get over this habit of visual finger/hand placement. It’s really hard for beginning keyboardists; they’ve got as many as 88 different locations to memorize (or more, if they’re on a Bosendorfer). I do use my peripheral vision for extreme things (jumps of 2 octaves or more) , but for everyday playing, I don’t need to place my hands using my eyesight. In fact, just give me dark sunglasses and let me find the groove. I’m speaking to drummers, too. You don’t need to look at everything you hit.
Beyond the break there are 2 videos that prove my point. Read the rest of this entry »
An interesting gear review at Audioholics.com comes from a Dr, Dean and 5 ”audiophile buddies” who had some extra time on their hands (via Gizmodo) . It pretty effectively refutes many audio cable manufacturer’s claims that their cables make a big difference in sound quality.
We gathered up a 5 of our audio buddies. We took my “old” Martin Logan SL-3 (not a bad speaker for accurate noise making) and hooked them up with Monster 1000 speaker cables (decent cables according to the audio press). We also rigged up 14 gauge, oxygen free Belden stranded copper wire with a simple PVC jacket. Both were 2 meters long. They were connected to an ABX switch box allowing blind fold testing. Volume levels were set at 75 Db at 1000K Hz. A high quality recording of smooth, trio, easy listening jazz was played (Piano, drums, bass). None of us had heard this group or CD before, therefore eliminating biases. The music was played. Of the 5 blind folded, only 2 guessed correctly which was the monster cable. (I was not one of them). This was done 7 times in a row! Keeping us blind folded, my brother switched out the Belden wire (are you ready for this) with simple coat hanger wire! Unknown to me and our 12 audiophile buddies, prior to the ABX blind test, he took apart four coat hangers, reconnectd them and twisted them into a pair of speaker cables. Connections were soldered. He stashed them in a closet within the testing room so we were not privy to what he was up to. This made for a pair of 2 meter cables, the exact length of the other wires. The test was conducted. After 5 tests, none could determine which was the Monster 1000 cable or the coat hanger wire. Further, when music was played through the coat hanger wire, we were asked if what we heard sounded good to us. All agreed that what was heard sounded excellent, however, when A-B tests occured, it was impossible to determine which sounded best the majority of the time and which wire was in use. Needless to say, after the blind folds came off and we saw what my brother did, we learned he was right…most of what manufactures have to say about their products is pure hype. It seems the more they charge, the more hyped it is. (-Dr. Dean )
One of my engineer friends related his experience with a certain popular brand of “High Quality” instrument cable actually screwed up the input jack on his vintage Les Paul. After using this cable for a while, he noticed that none of his other cables would fit tightly in his guitar again. He reached for his micrometer and compared the diameter of said cable and a regular Belden cable and discovered the awful truth; –the “High Quality” cable was larger in diameter and had bent the input jack’s clips outward. Now only a “High Quality” brand cable would work with his guitar rig. He was not a happy camper and has made it a point to spread the truth about the cable company’s tricks. So I’m sharing his story with you.
Moral- If you love your equipment, don’t buy a “beastly” cable.
Music students; Pribek’s post on improvisation, scales and the Evolving Conversation is a must read. Get your thinking caps on!
Max @dmmobile.com has the flu but still managed to get some new pics up of his new recording studio construction.
From Daily Swarm via Earfarm; Warner Music Group staff is team building by playing weekly RockBand tournaments.
Bands and Managers on Music 2.0; “Where’s the money?” (Hypebot).
Guitarflame.com shares funny tips for writing that blues song. (original source: littlerockjams.com).
Seth Godin’s blog muses on the decline of the hobby store. Is the record store next?
Protooler has the word on the street that SSL may be coming out with an analog board that I can afford (*crosses fingers).
WiretotheEar tells us to go get our FREE subscription to Tape-op Magazine!
Have a good weekend!
I’m on Spring Break, so posting may increase or decline, who knows?
-j
Ever take on too many projects? I have!
Tonight marks the completion of one of too many commitments I’ve made this semester: –eighteen waltzes played while another pianist is elbowing me in the left side and trying to play the same C4 octave notes I’m playing. Not only do we have to coordinate our moves, we’re supposed to be watching the choral conductor for tempi and releases.
I am one of 2 pianists playing the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes for the big choir on the Spring Choral Concert at my university. Can I continue to rant about this piece?
Now a pianist is used to sitting in the middle of the keyboard so that all that muscle memory can be called into play. With 1 piano-4 hands, I am seated about 2 feet to the right of center. It’s like trying to drive a car from the passenger seat. I guess this was one of those “fads” like the hula hoop and poodle skirts…
Anyway, that’s my excuse; I’ve been tied up in rehearsals. Sorry!
Now it’s your turn.
What fads have you encountered that happened on your respective instrument?
Leave a comment and share it with me…
Here’s a new site I just added to my blogroll; www.pribek.net .
Jack Pribek is a songwriter/guitarist w/ 30 years of real experience. He’s just posted an excellent “guitar lesson” and he’s taken the time to do the tab for examples of chromatic patterns and their uses in improvisation (and I hope there will be more lessons like this!).
He has an interesting story that is still being written; –a story of someone who is devoted to music and is realizing his potential in the face of an incredible challenge. Read his “About” section or this post and you’ll see what I mean.
I’m honored to be the guest blogger today at www.guitarflame.com! So stop by and check it out; it’s a cool place to hang out!
Promedia’s blog tells us how to get started with the Elastic Time feature in Pro Tools 7.4.
Protooler announces the new Digidesign update to Pro Tools 7.4 cs3 is now available and lists all the bug fixes.
The Good Musician blog calls it quits; B5 Media is looking for a new blogger to take his place. Goodbye, Arjun, it’s sad to see you go.
From BigBlue Lounge, Tarekith’s guide to the mixdown process.
And here’s a site to teach you the Circle of 4ths/5ths.
From the Womb Boards, Here is What Is - a DVD documentary about Daniel Lanois recording his music in recording studios from Toronto to Morocco. Here’s what his site says about the project: (I’ve already ordered my copy!)
For those of you who might not know, the film is a camera following me around over the course of a year, in and out of recording studios documenting once and for all the way it really happens. We start in Toronto and end in Morocco.
The film will be showing in select cities and the dvd will be available soon.
If you’re not familiar with the Womb Boards’ CAPE Project, here’s some tunes from the latest REVEAL to peak your interest.
Peace-
j
Audiogeekzine.com inspired me to echo his post about Before The Music Dies, one of the greatest documentary reflections on the current state of the music industry. It reveals some of the dirt that goes on behind the scenes that the general public may not realize. The clip below illustrates how the industry can “create” a pop star from someone who has NO MUSICAL TALENT! The Eryikah Badu quotes are priceless, but not necessarily safe for work.
The other movie is a documentary tribute to one of the most amazing recording engineers ever to have walked the planet; Tom Dowd. Not only was he one of the atomic scientists that worked on the Manhattan Project, but he pioneered stereo recording and built one of the first eight-track recording consoles. The synoposis of Tom Dowd and the Language of music reads:
A long-time engineer and producer for Atlantic Record, Tom Dowd was responsible for some of the most important R&B, rock, and jazz records ever made. In his own words, Tom Dowd relates how he went from working on the Manhattan Project, while still high school age, to recording some of the greatest music ever made over the last half of the 20th Century.
This guy produced some of the greatest recordings of all time and I learned so much from just watching him interact with the musicians. His discography reads like the Who’s Who of 20th Century Popular Music. It reminds me just how important it is to get the right team behind the musicians. Tom was the best. He passed away on Oct. 27th, 2002. He was one of the most important pioneers of our industry and we owe a huge debt of gratitude for showing us how recording should be done.
Youtube clip follows the break…
Sorry about the lack of posting; I took on a gig as asst. music director for the university’s production of Urinetown and I’ve been spending long hours in rehearsals. What is Urinetown? I know you’re dying to know…
It’s a comedy-musical inspired by a pennyless traveling student who encountered a pay-toilet during a visit to Europe. Obviously it made a lasting impression on him! He developed this vision of a futuristic society where water is scarce and everyone has to pay to pee. He teamed up with a writer and Urinetown was born.
Hey! I didn’t pick it…I’m just the piano player (and a temporary one at that).
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