Stevie Nicks Gleerified!

The Queen of Rock 'n Roll Stevie Nicks is back with 'In Your Dreams'. Her first solo studio album in a decade released May 4, 2011 that caused tremors among Stevie Nicks' fans around the globe. Music reviewers claim that the album is one of her best. Why, she wrote most of the songs herself. Plus, it is a collaboration of the brightest musicians in the industry. And we know that whenever Stevie Nicks writes her own song, they turn to be gold records. Remember? She's the one who authored "Dreams"? The single which catapulted Fleetwood Mac in to world fame?

But months before the release, Stevie made a visit on the Glee set in support of Glee's "Rumours" episode which covered songs from the Fleetwood Mac, her life-long band. The whole episode was a tribute to Fleetwood Mac. It was written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Tim Hunter. The episode premiered on Fox on May, 2011. (U.S). Also, the episode features the return of Kristin Chenoweth on her recurring role as April Rhodes. The episode became the 13th most viewed TV series in the United States that week and 3rd at United Kingdom.

Storyline

Sue Sylvester (yes, your favorite antagonist) started the fire. The cheerleading coach restored the school paper "Muckraker" in order to destroy the Glee club from within by triggering conflicts among members. The Muckraker spreads rumors that almost tear the group apart. Santana berated Brittany after reading a libelous write-up about her gender issues caused by the latter's internet talk show (Fondue for Two). Another Muckraker item that pairs Sam and Quinn almost caused a fistfight between Sam and Finn. Suspicious, Finn dragged Rachel in to a stakeout with him outside a grungy motel. To their surprised, they instead saw Kurt leaving the motel instead of Quinn which makes the whole situation much more complicated and intriguing.

April Rhodes visits Will Schuester and asked him to help her out with her new all-white version of the Whiz. Wil declined due to club tensions. April then likens their current situation to that of Fleetwood Mac. Will realized the similarity and decides to make the week focused on "Rumours", the best-selling Fleetwood Mac album.

To introduce the new assignment for the week, April and Will sang Dreams to the kids. This lead to a Fleetwood Mac classics parade. Artie finally confronted Brittany about her true relationship with Santana which lead to their sad breakup. Poor Artie sang "Never Going Back Again" after Brittany left him. Santana, filled up with her feeling towards her best friend, finally let it all out with "Songbird". Angry Quinn, on the other hand, gave Finn an ultimatum: not one song with Rachel again or she's out of his life (and glee club as well). The two performed "I Don't Want To Know". Rachel wouldn't back down. She belted "Go On Your Own Way" and let Finn play the drums for her (genius, right?). Rumours then finally came to rest when everyone finds out that Sam and his family now lives in a cheap motel because their house was mortgaged and his parents were jobless for months. Kurt was bringing him some clothes and Quinn looks out for his younger siblings almost every night. After Sam's revelation, the Glee club went to visit Sam along with his pawned guitar (they bought it back). Finn brought him his old garments. It was heartbreaking. For the reconciliation finale, Sam brought his siblings at school and together, they sing "Don't Stop".

Critical Reviews

The episode mostly got favorable reviews. Critics believed that it is better than the preceding episode. CNN France reporter Lisa Respers was amenable that she needed a roll of tissue at the end of the episode. Sam's younger brother and sister were so adorable on the stage singing "Don't Stop" that they made her cry. Obviously, this episode cleverly made use of some of the greatest classics available and integrated it to real drama. Not just for the sake of selling iTunes singles. Eric Futterman believes that the musical number were visually stunning and some of the best in the season. He pointed out that "Songbird" is the most heartbreaking.

Stevie's McKinley stop

The Glee stars were starstrucked when the legend rocker visited the set. The Fleetwood Mac vocalist delivered a memorable speech in front of the cast. Stevie Nicks said, 'If I hadn't been a musician, I would have been a teacher. And I would've hoped to send this message to kids - that although there are very important things like math and science and learning, you know, kind of the things that get you through life, there's also you need to find joy...And whether that's through music or dance or things like that, you need to have outlets in your life.' This part is where Diana Agron cried. The whole cast was moved by her.

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Dave Mason Is Feelin' Alright in a Recent Interview

Dave Mason headlines Hippiefest 2011 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Saturday August 27th. Dave will be sharing the stage with an impressive lineup of classic rock hitmakers.

Joining Dave Mason will be Mark Farner the inspirational leader for Grand Funk Railroad ("We're An American Band," "I'm Your Captain," "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "The Loco-Motion"), Rick Derringer("Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," "Hang On Sloopy"), Felix Cavaliere("Good Lovin'," "Groovin'" and "People Got To Be Free") and Gary Wright ("Dream Weaver," "Love Is Alive" and "Really Wanna Know You").

Songwriter/Guitarist/Vocalist Dave Mason cofounded the band Traffic after Steve Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group. In 1967 Mason left the band after the release of the Mr. Fantasy album. Mason rejoined the band for awhile in 1968 and recorded "Feelin' Alright,"a song that became Mason's trademark."Feelin' Alright" was covered by Joe Cocker in 1969. Mason went on to join Delaney & Bonnie & Friends in 1969 and released his debut solo album Alone Together producing the hit single- "Only you know and I know" The album reached gold in the U.S. hitting # 22 on the record charts.

Mason shared his extraordinary musical talents with a list of legends- including George Harrison, (Mason appeared on Harrison's critically- acclaimed album All Things Must Pass) Eric Clapton's Derek & the Dominos,The Rolling Stones, Leon Russell, Cass Elliot, Fleetwood Mac and his good friend Jimi Hendrix. Mason played his 12- string acoustic guitar on "All Along the Watchtower" and sang on "Crosstown Traffic."

Dave Mason hit superstardom throughout the 70's with a handful of highly successful albums reaching platinum and gold status - It's Like You Never Left, Split Coconut, Certified Live,Let it Flow and Mariposo de Oro. Top 40 hits "We Just Disagree" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" were spawned from that triumphant period.

In 1978 Mason performed in front of more than 300,000 people at California Jam II.

Mason and Traffic bandmate Jim Capaldi reunited for a tour that produced the 1999 album Live: The 40,000 Headmen Tour. Traffic was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004.

Here's my recent interview with renowned songwriter/musician/humanitarian Dave Mason.

Dave, I want to thank you for spending some time with me today, where do you call home nowadays?

"No problem thank you, I live near Santa Barbara in California."

I understand that this is your first Hippiefest tour. I talked with Mark Farner the other day and he let me know that he and Rick Derringer were actually really good friends. Are you buddies with anyone that you share the bill with?

"Not really, I've played shows with all these guys but back in the Traffic days it would be Gary. When Gary(Gary Wright) had a band called Spooky Tooth."

When I do a Dave Mason search on the web, I see a lot of involvement in charity work. What sort of charity events are you involved with?

"I have a charity that I helped start and I'm very involved with it that we do for veterans. And that is we help people transition out of the service to start their own business. It's called Work Vessels for Veterans."

You also participate in various benefit concerts and celebrity golf classics including partnering with Michael Bolton. Do you play golf Dave?

"No I don't play golf. Michael Bolton's charity is for abused women and I've done that with his charity for about the last five or six years. And for 14 years he was doing it in Stanford Connecticut and then last year I kind of talked him into trying it somewhere else so we moved it to the Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course and this year we're combining his charity with the Work Vessels charity and the event out there and on the 23rd of September then I have The Feelin' Alright Second Annual Golf Tournament in Virginia at Fort Belvoir and that is with a group called (CAMMO) which does a lot of work with vets and music and there's a number of them that have been signed to recording contracts and it's pretty interesting you know, last year we had a band that the drummer had titanium legs and those guys were really good. And they're getting a lot of results with post traumatic stress through the music. So it's interesting work and a great group of people."

Music has gotten a lot of our servicemen through tough times over the years especially during wartime.

"I did a Toys for Tots show in Atlanta back in 1977 and I was getting ready to walk up on stage and this Marine came up to me and said "You know man, me and my buddy were stuck in a foxhole for three days and we would have gone absolutely nuts if it weren't for a Jimi Hendrix tape and a Dave Mason tape."

You're doing great work for our vets Dave. Sometimes our veterans are not treated with the respect that they deserve are they?

"The way that our vets are treated when they come back is shameful, they're kind of swept aside a little bit, I mean you know you've got the Veterans Administration and all that stuff but there's a lot that still could be done, anyways that's why we pick up the void. There's a number of us, a number of organizations out there that try to fill those holes, fill that gap."

Bless you man for all you do.

I want to talk some about your music; your first band was actually called The Jaguars back in the early 60's and was reminiscent musically to The Shadows and Ventures?

"Yes, that was my first band The Jaguars. I worked a little instrumental version called Opus To Spring when I was about 16 and a local record store put a record out on it. We only did the one recording with that band and then that's all we did with that. There was another band called The Hellions with Jim Capaldi we had a record out on Pye records that was produced by Kim Fowley, the guy that did 'They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha Ha Ho Ho He He.'" And we did a Jackie Deshannon song called "Daydreaming of You."

And I heard you guys played the famous Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany where The Beatles played?

"No we never got to Hamburg we played some little town outside of Hamburg and played Saturday nights, we use to play for about eight hours on Saturday nights, fifteen minute songs, fifteen off, fifteen on, fifteen off."

So you knew Jim Capaldi (Drummer and a founding member of Traffic) because of The Hellions?

"Jim and I knew each other for a long time. Jim (Capaldi) grew up 12 miles from me. Yea, Robert Plant also grew up around 12 miles away and John Bonham."

You met Steve Winwood when he was in The Spencer Davis Group?

"Yea he was in The Spencer Group and The Hellions use to play up in Birmingham which is 25 miles from Worcester and through that we met Steve and Chris Wood and basically we just hung out for a year or so just run into each other and then at one point Steve had decided he was going to leave The Spencer Davis Group. And during that time during that break I'd sung on a couple of their recordings, 'Somebody Help Me' and most of Traffic was on 'Gimme Some Lovin' and it's pretty much all of us singing in the background of 'I'm A Man.'

I kind of played Roadie for a couple of months with them and then we formed Traffic."

Then you guys rented a cottage in Berkshire?

"A famous jockey had a racing stable down there so we kind of commandeered this cottage sitting in the middle of nowhere. It's where they trained and canter the horses. There was no gas, no electricity and no running water in the place. We lived there like that for about six months."

Man that was primitive living. If you didn't have electricity how did you plug into the amplifiers and rehearse your music?

"We had a generator."

Those were the good old days huh? (All laughing)

"Yea whatever we were kids, I was 18 years old and you think there's not anything you can't do."

So how did Traffic get their big break?

"Well Steve already had three, four, top ten records so he had kind of an entree in that way and then I started writing and Jim and Steve started writing and my writing I pretty much did on my own and then the problems started to happen when the stuff that I was writing was the stuff picked for singles. And their biggest hit at the time was the first song I'd ever written and was kind of a fantasy tune called 'Hole in My Shoe' and that got to number two in England and was really their biggest single hit. After the first album I left and the reason I left was because I couldn't really deal with the fame so quickly it was just a little overwhelming for me. So I actually left and did a couple of things worked with starting to produce an album for a group called Family, 'Music in a Dollhouse' and then I got to know Hendrix and spent a little time recording with him and some of it was on Electric Ladyland.

Then I did a little stint with what was known as a satirical group called The Scaffold, it was Paul McCartney's brother (Professionally known as Mike McGear) and I did a number of shows with them and so just roamed around playing with different people and then at one point I just took a little bag and a guitar and worked this little island called Hydra (Greece) and I really didn't have any money at the time but it was a great time and that's where I wrote 'Feelin Alright.'"

Then I met up again with them in New York and they were working on the second album, and then he had five songs and I had five songs so it was like okay let' s get back together again. And I thought it was a really good second album it was a good transition from Fantasy (Mr. Fantasy debut album) it had a lot of kind of Fantasy stuff on it but giving a lot more cohesive I thought musically. And after that album pretty much again my songs were being picked for the singles and that's just what caused the riff with Winwood. And I pretty much just spent days where he'd never talk to me."

Wow that's a real shame. Unfortunately I hear a lot of stories like that in bands.

"Yea, even marriages break up."

Bands are like a family with lots of emotion and drama.

"The kind of difference is that sometimes it makes things really good though you know. When you've got kind of an edge going in there you can create some really good stuff rather than following one thing all the time but at any rate whatever that's the way it was so at that point I just decided there wasn't much point to staying in England or Traffic so I just upped and moved to America."

It's amazing even though you hailed from England your accent is all but gone man.

"The way they talk where I grew up, I mean I can't even understand some of the people."

I always found it fascinating when the early Beatles talked in their Cockney accents, but then when they sang on a record it was gone.

"It's because they were copying all those American singers that's why. America is the home of all contemporary music. Jazz, Blues and Rock & Roll it comes from here."

You know it's amazing how many musicians that I talked with from the 60's that had never met Jimi Hendrix. I always figured that at one point or another there would have been a moment spent with him. What was Jimi Hendrix Like?

"He was just a pretty quiet guy as a matter of fact. Most of the time that I spent with him I never saw him basically without a guitar in his hands."

And you worked on the 'All Things Must Pass' Album with George Harrison?

"Well I knew George for quite awhile he gave me my first Sitar. And McCartney I use to go down to the Sgt. Peppers sessions and hang out or stay in the studio while they were recording and spend a good time with George. Nice Man. But playing on All Things Must Pass, I couldn't recall what tracks that I played on to be perfectly honest with you."

So what's on your plate these days Dave?

"Well I tour a lot and obviously the charity for the Vets. Trying to grow the charity is very important for me. And basically just keep on rolling down the road and singing."

Do you have a CD being released soon or involvement in new collaborations?

"At this point, there's no point in me putting anymore CD's out because there's just no outlet for it, there's no promotion for it, there's no radio anymore ever, there's no way for anyone to know that you've got something new out."

Well you've got me Dave. (Laughter)

"I mean national radio, it's somebody goes in and puts a cart in and pulls it out after thirty days and then puts another one in and there's nobody home."

I know exactly what you mean Dave. I was a radio deejay in the late 70's early 80's. My dream was to become like one of those deejays from back in the 60's. Radio is not about the music anymore it's basically all about advertisers. And who wants to listen to radio to hear back to back to back commercials.

"Yea, there's just nothing there and no way to get anything promoted. There's no way for anyone to really hear something or know if they're even going to like it. So basically anything new that I have is just going to go on my website and you can go there and download it. And until something comes along where you can promote properly it's economically not feasible to do another CD."

My column is only about Classic Rock Music and Classic Rock Artists. And my articles are viewed globally on the internet with the sole intention of keeping that dream alive and the fire burning.

"I appreciate that."

My favorite Dave Mason tune unfortunately was a song that you didn't write. And it was your biggest hit "We Just Disagree" written by Jim Krueger. I own that awesome performance of the song that you did on Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special.

Dave I just want to tell you man that you're a legendary artist, great songwriter and studio musician and just a classy guy and thank you so much for spending time with me today I really appreciate it.

"You're quite welcome."

Keep on doing what you're doing and I'll see you at Hippiefest in Clearwater.

"I will Ray thank you."

Dave Mason will be headlining Hippiefest 2011 on Saturday August 27th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. So let your freak flag fly!

Special thanks goes out to Jeff Albright of The Albright Entertainment Group.

Work Vessels for Veterans at http://wvfv.net/."

CAMMO http://cammomusic.org/main/

At an age when most kids are just getting rid of the training wheels on their bicycle, Ray Shasho entered into a crazy world of secret lingo and bullying sales tactics at the Chin Lung Art Gallery, his father's retail store on the corner of Thirteenth and F Street in Washington, DC. Check the Gs is the true story of how this bizarre family business changed his world forever. Raised by a Cuban Catholic mother and Syrian Jewish father, Shasho made his first sale at the age of six and never looked back. Life in the family business (and in the Shasho family) was never boring. From FBI interrogations to angry mobs, each new day at the Chin Lung Art Gallery brought with it new adventures. Check the Gs tells a story for everyone who is proud of their family and heritage but not afraid to laugh at its many eccentricities, and for anyone who has ever worked in retail and experienced its humorous situations and misadventures.

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Consider These Factors Before Buying a MIDI Keyboard

If you're an avid musician, whether professional or an amateur, having a MIDI keyboard is the way to go. With it you are able to create music that in the old days would require a good number of musicians, time and money in order to achieve the same results.

Nowadays most, if not all, digital or electronic keyboards are MIDI capable. You will know it because it should say so on their body and they should have the MIDI interface input and outputs in the back or side. That being the case you need to consider these before choosing your unit.

Budget: Before making any purchases ask yourself how much you're willing to spend. As with anything else the price will vary depending on the type, features and keys of the one you're planning to get. Obviously the more features and keys you get the higher the price.

Space: Another consideration before buying anything. If you're simply working from home then you may want to consider the size of MIDI keyboard you're getting - if you have a small space then smaller is better. Conversely, if you enough available space then get a bigger one of course dependent upon whether you can afford it or not.

Use: If you're a musician that's always on the road then perhaps lugging a 60-pound behemoth may not be the best thing for you. You may want to consider a smaller unit that's much more compact and portable - just what you need when you're running from one gig to another. If you're a stay at home kind of musician then bigger may be ok (if you have the budget and the space for it).

Keys: The number of keys determines the size of the MIDI keyboard. It comes in 88, 76, 61, 49, 37 and 25. You can even get them smaller than a 25. Piano enthusiast and hardcore composers would tell you that you should get the 88. While it may be a good idea the number of keys you get will depend on your budget, space and the intended use. As mentioned above you won't buy an 88 if you can't even fit it in your home studio. That will be like parking a tank in a space for a motorcycle - it ain't gonna happen.

Type: Do you want a controller type or a piano type. Controller types are typically smaller because they don't have speakers. That means in order to hear any sound you would need to have it attached to something else, like a computer with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) program. If you want to hear something as you play then get a piano type as it comes with internal sound system but this makes them bigger. (See budget, space and use constraints)

There are other things to consider before you get your MIDI keyboard - key feel, controllers, knobs, and brand - but these 5 are the basics before you purchase anything.

Check out useful tips in buying Midi Keyboards. Know what other users say in the Midi Keyboard Reviews section.

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How to Build an Efficient Home Recording Studio

Choosing the right place in your home to build a recording studio:

If you are married and have children, forget it! (I'm just kidding babe). No, really, if you can afford it get a wood or metal shed and put it in your backyard! Finding the right spot should not be that hard to do; you already have one in mind. It might be as simple as an unused closet (if there is such an animal), or a spare bedroom. It should be quiet and away from the outside air conditioning unit. The electrical wiring needs to be properly grounded to prevent that 60 Hz hum. Your chosen area should be large enough that after installing sound dampening materials it is still large enough to comfortably accommodate all the equipment, musicians, engineer, and instruments you plan on recording.

An important factor to consider before building your studio is finances. Finances will determine the options available to you, not the quality of your product. Take into account equipment you don't currently own, but will need. Cables, USB sound cards, microphones, external hard drives, or extra RAM are a few items often overlooked.

Things you won't need, but thought you couldn't live without are a mixing board, external hardware such as equalizers, compressors, gates, limiters, and effects, MIDI synths, and giant speakers. Everything in the modern recording environment can be done using software; with the exception of inputs. That's the reason for the external sound card.

The most simple set up for recording is a laptop using its built-in mic and DAW (digital audio workstation) software. If this is your situation, great. You can record anywhere in the world for as long as your battery will last.

Some Materials You Will Need:

The most easy and cost-effective way to get good recordings is to make your room dead. You should be recording everything dry to begin with anyway and placing effects and processing on your tracks afterwards. Making a room dead means that the room has no sound of its own. There is no ambient sound being reflected off the walls, ceiling, or floors. To do this go to Wal-Mart and get the king-size egg crate foam pads for beds and hang them on the walls and ceiling. It does not have to be perfect. In fact, the less perfect and the more bumps, the better.

Required Equipment:

If you are going to be recording electric instruments you will need an external USB sound card with a pre-amp. This will give you low latency with the ability to listen back in real-time. It's a good idea to have plenty of good quality cables and connectors. If you're a do-it-yourself kind of a person cables are simple to make. Get some 1/4" to 1/8" (3.5 mm) headphone connections also. They are cheap and come in handy.

If you are just recording vocals and composing the rest of the instruments in the virtual environment, then you don't really need anything else. If your built-in mic just does not do it for you, then I would suggest buying a quality USB condenser mic.

Software Suggestions:

Selecting a DAW is a very personal decision. You will be spending a great deal of time in front of it, so you need to be satisfied with its performance and the companies support. Most have a demo version, or a trial version available for download. Send out emails to find out how quickly they respond and the depth of the response. Personally I use Sonar X1 Producer from Cakewalk. They are the pioneers of digital audio workstations and I have used them for close to 17 years. But I suggest going to Amazon and searching for DAWs. Read all the customer reviews with filters on. Keep a list of those which impress you, then go to their websites and download demos or trials and put them to a test. There's a big selection of them. I would also recommend doing the same when seeking out plugins.

Rockoetry Inc. is my pseudonym when I'm recording music. You can find out more about me at: http://www.rockoetry.info/

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Features To Check Out in Buying a Midi Keyboard

How To Choose A Midi Keyboard

If you're into making music using your computer then you know how important it is to have a good MIDI keyboard at your disposal. There are a number of products to choose from and depending on your wallet you can get them new or used with varying quality and results.

Keyboard Size

Perhaps the biggest concern you may have, other than the technical aspects is that of size - or rather the number of keys your keyboard will have. Typically they come in 88, 76, 61, 49, 37, and 25.

Many would argue for getting the big one even if it is somewhat pricey while still others like the portability and compactness of the 25. Most would say that for multipurpose action the 49 Midi keyboard is worth it.

It really depends on what you're going to use it for and the space available. If you usually do live performances on stage then space is not an issue and an 88 may be the best, even if it is quite bulky. On the other hand if you work at home where space can be a premium then a smaller one might be in order.

How Heavy?

We're not necessarily talking about the weight of the unit itself but rather of its keys. Depending on your preference you can get keys that are touch sensitive, un-weighted, semi-weighted, or full weighted.

1) Touch sensitive keys will play depending on how hard you play. The harder you press the louder the sound that comes out.

2) Un-weighted keys offer little or no resistance. You won't feel any springiness unlike say the keys on a real piano. If you're the type who plays fast or a beginner who doesn't really have an idea about playing then this may be the best option for your Midi keyboard.

3) The semi-weighted keys are a compromise between the un-weighted and the full-weighted versions. It offers some resistance or "feel" to the user while keeping it light at the same time. Most will find this a better fit for them.

4) For those who are used to playing the piano then the weighted keys are the ones for you. These will offer the resistance and springiness one would find and associate with regular pianos. Those that choose this prefer the feedback playing gives them versus the above selections.

Again the choice will depend on your action and what you're used to. If you played the piano before then you may feel more comfortable with the weighted keys. On the other hand if you like playing faster or don't like the resistance then an un-weighted key is for you. But for the majority the semi-weighed keys will do as it's the best compromise between the two extremes.

When it comes to the price the bigger they are (i.e. the more keys they have) the higher the price. At the same time the more weighted the keys the higher the price. Of course that's not to say that price should be your limiting factor when choosing your Midi keyboard. What's important is the use you will be getting out of it and if you "feel" it - that is worth the price you will pay and then some.

Check out useful tips in buying Midi Keyboards. Know what other users say in the Midi Keyboard Reviews section.

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Can You Really Make a Living Out of Music?

If you have a financial stake in the event then promoting it will be high on your list of priorities. You will need people to buy tickets so getting it wrong can be disastrous. To make sure you advertise in the right places you need to consider who your audience are.

Some obvious traditional routes include press advertising. Depending on the type of event you need to be very careful about where you choose to advertise. There are specialist music magazines and newspapers such as the NME that are great if you are trying to capture a national audience. If you are just promoting a local gig then the local paper makes sense. Press advertising can be expensive though so consider if your target audience will respond to this kind of advertising.

Posters and flyers are another great traditional way of promoting events. They are reasonable inexpensive to print but you will need to put the time in distributing them. You could hire a promotions company to do this if you are working on a larger scale. Remember you cannot just put posters up anywhere. It is illegal to fly poster so be careful where you put them. You may decide to mail them out to music shops/recording studios/rehearsal rooms to target music fans or you may decide to target a larger audience.

Another option in 2011 is the internet. There are thousands of music websites and forums where you can post free ads. Some sites charge for advertising but if they receive a high amount of traffic then this might be very worthwhile. Social networking sites also plays a big part in promoting music these days so don't overlook them.

Radio advertising is also much more affordable than you might think. Local radio stations will allow you to promote your event with 30 second ads that they will create for you. If you are working on a larger scale and need to sell several hundred tickets or more this might be a good option.

Whatever you decide to do to promote your event consider your budget! A good mix of all the above should work but it can swallow all your money. You may be limited to a few of the above but don't have too many worries your promotion can still be successful. There is a lot to consider when promoting an event but get it right and you'll be on track for a successful event.

For Manchester wedding bands visit Music Live UK.

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Getting Your Name in Lights

Calling all under the radar musicians, are you struggling to get your name in lights, do you feel like giving up? Don't fear and have a read of this and see if it can lift your spirits.

I am not a musician myself, in fact I can't play an instrument and I'm only just a bearable singer. I have however got a fair few friends that have and are still trying to break into the music industry. These friends of mine have been struggling back and forth to get a glimmer of hope. It seems that even if you have 1000 followers on Facebook and have uploaded 50 videos on YouTube you can still go unnoticed. It is saddening as it makes it easier for musicians to give up resulting in talent being thrown away like an old pair of shoes.

This short extract from Kyan Kuatois a singer song writer from Cambridge gives a personal insight into what it really takes to make it in the music industry.

Truly making it the music industry takes three key factors, talent, hard work and exposure.
Talent is what set's you apart, and gives you a reason to want to work hard and perfect your craft. Hard work is what improves your talent and makes you deserving of exposure. Exposure is what gives you the platform to get yourself to a big enough audience that you can start to make a living from what you do.

A lot of artists/bands today skip steps, or lack some of these fundamental foundations. Many have exposure before they've worked hard and learned their craft, which gives them no staying power. Others work hard, and have exposure, but regarding talent, have nothing new, special, or original to offer..

However, if one does have talent, and the predisposition to work hard, the hardest step is definitely getting exposure. With so many different avenues, Myspace, YouTube, Twitter, Major Labels/Indie Labels, Live gigs/Ustreams...It's important to know yourself as an artist and approach these in the appropriate way for yourself.

It's important to build a fanbase of core fans, those that take you seriously, those that truly admire what you do, the guys who will buy your record, buy your merchandise...If you have that, then you are at a good starting point. Great music speaks for itself.

Any manager, PR company, website, record company that truly understands the above, and can offer their artists exactly that; is worth exploring.

My current role at Yellowbelly Online Ltd as an internet marketer has led me to work on a music website called FameFactor. FameFactor supports and promotes up and coming unsigned and undiscovered musicians. It is good to see that there is a place for musicians to go and share their music; it is a good chance to build your fan base, giving you a more diverse audience to the followers you may have acquired on Facebook. Having the support from other artists is also helpful; to receive constructive criticism or maybe just to chat with other musicians, see if anyone has the leads that you need. I really believe that if you think you have got what it takes and have the determination then get yourself out there, you will never know unless you try.

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Overview of Concert Stage Lighting

A concert designer's job is to plan and execute lighting effects that convey a specific mood or concept, illuminate the performer, and engage an audience. With access to the best equipment and knowledge of advanced techniques, today's concert design has become very sophisticated. Concert designers must be familiar with a variety of lighting equipment and often take years to master the art of illuminating a large production. Below is an overview of some of the lights most commonly used by concert designers.

Floodlights & spotlights are the two primary types of stage lights. Floodlights generally produce a wide beam that can illuminate large stage areas while spotlights produce and narrow, more focused beam. There are several sub-categories of both floodlights and spotlights as well as some lighting equipment that falls in between the two categories.

PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) lights are a type of floodlight often used for rock concerts. This lamp produces a large amount of flat light that comes from a unit that resembles an empty paint can. PAR's are often used in conjunction with smoke or haze effects. The benefits of PARs are that they are lightweight, portable, and low cost.

Strip lights are strips of lighting housing containing many lamps. Typically, these are used to illuminate wide areas of a stage, such as a back curtain. While colors for lighting are often achieved by "gels" or colored plastic lens, strip lights use glass gels, or "roundels" to produce colored effects. One of the main advantages of this type of illumination is that a separate electrical dimmer circuit can control each lamp.

LED Lights are another popular concert element. Because this type uses light emitting diodes, or LEDs, rather than halogen lamps, they can produce light while consuming less power than traditional stage illuminating equipment. Popular with concert designers, LEDs are able to produce a wide range of vibrant colors to create interesting effects.

Spotlights are also essential to concert production. They produce an intense beam that can illuminate an entire stage. These lights come in several varieties, each with unique properties. Fresnels are smaller fixtures that produce a pool or a concentrated, but soft edged spot. Profile lights are most similar to what people associate with traditional spotlights. Their convex lenses produce a sharp beam that can be formed into different shapes of an insert called a gobos. Finally, PC's, or Pebble Convex lanterns use convex lenses with a pebbled effect that produce a concentrated spot with little "spill" outside the target.

An excellent concert lighting designer is familiar all equipment mentioned here in addition to much more advanced equipment. More importantly, they know how to plan and execute lighting for a 2-3 hour concert with the utmost precision and creativity.

Those who excel in the art of concert lighting have the privilege of working with top touring artists such as Motley Crue and Maroon 5. One example of a live concert video production company that is putting their name on the map is Daddy Van Productions, based out of Austin, Texas.

Fred is a writer and blogger currently residing in Austin, TX.

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Hip Hop Music Is Timeless: Don't Put an Expiration Date on Your Favorite Music

Music is an art and Hip Hop music is not only an art but a culture. Hip Hop artists should strive to make their music timely. Think of artists like the O'Jays, The Rolling Stones, and The Isley Brothers. They have been making music for many, many years and what if someone would have told them they could only make music until they were 25 years old?

What if the world put a time limit on how long we could create art? Can you imagine Eddie Levert doing something other than making good music? What about Chuck D from Public Enemy or KRS-ONE? I can still enjoy a good show by De La Soul any day of the week.

These artists have been around for years and they are true to their craft. They put out good music consistently and they do not let anyone tell them when to stop doing what they love.

That love for what they are doing is the key ingredient to a successful career. When you start making music just to make some money or to satisfy a record label or whom ever, then you are on the way out. The people with long careers are passionate about their music. They are passionate about their fans. They are in touch with their fans and their fans are in touch with them.

Their music is not about winning awards or fancy marketing and promotions tactics. It is about making good music. Music they can be proud of...music that will stand the test of time and create a mental shift in the mind of the listener.

We will always remember the first time we heard a song from one of our favorite artists and when we hear it now it makes us feel a certain way. That is what artists should strive to do with their music. Then, the music will be memorable and timeless!

So what is the formula for making timeless music? It can be summed up in the following steps:

Have a passion for your musicFind a way to record and distribute your musicPromote your music to as many people as possibleGive great live performancesRepeat Steps 1-4

Using this formula, any artist, Hip Hop or otherwise, should be able to record and distribute their own brand of timeless music as often as they want to. So what are you waiting on? Now is the time to get started creating a legacy for yourself and your music.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mello Melanin is the force behind http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/, a site specializing in teaching new producers how to make and sell Hip Hop beats. He is the CEO of What's Hot Media, Inc. Some of his greatest accomplishments include, performing at the world famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York and performing with Grammy Award winners The Roots and Hiphop legends like KRS-ONE.

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You Can Easily and Cheaply Make Killer Beats at Home!

So I learned something pretty cool the other day. I had no idea you could make professional-sounding beats at home with your computer without spending thousands of dollars! Really, I had always assumed that if you wanted to make your own beat, mix and make songs you had to purchase very expensive mixing equipment and software. I was looking around online, just wasting time at work as usual, and I came across a couple cool programs.

Have you ever heard of Dub Turbo or Sonic Producer? These are two beat-making programs that anyone can use to make beats at home. Dub Turbo is a program you actually download and install on your computer, while Sonic Producer is completely online (you log into their website and use their online application to mix your beats). They both sell for about the same price - $40

I'm sure there are other beat-making programs available other than these two, but these were the two names that kept popping up all over as I was researching how to make beats from home.

If you're at all interested in mixing and messing around with making beats, I'd recommend purchasing a program like one of these. They are cheap and offer a lot of options for people new to the music making industry. Once you get more advanced, you'll definitely want to move on to something more advanced, and you'll have to invest quite a bit of money. But, by that time you should be very confident in your beat-making and maybe you've even started making money by selling your beats!

That was another thing I discovered recently. I had no idea you could make these beats at home on your computer and then sell them online! Would be a great way to make some nice spending money cash or save up a good sum to have at your disposal if you want to take the next step in beat-making.

The most important thing to remember when trying to make beats from home is to start out small. Keep your expectations low for your first couple beats! It takes a long time to get to know the software really well and to start making good-sounding beats. I'm still not there yet! My beats certainly would not be radio-quality, let's just say that. But, I've come a long way from where I started and I'm making progress. If you purchase one of the simple beat-making programs, like Dub Turbo or Sonic Producer, make sure you watch their tutorial videos. They are tailored to people just starting out with beats, and they'll really help you.

You can be making beats on your computer ten minutes from now! Take advantage of huge discounts and instant access to Dub Turbo and Sonic Producer by clicking on a link now! You'll get a sneak peek inside the programs and access to a HUGE exclusive price discount! Start making sick beats today!

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What Is Non-Negotiable?

The conversation turned to my private training sessions at my gym. He said, "Do you really need to work with a trainer twice a week? Just take what you learn and do it on your own." But here's the thing - my trainer not only keeps my body in great shape, she continues to make me stronger and even more fit. If I work out on my own using the same exercises over and over again I will plateau and anyone who works out knows this is not the prescription to stay strong and fit. This is one area I am unwilling to compromise on - so I told him this is "non-negotiable." He couldn't say anything in response but "got it." Certain things he spends money on are "non-negotiable" - like his car (Beamer dude). And when those words came popping out of my mouth, it felt good. It affirmed the importance of what that means to me to be fit - I declared my commitment and at the same time actually empowered myself further. I have no question that there is more on this list of what is "non-negotiable" - and am frightfully clear on the power of words to set my course and even change my life - but that's a whole 'nother article.

The people that I know who are successful have "non-negotiable" commitments and habits they will not compromise on. The word "no" is stronger in their vocabulary than the word "yes." They know what is essential and important to be who they are and they do not acquiesce.

As a performer and perhaps a future legend, what is non-negotiable for you? You may not know exactly, but I'll give you a picture of what you'll want to have on your list.

The Non-Negotiable List

Say "no" to anything that pulls you out of integrity. That means when your friends ask you to go out partying and you have work to do you say "Hell No!" It means that you don't say yes to things that don't resonate with you - stars trust their gut on everything. It also means that you filter everything anyone says to you -no matter if they are an A & R rep or a friend. Filtering means you decide if what they say works for you and if it doesn't,you don't believe it to be true.
Ongoing Support & Guidance. This is a big one on the "Non-Negotiable" list. Every star I know has a small group of people whose opinions and expertise they seek to advise them. Never leave yourself to make decisions on your own, especially ones that could cost you your career. If it's not working - find someone who can help you make it work. Get a mentor, a career coach, a better producer, or a co-writer with a track record... it just could be the ticket to tip the scales.
Never Stop Tweaking & Perfecting. People that don't know this, too often stop before they arrive and therefore give up before the song is sung. I see more singers and songs with potential unrealized than you could imagine. And I don't mean start-ups. I mean artists who have invested heavily in their careers, have records out and are giving it their best shot. What they don't know is costing them big time. Never be afraid to keep tweaking and perfecting your songs, your image, your website, your brand, your social media/social proof - never stop trying to do it better - grow, learn, invest, get help.
Your Brand. Brand in today's market is so totally "Non-Negotiable." Music and business are now intertwined - forever. You are your brand - everything you do is your brand, like it or not. The good news? You don't have to wear two hats - it's now under one roof. Being authentic and transparent is the new brand. Don't know how to do it? Get someone on your side who knows how to do this. This is an integral part of what I do every day with artists - it's hardwired into the process of becoming a great artist - from songwriting to online presence.
Investing in Your Career. I know, everything costs money. Well, not everything - you can sit in your room and sing and write songs for free. But that's just where they'll stay - in your room. The most important thing for you to understand is - money is Energy. It's not Evil. And it takes money to make money. So don't be afraid to invest in yourself - you're worth investing in - and you won't get anywhere without doing so. Just choose your investments wisely.

Cari Cole is a vocal coach, artist development expert, and independent musician. From Grammy winners and American Idol finalists to rock star legends and emerging artists, Cari's formula works: helping artists find their voice, craft their style and create successful music careers. Get Cari's free audio, 5 Ways from Dreamer to Diva, PLUS her bonus 7 Steps to Stardom Checklist here- http://www.caricole.com/home/.

Follow Cari on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CariColeVoiceandMusic

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How Indie Bands Fail At Social Media Marketing And Lose Potential Fans

In an Indie Band? Chances are, if you are, and a lot of people are (which has saturated the market to the brim), you are marketing your band to potential fans on Facebook, MySpace, Reverbnation, Twitter, and a host of other websites.

Chances also are that you are unknowingly spamming thousands of people and turning people away from your band rather than turning them on to your band. It's not your fault. Everyone is doing it. However, if we want to turn this around we need to get classy rather than feed this intensive devaluation of independent music.

First off, it should be apparent by now that spamming is not the way to gain new fans. You all know it to be true on some level. It's just that we don't want it to be true. We want to believe that it's possible to sit in front of our computers, put the time in, and earn our band the respect it deserves. This is a half truth. We can definitely build our band's profile and gain new fans by putting in time marketing online, but it needs to be done the smart way.

I recently set up a Facebook page, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of spam sent to me by independent musicians. Right now I have over 500 messages in my inbox, and I can guarantee you that none of them are actual genuine, personalized messages. I never asked to be on any of these mailing lists. Any artist who promotes this way is pretty clearly saying that they would rather send the press an email such as "Hey! Check us out!" than actually ask respectfully and provide the necessary information with some class and professionalism. That's not to say you can't use templates. By all means, use a template. You don't want to have to type every email from scratch. But at least make the emails individual. If you are contacting a music blog, make sure you are messaging them in a way that is respectful and personalized. Include all the necessary information on your band such as album download links, bio, and website information.

What most bands don't realize is that the general public loses respect for them when they spam. You will gain much more success if you put the same amount of time into properly marketing your band. People are on information overload. First, print advertising became devalued because of the upsurge of social media advertising, advertising through word of mouth digitally and so on. Now the print industry as a whole is suffering. Then social media was embraced as the holy grail, but as it turns out (and this is a point indie bands need to be aware of), OTHER PEOPLE need to do the talking for this to work. This means that when you talk yourself up or send mass emails about yourself (unless it is on a proper mailing list), it has a reverse effect. OTHER PEOPLE need to talk about your band.

What kind of other people? Anyone. But preferably not your Mom.

Ideally, the music blogs should be talking about your band. Podcasts should be talking about your band. Music websites and magazines should be talking about your band. Online music communities should be posting your mp3's. The sad thing about our predicament today is that most indie bands don't market themselves to music blogs or podcasts or any of these places. They just throw their music at the general social media wall to see if it will stick somewhere. This just doesn't work, folks.

Yes, you should have a Facebook page, and there are a ton of ways to promote it. You can sign in as the page and respond to comments, give rewards to facebook page members, offer contests and sweepstakes via applications such as Wildfire, set up a targeted Facebook advertising campaign, join and comment on other Facebook pages, and post your music and videos when appropriate. Use widgets and video to promote yourself and encourage others to do the same. Your page should grow organically. Always include it as part of your email signature.

Should you have a MySpace page? Yes, but it's debatable at this point. Set it up professionally but don't spend much time on it.

You market yourself for the love of your music. You believe that people should hear it. Then show it the proper respect. When was the last time you heard someone describing how they found out about a new band, and they said "Yeah, I got this email from them saying 'Please! Download our album for free!' and I was hooked!" It doesn't happen that way. So show your music the proper respect and push your music behind the scenes. Get other people talking about you.

James Moore is a Canadian music consultant who advocates taking control of your own music career by marketing your music online. He is the author of the popular music marketing guide "Your Band Is A Virus - Behind-the-Scenes and Viral Marketing for The Independent Musician". For more information please visit http://www.yourbandisavirus.com/.

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3 Keys to Music Publicity

Advertisements aren't nearly as effective today as they were ten years ago. With all the technology we have today, most people completely bypass advertising altogether thanks to their iPods or TiVo. A much more effective and less costly way to get your band's image out to a large audience is through publicity. When a potential fan reads about you in the latest popular music blog or sees your picture in Alternative Press, they are going to be way more likely to pick up interest about your band. People generally believe what they read about bands on sites like The Scenestar or The Music Slut. There are countless amounts of music blogs out there. When your band gets mentioned on one and especially one that already has a large following, it will greatly help you to build your fan base.

In order for your band to get more publicity through either music magazines or online music blogs, there are three important keys you need to remember. First, you need to find that blogs or magazines that specifically cover the type or music you play. You wouldn't want to send your press kit to a music blog that only covers country if you're a rock band. You're also going to irritate those editors or bloggers by sending them information they can't use. So make sure you take the time to find out what blogs or magazines your target audience is already reading. Those are the publications you really want to focus on.

The next key you want to pay attention to is the press release. If you want a particular publication to write about your next big event you're having, you will want to send that publication a well written press release at least two to three weeks before this event. That way it gives them enough time to figure out how it's going to benefit their publication and include it. There are numerous sites you can go on to learn the current format for press releases. Also the more you read other press releases, the better you will get at writing your own. Just like playing music, writing press releases takes practice. Don't have enough time to do it on your own? Then hire a publicist that already knows how to write releases and already has contacts with the media.

Lastly, your band needs to always have an updated press kit. This is a packet that has your band's image, bio, all the press you've already gotten, a list of venues you've played at, and contact information. You can also make a Electronic Press Kit (EPK) through your ReverbNation account, which I would highly recommend doing. A lot of the time after you send a journalist a press kit, they will want to see your press kit. You can also send your press kit out when you're looking for sponsorships. It's definitely a tool you need to have.

Just like everything else, you have to be consistent at it. Once you get in a routine of keeping all these materials up to neat, it will eventually become much easier. If your band focuses on the publications your target audience reads, masters writing effective press releases and always keeps an updated press kit, these three keys are going to increase your chances of getting publicity and building your fan base quicker.

To find out more ways to effectively and quickly start building your fan base, visit Boost Your Music Career. It includes a step by step guide with advice on how to start boosting your career today. You can find more information at http://boostyourmusiccareer.wordpress.com.

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Style and Function: Using Creative Decorative Acoustic Panels for Recording Studios

Using decorative acoustic panels is an excellent way of improving both style and sound quality in a recording studio. Having the right acoustics installed in your studio doesn't mean that style has to take a backseat to function. These creative panels are the best solutions for studio owners who want to have an establishment that offers the best recording sound quality without compromising style and ambiance.

While quality recording equipment is a must-have for any reputable recording studio, adding a dash of style that sparks creativity leaves a better impression on both clients both current and potential. Sometimes, the image and feel of a recording studio also plays an important factor in ensuring better performance from its users.

Designing a studio to be conducive to productivity takes more than just offering the best technology. Providing a good ambiance with the right acoustics also helps artists deliver their best performance. Although an all-black room may be a feasible standard to go with, today's recording studios feature treatments with brighter colors and even creative acoustic panels. Depending on your target clientele, you can design your recording room to not only capture great music, but to also give the artist a mood boost.

When you redesign your recording room, you don't need to switch out your existing recording equipment as these don't need to go with the motif of your studio. What you can do instead to enhance mood while maintaining sound quality is to opt for different types of acoustic panels. Available in a wide variety of designs, these panels, combined with other acoustic materials such as noise control curtains and textured foam panels, can both add life into a recording studio without sacrificing the sound.

In fact, swapping out plain panels in your recording room for more creative options may already enhance the space's mood. There are a number of design options you can find depending on the manufacturer.Whether you're searching for modern patterns or printed art, you can easily find the right acoustic panels to decorate your studio with as long as you find a reputable source for your materials.

Being in the music industry, you have to be sure that your studio lets its users find inspiration as they work to create musical masterpieces with each recording. With your help, you can make sure they are able to work productively while at the same time keep the sound quality of their tracks in control.

Resource Box:

Acoustimac LLC is a Tampa, FL-based manufacturing company that specializes in providing acoustic panels for various establishments in different industries. Offering products such as bass traps and customized art panels, the company is able to help recording studios, churches, and home theater owners with their sound management needs. For more details on products and prices, visit Acoustimac.com or call 1-888-827-1266.

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Beatmaking Software Changing the Industry

The music industry has changed so much in recent years now anyone with even the smallest amount of musical talent can use a beatmaker to make music. These programs make it very easy for anyone to make it into the music business. There are so many people now using these programs to make beats and market them online. Most of these people do not have any musical training, yet if you listened to the songs they create with beatmakers you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between these songs and the ones that are professionally made.

The invention of the beatmaker changed the music industry. These allowed songs to be produced without a studio or expensive equipment. Most of the music today is made with these programs, no live instruments, no studio they are made right on a computer. The instrumental sections are laid out using a sequencer and this is then laid over the base line. Beatmakers allow for much faster production time than using traditional methods.

In the past if you wanted to get into this business you either needed money to buy the expensive equipment or you needed to know someone with the access to it. Now you can go online, do a search for beatmakers, and be producing beats in under an hour. No need for classical training with any instrument, no music classes. If you can point and click you can easily make high quality music with beatmakers.

No one just starting in the music industry would invest in thousands of dollars worth of equipment. It is easier than ever to make your own music. You can be making music in no time very easily with very little investment. Even if you don't want to be a singer songwriter and just want to use your creative talents to just produce beats, there are many outlets to market them. Using beatmaking software its easier than ever to make money.

No matter if you are a newbie or a seasoned vet beatmakers are an important tool in a producers arsenal. The ease of use and functionality of these programs has changed the way music is made. Choose a few instruments, make a baseline, add some effects and you have yourself a song all at the press of a button. Most of these have a function that allows a voice track to be imported and laid onto the musical track. Making beatmakers something of a one stop music making shop.

The music industry has changed for the better with the invention of the beatmaker.These have made making music a streamlined and intuitive process. The music industry has changed for the better with the use of beatmaking software. http://eazye123.blogspot.com/2011/08/dubturbo-review-best-beat-making.html

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Top CD Replication Tips

It's easy enough to burn the contents of one CD to another, but if you're looking to completely replicate the CD - covers and all ­- the process gets a little bit more complicated.

Still, the replication of the cover layout is something you can do at home, though you will inevitably need a printer company to print them out.

So here are a few tips to help you out when you are preparing your CD layout for sending to the printers:

1. Use high resolution. Your images should not be lower than 300 dots per inch (dpi). The ideal resolution is 600 dpi or greater. Anything lower than 600 dpi puts you at risk of having less-than-sharp images.

2. Save your image files in TIF format. This file format keeps your file uncompressed, so all shades are colours are perfectly preserved. JPG, or JPEG, on the other hand, tends to compress images substantially, and this definitely creates adverse effect on the quality of the image.

If, for some reason, you must use JPG, then make sure you set it toward the least compression.

3. Make sure the image goes 3 mm beyond the cut lines (the lines where the images are supposed to be cut). This extra image is known as the bleed and is used to make sure that when the image is cut, there will not be any unprinted surfaces showing.

On that same note, make sure all relevant text and bar codes are placed at least 5 mm within the cut lines, to make sure too that they do not get cut off.

4. Scrap RGB. Use CMYK. RGB (red, green, blue) colours are used by your TV or computer monitor to send color images to the human eye. If your intended audience is a printer, however, you need to use CYMK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key, a.k.a. black), which are the colours layered over each other to create colours on print.

5. Use the right software. You can use Page Maker, Corel Draw, Illustrator, InDesign, Quark, and a few others for creating your layout - but never, ever use MS Publisher or MS Word; doing this can result in problems with the printers.

6. Save your layout in PDF format. PDF was specifically designed to make sure that what you see is what gets printed. There are other pre-printer formats that used to be utilized, such as EPS, but these have often led to issues on resolutions and font types.

Incidentally, while Corel Draw allows you to publish your file directly as a PDF file, not all layout software do the same. Still, if you have Adobe Acrobat, you can use it to export your layout from any software, thus turning the layout into a PDF file.

Another reminder: when saving in PDF, always use the Prepress option, to make sure that the resolution is not reduced.

7. Get your page orientation right.The printing machine inserts the paper booklet-style, fold first. The cover should be on the booklet's right-hand side. If you make a mistake and put your cover on the left, your front cover will end up showing inside your CD case.

In fact, the printer company will probably not accept your layout in the first place.

These are just the basic stuff you have to remember when replicating a CD cover. Of course, if these sound too complex for you, you could always find a CD replication company online. For a reasonable amount, they could spare you from a whole lot headaches and wasted time.

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What Is a MIDI Keyboard?

If you're thinking of becoming a desktop musician or thinking about making music using your computer then having a MIDI keyboard is highly recommended. You've probably seen them around in music shops, in advertising, or being played by fellow musicians or musician-wanna-be's in live performances. But what exactly are they?

Simply put, it's a piano-style keyboard device that is used for sending (MIDI) signals over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices operating on the same MIDI protocol interface - like your desktop computer for example that runs a digital audio workstation (DAW) software. That being said, not all the MIDI keyboard that you can get out there is actually the piano-style user interfaces. Many alternative designs have pads or buttons that sense the velocity of your fingers to lower or increase play volume such as the Continuum Fingerboard, a fretless design.

Let's focus on the piano style keyboards. When buying yourself one you typically factor in budget and comfort. Of course if you have the budget then you can buy the best one that is comfortable for you to use. However, not everyone has unlimited budget, especially not the new musician in the making.

For the rest of us selecting one means selecting the size which typically means the number of keys available. There are a number to choose from ranging - 88, 76, 61, 49, 37 or 25. The purist will want you to get the 88 or at least the 76. The one you get will depend on another factor - space. An 88 may be good but if you can't fit it in your studio (i.e. in front of your computer) then there's no need for something that big.

Once you've selected the number of keys think about the key action - that is to say the manner the keys respond to your playing. There are typically 3 types - synth action, semi-weighted action and full weighted action.

1) Synth action have light spring loaded keys that take little pressure to activate and tend to return to their positions very quickly. This is good for those who play a lot of fast pieces and those who aren't really pianists by nature.

2) Semi-weighted action MIDI keyboard has keys that offer some resistance and springs back slower than the synth action ones.

3) Finally there's the full weighted action keys which mimics the mechanical action of conventional pianos. It requires more pressure to play and are typically used by people who play the piano and like the feel of "real" piano keys.

Of course you can forget the knobs, buttons and sliders that help transmit MIDI information and give the user more hands-on control over everything connected to your controller including the DAW software. This way you get real-time control in the sound making process unlike using your computer's mouse control.

The number of knobs and buttons will depend on usage but the bare necessities should have the pitch and mod wheels and you can make do with a small number of sliders. As long as you are able to effectively assign synth programming you can easily maximize use of your MIDI keyboard.

Check out useful tips in buying Midi Keyboards. Know what other users say in the Midi Keyboard Reviews section.

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How to Make a Living in the Music Industry

Can you really make a living out of being a musician? Let's face it we're not all going to be rock stars so what are the options? When you start to investigate the music industry you will discover that there is a wealth of information out there on a whole range of jobs.

Of course you can still perform. There are many venues that are looking for live music entertainment. In fact the live sector has grown more than any other area of the music industry in recent years. You could play in a cover band at local venues and as you build up a reputation you may find you are able to scale it up. Themed bands are also very popular so you may decide to start a tribute band! You could even sign up with an entertainment agent. Remember you will pay a commission to them though for any work they find you. This can work in your favour though if they are getting you lots of gigs.

If you are not a performer then you could look at careers in recording. Music producer and sound engineers still hold very creative roles however they are more limited. A great place to start is to set up a home studio to learn the skills on your own. Alternatively there are many courses you can enroll on to learn the ins and outs of music production.

Many musicians also decide to go into teaching music. You can teach music privately one to one or you could decide to teach in schools/colleges. Many of them offer one to one music lessons as supplementary activities. You should be able to demand around £25 an hour for teaching music. You may decide to do a teaching qualification which will mean you could teach on courses in schools and colleges. This has the added benefit of regular income and is seen as a 'real job'.

As you can see there are lots of options to investigate. If you are serious about making a living in music then it is very achievable. You may have ambitions to become a rock star but you can still have an enjoyable career creating and performing music.Or you could just have music as a hobby but let's face it we all want music to be a huge part of our lives. Get out there and get that music career!

For Glasgow wedding bands visit Music Live UK.

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How to Produce Music at Home

Preparing to Record:

So you've decided to record? By now your song should be well-practiced and smooth in performance, if you're going to record it all the way through. Some people prefer to work by recording pieces of their song first. Either way you need an organizational system in place that is logical.

Set up a file tree. A file tree is like making an outline for an essay; except with folders. Start by going to the hard drive you will be recording on and create a new folder called Project 1 for example. Now open that folder and create another folder named Raw Tracks. This is where you will save all of your tracks which are dry, meaning no effects. Each track should be recorded dry every time. Effects are added in the mixing stage. Each take for each track should be saved with a consecutive number after the track, and tracks should be saved as the instrument for their title. You can also make folders for the individual instruments you will be recording under Raw Tracks as such: Bass, Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Harmonies, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Hi Hat, 16" Crash, 18" Crash, Ride, Tom 1, Tom 2, Floor Tom, Overhead 1, and Overhead 2, and Keyboards. I find this tedious to scroll through while in the mixing process, so I organize them into their own folders after I'm done mixing.Create a folder under the Project 1 folder called Wet Tracks. This is where you will place each track after you apply the effects, processing, normalization, and any automation you may use during the mixing process. Apply the same consecutive numbering system for each wet track take that you did with the dry track takes. This ensures that you can go back and listen to how different effects or processing adds or subtracts to your composition.Finally, make another folder under the Project 1 folder called Master. Again, as with the takes above, use a consecutive numbering system so that you can easily refer to each master.Get a notebook and take notes on all the settings for every change you make to each track. If you find that a compressor is set with too much threshold, then go back and change it and write down what the name of the compressor is, and where all the settings are for that specific track. Detailed notes make it easier to go back and apply your original settings in case of a lost or corrupt file. This should be done at every step in your recording process.

Microphone Placement for an Acoustic Drum Set:

Mic placement for acoustic drums is not a science, but an art. I will just lay out the rule of thumb for a basic kit and you, or the drummer, can go from there. There are many factors when considering mic placement such as room size, player dynamics, and the type of mic used.

Bass Drum: Right outside of the sound hole. If the head does not have one, then place it where one would be. (off-center)Snare Drum: Put mic about an inch from the head between the Toms at a 45 degree angle. If you want a mic for the bottom do the same (but point the mic up at a 45 degree angle!)Hi Hat: Place mic pointing away from the kit to the left of the post at a 45 degree angle about 3" away from the top cymbal. Leave room for the hat to open - you don't want it to hit the mic.Toms: Place a bit off-center at an 80 degree angle to the head around 3" away.Floor Tom (s): Place at a 45 degree angle, 3" away, and a bit off-center.Overheads: Around 2 & 1/2' from the Ride. Tip: adjust closer or further away for less or more (respectively) room sound.Listen back to a test recording of each microphone on solo to get an idea of how much bleed is coming through from other drums/cymbals. Adjust according to taste.

Getting The Most From Your Digital Audio Workstation:

Your DAW is the heart and soul of your studio. Treat it gently, and don't smoke or drink around it. Too many things can and will happen. The last thing you want is for someone to spill a beer on it. Water might be OK, but beer has a lot of sugar and other sticky stuff in it, so celebrate your perfect tracks outside of the studio.

Turn off your computer sounds and the internal microphone, and disable the internet if you're working on a computer. This ensures no interruptions and unwanted sounds creeping into your recordings.Disable sleep, hibernation, power saving, screen savers, and any other interruptions.Run a test recording first, making sure the latency is set correctly and your audio drivers are functioning properly. Adjust recording levels to peak at -1 dB. Load this test track down with processing and effects plugins. Don't process them on to the track, just insert them. The goal here is to find your limit of processing power so you know how many plugins you can run before a system crash.If you can, use another monitor in continuation mode. This will allow you to undock all of your features like plug ins, transport, and mixer so that you can concentrate on your track view without all of your panels in the way.Select your Raw Tracks folder to be the default save to folder. Make sure that either auto save is enabled or that you are in a habit of hitting control or command s after making edits. Remember to be taking notes also. Tip: some music stores sell a track notes notebook.Set up and name all of your tracks accordingly, making sure everything is routed properly, then save as a template using the same name as your project. If you have to start over, you'll be one step ahead of yourself.

Mixing:

Let me take a moment here to explain that mixing is different than mastering. Understanding this and applying techniques described herein will set you apart from all other "Independent" artists. The term mixing connotates multiple tracks, where mastering refers to a stereo two track (right & left). Just as in the examples of an outline and the file tree organizational system described above, mixing and mastering are sequential. Mixing happens before mastering. Mastering does not happen at the same time as mixing. Mixing is the art of blending multiple instruments to sound homogenous, meaning alike, or as one. That does not mean making a guitar sound like a drum kit. It involves adjusting the individual instruments volume, frequency, panning, effects, and other levels so that the focus is on the sound which all of them make together. This is called synergy (1+1=3). It creates something greater than itself which by itself it cannot attain. With that said, let's get on with mixing.

If you are going to automate your mix meaning for example having different effects fade in or out, or get stronger through time, make an automation track.Normalize your track to -1 dB. You have to be able to hear what you are working with. Anything above zero dB (decibel) will clip and sound distorted. You want the cleanest signal possible.If you have considerable space between when an instrument last sounded to it sounding again (a rest), select the blank space and process it to silence. This ensures no finger noises or breath or stool creaks creep into the track.Equalization is the single best way to reduce noise. Subtractive EQ is almost always better than additive EQ. EQ should be the first go to to correct your sound. Example: If you are working on a simple bass guitar track you can run a high pass filter or simply cut the high frequencies to - infinity dB. Try to only boost the used frequency range +2 or +3 dB. Any more than that can cause problems. Tip: To give vocals a punch use a low-shelf EQ filter around -3 dB at 150 Hz, then add 3 dB of gain to the whole track.Limiters can be set to -1 dB so your additions through EQ and FX don't exceed that and cause distortion.Compression can be tricky, but with a little bit of playing with you'll see they add that PUNCH you're looking for. Compressors have 4 main controls: 1. Threshold: A lower setting (measured in dB) means that a greater part of the signal will be treated and vise-versa. 2. Ratio: Determines the Input/Output ratio for signals higher than the Threshold. Example: A 5:1 ratio means that a signal overshooting the Threshold by +5 dB will leave the compressor +1 dB above the Threshold. 3&4: Attack & Release: Attack and Release settings determine how fast the Compressor acts on the incoming signal so as to maintain a more natural and curved response. Tip: If your particular Compressor has a meter, monitor what the Threshold turns down in dBs on the meter and adjust the Gain relative to that. This compensation evens out the signal.Noise Gates: These open & close to let sound through or block sound depending on their Threshold settings. Think of them as a valve, or hose bib. Gates do basically the same thing as the above mentioned trick with silencing an instrument rest point. They can be used to take out the bass drum bleed from a snare mic, or use corrective EQ to achieve the same results.

Plug Ins:

There are thousands of Plug Ins out there that do everything from effects to bit rate conversion. I use them for effects, spectral analysis, custom metering, processing, and a few in mastering. Plug Ins have to be recognized by your DAW; some manually, some are automatic. A little side note: RTAS are used for MAC based systems. Here's a list of some pro audio Plug Ins I use:

Izotope Ozone, Advanced RX2, Nectar, Spectron, and Alloy. Izotope products are all amazing pro audio repair, effects, and mastering Plug Ins. Demos are available at IzotopeBlue Cat Audio: These are pro processing Plug Ins. They offer a free download, not a demo, which is awesome. Get it at Blue Cat AudioWaves: This is one expensive set, but well worth it. I use their plugs all of the time.

Mastering:

As I said earlier, mastering is different than mixing. Now that you have recorded and mixed your tracks down to a stereo track you are ready for mastering. Go ahead and normalize your file to -6 dB. This will leave you headroom to work with. Don't worry. When you're done with the mastering stage you normalize to -.5 dB. Headroom is just like it sounds. It is the space between where you are at and where you want to be in decibels.

In the mastering stage you'll want to do things like add a bit of compression, add a bit of EQ. You don't want to add a lot of anything. I think of it like cooking using spices. A dash of this, and a pinch of that. There really is no way to describe exactly what to do in mastering. You don't want to add stereo expansion, or brightness. You should do those things in the mixing stage. What you are aiming for is making all of your songs sound like they flow together. Do things like put them in the same "room", by adding a touch of reverb. You are also trying to make them sound good on all devices, so you'll want to burn a reference CD to play on a boom box, a car stereo, and your home system. Take notes on the differences in sonic qualities and strike a balance between them. Doing this will ensure good transfer.

Setting Up A Record Company:

The next thing you might think about doing after completing your project is setting up a record company. You can do this by going down to your local government building and getting a business license. You have different rights and protections with each different type of company. A sole proprietor gives you the individual little protection from a lawsuit, whereas a corporation is like an individual on its own, protecting your personal assets from judgements.

After your license you'll want to set up a business checking account so you can do business. Set up your website, and then start advertising your product.

Put Your Music On Amazon:

You can sell your albums and MP3's on Amazon by opening an account with Createspace. It's free to join, and all you have to do is upload your materials. You have to strictly follow their uploading guidelines; if you don't, your material won't be accepted. Make sure all of your artwork is in the correct formats along with your audio tracks. You might as well convert your.wav files to.aiff right now, and make sure your songs are in the correct order by placing an 01 etc. in front of the song titles. I would suggest signing up as an individual, not as a business because you never know when the economy will take a crap and out of business.

Thanks for reading,

Tim Moore

Rockoetry Inc. is my pseudonym when I'm recording music. You can find out more about me at: http://redneckraprocksongs.blogspot.com/

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3 Stevie Nicks Song Facts

Legendary rock star Stevie Nicks is back with her good old raspy vocals, signature bangs, high-heeled boots, chiffon lace dresses and her latest album 'In Your Dreams'. Yes, you've been waiting for it and now it's here. The album was released May 4, 2011 and now widely available in your favorite record bars. According to song critics, 'In Your Dreams' is one of her best. Perhaps, because Stevie Nicks wrote and co-authored most of the songs in the package. Plus, the album is a collaboration of some of the most genius musicians around. This fact ensures you that your every buck is worth it. Talking about facts, let's take a look at some of the most interesting facts on why we learned to love Stevie Nicks. Most are background snips of some of her greatest hits.

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around

"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" is Stevie Nicks' first single in her first solo album "Belladona". The album was released July 8, 1981 and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" became is an instant hit. It ranked #3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and ranked #2 in the U.S. Billboard Album Rock tracks.

The song was penned by Thomas Petty and Mike Campbell intended for their band. Jimmy Iovine, who was working with Stevie Nicks that time arranged and produced the song for her. Nicks and Tom met during the recording of Petty's group album, "Damn the Torpedoes". Nicks asked Tom if he could write a song for her. Tom didn't think she was serious. A year later, Nicks came to Tom again asking the same thing. Tom wrote 'Insider' for their album Hard Promises, being recorded that time, recorded a demo and sent a copy to Nicks. The rising singer paid a visit to the studio the next day and eagerly taped the song with Petty's band. Tom loved the song and included it in the album.

Petty, impressed with the lovely lady's talent, commissioned Mike Campbell to record a demo of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", a song he wrote a year ago. They sent a demo to Nicks which she really liked. After some arrangements, the two decided to make a duet with the song. The end result? Tom thought he could've convened to the lady's request earlier. The hit single turned platinum in just a few months time.

Landslide

If you are a Glee fan, you must have watched the episode when Santana confessed her true feelings with and to Brittany. She can hardly express her sadness with Brit turning down her promiscuous proposal. The two are BFFs so the revelation threatened to ruin their life-long friendship. With the help of Mckinley High substitute teacher Ms. Holly Holiday, the gals let it all out in a song - Landslide. Yes, another Fleetwood Mac classic. "Took my love, I took it down. Climbed a mountain and I turned around. And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills. Till the landslide brought me down..." Yep, those are the symbolic lyrics written by the Rock Queen herself. Many thought it was all about Nick's dad (her dad thought it was too...). In an interview with VH1 Storytellers in 1998, Stevie Nicks revealed it was really about her relationship with long-time boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham coming to a crash like a big landslide that year. She wrote it in a friend's magnificent house with a view of vast, snow-covered hills.

Dreams

As you may know, Stevie Nicks isn't meant to be part of Fleetwood Mac. Lindsey was the only invited one but he insisted on bringing Nicks along. Little did the group know, the girl who was just dragged along is their main gun. "Rumours" is probably their best band album. It garnered international, critical acclaims. The emotion-filled songs in the album were perhaps, the product of the group's emotional upheavals during its recording. Lindsey was breaking up with Stevie, Mick was undergoing divorce, John and Christine were on the early stage of marital separation. "Dreams", the main song in the album was written by Stevie Nicks in a room adjacent to their studio. With a piano, she wrote "Dreams" in a snap. Ten minutes approximately. She performed it in front of the band and Fleetwood Mac decided to record it the next day and the rest is history.

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Becoming a Rapper

Nowadays there are a lot of people aspiring to be rappers and little to no one that actually tries to improve on the quality of their lyrical content or how they flow over a beat. A lot of people believe that being a rapper is as simple as picking up a microphone and finding a hot beat to "spit" over. On the contrary, writing clever lyrics that flow good over a beat is a difficult task and requires practice. I have been writing music since I was 14 years old and I always worked hard to outdo my previous song.

Okay, on to some examples. Rappers such as Waka Flocka do not care about what they say at all, as long as they make money off of the consumer. He has club songs that people can dance to, but what happens if you aren't at a club... there is nothing that catches your attention besides the beat. When you begin writing start with experiences that you have had in the past. These can be work related, struggles growing up, or anything that you can think of. If you want to write a few lines about having money you can use words such as bread, butter, relish, cabbage, lettuce, cheese, or chips to talk about money. A few bars like I get butter like a slice of bread/ or I'm getting relish cuz I'm hot dog/. These bars have a little word play in them and will get you respect from other rappers who may not have thought about using those words in a sequence like that. Another thing most aspiring rappers need to work on is mic presence. This takes time and dedication because you have to be able to put the right amount of energy into your performance without going too over the top. After a few months to a year of writing and recording you should be up to par with other rappers that are trying to make it big.

A lot of people also need to realize that the music industry is a hard one to break into and being famous overnight is not going to happen without years of blood, sweat and tears. A lot of rookies believe they can make one hot song and then the entire world is going to know who they are. This is not true at all and it takes a great song, dedication, a little money, some live shows, and few good contacts just to blow up in your local area. You can start by making a website that has information about you and a sample of your music/photos. If you have any videos these will help your future fans get to know you better as well. A great site to start out is reverbnation, they also use a website designer called bandzoogle. Once you do that you should start joining as many social media networks as possible and find people to network with. Create a Press Kit and mail your singles to local radio stations around the country and college radio stations. If you would like to get paid for radio plays you need to create an account with BMI or ASCAP to make sure that you get the money you deserve. Once you do all of these steps and start to meet other local music talent you should be on the road to becoming a popular local rapper and maybe even a Hip-Hop icon someday.

If you have any questions about advertising, creating a website, writing music, etc... email me at chrisking919@gmail.com Also if you would like to network and exchange website links you can email me as well. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and I hope you enjoyed it.

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The DUBTurbo Beatmaker Contents List

This is a list of the features of the beat making software called DUBTurbo. I have been using this software for a few months and cant believe how productive you can be using it. It has sped up my production time tenfold. I sell my beats here and their and promote my beats on most if the social networking sites. I have gone from a few orders a month to ten or more a week. I'm making professional sounding music faster than I could have ever imagined. I will try to list all the features I can remember there is a ton!

The beatmaker works on both PC and mac so no matter what platform your on. DUBTurbo also comes with a variety of instructional videos that play on most all players which is convenient. These videos not only get you started but also show you the best way to promote and market the music you make. Knowing how to properly do this is possibly the best advice these videos will give you. You can't make money if your promotional skills aren't up to snuff.

This software includes every tool you could possibly need to produce beats including:

16 track sequencer
10 pad 16-bit drum machine
4 octave 16-bit keyboard
1000s of pro sounds
Bonus kits

The bonus kits will blow your mind. They include premium samples, extra mood and scene settings, additional instruments, and more. Everything in the bonus packs is free of charge and more importantly, royalty free.

This is just a portion of the things that are included. There is also a sixty day money back policy. Sixty days should be more than enough time to decide if the program is for you or not. If you are looking for something that offers ease of use,great sound quality and more features than most professional beatmakers have then this is for you. Like I said I have been producing for some time and can't imagine going back to the other software I used to use. I did a ton of searching online and I researched just about every software of this type available. I found by firsthand experience that this is the best deals around today. If you are just now getting into music production or if you are a seasoned vet this would be the best investment you could make.

I give this product a ten out of ten.

All in all this is the best value on the market today for fast, easy, high quality production. The best part is you have a full two months to try the software out and if you don't like it you get your money back. Cant beat that deal.You wont regret trying out DUBTurbo beatmaker. http://eazye123.blogspot.com/2011/08/dubturbo-review-best-beat-making.html

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Different Types of MIDI Keyboards

When you say MIDI keyboard you're talking about a variety of electric or digital keyboards out there. Unlike before where only special keyboards were able to do MIDI, nowadays almost all modern electric keyboards are MIDI compatible. You can't miss them - they're the ones with the MIDI In & Out slots in the back.

There are basically two types of electronic keyboards - the controller and the piano types

1) The controller is typically what many would associate with the term MIDI keyboard. While it has keys you won't hear any sound when you press them. You need to have a computer running a digital audio workstation (DAW) software to convert the MIDI impulses to sound.

Because they don't have any speakers controllers are generally smaller and cheaper than their regular piano type counterparts. This makes them versatile and portable and can fit in almost any space you can think of.

2) The piano or personal keyboard type has its own build in sound system - what that means is that unlike the controller, when you press the keys sound comes out. You don't have to connect them to a computer in order to hear anything.

The advantage of such a system is that you can set it up anywhere and not have to worry about having a computer and the required software available. Their disadvantage often tends to be their size due to the internal sound system - you may find it somewhat difficult to set up if you have a small studio and especially so in front of your computer.

Otherwise known as the number of keys you would like in the keyboard. A MIDI keyboard comes in a wide range of number keys -88, 76, 61, 49, 37, and 25. The high number ones are the big boys and are usually the piano type keyboards. The lower ones tend to be the controllers. If you don't play the piano then the smaller number of keys won't be a problem for you. However, if you want that piano feel then get the 88 or at the very least the 76 so you have a wider option to play from.

Speaking of that piano feel the action of the keys will help determine that. Full weighted keys offer the resistance and spring-back of pianos. Synth action has no resistance whatsoever and the keys spring back quickly too. Semi-weighted keys are the compromise - they have less resistance than full weighted ones and are slower to spring back than the synth ones.

Other determining factors include how you will use the unit. If you're always on the go then maybe a small portable unit may be for you. Same is true if you don't really have much space in your home studio. On the other hand if you're into live performances where space and set-up aren't a problem then maybe a bigger unit with the full set of keys may be what the doctor ordered. Price can also come in when choosing your MIDI keyboard but with the way things are going the differences can be negligible except perhaps with the really high end ones.

Check out useful tips in buying Midi Keyboards. Know what other users say in the Midi Keyboard Reviews section.

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