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5 STAR PRODUCTIONS 2001 PRAIRIE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS |
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This year's event takes place Sept 27 - 30th, 2001in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. The press conference was held in Edmonton, Wednesday August 15th. * Outstanding Christian Recording Outstanding Album Design * Engineer of the Year * Recording Studio of the Year * Manager of the Year * Agent/Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year * Independent Record Company/Distributor of the Year For more information on the 2001 Prairie Music Awards please visit their |
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Tip of the Month: Making It In The Biz |
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Tip of the month comes from our friends at Bristol Studio news in Boston Mass. For more information on them you can visit their website at: http://www.bristolstudios.com and you can reach them by email at:news@bristolstudios.com Written by Bristol Studio's own Ric Poulin, published in Skope Magazine's "Making It In The Biz." This month's question is from Jeremy F. of Los Angeles, CA. Question: Answer: Bristol Recording Studios: 169 Massachusetts Avenue. Boston, MA 02115 |
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DIGITAL MASTERING TECHNIQUES By IUMA/Vitaminic Artist Newsletter |
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Compression, or dynamic processing depending on who you're talking to, is a very useful tool when working in the digital domain. Strictly speaking, it takes your source material and compresses the loudest parts to a certain threshold (depending on how you setup the device, it could also get louder), adding punch and depth, giving you a "commercial" sound. Let's use "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as an example; a very dynamic song, to be sure. Volume differences will be represented by words here for the example. Make sure the 'etc.''s are all the way over to the right, or this will look like gobblygook. before: ___maxvolume___ __________________________________________________________________ _____IntroIntroIntro______________________ChorusChorusChorusChange __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________VerseVerse________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Intro________________VerseVerse___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ etc. ___minvolume___ But now let's compress the hell out of it for fun! after: ___maxvolume___ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ______IntroIntroIntro______________________ChorusChorusChorusChange Intro_________________VerseVerseVerseVerse_________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ etc. ___minvolume__ You'll really see the difference in a waveform after applying compression. But essentially, by taking out the dynamics of the song, you'll notice the quiet parts are just about as loud as the rest, while the loudest part will also threshold downward (depending on if you set it to compress or limit the sound). The danger with digital compressors is the lack of dynamics after heavy processing...the song may sounds like the same level all the way through. If that's what you're going for, then the results will always be great! Suffice it to say, you'll need to have good source material before you apply compression (ie. you'll need to equalize your mix beforehand). Another consideration: being subtle with compression is always best, unless your music demands very high levels all the way through (think drum & bass or heavy metal). You want your music to be able to "breath"...in other words, you can't have dynamics and compression both, because they cancel each other. The middle ground is best here. Another problem area with compression is so-called "Pumping", when the attack and/or release of the effect is set to a hard clip. This means, in a visual sense, your sound isn't modulating from a sine or triangle (more natural sounding) wave but a square (electric or digital) wave. The sound will modulate wildly from quiet to loud, with little transition, and if you're trying to use compression on a voice or guitar part, this could be a very frustrating situation. There is no hard and fast rule here, because of myriad variables between analog/digital and software/hardware compression. More than likely, you'll get much better results using professional grade dynamic processors like DBX and Behringer products, but these tend to be expensive. If you're on a budget, look for great alternatives in software, notably Waves products, Hyperprism, and the great sounding Bomb Factory Classic Compressors, reproductions of old-fashioned (and very expensive) tube compressors! They'll work great with the ProTools. |
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MARKETING YOUR MUSIC |
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CALL THE DESTINATION, AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS If you want to play at the biggest club in town, bring a nice box of fancy German cookies to the club booker, and ask for just 5 minutes of their advice. Ask them what criteria must be met in order for them to take a chance on an act. Ask what booking agents they recommend, or if they recommend using one at all. Again, keep your meeting as short as possible. Get the crucial info, then leave them alone. (Until you're back, headlining their club one day!) I know an artist manager of a small unsigned act, who over the course of a year, met with the managers of U2, REM, and other top acts. She asked them for their advice, coming from the top, and got great suggestions that she's used with big results. In other words: Call the destination, and ask for directions. You'll get there much faster than just blindly walking out your front door, hoping you arrive someday. PUT YOUR FANS TO WORK Often, people who reach out like that are looking for a connection in this world. Looking for a higher cause. They want to feel they have some other purpose than their stupid accounting job. You may be the best thing in their life. You can break someone out of their drab life as an assistant sales rep for a manufacturing company. You might be the coolest thing that ever happened to a teenager going through an unpopular phase. You can give them a mission! If they're a fan of your music, invite them over for pizza to spend a night doing a mailing to colleges. Go hit the town together, putting concert flyers on telephone poles. Have them drive a van full of friends to your gig an hour away. Have the guts to ask that "email fan" if she'd be into going through the Indie Contact Bible and sending your press kit to 20 magazines a week. Soon you can send them out on their own, to spread the gospel message of your amazing music, one promo project at a time. Eventually, as you grow, these people can be the head of "street teams" of 20 people in a city that go promote you like mad each time you have a concert or a new CD. Those of us busy busy people may think, "How could ANYone do this slave work?" But there are plenty of people out there with time on their hands that want to spend it on something besides TV. Don't forget that to most people, the music business is pure magic. It's Hollywood. It's glitter and fame and fantastically romantic. Working with you might be the closest they get to that magical world of music. Give someone the chance to be on the inside circle. Put 'em to work. GO WHERE THE FILTERS ARE You need to go through filters. Places that reject many, only letting the best of the best pass through. As long as you're good (really good) - what you want are MORE filters! More obstacles... More hurdles... Because these things weed out the "bad" music. Or the music that isn't ready. Or the people that weren't dedicated. I worked at Warner Brothers for 3 years. I learned why they never accept unsolicited demos: It helps weed out the people that didn'tdo enough research to know they have to go meet managers or lawyers or David Geffen's chauffeur FIRST in order to get to the "big boys." (Deal with the 'gatekeepers' to get to the mansion.) If you REALLY REALLY BELIEVE in your music, have the confidence to put yourself into those places where MOST people get rejected. (radio, magazines, big venues, agents, managers, record labels, promoters...) Because each gate you get through puts you in finer company. ("the best of the best") And you'll find many more opportunities open to you once you've earned your way through a few gates. HAVE SOMEONE WORK THE INSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY Derek Sivers is the President of the highly successful online Independent music store, CD Baby - http://www.cdbaby.com. CD Baby's success is a direct result of Derek's determination to help Indie artists. One way in which he helps is by making sure that most of the money made from each CD sold goes directly to the artist. Derek has also created cdbaby.net - http://www.cdbaby.net, which is a site full of free resources, tips, articles, advice, links, and "anything else we can possibly do to put the power in the hands of the independent musicans". Host Baby is a new project which makes websites available to artists at a low cost. You can reach Derek as well by email at: derek@cdbaby.com |
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BREAKTHROUGH MATERIAL |
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The following story comes from the Bristol Studio News. For more information on Bristol Studios please visit there website at http://www.bristolstudios......com or email them at news@bristolstudios.com What are record labels looking for? Most musicians spend a lot of time, effort and money getting a promo pack to labels that will score them the sweet contract with Epic or EMI. They send several different mixes out, get different pictures, write dozens of songs and go crazy trying to make their material stand out amongst the thousands of demos that record labels review daily. According to Bristol producer and master vocal coach Ric Poulin, Labels are looking for "breakthrough material". This material could be anything that makes you and your work distinctive; anything that makes you stand out; something fresh. This could be how you look, your personality, your songwriting, the production values used on your demo, your instrumental technique, even the sound of your equipment. Anything that makes your material different from the other stuff they get in the mail. Every artist you hear on the radio or see on MTV has something that makes them stand apart from everyone else. This is why the labels have signed them. They deliver something that no one else does. So how do you become distinct enough to get the attention of the record labels. Ric suggests the best way to make sure you deliver breakthrough material is to be distinctive any way you can. This is different for everyone but once you found somethng that sets you apart from the rest, hone that skill or look or sound and strengthen it to the point where it can't be ignored by anyone, including labels. |
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CAN YOU SEE BEYOND YOUR EYES |
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Can you see beyond your eyes can you see what is not Can you cry and die There is a plan Fear not The night closing in To all who love and wish they could. |
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WORD MEANINGS AND PHRASES |
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1) In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase,"goodnight, sleep tight" came from. 2) It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month" or what we know today as the honeymoon. 3) In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's". 4) Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed refill,they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle," is the phrase inspired by this practice. 5) In ancient England, a person could not have sex unless you had consent of the King (unless you were in the Royal Family). When anyone wanted to have a baby, they got consent from the King, the King gave them a placard that they hung on their door while they were having sex. The placard had F.*.*.*. (Fornication Under Consent of the King) on it. Now you know where that came from. 6) In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. |
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UNDERSTANDING "DRAW" |
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Well known author Diane Rapaport has a new book coming out in the Fall of 2002, and she has kindly submitted a sneak preview from one of her chapters. Diane helps us to understand the importance of "Draw". Understanding "Draw" In old Western movies, "draw" meant pull out your six shooter. But in the music business, the word "draw" has a different meaning. For presenters of music-club owners, concert promoters, etc.-a band's "draw" defines how many people will come to an event on a particular day at a particular time and for a particular price. There have been many occasions when a band that is popular in New York will draw 2500 people to a concert. But in San Francisco, it cannot bring 100 people to a small club. It has no "draw." Some concert halls will fill up for a particular band when ticket prices are $15, but not $25. How do presenters figure out a band's draw? They will do market research. First they will look at a band's performing history (available from a band's bio, current tour dates, etc. and try to as certain how many people may have attended their shows). They may talk with other club owners and concert promoters. They will try and correlate the number of people that have come to their performances and the variables that may have affected those numbers. Variables that provide information about draw are the size of the band's mailing list; the effort the presenter put into drawing people to the gigs; the recognition of the band's name (branding); popularity of the band's CD (if they have one); word-of-mouth notice; airplay and reviews; competing bands; competing leisure activities (movies, sports, festivals, day events), etc. The results of that research will tell them what to pay a band, what to charge customers, what date to book, how large an auditorium to hire, and so on. Bands that understand the needs of these businesses will work hard to tell them what they think their draw is, pulling on history, reviews, airplay, etc. Building Draw Bands who don't have a draw need to build it by playing as much as possible in the community in which they live, thereby building a local following. Here are some solutions-some standard, some creative-that help bands build draw. They can be packaged on a night with bands that do draw and who attract audiences that would be sympathetic to their music. Either they ask the club owner to help them find a band to share the stage with. Or they approach the managers of other bands and persuade them to let them open their shows. Club owners usually prefer having a strong package presented to then than trying to figure out compatible shows. Opening acts usually earn less than the expenses it takes to do the gig, as little as 10% to 20% of what is charged at the door or paid to the headline band. Doing break-even or low paying gigs is better than spending the same time in the rehearsal room. Opening for other bands is cheap education in working audiences, developing showmanship and professionalism and building draw. Once bands have played three of four times to enthusiastic audiences as a result of being packaged with draw bands, they persuade the club to let them play on your own on an off night (such as a Monday night), and, should the owner agree, the band will work extra hard at getting people into the club. If nothing else, they load the club with friends and family to ensure a full enthusiastic audience. The club owner will be impressed with the bar business he/she does that night, the band's efforts to make a good audience, and the general feeling of excitement in the room. Bands most always supplement the club's promotional efforts and use the gig to spread their name around. At the very least they provide club owners with additional promotional materials to send out or put up a week before the gig (Promotional materials will be discussed in Chapter 8: Promotion.) They put up flyers in key places in their community. They are diligent in collecting names for their mailing list and using it to let friends, fans, followers and hangers on know where and when they are playing. They invite reviewers to help familiarize them with their name. Club owners are always impressed with this kind of cooperation, but most importantly, spreading the band's name around helps build draw. Here are some imaginative ways bands have helped get people into a club so they and the club owner can make money.
Building draw is more than just promoting the gig and showing up. The band has to put on a good professional show for its audience. They start on time; they don't take a long time tuning, adjusting, talking among themselves and forgetting they are being watched by an audience that comes ready to be entertained. They pace their sets well. They handle transitions between songs easily, without too much lost time. They speak clearly into the mike, say what they have to say briefly, and then get going. They relate in a friendly way to the audience. They make themselves interesting to watch as well as to listen to. If they have a "beef" with a band member, they wait until they are off-stage. There's nothing worse than band members bad vibing each other on stage. Diane Rapaport is the author of How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording. Her company, Jerome Headlands Press, designs and produces The Musician's Business and Legal Guide (great new edition July 2001); and The Acoustic Musician's Guide to Sound Reinforcement and Live Recording by Mike Sokol. The books are published by Prentice Hall (Pearson Education) and are available by mail from Jerome Headlands Press. More info jhpress@sedona.net. Jerome Headlands Press, Inc. |
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STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL TOUR |
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Anybody who has ever been on a tour will tell you that it¹s not all fun and games. In fact, a lot of times it can be just the opposite. Still, bands comes to me all the time wanting to hit the road on what they think will be the thrill of a lifetime. Here are some steps I put together with a band named Adam http://www.adam.org for those who think they want to be road warriors. The Big Four: YOU'RE GOING TO NEED RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION If you do buy something or use your own van, don¹t even think about hitting the road without a AAA membership. Not only will they pick up your broken down car, they¹ll also make sure you don¹t wind up in jail...at least for speeding. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED SOMEWHERE TO CRASH In other words, play your gig, drive to the next place you¹re going, check in, sleep, get up, play the next gig, and go back to the same room that night. It throws your sleeping schedule off, but you¹re broke and nobody said this would be easy. Can you live without HBO? Campgounds like KOA are a reasonable option if you just want a shower and don¹t mind sleeping in a tent or the van. Another great option is staying with other bands you meet along the way or ahead of time. People love to help other people. Take advantage of the Internet to meet people and work on your relationship ahead of your tour. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EAT Another advantage of hotels is that many offer free breakfasts. Take advantage of this when you can and be sure to make a few trips to take care of as many future breakfasts as possible. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED MONEY Have a credit card for emergencies! Murphy¹s Law applies here, so don¹t be stupid! OTHER IMPORTANT RULES Good luck with your tour! David Hooper is the founder of IndieBiz.com and co-author of How I Make $100,000/year in the Music Business (Without a Record Label, Manager, or Booking Agent)! He is known for combining traditional music business knowledge with the guerrilla marketing necessary for independent bands to compete. He has worked in the past with Lords of Acid, Marcy Playground, and bush. Current clients include Confederate Fagg and the Kentucky Headhunters. Dave is also co-hosting the first The Nashville New Music Conference, which will be held October 10-14, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference will feature more than 200 showcasing artists at over 20 venues in downtown Nashville. Over thirty music business panels during the event have been designed to educate and empower conference attendees. Visit http://www.2nmc.com/ for details. |
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PROMOTING YOURSELF & BEING ORGANIZED |
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I thought our readers would enjoy this, It originally comes from Bristol Studio News in Boston Mass. Their website address is http://www.bristolstudios.com and you can email them at: news@bristolstudios.com Keep good records of who you promote yourself and your demo to. When sending demos and promotional kits to record labels or management companies it's not a bad idea to keep a database of all the companies you encounter in your search. The database should include the company's name, the name of the contact person at the company, their contact info including phone, fax, e-mail address and mailing address. Since many record companies and managers are owned by larger conglomerate companies, it might be a good idea to mark down who owns the particular company; if that information is available to you. Note when you sent the material to them and the last time you tried to follow up with them. Also keep general notes about how they've responded to your inquiries and progress you've made in making a solid connection with that company. If you can get most of this information, you'll be able to work more efficiently and will be able to stay on top of the contacts you make. This database should be in a well organized binder or a computer program like Microsoft Works but it must be continuously updated and utilized for it to work well. It also takes time and energy to acquire solid contacts. Don't be afraid to call every couple of weeks out of your database. For many companies it takes time for material to make it through the selection process so be patient. |
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BASIC VALUES |
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Be fair, be honest, look out for your family and neighbours. Don't buy what you don't have money for. Be positive, recognize your traits and abilities and make use of them. Always do your best, get a good education, work hard, don't give up. Enjoy music, take time to laugh. Be sociable - invite people in for a meal. Think first of what you can do for others, not what others can do for you. Stand on your own two feet. Never admit defeat. - Taken from a eulogy of a family member of the Yohnke's |
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INDUSTRY NEWS |
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I thought our readers would enjoy these stories, It touches on some of the workings of radio, record labels & art. They originally come from ACADIE a newsletter for Daniel Lanois. I had the opportunity to speak with Steve Lillywhite recenty and I asked him if he know what Daniel Lanois was up to and he told me that Lanois has got his new studio in L.A up and running and is looking for a record deal for his next solo album, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Lillywhite mentioned some possible label interest, but it sounded like it was far from a done deal. Sadly, in today's music biz climate most major label people view Lanois only as a producer. A middle-aged one at that. Some label people think that the only way you could sell Lanois records would be to do what Arista did with Santana (and the new RUN-DMC) and bring in a bunch of "special guest" vocalists. To me that smacks of desperation and insincerity. I can hear the A&R pitch now: "How about an all Canadian theme on a song, Dan? We'll have you and Nelly Furtado do a remake of Loverboys "The Kid is hot Tonight" It'll be great!" In fairness to the major labels it is going to cost them anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million to get a radio hit for Lanois, cause that's what payola costs at the major radio stations these days. I'm sure that the labels want as much "insurance" as they can get. I hope Lanois tells the label weasel's to "f**k off" and makes a licensing deal for his new record with an indie like Anti/Epitaph much like Tom Waits, Merle Haggard and Tricky have done. Sincerely, Erok also has recommended to check out the archives at http://www.salon.com for a recent series of articles about the problems faced by the record companies, and artists, regarding the massive consolidations in the commercial radio industry, and the legalized payola of the Independent radio promoters who work as the middlemen between the record companies and radio stations anyone unfamiliar with the inner workings of the music business/radio Industry will probably be quite shocked by what they read. That said, more and more artists of all disciplines do need to educate and empower themselves. Relying upon the patronage of a multinational entertainment conglomerate is no way to further your art. It's one way, but not the only way. This is my first time communicating to this group however I have been reading the conversations for some time now. What had me write to you is this ongoing conversation about marketing Daniel's solo work and the difficulty around the public's perception of him largely as a producer. My comment is that I believe that as long as any artist for that matter, lives at the mercy of the market rather than creating the market for the artist, we are in trouble. You are either a host to the industry (a leader) or you are on the outside knocking on the door and saying,"please let me in". Art is as much an opportunity to challenge life as it is an opportunity to mirror it. I see ART as a leader and Daniel's work as provocative as I do reflective. In which case if he markets his work as a commentary not unlike Dylan, I think people will naturally respond to it, because it is true and authentic. Great work that is thoughtful will find it's way in to many homes so long as it is not trying to be something it is not....he 'aint the Backstreet Boys (whom I think put out great work, but it serves an entirely different purpose). While it may true in some cases that homogenized slick pop music sells alot of records, there are many examples of the opposite...ie. Dylan, Cockburn, McKennitt, Amos, DeFranco...I feel that now, like no time before, we are breaking down the barriers of race, age, physicality, and any other perceptions you can drum up, and Daniel is free to be an artist in his own right. What may stop him or anyone from being that, is not some record company but rather himself. Lastly, there are few people I know, that do not know who he is, which he can use to his advantage. I think it would be powerful if he came up with his own marketing strategy, that has perhaps never been done before. Sometimes I feel as an artist myself that I can get in to a rut about how it is and I forget that there is a world out there that I know very little about. I have access as a creator to create something from nothing rather than following someone else or what has been done before, not negating the wisdom in learning from others' experiences. He is hardly a victim of the system nor does he need to be a victim of type casting. Sincerely, Ruthann Springle is a recording artist about to release her first CD entitled "Be" and is a vocal coach operating out of Toronto, Canada. She can be reached at (416) 690-2842 or by email springle@primus.ca The views expressed in Industry News are those of the authors only. No commercial use may be made of the material unless Permission is granted by the Author. |
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A PLAYER |
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Have you ever come across someone who just grabs your attention in such a way that you can't do anything but watch and listen? That's a Player. True excellence is more than being good...more than a talent/gift...more than charisma...it's found. Where is it found you might ask? It is found in the desire to be truly excellent. So many think their gifts and personality are the ticket, but it's just the entry to the field. A Player is someone who really believes in what they are doing and will pay the price to be there everyday because that is truly who they are. In my life I have come across few people I would consider real Players, but each changed my life for ever in a better way. They all shared some basic similarities; understated talent (natural excellence), a willingness to share their gift, and deep personal convictions. Their work, is always nothing short of stunning. When I find myself in the presence of a real Player there is a absolute joy to be experienced and it leaves me with something I will carry with me all my life. The spirit of excellence is not limited to a certain person or occupation. It's a person who forsakes good enough for the best. A true Player can come from anywhere at anytime...so keep attentive for you never know when class has started in the school of life. Always learning...never assuming...continually progressing...rarely satisfied... That's a Player |
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AT THE END |
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When all our days are done and all our words are said, When all our Love on you, |
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THE PROCESS |
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Many artists have genuine talent and ability but lose out because they don't understand the process. As an artist of multiple disciplines the understanding of the process is the foundation of a positive future. The Process is the journey from dreams to a way of life and the prices one must pay for it. No one gets there alone and no one has it all inside of themselves to arrive. Yet ego, pride and ignorance so often rule and close off any options for betterment. All around us is inspiration and endless supply of material and resource for all, not in one person but in all. Knowing and understanding how to make use of those commodities is the process. So in closing make no enemies but peace, burn no bridges for we never know what one we need to cross and an eye for an eye just makes two people blind. Our dreams are out there waiting for us to make the journey and pay the price but so many run their ship to destruction instead of learning to sail. |
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THE NEW SCHOOL PRAYER |
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Now I sit me down in school |
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ESCAPE THE ORDINARY |
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People used to hold live performances in high regard. How it is mostly a novelty. People mainly go to socialize and to get drunk. It is really no big deal to go see a band live because it is usually a disappointment compared to the recording. Of course back in the days when recording didn't have good sonic impacts, the live performance was the only way to REALLY hear what the band sounded like. Anyway, there is a whole other issue going on here. I call this the Karaoke Syndrome. It is based upon the seeming acceptance of MEDIOCRITY IN MUSIC. I think Karaoke started it. You know why I think this? Because Karaoke let any average joe get on a stage and sing. It is ready made. Hell, you don't even need to know the words, just an idea of the vocal-phrasing and pitch (the former certainly not being a given!) Karaoke is a fun thing to do. Don't get me wrong. And you just can't beat it for providing a forum so to speak for anyone to take their try at singing with somewhat decent background music. Also, seeing people who are drunk get up and really give a popular song the good old "amateur" treatment can be a real treat. The problem with Karaoke is that it has lowered peoples expectations of live performance talent. People are going out and hearing very limited talent on a regular basis from people who never had to dedicate themselves to the mundane stuff such as rehearsing or showing up to the gig on time, or not pissing the keyboard player off who has perfect pitch... In effect, these people have had music given to them without any effort on their part of making it happen. Also, the interaction of singer and musicianship is totally missing because the music is a recording and not subject to any variance at all. It is the same night in and night out. If the singer sucks a little, the music will still be the same. Also, if the singer is feeling a little peppy and wants to up the tempo a tad, no can do in Karaoke. Anyway, it is a hard concept to explain with my limited keyboard prowess. Basically, I am just trying to say that people have been hit with MEDIOCRE talent for several years now, and are now starting to APPLAUD it. Other people with limited talent notice that the charisma of the singer are more important than the actual ability to sing and say to themselves "Hell, I can act like that:, and proceed to do so. So now they get a big applause too, and eventually start to think that they are talented. The people listening start to think so too. They get so used to hearing vocals that are out of key, out of time, diction that is bad, etc..., and their brains tell them that this is good talent. But when we get into the world of the average listener, the standards don't mean much to them because they are usually not aware of them, not have trained their bodies in any way to adapt to them. Thus, they are more susceptible to "Impressions" of standards so to speak. Meaning, they are more willing to accept that which is far off of a standard as being standard. The problem starts when you try to tell them that what they "think" is good really isn't because they have an expectation of what sounds good, and anything else doesn't sound good to them. How do you convince them that they are wrong? Can you? Does it matter? How many times have you heard a song that sounded horrible to you at first, but after repeated listening it starts to "grow on you"? I think we all have had this happen. What is important to ask yourself is, why did it sound bad to you in the first place? Why doesn't it now? The first one is easy, it sounded horrible because it did not meet your expectation of what sounds good. The second one is easy too. Because your brain has a way of adapting and repetition has a way of making you accept it, no matter what you initially thought. So, we are back to defining that which sound good and that which don't. Anyone read that research long ago that showed that plants to where exposed to classical music thrived while plants that were exposed to Rock and Roll did not? Somewhat compelling don't you think? Many of our great composers found that certain chord arrangements played at certain tempos created really life emotions. They used this knowledge to create songs. But most orchestral arrangements don't just create one mood, they create many. They use tension, repetition, static, release, etc... to TELL A STORY. They also found that certain tones stacked upon each other created emotion. This is the basis for chords and tuning. When the standards of a chord and/or tuning are exceeded enough, we have a new chord or tuning. I feel that much of the modern music out today is incomplete. Certainly a Rap song does not evoke pictures in your mind, except for the words. But if the words where the only thing about music, why bother with music at all, just MUSIC, which is generally a repetition simple drum beat, and sometimes a repetition bass line, and on the rare occasion, a repetition melody. Listening to this only creates one mood, and offers nothing else. Usually, the song is short lived because the music is impossibly repetition and does not offer us much emotionally. It will not survive the test of time because the basis in the music lacks dimension. Why does the works of Bach and Mozart continue to be heard and played, hundreds of years after it was originally written? Because it is complex and rich in content. The music invokes many emotions and certainly could never be said to be "boring" if one is actually listening. The music itself seems to tell a story, and a good one at that. These pieces will survive several many more hundreds of years because it offers everything that makes music worthwhile. It has good rhythm, impeccable pitch, soothing harmonic content, exciting melodies, and mostly, complex content that is hard to find boring during a lifetime of listening to. Anyway, I believe that the point I am trying to make is that long standing standards for good musicianship have been developed. It would just seem though that they are mostly being ignored though by many aspiring musicians. |
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THE ART OF MASTERING |
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CD mastering is an art and a science. Mastering is the final creative and technical step prior to pressing a record album (CD, DVD, cassette, or other medium). The Craft of CD Mastering. The audio mastering engineer is a specialist who spends his or her entire time perfecting the craft of mastering. Audio mastering is performed in a dedicated studio with quiet, calibrated acoustics, and a single set of wide-range monitors. Signal paths are kept to a minimum and often customized gear and specialized tools are used. The monitors should not be encumbered by the interfering acoustics of large recording consoles, racks or outboard gear. In other words, the acoustics are first optimized, and all other considerations must be secondary to the acoustics. Seven Reasons Why Mastering is Needed. 1) Ear Fatigue Most music today is produced by recording to multi track tape. The next step is the mixdown. This mixdown may take anywhere from 4 hours to 4 weeks, depending on the producers predilections, the artists whims, and the budget. Usually each tune is mixed in isolation. Rarely do you have the luxury to switch and compare the songs as you mix. Some mixes may be done at 2 o'clock in the morning, when ears are fatigued, and some at 12 noon, when ears are fresh. The result: Every mix sounds different, every tune has a different response curve. 2) The Skew of the Monitors Monitoring speakers. It's really AMAZING when you think about it, but very few studios have accurate monitor systems. DID YOU KNOW, placing speakers on the top of a console creates serious frequency response peaks and clips? A typical control room is so filled with equipment that there's no room to place a monitor system without causing comb-filtering due to acoustic reflections. And though your heart is filled with good intentions, how often do you have time to take your rough mixes around, playing them on systems ranging from boomboxes to cars to AUDIOPHILE systems? Usually there is no time to see how your music will sound on various systems in different acoustic environments. The result: your mixes are compromised. Some frequencies stand out too much, and others too little. 3) More Me The producer was supposed to be in charge. He tried to keep the artists out of the mix room. But something went out of control. The producer was gone for the day, or the bassist had a fit of megalomania. Whatever... all the mixes sound like vocal, or bass, or (fill in appropriate instrument) solos. 4) May I Have Your Order, Please When mixing, you (the producer) often have no idea what order to put the tunes until after all the mixes are completed. If you physically compile these songs at unity gain, and listen to them one after another, it probably won't sound like "a record." Some tunes will jump out at you, others will be too weak; you may discover ( belatedly) that some tunes are too bright or weak in the bass, or that the vocal is a little weak, or that the stereo separation is too narrow (to wide). These things actually happen, even after weeks in the studio, and the problems sometimes don't become apparent until the album is assembled in its intended order, or auditioned in a good monitoring environment. 5) The Perspective of another Trained Ear The Buck Stops Here. The Mastering engineer is the last ear on your music project. He can be an artistic, musical, and technical sounding board for your ideas. Take advantage of his or her special ear... many beautiful music projects have passed through his or her studio. You may ask him or her how they feel about the order of the songs, how they should be spaced, and weather there's anything special that can make them stand out. They'll listen closely to every aspect of your album and may provide suggestions if you're looking for them. 6) Midi Madness Lately it sounds like everyone is using the same samples! Acoustic sounds are coming back in vogue, but perhaps you haven't got the budget to hire the London Symphony. So, you had to compromise by using samples. But you shouldn't compromise on mastering. Good mastering can bring out the acoustic quality in your samples, increasing your chance of success in a crowded music field. 7) Don't Try This At Home The invention of the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and the digital mixer is an apparent blessing but really a curse. Many musicians and studios have purchased low cost DAWs and digital mixers because they have been led to believe that sound quality will improve. Unfortunately, it's real easy to misuse this equipment. We've found many DAWs and digital mixers that deteriorate the sound of music, shrink the stereo image and soundstage, and distort the audio. There are several technical reasons for these problems-usually word length and jitter are compromised in these low-cost systems. Therefore, we recommend that you protect your audio from damage; use a mastering studio that employs a high-resolution system that enhances rather than deteriorates audio quality. Prepare your tapes properly, and avoid the digital pitfalls. IT'S NOT HOW LOUD YOU MAKE IT, IT'S HOW YOU MAKE IT LOUD! |
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FASHION TRENDS 2001 |
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Vegas was GREAT. The trend for hair was definitely - hot roots and dark ends. The look for 2001 is going back to the 80's but with a futuristic twist. There is a big punk/rocker influence (which I love) Make-up has a return to color, but not cheezy! So don't get too heavy with your hands. Everyone I worked with was super nice. The symposium was a huge success, and I am proud to say I was part of it. You can check out photos of this years REDKEN Symposium at redken.com |
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SHOWCASES CAN BE VALUABLE |
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The official showcases (PMA, New Music West, Country Music Week) are potentially invaluable oppurtunities that provide the chance to be seen by important managers, agents, and record company people. If you've landed a slot, you'd better be good, you'd better make an impact, and you'd better be organized. Otherwise this terrific platform for your talent could collapse underneath you. SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION Submitting your entry to showcase requires advance planning. My experience has been that many artists blow their chance at the outset. Too many of the submissions consist of little more than hand-scrawled notes on lined exercise book paper. Too many of the bios are inadequate, too many of the pictures look like they were taken by amateurs. One tape submitted to the CCMA last year arrived in a cracked cassete cover that had obviously spent a while on the floor of somebody's truck before it made it into the mail. LOOK AND ACT PROFESSIONAL Anybody who still believes, "The only thing that matters is the music", should take off their rose-colored glasses. Sure, the music counts, but when you have to listen to 185 submissions, you start out with the ones that come with professional-looking presentations. Years of doing this have taught the showcase committee members - and just about everyone else in the full-time, professional music business - that if the material that comes with the music looks like the work of amateurs, the music will probably sound that way too. If you want to boost your career, if you want succeed at this showcase, and at any others you apply for down the road, you must look professional. Only after those all-important first impressions, does the music get its chance. As many as 20 percent of applications simply do not look like they come from professional musicians. And since there are so many artist who deserve showcases, it's the professionals who rightly get chosen. Read the showcase rules carefully, and follow them to the letter. Apply well before the deadline. ALWAYS HAVE A KIT READY TO GO Whether or not your application to this or some other showcase opportunity was successful, try to keep a sharp-looking package consisting of a well-labelled tape/CD, bio material, photographs - even a video if you've got one ready to send at a drop af a hat. Check the dates of upcoming showcases, and make sure they're not when your baby is due or when you'll be visiting relatives in some far-away place. BE PREPARED The Boy Scout motto works! Surprisingly, many artists don't seem to plan their showcases. Simply put, there should be no showcase events (formal or otherwise) when you're not at your very best. Make sure your set is completely rehearsed. Ensure you have a well-balanced set of coherent, varied, and show-stopping songs, one after the other. Remember to make your between-song patter pertinent, and even funny if it suits the music and the occasion. And be in total command of the stage and, hopefully, the audience. Be in tune: Audiences in clubs often don't know and/or don't care; showcase judges and music industry professionsals always know. Don't make excuses for the songs, your voice, your dress, your band, the sound crew - the audience doesn't care. Don't talk too much. Don't talk to little. Don't be cute. Sing into the mike. And never, ever go over your allotted time. PROMOTE YOURSELF Once you've been accepted, promote yourself. Use your mailing list (you do have one, right?) and E-mail list to invite all the people you know to see the showcase, giving the correct venue, time and date. Print fliers, and hand 'em out at every opportunity during the showcase week. Send press releases to local media (the public's invited to this, too). Place well-designed posters everywhere you can. Talk yourself up. Hand out cards. Schmooze like mad. Explain why you're more worth hearing than the other acts. Make sure all your friends are there - bums in seats make it look like you're happening, even if you're not, and friendly support engenders confidence, and a better set. Do all these things non-stop, from the moment you know when your showcase is, or from the moment you arrive at the convention. The Magic of Believing
WRITTEN NOTES On a card write down what you desire most - one or two word description. Then duplicate this several more times and put it where you are going to see it. On the mirror, on the refrigerator, in your car, etc. Make it seen. Look at it just before going to sleep at night and again in the morning these are very important times of the day. Keep a note pad and pen with you because when ideas start to come, you wion't want to forget them. Don't talk about what you are going to do, it scatters the forces! You'll lose the close connection with the subconscious. Practise saying some mental affirmations to yourself also. "I am happy", "I will have that car" etc...whatever relates to what you have on the paper. These affirmations are to be continued until the desired results are obtained. You must at all time keep youer mind filled with positive thoughts so that their strong vibrations will ward off all negatuive thoughts that may come to you from the outside. THE MIRROR TECHNIQUE By practising in front of a mirror, you re-enforce the subconscious mind into believing what you tell it. First stand in front of a mirror either full length, or from your shoulders up. Stand tall, shoulders back, good posture and then take 3 or 4 deep breaths until you feel a source of power, strength, and determination. Next look into the very depths of your eveys and tell yourself you are going to get what you want. Name it out loud so you can see and hear yourself saying it. Practice this at least twice a day. Morning and evening. This will bring confidence and belief and most importantly RESULTS!! The mirror helps to develop the power of your eyes. By practising this technique your eyes will take on a power that you never realized you can develop. Thi intensity will match the intensity of your thought that people will come to recognize. Your mirror shows you the person others see when they look at you, and you can fashion yourself into any kind of person you want them to see. PROJECTING YOUR THOUGHTS Closely linked with this matter of initiative are interest and attention. The more interested you are in something, the more attention you give it and the greater are the results. The thing that we get back from a person is a reflection of our thoughts mentally. If we think someone is a good guy chances are we will react to him as if he was a good guy and he'll turn out to be so. If we think someone is mean, we will react to him like we think he is and he will turn out to be so. Whatever you desire, you must go to where people who already have what you want. For example, if you want money you have to associate with people who already have it or who know how to make it. You are here to pick up on their habits and how they think and incorporate that into your thought process. If you think confidence, you wil;l act confident and others will pick up on that, just as if you think you are nervous, you will act and project nervousness. So project the right kind of thoughts, those that relate to what your desires are, or to the kind of person you would like to be. |
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5 STAR MANGEMENT ARTIST RECENT PRESS & TOUR PHOTOS |
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GARLAND HEADLEY WHEAT MONKEYS ROB PALACOL SARAH PANNELL The Star Phoenix Sarah Pannell was just singing for the fun of it when fate joined the chorus. Pannell, a 23-year-old Saskatoon hairdresser, hums constaintly at work, sings at friends weddings and makes occasional appearances on the karaoke stage at Crackers. It wasn't meant to go any futher, until a girlfriend introduced Pannell to musician Garland Headley, who introduced her to producer Miles P. Yohnke, who fell in love with her voice. Yohnke recorded Pannell singing the song Get Here by Brenda Russell, a cappella. He released the song on his 5 Star Productions website and has sent the single out to major labels. "This actually wasn't a planned thing." said Pannell, a fan of singers like Jann Arden, Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride. Pannell now has more to worry about than cutting and styling-like a TV appearance earlier this week and an upcoming gig with Garland Headley on Dec 11 at the broadway Theatre, where she'll be singing backup and singing her song. "I just love to sing," says Pannell. The Star Phoenix Saskatoon singer Sarah Pannell releases her CD single Get Here on Tuesday at 7 p.m. via Internet on www.5-starproductions.com The song will be available in stores Dec 21. RICHARD MARSHAL DIVISION The Star Phoenix The Richard Marshal Division Plays it all. The Saskatoon band's list of covers ranges from stuff as new as My Music at Work by the Tragically Hip to old cheatnuts like Wouldn't it be Nice by the Beach Boys. Of course, the |
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