GET THAT RECORD DEAL!








Actually, anybody that tells you there is an exact formula you can follow to get signed is lying. The truth is, there is no exact formula that will land you a record deal, period. This may be disappointing for some to hear: I know I was disappointed when I first heard the truth.

Although a record deal can sometimes come about just by being in the right place at the right time, there are several things you can do to maximize the possibility of attracting a major label or production company to get them interested in signing you.

First and foremost, be ready! Make sure your skills are developed to the point that they can compete with the best the industry has to offer. A&R, managers, and the like are subject to hearing some pretty awful stuff. If you can offer something that sounds amazing, it should greatly increase your chances of getting signed. Remember if your stuff is not as good or better than what’s already out there, the only thing your demo will have a good shot at is the office garbage can.

If you have to spend money somewhere, spend it on production and mixing. This can’t be stressed enough. It all boils down to having good product. You can do everything in your power to attract attention to your music, but If it sucks nobody is going to care. Although some label A&R claim they can hear talent through low budget production, in my experience it pays to have the best sounding product you can. Because it is sometimes extremely difficult to get heard at all, it makes sense not to blow it when you finally do get a chance by delivering the musical equivalent of nails on a chalk board.

Now that you’ve got the skills and a tight product, you should be doing everything in your power to create a buzz for yourself. In order to do this you’re going to need a plan and a team to help you carry it out. You should be doing shows, selling CD’s, trying to get some radio support (even if it’s just college radio), and doing anything and everything else you can to get some kind of following.

It helps to have an established following, a good street team, and some strong independent sales when seeking a record deal. The more you do on your own, the less the label has to do, and ultimately the happier they are. In fact, A&R will often seek you out (eg. come to your show to hear what all the fuss is about) if you've done a really good job of promoting yourself.

Next you are going to need a manager. Now you might be thinking you want to manage yourself. Think again. Your buddy that follows you around to all your shows, again, bad choice. At this point, you should be seriously considering seeking out a professional manager. The right manager will make all the difference when it comes to getting signed. What I mean by the right manager is one who digs your music and will really hustle to get you put on. This manager should also have some pretty good industry connections; otherwise the help he can offer you will be limited.

As well as a personal manager, you’ll need a good entertainment attorney to negotiate all your contracts (including the one with your manager) so you don’t get screwed. Also, a good entertainment lawyer (one that actually has industry connections) will be able to help get your music into the right hands as well. Make sure the lawyer you retain is working for you, not the label or your manager!

Ok, so let’s recap. You’ve honed your skills, produced a tight product, created a strong buzz, and got yourself a good personal manager and lawyer. Now what? Well, from this point on your manager will basically put a plan of action together for you and together you will carry it out. You should now be well on your way to your first record deal. This can be a long road, so it’s important to keep a positive mental attitude. Make sure everyone around you (your team) also stays positive. The music business isn’t for the faint of heart! Good Luck!



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Meatloaf, Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back
Peter Frampton, Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours
Gordon Lightfoot, Time In A Bottle
Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Steve Miller Band, Jet Airliner


Local Artist Of The Day:

Tony Jones

TROUBLE PERFORMING?








Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians, singers, actors and dancers. It happens any time we feel pressure to "perform" in a specific situation or over a period of time. Writing a book or creating a painting or sculpture may evoke symptoms as well.

Symptoms of performance anxiety include "butterflies" in the stomach, quickened heart rate or more severe symptoms such as hyperventilation, dizziness or intense fear.

The 5 main reasons for performance anxiety are:

1. We're not present in the moment, inside our body.

When we're focused on our (negative) thoughts and on what we *think* about what's happening, as opposed to just taking in the sensory information from around us without analyzing it, we miss out on what's happening.

2. Perfectionism.

Unrealistic expectations can warp our perceptions of how great we actually are!

3. Lack of training in performance-specific skills.

Sometimes our training is focused more on the execution of our art form, and not specifically focused on helping us become comfortable and confident performers. Performing is not natural for everyone and needs to be learned.

4. Past trauma.

People who have suffered abuse or trauma have a much harder time being "exposed" in a performance setting. Sometimes, also, we have had traumatic experiences to do with our art form – such as critical teachers or harsh performance experiences.

5. Difficulty connecting with other people.

Gifted performers have sometimes grown up very isolated because of time spent with their art form instead of "playing" with their peers. When you generally think of yourself as different or an outsider, or in terms of "me" and "them", being in front of an audience just magnifies that and it becomes more difficult to think of the audience as lovingly receiving your talents and gifts. Instead you may see them as judgmental or unkind.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Rush, Tom Sawyer
Eric Clapton, Layla
Papa Roach, Scars
The Allman Brothers Band, Whipping Post
Seether, Truth


Local Artist Of The Day:

The B-Sides

Say Something








The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's what it's done for me over the past 25 years. Now, the question is, is the music that powerful, or am I just too easy to inspire? Both I guess.

When something really hits me I tend to pay attention to it, like a smack in the face. It's tough to ignore something that's truly eye-opening. I pay attention to things that open my eyes, things that make me think and feel, like music. When I listen to Rush sometimes I laugh because of their comical aspects, sometimes I cry because of the impact of certain phrases or melodies, or indeed the combination thereof. I'm also often floored by the power of the music, and the sheer talent that created it.

The music of Rush can be incredibly gentle, and touching, stuff I would play for mom, unlike my old AC/DC or Ozzy Ozbourne (there's a story for another day), though I'm sure she has heard them vibrating the walls of my room one time or another. Rush also makes great wall-rattling tunes that you just have to crank up, songs with drive and power that make you want to play dashboard drums while you cruising along the highway. I'm a frequent dashboard drummer, though I can scarcely keep up with Neil Peart's double bass thumping -- my gas pedal gets in the way.

Sorry about that, back to my initial thought...

I feel many emotions when I listen to music, whether it's Rush, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, Coldplay or a host of other great musicians and bands. The fact is, music inspires. A great song puts on its gloves and gives you a good one two punch.

Okay, some great songs just have a good grove, or catchy chorus, but when you're listening to not-top-40 music like Rush, stuff that's not at all heard on mainstream commercial radio, you're listening to a band that's made it as far as they have because of their influence and talent. Their fans love them because of what they say, what they play, and how they play and say it. Don't trip there.

I can't imagine what my life would be like without some of these great musicians and writers. And while their music inspires greatly, we must understand that they're still human, and humans make mistakes. Do as I say, not as I do. :)

When something hits me, I look to see what it was. How often do you feel an impact? I guess that's why I write and record music as well, because I'd like to influence people the way I've been influenced, positively. I have stuff to say, do you? Say it. If we say enough good things, we won't have to worry about what the papers say when we make a mistake, the people we've influenced won't dwell on it.

I was hit by the Bob Marley song "Could you be loved" that ends with the repeated phrase "Say something... say something...say something.."

Great song. Great idea.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Bryan Adams, Summer Of 69
Huey Lewis And The News, Heart Of Rock N' Roll
Nickelback, How You Remind Me
Brother, 2 Chairs And One Tree
Bread, The Guitar Man


Local Artist Of The Day:

Robin Overall

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ??







What is the big deal with music? Do you know that over 50 million people searched Overture for the term “music” during the month of February, 2006? What’s all the fuss about? Is it true that music moves the soul? Is it true that a song can take us back to a specific time or memory in our lives?

Music is something that has been interwoven in all of our lives from the time we were first born to now. We even know songs that were released before we were born. This probably reveals information about my age, but I was very young when the Beatles were popular, when Elvis was making all the women hot, and when Patsy Cline was belting out her tunes. That is the great thing about music; a great song will be around for a long time. If you are anything like me, you can’t wait to hear all the great songs and artists that have yet to come. I have to tip my hat to the songwriters because I don’t know how they do it. Kudos to you all.

I mentioned something a second ago about tunes and that gets me thinking; now we go to iTunes to buy music for our iPods. Go figure. We have made the transition from records to 8-tracks to tapes to CDs and now everything is purely digital. Have you ever heard of a MP3? We can fit thousands of songs on one tiny little memory chip. We can even listen to satellite radio anywhere on the globe so we are never away from our favorite music. What’s next? It will sure be interesting to watch and find out.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Aerosmith, Dream On
Green Day, American Idiot
James Taylor, Sweet Baby James
Led Zepplin, Immigrant Song
Finger Eleven, One Thing


Local Artist Of The Day:

Axiomatic

Your First Guitar







Your first guitar can become a good friend that you'll have around you for many years. On the other hand, it can be something that you put in the attic after six months and basically forget about.

If a parent or loved one is reading. Dear friend, make sure the first guitar that you purchase as a gift is playable and not a piece of junk. Your son or daughter, regardless of talent, may be turned off from the git-go with a lousy instrument. Seek out an adult friend who plays guitar to go with you for the purchase.

The following refers to acoustic guitars.
If you are just beginning guitar, it's important (I think) that you get a first guitar with the following traits. Your guitar should play easily. Since you may be beginning, it's a good idea to take a guitar playing friend with you to the music store to try out guitars. He or she can tell you whether the instrument is easy or difficult to play. Remember, you don't have to agree with all your friend says about the guitar. But he or she has been playing guitar and their input is very valuable. Your guitar should stay in tune. In tune basically means the strings don't loosen,even slightly, on you guitar as you play it. You guitar should sound good. When your friend is playing the guitar that you're looking at, does it sound smooth,warm-when he ends the song, does the chord seem to float for a while in the air? That's sort of what you're looking for. And for 80% of us in North America-Your guitar should be reasonably priced.

Here are some recommendations based on my own experience. They are not all inclusive and I am not endorsing a particular brand. Low Priced Guitar-For the money, if feel that Yahama is a fine beginner acoustic guitar. I have never played a bad one. I've never played one that would slowly go out of tune as you did a gig or played more than one song. If you got the money (or mom or dad's got it) Martin, I believe, is hard to beat. The sustain or how long the note goes on after you stop picking is incredible. The Martin tone is warm, distinct and....beautiful.Other quality instruments that I have played and that I can give my imperfect heads up are Gibson, Acoutic Fender, and the lower priced guitars made by the above companies.

Before I depart, I offer the following tips:

Buy a case with your guitar. You have made a serious investment to purchase something that should give you enjoyment for many years. It would be a shame if Bubba, the bull-dog, pushed your guitar down the stairs or left his reprocessed lunch on the guitar laying on the floor! If you don't have a lot of money, just buy a cheap case. It will give you protection for your guitar. Additionally, it's easier to carry around. Guitar picks-When you buy your first guitar, make sure you get picks. Buy one light, one medium, and one heavy. As you learn the guitar, select the pick that you like best-the one that works for you. The medium pick is a good place to start for the beginner. Guitar tuner-These little electronic devices are relatively cheap. They allow you to turn your guitar as close to perfect as you can get. They are a good and useable investment. The recommendations above are only for steel-string, acoustic guitars. If you're in to electric guitars,you can find relevant information on the web about them.

Good luck on finding and purchasing your first guitar. I hope that you will develop your new craft and find years of enjoyment in your purchase.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

BTO, She's Some Kind Of Wonderful
The Cars, Let's Go
Louis XIV, Finding Out True Love Is Blind
Hamell On Trial, Coulter's Snatch
Seether, Remedy


Local Artist Of The Day:

Joe Bendik

Mixing Techniques and Tips - Just Hit Mute
By Peter Weis




Mixing everything The most common noises you’ll get rid of are things like some one breathing, a note book page of rhymes being turned or better yet the under lying tone of the room that starts build up as your track count increases. Using the automation of your DAW is essential to this step. Alternately you could edit out noise manually or try using a noise gate but right now the MUTE button is the star so show it some love. Using the automated mutes also makes it look cool when your mixes play back every one will thing you a pro engineer. The other secret and mysterious power of the mute button is using it to sculpt the arrangement of your track. Use the mute button to turn of sounds during sections of a track. Every instrument in a beat or song doesn’t need to play the entire way through the track. Use the mute button to create breaks in the drum patterns or open up sections of the song. Doing this will help add interest to your mix and bring out the form of the song. Maybe if you just came out of a heavy section of a song like the chorus you could mute out a few instruments at the beginning of the verse so they dynamics of the track change and contrast a bit. Then as the verse continues slowly add instruments back in building back up to the chorus. The possibilities of what you can do with your beats and songs in endless and so are the amount of interest it will add to your mix.

Producer and Engineer Peter Weis is owner of GNX Music. GNX Music provides music engineering, beats, sounds and recording services to Major and Independent Labels, Television Shows and Advertising and Unsigned Artists. Music produced and composed Jazdout has been used by MTV, MTV2, FOX, NBC, the NFL Network and more. HIP HOP BEATS, DRUM SOUNDS, PRODUCTION AND ENGINEERING
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Weis



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Green Day, Time Of Your Life
Macabre, Jack The Ripper
Jefferson Starship, We Built This City On Rock N' Roll
Rebel Meets Rebel, Nothing To Lose
Cannibal Corpse, Make Them Suffer

Local Artist Of The Day:

Resonant Soul

How to Start Your Own Band

By: Kathy Unruh








Every once in awhile a guitar player will express a desire to be in a band. If this is your ambition too, then read on. Whether you're a guitar player or not doesn't really matter. If you are a talented singer or musician then the question is, do YOU want to be in a band? In this article you will find some helpful ideas on how to get started in that direction.

One of the first things you will need to do is gain EXPOSURE for yourself. This can be as easy as following three simple steps:

1. Tell everyone you know that you want to start a band.(Word of mouth advertising is one of the best advertising strategies)

2. Make a flyer to put up around town (in music stores, at schools, on bulletin boards, etc.)

3. Place a classified ad in all the local newspapers

Here is an example of something you might say in your advertising:

"Lead guitarist seeking individuals interested in starting a Heavy Metal band. Looking for a lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist and drummer. If you have a desire to use your musical gifts, please call (give your name and phone number) for an interview."

You can make the ad as detailed or generic as you need to. The important thing is to have a clear idea in your own mind of who you want in your band. Do you need a bass player, singer, drummer...? What type of qualifications or experience will you expect? Is age a factor? Jot down a list of questions to ask and keep it by your phone. When someone does call, you will be ready to have the interview right on the spot. Try to make your questions require only a very short reply, or yes or no answer. That way, it will be easier for you to take notes. If someone looks like a good potential band mate, get their phone number and tell them you would like to call them back after you are through holding your interviews. Try not to keep people waiting too long (between 2-4 weeks) if possible. When you’re ready, review your notes and decide who you want to call. Set up a time that is convenient for everyone you've selected to meet at YOUR CHOSEN LOCATION. This is important if you want to establish yourself as the originator of the band in order to maintain an influence on its direction. I should insert a word of caution here. You might want to "play it safe" by not inviting them to your home until after you get to know them a little better. After all, they are strangers, but it's your call of course.

You may want to keep the first meeting with your new band members very low key. Use the time to make introductions, share past experiences, set goals, discuss ideas, etc. This will give you the opportunity to gauge whether you think each personality is going to be able to work together and get along. Avoid egocentric people like the plague as they will just create friction with other members of the band. Assess everyone fairly, but realistically. It's better to get rid of a bad apple right away, rather than allow them to spoil the enthusiasm for the rest of the group.

After your first band meeting, you can aim for the next one to be an informal "jam" session. At this time you will be able to get a feel for whether the group is going to gel or not. But don't be too hasty in your decisions! I remember one time “auditioning" for a band and being so self-conscious that I just couldn't relax and enjoy the experience. It was a local band that I had known of for some years and often desired to be a part of. Even though I had already acquired quite a bit of experience performing on my own, this was different. It was someone else's "thing". Nothing seemed to go right! After I got home that evening, I was sure they would never call me back. The surprise was, they did! However, the second time wasn't much better, but they decided to give me another chance and invited me to come back one more time. It's a good thing for me, because the third time was the charm. Our voices and music blended so perfectly that I just knew I was in. I share this story so that you might give your new fledgling band some time to get off the ground. If nothing seems to ignite a spark after giving it a fair amount of time, then you might want to reconsider your options. That’s something only you will be able to determine.

Well, that's about all there is to it really. Once you've got your band members picked, you're ready to start making music! If you have some original tunes, be sure to share them with the others. See if anyone else in the group has written any songs too. Be open, honest and ready for almost anything. If you establish your own priorities first, it will help you to stay focused through whatever ups and downs may come along. And always remember, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Boston, Let Me Take You Home Tonight
Deep Purple, Space Truckin'
Nine Inch Nails, I Wanna Fuck You Like An Animal
Tool, Naked Fringe
Foghat, Fool For The City


Local Artist Of The Day:

Huge World Project

Music as Therapy?







Frustrated in a gridlocked?

Job got you stressed out?

The children have you going crazy?

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

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

Truly amazing isn't it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why do you like it?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No more! No less!

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



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

BTO, She's Some Kind Of Wondeful
Foreigner, Cold As Ice
Drowning Pool, Bodies
David Essex, Rock On
Modest Mouse, Float On

Local Artist Of The Day:

High Tide

Press Kit Strategies








The main goal in creating a press kit is to generate interest in an artist and the music they play. A press kit includes background information, photos, samples of music, a listing of past and future gigs you have scheduled, and any other pertinent information.

A press kit is used as a way of introducing and artist to newspapers, the media, promoters, and music industry leaders. You can create a press kit that is mailed to the appropriate recipients and it is a good idea to have an electronic form of your press kit that can be emailed and posted on web sites.

Things to include in your press kit:

Offer a limited a mount of information about yourself, your band, and your style of music. Don't give the reader more information than they want. If your introduction is too lengthy, you will lose the interest of your intended audience.

Talk about your music, the way in which you perform your songs, your sound, and who your influences are. You will want to give a good idea of what you may sound like in these descriptions. Do not be afraid to interject a little humor into your descriptions. You will get someone's attention during the very first minute they open your press kit. If you do not captivate them immediately, they will lose interest.

Describe the things that make you special in comparison to everyone else. What are your skills and experience level? Why would a record promoter or executive gain by giving you a chance to record and market your music? Record companies spend a great deal of money in promoting new artists. You will want to make it clear why you would be a good investment.

Include press clippings and quotes as they become available. A remark made about you by a reputable person will go a long way in making your press kit credible. This will let the reader know that you have been recognized as a talent to be reckoned with and could possibly create extra momentum for you while you are trying to launch your career. Whether you are in need of a singer, musician, or actor press kit, recognition from others is a great tool in promoting yourself.

You really only need one page of your press kit to be devoted to a biography and one page that includes quotes and press clippings. This rule stands even in an online portfolio. By keeping each topic on a simple page, you are much more likely to hold the interest of the person who receives your press kit. Make sure the tone of your band press kit is in line with who you are as a person and the type of music you perform.

A sample of your music in the form of a high quality CD or clips that can be heard in an electronic press kit are critical. Make certain you label the CD with your name and contact information. If someone loves your music but has misplaced the rest of your press kit, you will want this information to readily available to them.

Be careful not to overdo the self-promotion. You should be positive and state your ambitions, but shameless self-promotion will make you look unprofessional and less than credible. Also avoid including too much personal information. No one cares (yet) about your first pet, your grades in elementary school, or your personal phobias. Keep the focus on your music and your accomplishments. You want to be sure you do not look desperate for work, even if you really are.

Include a personal cover letter to whomever you send your press kit to, and try to avoid sending your musician press kit unsolicited. It is always better to have a referral from a friend or associate of the person you wish to see your material.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Og The Day:

Peter Townshend, Let My Love Open The Door
AC/DC, Son Of A Bitch
Bob Seger, Drift Away
Nickelback, Feeling Way Too Damn Good
Disturbed, Stricken

Local Artist Of The Day:

Christine LeDoux

The Infinite Steve Vei






Some guys are strictly there for the guitar and have little or no concerns with the costumes, stage show (or setting the guitar on fire in addition to being a guitar virtuoso.) In the mid 80s', a whole crop of technically dazzling whiz kid guitarists took claim of their part of the music world. Among the most visible and acclaimed was Steve Vai. Steve was born on Long Island, and after discovering music in high school and formed a band with another guitar playing buddy, Joe Satrini, (Hey, do they grow these guys on Long Island or what?) After high school, Vai was a shoo-in for Berklee in Boston. It was while a student at Berklee. In storybook fashion, he contacted one of his musical role models, Frank Zappa with a transcription of one of Frank's more challenging pieces. The normally unflappable Zappa was so impressed, he recruited Vai to join his band.

Vai was an intrinsic member of Zappas band during the golden (almost) commercial age of Zappa's career. In the early '80s. through Tinseltown Rebellion, Valley Girl and You Are What You Is. Steve was the fella with the blue hair who achieved notoriety vis a vis the song Stevie's Spanking, which was included on Them Or Us.

After Steve left Zappa in 1984, he released Flex-able and Flex-able Leftovers in 1984. It wasn't long before more commercial environs beckoned, and Vai soon joined Graham Bonnet in a short-lived hard rock outfit called Alcatrazz. Vai also appeared in the movie Crossroads as the devil's guitar player.

Steve's biggest break occurred when he joined buddy Billy Sheehan in David Lee Roth's band. Vai's guitar mastery , coupled with Dave's whack-job persona w/ 1986's Eat Em and Smile Vai continued on with Roth until 1988's Skyscraper (which he co-produced).

Unlike his former lead singer Roth, Vai had always put music #1, and he worked with guitar manufactuer Ibanez on his own line of guitars, the Jem 777 series. After joining Whitesnake for one album (Slip of the Tongue), Vai left to concentrate on his solo career. 1989s' Passion and Warfare became one of the few instrumental rock albums in recent memory to hit the gold sales plateau. Steve also created another line of guitars for Ibanez - with seven strings!

Playing against his usual type for the first time, Vai started his own rock band with a vocalist in 1993. In an era marked by grunge and alternative, though, the album failed to dent the charts. Vai soon returned to his first love - instrumental guitar. He released a slew of albums in the 1990s', including Alien Love Secrets, Fire Garden and The Ultra Zone. Along with his high school friend, Joe Satrini, he performs every year on the all guitar virtuoso tour G3. Ardent fans of fast-fingered instrumental guitar can follow all the nuances of Vai's career on The Secret Jewel Box, a just-released ten CD retrospective.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Black Eyed Peas, My Humps
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Brown Eyed Girl
Rolling Stones, Under My Thumb
John Mellencamp, Authority Song
Hamell On Trial, Hail

Local Artist Of The Day:

Bobby Blades

REMEMBER FOREIGNER?






Foreigner is a rock and roll band formed in Rochester, New York, USA in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and Ian McDonald (see 1976 in music). Despite accusations of formulaic commercialism, Foreigner's unique style of heavy metal with keyboard flourishes has racked up sales of over 50 million records worldwide to date.

The band is led by British journeyman rocker Mick Jones (former member of Nero and the Gladiators, Spooky Tooth, and The Leslie West Band) who in early 1976 met with ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald and formed Foreigner with Lou Gramm and three other musicians who were all unknown at the time to form a sextet.

The band's debut album Foreigner sold more than four million copies in the United States and stayed in the Top Twenty for a year with such hits as "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice", and "Long Long Way From Home". Their sophomore effort, Double Vision, topped their previous selling 5 million records and spawned "Hot Blooded" and title track "Double Vision". The third album Head Games was also successful due to the thunderous "Dirty White Boy" and another title track hit "Head Games". 1980 brought personnel changes so that now that band was a quartet and Rick Wills played bass. The leaving members Gagliardi and Greenwood went on to the failed band Spys.

Foreigner's next album, their fourth and appropriately named 4, was their biggest hit containing "Jukebox Hero", "Waiting for a Girl Like You", and "Urgent". Their next album, Agent Provocateur, gave them their only #1 hit, a gospel-inspired ballad backed by the New Jersey Mass Choir, "I Want to Know What Love Is". The band released several more albums with moderate success, and in the late 1980s Jones and Gramm each put out solo efforts and the band dissolved. But by 1993, however, the two reunited, reforming Foreigner and producing a new album. The reformed band is still together and toured throughout the United States recently with Journey. In VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock", Foreigner ranked 86th. Foreigner today is a staple of classic rock stations, and they still maintain legions of fans who admire and adore their innovative arena rock anthems, which have had a major effect on music and culture in the United States.

In summer of 2005 the band reformed with Mick Jones as the only original member of the band, four other hired musicians, and Jason Bonham, son of the late John Bonham, on drums.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Kansas, Dust In The Wind
Devo, Whip It
Ted Nugent, Fred Bear
Dave Matthews Band, Stay
Bob Seger, Night Moves


Local Artist Of The Day:

Catchpole

GO BANANAS!!!!!








Yes, it really is possible to go bananas with your music! Take my word for it, because I’ve helped many musicians do so in the past and here’s your chance to do it to. One of the most important ways to sky rocket your sales, increase your fan base and music career is to start your online newsletter that keeps people updated about what’s going on in the life of an artist, which is you.

I’m quite pleased to say that the online newsletters are one of the most important mediums through which you can keep in touch with everyone, and of course, is the cheapest and cost-effective way of doing so.

There are so many newsletter providers online that can help you for free or for a small fee. The one I recommend is Constant Contact, because it lets you send unlimited emails free to up to 50 members, and then you pay a fee when it increased in number.

It’s also important to define what the newsletter will convey to your fans. Will it be about you as an artist? Will it be based around your band? Will you mention other acts or items in there? Also define its frequency. How often will you send it out? Every week? Every fortnight? Every month? It doesn’t matter what you choose, but ensuring you stick to it is important, as people tend to look out for it if they enjoy it! And they will enjoy it!

Also think about the content when planning. How much will you put in it? Will you use images, and if so, what kind? Will you store past issues in a way that people can access it? Will you feature advertisements?

The main thing for me to convey here is to keep it realistic, simple and write in a tone that is friendly and understandable. Its important to ask for feedback now and again, and perhaps feature comments from your fans now again. Give your articles some kick too!

Instead of your regular two eyes! Get four! Once you’ve written it, get someone to proofread it so that it’s to a good level. Better to have people know that you’ve put effort, and not just doing it because you have to.

Getting a newsletter done is a real simple job! Really!

If you can’t do it, or haven’t got the time, get your manager to do it. Or someone else at least, but do it! It’s really important and it builds relationships and trust with your audience.

The next important thing then is to actually have people to send your online newsletters too. Start small, and grow organically – that’s my secret! Add all your family and friends onto your newsletter list. Then wherever you go, whomever you see, wherever you perform, have a mailing list form/chart that people can fill it out should they wish to so that they can keep up to date with your work. Don’t force it, but let it flow out of you.

If you want some more help in really getting your newsletter to catching and sales quality so that you are making some passive revenue this way, get in touch with us to see how you can better your newsletter.




Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Joe Cocker, You Can Leave Your Hat On
Steve Vei, The Attitude Song
Neil Young, Keep On Rockin' In The Free World
Pantera, I'm Broken
Tool, Sober

Local Artist Of The Day:

Ryan Smith

QUIZ TIME!!!!







1.) What is the full name of KC of K.C. and the Sunshine band?

2.) Where did the name Lynard Skynard come from?

3.) What was the name of the singer with the 70's funk band Wild Cherry?

4.) What are the real names to Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath?

5.) What was the name of the supergroup featuring Eric Clapton and Duane Allman?

6.) What do Triumph, BTO, and The Guess Who have in common?

7.) What was Debbie Harry's first band?

8.) What is the name of the poem on Black Sabbath's first record?

9.) Who sang Jesus Lives In Garberville?

10.) Who was the lead singer in Pink Floyd?

11.) What band was Jim Morrison from?

12.) Who is the longest playing rock band?

13.) What was AC/DC's first big hit?

14.) What is Queen's drummers full name?

15.) Who wrote most of the lyrics for Elton John in the 70's?



Answers:

1.) Harry Wayne Casey
2.) From Robie Van Zante's highschool gym teacher
3.) Robert Parissi
4.) John Osbourne, Frank Iommi, and Terrence Butler
5.) Derek and The Dominoes
6.) Randy Bachman was in all three bands
7.) Wind In The Willows
8.) Still Falls The Rain
9.) C.J. Parker
10.) Roger Waters
11.) The Doors
12.) The Rolling Stones
13.) "TNT"
14.) Roger Meadows Taylor
15.) Bernie Taupin


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Black Label Society, Been A Long Time
Quiet Riot, Bang Your Head
Nine Inch Nails, The Hand That Feeds
Meatloaf, Bat Out Of Hell
Eagles, Hotel California

Local Artist Of The Day:

Ali Handal

VARIETY OF MUSIC








Music has been around for centuries. People have always enjoyed hearing the sweet tones of music in almost every imaginable situation. It is in the variety of music that a beautiful song can be found. Varieties not only in the different types of music but also in how you can listen to it, play it, and watch in.

First, let us talk about the different types of music. When music was first made, we can imagine cave men chanting and pounding on fashioned drums. But, in actuality, the first music was probably song. Regardless, we have so many types of music today that anyone can find some form that interests them.

And, people look to music in many different ways as well. Some use it to celebrate a special occasion. Others enjoy it as a way of relaxing. In the car, in the home, and even in the shower, people use music to display their emotions, feelings, and thoughts. It is a wonderful outlet for many people in many different ways. In fact, the same song can mean something totally different from one person to the next. It is in the interpretation that each individual can explore what they want from music.

Now, to get that music into our lives, we do so many different things. Radio used to be the only way to get the music that we wanted. But, with more and more people demanding the music stars that they love (and of course we must have it instantly) there are many other ways of listening as well. We have gone from listening to records to 8 tracks to cassette tapes to the CD. We download our music to our cell phones, computers, and to our Ipods. We listen to it continuously. From the moment we wake up and the alarm clock’s radio starts to the television we watch to the movies we see, in the car and at the office. It is everywhere we are.

Because music is such a popular feature, the market is huge. With so much variety to offer, it is no wonder that music is such a huge market. Millions of dollars are spent each year on producing, marketing and selling music. Because people love music, there will more than likely always be a large demand of new styles, new groups, and new songs. We look forward to each and every day of it too!



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

James Taylor, You've Got A Friend
Pantera, Walk
The Beatles, Hey Jude
Seether, Remedy
AC/DC, She Shook Me All Night Long


Local Artist Of The Day:

2nd Life

KARAOKE------IT'S FUN!!





Karaoke. For some of us the word makes us want to lose our lunch. For others it's a source of great fun and enjoyment. So what is it, what's the attraction, and where did this form of entertainment even come from? We'll try to answer some of these questions in this article.

Well, for those of you who don't know this, Karaoke actually originated in Japan and has since spread throughout most of the world. How it actually originated is a bit or a mystery and maybe more myth than fact. One story that has circulated around the world is that it started in Kobe when a snack bar owner, when his entertainment for the evening failed to appear, put on tapes of music and asked people if they wanted to sing. The word itself comes from Kara, which means empty and oke, which is short for orchestra. Thus karaoke means "empty orchestra." So rather than containing both vocal and instrumental tracks karaoke tracks have only music. The vocals are provided by a live person. The fun part of this is that this live person is not a professional singer. In a karaoke bar when the music starts somebody from the audience will get up on stage and sing to the music in the background. To assist them they have a microphone and the lyrics are displayed on some kind of a screen or TelePrompTer. The fun comes from many directions; either laughing hysterically at somebody who obviously can't sing or cheering someone on who has a voice that belongs on Broadway. In a Karaoke bar you'll get both types.

In the early days Karaoke tracks were recorded on tape. They have since moved to CD and finally incorporating on screen graphics and videos. Today you can download karaoke tracks off the Internet. Yes, this has become big business. But it doesn't end there. You can buy for yourself home karaoke sets so that you can have your own karaoke night in your own home.

So why the craze? What is it about karaoke that people just can't get enough of it? There are many theories to this but the most common psychological theory is that most people are closet pop stars. Many of us who dream of being on stage singing popular music for a living either don't have the voice or the nerve or both. With karaoke they can get up on stage, live out their fantasy and not have to worry about how good or bad they sound. With karaoke the rule of thumb of etiquette is that you applaud for the person no matter what. So there is no fear of rejection or failure. Also this is a good way for many people to get over their stage fright if they have it.

An associate of mine tells me that if you've never gone to a karaoke bar and got up in front of a room full of people to make a fool of yourself you don't know what you're missing. Well, there must be something to it as karaoke has become a multi billion dollar industry. I guess people just can't resist the urge to ham it up.




Deb's Top 5 Song Of The Day:

The All American Rejects, Dirty Little Secret
3 Doors Down, Here Without You
Kiss, Rock N' Roll All Night
Steppen Wolf, Born To Be Wild
Joe Cocker, The Letter

Local Artist Of The Day:

Tinfoil

WRITE FOR YOURSELF






Now this is a novel concept for some people. If you didn’t have to please anyone, and didn’t have to follow a bunch of rules, what would you write? Which genre? Which instruments? Put your wish list together and just get going. Here are a few ideas you might try if you find yourself stuck.

GO FOR IT!

Get on your favorite instrument, push the recording button, and just start to rip. Start with some scales in any spot that feels comfortable, if you can’t think what to do. Bang around and don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense or not. Push some random setting on a sequencer to get a drum track and/or bass track going to jam to first if you need one. The main thing is to just thrash out the first things that come into your head. Sure, the tape you make may be just junk, but there may be at least a good riff or two that could get used later. Hey, there’s always editing, too.

WRITE THE GREAT AMERICAN SONG

I, for one, have a great love of symphonic music. With the music notation software that’s available anymore, you can always write that great opus, one note at a time. Or, you can just take a sequencer and jam out the notes using all the fun instruments that it has available, and program them in one note at a time. Have fun adding a horn here, or a screaming guitar solo there until you have it the way you always have wanted to hear it. Make that great noise piece, that heart wrenching melody or exquisite flute solo—if you love it that much, chances are someone else will, too, but don’t even think about that. Just write the piece the way you always wanted, and make it a masterpiece, beginning to end. Tweak and tweak and tweak some more until YOU are happy.

LEARN TO PLAY THAT STYLE

If you really don’t have a clue how to write in the style you love most, get thee to thy local library, the Internet and/or the local music store. Take a class, talk to folks who do play that way online or at your local songwriter’s group, get every book you can find on the subject, and listen to lots of music in that genre. Eventually, it will begin to make sense—you will see the patterns in rhythm, keys, instrumentation and arranging. A typical exercise is to take a classic piece, and change the melody, then begin to change the arrangements until it becomes your own piece but in the same key, then even change the key. This is a bit formulaic, but it can teach you the basics of how a song like that is put together, and then you can jump from there to writing one of your own from scratch. Be brave—no one is looking—and just enjoy yourself.

The main thing you should glean from this little exercise is that sometimes all the training, all the rules just get in the way of what makes you happy as a writer. Sometimes all the theory and proper writing can make your work sound stilted and forced. Sometimes the only way to get around that is to just write what comes into your head and what your hand or voice wants to go to next, and forget what the “right” thing to do next should be. It’s small wonder that most of the biggest hits are written by “untrained” or “self-taught” musicians under the age of 30. The rest of the industry is just trying to copy that spark—why not learn to cast the light within you? It’s already there—just let it out.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Brother, The Crow
Louis XIV, All The Little Pieces
Bread, Guitar Man
Seether, Truth
Foghat, Fool For The City

Local Artist Of The Day:

Waylon Crase

LOSER?? NEVER!!





Human beings can be horribly cruel with each other, especially verbally. Any decent counselor knows that the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” may be a good way to strengthen yourself against these barbs, but they DO hurt, and thinking that verbal bullying isn’t harmful is just denial of the facts. You can build up your mental toughness by refusing to react to these punches, and that is always good, but you also need to heal yourself from those hurts, not refuse to admit they stung. Songwriters have a lot of stupid press to counteract, with people either thinking you are either rich and won’t admit it or a total loser trying to dodge “real work.” Here are a few tips to heal yourself from these untruths, and keep doing the work you love.

THEY ARE THE LOSERS, NOT YOU

When someone calls you names, remember that most of these people are actually talking about themselves. The standard tactic of someone like this is to throw up a smoke screen to keep others from looking at the accuser’s life. The easiest way for them to do this is to distract potential viewers, often a person accompanying them at that moment they hope to impress and bamboozle is to point out someone else, make up some totally wrong statement about that person they don’t even know, and change the subject. They can then go on, rattling on at length about that other person (you), all things they are guilty of and not you, with teeny tidbits they may have heard through gossip about you to add “truth” to their statements. Pity these people. They obviously are troubled, and forgiving them will free your mind space for more important things like your music. Usually, when asked, you will find that these people envy you for your courage, and are trying to make you chicken out of what you are doing so they feel some sort of control over you to make them feel powerful. Sadly, it is their lives that are out of control, and they are too foolish to try to fix that, and they are really just distracting themselves from the real job they need to do in their own heads. What you are doing is a very tough profession, and you are proving your worth with every attempt you make, because you at least tried and learned something doing so. Don’t let a label like “loser” keep you from being the winner you are. They are losers for not seeing that, and not seeing that it is their lives that are messes, not yours.

TEMPORARY SETBACKS HAPPEN

Sure, there will be plenty of times you screw up. You will be so busy you forget to pay a bill, will forget to get a piece of equipment, forget a deadline for a contest. Don’t beat yourself up or call yourself names over it. This doesn’t make you a bad person, or mean that you are the type of person that is expected to mess up because you are a songwriter. It simply means that you made a mistake. Fix the mistake, and move on. Think of it like not making the cut on that album—the odds are pretty much against your life being perfect, so just go back, and try again. Chances are, you will fix the goof and life will go on. In a few years, you will probably totally forget you even made that goof, since you will be working hard on whatever your songwriting life is filling your plate with then. Life goes on—just tape that skinned knee, get it healing and keep going.

BALANCE YOUR LIFE

Most songwriters undergo a lot of stress, because, chances are, to support your songwriting, you are working a “day job” as well as juggling a personal life. Stress, studies have shown, will make you forget things, since it increases bloodstream chemicals that make your body more able to do things but less able to do others, thanks to our built-in survival mechanisms, causing you to forget some things, or have problems with routine tasks. Counteract this by fixing the chemical imbalance—get plenty of sleep, eat healthy foods, take a daily multivitamin, exercise, do things that make you laugh (read comics or amusing books, watch funny movies or TV shows, etc.), and spend quality time with family and friends. These activities enable mental clarity, even though they appear to take you away from what you need to concentrate on. Lives need to be balanced, and when they get out of kilter, it is often because we are working too hard, not too little. Caring for you helps make your songwriting time more productive. That bill might have been forgotten because your desk was a mess because you were rushing off to work to wait for your boss to show up for a meeting. Maybe taking the pile with you to play with would help, but so might be talking with bandmates for half an hour after rehearsal and then going home to sleep, not staying late where most were just sitting around and eating chips, talking about politics, neither of which would help you destress for a good night’s sleep so you wouldn’t forget that bill. Balance can often help you find a solution. So don’t let what others say keep you from songwriting. You are a winner for just trying to get one song performed in public, even if it is just at the local open stage night. If they had hobbies, they would be having positive fun with those, not wasting their loser lives cutting down your worthwhile efforts. Let your life be a mirror, and maybe they will see what they could be someday, instead of loathing what they are. It is their problem, not yours.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Jimi Hendrix, The Wind Cries Mary
Paul Simon, Me And Julio Down By The School Yard
Pink Floyd, Mother
Bad Company, Shooting Star
Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells A Story

Local Artist Of The Day:

Reserved

How to Look for Band Members






Looking for band members is never an easy task. You may first want to ask yourself what exactly you’re looking for – whether it is to join an existing band or find individual members to start your own band. Obviously, both have their differences and this should be answered first before you start your grueling search.

Join an existing band. This is a great way for enthusiastic musicians to gain some playing experience right away, although it is sometimes harder to find these kinds of opportunities. These are established bands that are looking for single or multiple members for various reasons (their guitarist moved out of state, bass player got fired for drinking problems, etc). This might go without saying, but make sure you really do like the type of music a band plays before deciding to join their group! There are many musicians I know that play in a band where they don’t even like the music they play, all just to “gain experience” to get their foot in the door and hopefully move on to greener pastures. It can’t be stressed enough that if you don’t like the music you play, you’re going to do a half-assed job at it, so why bother?

Also, know your playing experience and limits. For example, if you’ve only started playing guitar learning all Green Day songs for a few months, don’t expect to join a thrash metal band that requires you to do sweep-picking, fast arpeggios, or any other insane guitar techniques. Make sure you choose a band where the technicality of the music they play is comfortable with your own skill level as a musician.

A huge advantage for joining an established band (maybe) is that most of the back-end stuff is already taken care of. This includes tasks such as finding an agent/manager to book your gigs, song development, contracts with music labels, etc. All you have to do is show up for rehearsals and play shows as scheduled.

A good resource to start finding these bands in need is going to your local rehearsal studios where most of them lurk. These are places where any musician can pay for a room to rehearse. Best of all, all the musicians you find there are often in your local area. Check out the bulletin boards where frequent bands post up classified ads that may go something like:

“Looking to join a band that rocks?! We are in need of a guitar player with lots of experience! Our influences include: Megadeth, In Flames, Black Sabbath, and many more! If interested, please contact Josh at xxxxxxxxxx.”

Or even better yet, post up your own classified ad on the bulletin board so bands can contact you instead. Local, independent music stores often have a bulletin board for classified ads as well. These are some of the best free ways to find band members in your area.

Disadvantages of joining an existing band.First and foremost, you have to learn all their songs usually in a limited period of time. The band might have a show coming up and you have to be able to play all their songs flawlessly note-for-note. Needless to say, this might be stressful for some musicians (except if their music is very straight forward and easy with pure 3 note power chords).

Another disadvantage is often your own music creativity is limited. Most bands prefer their original tunes to be played and carried on without any radical change. For example, if you just joined a band and replaced their old guitarist, the way the former guitarist played a particular solo, is the way the band wants it to be played by you. Often you must follow the same note structure of a music piece composed by another musician.

Organizing your own band.This is where you try to find individual musicians to start a new band, usually with similar music skills and backgrounds. Thinking of starting a band is the easy part, but the actual process of searching for the right people is harder than most people think. There are tons of musicians out there in the world but only a small percentage of those you may be compatible with. In addition, ask yourself: are you going to play in a band just for fun, or are you trying to make a living out of it? This will influence where you are going to start looking.

The internet is becoming a popular method for musicians to find other musicians. If you search “looking for musicians” in Google, you will easily find over 12,400,000 results - so how do you find what you’re looking for? Many ads posted in classifieds sections and on popular music forums will vaguely have descriptions such as this:

“Guitar player looking to form a band.”

Well, that’s just great.

Try refining your search to keywords such as the area you are in, what position you are looking for, etc. Example: “Looking for bass players in Toledo”. Try to only focus your attention on well-written ads that describe the musician, which includes how much playing experience he/she has, the types of music they are willing to play, and the intention of playing in a band. Or you may also want to post your own ad in music community forums and add a link to your audio/video samples that will likely interest more candidates. Audio/video samples that show off your best work are often the most influential factor of candidates contacting you back.

Be consistent with this. Chances are you won’t find someone right away on your first few posts, so try to refresh your ads on a weekly basis (but don’t spam!).

The internet is a large resource but don’t just rely solely on it. You may find you have better luck looking in local magazine’s classifieds ads section where it’s more direct. Also, because musicians have to pay to get their ads published in magazines, it shows that they are more serious about organizing a band.

Don’t limit yourself in a location.If you are serious about starting a career as a musician, you don’t just search for bands or members only in your local area. Living in smaller towns and cities won’t give you very many options in choosing the right band or member for you. Expand yourself to larger urban cities where the potential to find band members is greater.

Finding band members is like finding a good job. Know exactly what you want before searching, always have a good portfolio ready, and be consistent in your pursue. Goodluck!


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Stray Cats, I Fought The Law
Eric Clapton, Tears In Heaven
Nine Inch Nails, Closer
Cat Stevens, Wild World
Joe Cocker, Summer In The City

Local Artist Of The Day:

Highbinder

BEATLES QUIZ






For many of us the Beatles have left an indelible mark on our lives. Their lyrics are familiar as the backs of our hands--or are they? How well do you remember your Beatles lyrics?


1.) What was (were) on the hill, but went unnoticed "Till there was you?"

2.) When "I saw her standing there," the way she looked was..........

3.) The fab four gave us "All My Loving" What did they promise to do while away?

4.) Why did the boys feel that "I think I'm going to be sad, I think its today (yeah)"

5.) In "I'll Follow The Sun," what are you going to know someday?

6.) "I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me, she showed me her room......" Well, you know the rest of the story. What was the girls room lacking?

7.) What will the singer never lose affection for "In My Life?"

8.) So, what exactly is "The Word?"

9.) In "Eleanor Rigby," what does Father Mackenzie do at night when he's alone?

10.) "The Taxman" leaves one for the singer and takes how many for himself?


Answers:

1.) Bells
2.) Way Beyond Compare
3.) Write Home Everyday
4.) She's Got A Ticket To Ride
5.) I Was The One
6.) A Chair
7.) People and things that went before
8.) Love
9.) Darns his socks
10.) Nineteen


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Eagles, Take It To The Limit
Disturbed, Down With The Sickness
U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday
Chimaira, Salvation
Hamell On Trial, Coulters Snatch

Local Artist Of The Day:

Genocya

PLAYING COMFORTABLY FOR A CROWD



Most people are not comfortable performing in front of people. When I say of performing, such as an instrument, singing, or acting. I mean more than just knowing how to do well at your chosen craft, I mean doing it well and in front of people. It's the "in front of people" part that gets us everytime. How many of us sing like a bird in the shower but when people are watching we can't carry a note. Here are a couple steps to start you on the road to comfort when your called on to shine.

1.) Don't neglect to practice. Whether you sing or play an instrument, practice is the key to being relaxed. The more familiar you are with what your performing, the less anxiety you will have about messing up.

2.) Don't back up. Piano teachers pass this on all the time. If you mess you in the middle, or any place in your piece, don't back up and repeat the offending passage. Keep going. Chances are your audience didn't even notice.

3.) Try not to be critical of your technical skill. Focus more on your overall performance. How does it sound as a whole? If you're a guitarist and you worry during your piece about your fingering than your ignoring the song and how it sounds. Worry about technicalities when you practice. Which should be often.

With time playing in front of and for other people playing comfortably in front of a crowd will come much easier. You'll be a natural. So use every opportunity to show your stuff !!!


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Black Label Society, Been A Long Time
Quiet Riot, Bang Your Head
Van Halen, Hot For Teacher
Bread, Make It With You
Boston, Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore

Local Artist Of The Day:

Jim Bianco

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH-SING!




If you love to sing, then you’re already aware that singing is fun, energizing and a great stress reducer. But if you’re one of millions who claim “I can’t sing!” then I suggest that you consider singing as an absolutely free, non-prescription, safe and effective life-enhancing tool. If you’re facing physical, emotional or mental challenges, or if you just want more peace and happiness, here are 10 ways singing can change your life!

1. Promotes deep breathing!

As you begin to use ‘full body breathing’ with a relaxed, soft belly, you allow the diaphragm to drop down, giving the lungs the freedom to expand more fully. Relaxed abdominals are essential for proper breath support while singing. I like to think of ‘filling up like a balloon’ when I sing. This gives firm, active breath support and allows for deep, full breathing. Singing promotes, slow, deep, healthy breathing.

2. Oxygenates the blood!

As you use full body breathing, you are bringing in a greater volume of air. Oxygen floods the blood system, bathing the cells in life-giving oxygen. You will feel more alive as you breath deeply and fill yourself with energizing, oxygenated air! Singing oxygenates the blood!

3. Stimulates brain activity!

Singing requires thought. You are memorizing lyrics, melodies and rhythms, as well as connecting words with emotion. Your ‘singer’s breathing’ technique is bringing more oxygen to the brain. Your brain’s neurons are firing furiously as you are integrating the physical, emotional and psychological functions necessary to joyful singing! Singing stimulates brain activity!

4. Releases ‘feel good’ endorphins!

All this physical, neurological and emotional activity serves to release those ‘feel- good’ hormones called endorphins. So not only is your audience benefiting from your lovely voice, but you are being flooded with happy hormones that give you a sense of peace and well-being. Singing feels fantastic because it releases ‘feel good’ endorphins!

5. Reduces stress!

When you feel good, your stress level goes down. Endorphins help diminish stress and agitation. By using deep, full body breathing you slow the heart rate and take your mind off of unwanted anxiety. The next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, take a full body breath, and break out singing! Your stress will fly away as you reap the benefit of joyful singing!

6. Builds self-confidence!

Speaking in public is still the #1 fear for Americans. Singing ranks right up there for most of us. Singing is a risk-taking behavior because you’re putting yourself out there in a very exposed way. It dredges up all our insecurities and self-imposed limitations. When you dare to share your voice and music, a fantastic thing happens. It’s like walking through fire. You overcome your fear, and emerge with an incredible sense of accomplishment. You did it! Your self-esteem soars and you feel that you can do anything! Singing builds self-confidence in a BIG way!

7. Enhances memory!

Singing involves memorization as you learn new melodies, lyrics and complex musical forms. It’s a great way to stimulate the areas of the brain involved with memory, learning and concentration. Use it, or lose it! Singing is a great way to enhance your memory!

8. Boosts creativity!

As you build your self-esteem and stimulate your artistic soul, you’ll find that all areas of your life are positively affected by the act of singing. Suddenly you’ve opened the floodgates of your creative soul, and you begin thinking outside the box! Your productivity soars! By tapping into your creative reservoir you become more alive and innovative! Singing boosts creativity!

9. Creates a powerful speaking voice!

If you’re a speaker, presenter, teacher, clergy or in any sales related business (aren’t we all??), you will benefit from learning to sing. Your voice is your instrument, no matter what you do in life, and singing gives you the skills to speak in a natural, powerful, confident voice. Everyone benefits from proper singing technique. You’ll discover your ‘true’ voice that will reveal your confident, authentic self. Finding your voice is a joy. Singing creates a powerful speaking voice!

10. Makes you feel fantastic!

Singing makes you feel sell-assured, in control, physically alive and fantastically creative. It feeds your soul as it creates physical well-being. With increased self- confidence you can do anything! Physical, mental and emotional health is a great side effect of singing. There’s no doubt about it, singing makes you feel fantastic!


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Melissa Etheridge, Piece Of My Heart
Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells A Story
Bob Seger, Hollywood Nights
Ted Nugent, Great White Buffalo
The Who, Pinball Wizard

Local Artist Of The Day:

One Common Fate

BE A ROCK STAR






So you want to be a rock star? Or perhaps you want to sell 5,000 copies of your CD? Or maybe you just want to pack the house for your next gig. "How do I do that?" you ask. In this life, there are no guarantees, but one way to become closer to your goals is to study how other successful musicians and performers got where they are. I'm not just talking about "Behind the Music," although those shows are an education of their own. I mean studying the techniques that others have used to become successful.

We live in a wonderful time where information is as close as our fingertips, thanks to the Internet. A visit to the Google search engine can lead you to new ideas to take you closer to your dreams of success. Reality shows such as "American Idol" give you a private (although biased) peek into the world of the platinum plated music industry. If you've decided that you want to reach the top, then you have to do your research before you get there.

In Anthony Robbins' groundbreaking book, "Unlimited Power," he writes, "Success leaves clues. It means that if I see anyone in this world producing a result I desire, I can produce the same results if I'm willing to pay the price of time and effort. If you want to achieve success, all you need to do is find a way to model those who have already succeeded." This is a brilliant concept. Even if you tried, there is no way that you could really be a clone of anyone else. However, you can still learn skills from the best if you're willing to put in the time. Be original, but you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Try these strategies on for size:

Honestly Assess. Ask yourself, and possibly a trusted friend, which areas are strongest and weakest for you. Do you need to work on stage patter? Could your songs be better? Do you feel that you don't move enough on stage? Do you wish you were more business savvy? Which areas could use some help? To admit weakness is the first step to becoming stronger.

Check it Out. Immerse yourself in all forms of media to find heroes and muses who excel in those areas. Read books, surf the net, watch movies that inspire you. For an extra punch, find biographies of great people outside your industry. If you're a producer, learning about great inventors and politicians, for example, can lead to new ideas.

Do Your Homework. When you find one or two muses to inspire you, pretend you are a reporter assigned to interview them for Rolling Stone or Guitar World. To prepare, you'd study their body of work, from the beginning to the present, and perhaps read biographies and interviews. When you learn as much as you can about them, you soon find that they were no more human than you are. They just kept going when times got rough (and they always do!), putting one foot in front of the other. Let their stories inspire you but also let them teach you.

Visualize. Imagine, using all of your senses, what it must have been like for your muse to create that masterpiece. What did he do? How did she react? When you are ready, insert yourself as the hero in this daydream. What does it feel like when you are the one reaching that goal? Allow yourself to imagine many wonderful things happening to you.

Work It. Don't be surprised when you start trying new habits in real life that improve your skills. Have you learned to kick around a mic stand from your rock idol? Are you trying a makeup tip that your muse tried? Are you sending thank you notes because your favorite band sends them? Good! These methods work for a reason, and there's no law saying that you can't add on techniques that work for others. Try them out, and take your music to the next level.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Bad Company, Shooting Star
Eagles, Take It To The Limit
Steve Miller Band, Keep On A Rockin' Me Baby
Finger Eleven, One Thing
Damageplan, New Found Power

Local Artist Of The Day:

Bobby Hernandez

PROBLEMS WITH STAGE FRIGHT?





Does the thought of playing your guitar in public give you the willies? Stagefright is a common experience among musicians. Your hands begin to sweat, your face gets flush and your stomach feels those tiny little butterflys tickling your insides. But, as a musician, you might as well face the music and realize that sooner or later someone is going to ask you to play something for them. It may be for just one person you know, or perhaps several 100 people you don't know. Whatever the situation, you can almost guarantee it will happen someday.

But before you begin to panic, let's see if we can analyze the reason why muscians experience stagefright in the first place. I was curious to see if this word was in the dictionary so, I decided to look it up. Here is what I found:

Stagefright - "extreme nervousness felt by an inexperienced speaker or performer before an audience."

That's a pretty good definition if it weren't for the fact that even the most experienced people get stagefright sometimes. However, it does seem to take the edge off when you are exposed to being in front of an audience on a regular basis. It is the inconsistency, or irregularity of being in front of an audience that is often a factor in causing someone to experience stagefright.

Another factor that can create a feeling of stagefright is being unprepared. One of the hardest things to do is to perform something on the spur of the moment. You're handed a guitar and asked to play something when you haven't even had a chance to warm up your chops first! Trying to jump into a piece cold can be a very challenging endeavor. Your mind races through everything you thought you knew and had memorized only to draw a blank. You stumble around on the guitar and begin to feel embarrassed because everyone is waiting to see what you can do. The tension begins to mount because you can't seem to produce anything worthwhile.

Eventually everyone loses interest and begins talking about something else. This kind of situation is a real drag and can lead to discouragement. But if it happens (or has happened) to you, don't give up. It's an important part of the learning process! You must perservere in order to "break on through to the other side.

Playing in front of other guitarists that are better, or perceived to be better than you are, can be a cause for stagefright also. If you ever take part in a "Master" guitar class, or a guitar workshop, you will most likely be required to perform in front of your peers. In a Master class the guitar student is usually asked to perform on stage in front of the Master guitarist and the other guitar students taking the class. After the performance, the other guitar students are invited to critic you. If you did well, you might be selected, along with several other guitar students, to perform in a public concert at the end of the program. Talk about pressure!

So what can you do to help overcome stagefright? Here are some ideas:

Take advantage of every opportunity you can to play your guitar in front of an audience. Whether it's your family, your guitar instructor, your friends, whoever- just do it!

Memorize something that is easy to play so that you can use it for those spur of the moment situations. This will give you the chance to warm up your chops and also help to take the edge off any stagefright you may experience. After you get through the first piece, you will probably find it easier to play more stuff you know.

Realize your own strengths and weaknesses. If you are taking guitar lessons, ask your teacher to evaluate your progress from time to time. Let them critic a piece of music or song that you can play fairly well and take to heart their advice. Work to improve your technique. Record yourself. Don't accept what doesn't sound good. Make an effort to change bad habits and reinforce good ones.

Finally, be thankful that you have a love for music and a desire to learn. That's why you decided to play the guitar in the first place! Do your best and don't compare yourself with others.

So, enjoy the process of growth and discovery. The outcome will take care of itself quite naturally. Just let it happen. As you do, you may be surprised to find that it has become a very beautiful experience!



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Pantera, Domination
Nickelback, Photograph
Brian McKnight, Back At One
Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville
Meatloaf, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

Local Artist Of The Day:

New Found Element

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE





We are here for a purpose. We are here to make a difference in the world. The music in us is put there for a reason not just to create personal wealth or make us feel good about ourselves. But it can take a long time for some of us to find our purpose in life. It's not a thing most people know from birth. It's something we learn in time. One day, we just feel it - like a "calling" - it hits us square in the nose; not like a boxer, more like a scent of perfume.

Beautiful music makes a difference. Words of hope change lives. A joyful experience heals the broken hearted. Music can inspire. It can take us on a journey of discovery. We are all spiritual beings. The person inside is hidden by masks. We don't often reveal our true identity. While deep inside, the person we truly are is screaming to get out, nature takes it's course. The circle of life remains unbroken. But, the artist is different. Music is the window to the soul. When a musician plays, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Folk music became a full-blown craze. Coffeehouses sprang up everywhere. The "mainstreaming" of folk music actually led to the discovery of what was truly the real and meaningful.

It was a generation of naivety perhaps but nevertheless it was a generation that wanted to make the world better. Before the Berkeley Free Speech Movement began, anti-communist hysteria had pervaded the United States. George Orwell had written about words like "freedom," "democracy," and "justice". Orwell said "(They) have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated ... Americans have been conditioned to accept the word "democracy" as a synonym for freedom, and to believe that democracy is unquestionably good."

Orwell was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. The "American dream" had created a society devoted to the wealth and the exploitation of the fellow creatures. Some people were discovering that democracy is not freedom. Free speech was stifled. French philosopher-novelists, Camus and Sartre, started young people thinking about new ideals of existentialism.Organized by the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), at its peak in 1960, over 400 schools were affiliated with NSA. In the '60s, NSA responded to a despotic atmosphere that produced a radical militant protest mood on campuses across America.

The Free Speech Movement was spreading. Berkeley was a training ground for student protest. College kids began listening to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and electric blues. The NSA supported Students Against The Draft, opposed the war in Vietnam, and participated in civil rights struggles. For many students, a cultural revolution began in 1964, during "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi.

The sixties happened because they had to happen. The need for change will never change. Student radicalism may one day rise again. In with the good air, out with the bad ... not a bad notion, not at all unrealistic.



Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Seal, Kiss From a Rose
Aerosmith, Sweet Emotion
Bread, If
Deep Purple, Smoke On The Water
Seether, Truth

Local Artist Of The Day:

Tony Jones

CAN YOU BE A LEGEND?? REMEMBER "STONE SOUP" ????





The biggest thing you have to worry about is that there are so many - too many - groups trying to climb the ladder. What you need is exposure. Promotion and publicity comes at a premium.

There's a storm on the street. We're caught in a blizzard of entertainment. The closer you get to the center, the nearer you get to the top, the less will see or been seen. It's like a white out in winter. The place where most people give up. Ah, but, the winners live in the eye of the hurricane where it's calm and quiet. The ones who are centered are safe. The ones who know their way around know there's no need to fuss or worry. They keep on keeping on and let the people around them do the work.

Emerging artists can't afford the high cost of professional marketing. Better to partner with those who can. That's the crunch, the place between too little and too much; the haves and have nots. Promotion, or lack of it, are the reason why most bands fail. Beyond the hype, beyond commercial manipulation, the artist needs to find an audience and the audience needs to find him. Years ago, I discovered a marketing principle that can make all the difference in the world between success and failure.

A folk tale is told about a man who had been traveling for a long time. Having run out of food, he was weary and hungry from his journey. When he came upon a small village, he thought, "Maybe someone could share some food." When the man knocked at the first house, he asked the woman who answered, "Could you spare a bit of food? I've traveled a long way and am very hungry." "I'm sorry, but I have nothing to give you," the woman replied. So the traveler went to the next door and asked again. The answer was the same.

He went from door to door and each time he was turned away. Not one of the villagers were willing to oblige the man as times were tough and no one had much to spare. But then one villager said, "All I have is some water." "Thank you," the traveler said smiling gratefully, "We can make some soup from that water. We can make stone soup." He asked the man for a cooking pot and started building a small fire.

As the water started to boil, a passing villager stopped and asked him what he was doing. "I'm making stone soup," the traveler replied. "Would you like to join me?" The curious villager agreed. "First, we must add a special stone," said the traveler. "One with magic in it." He reached into his knapsack and carefully unwrapped a special stone he'd been carrying with him for many years. Then he put it in the simmering pot.

Soon people from the village heard about this strange man who was making soup from a stone. They started gathering around the fire, asking questions. "What does your stone soup taste like?" asked one of the villagers. "Well, it would be better with a few onions," the traveler admitted. "Oh, I have some onions," he replied. Another villager said, "I could bring a few carrots." Someone else offered, "We still have some potatoes in our garden. I'll go get them."

One by one, each villager brought something to add to the pot. What had started as just some water and a magic stone, had now become a delicious soup, enough to feed the whole village. The traveler and the villagers sat down together to enjoy their feast, and the miracle they'd help to create.

In the vast blizzard of stars and wannabee's, in the dense fog of sound that pervades the music industry, artists - even the great ones - have to find a way of getting heard.. Bob Dylan found a way. An apocalyptic visionary who came from small town nowhere, Dylan's magic stone - his aura of mystery - turned soup into a legend.


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Jimmy Buffett, Cheesburger In Paradise
The Cars, Let's Go
Eric Clapton, Tears In Heaven
Talking Heads, And She Was
Taproot, Calling

Local Artist Of The Day:

Red Headed Step Child

CULT HERO??? COULD BE!!




You've written a few good songs, and maybe made a dollar or two jamming with a few bands. Now, you're no longer satisfied. Your dreaming of stardom, you're hungry for the big time. The worst thing to do is to hold out for the big break that never happens. Better to play for the love of music. With no false hopes and no illusions, start from zero. Somewhere, there's an audience for you. Let someone hear you...your mother, friend, or sibling, and listen to what they have to say. Drink in the encouragement and consider their criticism. It's all good!! Just get someone, anyone, anywhere, anytime to listen to you. Play for friends, for strangers, for young and for old.

All you need is a song and a crowd, the rest comes easy, one step at a time. The day will come when you'll earn a place of respect. People will notice when you walk into a room. You won't hear a pin drop when you begin to play at a local coffee house or other venue. The whole room will "rock" when you plug in and play at your local neighborhood venue.

But, if that's not good enough and you still want to get singed to a major record label, pet your dog, kiss your wife or significant other goodbye, cause you'll be away for a long, long time playing for people you don't know in places you have never been before. Your chances of becoming a rock star are about as good as winning the lottery. Call it a glass ceiling. Call it a brick wall, mainstream success is rare.

They say the Beatles started their career playing in strip joints in Hamburg, Germany. Forty yours ago, Hamburg's infamous red-light district was where some of the world's most popular rock musicians paid their dues. One day Brian Epstein discovered the Beatles when they packed the Star Club with whores, pimps, tranvestites, sailors, and fans of "beat music" swilling alcohol and dancing until dawn. Epstein saw something in them that no one else could see. Somehow he knew one day their raw sound would thrill audiences with a magic that will never return again.

Maybe someone will notice you one day. All you've got to do is get the right people interested long enough for them to "buy" what you're doing, the more interested they are, the longer they stick around, the more ideas they'll get for selling what you have to offer.

The cream always rises to the top doesn't mean the best rise to the top. Without at least some marketing savvy, the average musician won't make it very far alone no matter how good he is. Which brings me to my next thought. A performing career isn't for most people. Most so-called pro musicians live below the poverty line spending their daylight hours watching TV in a dingy apartment waiting for the phone to ring with a booking for your next paying gig. While some peoples idea of a seventeen year old dropout, playing bar songs for a crowd of rowdy drunks might be a good time, there are better ways to make a living.

If you want a life, think again. With a strong regional presence, it's possible to make a name for yourself as an artist. If you travel a circuit, and stay around long enough your audience will grow and your CD sales will climb. If you're good, you might become a cult hero or even a regional icon. One never knows!


Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:

Black Eyed Peas, My Humps
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Brown Eyed Girl
Rolling Stones, Under My Thumb
Bob Seger, Chances Are
John Mellencamp, Authority Song

Local Artist Of The Day:

Neil Turk & The Potato Bugs

RELAXING MUSIC


Music is the key to a thousand emotions. We associate music with the places we have been, the times we have experienced, and the people in our lives. Music is all around us. There is no denying the effectiveness of music, so why not use it to affect our own emotions and enhance our personal environment? Relaxing music, relaxation music, meditation music......call it what you will. There is no question that it can help us to shape our environment effectively and can be changed to suit or influence our mood.

In today's society, wherever their is radio, television, cinema, or the internet, we will be exposed to music. Music is all around us and is a commodity so important that it is used by virtually every company on the planet to sell us their products and services. Very often we are completely oblivious to the sounds drifting out of those in-store speakers or the impact and drama of an action-movie soundtrack placed in a car advert. Music is a complex language that can convey any emotion or conjure a response from any audience. At the same time music is simple and universally understandable.

We are used to other using music to influence our emotions and therefore decisions. However, we rarely use music's benefit to help ourselves. Relaxing music or relaxation music (also marketed as meditation or yoga music) can be used to relieve stress, unwind after a hard day at work, promote good sleep, or as a focus of concentration during yoga or meditation. The idea of music for relaxation has always fascinated me. There are many benefits of music to ones health and wellbeing. Music is just a part of relaxation, but can be the key to calm and relax your mind and body.

A good habit can be built, find a quite room, put work worries to one side and allow yourself time to unwind.....dim the lights, light some candles or incense or whatever you find calming. Close your eyes and focus on the sound of your breath- take in the same amount of air and breathe longer breaths but less often. Relaxing music is a great focus for an exercise like this or any relaxation technique. Listen to relaxation music at a volume level that is high enough to mask any background noise but not so high as to be overbearing. In a busy workplace or home, headphones are useful.

The music should not be too distracting and should be carefully composed to be easy to listen to. Music should be upbeat but also become a suitable focus for relief. Nature sounds enhance the experience as this helps you to imagine a place of peace, calm, tranquility, and serenity. It is best to use music written specifically for relaxation, although you could use any music that you find particularly relaxing. This technique is most useful if it can be practiced for a significant amount of time-more than half an hour. However, it can be effective if used for just a few minutes at break times. So go ahead, put on some music, light some candles, RELAX!


Deb's Top 5 Songs Picks Of The Day:

Robert Johnson, Kind Hearted Woman
Neil Young, Heart Of Gold
Elton John, Your Song
Garth Brooks, When The Thunder Rolls
Green Day, Time Of Your Life

Local Artist Of The Day:

Goiterjelly