Who is Bernie Journey? A review.

Bernie Journey.
Website/music review.

Here's an example of a musician who has identified a niche market for his music and has started to make some moves towards his career.
"Bernie Journey" got my attention with a catchy title so I wanted to know more...Turned out this was actually his real name (and here I was thinking it was something else) sorry Bernie.

Who does Bernie sound like?
While I'm not a fan of George Michael (I remember when WHAM was the big thing) it's clear that some listeners are and would probably love Bernie's music which has that "adult pop" feel to it and is reminiscent of George's later stuff or Depeche Mode (cut back electronic beats and synth).
The music itself, though not my style still wasn't bad and got my feet tapping.

There were some good honest reviews on the site and samples to download (including some mixes) which I think was a plus in the artist's favor.
I did have one criticism about Bernie's web page and that was a lack of photos of the artist - Just one which was featured on the album cover (and I'm hoping Bernie adds more to his site in the future).
www.berniejourney.com

Extending the life of your music gear - quick tip.

Here's a quick tip I picked up from a professional live sound engineer I work with.
If you are using an amplifier either for your instrument as a foldback or PA or even for your studio, when powering up your gear follow this simple procedure.
Make sure your main volume is set to the lowest value (ie the furthest the knobs will go to the left) and then switch on, and THEN raise the level.
This prevents a large current level suddenly going through the circuitry and rapidly heating up the components inside (it is the quick heating up and cooling down of electronic components inside your gear that often leads to premature failure).
It will also prevent that dreaded "Thump" that echoes through your speakers (and is not good for them either).
By doing the above you'll reduce this shock effect on your amps and get more mileage from your equipment.

The Where When Project.

This is an interesting site;

The Where When Project describes itself as an endeavor to create the most comprehensive calendar of current and future events in the United States.
(And by the looks of the site I think they have done a pretty good job).
There are listings of all kinds of shows, festivals, concerts and performances, from local stuff to world class events from Automotive to Extreme Sports, Food, Music, Film and Family.

This is a great way to find out what is happening around your area (you can even sign up for free to get details emailed to you).

For us as musicians and being keen on the music / art / performance scene it's an excellent way of keeping track of our favorite bands and performers and getting those tickets early.
Events are also a brilliant way of meeting new contacts (It's called networking) and getting inspiration (plus a day or two away from the usual doesn't hurt).

Drop by the site and do a search for your area and see what's on (or even better still, plan a road trip with some friends and go interstate!)
www.thewherewhenproject.com

Selling your music as soundtracks for film and Television

Have you considered selling your material as a soundtrack for film or television?
There are companies out there that will purchase good quality royalty free music for use in advertisements, film, documentaries etc.

I discovered Production Trax and thought it looked interesting and a possible outlet.
There is a setup fee (one time) of $9.95 to cover hosting.
Here's some of the blurb I copied from the site:

Sell Your Digital Content Online
Royalty Free Music, Sound Effects, Stock Footage, & Photos

Productiontrax.com is the online home for some of the world's leading composers of production music and sound effects, as well as video and film producers, and photographers. Create a contributor account and sell your production music, stock footage, sound effects, or photos for royalty free use in film, television, video games, live performances, and other multimedia projects.

Might be worth taking a closer look.

Tommy Emmanuel - Master guitarist.

Tommy Emmanuel is one of the finest guitarists you are ever likely to hear, and someone I greatly admire for not only his brilliant musicianship, but also his genuineness and sense of fun (and he's an Aussie!)
Just watch a performance and listen to some interviews and you'll begin to understand why he is held in such high regard.
If you are a musician or performer of any kind you owe it to yourself drop by his site to learn from this gifted artist.

Thanks Tommy for sharing your gifts, enthusiasm and genuineness with the world.

FREE ON-LINE ARTIST AND BAND PROMOTION - BANDBUZZ.COM

Here's the "buzz" (sorry about the pun) I picked up recently on a new promotion site.
BandBuzz - the only community driven music promotion platform where you can see the results. Sign up, build your profile and become one of our pioneering bands as you upload music that will be reviewed, rated and ultimately heard by thousands. Each person who votes, comments or reviews your music will be automatically added to your FanBase, a collection of like-minded individuals who you can contact about your new songs, albums, shows and more.
Soon you will be able to plan events, send scheduled mailings and even sell your music, all right here. Like a mix tape for the modern world, bandBUZZ.com enables you to share your music with the world. Users of the site can discover new bands, listen to music, learn about shows in their city and share their thoughts with the bandBUZZ community.
There is absolutely no charge to list your band or its music. http://www.bandbuzz.com

Professionalism!

The band that I play in averages an audience of around 1700 to 2000 people as well as exposure both on national and international television so it's no surprise that professionalism is an integral part of what we do as musicians.

Professionalism is a vital ingredient for any band or solo artist who wants to go somewhere in life.
It means early arrivals to events for setup and soundchecks.
It means practice sessions at times when you'd rather be doing something else.
It means making a commitment.
Turning up on time and being there - being reliable.
And it means having a good attitude.

All these things feed a positive vibe into the band (and also inspires confidence in those who hire you).

Our band leader, who has been a professional performer both in his own right and as backing for some of the big names in the industry, reminds us of the value of what we do and the importance of professionalism.

Last week we said goodbye to a team member who was fired (and justifiably so) because of a lack of this in their life. (It was a sad moment but it had to be done, both for the smooth operation of the band and for the benefit of the ex member that they might lean something that will help them grow in character).

Listen, if you are in a situation where you have band members who are simply not prepared to show up on time (if at all) or have a bad attitude you are better off saving yourself the heartache and stress by letting them walk and finding someone else.
Who cares if they can play the best licks?
I personally would prefer one team member with less current "ability" but a really good attitude who is willing to do what it takes to learn and grow into a skilled artist than ten guys or girls with eighteen albums to their name with credentials as long as their arm but with a sucky attitude.

Professional attitudes create professional results.

A story with heart - and "Less is more".

I recently worked in sound support at a New Zealand Maori festival and wanted to share with you something I observed.
The event wasn't well organized (they ran out of acts) and a fair bit of the show was made up along the way (which makes for an interesting day when you don't know what is exactly going on).
Anyway we got through it as we always do (it's a yearly gig) and look forward to the next one - knowing it will probably be exactly the same (we love being part of the show regardless).
They did have some excellent acts and amateur performances for a family day.

One volunteer performer had something that was memorable and her music - her story captured the attention of the crowd and drew them in.
This particular lady was visually impaired, yet had taught herself the guitar, developed a nice singing voice and recorded an album.
Her songs told a story of hurt but also of making a difference - she had no intention of wasting her life and was going to be a positive influence regardless of obstacles.
Just herself, an acoustic guitar and a microphone was all that was needed and the quality was there.


Compare this to the "professional" band who rocked up with overkill gear (the bassist ran their stack at maximum - giving us no control at the desk) and these guys were getting paid to perform yet obviously didn't have the attitude of excellence and dedication of the volunteer performer.
It was a case of "do the gig and let's get outa here".
They were entirely forgettable.

Get the picture?

A good friend of mine once told me that "Sometimes less is more".
Here's a classic example.
To your music success.

Monitoring your recordings - more info for your studio.

Today I wanted to talk about the output end of a recording studio since this is often a weak link in the system that can get neglected.
Regardless of how good your material is it's pointless trying to mix and adjust anything without a decent monitoring setup.
Basically "monitors" are high quality speakers constructed specifically for the recording studio.
The difference between these and your average Hi Fi system boxes is that they are designed for the relatively "flat" output of sound across the spectrum that the human ear can pick up with an output that does not increase or reduce some frequencies more than others.
(Hi fi speakers on the other hand are designed to make music sound "better" by boosting or reducing certain frequencies).
Monitors provide an accurate way of listening to your recording and any adjustments that you make along the way.

I personally use a set of KRK monitors which give me a good picture of what I have recorded and mixed.
Other brands of good repute include Tannoy,Yamaha JBL, and Event.