Most of us have at some point seen an episode of the Fox TV reality show American Idol. If you haven’t seen an episode, you’ve probably heard a song on the radio by one of the contestants that were on the show.
While many of them are really good, there are many other artists out there that are just as good and sometimes better that are playing shows and putting in tons of hard work and lots of hours travelling, playing, and working at their career. Does that discount the talent …
Most of us have at some point seen an episode of the Fox TV reality show American Idol. If you haven’t seen an episode, you’ve probably heard a song on the radio by one of the contestants that were on the show.
While many of them are really good, there are many other artists out there that are just as good and sometimes better that are playing shows and putting in tons of hard work and lots of hours travelling, playing, and working at their career. Does that discount the talent …
To start, I’ve never been to the annual GearFest event put on by Sweetwater Sound in northern Indiana. It’s quite a large production, with four tents of gear and instruments, and indoor workshops covering evertything from “How to Choose a Drumkit” to “Grammy Award Winning Recording Tips”. They have an “All Stars Producers Forum” and “Pro Tools Master” workshops. It’s quite the gauntlet of available information. then there’s the Musicican’s Flea Market where you can buy and sell your own gear.
So far, I’ve found this event to be rather hit or miss. …
Sweetwater Sound recently held a Pro Tools demonstration of the new Eleven Rack. The event was graciously hosted by the Chicago Recording Company, a beautiful and full-featured recording and post-production studio on the east side of Chicago.
I started out learning how to engineer on Acid (in my barracks room while in the Army), then Pro Tools, Logic, and now am chief engineer at a studio in northern Indiana using Cubase 5. I got very quick with Pro Tools, but then when it came time to purchase interfacing, Logic became more …
Being an audio engineer, I am fortunate to live somewhat close (2 hours) to one of the greatest audio gear companies in the country. Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana has been my go-to resource for everything from XLR cables to studio monitors, and boom stands to digital interfaces. My sales engineer has been great in assisting me with purchases, helping me meet my needs and ensuring I’m getting the best price possible. Not only do they sell new and used audio gear, instruments, and more, but they also have professional …
Recently I was listening to a podcast in which Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy Entertainment was talking about the music industry and album sales. He touched on the idea of “buying songs vs. buying artists.”
When you go to the record store (wait, what’s that? I thought those were mythical places that people only dreamed of) or iTunes, what music are you buying? Are you buying the stuff that you’ve loved your entire life, or songs that you have heard ten times a day for the last three weeks? Are you …
I started with Google Calendars. Later in life, I got a Macbook Pro with iCal. I love iCal. I set it up to sync with my Google Calendars. Then, I got an iPhone 3Gs, and literally started losing sleep trying to get everything to stay in order. Following is what I’ve been able to put together to get everything to function correctly. I feel like I’ve reached the summit of a large mountain!
*DISCLAIMER* It is always a good practice to make a backup of your calendars. The reader assumes all …
We’ve been using Facebook and Twitter now for awhile. Some prefer one over the other. Some only use one tool. Others are addicted to both. (Then there’s MySpace. Remember that? Facebook needs to take a hint. But that’s another post…)
Twitter and Facebook. They’re two completely different platforms.
Like oil and water, they both have their place. We use both. Yet they don’t always mix. Likewise, Twitter and Facebook are two very different mediums with two very different niches.
Facebook.
When Mark Zuckerberg was at Harvard, he had an idea.
He and three classmates got …
We’re all aware that music, like any other art form, evolves. It has trends. These trends change, fade away, and eventually return. Some for the better, others for worse.
I was born in the early 80′s, which means I was witness to a huge swing in the music pendulum come the early 90′s. In the 80′s, we had Twisted Sister, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Guns N’ Roses, 10,000 Maniacs, AC/DC, and plenty more. And it was cool…in its time. If I had to describe the late part of the decade in …
Recently, a friend of mine was putting together a lesson plan and asked me to comment on the following questions. While they are very broad subjects, I’ve tried to touch on the base of each one. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. Who knows? Maybe I’ll turn each topic into a post of its own. Each subject has plenty to write about!
1: How does music affect a person?
Music is just as powerful as smells, sights, and the sensation of touch. I might even go so far …
For those of you that live in smaller towns or cities, it can be frustrating to drive to the “big city” on a regular basis just to see shows. Take, for example, Plymouth, Indiana. This is a place with a lot of culture, history, and character. The people are business owners, artists, musicians, animal lovers, and sports enthusiasts. And more often than not you’ll find them driving north to South Bend, Indiana, west to Chicago, or south to Indianapolis. They’re putting their money into the …
