Leave Your Drama At Home: More Rockin’ And Less Squawkin’!

No matter how we, as human beings, live our lives…drama happens. And the average musician has more drama than the crazy cat lady down the block has bags of used litter on her porch. At every turn, your average wannabe rockstar has a crazy squeeze, a crazier ex, a harem of would-be lovers, and a gaggle of insane stalkers. Then there’s the band drama, manager drama, club drama, fan drama, gear drama, and let’s not even get started on the online drama potential. Before you know it, your band makes “Desperate Housewives” look like 60 Minutes.

Certainly, no one ever said that music was going to be a safe, secure and solid profession to get into. Any industry that pays buckets of money to young, pretty people for jumping around and showing off is bound to inspire zaniness to some degree or another. And the creative process often brings with it a certain amount of tortured genius that fuels the seeds of drama like miracle grow on weeds. Plus, there are more than twenty million musicians around the world that are clamoring for maybe a thousand record deals like contestants on “Survivor” running obstacles courses for a single meager chicken wing. If there was a country built on drama, a musician would be its queen.

However, as much as the music biz is filled with glitz and glamour and the stuff that tabloid headlines are made of, it is also a business. And if there’s one thing you don’t want in the middle of your business, it’s drama. There’s a reason why doctors don’t fight over dying patients about their golf scores, pilots don’t announce to a plane full of passengers that they’ve been dating the stewardess, and the chef doesn’t come to tell you he forgot to wash his hands before he cooked your four-star meal…drama does not belong in business. Whether you’re aspiring to get a record deal or searching for a cure for cancer, leave your drama at home!

The following are a few tips that will help you to navigate the gossip and erratic turbulence of life in the music industry without becoming a slave to your own drama:

1.) Don’t Let The Internet Suck You In---Every since the invention of the internet, there’s been more drama in cyberspace than at a convention for bipolar drag queens. It’s easy to gossip and backbite while you can stay anonymous, so the internet has becoming a breeding ground for anyone and everyone with an agenda, an out-of-control jealousy problem, an axe to grind, or an unbelievable ego. Angry, upset, small-minded people with inferiority complexes like size of Shamu will use the internet to poke at your band with a cyber stick. As hard as it may be, you need to learn to let it all roll off your back. As long as they’re posting about you, it means they’re listening. Removing their inflammatory posts, or replying with similar negativity, feeds the drama until your entire message board is about the trouble-maker on your web site and not your music. What if a potential magazine reviewer or an interested label rep is perusing your page with interest only to find more info about your fight with some internet psycho than about your band? It’s not worth risking a loss of opportunity to engage in drama.

2.) Drama Doesn’t Belong At Your Gigs---When you’re at a show, your goal is to make music, engage the audience, sell CDs, and win the club over so that you can play there again and again. People make room in their schedules, pay for gas, and fork out cash for a cover charge and bar priced drinks, just to hear you play your songs for them. They want to be entertained; to get away from the pressures of their real lives and escape into the safety and excitement of your music and lyrics. What they don’t need is more drama at your gigs then they get from their office co-workers, their wacky neighbors, and bully at their kids’ school combined. Whatever problems you’re having in your personal and professional life, keep it away from your fans and your industry contacts or they’ll start to remember your shows more for the drama than for the music.

3.) Your Manager Is Not Your Therapist---Although a manager’s professional duties make them almost like the band’s parent, don’t cry to mommy every time the drummer calls you a name or your girlfriend decides she wants to play the field. There is too much music industry drama that your manager has to deal with every day, to add to his/her troubles by piling a heap of your personal woes on top of his/her already overburdened shoulders. If a club owner stiffs you at the door, tell your manager. If another band records one of your songs without permission, tell your manager. If your wife compulsively flashes her breasts at your shows, send her to a therapist, but leave your manager out of it.

4.) Take The Crazymakers Off Your Mailing List---A lot of damage control can be done simply by eliminating from your mailings the nuts that show up and bring their own boatload of drama. If you know that your ex has never gotten over you, that she’s off her meds and that she likes to show up and start swinging at every girl she thinks is catching your eye…why would you invite he to your shows? Comb your address book with a big, black sharpie pen and ink out the stalkers, crazies, attention-getters, and overblown drunkards that will turn each and every one of your gigs into a three-ring circus of drama that you’re forced to ringmaster from the stage during your set.

Once you remove the drama from your musical career, you’ll find that your gigs go smoother, your website is a more positive place for fans to hang in cyber space, and the industry is less wary about getting behind what you’re doing. It may seem silly, but too much drama can often be a warning sign that something is really wrong with a band and you may find that industry types will become gun shy around your band if they’re worried that your reputation as drama queen will be more trouble than it’s worth. Working in the music business is hard enough. Don’t give anybody any reason not to work with you. Be smart. Leave your drama at home and show the industry that your music is what’s most important to you and your band.

About The Author

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 2,400 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

Opening Acts!...Does Playing Before A Rock Star Make You One?

It’s the dream of many a musician to open up for either: their favorite band or the favorite band of their childhood. For many, the ultimate in true rock star status is to share a stage with the musicians who made you want to play music in the first place…to see you name in lights (or printed on a flyer, as the case may be) with the guys (or gals) whose music you listen to almost as much as (if not more than) your own.

But is it really a good idea, as an unsigned artist, to open up for an act already known to the general public? Will you get anywhere near the recognition opening up for Pearl Jam in a large venue that you would at a local club playing with other unsigned bands? Will you fans dig your music as hard as ever or will they forget all about you in a mad frenzy to have Eddie Vedder sign their backs?

It’s a double-edged sword that many artists forget to think over carefully before rushing starry-eyed into the excitement of being the opening act for: (Insert Name Of Famous Rock Star Here). In many cases, venues and promoters still expect your crowd to turn out and drink it up at shows, even though the headliner will draw a big crowd of their own. Many of these shows are an hour plus away from your local area and tickets can be upwards of $100. Is that something you can expect your friends will be up for?

And then there’s the issue of press. Do you dare ask a reviewer to come out and cover your show and expect that a large portion of your article won’t be about how “Pearl Jam rocks!” You score local radio play only to have the DJ announce the show and play, “Alive.” Sometimes opening up for a signed act can make an unsigned artist feel even more invisible than usual.

The following are a few tips that may help you to weigh the pros and cons of grabbing a spot as the opening act for a famous band:

1.) Would You Take The Show If You Weren’t Playing With Pearl Jam?---Many artists think that playing with a famous act is so important that they don’t even bother to check out anything else about the gig. Many assume that rock stars always command rock star stages, but this is often not the case. Many acts, especially classic rock/retro acts on revival tours, are looking to get out and play anywhere that will put them up the right kind of front money. Often times this means that the venues are in more remote areas either looking to get on the musical map or using a well-known act to entice people to drive in from far away. Sometimes, the clubs are older rooms looking to get their groove back or new places that haven’t yet acquired a regular crowd. Before booking anything, drive out and check out the venue on a few different nights and make sure that you like the room, the stage, the regulars, the area, etc. and ask yourselves if this is a venue that would play if it was!

n’t for the draw of the signed headliner. Since many of these shows can cost unsigned acts anywhere from $200-$2000 in ticket guarantees, you want to make sure that your getting your money’s worth musically.

2.) Would Pearl Jam’s Fans Listen To You If They Caught You In Your Local Bar?---For a lot of upcoming acts, the lure of playing in front of a crowd of adoring fans is a huge plus. But, you need to make sure to remember that just because people are coming to a club doesn’t mean they plan to listen to you. Sadly, often the followers of signed acts could care less about unknown openers and will arrive right before the headliners set. Sometimes, they sit in at the bar in another room praising their favorite band while the openers play to their friends and the wall. Worst case, many of them will rush the stage yelling, “Pearl Jam! We want Pearl Jam” while you do your best to win them over musically. This is why it’s important to only open for signed acts that fit in the style of your music. If you loved Pearl Jam in high school but your band sounds like John Mayer, you might want to think twice before deciding that their fans are automatically going to dig your tunes.

3.) Find Out All Of The Details Before Committing To A Signed Act Show---It’s fairly easy to book a local show: two to five unsigned acts, 20-45 minute sets, all ages to 21 and up, $0 to $10 cover, sound check or line check, maybe free parking, possibly some free drinks, sometimes backline gear, occasionally free food, and pray for a decent sound man. It’s all pretty much cut and dried and if your band has been around awhile, you can confirm gigs in your sleep. Signed headlining acts are a whole different animal and promising your crowd to a venue two hours away, with a $40 cover charge where your band is playing a 15 minute set with your gear scrunched up on the front of the stage so that the headliner’s gear can remain set up might not be as easy as you think. Your fans are used to seeing you rock the house, down the street from their homes, where you play long, get an encore and the house buys everyone a shot! Unless they’re dying to see Pearl Jam, they might not be u!

p for all of extra energy it takes to see you open up for a famous act.

4.) You May Not Be Signed But You Can Act Like You Are---If you decide to take a gig opening up for a signed band and you want to impress them, their crew, their reps, and the club’s management, then make sure you’re act as professional as your headliner. Get there early, have your gear organized, make sure everything is working perfectly, load in at the speed of light, have your set list ready, be courteous to the sound guy (gal), keep your set on time, and load off at the speed of light. Most importantly, have your merchandise in order and professionally displayed at the club/arena: CDs, DVDs, t-shirts, bumper stickers, hats, condoms, thongs…you name it. You know you’re unsigned but the headliners’ fans don’t, so why advertise it? Put on a fantastic show and maybe you’ll sell some CDs, etc. and make some extra cash.

There’s one more thing to consider here: fulfilling a dream. If it’s your dream to open up for an act you love, then throw caution to the wind and do it just for the dream. If you lose money, hate the club, get booed by over-zealous fans…who cares? For that one set, you shared the stage with the band that put the dream in your heart to get up on a stage in the first place. Plus, it’s great bragging rights for your band. You can throw it up on your website and talk about it to your grandchildren. If you don’t mind the extra effort, commitment and sometimes hassle, then go for it! Who knows? Maybe they’ll pick you up as the opener on their tour? Maybe their label will see you and sign you? Maybe Rolling Stone will come out to review them and mention your name? If you’re doing it to fulfill the dream, then everything else is a bonus. Just remember to get all of the details, and stay smart when undertaking a huge gig. Now, get up on that stage and wow that big crowd,!

you rock stars!

About The Author

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

Rock Pop Music

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.

Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.

In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.

About The Author

Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to music and harmony.For more information logon http://www.casanads.com/bm/me.htm

Between Classes and Concerts: Time Management for the Harassed Music Major

Recitals, concerts, rehearsals, classes. The list can simply go on for the overwhelmed music major.

By the middle of the first semester, even an average music major can easily fall prey into the crackpot-genius category, walking with blood-shot eyes towards the next class while humming incoherent pam-pa-ram-pam-pam tunes from last night’s rehearsals.

So what do you get with an hour’s lecture on counterpoint? Drool.

Start shaping up your schedule. How do you intend to do that? Start by accepting and appreciating your calling. Not everyone is called to be a musician, or lucky enough to grow muscles ample to carry your cello around and get through past that nerve-wrecking college auditions in the first place. Since you are reading this article, you are probably one of the few chosen thousands. Understand that without love for music, a college student just flirting with a music degree is definitely bound to fail.

Your music is an inspiration in itself. Appreciate what you do. Appreciate the privilege that while the rest of the world is at war, you are safe indoors playing music. Once your major has sunk in, you will definitely find less time to complain about the many rehearsals you need to rush to.

The second? Rhythm. Rhythm I say? Yes. Somehow, there is a very beautiful metaphor between what we do, which is playing music, and how we live it. Find a “rhythmic pattern” in your everyday routine. Plot out your schedule among your activities. Start with actual activities (classes, rehearsals, violin lessons, choir practice, music club meetings and the like.) Next, fill up the empty space with what you think you need to do (practice Bach’s Double Concerto, do research for music history class, etc.)

In every activity, always include a time frame. A time frame will always help you focus and direct your energy. It will subconsciously set your mind on the work at hand. The more things overlap, the less you get anything done.

Get used to the fact that musicians, especially when you are still a student, can never get away from the fast-becoming tedious task of practicing your instrument. Why do I say tedious? With so many things to do, you can become unconsciously too tired to do any of those things which you’re supposed to do! Thus, the more you think about the load of things you need to do, the more tired you become and the less you get anything done.

The key to a well-utilized, productive practice time is compartmentalizing. When you need to study period pieces, devote at least an hour of practice for each period. Jumping from one piece to another piece, from one period to another period never helps. It clutters your mind more and thus, it becomes a tragic source of energy leakage. Focus your mind on one piece. It is always helpful to analyze a piece and single out difficult and technical parts. Start with those difficult technical passages and from there, proceed to easier parts.

Lastly, experiment on a schedule that you think works best with you. Consider at what time of day you are most active and productive. Maximize the use of those hours.

Being a music major can be a time-confusing, schedule-juggling experience. But for some music majors who know how to identify between energy leakage and productive activities, their college years as music majors have been one of the most rewarding experiences they ever had. At least, they can play music and choose to worry or not about grades. When one goes professional, though you play music, this time you will have to worry about earning a living! It is just a matter of choosing your activities, plotting a schedule, sticking to the schedule and enjoying every single minute of music making!

About The Author

JB Anthony is the webmaster of www.timemanagement.hottestniches.com. For more information on time management especially for college students, visit http://www.timemanagement.hottestniches.com.

Neil Young Living With War Rock Music CD Review

The exceptionally talented Rock artist Neil Young has released him CD entitled Living With War. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Neil Young fans, and Rock fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Living With War Neil Young’s artistic excellence is on full display as Young has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Living With War. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

It seems a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

Neil Young possesses the characteristic of being able to win you over with him talent alone. The kind of artist I frankly just flat out enjoy listening to.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Neil Young’s most impressive releases ever.

Overall Living With War is excellent from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Rock fan. Really sensational from beginning to end.

While this entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 1 - After The Garden, track 6 - Flags Of Freedom, and track 10 - America The Beautiful.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 9 - Roger And Out. This is a great track!

Living With War Release Notes:

Neil Young originally released Living With War on May 8, 2006 on the Reprise label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. After The Garden 2. Living With War 3. Restless Consumer 4. Shock And Awe 5. Families 6. Flags Of Freedom 7. Let's Impeach The President 8. Lookin' For A Leader 9. Roger And Out 10. America The Beautiful

Personnel: Neil Young (vocals); Tommy Bray (trumpet); Rick Rosas (bass instrument); Chad Cromwell (drums).

About The Author

Clyde Lee Dennis a life long music enthusiast, writes CD reviews and is also the Food and Dining Editor at http://Seattle.eNewsBriefs.com covering topics like Seattle Restaurants and more. Visit Seattle eNewsBriefs for the latest Seattle News

Angelina Jolie Receives Sunflowers From A Rock Star

What do rock stars buy for their mega-movie star friends after the birth of a child? Well, rocker Gwen Stefani recently answered that question when she and her husband, Gavin Rossdale, brought an enormous bouquet of sunflowers to actress Angelina Jolie after the birth of her daughter with her boyfriend, actor Brad Pitt.

Sunflowers are aptly named since their enormous golden blooms closely resemble the sun. They also, quite literally, follow the sun; their blossoms turn to follow the sun as the day goes on.

Sunflowers come in several varieties, such as:

* Autumn Mix: These are the giant plants that grow over six feet tall. They come in yellow and rust colors with blooms five or six inches wide.

* Teddy Bear: This variety is a smaller type that has a full, fuzzy bloom. It grows to around 18 inches tall.

* Italian White: These sunflowers aren't the typical sunny, golden color; they're a creamy whitish color. The plants grow to a height of approximately four feet and produce small blooms.

* Large Varieties: These varieties include the huge 20-inch blooms of the Russian Giants and the ten to fifteen foot tall plants of the Kong Sunflower.

Sunflowers are an ancient flower, used by Native Americans as a medicinal flower and food source since as early as 2300 B.C. They provided early Americans with medicines to treat warts, snakebites, and sunstroke. They also provided oils used on the hair and were ground up to create face paints. Foods made from sunflowers included seeds roasted and ground to meal for baking, seed balls much like today's peanut butter, and roasted hulls steeped in water to produce a hot beverage.

Today sunflowers are a very popular garden flower loved for their big, beautiful blooms as well as the ease with which they're grown. They should be planted in full sun after the threat of frost has subsided for your area. If you're starting them from seeds, plant the seeds about one inch deep and six inches apart. If you're planting seedlings, plant them about eighteen inches apart (twelve inches for the smaller varieties). Give them a good dose of water after they're planted and keep seeds damp until the plants pop through the ground. You may need to stake the plants as they grow to provide support and keep them from bending or breaking in the wind.

Even if you choose not to grow your own sunflowers, you can still enjoy them or given them to friends to enjoy just by visiting your local florist who is sure to have these gorgeous flowers on hand. So, go ahead, send some flowers to the movie star in your life-or just to your best friend or mom-she'll appreciate them as much as Angelina Jolie did hers.

About The Author

Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers (http://www.wesleyberryflowers.com), a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. His shops provide flower delivery worldwide through http://www.flowers-worldwide.net and Flower Delivery Express (http://www.flowerdeliveryexpress.com). Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at http://www.800wesleys.com

Rock DJ

Before I left Singapore, my aspired DJ-to-be Malaysian buddy, Chee Kiang, burnt for me my favorite Ministry of Sound – The Annual 2005 Deluxe CD. He attempted some modifications to the hits, not without the Zouk influence, the club everyone talks about in Singapore where he is a frequenter.

I didn’t quite feel any distinction from the original record.

Perhaps he is not too familiar with music editing yet (after all, Chee Kiang only has a laptop equipped with a Windows Media Player burner). What negligence, when music morphing features are already so comprehensive, covering almost all there could be to audio morphing!

And the developing music editing softwares are making the list even longer. Not long ago, mixers used to be limited to only 5 file extensions (.wav, .mp2, .mp3, .ogg and .wma). Now, the products of Audio4Fun and Sony support almost all the extensions there are (up to 14). Conversion of songs under different formats into as many types is no longer an edge, but a norm with these music editor-players.

Not only in quantity, but the quality of the output is also enhanced, with special attention to the pitch and timbre of the sound effects. And don’t be surprised getting to know that some music morphers now allow you unlimited freestyle mix-and-match of customized extractions of songs (yes, you can extract all the best verses of your favorite songs to create your own mega-hit). This defining feature is perhaps best demonstrated in the AV Music Morpher Gold.

A hip mixer is one who plays not only good music, but his own good music as well. These music juke boxes take as good care of specific wants of the demanding DJ as that of his above-mentioned special needs. He could drive clubbers hysterically spinning by mixing his voice into any hip-hop favorites, and further adding built-in juke effects or any of his pre-mixed sounds. That is how far the music editors have been developed, to help DJs keep clubbers screaming for more.

Perhaps what distinguishes the music editing concept from other high-end digital streams (DVD morphing for instance) is that the technology is so user-friendly and complete that any average home DJ now can produce his own CDs, fully personalized, from music to CD cover. All Music Morphers of Audio4Fun support such thorough form of customization, though it is hardly seen elsewhere in the market.

So how has the market embraced these creative editing tools? There are over 10 major music software producers, with big names such as Audio4Fun, Adobe and Sony (Audio4Fun is more specialist, as Adobe is more known for its PDF readers while Sony is an omnipresent titan). Products are for sale from a mere $9.95 to only $99.95, about the price of a DVD player. Free downloads of music editing softwares are also available on the web (legally, of course).

The combination of an extensive supply chain, low pricing and numerous support features might herald an age of home recording audios, where home DJs savor unique mix-medleys that even the Zouk clubbers crave for.

Oh my, Chee Kiang is going to love it if I get him one such Music Morpher for his coming birthday!

About The Author

Josh Nowell is a Media Morpher writer specialized in multimedia software products. He could be contacted at media@audio4fun.com.