Canadian Musician articles from January 2007

Canadian Musician archives from January 2007

Hard work.(FeedBack)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... I am a musicologist. Many parents have a common question when they send their children to music lessons. It goes something like this: "My child learned to read books very quickly. Why does he/she struggle to read music?" Many...

The many methods of band promotion.(IndieInsider)
January 1, 2007... As a budding flower in the garden of musical gods, it can be difficult for an independent band or artist to draw a crowd to their shows. But there are many avenues you can take that are effective--if done right. I've talked to two women...

2006 Hamilton Music Awards.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... The 2006 Hamilton Music Awards took place on Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Irving Zucker Theatre in the Dofasco Centre for the Arts in Hamilton, ON. It was televised on CHTV on Nov. 25, and was the closing highlight of a weekend of festivities. ...

Songwriting & Singing Workshops.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... Two workshops have been set for the beginning of 2007 that will benefit songwriters and singers, the Songwriting & Singing Workshops. The Songwriting Workshop will be hosted by James Linderman who lives and works at theharmonyhouse: a...

CMW approaches & inducts many into Hall of Fame.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... The annual Rogers Wireless Canadian Music Week (CMW) 2007 is quickly approaching as we head into the new year. It is set to be held from March 7-10, in Toronto, ON. Canadian hard rock trio Triumph will be the next band to be inducted...

KoSA Cuba 2006 a success.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... The 5th annual KoSA Cuba event was held in Havana, Cuba this past October in conjunction with the Havana International Drum Festival at the Havana Libre Hotel. Participants came from Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada, and the US for...

Songposium 2.0 & Bluebird North Tour 2007.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... The intensive seminar for songwriters is back and has become a two-day event, Songposium 2.0. Dates have been set for early January and February and will help songwriters learn the art, craft, and business of songwriting with some...

Bob Moog Memorial Foundation launched.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... The Bob Moog Memorial Foundation for Electronic Music has an agenda to honour Dr. Bob Moog's legacy, establish a non-profit status, recruit volunteers, and commit to a multiple-year fundraising effort. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

TMX becomes the Music & Home Entertainment Show.(Changes)
January 1, 2007... Following its second successful year with strong attendance and great reviews, the Toronto Music Expo (TMX) has changed its name to the Music and Home Entertainment Show (MHES) to better reflect the true character of this fast-growing show....

Events.
January 1, 2007... * 41st Midem Annual Music Market Cannes, France January 21-25, 2007 +33 (0) 1-4190-4460, FAX +33 (0) 1-4190-4450 info.midem@reedmidem.com, www.midem.com * Rumba Retreat With Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo Lakefield, ON...

Finale 2007.(RoadTest)
January 1, 2007... Big changes abound in MakeMusic's Finale 2007 software. For those of you unfamiliar with the program, Finale is a professional composing and scoring program capable of generating audio files and publisher-ready scores ranging from orchestral...

Mapex Pro M series.(RoadTest)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2007... The working person's drums is what Mapex touts their Pro M series kits as, and I have to say you get a lot of bang (or shall I say boom) for your buck. I often cringe at the word "pro" when used as a prefix for drum gear mostly because...

Sparrow Rat Rod guitar.(RoadTest)
January 1, 2007... Sparrow Guitars, founded by craftsman and guitar enthusiast Billy Bones, is an electric guitar company offering bold and inspired custom works of art that deliver performance and value. Parts of Sparrow Guitars are manufactured in South...

Warming up.(GUITAR)(techniques of warming up before guitar playing )(Personal account)
January 1, 2007... Warming up is a very personal experience, almost ritualistic. I once interviewed a world-renowned classical guitarist who told me that on the day of the performance he doesn't look at the music he will be playing. Instead, his warm-up is...

Scale sources and chord stacks for fluency.(KEYBOARDS)
January 1, 2007... A teacher once told me that technique--scales, arpeggios and the like--were the building blocks of music, the "meat and potatoes." To me they seemed more like stumbling blocks, the lima beans, creamed turnip, and squash of music. You may...

Transcribing.(bass)
January 1, 2007... Greetings, and welcome to the first of (hopefully) many bass columns. In future columns I'll be getting into some more detailed specifics of how to play the bass (both acoustic and electric) but for my first column I'd like to talk about what...

Interdependence/ambidexterity.(PERCUSSION)
January 1, 2007... Here's some practical advice to help you understand interdependence and ambidexterity and hopefully make your practice easier. Interdependence is the ability to play different rhythms simultaneously and somewhat independently of one another...

Studio work & recording.(WOODWINDS)
January 1, 2007... I was recently asked a series of questions about studio work and recording, so here are the answers I provided... What do you have to say about the sound and miking of the flute in different recording sessions? Quite frankly, I...

New rule: blow your own horn.(BRASS)(Interview)
January 1, 2007... The following is a condensed interview conducted by Burt Brown. Chase, when did you start playing, and how did you get started in your music career? I started playing in grade four in the New Jersey public school system. Trombone was...

Vocoder 101.(DIGITAL MUSIC)
January 1, 2007... Last year, my friend Larry Gowan invited me (with backstage passes in hand) to see him perform live with Styx and the anticipation was quite overwhelming. The late '70s and early '80s briefly returned the moment they broke into "Mr. Roboto";...

Using and developing vocal power.(VOCALS)
January 1, 2007... Vocal power comes from the ability of the singer to control the diaphragm properly. It comes from exercising your instrument and using it regularly. The ultimate power in the voice is from the emotional commitment of the singer--when the...

Great Big Sea: the Celtic-folk band's new live CD and DVD, Courage & Patience & Grit could've added "& ease" onto the title.
January 1, 2007... The making of Great Big Sea's latest release, a live concert CD and DVD called Courage & Patience & Grit, was a natural experience for the Newfoundland-based Celtic-folk band. There were no adjustments made to the show that had been performed...

Molly Johnson.
January 1, 2007... As an underage teen I remember walking around Ottawa's Byward Market with a musician friend and clinging to the hope of grabbing a beer and perhaps taking in some live music. It being a weeknight, and Ottawa being Ottawa, the chances were not...

P.A. gear to go.(Public address systems)
January 1, 2007... The early portion of a band's career is an endless series of choices: When to tour? Who to trust to represent you? How to represent yourself? The last is the most important--at the heart of it, how well you represent yourself will determine...

Knowledge is power: 2007 guide to music education.
January 1, 2007... Nietzsche wrote that music is one of the arts that sharpens our sense of participation in the world. It gave him a much greater meaning to life. For him, it was not merely a passing pleasure but one of the things that made living possible....

It's a setup! Collaborating and co-writing.(WRITING)(creating music albums)
January 1, 2007... In 2005 I had the opportunity to work on two different projects during the same time span: one with my brother Daniel Lanois on my debut CD Snake Road, and the other with Tom Wilson on The Shack Recordings, Vol. 1. Although the two projects...

Are you really ready to record?(RECORDING)
January 1, 2007... Warning! This is a dangerous question! You may not be ready for the explosive reaction that this may unleash! The level of frustration that this can cause may lead to much ranting and gnashing of teeth! Unprepared bands are a problem for the...

Old favourites that got me through many live shows.(LIVESOUND)
January 1, 2007... The Sound Check Analyze the room's frequency response with a "spectrum analyzer." An analyzer uses pink noise played through the PA system to visually pinpoint errant frequencies. Better sound engineers can walk around a room while the...

Cover songs: or, as Jenny Lewis would say by way of the traveling Wilburys, "handle with care".(BUSINESS)
January 1, 2007... The views and opinions expressed in this article are not meant to substitute for legal advice which should be sought in each particular instance. Introduction We all have our favourite. For me, it's a toss-up between Annie Lennox's...

American Audio Vinyl 101 Direct Drive Turntable System.(HotGear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... An all-in-one direct drive turntable package has recently been released from American Audio that contains everything a DJ would need to be vinyl-ready: the Vinyl 101 Direct Drive Turntable System. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Vinyl 101...

Levy's Accordion Straps.(HotGear)
January 1, 2007... Instrument strap manufacturer, Levy's Leathers, has released a new line of straps for accordion players: the Accordion Straps. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Available in eight models, the Accordion Straps come in nylon, polyester, leather,...

Dean Edge Hammer 10.(HotGear)(guitar)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Dean Guitars has released a new line of electric bass guitars: the Edge Hammer. One model in this line is the Edge Hammer 10, a 10-string bass. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The top, body, and neck of the Edge Hammer 10 are made of...

Korg Pa800.(HotGear)
January 1, 2007... Korg has recently released a new professional arranger keyboard that features RX Technology and many more highlights: the Pa800. The RX (Real experience) Technology in the Pa800 is the guiding philosophy behind the Pa800 as it features a...

Marshall MB Series bass amplifiers.(HotGear)
January 1, 2007... Marshall Amplification has released a new line of bass amplifiers, the MB Series, which are ideal for rehearsing, recording, jamming, or for small gigs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rugged and compact, the MB Series includes two models:...

Behringer El Toro Guitar Pack.(HotGear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Manufacturer of professional audio and musical instrument products, Behringer, has released a new guitar pack that includes everything an aspiring guitarist would need to get started: the El Toro Guitar Pack. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

IK Multimedia StealthPlug.(HotGear)
January 1, 2007... Software manufacturer, IK Multimedia, has released its first hardware product: StealthPlug. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] StealthPlug is a 1/4" jack to USB audio interface cable that allows guitar and bass players to plug into...

Audio Technica Artist Series vocal mics.(HotGear)
January 1, 2007... Manufacturer of professional microphones and head-phones, Audio Technica, has recently released three new vocal mics as part of its new Artist Series live sound micro-phones: the ATM410, the ATM610, and the ATM710. This line features...

Justin Nozuka.(ShowCase)
January 1, 2007... Who: Justin Nozuka Where: Toronto, ON What: just yes Contact: Coalition Entertainment Management, 10271 Yonge St., #302, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3B5 (905) 508 0025, www.justinnozuka.com, www.myspace.com/justinnozuka. ...

Coco Love Alcorn.(ShowCase)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Who: Coco Love Alcorn Where: Vancouver, BC What: all you need is love Contact: Black Hen Music, P.O. Box 74661 Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC V6K 4P4 (604) 224 5717, info@blackhenmusic.com, www.cocolovealcorn.com. Vancouver singer...

The Blood Lines.(ShowCase)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Who: The Blood Lines Where: Saskatoon, SK What: blood-type B positive Contact: S.J. Kardash (management), 520 10th St., E., Saskatoon, SK S7N 0E2 (306) 373 5030, www.thebloodlines.com, band@thebloodlines.com. The Blood Lines...