Canadian Musician articles from January 2008

Canadian Musician archives from January 2008

Hip hop content in Canadian Musician.(Feed Back)
January 1, 2008... I've been enjoying my subscription to Canadian Musician. As a musician, I enjoy how the articles cover many different genres. But as a hip hop musician, I am really disappointed by your coverage of hip hop. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I...

Funding for studio project.(Feed Back)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you that you are all doing a great job. I love the magazine--it helps local artists like me. I am starting a recording studio business and am looking for some minimal funding to get my dream off the ground. If...

Hedley cover.(Feed Back)
January 1, 2008... Hey, I just wanted to say how HAPPY I am to see Hedley on the cover of your mag. I have been suscribing to your magazine for a year now. This is by far your best featured band. Thanks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brooke Lundar, MB

Recording radio-ready tracks.(Indie Insider)
January 1, 2008... Whether cutting an LP for an independent label, or cutting an MP3 with hopes of landing a deal with a major label, if your band has any aspirations for radio airplay, you'll need to make sure you've got a radio-ready product prior to hitting...

Buy your gear north of the border!
January 1, 2008... CANADIAN music retailers have taken note of the ever-growing number of Canadian shoppers venturing down into the US to make their purchases. With the value of the Canadian dollar continuing to soar over that of its American counterpart, it's...

Cape Breton International Drum Festival announces 2008 lineup.
January 1, 2008... Bruce and Gloria Jean Aitken, organizers of the 8th Annual Cape Breton International Drum Festival, have announced the lineup for the 2008 edition of the annual event. The festival is being staged at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in...

Music therapy program at SickKids Hospital.
January 1, 2008... SickKids Hospital in Toronto, ON is currently using music therapy to enhance its patients' well-being during their period of treatment. The hospital has hired two professional music therapists, Ruth Roberts and Faiona Millwood, to run the...

CCMC speaks out on copyright reform.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... The Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC) is calling for the Canadian government to ensure a made-in-Canada response to copyright reform. This call comes in the wake of the judgment against single mother Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, MN, who...

Alanis Morissette.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... Alanis Morissette will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame March 8, 2008 as part of the 26th Annual Canadian Music Week in Toronto, ON from March 5-8, 2008. [ILLUSTRATION...

Canadian Aboriginal Music Award winners.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... The 9th annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards brought Canada's Native celebrities and performances by top Aboriginal musicians to the Rogers Centre in Toronto November 30, 2008. 28 CAMAs were handed out in honour of the musical artistry and...

Bernard Hebert named MusiCan teacher of the year.
January 1, 2008... Executive Director of MusiCan Srinka Wallia announced that Bernard He'bert is the recipient of this year's MusiCan Teacher of the Year Award. Hebert is the music teacher at Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau High School in Gatineau, QC. ...

Canadians awarded for keeping the blues alive.(NorthernBlues and Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival are set to receive honors of Three Keeping The Blues Alive Awards)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Three Keeping The Blues Alive Awards will be presented to Canadian recipients from The Blues Foundation in Memphis on February 2, 2008. Stony Plain Records founder Holger Peterson, who has hosted CBC Radio's Saturday Night Blues for 21 years,...

IAJE returns to Toronto for 2008.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... The International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) will be back in Toronto for its 35th Annual Conference from January 9-12, 2008. The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto Sheraton, and Intercontinental hotels, along with the Metro Toronto...

eGuide to Successful CD Release.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... Montreal's Dave Cool, founder of Stand Alone Records and Director/Producer of the documentary What is INDIE?, and Peter Spellman, Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music have collaborated to write a marketing guide for...

Canadian record industry increases profit margin.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... Statistics Canada has released data indicating the Canadian record production and integrated record production distribution industry had a 7.4 per cent profit margin in 2005, up from a remarkably low 0.5 per cent in 2003. Sales of recordings by...

Beaver Creek Guitars launches new website.(Changes)(Website overview)
January 1, 2008... A new website from Beaver Creek Guitars has launched: www.beavercreekguitars.com. The site features a section of tips, with instructional videos that show musicians basic tips like changing a string, proper posture, and more for guitars and...

New Ontario Country Music Association forming.
January 1, 2008... The Ontario Country Music Association is being formed by the province's country singers, songwriters, and musicians. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After talking to several likeminded organizations, country music performer and promoter Rob...

East Coast music week special on CBC.(SPECIAL ON CBC)
January 1, 2008... The 2008 edition of the East Coast Music Awards will not be televised live this year. CBC will instead feature a one-hour production nationally, focusing on showcase performances from the East Coast Music Weekend in Fredericton, NB, running...

Sonicbids "Get A Gig" guarantee.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Online EPK database Sonicbids.com has announced a new promotion that guarantees artists who join the service a gig within six months of registration, or else the next six months of service are completely free. Sonicbids allows bands to...

Tammy Frederick's Voice Studio songwriting workshop.(Changes)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Tammy Frederick's Voice Studio will be hosting a rescheduled Interactive Songwriting workshop with James Linderman. The date for the workshop has been moved to Sunday, January 27, 2008 from 10-5 p.m. at the studio, 327 Kingston Rd., Toronto....

New music league for adult rockers.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... Toronto's Terry Moshenberg has created a music league for adult amateur musicians called the League of Rock, which allows adult musicians with careers and families to come together and jam, without having to arrange rehearsals, move gear, or...

KoSa Drum Camp and festival dates.(Changes)
January 1, 2008... The KoSA International Percussion Workshop Drum Camp and Festival will return to the campus of Castleton State College, nestled in the Green Mountains of southern Vermont for the 13th annual presentation of the event from July 30--August 3,...

Events.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... * 2008 International Association For Jazz Education (IAJE) Conference Toronto, ON January 9-12, 2008 785-776-8744, FAX 785-776-6190 info@iaje.org, www.iaje.org * 42nd Midem Annual Music Market Cannes, France ...

Rode M3.(RoadTest)
January 1, 2008... The slick and stylish Rode M3 is one of many new models from this Australian mic designer. Weighing in at 390g, this mic is light, and this will definitely help the M3 find a home in the musician's gig bag. This cardioid mic is also capable of...

Groove Agent 3.
January 1, 2008... One of the most common questions I get asked by musicians when using their computer to record with is, "What's a good program to create drum parts?" Today, I am here to help answer that question with a review of the recently released Groove...

Future Sonics Atrio Series personal monitors.(Road Test)
January 1, 2008... As a gigging musician, live sound engineer, and music producer, I know the value of good monitors. For applications that require personal monitors, the Atrio Series professional earphones from Future Sonics offer a very balanced and detailed...

Mediterranean Guitar style.(GUITAR)
January 1, 2008... I have spent the last 20 years creating a style that I termed "Mediterranean Guitar"--an approach to the instrument combining influences from flamenco, classical, Middle Eastern, Latin, and Greek music. I obviously use many different types of...

Writing and arranging for the piano trio.(KEYBOARDS)
January 1, 2008... I usually choose to play in a classic piano trio setting with a bassist and a drummer because it gives me great harmonic freedom that bigger ensembles don't offer (it is also a very affordable way to go on the road!). The trio setting gives...

The big picture.(BASS)
January 1, 2008... Becoming a great bass player involves countless hours of practicing in isolation. We focus on an endless list of minute details that can make a difference in our own playing. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own world that we forget the...

The importance of the quarter note ... feel.(PERCUSSION)
January 1, 2008... The quarter note is the pulse that you have to internally feel through most music. Whether the tempo is fast or slow, if you are recording to a click track or playing along with any sequences or loops, the quarter note is essential for good...

A practical guide to aksak rhythms.(WOODWINDS)
January 1, 2008... Though many jazz musicians have undergone some kind of traditional training in the classical or folk music of another culture, many do not have access to these cultures through more than just a good recording or the occasional concert. This is...

The lost art of playing in tune--or, is technology ruining our music?(BRASS)
January 1, 2008... I remember doing a recording session a few years back, and being told by the engineer that he usually sends the recorded horn tracks at a later time through pitch correctors (used mainly to help untalented pop singers sound better). Our horn...

Internet radio part I.(DIGITAL MUSIC)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Over 10 years ago, I wrote an article on internet radio as it first emerged. Times have changed, and technology has become more cost-effective and easier to harness. This time, we'll Q&A with Mike Caseley, VP of Slakrz.com, head of Slakrz...

What makes your voice unique.(VOCALS)
January 1, 2008... Every singer wants to bring a stamp of individuality to the table--a recognizable quality that defines them. And this is all within the context of mastering a style, or styles, that they are passionate about. Musically, we live in interesting...

Simple plan: taking risks.(Interview)
January 1, 2008... When singer Pierre Bouvier and I talk, he's just settling back into being at home after an 18-hour flight from Singapore to Montreal. It will be a short break. The band is heading into rehearsals for four days before a few weeks of US radio...

Die Mannequin: getting out of the garage.(Organization overview)
January 1, 2008... Despite her moniker, Die Mannequin's singer, Care Failure, seems destined for success. Overcoming the odds, the 21-year-old singer has rallied against addiction and a vapid musical climate to attract the attention of music fans and the industry...

Road remedies.
January 1, 2008... You haven't truly experienced the glamour of the road until you've spent some quality time squatting in the dank toilet cubicle of some dingy, basement club in the middle of nowhere, lightheaded, weak, and unsure which end of you is going to...

Music education 2008.
January 1, 2008... Around this time of year, resolutions bring about the promises of change. Many of these promises have to do with music. The new guitar given for Christmas finds its way on the lap of a young aspiring musician who takes on the challenge of...

Interpretive lyric writing.(WRITING)
January 1, 2008... Songwriters use lyrics to make a point and to give a song a specific purpose. The style in which you choose to make your own point in your lyric writing will drastically change the way you write, what you write about, and who may or may not get...

Recording on a tight budget.(RECORDING)
January 1, 2008... Good quality recording hasn't become that much cheaper over the years. Because of this, home recording has become more popular. With a tiny investment, you can get some decent-sounding recordings right on your computer. When artists want to use...

Getting the PA up & running.(LIVESOUND)
January 1, 2008... A friend called me from a club in Saskatchewan the other day. The soundman hadn't shown up and he needed to get the PA running, so this is what I told him... Take a deep breath. Let your fear guide you. If you don't know what a device...

Legal aspects of independent recordings part I.(BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... The proliferation of independent recordings released makes this set of legal issues highly relevant, particularly in view of the fact that most musicians who release independent recordings are not aware of the numerous legal issues involved. A...

Line 6 Spider Valve series.(Hot Gear)
January 1, 2008... Line 6 has announced a new line of tube-based guitar amps dubbed the Spider Valve series, a collaboration with tube amp designer Reinhold Bogner. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spider Valve amps will be available in three versions. The Spider...

SKB Stagefive Professional Pedalboard.(Hot Gear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... SKB has announced the release of its SKB-PS-55 stagefive Professional Pedalboard, designed specifically for use in live and studio performance applications. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The SKB-PS-55 stagefive is an all-in-one product that...

Washburn Joe Trohman Idol Series.(Hot Gear)
January 1, 2008... Washburn Guitars recently announced the addition of the custom-made Joe Trohman Idol Series of electric guitars with a modern single-cutaway style, designed by the company and the Fall Out Boy guitarist. Washburn's dual WB630 high-output...

SABIAN Alu Bells.(Hot Gear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... SABIAN has turned to aluminum to craft its new Alu Bell percussion instruments, available in 7- and 9-inch sizes. The bells feature a dome shape and narrow striking edge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aside from creating a clear and musical...

Nady USB-1C condenser microphone.(Hot Gear)
January 1, 2008... Nady Systems recently announced the introduction of its new condenser mic: the USB-1C. Using the supplied USB cable, the mic connects directly to any computer with a USB 2.0 (or higher) input port for easy operation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Digidesign Eleven amp emulation plug-in.(HotGear)
January 1, 2008... Digidesign has released Eleven, a guitar amp emulation plug-in for Pro Tools, Avid, and Digidesign VENUE systems. Providing access to a collection of vintage and modern amp sounds, Eleven's tone-shaping flexibility and realistic sound quality...

Behringer VBl Vintage Bass filter.(HotGear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Behringer has released the new Vintage Bass VB1, a dynamic bass filter which adds funk-style punch to bass lines and solos. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Variable sensitivity dials in the desired amount of sweeping filter action, while...

Tanglewood Heritage and Evolution series acoustic guitars.(Hot Gear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Tanglewood Guitar Company has announced the launch of Heritage and Evolution, two new series of guitars from the UK acoustic guitar brand. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Heritage series are all solid wood guitars constructed from quality...

Tama Superstar Hyper Drive drumkit.(Hot Gear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Tama has updated its Superstar Hyper Drive Series of drumsets with new finishes and specs for the 4-, 5-, and 6-piece configurations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 6-piece set features an 18" x 22" bass drum, 5.5" x 14" snare, 6.5" x 10"...

Mackie SRM450v2 and SRM350v2 active loudspeakers.(HotGear)
January 1, 2008... Ten years after launching the SRM450, Mackie has announced the next generation of its SRM Series Active loudspeakers: the 450v2 and SRM350v2. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In addition to the active electronics and durable polypropylene...

Roland portable CD 2e SD/CD recorder.(Hot Gear)
January 1, 2008... Roland has released a slimmed down, battery-run portable version of its CD-2 direct-to-CD recorder, dubbed the CD-2e. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on the most-used features of the CD-2, the CD-2e boasts a smaller body, and can now be...

Levy's argyle Tear Wear straps.(Hot Gear)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Levy's has announced an expansion on its Tear Wear line of shredded guitar straps with new designs featuring argyle patterns. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The straps are constructed with heavy cotton webbing and leather ends. Pictured is...

CME M-Key MIDI keyboard.(HotGear)
January 1, 2008... CME is now shipping its new M-Key portable MIDI controller in North America. M-Key is a 49-key MIDI keyboard featuring a thin, full-action, semi-weighted keyboard, a joystick control, a mobile phone sound module, trigger pad, knob controller,...

Planet Waves Tru-Strobe tuner.(Hot Gear)
January 1, 2008... The new tabletop Tru-Strobe tuner released by Planet Waves enables musicians to fine-tune any stringed instrument using the exacting method of the strobe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tuner offers true strobe technology that will ensure...

Lori Nuic.(Show Case)(Red Book Chronicles)(Sound recording review)
January 1, 2008... Who: Lori Nuic Where: Toronto What: Alternative Soul Contact: lorinuic@yahoo.com The mention of her name doesn't generate instant recognition yet but there's a good chance many of you have already heard what Toronto's Lori...

Quartette.(Show Case)(Down at the Fair)(Sound recording review)
January 1, 2008... Who: Quartette Where: Toronto What: Folk/Roots/Country/Bluegrass Contact: S. Brock, 35 Fraserwood Ave, #1, Toronto, ON, M6B 2N6, www.quartette.com, service@quartette.com You've got the desire to mix things up a little on your...

New Pornographers.(Show Case)
January 1, 2008... Who: New Pornographers Where: Vancouver What: Indie Rock Contact info: Joanne Setterington, Indoor Recess, 416-703-5217, joanne@indoorrecess.com. Ten years after coming together for the first time in the studio to make...