Canadian Musician articles from March 2006

Canadian Musician archives from March 2006

The reality of being a musician ...(feed BACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Dear CM, Bernie LaBarge makes a great insight into today's live music scene and how difficult it has become to "make a living." I have friends who play five to six nights a week, which is very rare these days, but they also had to adapt....

Choosing a recording studio.(Indie Insider)
March 1, 2006... So you and your band have been together for about a year now. You're busy writing songs and playing gigs and you think that you're pretty damn good. Ready to put your work down on track? There are a few questions you should ask yourself first....

Making music on Myspace.com.(Indie Insider)
March 1, 2006... Many artists and music lovers are already familiar with one of the handiest Web sites on the net, MySpace.com. Although it may have been initially started as a private community where people could share photos, journals and interests with...

OIART develops games with Creative Labs.(Changes)
March 1, 2006... The Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology (OIART) on London, ON is North America's first audio education program registered as a game developer with Creative Labs, leader in digital entertainment products. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

We all need love: a tribute to Domenic Troiano.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... This coming April 20th, an evening of music, food, family and friends will be a big part of remembering, and honouring, Domenic Troiano, in addition to some great performances, visual representations and retrospectives from his closest friends...

Humber launches first all-Canadian radio station.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Radio Broadcast program at Humber College launched Canada's only all-Canadian content radio station, Radio Humber CKHC 96.9 FM. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Instead of playing the 35 per cent of Canadian content required by the CRTC,...

VFS launches Entertainment Business program.(Changes)(Vancouver Film School)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Vancouver Film School (VFS) has recently launched a new 12-month diploma program, the Entertainment Business Management program, which will provide skills to those who want to be an entertainment industry business administrator and manager....

Music Monday 2006.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The second annual Music Monday will take place on Monday, May 1. It's an annual event that encourages people across the country to celebrate the importance of music. All participants will perform the original theme song "A Little Music",...

Neil Young Keynote for SXSW.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... From March 15-19 the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with Neil Young as the Keynote. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The SXSW Keynote will take place on Thursday, March 16, with Young...

TMX gears up for second edition.(Changes)(Toronto Music Expo)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Toronto Music Expo, which debuted last November to excellent response, has announced the 2006 edition of the show. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Falling a little earlier in the year, the show's new dates are September 30-October 1, 2006...

Domenic Troiano Scholarship winners announced.(Changes)
March 1, 2006... Early in the New Year, the first annual Domenic Troiano Scholarship winners were announced. Lucas Haneman of Kanata, ON, and Aimee Piche, of London, ON, were both awarded $1,500. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The scholarship is presented...

Roland and BOSS launch workshop tour.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Roland Canada and BOSS have recently announced three workshops to take place in Ontario from March 14-16. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Roland and BOSS specialists, Peter Lafferty and Steve Alexander will show attendees how to record music,...

Jelleestone presents Band Aid grant.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... JUNO Award nominee, Jelleestone has recently presented a $10,000 Band Aid grant from Universal Music Canada on behalf of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to his former school, Smithfield Middle School in Rexdale, ON....

Events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... South By Southwest (SXSW) 2006 Austin, TX March 10-19, 2006 (512) 467-7979, FAX (512) 451-0754 sxsw@sxsw.com, www.sxsw.com CelticFest Vancouver Vancouver, BC March 15-19, 2006 (604) 683-8331 ...

Virtual bassist.(ROAD test)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2006... First Steinberg released Groove Agent, which could have been called "virtual drummer". Then came the aptly named Virtual Guitarist. Now the company has completed the virtual power trio with Virtual Bassist. Like Steinberg's other virtual...

TC Electronic G-System.(ROAD test)(guitar amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2006... TC Electronic claims that their G-System is the first complete high-quality floor-based guitar system and I think, for the most part, they're right. Of course, efforts to include everything that a guitarist wants in a floor-based system are...

Zickos drums: Phantom series.(ROAD test)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2006... "Sure they look cool, but do they sound good?" A question drummers will ask of any material other than wood... guaranteed! So why have acrylic drums not flourished after nearly four decades since Bill Zickos first obtained the patent? Perhaps...

A guide to: travelling guitars.(guitar)(Column)
March 1, 2006... There I was, sitting in the Paris airport. My connecting flight to Bombay had already left, so I was waiting for the next scheduled flight which would depart in eight hours; a re-route through Dubai, then onto Bombay. When I finally landed in...

When good gigs go bad--technical problems.(keyboards)(Column)
March 1, 2006... It doesn't matter who has the fear, or why, panic is nobody's friend on stage. Even the most automatic gigs can go south from time to time. For a keyboard player there are a number of potential problems that commonly crop up--MIDI cables that...

Be a better bass player.(bass)(Column)
March 1, 2006... Every now and then I am asked if I have any advice for bass players. Here, I have come up with 10 basic principles to keep in mind while on your journey down the "low road." Next issue, "Why Bass Players Shouldn't Get a Mic..." ...

Tag team drumming.(percussion)(Column)
March 1, 2006... About a year or so ago I had a chance to meet fellow drummer Keith Dawson Jr. and the idea was mooted that we join forces and investigate the possibilities of acoustic and electric drums performing together. Now this is not a new idea and I'm...

Silver, gold or platinum? Why not brass?!(woodwinds)(Column)
March 1, 2006... I was recently quizzed by a fellow flutist regarding the differences between a gold and a silver riser. (The riser is the chimney connecting the tube and the lip plate in the head joint of the flute.) My response was essentially as follows: "If...

Audition advice.(brass)
March 1, 2006... The Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto is a four plus two-year program, offering a BM and MM in jazz performance. There are approximately 60 undergrad students in the program and five masters students. The faculty consists of some of...

Digital highlights from the 2006 NAMM show: the greatest invention in the history of music!!!(digital music)
March 1, 2006... You're probably reading this in some blissful spring weather (if you live on the West Coast) and if you aren't, well, good. The weather at the time of writing this column has broken all records for--CRAP--and makes me want to live in an igloo...

How to achieve a successful vocal performance and avoid making a fool out of yourself.(vocals)(Column)
March 1, 2006... A long time ago I read a book about singing by another writer who gave some simple advice about how to handle stage fright and nervousness. He exclaimed: "Lighten up, make eye contact with the audience and don't be afraid to make a fool out of...

Jeff Martin aims high: Ex-Tea party frontman records first solo album.(Interview)(Cover story)
March 1, 2006... An exotic scent from burning incense fills Studio 1 at Metalworks in Mississauga, ON. Jeff Martin, wearing blue jeans and a brown twill hat, not his usual all-black, is pacing back and forth as he listens to the 10 final mixes of his first solo...

Death from above 1979.(Sebastien Grainger)(Interview)
March 1, 2006... I'm beginning to feel like I'm batting 0 for 2. When I reach DFA drummer/vocalist, Sebastien Grainger, he isn't expecting me. I'm already convinced that I'd woken up Grainger's other half, DFA bassist/synth player, Jesse Keeler, when I called...

Live sound: a musician's guide to sound systems.
March 1, 2006... As a musician it can be incredibly nerve-wracking and frustrating to know that no matter how good a player or singer you are and how great your band might be it won't matter a hoot if you're not coming out of the sound system properly. If your...

Signing a record deal Part II: deal pointers.
March 1, 2006... Left on its own, last issue's article might lead you to believe that little has changed in the way labels and artists do business with each other. The business has evolved, but to some extent--good songs, compelling artists, strong partnerships...

Writing for a Music Publisher.(writing)
March 1, 2006... Music Publishing is a very exciting business. In this column, I will go over some of the most common topics discussed and some of the most asked questions. I'm now in my eighth year writing for Sony Tree Music in Nashville and it's still pretty...

Part III: post-production and beyond.(recording)
March 1, 2006... This is the last part of a three part series on building a killer demo It should be noted that there are many ways to record your songs, many kinds of songs that inspire variations on the methods I have outlined here, and many kinds of studios...

Tricks for touring.(live sound)(Column)
March 1, 2006... Put All Your Ducks In A Row Old sound engineers never die, they just move to Vegas and run sound for singers our parents listened to. Well, at least that happened to some sound engineers that I know, including myself for a short time. It...

So you wanna be a rock star?(business)
March 1, 2006... Several CM readers sent me kind e-mails about my article in a previous issue on Songwriting, Beatles and Bernie. One of those readers asked if I had any thoughts on getting into the music business. I responded to the best of my ability and...

Planet Waves tuners.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... Five new tuners have recently been released by Planet Waves; the S.O.S., Pocket Tuner, Pro-Winder, Full-Function Tuner and Metronome and the Pedal Tuner. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The S.O.S. (Strobe-On-String) Tuner is shaped and used...

Avatar G212H Premier cabinet.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... Avatar has recently released a new guitar cabinet, the G212H Premier. The G212H is available in red, green, brown, black, orange or blonde tolex covering. The cabinet's fabric grilles come in vintage wheat, black, vintage Fender and oxblood...

Sonor SQ2 Drum System.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... Sonor has recently introduced the new SQ2 Drum System that allows drummers to build their own custom drumset from the ground up by choosing from a variety of options. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To create your signature sound first select...

iCoustic Enterprises iCoustic System.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... iCoustic Enterprises LLC has recently released a new technology, the iCoustic System. This technology was created to add more power and sound to the acoustic guitar and allows you to attach your acoustic guitar to many portable digital devices....

Yamaha LLXDN acoustic/electric.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... Yamaha Canada has recently released a new Dave Navarro signature acoustic/electric guitar line, the LLX6DN. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This limited edition line was designed with the same playability, natural tone and electronics as the...

Godin Guitars A & L GT.(hot Gear)
March 1, 2006... Godin Guitars has recently released a new addition to its line of acoustic Art and Lutherie guitars, the A & L GT. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The A & L GT is the first gloss top model in this line and is available in either Antique Burst...

BOSS BR-600.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... BOSS has recently released a new portable digital recording device for musicians to record band rehearsals and gigs, the BR-600. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The BR-600 has eight tracks that each contain eight V-Tracks (virtual tracks),...

Peavey Zodiac DE Scorpio.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Peavey has recently released a new bass line, the Zodiac Series. The first bass to be released in this line is the signature Zodiac DE Scorpio, designed with metal bassist David Ellefson. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Zodiac DE Scorpio...

Line 6 LowDown amps.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Music gear manufacturer, Line 6, Inc. has recently released a new line of bass amps for live and studio use, LowDown LD150, LD175 and LD300. The LD150 features a 12" speaker and is housed in a tilt back monitor design at 150 W. Both the LD175...

SABIAN Vault Ride.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... SABIAN has recently released a 20" Vault Ride cymbal that combines a top that features pinpoint lathing with a bottom that's unlathed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The unlathed bottom focuses the cymbal's clean response at every volume and...

TC-Helicon VoiceSolo.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... TC-Helicon has recently released a new line of personal voice monitors for live stage use, the VoiceSolo. This new line of nearfield voice monitors is optimized for live vocals and is easy to set up with conventional mic stands and booms. The...

Die Mannequin.(SHOWCase)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Who: Die Mannequin Where: Toronto, ON What: burn baby Contact: Shull Management, Paul Shull 55 Rosevear Ave., Toronto, ON M4C 1Z1 (416) 778-7000, paul@shullmgt.com, www.myspace.com/diemannequin. Care Failure doesn't play...

Paper Moon.(SHOWCase)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Who: Paper Moon Where: Winnipeg, MB What: endearing Contact: Endearing Records, (604) 773-0115, info@endearing.com, www.endearing.com, www.myspace.com/papermoonmusic. On the band's second album, Broken Hearts Break Faster...

Jay Bizzy.(SHOWCase)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Who: Jay Bizzy Where: Halifax, NS What: get bizzy Contact: Urbnet, PO Box 10617, 998 Bloor Street W., Toronto ON, M6H 1L8 (647) 271-7736, info@urbnetrecords.com, www.jaybizzy.com. Jay Bizzy (a.k.a. Jay Flemming) grew up in...