Canadian Musician articles from March 2008

Canadian Musician archives from March 2008

Unrealistic!(FeedBack)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... From what I've seen, your magazine, in a time of trouble, seems to be a little unrealistic for an artist or band succeeding in the music industry here in Canada. Please start doing more on the reality of things happening to the majority of the...

New talent.(FeedBack)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I have been receiving your magazine for quite some time now and have found the articles and the bands you choose to report on very intriguing and full of great information. I am in an indie band from here on the West Coast of Canada and love...

Getting your music distributed online.(IndieInsider)
March 1, 2008... It's been a mighty long while since the days of Napster and the initial emergence of the digital downloading trend it birthed--a trend that continues to cripple the music industry (or rescue it, depending on who you ask). Either way, it can't...

Universal Music Green Series eco-friendly album releases.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... Universal Music Canada has begun offering music fans a more environmentally conscientious way to access their favourite artists' catalogue with the launch of its Green Series. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The series will feature "Best Of...

New music instruction website launches at iVideosongs.com.(Changes)(Website overview)
March 1, 2008... A new website has launched at www.iVideosongs.com that shows aspiring musicians of all skill levels how to play their favorite songs--as taught by the people that wrote them. "Aspiring musicians want to play complete songs accurately, and...

Toronto's Trebas Institute moves.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Trebas Institute in Toronto has moved to its new location at 2340 Dundas St. West, 2nd Floor, right across the street from the Dundas West TTC station and next to the Bloor GO Station. The school's phone and FAX numbers (below) will remain...

Canadian Jazz Hall of Fame to be established in Niagara-on-the-Lake.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... The Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce & VCB, with its location in the heart of the Heritage District of Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, will soon be home to the Canadian Jazz Hall of Fame. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Public relations firm...

Sennheiser launches major Sound Logo Competition.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... Canadian musicians have a chance to earn some very serious coin (albeit in another currency) with Sennheiser's Sound Logo Competition. The microphone company, which has a Canadian office, is offering 5,000 euros to the winner of the competition...

Indie Venue Bible now available for touring musicians.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... The Indie Contact Newsletter has had a team of over 20 researchers collecting information for a new live music venue directory, which is now available for purchase online. The Indie Venue Bible was created with the needs of the touring...

Chris Paul Harman wins 2007 Jules Leger Prize.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Canada Council for the Arts has recognized Postludio a rovescio by composer Chris Paul Harman as the winner of the 2007 Jules Leger Prize for New Chamber Music. As part of the award, Harman will receive a prize of $7,500. Postludio a...

Big artists lined up for Guitar Workshop Plus summer 2008.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... Guitar Workshop Plus... Bass, Drums, Keyboards, and Vocals has announced its guest artist line-up for the 2008 summer program. Two sessions have already been announced for the 2008 summer schedule: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

Long & McQuade customers offer help to music therapy programs.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Long & McQuade's Jack Long and Sheri Katz recently presented The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto with a donation made by the retail chain's customers to the hospital's music therapy program. The two were on hand at the...

KoSA Eleven Live DVD now available.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... KoSA Eleven/Live contains over three hours of instruction, interviews, and live performance highlights from the eleventh edition of the KoSA International Percussion Workshop and Festival. Produced by KoSA Founder and Artistic Director Aldo...

The Music Managers Forum Canada honours Bruce Allen.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Music Managers Forum Canada (MMF Canada) has announced Canadian music manager Bruce Allen as the recipient of the 2nd annual Honour Roll Award. Presented by The MMF Canada, the award celebrates outstanding excellence within the music...

Oscar Peterson remembered with music scholarships.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... Jazz music students at York University's Faculty of Fine Arts will benefit directly from scholarships announced by the Ontario government, in memory of late Canadian jazz great Dr. Oscar Peterson. The government is providing an endowment of...

CMCC happy with Canada's electronic music sales growth.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... The Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC) has congratulated the Canadian music industry for its growth in electronic music sales. Nielsen BDS numbers released at the beginning of 2008 show that the growth of Canada's digital download...

Ron Davis elected to Glenn Gould Foundation Board.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... Toronto pianist and composer Ron Davis has been elected to the Glenn Gould Foundation Board of Directors. "Glenn Gould was a supernova," comments Davis. "Not only was he a brilliant pianist, he was a great thinker, writer, and broadcaster. I am...

Winter NAMM showcases latest in gear.(National Association of Music Merchants)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... This year's NAMM Show, North America's biggest trade show for the musical instrument products industry, showcased some of the latest and most exciting gear from every corner of the instrument world down in Orange County, CA. The CM staff was on...

Entries welcome at Sonicbids for 2008 CMJ Marathon.(Changes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Each year, the CMJ Music Marathon attracts more than 100,000 music professionals, artists, and enthusiasts for showcases, panels, mentoring sessions, and more to New York City, and all bands for this year's event will be selected through...

CCMA announces Vancouver as host of 2009 Country Music Week.(Canadian Country Music Association )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The Canadian Country Music Association has announced that Vancouver will play host to Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Awards in 2009. This marks the first time the events will take place on the West Coast since 1987. The...

Linus Entertainment takes over True North Records.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Linus Entertainment is taking over True North Records, a label revered for churning out some of the most nationally representative and embraced acts in Canada. Under the deal, True North Owner and Founder Bernie Finkelstein is selling the...

Songwriters' Association of Canada makes peer-to-peer proposal.(Changes)
March 1, 2008... The Songwriters' Association of Canada has issued an open proposal on how the Canadian music industry can embrace peer-to-peer file sharing without suing music fans or adding digital locks to files rightfully purchased by consumers. The...

Events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... * Canadian Music Week (CMW) 2008 Toronto, ON March 5-8, 2008 905-858-4747, FAX 905-858-4848 info@cmw.net, www.cmw.net * The 7th Annual Billboard Music & Money Symposium New York, NY March 6, 2008 ...

Pro Tools LE 7.4.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... There's an ever-increasing amount of upgrades to operating systems and software... some of which are free, while others involve opening up your wallet. Needless to say, any upgrade that costs money had better have a convincing set of new...

Line 6 Spider Valve 2x12 guitar amp.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... The imaginative technicians at Line 6 have made a career of innovation, and with the release of the Spider Valve line of modeling tube amplifier the company once again leads the pack. The amplifier is designed to please fans of amp modeling...

Blue Sky EXO: Monitoring system.(RoadTest)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... The Blue Sky EXO stereo Monitoring system instantly grabbed my attention after opening the box. With its stylish looks and compact size, these speakers will not only please your ears--they will look great in any room as well. With a likely...

Rhythm method.
March 1, 2008... Over the years of playing rock music, I have learned that playing tight rhythmically was as important as my pinky finger. In most rock bands, old and new, the rhythm guitar is most often overlooked or overshadowed by the lead guitar. A lot of...

Keepers of the Flame.(keyboard instrument)
March 1, 2008... I borrow my title from the title of a great song by Mark Levine which was recorded by Latin Jazz great Pancho Sanchez (Bien Sabroso!, Picante CJP-239). Check it out! It has a great sense of harmony, is really fun to improvise over, and has a...

Sight-reading.(BASS)
March 1, 2008... It isn't a necessity to read music to be a great musician--there are fantastic bassists out there who don't read music at all; however, being able to read music will seriously expand your horizons. It not only provides you with a lot more...

Let's get funky: creating linear beats.(linear beats in drums)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Greetings fellow drummers! In this article, I would like to show you a unique way of creating your own funky grooves using the "linear" concept. Linear beats are patterns played in which no limbs line up; in other words, at no point will you...

A Carnatic approach to rhythm & time.
March 1, 2008... While in training as a Soto Zen Buddhist in Japan, I spent countless hours chanting scripture as part of my study regimen. And thanks to my ability to organize the words rhythmically, I was able to memorize large amounts of text quite rapidly....

The care and feeding of brass instruments.
March 1, 2008... Did you know that the brass families of instruments have to be fed differently? That what they feed on is just as important to how they work and feel--just like you and me? Let me help shed some light on information that is not readily known to...

Internet radio Part II: how to start an Internet radio station.(DIGITAL MUSIC)
March 1, 2008... Last time, we interviewed Mike Caseley, VP of Slakrz.com, to get a feel for how a real Canadian independent Internet radio station is started and run. As promised, we'll now give you a primer giving an overview of the components that make up an...

The singer's warm-up.
March 1, 2008... The number one thing you can do to make an immediate impact in your singing is to start warming up your voice before you sing. Rehearsing and performing with no warm-up is like a runner choosing not to stretch before hitting the pavement....

The Trews: growing into it.(Interview)
March 1, 2008... It's a blustery night in late November, and The Trews crew is holed up in a boutique studio in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district taping a session for MSN's Live At The Orange Lounge. Decked out with tapestries, silks, and candles,...

Working the corporate gigs.(Interview)
March 1, 2008... The great thing about doing music for a living is the fact that there is so much variety. A few months back, we featured the role of the session musician. In this article, we will explore an area that musicians in all levels of their careers...

Terri Clark.
March 1, 2008... I've just watched Terri Clark take the CCMA fan choice award for the 7th time. Clark has had no shortage of awards or popular success--the Montreal-born, Alberta-bred singer's talking points read like a fairy tale: sales over 4 million records...

Keyboards 2008.(recordings)
March 1, 2008... This was intended to be a primer for recording acoustic pianos, and other traditional keyboards in a variety of studio situations. It was prompted by listening to some of producer Julius "Juice" Butty's work with Alexisonfire, City and Colour,...

Steely Dan: Jazz Harmony in pop songwriting.(WRITING)
March 1, 2008... In popular music, prosody is almost always melodic ("But Beautiful" puts the word "funny" on a cheery major ninth a whole tone above the implied destination pitch, and the word "sad" below it on a flattened seventh) or rhythmic (the "lonely...

Tips for recording guitar.(RECORDING)
March 1, 2008... USE THE RIGHT INSTRUMENT A good guitar recording starts with a capable player and a quality instrument. Often, guitarists will rent guitars so they can have more or better options for their recording. A good quality instrument should have...

Talking about power.(LIVESOUND)
March 1, 2008... Everybody wants more power: politicians, bureaucrats, athletes, musicians, and the average guy on the street. As a musician and a live sound engineer, I've fallen prey to the lust for power more than a few times. "If I just had more power, I...

Legal aspects of independent recordings Part II.(BUSINESS)
March 1, 2008... LABELING, CREDIT, AND NOTICE ON RECORDINGS a) NOTICES i) Copyright It is advisable to place copyright notices on recordings, which consists of the following: the copyright notice, i.e. [c], the copyright proprietor's name, and...

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars Siren Series.(Daisy Rock Girl Guitars L.L.C.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Daisy Rock, maker of female-oriented guitars and accessories, has made its Siren Series of electric guitars available. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The guitars feature alder bodies with bolt-on maple necks and rosewood fingerboards with 22...

Hohner introduces the Steven Tyler Artist Series Harmonica.(Hohner Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Hohner, Inc. has introduced the Steven Tyler Artist Series Harmonica, featuring a plastic comb, .9 mm reed plate, laser engraved black covers, and ships on a full-colour blister card. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is a lower-cost version...

Peavey ReValver MKIII modeling software.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... Peavey has introduced ReValver Mk III, a 64-bit amplifier modeling software program that captures the characteristics of vacuum tubes while giving users control over their tonality and gain structures. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Tech 21 introduces five SansAmp Character Series pedals.(Tech 21 Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Tech 21 has introduced its new SansAmp Character Series for 2008 which consists of five pedals: Blonde, British, California, Liverpool, and VT Bass. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The pedals are intended to commemorate a range of eras with...

HQ SoundOff bass drum mutes.(HotGear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Evans HQ has released a new universal model of SoundOff bass drum mutes for any size of kick drum. The product promotes realistic practice sessions by allowing drummers to use their own drum-sets without the noise. Sound-Offs mount efficiently...

Martin releases FX Flexible Core acoustic strings.(C.F. Martin and Company Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... C.F. Martin & Co. has announced a new addition to its family of acoustic guitar strings in FX Flexible Core sets. The sets utilize a thinner core wire to increase the flexibility of the string without sacrificing top tension, tone, or...

Korg debuts Pa500 songwriting station.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... Korg has announced the availability of the Pa500, combining professional workstation features with songwriting tools for all musicians, regardless of keyboard proficiency. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By following the performer's chord...

EMG offers updated 707 TW pickup for 7-string guitars.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Based on the company's active EMG-707 model designed for 7-string guitars, the new EMG-707TW offers players the dual coil sound of the former, but also has the added advantage of single coil mode incorporated in the same pickup. ...

Godin 5th Avenue archtop acoustic.(HotGear)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Godin has released its 5th Avenue archtop acoustic guitar, which offers more projection and volume in the low to mid frequencies than traditional archtops. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The instruments are made from Canadian wild cherry, and...

DigiTech Vocalist Live 4 vocal harmony processor.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... DigiTech now has its Vocalist Live 4 vocal harmony processor available. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Vocalist Live 4 employs DigiTech's musIQ technology, which accurately creates multi-part harmony by analyzing guitar chords. There is...

AKG releases Elle C live performance mic for female vocalists.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Custom-designed for female performers, the AKG Elle C live performance vocal microphone is optimized for the acoustic and ergonomic requirements of the female vocalist. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Elle C delivers an accurate, detailed,...

New Sonic-Art gig bags from Levy's.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... Levy's has added three new designs to its series of printed polyester guitar gig bags with its Sonic-Art line. Each bag comes with 3/4" internal foam padding, headliner lining, a manuscript sleeve, an accessory pocket on the back, and dual...

Applied Acoustics Strum Acoustic GS-1 for Mac OS X and Windows.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... Strum Acoustic GS-1 from Applied Acoustics Systems is an acoustic guitar software synthesizer based on the latest AAS physical modeling technology. Strum provides a wide collection of steel and nylon acoustic guitars, and includes elaborate...

Mackie goes guitar amps with the Hotwire VT12 combo.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Mackie has released the Hotwire VT12, a tube guitar amplifier that combines tube amp guitar tone and voicing with sonic flexibility and customization features in a unit that weighs less than 25 lbs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Hotwire...

Warwick releases 6-string Corvette $$.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Warwick has recently introduced the 6-string version of the Corvette $$ bass series. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To create a 6-string version of the company's pre-existing Corvette $$ model, Warwick asked MEC to make them an open-pole piece...

Leblanc Cadenza B[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] clarinet ideal for students.(HotGear)
March 1, 2008... Leblanc is now offering its Cadenza B[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] clarinet (LB130), ideal for student musicians. The instrument shares a similar acoustical design with the more advanced Legacy and Symphonie models from Leblanc. ...

Thom Swift.(ShowCase)
March 1, 2008... Contact: Jeff Liberty, The MAS Creative Agency, 506-658-8639, MASmusicman@aol.com, www.thomswift.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a member of the popular Fredericton-based roots/blues trio Hot Toddy, Thom Swift has endeared himself to...

Trole.(ShowCase)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Contact: George Taylor, info@trole.org, www.trole.org. The classic pose struck on the cover of Trole's latest album would lead you to believe there's a rock'n'roll party waiting to happen inside. That's not far from the truth. The...

Sick City.(ShowCase)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Contact: Jason Smith, Smallman Artist Management, jason@smallmanrecords.com, 204-452-5627, www.sickcitymusic.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The members of Winnipeg's Sick City spent three years together before releasing Nightlife, their...