Canadian Musician articles from May 2006

Canadian Musician archives from May 2006

Guitarist seeking education.(feed BACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Dear CM, I read with much interest your information about Music Education. I did not find much of help in there for my own situation and maybe you can help me... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I am nearing age 50. I LOVE the guitar, and...

Anti-Hero signs a deal.(feed BACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Dear CM, Hey there Jeff, I just wanted to thank you again for the great exposure in your publication two issues in a row! So many people have gotten in touch with me as a result. Just also wanted to let you in on some exciting news. Not...

CM responsible for killing bassist careers?(feed BACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... Dear CM, After reading your current issue, and especially the review of the "Virtual Bassist", I'd like to take this opportunity, on behalf of myself and other bassists everywhere, to thank you for helping put even more of us out of work....

Just Plain Folks.(Indie Insider)
May 1, 2006... In 1985, Brian Austin Whitney founded an organization with actors and theatre participants in Depauw University in Greencastle, IN, called Just Plain Folks. It was an organization that was set up to support a student written and produced...

The Indie Bible 7th edition.(Indie Insider)(Book review)
May 1, 2006... The newest edition of the Indie Bible has recently been released and includes updated and even more contacts for independent musicians. This 7th edition has resources for all types of music genres. It lists 4,200 publications that will...

Long & McQuade celebrates 50 years.(Changes)
May 1, 2006... What began as a second-floor, two-room store on top of a music studio on Carlton St. in Toronto, ON, has expanded into 27 stores, sprawled across Canada. That first store was the birth of Long & McQuade, back in 1956. Jack Long decided to...

Guitar Workshop Plus 2006 dates announced.(Changes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The 2006 dates for the summer Guitar Workshop Plus have been announced. This music education workshop will be held from July 16-21, and July 23-28, in Toronto, ON, and then from August 14-19, in Vancouver, BC. The Toronto sessions will be...

2006 MidPoint Music Festival.(Changes)
May 1, 2006... In 2005, 50,000 people came out to see the 300 bands perform in clubs in downtown Cincinnati, OH for the three-day MidPoint Music Festival. Artists now have the chance to sign up to perform at this year's festival being held from September...

2nd Distillery Blues Festival.(Changes)
May 1, 2006... After drawing an audience of over 100,000 in its first year, the 2nd Annual Distillery Blues Festival is coming back to Toronto, ON. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The festival will be held from June 9-11, at the Historic Distillery District...

ProMark.com Browse-n-Win.(Changes)
May 1, 2006... Manufacturer of drumsticks, mallets and percussion accessories, Pro-Mark Corporation, has recently launched a new Web-based feature that has viewers winning, Browse-n-Win. This on-going feature allows anyone who visits the Web site to win...

Musicians! Check out these deadlines ...(Changes)(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... Getting a record deal may be challenging, but opportunities to perform and expose you and your band are always available. Take a look at these upcoming deadlines to get your band in the spotlight. For even more events and deadlines, visit...

Ultimate Ears All Access contest & Artist Sponsorship Program.(Changes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Supplier of in-ear monitors, custom molded earphones and off-the-shelf Super.fi products for professional musicians, Ultimate Ears (UE) holds quarterly draws for All Access Members and announced a new Artist Sponsorship Program that brings fans...

Goldfinger drummer launches record label.(Changes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Darrin Pfeiffer, drummer for rock band, Goldfinger, has recently launched a new record label, High 4 Records. High 4 Records is based in Toronto, ON and is distributed by Fontana North Distribution/Universal Music Canada. "Starting a label...

14th Annual Vintage Guitar Show.(Changes)
May 1, 2006... Calling all vintage guitar collectors, players and dealers! Be sure to check out the 14th Annual Vintage Guitar Show on June 3 and 4. This year's show also features a first-time event: an aerial photo of people with their Gibson Les Paul...

Loudspeaker designer turns Mastering Engineer.(Changes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... David Vanderploeg has been a loudspeaker designer for 16 years with Paradigm Electronics and has recently left to pursue his audio services at Naturally Digital as a Mastering Engineer. Brampton, ON-based Naturally Digital focuses on mixing...

Events.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... Spring Music Festival Hamilton, ON May 17-21, 2006 info@springmusicfestival.com, www.springmusicfestival.com Montreal International Musical Competition (MIMC) Violin 2006 Montreal, PQ May 24-June 2, 2006 (514)...

Landmine guitar pedal.(ROAD test)
May 1, 2006... No Ban On This Landmine Hold on to your ears, all you thrashers out there in guitar land... there's a new kid on the block. It's a distortion pedal called The Landmine, invented by ex-Supergarage guitarist Mike Palermo, and handmade in...

Apex microphones.(ROAD test)
May 1, 2006... The home studio is definitely a growing phenomenon thanks to low-cost computer-based recording solutions. So what does this mean for microphone manufacturers? It means that they have to cater to a new and very large market: the home studio...

The affair with the other instrument.(guitar)
May 1, 2006... When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to learn to play several instruments. Although I considered guitar my weapon of choice, the instruments being offered in the course were wind or percussion. Since music was an easy...

When good gigs go bad, Part 2--stage fright.(keyboards)
May 1, 2006... Ever get on stage and wonder why, between soundcheck and show time, you forgot how to play? Intestinal discomfort, the shakes, memory loss... stage fright is something every musician is occasionally prone to. For some, it's a constant, and a...

California dreaming.(bass)
May 1, 2006... When I was asked to write an article on my dream gear I thought, "Man, this will be super fun and really easy!" All of my life I've dreamed about all of the gear I wish I had and how cool I'd be with piles of amps and flashing lights stacked...

Double bass fills.(percussion)
May 1, 2006... Greetings fellow drummers! This issue I would like to share with you a simple approach to creating double bass drum fills. Many of my students are inspired by great double bass drummers such as Mike Portnoy, (Dream Theater) Joey Jordonson...

A beginner's guide to suizen.(woodwinds)
May 1, 2006... It is common amongst jazz musicians to seek out new lines of thought or new philosophies to help expand on their current improvisational abilities. Many study the various raga systems of North and South India. Others find inspiration in Sufi...

Sound ideas.(brass)
May 1, 2006... Part I The number one goal of all brass players is (or should be) to produce a beautiful sound. I like to think of the sound as a living thing that resides within my body, kind of like the movie Alien. Actually, I've heard some trumpet...

Choosing a USB audio interface.(digital music)
May 1, 2006... Computer recording keeps getting easier and more accessible. Just a few short years ago, in order to do any "real" recording, one needed some kind of expensive internal controller card (and the guts to break open their computer to install it),...

Vocal Casanova.(vocals)
May 1, 2006... In my previous column "Vocal Impotence? In Need of Vocal Viagra" I outlined how to use your voice correctly in order to protect it from damage and avoid succumbing to "vocal impotence". It also explained how to use "Vocal Viagra" to cure any...

Sam Roberts: making lightning strike.(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... Sam Roberts has travelled for pleasure all over the world from Mexico to Morocco. So why not record his new album, now entitled Chemical City, in an exotic locale, one in which he's never been--like Australia? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The Salads: Les salades/Las ensaladas.
May 1, 2006... YOUR VAN BLEW UP? OKAY. I HAD A VERY DIFFERENT QUESTION IN MIND, BUT WHEN SALADS FRONTMAN, DARRENDUMAS, TELLS ME THEY HAD TO BLOW OUT TWO DAYS OF SHOWS DUE TO CATASTROPHIC CAR TROUBLE I HAD TO ASK. "We've had the thing forever," he...

Cover me! A survival guide to playing in tribute & cover bands.
May 1, 2006... From bathroom mirror air band moments, to sorting out just the right chain of effects to cop that sweet sound you heard on your favourite record, at some point every musician spends a little time putting themselves into another artist's shoes...

Guitar 2006.
May 1, 2006... Are all life-altering experiences in a musician's life simply the result of a chance happening? Or are they the reward of many practice hours, good personal skills and most of all, the drive and focus to stay on the course of their musical...

Wendy Lands and the Zen of bend.(writing)(Interview)
May 1, 2006... This is part one of a two-part interview. Developing songwriters often speak about their artistic goals with terms like "chance" and "hope" while developed songwriters tend to use terms like "risk" and "faith". The difference may seem like...

Recording demos for a music publisher.(recording)
May 1, 2006... I've been asked this question many times through my travels. I have these songs that I wrote and I think they suit certain artists on the radio, what should I do? I've heard this come up from aspiring songwriters from all across the world. ...

Hands in your pocket--the record royalty revisited.(business)
May 1, 2006... The views and opinions expressed in this article are not meant to substitute for legal advice, which should be sought in each particular instance. By now you've likely heard the news before; after all it's no secret. Everyone from Steve...

Acoustic Babicz guitars.(hot Gear)
May 1, 2006... Former builder of standard construction acoustic guitars, Jeff Babicz, has recently released a new acoustic that has a unique construction, the Babicz Acoustic. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] He noticed three defects that are in standard flat...

DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory pedal.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... DigiTech, has recently released a new guitar effects pedal, the EX-7 Expression Factory pedal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The EX-7 Expression Factory pedal models seven expression pedals and seven classic distortion models from the...

Harley-Davidson straps, picks & pick cabinet.(hot Gear)
May 1, 2006... Dunlop Manufacturing has recently partnered with Harley-Davidson Motor Company to launch a new line of guitar accessories. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new Harley-Davidson guitar accessories include full-grain calf suede leather straps,...

Sparrow Guitars Primitive.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Canadian electric guitar manufacturer, Sparrow Guitars, has recently released a new line of American Hot Rod inspired guitars, one of which is the Primitive electric guitar. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Primitive is hand painted by...

LP RhythMix Instruments.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Latin Percussion (LP) has recently released a new line of instruments that are made of durable, wipe-clean plastic that is chip and peel resistant and safe for children ages two and up, the LP RhythMix Instruments. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Roland V-Accordions.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Roland Canada Music Ltd. has recently added four new models to its V-Accordion line, the FR-5b, FR-7b, FR-3 and FR-3s. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The two new button-type accordions are the FR-5b and FR-7b. The...

Conn-Selmer "Chicago C" trumpet.(hot Gear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Tedd Waggoner, Director of Marketing for Bach, and Roy Hempley, author of Bachology, worked together to research Vincent Bach's 1947 to 1956 design period of his trumpets. The result of their research is the new Conn-Selmer Bach Stradivarius...

Bruce Aitken's 'keeping it simple'.(hot Gear)(Keeping it Simple: A Practical Guide To Groove-Based Drumming)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Award winner, teacher and drummer, Bruce Aitken has recently released a DVD titled: Keeping it Simple: A Practical Guide To Groove-Based Drumming. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The instructional DVD is designed for you to take your drumming...

Tokyo Police Club.(SHOWCase)
May 1, 2006... Who: Tokyo Police Club Where: Newmarket, ON What: join the club Contact: Paper Bag, 455 Spadina Ave., #306, Toronto, ON M5S 2G8 (416) 260-1515, info@paperbagrecords.com, www.paperbagrecords.com. The Newmarket, ON-based...

Roxanne Potvin.(SHOWCase)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Who: Roxanne Potvin Where: Gatineau, PQ What: feeling the feels Contact: Alert Music Inc., (416) 364-4200, contact@alertmusic.com, www.roxannepotvin.com. Let's drop some names... Daniel Lanois, John Hiatt, Bruce Cockburn......

How I Won The War.(SHOWCase)
May 1, 2006... Who: How I Won The War Where: Toronto, ON What: victory Contact: Dylan White, 5 Sudbury St., #504, Toronto ON M6J 3W6 (416) 662-3455, dylan_white@hotmail.com. Toronto-based Dylan White and Alex McKee have been writing together...