Canadian Musician articles from May 2007

Canadian Musician archives from May 2007

Canadian thing.(FeedBack)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Wow! My thanks go out to you for the gift that showed up in my mailbox on Friday; Volume XXIX No.2 of Canadian Musician. You may remember I was trying to find your magazine in my area and nobody was selling it. Especially odd to me was that the...

Thanks!(FeedBack)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Incredible mag! As a singer/songwriter I find the contents really helpful! Thanks! Morgan Weeks Golden Lake, ON

Not there yet.(FeedBack)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Paul Lau's article "Modelling 101" (Mar/Apr'07) is very well researched and insightful. The problem with this technology is the planned-obsolescence factor. Digital is a work-in-progress. Today it's hot--in a few weeks, it is old news. Many...

Music associations Part I: why should you be a part of one?(IndieInsider)
May 1, 2007... There are many different associations that have been developed to educate, assist, and protect the working musician. Without a doubt there are more being developed today. Here is the tip of the iceberg with a look at two associations: American...

2007 CMW winners announced.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Rogers Wireless Canadian Music Week (CMW) combines a trade expo, five awards shows, and Canada's largest new music festival. It was held from March 7-10, in Toronto. The winners for the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards (The Indies), Canadian...

Global songwriting competition launched.(Changes)(Internet Song of the Year)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A new year-long global songwriting competition has recently been launched: the Internet Song of the Year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Grand Prize winner of the competition will receive $100,000, a music publishing deal, and the...

15th Annual Vintage Guitar Show.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Tundra Music, in association with Canadian Musician, presents the 15th Annual Vintage Guitar Show, set to be held on Saturday, June 2-Sunday, June 3. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The show will once again be held at the Thornhill Community...

1st Montreal Guitar Show.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Aficionados of acoustic, classical, archtop, and manouche guitars will flock to Montreal this July for the 1st Montreal Guitar Show, an event with 70 exhibitors dedicated to handcrafted guitars. The show will run from July 6-8, at the Salon...

Oceanbound Entertainment: sets musicians afloat.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Oceanbound Entertainment Inc. is an international talent agency that specializes in cruise ship entertainment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bands, ensembles, and a variety of acts such as magicians, comedians, singers, and instrumentalists...

NXNE approaches.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... The 2007 North By Northeast (NXNE) Music and Film Festival and Conference is coming up fast, set to be held from June 7-10, in Toronto. Over 450 bands are set to play in over 30 music venues, playing everything from alternative, country,...

2nd annual tribute to Domenic Troiano: We All Need Love.(Changes)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The 2nd annual tribute to Domenic Troiano: We All Need Love, has been announced to take place on Tuesday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Due to a quick sell out last year, organizers have arranged to move the event to the...

Canadian Musician transforms website.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Canadian Musician has recently redesigned its Internet home. Appropriately, the new site features a red and white theme throughout. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Improved navigation of the new site will ensure visitors find everything they're...

19th Annual Beaches International Jazz Festival.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... The 19th Annual Beaches International Jazz Festival will be held from July 20-29, in Toronto. The festival will once again present PartiGras from July 20-22, at the Historic Distillery District. From July 23-July 25, the TD Canada Trust...

TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival.(Changes)
May 1, 2007... Dates for the annual TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival have been set for June 22-July 1. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over 350 concerts with 1,500 musicians will perform at various locations in Toronto. The festival offers free daytime...

Events.(Directory)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... * 17th International Piano Competition A.M.A. Calabria Lamezia Terme, Italy May 22-27, 2007 +39 0968-24580-453090-25983, FAX +39 0968-201005 info@amacalabria.org, www.amacalabria.org * Montreal International Musical...

Synthogy Ivory Grand pianos & Italian Grand expansion pack.(RoadTest)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2007... Imagine my surprise when my editor handed me two boxes containing Synthogy's Ivory Piano virtual instrument to review (the original Ivory Piano and the new Italian Grand Piano Expansion) and upon opening the boxes I discovered there were 15...

Furman SPB-8C pedalboard.(RoadTest)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Furman Sound has a 32-year history, producing high-quality, professional products since 1974. Their products fall into two categories: the audio and video signal processors (on which the company was founded) and the innovative AC power...

Ultra Adjust Hi Hat stand (9607ML-UA) & Catapult Linear Motion Bass Drum pedal (GCLMSP).(RoadTest)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Gibraltar is well known for its quality and ruggedness for pretty much any piece of hardware you could need for drum and percussion set-ups these days. They may have started out as a "replacement" parts company but has now grown to include many...

Do your own acoustic thing.(GUITAR)
May 1, 2007... I like guitars. I have lots of them, and sometimes I even play 'em! Playing came easy to me and I seemed to be able to get a decent sound right away, which is a good and bad thing. The bad thing was not having to learn proper techniques or how...

Where are the keys? A primer on making your keyboards cut through the mix, Part I.(KEYBOARDS)
May 1, 2007... It seems like a common complaint among keyboardists: we're never quite loud enough in the live mix. I can't count the number of times that I've gone to see bands perform, bands that feature some of the country's brightest keyboard players, and...

Warm-ups Part I.(BASS)
May 1, 2007... Ask any musician who has suffered tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome about the importance of warming up... I'm going to introduce my favourite warm-up exercise away from the instrument. I do this one every day, and often several times a...

The Gretzky effect.(PERCUSSION)
May 1, 2007... Hero worship--we all need a little bit of it. I think it's important to strive to be more like our heroes, and they certainly don't have to just be musicians to have an impact on us as drummers and as people. Neil Peart, Jeff Porcaro, and Buddy...

Constructing a good blues solo.(WOODWINDS)
May 1, 2007... All scales are in C concert. All seales to be played ascending and descending and over entire range of your instrument. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this column I am going to give you some basic scales that are used over blues...

Articulation.(BRASS)
May 1, 2007... Articulation is one of the hardest concepts to teach to students, but I believe it to be one of the most important. I will concentrate on just the beginning of each note (knowing what to do with the middle and the end of the note is important...

Audio interfaces 101.(DIGITAL MUSIC)
May 1, 2007... There have been two milestones in the music industry since computer audio interfaces appeared more than 20 years ago. First, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) allowed one to harness and control multiple keyboards and sound modules...

Sing with power, range, & control.(VOCALS)
May 1, 2007... Why A Well-Trained Voice is Always a Natural Sound The creative process is, on the one hand, a journey of self-discovery, and this always means there is an aspect of trial and error in the quest for vocal freedom. No one but you, can feel...

In the studio with Rush.
May 1, 2007... Imagine spending five weeks producing one of the first bands you saw in concert. That's what Nick Raskulinecz experienced when he got the call to produce Snakes and Arrows, Rush's latest record. "Nick was very young the first time he saw us,"...

The Golden Dogs.
May 1, 2007... For anyone who doesn't know yet, The Golden Dogs is one of those rare acts whose fly-in-your-face sound is as impressive on stage as on record. "It wouldn't feel right if the live show wasn't at least as interesting as the album, you know what...

dbClifford.
May 1, 2007... It is a cold Wednesday night in February but dbClifford and his band were heating up Supermarket, a new trendy venue in Toronto's funky Kensington Market. In the back room, past the long wooden bar and through the almost empty dining room, the...

Guitar 2007.(Interview)
May 1, 2007... Don Ross, Lee Ritenour, Sonny Greenwich, and Badi Assad are all persons of marked musical individuality. They have graced stages all over the world in solo performances or with their groups. They have inspired many. All surge beyond...

Songwriting.(WRITING)
May 1, 2007... I have never read a book about songwriting, so to be asked to write a column on songwriting is new for me, and a little frightening. Any advice I've ever received on songwriting has ended up echoing in my head like the useless but acerbic...

Laying down electric guitars.(RECORDING)
May 1, 2007... When it comes to recording electric guitars, there are really no rules. However, in my experience, there are a few misconceptions about the art of capturing a good sound. You absolutely must begin with a good sounding source and this applies to...

Acoustic guitar on stage.(LIVESOUND)
May 1, 2007... There are so many different types of acoustic guitars available today: 6-String, 12-string, nylon string hollowbody, semihollowbody, some with pickups some without, and each one will have its own characteristics. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Showcasing.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2007... Bands at every level showcase. This past March at Austin's SXSW The Tragically Hip showcased--you might think "my God, why would they showcase?" but Austin's festival is internationally HUGE in the music industry and you see all levels of...

Sonor S-Classix Series.(HotGear)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Sonor has recently released a new drumkit series that features the classic images of Sonor in the '60s and '70s: the S-Classix Series. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The S-Classix Series features a thin Scandinavian...

Stanton FinalScratch Open Scratch Amp.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... Stanton Magnetics has recently released a new audio interface that allows DJs to decide which software they would like to use with the Stanton Scratch Amp: FinalScratch Open. FinalScratch Open Scratch Amp is a low latency FireWire 96 k/24...

Planet Waves Humidipak.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Planet Waves has recently released a new accessory that Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars says is the most important accessory since guitar strings: the Humidipak Automatic Humidity Control System. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Humidipak is a...

Yamaha YBL-830 & YBL-822G Xeno bass trombones.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Yamaha Canada Music has recently released two new bass trombones to its Xeno line, the YBL-830 and YBL-822G, which are ideal for professionals and semi-professionals. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The YBL-830 improves upon the YBL-613H with a...

Levy's Rastafarian straps.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Levy's Leathers has released a new set of guitar straps that are made of cotton with suede leather ends: the Rastafarian straps. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ends of the Rastafarian straps feature a patch of either the Lion of Judah,...

Illusion 3.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... Rock guitarist and founder of British rock band Ritual, Re Bethe has designed the third version of the legendary Illusion--a left-handed electric guitar. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The prototype of the Illusion was built in the '80s and...

AKG Acoustics C 5 & D 5 mics.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... AKG Acoustics has recently released two new vocal microphones for live performance: the C 5 and D 5. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The C 5 condenser vocal mic and D 5 dynamic vocal mic each feature a dent-resistant spring steel wire mesh...

Reason tutorial DVD.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... A new tutorial DVD has recently been released for Propellerhead's Reason software for version 1, 2, and 3. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are 38 in-depth videos, totaling over three hours of material. Viewers will learn everything from...

G & L Tribute Series L-2000 lefty bass.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... G & L has released a new electric bass designed for left-handed players, the Tribute Series L-2000. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The L-2000 features a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard as well as two G & L Magnetic Field Design humbuckers....

Kerry King Marshall JCM800 2203KK Head.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... Legendary guitarist for Slayer, Kerry King, has always relied on a mid-'80s 100 W JCM 800 2203 head, which he calls "the Beast." That head has been replaced with the new Marshall JCM800 2203KK Head. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "To me Jim...

Tanglewood Guitars TW170-AS Grand Auditorium.(HotGear)
May 1, 2007... Tanglewood Guitars has recently released a new addition to its Premiere Series, the TW170-AS Grand Auditorium acoustic guitar. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The TW170-AS is ideal for folk guitarists as it's well suited for fingerstyle and...

SABIAN enhances Xs20 cymbals.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Cymbal maker SABIAN has given its Xs20 B20 cast bronze series an enhanced, professional look. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tonal grooves in the Xs20 were cut into the surface by hand-cut lathing. It contains 20 per cent tin and 80 per...

Smart Loops MIDI Drum Loops Volume 3.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Provider of pro audio and web-based recording services, Smart Loops, has released Volume 3 of its MIDI Drum Loops software. MIDI Drum Loops Volume 3 includes over 240 unique loops, providing over 500 measures of drum groove fills. Ideal for...

Warwick Just-A-Nut III.(HotGear)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... In 1982 Warwick released Just-A-Nut, which was enhanced in 1997 with Just-A-Nut II, which had better materials. Today a new update has been released: Just-A-Nut III, which uses Tedur. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tedur is a plastic material...

Crush Luther.(ShowCase)
May 1, 2007... Who: Crush Luther [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Where: Toronto What: pop-pourri Contact: High 4 Records, 31 Jarwick Dr. Scarborough, ON M1H 2H1, 416-466-8307, darrin@high4records.com, www.crushluther.com Groovy pop band Crush...

Paul James.(ShowCase)
May 1, 2007... Who: Paul James Where: Toronto What: blues man group Contact: paul@pauljamesband.com, www.pauljamesband.com Paul James gets invited onstage sometimes by Bob Dylan, his friend since 1986 when the enigmatic legend unexpectedly...

Morgan Mayer.(ShowCase)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Who: Morgan Mayer [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Where: Regina What: teen power Contact: Management, Terry Mayer, 306-525-1311, 306-584-5711, FAX: 306-565-3741, info@morganmayer.com, www.morganmayer.com, www.myspace.com/morganmayer...