Canadian Musician articles from November 2008

Canadian Musician archives from November 2008

Showcase protocol.(FeedBack)
November 1, 2008... We sent in a Showcase submission via Sonicbids. We were on standby then not picked. We have some really big things going on, and right now are one of the highest-endorsed, unsigned acts in Canada. Is there any reason why we were not picked? We...

Assembling your press kit: part 2: What Comes Next?(IndieInsider)
November 1, 2008... Welcome to the second and final Indie Insider installment on putting together your press kit, In "Part 1: Getting Off The Ground" (as appeared in the September/October 2008 issue of CM), we explored the basics of assembling your press kit--what...

Canadian artists supporting Small Places.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... Several reputable Canadian artists have joined with Amnesty International's Small Places initiative to raise awareness for individuals or communities at risk of harm. The program is running until December 10, 2008, and invites all Canadian...

John Lennon Bus visits TIFF headquarters.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... CTV hosted the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus as one of its initiatives during the Toronto International Film Festival. The non-profit mobile audio and video production facility, sponsored by Maxell, was onsite during TIFF to assist teens...

Anti-Hero frontwoman backs MindYourMind.ca.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... Rose Cora Perry, frontwoman for Canadian punk rock act Anti-Hero, is currently participating in a national non-for-profit mental health campaign directed at Canadian high-school students and hosted by MindYourMind.ca. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

New concert DVD to benefit Musicians Against Parkinson's.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... Musicians Against Parkinson's Founder Robbie Tucker and The Dangerous Crayons have released a concert DVD, with a portion of the proceeds going to assist his nonprofit organization. "The MapMusic DVD is something we will continue to do with...

Busking for change rocks Toronto.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... With fall arriving in Toronto, over 50 musicians took to the streets of the city to busk in aid of War Child. The event was inspired by Raine Maida's solo busk for War Child last year. This year he was back with his band, Our Lady Peace. His...

Simple plan releases worldwide single for cancer charities.(Musicians Who Care)
November 1, 2008... Canadian group Simple Plan has announced details surrounding its upcoming iTunes single, "Save You." Net proceeds from each download sale will be distributed to cancer charities around the world, through the Montreal-based band's own Simple Plan...

Get educated during Nova Scotia Music Week.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Nova Scotia Music Week, happening November 6-9, 2008, offers a variety of educational workshops for the budding songwriter, touring artist, digitally-savvy musician, and those looking for new markets for their music. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Hop online with PunkRadioCast & online radio.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Brampton, ON-based PunkRadioCast and other online radio stations like it are offering independent artists the chance to play on an even field with signed acts in terms of artist exposure. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Currently drawing over 20...

Canadian Radio Star offers shot at $10,000.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Self-published and non-published songwriters from across Canada are invited to enter Canadian Radio Star--the 16th annual national songwriting competition, supported by Astral Media and Canadian Music Week. Songwriters will compete for prizes...

Nominees announced for 2008 Aboriginal Music Awards.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Marking its 10th Anniversary in 2008, the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards has announced nominees in 26 categories honouring the top recording artists and music industry professionals working in Canada's Aboriginal music scene. [ILLUSTRATION...

Niagara Music Forum offers meeting of minds.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... The recent Niagara Music Forum, hosted October 18, 2008 by CM publisher Norris-Whitney Communications, brought together delegates from the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Buffalo, NY, and as far away as Erie, PA to connect with the Niagara...

Stage & Screen Travel Services opens in Canada.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... With established offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland, Stage & Screen Travel Services has opened for business in Toronto. The company plans travel logistics for touring artists embarking on lengthier runs on the...

Heads-up on next year's NXNE festival.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Toronto's North By Northeast (NXNE) music festival rolls out June 18-21, 2009, a week later than in past years. NXNE believes the change will allow the festival to continue expanding, especially in parks and public spaces outdoors and new spots...

Canadian talent streaming form Rose Theatre.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Orchard Studio Owner Dave Ferri has initiated the Orchard Studio Webcast from the Rose Theatre in Brampton, ON, offering Canadian artists the chance to be showcased over the Internet from the facility. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Originally...

Caribou takes the Polaris Prize.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Caribou was announced as the winner of the 2008 Polaris Music Prize during a gala held September 29 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. CBC Radio's Grant Lawrence presented the award to Caribou, who edged out nominated artists such as...

Zune offers new tools for music discovery.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Microsoft has announced that its Zune all-in-one digital entertainment brand is introducing new software-powered features for the device, PC, and the web that make it easier for people to discover and listen to music they enjoy. "Feedback...

MusiXtreme for independent bands & musicians.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... MusiXtreme enables musicians, bands, signers, songwriters, DJs, and MCs to sign up for one of three types of accounts to help promote their music. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A free artist account gives musicians the opportunity to upload their...

IndieCan celebrates 100th broadcast.(Changes)
November 1, 2008... Starting out as a Canadian independent music podcast, the IndieCan podcast is I now heard on XM Satellite Radio, several Canadian college and community radio stations, and at www.indiecan.com. The broadcast, which reaches listeners in 120...

Events.(Calendar)
November 1, 2008... * Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) Austin, TX November 5-8, 2008 580-353-1455, FAX 580-353-1456 percarts@pas.org.www.pasic.org * The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard Film & TV Music Conference Los...

Swampdonkey M50.(RoadTest)
November 1, 2008... On Road Test this issue is the Swampdonkey (love the name!!) M50 guitar amp, the debut product designed by amp builder Chris Czech who proudly builds these beauties right here in Canada. (It even says that on the back of the amp!) ...

Ableton live 7.(RoadTest)
November 1, 2008... Live 7's improvements, many made in response to user suggestions, ramp up its power substantially--improving MIDI and audio handling, enhancing effects, offering powerful new instruments, and enhancing functionality to both its recording and...

Finale 2009.(RoadTest)
November 1, 2008... Finale 2009 is the flagship notation program from MakeMusic Inc. It may seem overwhelming at the onset, but with a 20-year history of being one of the leading notation software programs in the world, I wouldn't expect anything less. At first...

Adjusting the truss rod part I.(GUITAR)
November 1, 2008... A few days ago, I was at the repair department of a large musical instrument store waiting to buy some parts that I needed. In front of me, there was an irate man raising his voice about the guitar that he kept bringing back to fix because the...

TTDC.(KEYBOARDS)
November 1, 2008... The C major scale. What could be more simple? White keys only. Plain vanilla. No pesky black keys. Up. Down. Easy. Really? That simple C major scale holds plenty of challenges. Easy to learn, but hard to master, the C major scale is a...

Fretted to fretless bass.(BASS)
November 1, 2008... I'm going to share with you my experiences transitioning from fretted to fretless bass. We'll also look at some concepts and exercises that will help you to become more comfortable playing a fretless bass. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My early...

Afro-Cuban bata rhythms adapted to drumkit.(PERCUSSION)
November 1, 2008... Santeria, also known as La Regla de Ocha (the rule of the orisha), is a belief system that originated in Cuba from the interaction of the traditional religious practices among Yoruba slaves, other African religious practices in Cuba, and...

Reconnecting with your voice.(WOODWINDS)
November 1, 2008... Over the last five years I have had the great opportunity to be the bandleader and artistic director for Global Divas, a fundraiser show for St. Stephen's Community House in Toronto. This annual show has allowed me to work with some of the...

Passion for performing (love it or lose it!).(BRASS)
November 1, 2008... The start of the fall season at Humber College is always frenetic, with, the new first-year crop of students practicing hard, eagerly awaiting for their ensemble placements and for who their private lesson teachers will be. For most, it's the...

Why still MIDI?(DIGITAL MUSIC)
November 1, 2008... With the advent of digital audio, is Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) obsolete? Not by a long shot. Let's review MIDI and see how the technology of yesterday still remains current and effective in modern music production. ...

Kardinal offishall & Canadian hip hop.(Interview)
November 1, 2008... Sometime in the very late '80s, when kids were rocking Hypercolor t-shirts and Listening to Milli Vanilli, hip hop was finally breaking in Canada after finding its way across the border from New York City at the beginning of the decade. New York...

Corb Lund writes his own story.
November 1, 2008... Corb Lund makes it clear, a number of times, that he is a very lucky man. Since moving to Edmonton in the early '90s from his home in Taber, AB, he's made a career in music doing pretty much exactly what he's wanted to. For a guy who once...

Cancer Bats ... with a little help from their friends.
November 1, 2008... "I guess the whole family' Idea of punk rock in general is that nobody outside of the scene is going to help you out--finding venues, putting on shows, setting up tours, etc. It's always been everyone inside the circle helping each out and...

Online marketing 101.
November 1, 2008... Initially, I was amazed by the effect of the web on the communication between artists and their audiences--even more so by its effect on the dialogue between audience members themselves. At that time, in the mid-'90s, many of the bands with...

Percussion 2008: drumming producers.
November 1, 2008... Drummers are often the butt of the jokes with the attached stigma that we're not really musicians. We've all heard the one about the drummer who locked his keys in the car; it took him an hour to get the bass player out! Ba'Dump Smash! Or how...

Harmonizing part I: creating harmony.(VOCALS)
November 1, 2008... For some, harmonizing comes very naturally. You may have some naturally-harmonizing friends or colleagues, or you may be one of these people yourself. For example: you are at a birthday party and the cake comes out; everybody starts singing...

Putting it all together.(WRITING)
November 1, 2008... Tools Of The Trade I kick it old school with an acoustic guitar and record ideas on anything I can. If you phone ray answering machine, you have to skip through 14 messages of me going "da, da, da" using the answering machine as a dictaphone...

Recording drums.(RECORDING)
November 1, 2008... Find A Great Drummer The drummer is the single most important part of the entire process. There is no mic, no kit, no room, nor processor that can fix bad drumming. Drums are an acoustic instrument, and in relationship to rock, pop, and most...

Festival mixing: be fast & efficient.(LIVESOUND)
November 1, 2008... One stage, multiple bands, no sound checks, four monitor mixes... mixed from FOH. Sound like fun to you? Festivals, battles of the bands, or corporate gigs with no prep time--not ideal situations, BUT situations that can pay off big for your...

Your band's bio is horrible.(BUSINESS)
November 1, 2008... You want your band's bio to be a representation of your band's music. The music is the point; the bio is to drum up interest about the music while giving the reader a sense of your band's personality. You want them to go "Oh, that's interesting....

Planet Waves DIY cable Kit & unbalanced Mic cable.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Planet Waves has added new offerings to its cable line, including a 25 ft. Unbalanced Microphone Cable and DIY Instrument Cable Kit. Planet Waves' new 25 ft. Unbalanced Microphone Cable is an XLR female to 1/4" unbalanced (mono) plug allowing...

Peavey SP Series loudspeakers.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Peavey has introduced its new SP Series loudspeaker systems, featuring the company's new Hammertex covering and newly-redesigned exterior with full-front metal grilles. Peavey SP enclosures feature patented asymmetrical Quadratic Throat...

Steinberg Sequel 2 music creation & live performance software.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Steinberg North. America has started shipping Sequel 2, a new version of the company's music creation and live performance software. Sequel 2 introduces new features, including a hardware Controller Learn mode, Track Freeze, a virtual keyboard,...

Roland JUNO-Stage synthesizer.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Roland has recently introduced its new JUNO-Stage synthesizer. As the latest addition to the company's JUNO Series, JUNO-Stage is created for live performance applications. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 76-key synthesizer ships with a quality...

Line 6 BackTrack & Backtrack + Mic.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Line 6 has released BackTrack and BackTrack + Mic, a pair of easy-to-use recording devices that guitarists can rely on to capture their musical ideas. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Small enough to be clipped to a belt or guitar strap and...

Zildjian a Custom ReZo crashes.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Combining modern technology with old-world crafting techniques, Zildjian has introduced six new crashes to its A Custom cymbal series. A Custom ReZo Crashes are now available in 15", 16", 17", 18", 19", and 20" sizes, all featuring medium-thin...

Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL self-lubricating nut.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Guitarists can now upgrade their instruments with the new Black TUSQ XL nuts made by Graph Tech Guitar Labs. Each precision-engineered self-lubricating nut is designed to constantly provide lubrication between the nut and the strings to...

Ecler EVO 4 digital mixer.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Ecler has released the EVO 4, a 4-channel digital mixer addressed to professional DJs and clubs. The mixer equips digital audio technology with 24-bit stereo A/D and D/A converters and a 96 kHz sampling rate. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Tama Starclassic Performer B/B.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... With the Starclassic Performer B/B, Tama has expanded its line of higher-end drum offerings. Featuring four plies of birch with another three plies of Bubinga, these thin-shell drums offer a focused, warm sound with good projection. ...

CruzTOOLS GrooveTech Bass Player Tech kit.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... CruzTOOLS has expanded its line of musicians' tools by announcing the new GrooveTech Bass Player Tech Kit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Included is a six-in-one screwdriver; three metric and five fractional hex (Allen) keys; a 15-blade thickness...

Randall Christian Olde Wolbers half stack.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Randall Amplifiers has launched a new signature half stack that was designed in conjunction with guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory. The half stack includes the V2 Archetype head and the RS412XLT 100BC 4x12 cabinet. ...

Dean Hardtail 5 bass.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Dean Guitars has added the Hardtail 5 bass, available in both 4- and 5-string models, to its lineup of bass offerings. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Hardtail 5 boasts a mohagany body with a maple top and a 35" scale. The guitar's rosewood...

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB cardioid mic.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Designed for computer-based recording, Audio-Technica's AT2020 USB cardioid condenser mic is ideal for digitally capturing any acoustic audio source using recording software. Equipped with a USB digital output, the Mac- and Windows-compatible...

Walden Concorda high-gloss acoustics.(HotGear)
November 1, 2008... Walden Guitars has introduced a series of high-gloss instruments under the Concorda line. One of the features of this new series will be the polyester/polyurethane high-gloss finish, The Concorda features an inlaid rosette comprised of two...

Cara Matthew.(ShowCase)
November 1, 2008... Contact: Cara Nunnenmacher, 647-239-0510, 312-2811 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M6S 1N3, www.caramatthew.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cara Matthew has the potential to become Canada's next international jazz star. The Toronto-based singer...

Michou.(ShowCase)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2008... Contact: Ryan Frith, 519-980-6731, 13225 Meadowland Cr., Tecumseh, ON, N8N 4N4, www.myspace.com/michoulondon. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The members of Michou have been playing together for less than a year, but the material that's coming out...

DNA6.(ShowCase)
November 1, 2008... Contact: Nova Koocher, 604-314-4360, 1506-2004 Fullerton Ave., North Vancouver, BC, V7P 3G8 dna6music@gmail.com, www.dna6music.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Music, like life, is in a constant state of evolution. New people bring new...