What Will Happen to Music?

What will Happen to Music?

The record business has been with us for just over 100 years. It has entertained for six generations.  Music goes through basically three phases. First, it is contemporary to a generation, secondly  as that generation ages, it goes through a phase of nostalgia. Then, hopefully some of it stands the test of time and is listened to by future generations. Those future generations use this music as fodder for their own creativity. Most music doesn't make it to the future.  This may be the natural filter that will determine whether music copyrighted, published and recorded will need to be placed into the coming protective blanket of blockchain or any other technology that may come down the road that will regenerate the music business.

The strategy of placing music into a safe blockchain environment is to start with new music. Young artists and as not yet published artists, can provide the priming of the pump that the blockchain developers, can use use to test drive the system and make corrections that will need to be made as the infrastructure develops.

Once the infrastructure has been proven, gradually older music can be sorted out as to who the holder of rights are and this can be included in the protective blockchain. This will certainly require attorneys, publishers, copywriters, research assistants, a veritable plethora of people to sort through that mess. Once this is accomplished, this older music can be placed into the blockchain infrastructure. A neutral third party or board can determine the final say on who owns what.

Any music that has lapsed into public domain would be the last to be entered into the blockchain and would have a free use open source smart contract attached to this music. Perhaps music in the public domain could also be included at the front end of the process to use as fodder for the development phase of the blockchain infrastructure. The metadata that would be included would be more for historical record than for actually determining who has the rights to any royalties that would come from them. For history, though, making the metadata as accurate as possible and would provide the actual music in all its formats, sheet music, recordings, et. al. More convenient for future researchers and historians. This would also make for better archiving of older tape, vinyl, piano roll, and shellac (78 rpm) as they deteriorate over time. Thus we would have a record for future generations of all recorded music that could be easily accessed from any computer. Imagine pulling up your grandmother’s favorite gamelan, zither, or uilleann pipe recording from the 1930's and giving it a listen. Very cool.

Hey Adrian, What the Heck is Blockchain?

The best description of blockchain that I have found is a video from the Corbett Report. Here is a link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhUn7nh33Q

I invite you to kick it around with me. You can contact me at my email address. Or at my contact info at www.acousticranch.com .

-Adrian Vincent Yañez

adrianyanez@live.com

The Martin Project

The Martin Project for The Multiple Sclerosis Society

            We were in the Acoustic Ranch Recording Studio last evening to kick off the MS Foundation, The Martin Project. Artists from all over will be coming here over the next two or three months, to contribute a song played on a Martin D-35 owned by Mark Cummings. Mark is former music director who played guitar prior to contracting Multiple Sclerosis. Mark and his wife Brenda came up with the great idea of having well known guitarists and songwriters record, on the Martin D-35, an album that will be used as a fund raiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and to raise awareness of MS. 

            Cary Morin, the first artist to record favored us with an original song, “Watery End”. Cary plays guitar with an ease that is a thing to behold. His vocal has a soulful spirit and he sings with a vulnerable character that I find very appealing. Cary describes his sound as “ Native Americana Fingerstyle Guitar”.

            Sarah Megyesy is the videographer on this project so we will be seeing some great footage of the event. We hope to see a documentary of the recording sessions when the project is completed.

Lisa Wilson, Sara Durnil, and Cary's manager, Celeste Di Iorio, were also in attendance and contributed to the relaxed atmosphere of the session. Larry Lewis was the recording engineer of record and captured 3 great performances of Carey's song “Watery End” with Take 1 probably ending up on the album.  All of the performances were very musical, so it wasn't an easy choice. Larry used a Mid/Side microphone setup for recording the guitar because it is being featured on this album. The Avantone Pro CV-12 was used for the vocal mic. The guitar recorded very well and Cary also delivered a great vocal track.

The session was concluded with good conversation, and a toast, with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. A great start to a deserving project.

Check out Cary Morin at www.carymorin.com

For video services contact Sara Megyesy at www.sarahmegyesy.com

Phone: 412-913-0945

Email: megyesysarah@gmail.com

-Adrian Yañez

Lois & The Lantern Session - Consider Different Recording Options

                                                                       
Lois and the Lantern Session
Consider Different Recording Options 

I am listening to the final mixes of Lois and the Lantern EP project, and they turned out to be amazing. Great work ladies and kudos to Larry Lewis our amazing mixing engineer. The release party is February at The Blind Pig so get your tickets and be there. Lois and the Lantern is a well rehearsed band that plays original Americana music and and are definitely a group of seasoned professionals. They have a consistent rehearsal schedule that shows in their  playing. The proof is in the pudding.

One of the things that came out of the great experience of recording this first EP for Lois and the Lantern is that it has given me time to reflect on the different ways to accomplish a recording project. There is more than one way to skin a cat. The first three approaches that come to mind are, do a live multi track recording that can be mixed later to optimize the quality of the recording, do a live to stereo recording, or do a multi track recording with overdubs.

The first and most efficient way is to do a live recording mixed straight to a stereo master. The recording can be done in a recording studio or at a live venue. Doing it at a recording studio will maximize the noise isolation and lower the noise floor that comes with recording in a live venue. Live venue recording can give your recording an energy that comes with performing before an audience. This can also minimize your actual recording expense. This approach means that you will have to be well rehearsed to maximize the quality of the performance and hence that quality of the recording. This is the easiest way to have a recording for playing on local community radio, like KRFC 88.9 in Fort Collins. A number of years ago I recorded Colorado Symphony Orchestra using this method.

Another way to record is to do a multi-track recording in a live venue and then take the tracks back to a studio for final production, mixing and mastering. One of the best examples of this is the Peter Frampton's “Frampton Comes Alive” In the 1970's this recording set the standard for live Concert Recording. This method has the added cost of post production, but you can substantially improve the quality. This method requires that you be well rehearsed and playing at a high level of musical skill within your genre. I was a recording engineer for Opera Colorado, and because of all the movement on stage this became our go to method for these recordings. They were broadcast on KVOD 88.1 in Denver.

The method that Lois and the Lantern chose to record was live in our studio at Acoustic Ranch to multi track. As I said earlier, these ladies were so well rehearsed that this approach was a breeze for them. They recorded 5 songs in 4 hours.  The performances were so spectacular that they accomplished them with ease. The recording was 3 instrument mics and 3 vocal mics for 3 performers. We also had 2 overhead room mics and a centralized ambient mic. The performers were Saja (banjo and vocals), Mary on Mandolin and Vocals, and T on Guitar and Vocals. Tara came in the next day to lay down her bass ukulele parts. She was not able to schedule herself at the same time as the other ladies. By recording this way it gave us the flexibility to add the bass overdubs on the next day. The set up gave us the ability to mix it in 5:1 surround sound at some point in the future but for the EP project we chose to mix to stereo. This approach can be a cost effective way to get a great recording. This method requires that the musicians be incredibly practiced to insure a great recording.

The last way to record is to do multi track recording with lots of overdubs. This approach gives the freedom to sculpt the sound and make decisions during the recording sessions. Albums like Michael Jackson's “Thriller”, The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper's”, among many others were recorded in this fashion. In this scenario, the recording studio becomes a palatte with many sonic color choices to paint on your sonic canvas. It is good to have a clear plan laid out before you hit the studio, so as not to waste time and money.  With this method it is a good idea to do plenty of pre-production so you can make the most of your time and budget in the studio.

All in all, these options can fit your skill set and your budget.  Contact us to continue this conversation about how we can serve you. 

-Adrian Yañez

                     

A New Tool For The Drawer

A New Tool for the Drawer.

October 6^th, 2017

Today we took delivery of a great Baldwin upright piano. Glenn Nielson, our local piano tuner checked it out before we purchased the piano, and he gave it a clean bill of health.  The piano was purchased from a private party in Loveland, Colorado. It is has a very robust sound and is very balanced. The piano is a full 88 keys and is regarded by many as a great studio piano. It has a deep rich sound with clarity and balance across the keys. There are 2 key mechanisms that need repair but other than that the piano is in working order.

October 7, 2017

 Glenn has come in for the second tuning, because the piano sat for a long time without being properly tuned. When a stringed instrument gets used to being at a certain tuning it naturally wants to return to what to the original detuned state. That is why it may take a number of tunings before it settles down to proper tuning.

October 11, 2017

I just finished playing the Baldwin around the circle of 5ths and it has an incredibly big tone. It is very focused no matter at what volume I play it. Great dynamic response. Remember that Legato is the default. Sing the scales if you have to, using La La La. This will translate into Legato playing in your fingers. Practice playing in all dynamics from Piano to Forte. Hear what you want it to sound like before you play the note.

Today, Larry is working on a mastering project for Matt Goeple. He is putting the final touches on Matt's  solo guitar project. My task for the day is to work up piano parts for Yvette Dominee's vocal and guitar music. She has turned out some great songs and it is a delight to work with her.  We had a great laugh or two Saturday, working on a hilarious song that I am not at liberty to give too many details on, at this time. I did a voice characterization, and background vocals for the track.

If you need piano tuning or tech work on your piano give Glenn a call.  970-413-2814 neilsonglenn1234@gmail.com

Breakthrough to the Music

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          Breakthrough to the Music

Over the years of working with clients many old lessons come to mind and are put to use in getting better performances out of musicians. When we are young we work on the fundamentals of our instruments. I think that in many ways the musician who succeeds is the one who takes up the cross of these fundamentals and works them until they overcome the physical obstacles that stand in between the music, that is in them, and the outside world. Hopefully, you have the good fortune of a teacher who is willing to tell you when you suck in a way that motivates you to keep plowing through those fundamentals.

We live in an age where self-esteem reigns as king over all and unfortunately, good self-esteem is what stands in the way of accomplishing what you want to accomplish. Unearned self-esteem is useless. Feeling good about yourself, without doing something is meaningless. I strive to have no self-esteem and when I achieved no self-esteem all that was left was the work and the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing something. Making music is not easy. Anything of beauty requires great effort. Communicating deeper truths requires great effort.  Effortless comes with great effort.

Music speaks to the whole person, body, mind, emotion, and soul. In order to get to communicate with the emotion and soul, we must first master the body and the mind. The playing of scales, arpeggios, and chord progressions lead to the physical and mental mastery of our instruments. As I have recommended in earlier blogs, sing what you play so that you can learn to play what you sing. This leads to a better integration of your instrument with your body and mind.  Do you hear it first and then play it or do you play it first and then hear it. This is what gives you a more complete integration of body and mind. When you develop solos, sing them before you bring them to your instrument. If it sounds good when it is sung it will sound good when you play it on your instrument. This will also break your solos out of the grip of the scale that you are basing your solo on.

-Adrian Yañez

How Do I Pay For It? Strategies to finance your album.

How do I pay for it? Strategies for recording an album.

As the music business continues to figure out what it is, new fresh ideas are coming from unexpected places that can breath new life into this career called performing musician. Some better minds than mine are showing us new ways to finance our recording project.

A little history. In the past a performing artist or band would pitch themselves to record label through an agent or manager for the much coveted album deal. For the most part, those days are gone. What has developed through the efforts of many resourceful minds is the idea of funding your album through your fan base. This will demonstrate to why developing your fan base is so critical to achieving your goal of being a performing musician.

So, how do you develop a fan base? Well this list of things is not exhaustive. The point here is to start the brainstorming Hopefully this will get you started and perhaps you will come up with better ideas. At every concert it is good to have someone to collect email addresses. Make sure that you get the persons okay to add them to your contact list. As you the list builds invite them to join your fan club. I have seen artists who create a separate web page as a fan site. This happens after you have set up your website. Create a blog that you can use to drive traffic to your web page. Decide on a price to join the fan page. Try $50 a year and $75 for 2 years. This is how you can finance your recording sessions and post production. As an incentive to join, you promise a limited edition copy of your album or EP. Your fans want to be a part of the creative process so it is a natural fit. You might also schedule a live streaming opportunity for your fans while you are in the studio. They can see you in the creative process first hand. You can do the math. Your fans can give you a very substantial budget for your recording.

Another strategy would be for your fans to fund your project after they have signed up after they have paid to be members of the fan club. Using something like “Go Fund Me” to generate the funds needed to pay for your recording.

Fans love the idea of getting content that is exclusive to them. Brian Epstein, the manager for The Beatles, published a monthly magazine and a special Christmas greeting every year. What you get for your effort is a core fan base who will, by word of mouth, increase attendance at your concerts. These are your super fans. Offer them free tickets to your show. They tell their friends about your concerts when you come to town. This will also grow your fan base.

I think this is enough to start a conversation on ways to generate the funds needed to record. Any other ideas that you have found, that have worked for you would be greatly appreciated. These idea exchanges will help all of us to make Northern Colorado a music mecca.

-Adrian Yañez

When Does the Note End? Simple Performance Practices

Many tout the virtue of good timing, learning to count a meter with the proper pulse. But one thing that is often overlooked in this discussion is when does a note begin and end. Many of us have heard, or been taught that it is good for the members of a group to come in at the same time. What I have also observed is that many don't know when a note ends. Mastering this can greatly improve your performance by showing that you make the choices of what the music is.

So, when does a note end? Let's use a whole note as an example. Most of you know that a whole note gets four beats in a 4/4 measure. The note begins at the beginning of the 1^st beat of the measure. Here is the part that many performers don't connect with until it is pointed out to them. The 4^th beat ends with the beginning of the 1^st beat of the next measure. Following this simple practice will greatly improve and polish your performance. 

Don't be vague about where notes begin and end in your performance.  When all of the members play this way it leads to great ensemble playing. You begin to listen and hear what each of the other members of the band are doing and you listen to yourself with the same keen ear that you have for the other members of your band.

If you are interested performance lessons, please, let me know.

-Adrian Yañez

The Last Shall Be First....A Better Way to Practice

The Last Shall Be First....A Better Way to Practice

Here is a great tip that was given to me by Anthony Glise, many years ago. Practice a piece that you want to memorize quickly by working on it from the end of the piece to the beginning. This is how it works.

Start by practicing the last measure first. Take the time to perfect it. Work on it till you can play it comfortable and without the music. Next take the measure before it and repeat the process. Add it to the last measure and work on the two measures until they are perfected. Then take the 3^rd to the last measure and work on it. Add it to the second to the last measure and perfect them. Continue the process until you get to the beginning of the piece. When you have completed this process play through the piece from the beginning. Repeat this process. You will be amazed at how quickly you learn and memorize a piece. As you perfect this process you will begin to absorb music.

One of the benefits of learning pieces this way is that as you perform the piece you get better and more confident as progress through the piece. 

Check out Anthony Glise at anthonyglise.com

-Adrian Yañez

If You Can't Sing It To Me....

If you are fortunate enough in your life to hit a brick wall, count yourself blessed. Musically, for me, that came when I was sent by a noted guitarist/professor to another teacher to rebuild me as a musician. I had completed my undergraduate degree in music, having even played a senior recital. To this point my musical education had been pieced together with what I could find along the way and was held together by the bailing wire of pride and bravado.

The process began with this new teacher, informing me tht I was going to start over. He set me to the task of rhythmic training, tapping out rhythms and singing beats and rhythms. He then introduced me to Paul Hindemuth's “Elementary Training for Musicians. My teacher then told me, “If you can't sing it to me, You can't play it for me.” This was the brick wall that I ran into.

Being able to sing what I play has shown me that every musical instrument is an imitation of our first instrument, the voice. As I learned to sing what I play I was able to discover how a piece is played musically. Singing will show you where the music should breathe, as if you are singing it. This goes a long way to making your performances more musical.

It is also a good way to improve your singing. When practicing scales and arpeggios sing them while you play them on your instrument. This will help you to interiorize the music and the music will come from inside you. You won't be waiting on your fingers to tell you what you are playing. It will increase your focus on the music and will eventually shorten the distance from your heart and mind to your fingers.

-Adrian Yanez

Revisiting Old Friends

Revisiting Old Friends

I am sitting here, listening to Alison Krauss “Now That I’ve Found You: A Collection” and sometimes I am amazed to discover that a song that I thought had been performed to perfection by the original artist is either topped by another artist's performance or is a song that I had judged as a throw away in the original performance and I haven’t given a second thought.

There are two songs on this collection that fit the bill. The first is the title song, “Now That I’ve Found You”. The original performance, by the The Foundations, to my mind, is a successful attempt by a UK band to imitate The Motown Sound that was very popular and innovative at the time. I think that the meaning of the song is lost in its success. Alison Krauss has brought out the meaning of this song in her rendering. The arrangement pares away the style and leaves us with a tender song of desperation, a plea for what she is losing. This could go very badly. The background vocals are used sparingly and effectively with the words “darling but I can’t let you” and “I built my world around you”. Will her plea end with this man’s return? Will she heal and move on? Or………?

The second song that came to mind, as an example of a well done song; The Beatles “I Will”. Paul McCartney captures the innocence of love in its first throes. It is genuine and without guile. The words are spoken to the loved one with complete honesty and truthfulness. The young man is bold in his proclamation. He has no fear of rejection. In Alison’s version, I hear it as a proclamation of joy at having found the person she is meant for and who is meant for her. The producer leaves us, at the beginning; with a guitar introduction that doesn’t give away what the song is. He relieves the tension 18 seconds in when the melody is introduced on the banjo. The banjo, when played at this tempo, communicates fragility in its inability to sustain notes well. It depends on the other instruments to carry it along.

Alison and company bring a new perspective to this great song. It seems, to me, to be more graceful and gentle. She brings out the hope for good things to come. Well done.

A very special thanks to Jo-Ann Hedleston at KRFC FM Radio 88.9 for being the inspiration for today's blog. She played "I Will" this morning.

-Adrian Yañez

Can't Play With a Click Track? There is Help

Preparing for the Studio: Playing with a Click Track

Often, with musicians who are new to the studio, I have found that they struggle with playing with a click track. This is because they have not yet developed a strong sense of pulse, timing and rhythm. Some do fine when playing along with a drummer or guitarist who can keep time, that is why it is incumbent on the rhythm musicians; drums, guitar, and bass, be especially good at keeping tempos. If a piece of music speeds up or slows down it should be because it was chosen by the musicians for effect and not because the musician is struggling with tempo. It is easy to tell when the reason is for the latter.

So what can we do about it? Practice with a metronome. Start by choosing a scale pattern on your instrument, set your metronome to 50MM, and begin by giving a whole note value of 4 beats. This may seem a little extreme, but if you do this it will train you to listen for the pulse of the scale and will lock in your ability to keep time. Many students try to skip passed this step and end up with inconsistent timing, pulse and rhythm. If you are a singer, conduct yourself along with the metronome as you sing. Use the standard conductor’s patterns that can be found online. These patterns vary from meter to meter and thus will help you to develop a strong sense of the pulse of each meter. Continue the process by playing 3 beats per note or dotted half notes. Move on to half notes, 2 beats per note. This process continues until you can play 16^th notes, 8 notes per beat. You can also add playing in groups of 5 and 7. When you can do it at 50MM, increase the speed a few beats per minute (BPM). Do this 3 or 4 times a day. If you want to see a more fleshed out version of this process, check out Pebber Brown's YouTube video on the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2656SWkvRQ . In fact check out all of his videos.

Pebber starts with ¼ notes but I prefer to start with whole notes. It is harder to play slow than to play fast and you will not get to fast without mastering slow. Many of the concepts that he presents apply to any instrument. Slow and steady wins the race.

For singers, sing through all of the vocal parts with a metronome. Slow it down and bring it up to tempo a little at a time. If you can sing it without the ensemble then you will be able to lead the ensemble and not be a follower. When performing songs, it is the vocal part that is most important. All the other instruments are in service to the vocalist.

Practice with the metronome, with headphones on. This will make hearing the click track in headphones easy when you get to the studio. When you rehearse with your band it is a good idea to rehearse with a metronome. Get a metronome that subdivides the beats.

-          Adrian Yañez

Space

I had a great preproduction meet up with an artist yesterday. One word that came from the artist was “space”. She said that she wanted it to have space in the music and that she didn’t want it to be over layered. Perhaps one of the reasons that the recording industry has gone through the downturn is because the recordings don’t stand up to multiple listening and are overproduced.

In an effort to create with a sonic canvas, some engineers and producers have ventured into a place where the music becomes unlistenable. Let’s not kid ourselves; auto tuning vocals and instruments has only made for lazy or subpar performances. You can’t fix it in the mix or polish a turd. Great mixes begin and end with great music and a great performance.

It seems to me that at one time vocalists had an earnest quality in their singing. I think of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and others. I also think of Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline, and Judy Collins. There is a joy in listening to Ella and Louis Armstrong sing duets. Louis' voice is the trumpet. His trumpet is a mirror image of his singing. When Ella scats, she imitates the trumpet.

Patsy Cline displays this earnestness in the convincing power of her voice. Billie Holliday is earnest in her vulnerability. Listen to Judy Collins in her rendition of “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim. The closing line shows a resignation to what is happening. Look into “Sea Songs” by Edward Elgar, sung by Dame Janet Baker. She captures the storm and the return to safe harbor, a metaphor for home and family.

Use your imagination to seek the deeper meaning of song and music. Ask yourself, who am I singing this song to? What does the song mean? What are the emotions, thoughts and sentiments conveyed in the song? Where is the song being sung? This should move how you perform the song and the musical choices you make for its performance.

Adrian Yañez

The Erard at the Northern Hotel

Playing the Erard

Some times a recording opportunity crosses my path whose music is a delight. That was the case with the recent Off the Hook Arts Pianothon. All things came together to make it nearly perfect, a greeat emprisario in Jephta Bernstein, a Fort Collins landmark the lobby of the Northern Hotel, a fully restored Erard Grand Piano 1879, and a host of pianists and musicians.

Jephta Bernstein who organized and carried out the whole affair with the help of local volunteers, was indefatiguable . Her efforts with “Off the Hook” is well worth supporting. They provide musical learning and performance opportunities for youth and a community has formed around her efforts. This is a group that is well worth supporting. She is passing on the legaccy of great music for the next generation and providing joy and salve for the soul.

The Northern Hotel is a long time landmark of Old Town Fort Collins . It began as a hotel for visitors that came to FortCollins via the railroad. The building was remodeled to an Art Deco exterior in the 1930's and subsequently the interior remained Greek Revival, with its bueatidul Corinthian Columns.

The acoustics qre perfect for lice recording of acoustic music. Amplified music would not fare so well. Check out the Lobby the next time you are in Old Town.

Into this space, the 1879 Erard Grand Piano found a perfect home for recording. The piano sound bloomed in this space. We used a Neumann TLM-103 to capure the bass resonance and an AKG-414 near the hammers on the treble side to pick up the definitio of the highs. These were combined with 2 matched ribbon mics for the stereo image and I am very pleased with the results.

Eleven hours of music later and some time in post production I am happy with the results. It all came out to eleven discs total.

-Adrian

Analog vs. Digital, The Good Old Days?

The Good Old Days?

Lately, I hear a lot of reminiscing about the good old days of analog tape recording and analog in general. As a long time collector of vinyl recordings, it holds a special place in my heart. To this day, I still enjoy the process of playing my vinyl recordings on the Hi-Fi. Gingerly removing the LP from the sleeve and placing it on the turntable. Running the Discwasher over it and the D-Stat before lowering the needle to the vinyl, and anticipating the music as the stylus lowers into the groove. Then sitting back with the liner notes, or the cover, and settling in for a good listen and a good read. On the second and subsequent listening I often turn off the light to better immerse myself in the sound. I will confess that I still enjoy haunting thrift stores to find those great RCA Shaded Dogs and the Mercury Living Presence LPs recorded by Wilma Cozart and Robert Fine. For some it is a fine cigar and for others it is a vinyl recording.

Now comes the but. I don't care for the process of analog recording and I don't miss it at all. You never forget the first and only time that you accidently erase a part of a clients 24 track tape. Add to that, getting a tape from another studio without test tones or that was recorded on a deck where the head alignment, azimuth or bias were not properly calibrated. Don't get me started on razor blade edits. AAArghh. Give me a DAW any day. Non destructive editing, unlimited tracks, extended dynamic range are just a few of the advantages of digital recording. As a bonus, your electric bill drops dramatically.

With the ever increasing sampling rates of digital recording any compromise of fidelity is and will continue to be overcome. AVID audio has just released a new system that has 384khz sampling rate. Sanken makes microphones with a range up to 100,000 hz. Many former analog mixing engineers like Andrew Schoeps are working completely in the box.

I think the combination higher quality digital recording with the resurgence in vinyl records could lead to greater satisfaction for those who have moved to vinyl. Many of the early digital to vinyl pressings did not satisfy any of us who were and still are vinyl hounds. We may also be seeing high definition streaming online for the audiophiles in our midst. These services could be on the order of Netflix, Hulu, or Spotify. One obstacle to this would be having a Digital to Analog converter in computers, laptops, and other devices that could convert at the higher sampling rates. Perhaps an add on device could be marketed.

-Adrian

The Ugandan Kids Choir

The Kids of Uganda

Wow! The last 2 days have been a delight. We are recording the Ugandan Kids Choir. Ivan, their director has turned these children into a fabulous choir, There music is infectious. They sing music that is idiomatic to there country and culture. For me it conjures up Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds. They sing with a joy that seems lacking in many North American singers. Ivan is a gentle but firm director. When musicans are prepared, sessions are a breeze. These kids work in the studio like pros.

The children were exited to use the headphones and to hear the music in their heads. Ivan had the boys dance and sing while the girls were recording their parts. It made for great video and it kept the boys occupied. Then when the boys were recording the girls danced and sang. This allowed the boys to focus on their part without the girls vocal getting them off pitch.

Larry and Ivan stayed up till 1 AM to get the drum tracks perfect. Great job guys. Larry and Ivan were looking a little tired in the morning but the music got them back in the groove. Georg Solti once said that “there are directors with the music in their head and directors who have their head in the music”. Ivan definitely has the music in his head and in his heart. Great job.

On day 2 we did overdubs and completed constructing a song from scratch. The kids hung tough and made a great session. Ivan stepped up the pace and we completed the song in record time. Alexa and her crew kept the kids occupied. The children range in age from 9 to 11. I can’t wait for my teenage boys to see the video and hear the recordings. It is an example of what can be achieved with children with love, care, understanding, and discipline.

Today, a police officer from the Fort Collins Police Department came by the studio to give the kids a look at his patrol car. They loved it. Thanks to the officer who came out and to those that made it possible. Lunches were served by people from the faith community. Thank you to all the volunteers, especially Rock, who provided the video.

Preparing for the Studio (Part 6), For Vocalists

For vocalists, it is important that you sufficiently warm up before your performance. It may be a good idea to record the vocals on a different day or during the time of day when the vocalist feels more relaxed. Having extra personnel around can make the vocalist feel rushed or out of sorts. Have water and throat lozenges on hand to sooth the singer’s throat. The vocalists favorite hard candy may also be a good addition to have around. Low lights or candles may help to set the mood. For the vocalist some time may be dedicated to choosing the microphone that best suits your voice. If you have not done this before than be prepared to work with the engineer. If you are already familiar with what microphone best suits your voice, then let the engineer know. It will give him an idea and will help him select an alternative microphone if the studio doesn’t have the microphone that you prefer. Vowels of the lyrics are where the pitches are sung. Consonances are where the rhythm of the melody and the words are defined. Give the vowels their full time value. Don not clip words short unless it is done for effect. Remember, the voice is the primary instrument. Practice good breathe support when you sing. The producer should be able to help you with this in preproduction. If you have any questions please ask.

I highly recommend that all members of the band be able to sing the lead vocal part as well as their own parts and instrumental solos. This will give you clues as to how to perform your solos. The most alive music is music that breathes. Ask yoursef, If I were singing this solo where would I breathe and what notes would I emphasize. If you can’t sing it, then there is a good chance that you aren’t hearing what you are playing.

Preparation will go a long way to making your experience in the studio a happy one. It will build your confidence.

-Adrian

Preparing for the Studio (Part 5), Honing in on the Optimal Studio Experience

Determine whether your recording sessions will be more of a live performance, with minimal overdubs, or will you be building the songs with many overdubs. If you have your music well rehearsed before the recording sessions, you can save time and money. If you do a lot of overdubs, it is important that you consider whether you will be able to perform the recording live.  This is may not be a consideration if you are doing EDM or one of its variants like Progressive/Trance. Discuss with the engineer what recordings best match the result you are going for. Make a list of your favorite artists.

Provide as much as you can to your producer, band members, and engineers when it comes to chord charts, and lyrics. If you have the ability, it doesn’t hurt to write our any arrangements you may have worked out. The more information the better.  Demo your material. Something as simple as guitar and vocal  will be enough to  help everyone be on the same page. This will show you, your band members, musicians, engineer, and producer how you envision the songs. It is best if you have your arrangements worked out before you arrive at the studio.

Make clear, in advance, what role you want your engineer to play. Do you want him to provide suggestions as to the arrangements or the music? Do you want him to just engineer? If you lay out your expectations then it will help all who are involved and will make things run smoother. You can overcome any misunderstanding and will also make for a mellow, laidback, and friendly recording experience.

-Adrian

Preparing for the Studio (Part 4) , Some Specifics

Some specifics:

Make sure that guitars and basses have been properly setup and intonation adjusted. Make sure your instruments have fresh strings. For those of you who live in the Fort Collins Colorado area, I can recommend Woodshed Music. https://www.facebook.com/woodshedenterprises/ Paul is a great guy and he did a great job repairing my classical guitar.

For drums, new heads are a must and you should tune them in advance of arriving at the studio. The drums will need to be tuned when they are set up in the studio but tuning them in advance can get you in the ball park. Make sure that drum pedals and high hat are working properly.

For keyboardists, bring all the cables you need to make the proper connections. The studio will have cables but make sure your cable are in working order. This goes for guitarists too.

It is often good to have a producer who can help you focus your efforts. A producer can bring a more objective eye to what your needs are and what will better enhance your recordings. Part of listening when you are in preproduction is what is best for the song.

Know when not to play. Be objective about your own contribution.  There are times when a song may not need they skill set that you have. If you develop this skill it will make mixes go much smoother. The tendency is to listen for your contribution  while not hear the overall effect. A good practice when you rehearse or perform is to listen to the overall sound of your band. It is a good practice to practice unplugged. This will give you a better sense of how well your group plays as an ensemble.  It will be easier to mix the tracks during the mix if you have the mix done by you in the room you are playing in first.  This is called mixing with air.

-Adrian

Preparing for the Studio, (Part 3) Practice, Practice, Practice

Constantly be working to improve your playing and singing skills. Scales are important but they are not the end. They are a means. Avoid playing scales when you are working out the music. There is nothing more boring than when the scales are obvious. While scales may demonstrate the skill on your instrument, and can be impressive, if they don’t serve the words or the music, they can be pointless. Stick with tried and true arrangements. Limit the desire to turn each song into a magnum opus. Keep timings to what is necessary to communicate the idea of the song. Take into consideration the different places where you will post your music for sale. Remember that there are time limitations for vinyl and compact disc recordings. Practice makes permanent, not perfect.

-Adrian

Preparing for the Studio (Part 2), Gig as Much as You Can

How much you are performing or how much gigging you are doing?  The more the better. If you are playing less than 3 times a week at gigs, you may have a hard time developing the timing that goes with being a tight ensemble. While in Hamburg, Germany, the Beatles were playing 7 or 8 hours a day, and it included a variety of popular music, not just the music that they grew up with. Be flexible. The more different styles you absorb the better you will be and the more ideas you will have to draw upon. Artist like Hoagy Carmichael, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, rock acts from the 60s, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Yip Harburg, are just a few. Fill your musical reservoir with musical ideas and styles. In the beginning don't limit yourself.