Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

Setting Up for live wedding music is just one of about a thousand chores facing brides and wedding planners. Between flowers, photographers, venues, dresses, parties, rings, video, and more, even a smaller and subdued wedding makes for a fantastic amount of designing. It can be a trying time because if even one of these areas falls through the cracks, your big day can end up being a serious disappointment.

Here are five secrets to engaging live wedding music players for your wedding and reception:

1. Make sure you hire a musician with a established track record of professionalism. Does the handler return your calls promptly? Does the dance band have a website? Business cards? Other promotional materials? Or do you get the impression you’re speaking to a guy rehearsing in his garage with his pals? The way the band presents itself as you begin speaking with them is a good indicator of how they’ll turn up (or not!) on your big day.

2. Promptness is key. When you set an appointment to connect face to face or on the telephone, it’s like a mini-contract. If the band director is tardy to meet with you, it’s a discouraging sign that they don’t take their agreements seriously. If they can’t arrive on time in the planning phase, what other understandings will they break with you on your wedding day? This carries on to you, likewise - being punctual is just one way you can live a life that shows that you honor your promises.

3. Make certain the band is easy-going rather than being a bunch of prima donnas. By now you’ve likely heard a thousand Bridezilla stories, even if you’re not demanding or unreasonable. Imagine hiring the equal in craziness for your wedding band. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to have to wait on your musicians hand and foot, bringing them food and drink, having the thermostat adjusted for them, or tending to other demanding demands. The best band for you is one that can take care of itself, one that’s easy to get along with, and one that does all it can to make sure your day is easy and fun for you.

4. Charter a wedding band that’s fun. Getting married is one of the greatest choices you’ll ever make. It’s important business. The music on your wedding day should be glorious and fun. You don’t want to see your guests oblivious, listless, and wishing the event was done with. You want them up, dancing, singing, and smiling. If you choose a live wedding music band well, your choice will do a good deal to make your wedding day unforgettable in a fabulous way. This is the big day you’ve been looking for, and music is such a large part of it. Be sure you book a musician that makes the day idyllic - pleasurable for you and your guests.

George Pollis is the managing director and a instrumentalist with Reel Ting Steel Drum Band. For a professional, timely, easy-going, gifted, and fun live wedding music band, see Reel Ting at http://www.reelting.com.

Kasabian stars Chris Edwards and Serge Pizzorno have launched an attack on digital music sites saying that they are helping to destroy the music industry. The rock stars claim that because of the emergence of digital music stores that music fans are no longer excited by the possibility of picking up a new album because if they search the web for long enough they’ll be able to find a copy of the album months before its release.
Kasabian have had a great year in 2009 with their album riding high in the UK charts. They have also received lots of critical praise from a host of music publications. Their album is being hailed as a return to the form and promise they showed on their first record. Watch Kasabian music videos here.

After the band Oasis split last year it was rumoured that Oasis singer/songwriter Noel Gallagher would be joining the band on a permanent basis. The band have denied the claims although they have admitted that Oasis were a big influence on the band when they were starting out. They have also supported Oasis on tour on a number of different occasions.

The band have already sold out tour dates for the year and are already talking about heading back into the studio to record a new album.

Kanye West can’t catch a break. The uproar over his boorish treatment of Taylor Swift at that awards show was just starting to fade, but now Beyonce has chimed in.

You’ll recall that West grabbed the mike from poor Taylor to rant that Beyoncé should have won whatever award it was. Now Beyoncé says she was appalled by that, but “I knew his intentions, and I knew he was standing up for art,” which seems like a pretty good shot at Swift. I’m starting to think this little fuss isn’t over yet.

Beyonce Knowles’ concert in Malaysia was postponed by the singer herself, revealed Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Datuk said that there was no interference by his ministry on the matter and that Beyonce, 28, who was scheduled to hold the concert on October 18, had decided to postpone the concert on her own, reports New Straits Times

According to him, there are many possibilities as to why she decided not to perform on the given date, and cited that one of the reasons could be because of pressure from the organisers. He also said her refusal to comply with the dress code or simply because the concert would not be profitable could lead to her postponement.

But he denied rumours that she had been pressured by threats from certain groups after she announced that Malaysia would be one of the venues for her “I AM…World Tour”.

Pas Youth was one of the groups, which had declared to take ‘further action’ over the government’s refusal to ban the concert at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil.

Use your Need4 Video Converter to convert your best videos in the Xvid format to AVI. This will allow them to be played on your computer, mobile devices, cell phones or exhibited on video sharing files. Convert Xvid videos to DivX without any trouble.

The First Step. Launch

When setting off you will require a video converter program, such as a Need4 Video Converter.

Download the proram and follow the simple directions below.

Step 2. Add Xvid Video To Converter

The selected file will be added to the list of opened files.

Step 3. Select Output Format

Step 4. Specify Folder to Save Video

Step 5. Select a Video Segment to Convert

Step 6. Hit Convert to Save Xvid Video to DivX

Need4 Video have a vast selection of video conversion software programs that work in any type of file format you could name, to meet any needs.

The internet is becoming popular in such a fast pace that you can feel the presence of the internet in all areas. Now a days music has become popular because of these online music videos. People can avail any kind of music from any where only just sitting beside a computer having an internet. Online music videos have broken the barrier of language, society and country for which music is getting attention of all music lovers. If you have passion for good music then you just have to go to various online music websites to avail your favourite tune.

Due to online music people don’t have to wait anxiously to see their favourite artist playing music. They just have to log on to any music website and can watch their favourite artist playing music. Beside this the music fanatics can also enjoy other advantages like they don’t have to hear songs that are getting repeated. This is a common problem you will face in music TV shows where music VJ play songs which start repeating after some time. The music lovers beside hearing songs they can download pictures, wallpapers of various music bands, artist and new music album releases. Beside this they can also perform various functions like stop, fast forward, rewind, skip and replay.

Now lets talk about the marketing of the online music websites.

Once you have made an website on online music then you have to make it popular so that people visit to your site and hear songs or watch music videos from your site.

Same thing is applicable for musicians also. Once they launch their music album they have to plan their strategies to successfully market the music online. It is not at all a easy task. You have to plan a smart strategy.

Back when I started recording at home in 2001, I had a Pentium 3 550 Mhz computer with 384 MB of Ram. I recorded a number of projects on the 9GB hard drive until I eventually added a 40GB hard drive to the equation. I was quite limited in what I could do on that computer, but I was limited by a number of factors. The biggest limiting factor at that time was not the power of my PC, but my recording engineering skills.

A few years later, I was able to build myself a AMD based pc with a XP 2000 processor. This computer had 512 MB of DDR Ram. When I finally got this computer setup properly, I was amazed at what I could do. I was able to record over 50 tracks at once. The computer would get a little bogged down if I was really pushing it, but that seldom happened.

I guess before I get too deep into this article, I should discuss what I’m doing with my recording computer. While I have went through various phases throughout the years, these days I’m not using any midi or virtual instruments. Everything I do involves recording a track that started out as some sort of analog signal (either from a mic or a line in) and goes to my computer. I’m mixing in the box. I use my fair share of plugins from time to time and I’ve done some extremely complicated mixes. Guys using a sampler or a VSTi or any other virtual instruments may want to ignore this article. Anyone doing this sort of production will want the most powerful computer they can afford.

Just recently, I went ahead and upgraded my recording computer to an AMD Athlon 64 2800 with 1 GB of RAM. This computer is quite a bit faster than my previous computer. It certainly renders down mixes much quicker than my previous audio recording computer did. Unfortunately, my mixes do not sound any better. Upgrading to this computer was kind of like upgrading my recording chair. It’s more comfortable and does allow me to get more work done, but in the end, it doesn’t really improve the final product directly.

If you are looking for your first recording computer, you should put some thought into what you are going to be doing with it. If you think there is a possibility of using virtual instruments, I’d highly recommend that you go for a beast. If you don’t expect to be using a sequencer, then you can save some cash by using an older machine. Any XP 2000 era computer dedicated to audio recording should do just fine while you learn how to engineer. Trust me, you have a lot to learn, and it will be a long time before you max out the audio capabilities of a computer even 3 years old.

It’s extremely important that you setup a recording computer properly. One of the main reason that I have no problem using a 3 year old computer is because I keep it clean. I’m not talking about dust, dirt or grime. I’m talking about keeping Windows clean. If a computer starts to get a little sluggish, this tells me that it’s time to back everything up and format the computer. I have no problem with reinstalling windows every few months on my home computer and if my audio recording computer needs it, I’ll do the same. I do not install any piece of software that is not required.

In conclusion, if you are just learning audio and don’t plan on using a ton of hardcore virtual instruments, save your cash and put your time into learning recording on an older computer. You’ll be glad that you did.

Brandon Drury has written numerous articles for his recording

studio website.

We all need to dream and to believe that one day our dreams will come true. But without a plan for success, our dreams are unlikely to materialize. The dream of learning to play the piano is no different. Even young students, however, can learn to set goals and take responsibility for their success. Helping your child keep a piano journal is an easy way to start them thinking about how they will bring their musical dreams to life. Follow the guide below to help your child in piano map out a simple plan for success, and see how easy and beneficial keeping a piano journal can be.

My Piano Dream: (Why I want to learn to play the piano.)

Example: I want to play the piano like my grandpa. He’s awesome!

How do I want to see myself in one year?

Example: Playing well at my Spring Recital.

In Two years?

In Five to ten years?

What can I accomplish toward my piano dream this week?

Example: Learn the new piece my piano teacher assigned G Major.

Are there specific goals that will help me achieve this objective?

Examples: Memorize Five-Finger Hand Position in G;
Name each note; Identify difficult passages and;
Play over these areas in the music many times.

What are some good habits I need to develop that will support my piano goals?

Examples: Set aside a specific time to practice each day;
Avoid distractions while practicing, such as television;
Tell friends I can play after I finish practicing my piano lesson;
Attend my piano lesson with my teacher each week.

Planning to follow through with good habits that support our goals is how dreams are achieved.

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You’ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f’ree internet newsletter so you can download f’ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.

These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com

Notes from an era of true free expression where we were “spoilt
for choice” with the newest musical innovators. Before the
onslaught of the digital age and the polarisation of modern
music we experienced a cultural revolution which, in my humble
opinion, has yet to be equalled in successive generations …

I suppose my first realisation that music was something more
relevant than learning the words to carols for the school
Christmas concert was appreciating my Dad’s collection of 78s’.
He was a man with unusual tastes in music. My contemporys’
parents listened to American crooners, like Bing Crosby, Dean
Martin and the like, or the big band sounds of the day.

But my Dad had individual tastes which included Eastern European
folk music, Scottish bagpipe ballads and Welsh miners choirs;
plus my first introduction to classical such as exciting pieces
like Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance”.

My Mother, a dedicated Crosby fan, disliked these strange sounds
to the extent that she banished any playing of the
‘caterwauling’ to our barn, a large wooden structure at the back
of the house. This suited my Dad, and me, just fine.

He would mend bikes and tinker with machinery in one corner,
while I would curl up on a battered leather sofa looking at
pictures in old movie magazines, giggling at jokes in back
copies of Lilliput and reading girlie type books (Little Women,
Black Beauty etc.) while the haunting strains of Bulgarian
womens’ voices, Highland airs or the overwhelming sound of
Welshmen giving it their all emanated from the old wind up
gramaphone; memories are made of this.

Musically I’ve come full circle. with the increasing popularity
of ‘world music’ I am, once again, enjoying Bulgarian women’s
harmonies and Welsh folk songs along with the exciting newcomers
from African and Latin American roots.

Every generation, mostly, think that they have experienced the
‘best’ period of topical music, but I do feel that the sixties
were a special case. Consider this; any weekend my friends and I
had a difficult decision to make. Did we go ‘up town’ to Ken
Colliers to see American blues stars like Big Bill Broonzy or
jazz giants like Dizzy Gillespie; or perhaps to the Marquee or
100 Club to listen to the up and coming Britishers like Paul
Weller in the Jam, Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds and Georgie
Fame with the All Stars.

Or did we stay closer to home and go to the Riki Tik in Windsor
and risk asphyxiation in the tiny room listening to an exciting
new group called the Rolling Stones. And that was only the
start; what about Osterley where you could hear John Lee Hooker,
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and any number of other Southern
American blues stars; or Windsor Drill hall where, on a Friday
night you could enjoy the best of Cyril Davies and the All
Stars, which usually featured one of my favourites, Long John
Baldry.

And, if you were willing to risk parental wrath, it had to be
Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, a den of iniquity where you could
hear the best of new rhythm and blues; smell strange substances
burning in the air and where I first encountered psychadelia in
the shape of Pink Floyd whose innovative light shows of coloured
lava lamp blobs popping and forming ever different shapes were
the precursor of the giant video screens of today. To say we
were spoilt for choice is not to overwork a phrase.

I haven’t even mentioned the many folk clubs sprinkled about
which I visited with my friend Lucy as a guest singing duo,
where we shared stages with the likes of Bert Jantz, Duster
Bennett, Cat Stevens . . We would travel to isolated venues in
the heart of the Berkshire countryside and find ourselves in a
barn somewhere, with people sitting on hay bales and listening
to the stirring voices and lyrics of Sandy Denny, Davy Graham
and John Remborne, or even the Wurzels (bring your own cider!).

If you wanted to dance, but strictly not ballroom, you could
stomp the night away at a selection of ‘trad jazz’ clubs. Bands
of various styles were always on tap; Dick Morrisey, the
aforementioned Ken Collier, Acker Bilk; It really was a golden
age for live music of every kind. And it didn’t cost an arm and
a leg to indulge yourself. If we paid more than a couple of quid
to get in we felt hard done by. Even special occasions, like
seeing the Who or Cream at the Hammersmith Odeon were cheap at
the price.

Wherever we hung out with our mates there was music. This was
the age of the coffee bar, always with a juke box in the corner
belting out such classics as ‘Dock on the Bay’, or Buddy Holly’s
latest or Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Biaz; where to
stop! Before the fashion for ‘personalised music’ (catered for
firstly by the Walkman and now in it’s newest incarnation, the
ipod) the latest tunes brought like minds together. A normal
Saturday outing was to the local record shop where friends would
crowd into a booth together to hear the latest in the ‘charts’.

Maybe it was all just ‘fashion’ but, as the years race by, that
sixties music has stood the test of time. Many of our heroes are
still household names. Our children still appreciate such giants
as Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding. The likes of Paul
Weller, Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones still tour all over the
world. Am I showing my age when I find it hard to appreciate
modern day offerings? Of course I am but no more than any other
person who has let music into their life.

>From the moment the first cave man (or woman) discovered how to
make musical ’sounds’ from reeds or rocks, water or wood, we
have enjoyed the privilege of a great gift. How to explain the
catch at the back of the throat when we hear a familiar song or
melody? How to describe the pure feeling of exhilaration and joy
as many human voices come together to sing some particularly
uplifting work. I dare anyone to say they have never felt that.
And if some hardened souls insist that is the case; well I feel
very sorry for them.

Looking for band members is never an easy task. You may first want to ask yourself what exactly you’re looking for - whether it is to join an existing band or find individual members to start your own band. Obviously, both have their differences and this should be answered first before you start your grueling search.

Join an existing band.
This is a great way for enthusiastic musicians to gain some playing experience right away, although it is sometimes harder to find these kinds of opportunities. These are established bands that are looking for single or multiple members for various reasons (their guitarist overdosed on cocaine, bass player got fired for drinking problems, etc). This might go without saying, but make sure you really do like the type of music a band plays before deciding to join their group! There are many musicians I know that play in a band where they don’t even like the music they play, all just to “gain experience” to get their foot in the door and hopefully move on to greener pastures. It can’t be stressed enough that if you don’t like the music you play, you’re going to do a half-assed job at it, so why bother?

Also, know your playing experience and limits. For example, if you’ve only started playing guitar learning all Green Day songs for a few months, don’t expect to join a thrash metal band that requires you to do sweep-picking, fast arpeggios, or any other insane guitar techniques. Make sure you choose a band where the technicality of the music they play is comfortable with your own skill level as a musician.

A huge advantage for joining an established band (maybe) is that most of the back-end stuff is already taken care of. This includes tasks such as finding an agent/manager to book your gigs, song development, contracts with music labels, etc. All you have to do is show up for rehearsals and play shows as scheduled.

A good resource to start finding these bands in need is going to your local rehearsal studios where most of them lurk. These are places where any musician can pay for a room to rehearse. Best of all, all the musicians you find there are often in your local area. Check out the bulletin boards where frequent bands post up classified ads that may go something like:

“Looking to join a band that rocks?! We are in need of a guitar player with lots of experience! Our influences include: Megadeth, In Flames, Black Sabbath, and many more! If interested, please contact Todd at xxxxxxxxxx.”

Or even better yet, post up your own classified ad on the bulletin board so bands can contact you instead. Local, independent music stores often have a bulletin board for classified ads as well. These are some of the best free ways to find band members in your area.

Disadvantages of joining an existing band.
First and foremost, you have to learn all their songs usually in a limited period of time. The band might have a show coming up and you have to be able to play all their songs flawlessly note-for-note. Needless to say, this might be stressful for some musicians (except if their music is very straight forward and easy with pure 3 note power chords).

Another disadvantage is often your own music creativity is limited. Most bands prefer their original tunes to be played and carried on without any radical change. For example, if you just joined a band and replaced their old guitarist, the way the former guitarist played a particular solo, is the way the band wants it to be played by you. Often you must follow the same note structure of a music piece composed by another musician.

Organizing your own band.
This is where you try to find individual musicians to start a new band, usually with similar music skills and backgrounds. Thinking of starting a band is the easy part, but the actual process of searching for the right people is harder than most people think. There are tons of musicians out there in the world but only a small percentage of those you may be compatible with. In addition, ask yourself: are you going to play in a band just for fun, or are you trying to make a living out of it? This will influence where you are going to start looking.

The internet is becoming a popular method for musicians to find other musicians. If you search “looking for musicians” in Google, you will easily find over 12,400,000 results - so how do you find what you’re looking for? Many ads posted in classifieds sections and on popular music forums will vaguely have descriptions such as this:

“Guitar player looking to form a band.”

Well, that’s just great.

Try refining your search to keywords such as the area you are in, what position you are looking for, etc. Example: “Looking for bass players in Toronto”. The first search result is an ad posted on www.craigslist.org, which by the way is an excellent place to get started. Try to only focus your attention on well-written ads that describe the musician, which includes how much playing experience he/she has, the types of music they are willing to play, and the intention of playing in a band. Or you may also want to post your own ad in music community forums and add a link to your audio/video samples that will likely interest more candidates. Audio/video samples that show off your best work are often the most influential factor of candidates contacting you back.

Be consistent with this. Chances are you won’t find someone right away on your first few posts, so try to refresh your ads on a weekly basis (but don’t spam!).

The internet is a large resource but don’t just rely solely on it. You may find you have better luck looking in local magazine’s classifieds ads section where it’s more direct. Also, because musicians have to pay to get their ads published in magazines, it shows that they are more serious about organizing a band.

Don’t limit yourself in a location.
If you are serious about starting a career as a musician, you don’t just search for bands or members only in your local area. Living in smaller towns and cities won’t give you very many options in choosing the right band or member for you. Expand yourself to larger urban cities where the potential to find band members is greater.

Finding band members is like finding a good job. Know exactly what you want before searching, always have a good portfolio ready, and be consistent in your pursue. Goodluck!

Kenny Auyoung

Webmaster @ http://www.getmeaband.com
Looking for a band? Search through our directory of musicians to find band members in your local area.

Music licensing can be a very confusing subject. My intent with this article is to give you enough details on what music licensing is and what are your rights to use music in advertising and / or video productions.

A few months ago I was contacted by a company that was celebrating 20 years in business. They wanted to put together a radio commercial that highlighted their celebration. Their request was to use Kool and the Gangs song Celebration in their radio spot. I explained to them in order to do this they would have to obtain a licensing which would cost them quite a bit of money. This was not an option for them due to their limited budget and ultimately they told me that they “went another direction” with their advertising.

If I had agreed to use this song without obtaining a licensing I would have put both of our companies at risk. It was not worth the risk just to make a sale. Beware that there are unscrupulous production companies that will do this type of illegal activity so the best protection you have is knowledge.

The copyright law protects writers of music by giving them exclusive right to their music. Once a piece of music is under copyright protection it is illegal to use it without getting permission to the owner of the copyright.

There are actually two types of copyrights in the United States. One is the actual copyright which is denoted with the familiar C with a circle around it. This protection is for the actual melody, lyrics and arrangement of the music. The copyright is usually owned by the actual artist that wrote the piece or their publishing company.

The second form of copyright is the actual recording itself. This is denoted by a P with a circle around it. This protection covers the performance of the song caught on tape or digital media and released on CD or other media. Many times a record or production company will own this performance right.

If you want to use a song in a production, you need obtain a Master Use license from the owner of the copyright and a Synchronization license (often called a sync license) from the owner of the performance of the song.

The fees for synchronization licenses vary greatly. Low-end TV usage (music is playing from car radio in a scene) can cost up to $2,000. In a film, the fee may be as high as $10,000. A popular song is worth more, possibly $3,000 for TV and $25,000 for film. A song used as the theme song for a film might get $50,000 to $75,000. Commercials can get even more money. Fees for a popular song can range from $25,000 to $500,000 plus per year. The typical range for a well-known song is $75,000 to $200,000 for a one year national usage in the United States on television and radio.

I think you will agree with me that that is allot of money and usually way over budget for many video and radio productions.  

To get around these outrageous fees, music production companies sell buyout music. When you purchase a buyout CD you do not need to obtain a licensing to use the music. You can use the music hassle free and at a much lower cost.

Buyout music or royalty-free, as it applies to my products, means that for your one-time purchase price, you can legally use the music in your productions for life of ownership. All copyrights of the music remain with Zebra Music LLC. My jingle licensing agreement allows a protected area of 200 miles. By doing this no other companies in a local market will have the same jingle.

Many other production companies offer a similar buy out music licensing. I would advise you to read the licensing agreements with other production companies and ask questions if you have concerns.

Network broadcast and international broadcast of buyout production music is cleared through a performance organization (like BMI or ASCAP).  The revenue that these songs produce when they are aired is paid directly from broadcast station licensing, NOT from you as a producer. These performance organizations then in turn pay each artist based on the amount their song or songs were aired on the radio or TV.

I hope this article has cleared up any confusion or questions that you have had about copyright and music licensing.

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Steve Veloudos owns and operates Zebra Music LLC.  It’s a one stop shop for jingles, radio production, custom music, library music, and sound design. Visit Steve’s web site and get free monthly music that you can use for your productions.
http://www.zebramusic.com

zebra24@msn.com

480-540-7768

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