[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - MISSOURI 75 YEAR

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

 

If you want to learn to play the guitar you will need some easy songs to work on. The job of finding songs could be a bit tricky if you are not clear about what you want to play. Hopefully this article will be some help in choosing your songs. We need to look at the question of why you want to play the guitar - why is the idea of playing songs on the guitar attractive to you? This is the first step in choosing which songs to learn. There are certain advantages in beginning your guitar playing with easy songs, and we will take a look at those as well so you can be clear on what you want to work on with your guitar and why.

No matter how you explain it to yourself, the basic reason behind your need to play the guitar is self expression. You might close your eyes and imagine yourself impressing a whole lot of people with your talent or you might feel that you have something important to say. Either way, the bottom line is something in you wants to get out. To enable this self expression you must think about which songs you like. Not about whether they are easy or not, just if you like them. Next think about communicating with your audience. The songs you play on the guitar are just part of the bridge between you and the people listening to you. If you like introspective love songs, then look for easy love songs. Do not learn gospel music or rock songs just because they appear technically easier. Trust me, you will find easy songs in your genre.

The search for easy songs will reveal to you an amazing fact. You do not have to learn a multitude of chords to learn to play a range of songs. The basic chords you learn will be fairly easy to play, and after a few weeks of practice you will find your self-confidence growing. At this stage of your guitar playing career you should remind yourself each day to begin fresh, as though you had not spent hours practicing the day before. Let your fingers take their own time to find the chord shapes as they warm up.

Once you have learned some easy songs you will find that more advanced music is no longer a mystery to you. This is the stage where you make your repertoire of songs your own property. The song was composed by someone you do not know but you are expressing yourself through their work. New instrumental and vocal possibilities will present themselves the more you play and the more you practice.

So the first step is get a fairly solid idea of the kind of song that fits you best, and do a search on the internet for some song titles. If your first searches give you versions of a song that look a bit advanced for you, include words like "easy tabs" or "easy arrangement" in your search. It will not take long for you to collect some easy songs to start you off as a guitar player.

Ricky Sharples has been playing guitar his whole life, and is presently engaged in building a blog called Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free. Ricky's blog features free tools, lessons and resources for guitarists of all ages and stages. Ricky updates the blog regularly so if you are interested in learning to play guitar there will be an enormous variety of tip, tools and tutorials for you.

My Morning Jacket - Lay Low

Reigniting our popular bootleg feature with a great MMJ set... My Morning Jacket 10-23-2005 Murat Theater Indianapolis, IN Disc 1 01 - Intro 02 - Wordless Chorus 03 - It Beats 4 U 04 - Gideon 05 -… (in post Bootleg Justice - My Morning Jacket Live @ Murat Theater in Indianapolis, IN (10.23.2005) from Musical Justice. Download this at Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

Decades ago if you drove by a field and happened to see a windmill spinning in the wind, chances are the blades were made of wood. With new inventions and better technology today, wood is still used as material for turbine blades. The design is different however. And a lighter wood material is used, in order to carve the blade and faster speed rotation.
By knowing and understanding the different types of blades, and how they improve or decrease the effectiveness of a wind turbine, you can purchase this alternate energy source with confidence. Knowing it will meet your needs.

The most recent blade design is made of fiber-glass and epoxy resin. Although this blade is in its first stages and not yet marketed, what makes it unique is its curvature like tip. This allows it to catch low wind speeds and would be considered a good design for a wind turbine used in the Midwest.

Some turbine blades have actually been made with the raw material made for PVC piping. In strong lengthy winds they have been found to break, but inexpensive to replace.

Researchers have done experiments with several different materials for turbine blades. Weight, wind resistance, durability, speed rotation, sound output, and of course cost are evaluated. Glass has never been used in experiments although plexi-glass was tested. It failed due to not being able to withstand long periods of wind, and the sound output was ineffective.

Many materials have been tested poly foam and aluminum, to name a few more and their performance again was different. They were also found less effective.The turbine blade made of carbon fiber is light weight, and has a razor sharp edge which allows it to literally cut through the wind and makes it virtually silent. This is the material preferred and used in most wind turbine machines sold today.

Another factor evaluated was how many blades would be placed on a turbine windmill. Three blades almost instantly became the most popular. More blades seemed to increase noise and slow down the actual rotation of the turbine's propeller formation. After more research was done the concept of using more than three blades was no longer a factor.

The bigger commercialized wind turbines were more effective in putting out the expected wattage than one with six blades. This was proof that three blades were better. These turbines are as big as two football fields or more in size.

The smaller wind turbines for home use also remained with the propeller style and three blades as a result of its performance, producing the correct type of wattage expected. Carbon fiber blades in the right formation were the inventive solution for the vertical windmill and the wind turbines of today. The wind turbine blades as a whole are simply part of their design, an important part to the quality of performance of the entire wind turbine machine.

To find out if windmill power is right for you then visit http://residential-windmills.com

Managing Your Time, when Music isn't Your "Day Job"

You CAN do everything.

Repeat.

You CAN do everything. What you cannot do, however, is do everything at the same time, or create a day thats longer than 24 hours.

The two most important aspects of time management are acceptance and choice. When you think of time in terms of acceptance and choice, youre never wrong, bad, or lazy, youve just made certain choices. When you think in terms of discipline and willpower, however, your inner critic can really do a number on you. We already have low self-esteem as artists; lets not add to the problem!!

An example of this from my own life is that I choose to live alone instead of with a roommate; that means I also choose higher rent and the need to bring in enough income to cover that rent. When sneaky thoughts of resentment or self-pity creep in to my head, I need to remember the choice that I made, and I need to accept this is how things are for now.

Here are some tips for using choice and acceptance to manage your time.

Decide what you want to have time for. What keeps getting pushed to the back burner or rushed through? How will you spend your time once youve made your songwriting dreams come true and youve become the artist youre meant to be? Nourish this vision until its clear in your mind. Its essential to know what youre working towards. Remember, you wont always be this busy unless you choose to be.

Choose not to be this busy for one week, track your time using a time log. You can make one yourself; simply chart out (on paper or on the computer) your day in fifteen-minute intervals and then record what you do in each of those blocks of time. Completing a time log will illuminate how much time youre spending on different things. Look carefully at the choices youre making. What do you most want to do with the time you have available?

Accept your day job for what it is a source of the financial support you need to eat and live and write songs! Practice feeling grateful for the job you have, instead of feeling resentful about the time its taking away from your songwriting. For instance, what recording equipment, CDs, manuscript paper, software programs or musical instruments have you bought from the money you earned in this job? Also, the job is giving you life experiences, and most likely lots of opportunities to interact with other people. Your passion is to communicate with people through your music how can you take some of that passion and apply it to your day-to-day interactions? What kind of stories do your co-workers have to tell? What ideas do those stir up for you that you can use in your writing?

Look for a day job thats meaningful and thats taking you in the direction of your dreams. Do you need some ideas? Try meditating to access inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. If songwriting is your primary passion, whats your second passion? What ELSE gets your juices flowing? Theres no need to be in a job that doesnt make you feel alive, in order to support what does. Some artists that I know get lots of fulfillment from teaching children or adults about their craft. Others take jobs that involve public speaking, to give them more experience and confidence talking to groups. Some take jobs in music stores, where they can have lots of time to learn about the newest equipment, meet lots of fellow artists, and get a discount, to boot!

Schedule time with yourself for your songwriting, collaborating and rehearsing. Keep these dates with yourself and others as sacred appointments!

Be good to your body and dont sacrifice sleep for productivity (if you keep doing that, you wont be in much shape to produce anything!).

There are only a couple of things that we really NEED to do every day. Everything else is a choice.

This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriters Resource website (November 2004) http://www.musesmuse.com.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, Everyday Artist, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

My Morning Jacket - Intro

Reigniting our popular bootleg feature with a great MMJ set... My Morning Jacket 10-23-2005 Murat Theater Indianapolis, IN Disc 1 01 - Intro 02 - Wordless Chorus 03 - It Beats 4 U 04 - Gideon 05 -… (in post Bootleg Justice - My Morning Jacket Live @ Murat Theater in Indianapolis, IN (10.23.2005) from Musical Justice. Download this at iTunes More by this artist at eMusic Amazont)

Buying complete drum sets allows drummers the most freedom. Although there are different types of sets, most people have found that the drum sets that offer the most freedom are those that have the most pieces with them. With each extra piece, there are a few extra sounds that can be used to create different styles of music.

For those who are interested in buying sets that have multiple pieces, here are some explanations of what you should expect from the different set pieces.

• Bass drum - The bass is sometimes referred to as the kick since it is played by stepping on a pedal that then beats the head. This sits on the floor just in front of the drummer. It is usually the most prevalent sound in any set. While most of these come with heads on both sides, many drummers prefer to remove the head from the backside and place an object like a heavy sweatshirt or a pillow inside of it in order to muffle the sound. If the sound is not muffled, it could resonate too loudly and detract from the other music being played.
  
• Toms - Toms are usually small, circular and elevated to about the shoulder level of the drummer when he is sitting. Some drummers prefer to use these with bottom heads, but usually they are removed. Each tom is slightly different in size and shape in order to produce varying sounds when struck. These drums make a deep, round tone. The toms placed above the floor are referred to as "mounted toms." Sets can also be purchased that have toms that stand on their own feet. These are called "floor toms."
  
• Snare drum - In most sets, the snare is elevated off of the floor and rests between the knees of the drummer. Snares include heads on both the top as well as the bottom. Items called tension rods are used to hold the drums in place. The name snare comes from the fact that the bottom head features parallel, mounted strands that are referred to as snares. The snares are important to the operation of the drum because they work to help sound vibrate against the bottom of the head when the top of the head is struck.
  
• Cymbals - Some drum sets do not include cymbals, but those that do include them allow the drummer to branch out a little more musically than others who do not have them would be able to. The cymbals are able to add that extra little splash to the music being played. Many of sets include a ride cymbal, a crash cymbal, and a pair of hi-hats. These cymbals can be altered and loosened and tightened to change the sound produced from them.
  

The drummer who wants to be able to play a variety of types of music and try new things should buy sets that include all of these items.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on percussion, please visit Drum Sets, supplier of a wide range of drum sets, drum kits, drum heads, stands, and more.

Acoustic Guitar Tabs Make Learning Music Very Easy

Acoustic guitars have the advantage of having a much easier kind of music notation. In this notation, there are no notes, staffs and time signatures giving a much simpler and intuitive template called acoustic guitar tabs which are based on the position of the strings of the guitar. This way you are not required to learn to read music like you need to with other instruments.

Tablature or "tabs" are like little pictures of guitar strings which represent the acoustic guitar strings. The top string is the first row and the bottom one is the sixth row. On each of these rows you will have numbers that let you know the fret you are supposed to play. An open string is represented by the number "0" (zero), and an "X" represents a muffed string.

In case you did not know it, a fret is the area between the metal bars and the neck. It is the finger board of your guitar and usually there are somewhere like 21 to 24 frets on the acoustic guitar. Dots placed on the frets are there to give you a visual aid so you know where you are.

As you look at the acoustic guitar tabs you will notice that numbers all run in one line letting you know which fret you should be using on the one string that you are playing. These numbers act as a guide to show you that you should be playing each one of them individually. But when you see a number on each line and if the numbers are super imposed (on top) of one another this means that you have to play the notes all at the same time, and hence strum all six of your strings.

As you find out more on acoustic guitar tabs you will come across terms like pull offs, bends, slides and hammer ons. When you see the letter "h" this is a hammer on. So, for example you might see "7h9" on one of the rows. A "p" indicates pull offs, "b" indicates bends, and "/" (slash forward symbol) indicates slides.

Once you have familiarized yourself with reading music according to string position, the best thing to do is to search on the internet for basic acoustic guitar tabs of a tune that you know quite well. Now that you can read tabs, you will be surprised to find that you can play a tune quite quickly.

And you will be able to pick up a tune even faster if you can also listen to to while you are learning it. Try to get a feel for the beat even if the song is one that you know well. You will find that acoustic guitar tabs is an easy and fun way to learn and in time you will have mastered a collection of songs that you can play while at parties or for a private jam in the privacy of your own family home.

Ivan Calderwell shows you how to play using acoustic guitar tabs as well as everything there is to know on how to play acoustic guitar. For more articles and resources on this beautiful and melodic instrument, be sure to follow this link: acoustic guitar tabs.

Gtronic - Boost

We are proud to present Gtronic . He's 22 years old, and started producing last year at this time. Of course, his talent doesn't comes out of nowhere. His father is a former soul/pop star in Belgium, who… (in post Bits and pieces from VOGELSPAND. More by this artist at Amazont iTunes)

One of the most exciting parts of learning how to play guitar is being able to play your favorite songs. Most beginners, when they start out, dream of being able to shred their favorite songs by their favorite bands. While the ultimate goal should be to learn how to read music, the best way for beginners to learn songs quickly is to learn how to read guitar tabs.

Guitar tablature is very similar to sheet music, only you don't necessarily have to know the notes and values of traditional sheet music to read tablature. One of the biggest differences there is between sheet music and tabs is that sheet music has only five lines, while guitar tabs have six lines, each representing a string on the guitar.

Reading Guitar Tabs: Step 1 - Learning the Strings

One of the first things you'll need to know in order to learn how to read guitar tabs is how the strings (the six lines) are arranged in the tablature. The high E (thinnest string) will be the very top line, followed by the B string, the G string, the D string, the A string, and finally the very bottom string will be the low E.

Step 2- Learning the Frets

The next step in learning how to read guitar tabs is to learn what all the numbers mean that are on the various lines (strings) of the tablature.

The numbers located on the lines represent frets on your guitar. Frets are the spaces between the little metal bars on the fingerboard of your guitar. If there is a number 5 on the line that represents the low E string, this means you press the low E string down on the fifth fret and play that note. If there is a 0 on the line, this means you play that particular string open.

Step 3 - Learning the Symbols

It's also extremely important when learning how to read guitar tabs that you know what the symbols on the lines represent. If there is an "x" on the line, that means that string isn't played at all.

Sometimes when a particular guitar chord is tabbed out, there will be a few strings with the "x" on it in between some of the notes of the chord. This means that those strings are not to be played as part of the chord. If you see a "b", this means the note bends; if you see an "r", it means to release the bend. If you see an "h", this stands for hammer-on, and if you see a "p", this stands for pull-off. "PM" stands for palm mute, and "t" stands for tap. If you see a "/", this is indicating a slide. (Consult your favorite "how to play guitar" guide for detailed explanations of how to play what those symbols are indicating. Check out my favorite list of resources right below this article!)

Learning how to read guitar tabs is one of the most crucial skills a beginner can learn. Once you've acquired this valuable skill, you'll be able to start learning some of your favorite songs, and your practice time will become a whole lot more fun. Learning how to read guitar tabs will put the wind in your sails as you endeavor to become a true guitar hero.

Have fun!

There are three resources I'd suggest you check out to learn more about guitar tablature. See my how to read guitar tabs blog entry at GuitarHack, this how to read guitar tabs page on Squidoo, and this how to read guitar tabs article on Hubpages. You'll be glad you did!

[ARTICLES] ADISKATE - MATT IRVING INTERVIEW

You might not know Matt Irving's name but we can guarantee you've seen or indeed own some of his handiwork. With a knack for geometric flow and a natural flair for clean lines, his style is instantly appealing and offers snippets of humour in unexpected places. From his own work under the banner of Delphi, which included some great designs for Element, and more recently one of our shoes of the year in the Milk Blazer SB, he has had his finger in more than a few pies. Right now though, he's taken on a pretty big job handling all the visuals for the embryonic adidas Skate team. From the ads to bongo vans and videos of the Gonz in full flight, Irving is all over it. The trefoil is in good hands...

How and when did you start working on adidas Skateboarding and in what capacity do you work for them?
It all started about a year ago. My friend Brett Critchlow and I were approached separately by adidas to create concepts for their ads. We were both too busy with other projects so we decided to team up and the next thing you know we got the gig and started working on it full time. We handle everything visual for adidas Skateboarding except for the actual product design. So it’s things like ad campaigns, commercials and video projects, catalogs, website design etc. Two weeks ago we were asked to redesign the paint job for a 1970s split window VW bus for adidas Brasil. Our projects can be really random at times.

What’s your overall goal with adidas Skate? Where do you want to take it?
Personally, I just want it to be sincerely focused on skateboarding and not try to be too much of a fashion thing. Just shoes for skateboarders, and if other people seem to like them, then that’s cool too. I like that the team is solid and respected by skateboarders and adidas is being very slow and steady about what shops carry the program. Being a little bit picky isn’t necessarily being exclusive and snobby, it’s about committing to the skate shops that have been around for a long time and supporting the scene.

 

How do you, in general terms as well as specifically in regards to adidas Skate, feel about non-skate companies entering
the skateboarding world?
It’s all fair game in this day and age. There aren’t any rules about who can and can’t have a skate program. I think that skating has changed a lot since I started doing it. When I was a teenager I probably would have hated it if the bigger companies were getting involved because skating was something to break away from the mainstream. These days skating isn’t what the outcast kids are doing, it’s something that is considered cool. That doesn’t mean that there is a right and a wrong, skating continually eats itself and neglects its roots.

What do you think adidas Skate can offer to skateboarding?
I think they can offer up some really good quality shoes and support some of the best skateboarders to push what is possible on a skateboard. They have a level of quality in materials and production that is much higher than most of what is out there. If they can last longer than an average pair of skate shoes, then that’s good for everyone. I think it’s also really cool that the majority of skate shoes out there have always looked to many of adidas’ classic shoe designs for how they design their shoes. Like the Shelltoe, Stan Smith, Rod Laver, Campus, Gazelle or even just the iconic stripes on a side-panel.

 
What projects are you working on right now?
I just got back from five days of filming in Berlin with the adidas Europe team. It was a really fun time and super productive. That team is so driven to get out and skate. Right now we’re out in New Zealand to shoot Mark Gonzales with a small film crew and studio. It’ll be a three minute film about Gonz out in New Zealand because he has been living out here with his lady-friend while she gives birth to their child. That happened a few weeks ago and it’s a boy.

What new product can we expect from adidas Skate in the future?
Well there’s a new hi-top style of a shoe called the Roster Mid that will be coming out in January, as well as a vulcanized version of the Campus. The Gazelle was just redesigned with subtle improvements so it’s totally skatable. I really like how that shoe turned out and it’s not going to smash the crap out of your heels because of a lack of padding. Then in the middle of 2008 there will be a redesigned Shelltoe coming back that is modeled after an original late seventies model of the shoe. It’s completely dialed in, looks amazing and is true to the style of Shelltoe everyone used to wear in the early nineties.

 

How do you juggle working for adidas and your other projects?
Lately there hasn’t been a lot of juggling actually; Brett and I have just been focused on it as much as we can so the foundation is set for this first year. I still manage to do a few outside co-op projects in the evenings but I’m making a conscious effort to dedicate more time to that sort of stuff. It’s been nice to take a break from Delphi projects and personal artwork. I think I overdid it and kind of got burnt out on work. Now it feels fun again and the ideas flow naturally, I can have a fresh approach and know that it’s art or design projects for that very sake. I can live off the adidas work and keep the personal projects focused on new ideas and personal growth.

What other projects are you working on at the moment? What about Delphi?
I did a bunch of stuff for Nike ACG before I started working for adidas. It’s a Delphi/ACG design co-op collection that drops this spring. I just wrapped up a board, sweater and tee for a German skate brand called Hessenmob. Some shirts and a jacket design for a clothing line in Paris called Sixpack and some board graphics for Element. I might actually get to have some of my photography on wine bottles for Francis Ford Coppola’s winery, but we’ll see how that turns out.

What is floating your boat at the moment? Music? Art? Drinking?
Traveling has been consistent this year and that’s always great. Going to new cities, meeting new people and seeing different art and architecture. I think it’s important to rip yourself out of the your everyday life, it’s easy to get complacent. I also get really hyped on seeing friends starting to gain acknowledgement for their artwork. It’s inspiring to see people become successful at their random ideas and eventually to a level where they can live off of it. I have a friend who shapes surfboards under the name Mandala and his impeccable craftsmanship is blowing up. I don’t really even surf, but I certainly appreciate how cool-looking his boards are and the level of quality that he demands out of himself. I like that, it’s rare!

What keeps you motivated to work in this industry? Inspires you?
I grew up skating and it kept me out of trouble. I’ve always loved it and for some reason the love hasn’t gone away. I really only enjoy working for things that I believe in, and skating happens to be one of those things. Any design work I do out of skating is usually in the streetwear realm, I only do that because I like that world too. It’s young and energetic; I just don’t like the ‘trophy-hunter’ aspect of it.

 

 

What’s your take on the current state of skateboarding and how do you feel about the constant reference of skateboarding in streetwear, despite the fact the majority of streetwear brands have little, if any, history in skateboarding?
That’s a weird one. I actually think that streetwear is loosely tied to skating because a lot of the people that run the companies tend to be skaters or ex-skaters. There’s an entrepreneurial spirit that is sort of consistent from watching skate companies come up and get successful. In many ways, streetwear of today reminds me of the skate companies in the early 90s and I think that’s why I like it.

By Steven Vogel

For more info on Adiskate, hit up their website here

 

This is the first in a five-part series entitled, "The 5 Biggest Marketing Mistakes Musicians Make (And How You Can Fix Them To Recession Proof Your Business!)

As we go through this week, check to see how many of these mistakes you are making in your marketing and then see what you can do to fix them. Doing this will bring you better paying gigs.

Recession Buster #1: You don't focus your marketing on the needs the people that hire
you: Club Owners, Agents and Event Planners.

Kind of stating the obvious, isn't it?

But you would be surprised at how many musicians don't look at it from another point of view. The Artist mentality tells us we're so good people should just want to hire us, right?

But the Music Business mentality tells us we will work as much as we want when we focus in on what someone else's needs are.

Look through the yellow pages.

95% of the ads are totally focused on the business and not on what the business can do for YOU, the prospect!

Institutional advertising produces, at best, deferred results. You know it's institutional advertising when it tells you how great the company is, or how long they've been in business, or some other namby-pamby goofy selfishness.

Selfishness is Mistake #1 for most of your marketing. Promo Packs, one offs, web sites frequently tell the prospect all the places we've played and who we've played with and how famous we think we are.

That's what we want. When you stop and think about what your prospect wants, TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT!

Anything about us should always come last. Your clients, customers, fans, ...whatever you choose to call them, should always come first.

All the marketing materials you create should focus on what the prospects want and need. Every sentence should show that you understand their wants and needs.

Until your marketing efforts focus on the prospects first, your marketing is handicapped.

In the Meantime, Stay In Time, On Time, All the Time!

Dan Gillogly
Real World Marketing for Musicians
music business

[NEWSFLASH] HAROLD HUNTER x ZOO YORK

On May 17th the 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Day brought together NYC’s skateboarding community for a positive day of shredding in honor of the late, great Harold Hunter.  More than five-hundred skaters and spectators swarmed the Manhattan Bridge Skatepark for a heated six-hour session with beats provided by New York’s finest, Pete Rock.  Afterward, the masses flocked to KCDC Skateshop where, in true Harold form, the party bumped late into the night.

In celebration of this noteworthy occasion and to keep Harold’s spirit strong, the non-profit Harold Hunter Foundation has teamed up with The Zoo York Institute to release a limited edition HH Day II commemorative deck and t-shirt featuring Harold pics by long-time friend and acclaimed photographer, Giovanni Reda. 

Both items are now available only at select New York shops including Rival, Autumn, Everything Must Go, Richmond Hood Company, Blades, DQM, and Homage.  Additionally, a special bundled kit including a deck, t-shirt and signed copy of Reda’s “Harold Hunter: The Book” is available exclusively at KCDC.  Proceeds from the sale of all HH Day II commemorative gear will be donated to the Harold Hunter Foundation which will use the funds to send six underprivileged NYC kids to Camp Woodward this summer.

A complete event wrap-up is available at hhday.blogspot.com, and a Harold Hunter Day II podcast shot and produced by RB Umali will release in late June.

At last female bass players are emerging! As a male bass player and music teacher I'd like to present some of my observations regarding the emergence of female bass players over the past 32 years. (That's how long I've been teaching music).

In 1976 there was hardly a female bass player in sight. This applied across the board, in any music genre. Things were changing, however, in all walks of life. Emancipation of both males and females was a priority in many minds. Especially art forms were undergoing the (r)evolution instigated in a huge way in the 1960s, and music was a driving voice.

The bass guitar had only been commercially available for about twenty years - just one generation. It is a lot less cumbersome than the double bass, and apparently more suited to petite hands. The double bass, however, after being set up correctly, is only slightly more physically demanding. Both instruments fulfill the same function in almost all musics: to provide the centre of rhythm and pitch.

My main comparative observation - so far - has been that females intuitively have a superior sense of both rhythm and pitch (sorry guys). That's a killer combination, because the result is usually melodic bass playing (I'm in heaven!).

In my teaching, I've gone from zero female bass students to about 15%, which roughly equates to the real world of music performance and recording. I would love to see this percentage increase dramatically - because I love bass and I know what girls on bass can do.

Besides being an innovative and highly respected music educator, George Urbaszek plays double bass, guitar, bass guitar and bassitar. He has over 3000 performances and 120 recording sessions to his credit and has toured Australia, Central Europe, Canada, USA and the Pacific Islands.

George has performed with artists ranging from Rolf Harris through to Judith Durham, Beccy Cole, Marina Prior, George Washingmachine, Thelma Housten and the New York production of Porgy and Bess. His former students include Brendan Clarke (winner of the Australian National Jazz Award), Kim Khahn (Robbie Williams, Mel C, Natalie Imbruglia) and Rory Quirk (John Butler Trio).

After lecturing for thirteen years in the Jazz Department of the Australian National University, George is now residing near Byron Bay, Australia, where he works from home teaching students from all over the world using an innovative approach of step-by-step online bass lessons. These lessons cost as little as US $3.46 each and are available at http://www.creativebasslessons.com

Learn To Sing Correctly - Every Time

Kids tend to find singing very amusing and never miss a chance to show off their singing talent. For some kids, the desire to sing does not wear off by getting older. In some cases, it grows even stronger and it becomes a passion they wish to pursue as adults. In this case, singing becomes a bit more challenging. It's one thing to make singing mistakes as a kid and quite different to become embarrassed in a karaoke contest. In fact, many people give up singing as adults, simply because they are afraid of the harsh criticism they may get.

If you can identify with the above situation, you'll certainly be glad to know that you can, in fact, learn how to sing properly, every time. Sure, good genes are factor if you want to become a star, but anyone can learn how to sing impressively well if they devote the time and energy required to master the technique. Hence, the most important step you need to take, is to decide if you are really determined to learn how to sing and everything else will follow with studying and practice.

You will have noticed that the word "studying" was mentioned in the above paragraph, along with practice. You see, in order to sing properly, you definitely need to learn some of the principles of voice production. Singing is a highly physical activity and professional singers know that. That's why they seem to be singing with their entire body rather than just their vocal chords. Pro singers can manipulate three types of singing voices, which are usually common to all people. The chest voice, the middle voice and the head voice.

The chest voice is the voice you use when you speak. With this voice, you can create a rich, full-bodies sound. The head voice is usually used for higher pitched notes, most frequently by female vocal artists. The middle voice acts somewhat like a bridge between the chest voice and the head voice. You can think of these different singing voices as the ABC of singing. Only after you've studied and learned your ABC does it make sense to practice. And if you practice with some solid guidelines in mind, be sure that you can learn how to sing correctly, every time!

Did you know that you can learn how to sing without even leaving home? Click the link for more info.

John Gorka - Let Them In

John Gorka: Let Them In [purchase ] David Wilcox: Let Them In [purchase ] The question of source material and song ownership is one I have considered at length in my tenure as a coverblogger . But the… (in post Songwriting: Let Them In from Star Maker Machine. )

Buying complete drum sets allows drummers the most freedom. Although there are different types of sets, most people have found that the drum sets that offer the most freedom are those that have the most pieces with them. With each extra piece, there are a few extra sounds that can be used to create different styles of music.

For those who are interested in buying sets that have multiple pieces, here are some explanations of what you should expect from the different set pieces.

• Bass drum - The bass is sometimes referred to as the kick since it is played by stepping on a pedal that then beats the head. This sits on the floor just in front of the drummer. It is usually the most prevalent sound in any set. While most of these come with heads on both sides, many drummers prefer to remove the head from the backside and place an object like a heavy sweatshirt or a pillow inside of it in order to muffle the sound. If the sound is not muffled, it could resonate too loudly and detract from the other music being played.
  
• Toms - Toms are usually small, circular and elevated to about the shoulder level of the drummer when he is sitting. Some drummers prefer to use these with bottom heads, but usually they are removed. Each tom is slightly different in size and shape in order to produce varying sounds when struck. These drums make a deep, round tone. The toms placed above the floor are referred to as "mounted toms." Sets can also be purchased that have toms that stand on their own feet. These are called "floor toms."
  
• Snare drum - In most sets, the snare is elevated off of the floor and rests between the knees of the drummer. Snares include heads on both the top as well as the bottom. Items called tension rods are used to hold the drums in place. The name snare comes from the fact that the bottom head features parallel, mounted strands that are referred to as snares. The snares are important to the operation of the drum because they work to help sound vibrate against the bottom of the head when the top of the head is struck.
  
• Cymbals - Some drum sets do not include cymbals, but those that do include them allow the drummer to branch out a little more musically than others who do not have them would be able to. The cymbals are able to add that extra little splash to the music being played. Many of sets include a ride cymbal, a crash cymbal, and a pair of hi-hats. These cymbals can be altered and loosened and tightened to change the sound produced from them.
  

The drummer who wants to be able to play a variety of types of music and try new things should buy sets that include all of these items.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on percussion, please visit Drum Sets, supplier of a wide range of drum sets, drum kits, drum heads, stands, and more.

Indie Music Out Of The Closet

Indie music is well known for its low profile and refusal to conform to current trends. The artists take pride in their individuality and their ability to survive in a cutthroat industry without compromising on their beliefs. But even the most dogged and persistent artists need a bit of help and luck in breaking into the scene and establishing indie credibility.

Showcase events are an ideal way for artists to perform to a wide audience, gain experience, and start building reputations on the indie scene. The Independent Music World Series is one of the largest showcase events for indie music in the US. Tony van Veen, the vice president of sales and marketing for one of the major sponsors, says that indie artists play a vital role in keeping the music industry energised and thriving.

IMWS insists that the showcase isn't a popularity contest, but a search to discover and reward genuine talent. Despite its reputation as an indie showcase, artists from all genres are welcome to enter. The panel of judges consist of 12 music industry professionals. Artists are judged on their song writing abilities, originality, musical performance, vocal and lead instrument performance, as well as their "overall vibe."

Other showcase events include the Palais de Festivals held at Cannes, France. The event consists of talent showcases, a conference track and networking events. The showcases are meant to serve as a platform for emerging artists and to teach artists and their managers innovative promotion techniques. All those involved in bringing music to the public's attention, such as media programmers and record company representatives, attend to find new trends and sounds.

The Mid-Atlantic Music Conference in Charlotte, NC is a music conference that has been growing in popularity and credibility since its inception. Artists from all genres have to qualify to win one of thirty coveted slots for the final performance, which takes place in the Halton Theatre. Talent scouts and music executives who attend the conference give it excellent reviews and use the opportunity to sign up and coming artists to their labels.

Music industry enthusiasts John Phillips and Bryan Banks launched the Steamtown Music Showcase in September 2006. Eastern Pennsylvanian bands use the showcase to demonstrate their original music and song writing capabilities. The event is held in a different town every year. This year that honour goes to downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Showcase events are vital in giving emerging artists a leg-up in the music industry. It gives them the opportunity to gain stage performance experience. They may also catch the eye of a music executive or label producer looking for the next big thing in Indie sound. As an artist, what do you have to lose, weighed against what you stand to gain?

Recommended site:

http://www.discmakers.com/imws/

http://www.indie-music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2686

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Indy Music News indie music news one of the leading suppliers of news, trends and upcoming events in the indie news industry