You might remember the story of how back in the early 80’s the band Van Halen insisted that at every show they performed at there be a bowl of M&M chocolates with all the brown ones removed. Like most people I thought this was just part of the over-indulgence of the 80’s and rock stars just keeping up with their diva status. However it wasn’t until a few months ago after reading David Lee Roth’s autobiography and other articles, that I actually found out the real reason why they requested... Read Full Story

Ever gone to a concert and you’re singing along with the Artist then realize that he/she just flopped a couple of words of the song? It’s not a big deal for fans who usually just smile and keep enjoying the show, but for the performer it’s one of those winching, embarrassing moments where you want to sink into a hole. Read Full Story

I first started djing back when I was about 14 or 15 years old (many, many moons ago). I stopped after I began playing with bands and never quite had the time to get back into it. However a few months ago I started djing small parties, and eventually I got the bug again. A lot has changed since I had my old one & two. Everything from the role a DJ plays to the equipment he/she uses. Today a DJ needs to be more than just a jukebox. Anyone with a good mp3’s collection can simply connect the... Read Full Story

Last year I had the privilege of participating in a couple of Freestyle Music award shows. I was thrilled to have been honored along with my old band-mates, and had a great time seeing old friends from the music industry again. The one question that kept popping up throughout those events were “Are you guys coming up with anything new”? I also heard conversation between producers and promoters about how to get Freestyle music on the radio again. Erotic Exotic at the 2008 Freestyle Music Awar... Read Full Story

Ever since Artists and labels (mostly independent) first started getting their music online, there has been a never-ending search to find the best new business model to sell your music. It’s now become obvious that there is no “one” best way to do that. In fact with so much music so easily available to everyone, you have to use every possible “productive” means available. Otherwise, you’ll become another needle in a very large haystack. However every now an... Read Full Story

Whenever I get a request from new Artists to work on an album, I like to ask them “Why do you want to make this record?”  Last week a young lady I work told me she was working on an album. So I asked her that very question. Her first response was that she has always loved to sing. Now that’s ok, but what I really wanted to know was “what did she plan to gain by making an album”? She thought about it a few seconds then said “that she hoped to be as big as Be... Read Full Story

Don’t you hate it when a company comes out with a killer new program just when you’re starting to get settled in with the one you bought last year? Well this week a friend of mines bought Logic Pro 8 by Apple and I was blown away with it. For months I’ve been trying to find a recording set-up that was practical, fast to work on without compromising sound quality. Basically something that would allow me to spend more time wearing the creative hat and less time with the techni... Read Full Story

Last week I got an email from a music supervisor who had heard a couple of instrumental songs I submitted to them through Taxi. (I won’t mention his or the company’s name on this blog in order to prevent them from getting bombarded with unsolicited material). The company is actually a well known music library and they offered me a non-exclusive deal for 2 of my songs “Heart in Me” & “Cure in the Itch”. By non-exclusive, they mean the songs get re-titled so that I can continue to plug them... Read Full Story

For several weeks now, I’ve been working with different DAWs trying to find both the most efficient and productive system for my work flow. I’ve played around with Garageband, Ableton, Cubase and Protools. I know that every musician has his/her favorite, but I needed something that could get my ideas from my head to the hard drive as quickly as possible without any loss in quality. Read Full Story

The RIAA today showed a new tactic that they will be using in the war against music piracy. Asking internet service providers (ISP) for their help in tracking illegal downloads. The RIAA will be sending out emails to ISPs stating that they believe one (or several) of their customers are illegally distributing music through peer to peer sites. Read Full Story