Music, Technology, Teaching, and Stuff: MacMusicGuy.com

Win a free dropbox account for life from AppSumo!

2011-10-06T12:20:00.001-04:00

AppSumo is running a contest through October 13th - the winner gets a free 50gig Dropbox account for life.

If you've never heard of Dropbox, it is a well-done way of storing files online. You can access them through a webpage, or if you install the software on your machine you can also access them on a local folder (which is kept synced up). Folders can be shared as well.

CLICK HERE to try to win this from AppSumo.

Class is in Session: The Music Biz

2010-08-30T08:57:00.000-04:00

From an origianl post by Brian Corber on Linkedin. Brian is a Music Lawyer, and has graciously granted permission for me to re-publish this. Check out his website - as he says, " The music business is tough. Talent isn't enough. You need a smart lawyer on your side."

CLASS IS IN SESSION: THIS IS WHAT YOU DIDN'T LEARN BY BUYING GUITAR HERO OR GOING TO BERKLEE:

1. MUSICIANS ARE NOT HIGHER UP ON THE EVOLUTIONARY SCALE. THEY DON'T WALK ON WATER AND ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING MORE THAN ANY OTHER HUMAN.

2. WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY COMES ALONG TO MAKE ANY MONEY AT ALL FROM YOUR MUSIC, YOU'D BETTER GRAB IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T DESCEND FROM HEAVEN. JUST BECAUSE YOU CREATED A MUSIC FILE, JUST BECAUSE MAYBE YOU REGISTERED ITS COPYRIGHT, JUST BECAUSE MAYBE YOU REGISTERED IT WITH ASCAP, BMI OR SESAC DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT MONEY WILL DROP FROM HEAVEN ONTO YOU.

3. JUST BECAUSE YOU CREATE MUSIC DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS. AND NOT EVERY NOISE YOU CREATE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED MUSIC. A LOT OF IT IS NOISE POLLUTION.

SO, IF SOMEONE POSTS A MESSAGE SAYING: WE WILL LICENSE YOUR MUSIC, WE WILL BUY IT, WE WILL USE IT AND YOU WILL MAKE MONEY FROM OUR EFFORTS, A SMART PERSON WOULD GRAB THAT OPPORTUNITY FAST.

4. NOT EVERYONE WHO SEEKS TO MAKE MONEY FROM USE OF YOUR MUSIC IS EVIL. YOU CAN TELL BY READING THE CONTRACT. IF YOU CAN'T TELL FROM DOING THAT, HIRE A LAWYER AND HE OR SHE WILL TELL YOU.

5. THIS IS THE BUSINESS YOU'VE CHOSEN. IT'S NOT A CAKEWALK, IT'S NOT ROMPER ROOM. IT IS A ROUGH COMPETITIVE BUSINESS AND MORE COMPLEX THAN FIGURING OUT HOW TO ORGANIZE THE CORN ON YOUR PLATE. IT IS A WORLD WIDE BUSINESS, IN MANY COUNTRIES, AND NOT ALWAYS ALIKE IN EACH OF THOSE COUNTRIES. YES, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE SEEKING TO STEAL YOUR STUFF, AND A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE YOUR FELLOW MUSICIANS.

6. RECENTLY MUSIC DISH REPORTED ON A SMALL SURVEY THAT INDICATED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF MUSICIANS AREN'T MAKING ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE SIMPLE NECESSITIES OF LIFE LET ALONE A MANSION AND A MERCEDES.

SO, REALLY. GET OVER YOURSELVES AND SMARTEN UP. BEING IGNORANT AND OBLIVIOUS TO THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BUSINESS WILL DEFEAT YOU IN THE SHORT AND LONG RUN.

7. AND JUST BECAUSE ANOTHER MUSICIAN TOLD YOU SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN IT'S TRUE. THEY PROBABLY HEARD IT FROM YET ANOTHER MUSICIAN WHO HEARD IT FROM ANOTHER MUSICIAN WHO HEARD IT FROM YET ANOTHER MUSICIAN. THIS IS HOW RUMORS ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE POOR MAN'S COPYRIGHT GET AROUND.

8. SMARTEN UP PEOPLE. ONLY THOSE WHO LEARN ACTUALLY LEARN HOW MUCH MORE THERE IS TO LEARN. THOSE WHO THINK THEY KNOW EVERYTHING DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW.

0. AND STOP DRINKING THE ASCAP COOL-AID. AND THE BMI COOL-AID. AND THE SESAC COOL-AID. AND THE RIAA COOL-AID.

10. STROKING YOUR EGO WON'T HELP YOU BUY GROCERIES FOR YOUR FAMILY. YOUR LANDLORD WON'T ACCEPT "I GOT 10,000 HITS ON MY MYSPACE PAGE" IN PAYMENT OF THE RENT.

AND ATTACKING THE MESSENGER WON'T CHANGE THE MESSAGE. IF YOU WANT TO BE A MUSIC BUSINESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

Piano vs. Keyboards - what's the difference?

2009-08-20T10:42:00.003-04:00

What's the Difference - from teaching, learning, and Musician's perspective? Some semi-random thoughts.

There's nothing like playing a well-maintained concert grand. NOTHING.
But few people have access to a concert grand, much less a well-maintained one.
The new Roland V-Piano is supposed to come close, though. At roughly $6,000 it's a lot cheaper than a quality grand, but you're going to have to invest in some amps and speakers.
Keyboards/Synths give me capabilities that a piano doesn't - different sounds, etc.
I play a Piano and a Keyboard differently - even when the keyboard has a great action (like my Roland RD-700 sx).
I'd suggest learning the Piano, and integrating the "keyboard" part of it as a part of the process. To play keys you need to learn how to work your buttons, how to change what you play depending on the sound you're using, and how to improvise a part while looking at a chord chart.
Best way to learn how to change your touch? CLASSICAL PIANO music! (especially Classical, Baroque, and Romantic eras).
To Comp (i.e. accompany) you need to know your chords and scales. Those are the tools that let you combine bits and pieces into something interesting that fits the song.
This is true regardless of the style - rock, jazz, pop, urban, country, world.......
You still have to practice - every day is best.

The MacMusicGuy

Using technology to teach piano

2009-02-11T11:20:00.002-05:00

First, my setup:

1) I teach on a digital piano (not a great one, but it's what I have available in the music store where I teach)

2) I have a 10-year old Mac (Powermac Tower - 266 MHz PPC processor running MacOS 9.2.2) that has 2 midi interfaces.

3) I also have a small sound module (a very old Emu SOundEngine that sounds pretty cheesy, but works)

4) Software includes Band in a box, Finale (from 1994), Opcode EZVision, and Opcode's Studio Vision

What do I do with it, in lessons?

1) Record the student using MIDI into EZVision, which is faster to setup than Studio Vision. They can hear themselves. Sometimes I'll bring teh parents in as well. I'll also transfer the midi file down to my "real" studio, convert the midi into audio, and email the resulting MP3 to the parents as a surprise.

2) Use iTunes (version 1!) to play some jazz or classical piano tracks. One of the students was learning a piece (titled something like Sugar Rag) - so I played a "real" ragtime for them - a recording of a Scott Joplin piano roll. IT started a conversation about what they were hearing, and what each hand was doing..... and how they could do that with enough practice.

3) I've also been using the setup to create new music for some of my other activities, when I have some downtime. This is the advantage of standard midi files - they can be exported on the old Mac, and pulled up into Traktion for further editing on my new Mac... or even a Windows machine.

4) I'll also create a quickie drum track, have EZVIsion loop it, and use that as a fancy metronome for the student to paly to. If we're feeling adentureous, I'll crank up Band-in-a-Box and have it do an even fancier drum track.

There are a few ideas. Got any others?

My, how technology has changed Music Appreciation

2008-12-03T14:04:00.002-05:00

At the risk of sounding like an old geezer...... this came to mind as I taught my last Music App class of the semester. My first Music App classes were taught using LPs - the CD had only just been introduced, and of course new tech takes FOREVER to weasel its way into educational settings. Finding particular passages was a royal pain, and seriously interrupted the flow of the class. Cassettes were more portable, but didn't sound nearly as good (we had a bad cassettee deck). Fast forward (ahem) several years. Today I used video from YouTube, video I'd stashed on a server, a CD that I'd collated myself froma variety of sources to use in teaching, and my iTunes library from the computer down the hall - audio streamed over the network - all to demonstrate jazz. This makes for much less downtime in class - but demands far more prep time outside of class.

A Music Career? This is a career?

2008-11-18T09:17:00.002-05:00

Thoughts on the morning before heading down to Georgia Southwestern to perform a recital with Rebecca Lanning: I've been playing piano for 40 years - professionally for over half that (Nope, I ain't as old as that makes me sound). I find it interesting that even though I have a Masters Degree in Piano Performance, I've been paid to play "Classical" less than a dozen times over that period. Rock-n-roll, jazz, country, wedding..... tons of times. Classical, not so much. This may indeed be a comment on my skillset or level of playing - I decided early on that I didn't want Classical to be my entire lifr, and that is required if you are going to make a living at it (I didn't want to live in NY or Chicago either). It also may be a comment on what I'm good at - being a musical chameleon. I've done Classical, yes - but also jazz, rock, country, misc. wedding stuff, pop - and performed on piano and multi-keyboards of various ilks - and been on about a dozen recordings (including one that was nominated for a Grammy). I've even produced two albums with my band at church (tom&co). And I teach - both privately and in a college. So I guess it is a career - at times seriously aggravating, at times seriously wonderful. Two weeks ago I was playing in Storm Lake, Iowa with the Joey Stuckey band playing pop/rock originals - tonight in Americus, Georgia accompanying a phenomenal Mezzo-Soprano in every style from Lieder to 20th C. to TinPanAlley. It ain't boring!

Putting music "out there"

2008-04-09T14:50:00.002-04:00

This is my latest thing to try - putting my music "out there" in the marketplace. Now, I'm nowhere near "signing a label contract" - nor am I interested in that. For that matter, a label wouldn't be interested in what I do anyway, so it all works out! I've put tracks from the two tom&co albums into snocap - so anyone can purchase and download tracks from both albums. Seasons has been available since 2003 at cdbaby. I placed Brethren - our first album from 1999 - on cdbaby in the fall of 07, but didn't want to make it available digitally because two of the tunes are covers. The amount of paperwork to keep track of when selling covers online is more trouble than its worth fro may particular project. However, using Snocap means I can pick and choose which tracks are available, which is nice. So this is yet another experiment in using technology in music. It has the added benefit of being able to tell the tale to my music classes, and makes things interesting. You can never tell what I'll put up in my Snocap store. As of this writing it's only tom&co stuff, but there will be different things down the road.

Uses for a website

2008-01-25T17:09:00.000-05:00

This might sound like a stupid entry for a blog, but I had a conversation with a piano teacher who was wondering just what use a website is for a piano teacher. After all, the reasoning went, we're teaching PIANO - not technology. That type of thinking misses the point. Technology isn't a reason to exist, or a career, or a hobby (at least in this instance) - it is a tool. A tool primarily for communication. So here are some (admittedly quick and off-the-top-of-my-head) benefits of a website for a piano teacher:

Marketing - use it as an online brochure. "Hey, I exist, and I teach piano in (your locale here)." You do have to do some search engine stuff - or you can pay an outfit to do that for you (I wouldn't).... or you can just put it on your business card. The card acts as an intro, and then the site gives more detailed information.
Studio policies - put your studio policies online (mine are here. They aren't very formal, but they are functional.)
Take payments for piano lessons online - using Paypal. It's decently inexpensive, and CAN make it easier for your parents. Yes, there's a charge (the expense runs about 3% - but that's tax deductible if your are running your studio like a business.) See my payment page here for an example.
Sniff out cool online music training sites and share them with your students - ear-training, music quizzes, etc. are ALL available online.
Share music with your students. I have a version of Chopsticks I use that does NOT use standard notation. It's great for new kids who don't read yet.

Joey Stuckey Band slideshow

2007-09-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

Here is a slideshow featuring pix and music from the Joey Stuckey band trip to the Boston area to perform on Emerging Artist TV. It was a lot of fun to do - the EA guys are a good group./

I'm the keyboard player with the cool hat.

New video performance

2007-08-08T08:51:00.001-04:00

This is a performance of "I Surrender All" that I did at Vineville North in July, 2007. This was a jazz improv version - inspired by the thought that this traditional church tune sounds kinda mournful - but the idea of surrendering to Someone who is perfect is pretty cool, and should be cause for celebration!

Making a CD: Lessons learned

2007-04-04T07:36:00.000-04:00

Now that it has been a couple of months, what have I learned? What would I do differently?

1) This was definitely worth the time involved. not so much from a monetary viewpoint, but from a PR (the parents really appreciated it) and from a "cool" aspect (the kids thought it was cool I knew how to do this. Greater cool factor = greater opportunity to teach them)

2) It really brought home the fact that having equipment does no good by itself. You have to take the time to learn how to use it. I had all this stuff (that I use for other purposes), yet it took some thinking to figure out how to make the CD happen.

3) There are easier ways to accomplish this same thing. There are direct - to - CD recording decks out there (or even the Alesis Masterlink). In that case you can record the performance straight to a CD, and even hand the student the CD right there. It's the CD equivalent of sticking the cassette recorder in front of the piano and pressing "Record". You could even get a set of preprinted blank CDs (Diskmakers sells them) that have your studio's logo on them with room to write the student's name on them.

You lose the ability to edit, though.

I'd love to hear from other teachers who have attempted this same thing.

Making a CD: The Reactions

2007-03-16T13:21:00.000-04:00

So the MIDI got recorded, edited, transferred to audio, shipped over to the recording studio, printed, and mailed. What were the reactions?

Overwhelmingly positive! I had made the kids promise not to tell what was coming (and most kept the secret!), so the kids received a package in the mail from their piano teacher. I told them it was up to them whether to keep it a secret until Christmas, or to let their parents see what was in it.

I don't think any of them waited!

The parents came up to me over the next couple of weeks and gushed at how good their kids sounded. The kids (epecially the 5 eyar old twins) were just bustin' out with pride on how thye sounded.

The one exception was one of my adult students, who didn't know I had recorded her (she'd have gotten too nervous) - she wanted to sound better than that, and was very aware of her mistakes. This is common in adult students - we as adults are aware of where we are in the process (kids are just focused on the moment).

I suggested she treat it as a snapshot - and can play it in 6 months to compare how much better she is then.

Was it worth the effort? Oh, yes.

Lessons learned from my viewpoint? That's the next entry.

Making a CD: Send it to the studio

2007-03-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

Almost done with this series of entries on creating Christmas CDs for my piano students.

To this point I've detailed the equipment, recording process, editing, and graphics creation. The next step: transferring the data to a studio for actual creation of the physical cds.

At this point in the process, I had graphics files for each student's CDs, plus the assoaciated audio files. What I don't have is a way to print on CDs - it isn't something I need to do very often, so the best route for me was to outsource this part of the project. in other words, I hired a friend who has a recording studio - Joey Stuckey, of Shadowsound music in Macon.

Joey offers CD duplication and on-CD printing as a part of his studio services. After a couple of conversations, we figured the best way was for me to email the graphics files to the studio - they also use Microsoft Publisher, so all I had to do was send the original publisher file. I then used sendthisfile.com to transfer the audio files to them. They were MUCH too big to email them, and I've found sendthisfile.com to be reliable, even when using the free account.

Joey and the staff then took the audio and the Publisher files, ran them through their system, and produced the CDs for me. I brought down some pre-addressed CD mailers, assembled the packages (along with a little note from me regarding what this CD was - a low budget Chrismtas card, if you will), and mailed them out.

Next entry: Reactions and benefits

Making a CD: Graphics

2007-02-13T11:49:00.000-05:00

Another entry in a continuing series discussing a custom Christmas present I produced for my piano students - a CD with their performance, recorded in a lesson.

To this point I've detailed how the MIDI data got recorded, how I transferred the MIDI data to my studio machine, recorded the audio, and exported the audio in a CD-friendly format.

But the CDs needed to have SOMETHING printed on them! I googled (at Google images) a piano keyboard, and selected a shot that was a closeup of a piano keyboard (AND that wasn't covered by copyright).

I did a mockup of the CD cover using Microsoft Publisher (a program I do not particularly like - but it was available). I used Publisher primarily because the studio I was sending the audio to also uses it. This allowed me to create a template, and all they had to do was open up the template and change the text to reflect each student's information.

Each CD had the student's name, what date it was recorded, the phrase "Merry Christmas", and the pieces on the CD (along with the track number).

Again, the idea was for the CD to provide a snapshot of the performance - a memory, if you will.

Making a CD: Recording the Audio

2007-02-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

At this point I had good quality MIDI files ready, that sounded just like I wanted them to. They represented a fair picture of the student's performances, but were still listenable.

Getting the audio into the computer was actually fairly simple. Remember I have a G3 desktop for sequencing, and a Mac mini that I use for audio - but this can be done with a single computer running the appropriate software (anything that can do both MIDI and audio work, and there are tons of options out there for both Macs and Windows machines).

Essentially all I had to do was to start my audio software recording, switch to the Sequencer program, and hit play. It didn't take very long because all of the pieces were short (the longest was about 2 minutes, but the average was about 45 seconds. These ARE beginning piano students!)

Once the audio was captured, I made sure the audio was normalized (i.e. as loud as practical), and then exported it as an AIFF file.

Naming the resulting files was important, because I had over 2 dozen files to keep track. I used studentName_track number_songname.aif. For example, macmusicguy_1_twinkle.aif

Next time: Graphics. Coming soon: Using the 'net to transfer to a studio, and parent reactions.

Making a CD: Decisions - how much to edit?

2007-01-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

So at this point it the process I had recorded all of the students who were going to be recorded, and I had a floppy disk with several sequence files on it. Several of the pieces had duet parts as well.

Each student had a separate file. Each file - because of how the program works - can contain up to 25 separate sequences. I put each piece into a different sequence. indeed, I put separate takes into separate sequences, except for the 5 year olds.

I transferred the files to the PowerMac in the outhouse, called up the files into Musicshop (an old, defunct sequencer by Opcode), and had some serious decisions to make.

1. How much editing should I do? I could go through and edit every note, put in place just so, and make the performance sound perfect. However, the idea behind this project was to give a positive snapshot of the student's performance - a substitute for a live performance. I decided on minimal editing - after all, I did want the tracks to be listenable!

2. What sounds to use? Piano, yes, for the student - but what about the duet parts? I wanted something that was piano-like, but that allowed the student's performance to be very easy to hear. I decided on an electric piano/Rhodes type sound. The Rhodes proved ideal - you can hear it, but it doesn't cover the piano part in any way.

Most parts were left mostly alone. I trimmed off silence at the start and selected the best "take". One student, who had recorded a longer piece, required me to create a comp (i.e. "composite take"). She had gotten a bit confused entering the B section, but the A section was fine. Due to time constraints I had her re-record the B section, and her second attempt was much better.

In the next entry I'll continue discussing the process and decisions that had to be made.

Making a CD: Recording in the Lesson - Adventures galore!

2007-01-09T15:56:00.001-05:00

Looking back, it was interesting at the different approaches I had to take getting the recording done. All of my students had seen me use that old Mac Classic before, and they all knew it would "record" their performances - I use it fairly regularly to help them hear their mistakes. This took the novelty factor down a bit.

With 9 year olds and older I could treat the lesson as a regular recording session. I would start the recording, and they would start the take whenever they were ready (a serious advantage of using MIDI). If there was a false start, I just told them to try again, while letting the sequencer roll.

Duet parts I generally recorded right after their parts were recorded. This way I didn't have to try and recreate them later using music I didn't have. I didn't try for exact timing with their part - just tried to get the exact right notes, and get kinda close on timing. (I fixed the duet part timing later in the outhouse.)

My younger kids presented quite a challenge. In particular I have a pair of 5 year old twins who were real excited at recording, so getting them to focus and actually DO the recording took some doing. They finally did a good job, but the duet parts were real rushed, and took a bit of editing later to make functional.

With everyone recorded, it was time to put the files onto a floppy and transfer them down to the outhouse machine.....but that's a story for another entry.

Making a CD: Process Details

2007-01-09T15:56:00.000-05:00

So I have a teaching studio at the music store with a very old Mac and a digital keyboard, a small recording setup in the outhouse, and a friend with some professional studio equipment. How do you use that kind of setup to create student CDs?

Step 1: Record the students Each student and I had obviously been working on several pieces for a couple of weeks. We had even done some "practice" recording, so the kids would realize that they often didn't hear their mistakes, so they needed to really focus when practicing, to quash the errors.

Because I was using MIDI, I didn't have to do the standard practice of pushing record, and then cueing the student to start. I pressed record whenever, and then let the student start when they were ready. If there was a false start, I just let the sequencer keep rolling.

The kids did NOT play to a metronome (or click) - there was no real need. When there was a teacher's accompaniment part to record, I played it on a second track, roughly trying to play in sync. I primarily was concerned with getting my timing close to theirs, and playing all the correct notes. Timing errors could be fixed later (again, becuase of using MIDI).

I had to record the accompaniment right then because of time constraints, and because I didn't necessarily have access to that music later.

Each student was placed in a separate file and saved to floppy (I did mention this was an old Mac, right?).

Step 2: Editing I transported the files down to the MaconOutHouse, where I loaded them into EzVision on my powerMac G3. I decided early on not to do much editing. I wanted to strike a balance between letting the recording be a snapshot of the student's performance, and making it listenable.

I did splice together one student's performance at a section break - i.e. I used Section A from Take 1, and Section B from Take 2, primarily because of time. (We didn't have time in the lesson for another take). The only other editing I did on the student's performacnes was to delete dead air at the beginning and ending of their performances.

The "teacher accompaniments", however, underwent some serious editing. I tried to get the accompaniment to line up as closely as possible with the kid's performances. In the case of my rambunctious 5-year-old twins, this was quite a challenge!

Step three: Drop the Audio! At this point, all the MIDI files were cleaned up, so it was time to get the audio onto a hard drive.

The G3 was used to drive my Roland RD-700sx, which provided the piano sounds. It is hooked up to a Mackie Micro1202VLZ, and then into the audio interface to my Mac Mini. I recorded the audio using Soundtrack Pro (but could have just as easily used Garageband, or even the freeware Audacity. )

To make it easier to tell which was the student part and which the teacher's, I used the "Superior Grand" sound for the kid's part, and usually an electric piano sound for the teacher's.

So basically: Start the audio recording. Play the midi file. Save the recording - making sure I named the file something appropriate.

Step four: collect the parts I had previously worked up a graphic for the CD - just a picture of a piano keyboard. I forwarded this on to my friends down at ShadowSound studio. I also zipped up each student's files, and used sendthisfile.com to transfer the files to them.

ShadowSound took the files and created the CDs using their CD burner/printer. They looked great!

I mailed them out the day after everything was complete. Coming

up in the series: Decision, Reactions, and other ways to do the same thing.

Making a CD: Technologies and Process

2006-12-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

Another post in the continuing story of making a CD for my student. Today: a look at the technologies used. This is not the only process possible - indeed, there are easieer ways to do this. However, I decided to use what I had available. I should note that it wasn't one CD - it was 9 different CDs, each student received a CD with only their perofrmances on it, plus it had their name and song titles printed on them (along with a neat graphic of a piano keyboard). The first of the technologies used is actually fairly old: MIDI. [I remember when it first came out - I got married when MIDI was still in diapers]. MIDI is basically a "language" (the computer geeks call it a protocol) that allows a computer to memorize what notes were pressed when, and how hard. It also can keep track of things like sustain pedal presses, when the sound was changed on the keyboard, and more. So I had the computer "memorize" what keys the students played when. This allowed me to easily transfer the MIDI data down to the outhouse using - gasp! - a FLOPPY DISK. [the outhouse = my studio back at the house. It's the little house out back.......yes, my family enjoys puns.] MIDI files are ridiculously small - you could fit all the parts for all of Beethoven's symphonies on one 1.4 megabyte floppy. That same floppy will only hold something like 6 seconds of CD quality audio. The DISadvantage is that the quality of the "box" - synthesizer, soundcard, etc. - actually making the sound when "fed" the MIDI file is what determines how good the music sounds. Another technology: a sample playback keyboard - specifically, a Roland RD-700sx, with 88 weighted keys and a very nice sound. This was used to actually create the sound that was eventually recorded. The audio was recorded using a Mac Mini with an M-Audio Firewire audiophile box attached to it. I used Apple's SoundTrack Pro to record the audio, but there are other options available (for me, Traktion from Mackie, or the free Audacity software would have worked as well.) Other technologies used: the internet and email - used to transfer the audio files to a friend's commercial studio. He then used a CD burner and printer to actually make the CDs. Then, of course, there is the United States Postal Service, which took care of delivering the packages to my students. That's an overview of what was used. Next posting - details on how this project was accomplished.

Making a CD: My equipment

2006-12-31T18:25:00.000-05:00

As a reminder, this series of posts is a review of a special project I did for my students - recording them in the studio and getting CDs made of their performances.

But first, an overview of what equipment I have available, which influenced the process I went through.

In the studio at the music store (Young America Music in Macon, GA) I have a positively ancient Mac Classic (it runs at a whopping 16 MHz processor speed) that dates from 1992. I run opcode EzVision on it for basic sequencing work - I use it fairly often to record the kids as they play - they are amazed at the technology ("It's HOW old?) and the fasct they can hear themselves.

I teach on a home digital piano from Casio - it's what the store has available. It isn't bad, but not the best in the world by any stretch. Keys ARE weighted, though, and the piano sound is pretty good.

In the outhouse studio (so named because it's the house out back) I have a small recording setup - a Mac mini, Soundtrack software, and an M-Audio Firewire Audiophile interface. My keyboard is a Roland RD700 - has an excellent piano. I also have a mac G3 desktop - running (yep, you guessed it) Opcode's EzVision.

The fundamental problem (challenge!) is that I don't have a direct way to record the audio that the kids produce in the studio. A cassette recording is out of the question - quality is too low (and would be a real pain to get done).

So there's the setup and the problem. The story continues in the next post with details on the technologies used and the process........ all to give my students and their parents something to listen to.

Piano Studio: An Experimental Christmas Present for my students

2006-12-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

The situation: The store where I teach (Young America Music) has been doing construction for some time - adding on a new building - so we were not able to have a fall recital there. My schedule was so full I was not able to schedule a recital somewhere else, so I decided an experiment to give the kids something to work towards, and they would have something fo their own to give to their parents: A CD of themselves playing. Following episodes will detail the equipment I have available, what skill sets were required, other ways to accomplish the same thing, decisions that had to be made in the process, and the results. It was an interesting process - probably made more complicated than necessary because I'm fairly picky - but the end results were fairly satisfactory. Tune in as the story unfolds! You can set your RSS reader to subscribe to this blog, or add your email address in the feedblitz box over there on the side. You'll get an email when this blog is updated!

Bassline: New music video produced in the MaconOuthouse

2006-11-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

Written by Bassline - who bears a resemblance to yours truly. Recorded and produced in the MaconOuthouse studio. Editing by the MaconMacGuy. Video shot and edited by DigitalDave177 and RastaMon for Vineville North Baptist.

Links, info, and such: Clearing out the paper pile

2006-10-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

I'm bad about accumulating bits o' paper with website or products I want to check out. Today was clean out the piles day! This entry is a post-it-note of sorts of stuff I need to check out later.

Note that I haven't checked these out yet - I've got to finish cleaning. These links may be dead by now!

Music Stuff ------------------------ 5 free AU plugins - Speedster, 3 synths, filter effect http://airy.andre.online.fr/AU

from 11/04 Electronic Musician p. 20

Free Samples from november 2005 Electronic Musician, p. 46

free sample libraries - this is not the whole list, just the ones I'm interested in. www.hammersound.net soundfonts w/ general MIDI + other synthy, ethnic, percussive sounds

www.hollowsun.com www.soundfonts.it/?a=soundfonts large well-organized collections of soundfonts

www.johannes.roussel.com/soundfonts.htm emphasis on pads, strings, percussions

kingstondrums.bombsquad.org/files.html

2 great sounding drum kits in variety of formats

online collaboration - recording

www.tonos.com from EM 2002 desktop music production guide

Conversations with Cage

emusician.com/em_spotlight February 2005 Electronic musician

Make a test-tone free - for macs www.audioease.com

Instrument tuner www.audio-phonics.com

Jam Online at eJamming - from EM June 06 ad

SafeSell - bands can sell their music on their website

Macintosh related stuff

Macworld virtual CDs

Oct 2005 - Tiger Secrets Revealed Aug 2006 - iTunes advanced features, intervew with developer of macNewsLite October 2006 - footage from WWDC and Steve jobs, ilife and vacation movies March 2006

April 2006

June 2006 - choosing a laptop bag, step-by-step podcast creation, best of macworld.com September 2006 - camcorders, Address/Mail,iCal tips

October 2006 - Footage from Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote, iClip giveaway, vacation movies and photos in iLife

December 2006 - gear guide cool gadgets, Bungalow - gear guide in action, Jason Snell podcast, reviews, the latest software updates

January 2007 - advice for those who want to tuse th elatest ISP technology: FIOS, upgrading a new mac, running non-native apps, must-have addons, Macworld's Game hall of fame

February 2007 - Google's lesser known productiviy features, Brren: getting the most out of your web time

File transfer services service - max file size - registration required Dropload.com - 100mb - y megaupload.com - 250mb - n rapidshare.de - 50mb - n sendthisfile.com - unlimited - y yousendit.com - 1gb - n

Pac the Man X - requires 5oomHx G3 or faster, OpenGL compatible graphics system and 16mb Vram. Free pac-man-concept game from mcSebi.

from May 2006 MacWorld

Quinn 3.1 - tetris remake for Mac (from macWorld June 2006) FREE!

Diablotin utility to manage fonts, extensions, etc. in OS X

QT codec for multiple formats: Perian (free) Mac mapMakers

Google Earth

Google Sketchup - online 3d app

Improvisation on the Piano

2006-10-19T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have been working - in my mind, at least - on an outline re: teaching improvisation. Usually my starting point is either a book of some sort, from which I pick up a pedagogical outline, or my own experience. In terms of improv, though, the books I've found seem insufficient. They are either way too theoretical, or way too tune-based. By the latter I am referring to the design where a book throws several tunes and basically says, "Here, play this".

There deosn't seem to be material which walks a student through the process of working on an improvisation, which has started me thinking about the process you go through when improvising. What musical skills and knowledge do you have to have in order to imrpvo successfully? What ear capabilities?

In this, also, my own experience is proving deficient. I don't remember how I started improvising - other than I began by adding in parts to the boring piano accompaniments I was playing for my high school choir.

So, my initial thoughts:

Scales and keys play a part. You need to know instinctively what notes fit a particular key.
Knowing chords is also a part. You could work off the notes in a particular chord.
Some Rhythmic capabilities is necessary - being able to play rhythmic patterns for comping work, for example.
A sense of form - you'd want to play differently between the verse and chorus.
There's also the non-note-based but oh-so-important performance aspects such as tempo, dynamics, expressions, and articulations. Intonation, too!

So in what order would you teach these concepts? Using what material? At this point I am certain you can't segment the areas listed, but how to mix them together into a cohesive whole is a fairly knotty problem - not to mention the problem of keeping things interesting!

More entries as the thinking warrants.

Life as a musician, again

2006-08-10T02:03:00.000-04:00

It struck me, tonight, during one of my two rehearsals what a skill set I was being asked to use.

The first rehearsal was the regular church band, getting ready for Sunday. I have to fire up the PA system - not a simple feat, given our system's capabilities, plus get the keybboard stack ready to play, etc.

The second rehearsal was for a band we've put together for an event happening next week, for a different church. What struck me was that to get ready for this rehearsal, I had to listen to 8 tunes on 5 cds, burn copies of the tunes we're learning, listen to the songs enough times to get the feel for them, create charts for everyone (transcribe the chord progressions by ear), and then lead the rehearsal.

That is a fairly significant skill set: technique on my instrument, ear training/theory to do the charts, director skills to keep the rehearsal moving... and then the technical aspects.

They never told me in music school that the music jobs all demand much more than just playing!

Music as a lifestyle

2006-06-14T01:21:00.000-04:00

I've said before, I'm a weird duck. I'm sitting in the outhouse at 1 am on my birthday, having just finished up some changes on a website and posting them. I should be in bed - but my wife is out of the state, so somehow there isn't that compulsion to head to bed at a decent hour that I normally have. So what does this have to do with being a musician? It started me thinking about schedules. I do my best work after midnight sometimes - but then I have to pay dearly for it the next day or 2 (I am "of that age"). I've often wondered why. I think it's a distraction issue - furing the day I'm very distracted about sounds or to-do lists or appointments (or even classes to teach!). This time of night - there's nothing going on. ....and that allows me to focus. I can also turn the AC off so it gets real quiet in here - and I can go to town, focusing in on what I'm working on. Two trips around the bend and it's been three hours - but it feels like 3 minutes. Am I crazy? Of course - I have children, but that's a subject for another post. Sometimes I wonder why I am a musician. It's obvious at this point in time that, although I have some talent, I will never make tons of money from it. I do have fun - which is something. I certainly won't be bored - terrified, ecstatic, depressed - but never bored. To whom much is given, much will be required. I feel I have been given much, which is why i work so hard. It isn't boring, that's for dang sure.

What I tell Parents about Digital Pianos

2006-05-10T10:41:00.001-04:00

I teach piano in a music store (one of my many "jobs"), and often have parents ask me about their kids taking piano, but all they have is a digital keyboard.

I tell them several things:

An excellent quality acoustic (i.e. grand or upright, not a spinet or console) is the best choice - BUT they have price and maintenance issues that many people don't want to deal with.
Second choice would be an excellent quality digital - with 88 weighted keys, excellent quality speakers. They will need to add a piano-style sustain pedal and a keyboard stand (if the keyboard doesn't already have one). The downside is that it will last around a decade, whereas an acoustic will last the rest of their lives. (For some, this last statement is a disadvantage of acoustic pianos!)
Third choice, and definitely last, is the el-cheapo keyboard that is so common. For some parents, though, all they want to spend - indeed, all they may be ABLE to spend, is $150 on a little dinky one. I explain the limits they are putting on the child - and I require that the keys be full-size. I also explain that the child will outgrow it in less than a year, but $150 is all some parents can spend on the keyboard.

I am also trying to get parents to hook their keyboards up to the computer, explaining the capabilities that gives the child. I have had limited success, because most of my parents have Windows machine, which are difficult to setup for MIDI operation. The Mac side is so much easier, so my Mac-using parents are more likely to take advantage of it.

Miscellaneous Music Career Advice

2006-01-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Pseudo-random thoughts about a music career:

You never know what you'll be doing - so prepare while you're in school! I never anticipated that I'd be playing rock-n-roll, jazz, church, country, and whatever both live and in the studio while I was practicing those 4 hours a day in college. The classical training combined with all the accompanying and playing that I did in outside the college scene gave me flexibility and capabilites that have kept me playing wherever I've lived.
Decide if you want to specialize or generalize. Each path has it's advantages and disadvantages. Specializing means you will get very good at that one thing - and you'd be better be very good at it, AND move to an area where that thing is in demand. Otherwise, you'll either starve, or music will become a hobby or a side job. Generalizing means you'll be able to do several things passably enough to get hired - but you probably won't ever become famous because ofit, since you'll be good enough, but not world-class. But then again, you won't be stuck in one thing, so things MAY be more interesting!
Don't do music unless you have "the fever". Music as a professions is very demanding - and few people understand what it really takes, other than musicians!
I used to envy the engineering majors in college - they seemed to always have free time, while I was always either in class or practicing. Now, the engineers are out in the audience, while I'm in a band opening up for Smashmouth and doing other wacko things like being webcast live with the Joey Stuckey band.
Doing what God wants you to do is hardly boring - and apprently God wanted me to stay in music. It has certainly NOT been boring! Difficult - YES!....but not boring.
Get good at your instrument while you're in school, because there won't be time once you're working. Practicing hours a day is a luxury - one you won't have in "real life".
Mastering your instrument in college also gets you better gigs once you've graduated - which keeps your skills up - which produces more opportunities.

So why aren't you practicing right now? Go practice!

Music and Technology: Another Change

2005-10-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

A personal example of how the 'net has changed the doing of music - and how little things can cascade into something else:

My band (tom&co) has had an album available on CD Baby since it came out in 2003.

A few months ago a guy in Texas was perusing CD Baby, and came across our page. He contacted me about putting our album on HIS e-commerce site, Peaces.com, which I was happy to allow.

A few weeks later an Australian DJ from PBS-FM's The Gospel Show emailed Peaces.com asking the artists to send down some copies - which I did.

2 weeks ago someone from Australia order a copy of our CD because they heard Emmanuel on aradio station in Melbourne.

None of this would have been possible without the Web and a whole host of other technologies.

ooooooh, I made 9 cents because of my ASCAP affiliation. Woohoo!

The more things change..........

2005-09-07T14:15:00.000-04:00

A bit o' background:

You might say I'm young old-school. I was first bitten by the technology bug in the 70's, in my teens.The first personal computers came out, and I was fascinated by them. I was never able to actually AFFORD one, but I followed the trends and read articles about everythign computer-related that I could find. I even did a paper on what a system-analyst did!

I took a couple of programming courses in college at UTC (Tennessee-Chattanooga) - PL/1 and Fortran. The Fortran class was done using punched cards - the jobs were sent up to Knoxville and we waited hours for the results of our little programs.

(There was something satisfyingly organic about punching cards. I still remember the feel of the CLUNK when the card was punched as I hit a key on the keyboard.)

Back then, programming was on a much lower level language-wise. Great programmers could do assembler so their stuff would run faster or have additional features not easilyimplemented in the upper-level language they were using. I knew people did that, but I never got into spending hours twiddling bits so a routine would run faster. I had music to make!

Nowadays, things are different. I read a piece a few years back about how programming was becoming just connecting pieces of pre-existing code together, and lamenting the loss of "real" programming". Modular coding is a great thing overall, because it allows many more people (and talent types) to create code. It also allows a developer to easily add features to a project. For example, I don't really care to learn Javascript in-depth - but because of the modularity of the language when used in a webpage, it is easy to grab a script off some website and pop into my html. A few tweaks here and there and poof - added functionality!

There is also a parallel in music production. It used to be normal for composers to write their pieces line by line - making sure one line fit with the previous line, or one part with the other. Now, so much music is created by loops - let's use this loop, mess with it a bit, then add this other loop to it, etc etc.

This has the benefit of allowing mroe people to create music. The downside, just as with programming, is that the music created is often not very good - or at best is merely derivative. This is ok if that's what you WANT, but it isn't a long-term viable thing - people get bored listening to the same mediocre stuff after a while.

Any conclusions to this? Hmmmmmm.........I'm willing to bet this is just a phase we're going through. The techniques - both programming and in music production - being used today will spark yet another way of working - and the creative people (no, the REALLY creative people - the ones willing to work at it) will take what we do now and make up something new.

Some of them might actually do it away from the computer!

-------------------------------

This is cross-posted in my tech blog, because the thoughts do cross the computer and music boundaries. What do you think? leave a comment!

Acoustic versus Digital pianos

2005-07-21T05:05:00.000-04:00

Heard mention the other day that a local piano tuner was recommending to some of his clients to switch to digital. He said he was tired of keeping all those acoustics in tune.

Sounds to me like he's ready to retire!

My views have changed on this subject over the years as technology has evolved on both the acoustic and digital fronts. While I do believe there is NOTHING like playing a quality grand (the expressiveness and sound is unbelievable), the digitals come out ahead when comparing a quality digital piano and the cheaper spinets and consoles.

The acoustics have the advantage of longevity - even a cheaper spinet will last for decades (IF taken care of). I don't believe the digital keyboards will last much longer than a decade, of that long (Depends on how much they are played, of course). The acoustics in general allow a bit more touch control, and especially pedalling nuance (things like half-pedalling, etc are just not possible with most of the digitals.)

On the other hand, digitals never go out of tune. You can use headphones. They generally have additional sounds, useful for keeping practice interesting (ever heard Bach played with a harpsichord sound? A vibe?). The MIDI capabilities, when used with a computer, open up a world of possibilities. Some are portable.

So what do I recommend when buying a digital? I look at three primary things: Key size, Keyboard feel, and Sound. The keys have to be full sized, and the feel needs to be as close to a grand as possible. (I currently really like the feel of the Casio Privia series, for example - especially in it's price range.) I tell my parents to sit down and really listen to a piano's sound for an extended period of time - if their ears aren't tired of hearing the sound, then it will probably work.

I wish all my students could use a quality grand piano in their practicing - but that's not going to happen in this lifetime. The digitals are a great alternative.

That;s my opinion. What do YOU think?

---------------------------------
http://www.tomrule.info/music
http://www.tom-and-co.com

Fatherhood makes me a better teacher

2005-07-08T16:14:00.000-04:00

I am now old enough to see some things.

For example, I began teaching piano and other music courses on the colllege level at age 24. I think I was pretty good - I did know my stuff, and I was already a good enough improvisor (on the keyboard as well as on my feet in front of the chalkboard) to fake my way around any weird classroom situations.

As I look back, though, I was missing a sense of what was like to be a child again. My private teaching experience was limited to the college level student - except for a short stint in graduate school where i taught a few elementary school kids {not very successfully}.

Since I've been a Dad, though, I find it is easier to relate to my younger students. I'm not afraid to relate to the younger kids - 5-year-olds especially seem to respond to a touch of silliness in the lesson. I've been through those stages with my kids, and can remember them well.

It's been a suprising side-benefit of Fatherhood.

Teaching Youngsters and Herding Cats

2005-06-21T08:06:00.000-04:00

Some of the kids I teach are fascinating. Some days, they are all focused on playing the piano. Others, you might as well be at the zoo.

Now, some of my teachers growing up were, compared to the way I teach, very standoffish. I would play, they would make a comment or two, and we would move on. I remember having more conversations as I got into High School, and it became apparent I was going to major in music.

I would say I am an active teacher. I treat a lesson more like a rehearsal - the student and I are working together to improve their skill. I guess the best sports analogy is that I'm the coach (but a coach that can STILL play the sport!).

But some days - and with a couple of my students, it's every day - you have to go with the flow. I want them to remain excited about piano, but also to get something done (hey, that's what their parents are PAYING me for!). So I listen to the stories about their day at school - and indeed, ask them how things are...and we play.

Some days it's more playing. Some days it's more talking.

Some days I'm teaching piano. Some days I'm herding cats.

It is never boring, though.

--------------------------------------------------- The MacMusic Guy

Basic Info | www.tomrule.info/music The MacMusic Blog | macmusicguy.blogspot.com The Band | www.tom-and-co.com ---------------------------------------------------

Performing and Equipment: Some questions

2005-06-03T04:04:00.000-04:00

I am beginning to think about replacing my keyboard, and that brings up some thoughts about the place equipment has in a musician's life.

I currently use a Kurzweil K1200 - yes, old and outdated compared to current keyboards, but still definitely functional for my purposes. Plus you CANNOT beat the Electric Piano sounds in that thing!

It strikes me that the equipment you have can serve as either a limitation or an inspiration, depending on the circumstances and your attitude. Bad, limited equipment can indeed keep you from making music - but older equipment that is still functional can still be usable. The catch is that it often takes longer, or mroe effort - which may in turn produce better music.

Musicians have long struggled with their equipment. How many pianos did Mozart have custom ordered? Beethoven had a special piano created with heavier strings that sounded louder, to compensate for his slowly growing deafness.

Good equipment is necessary for a performing musician to work. Good equipment alos costs $ - it's the old "you get what you pay for". I paid more for my Kurzweil than some other competing keyboards, but the thing has lasted well over a decade. It's amazing what having a metal body will do for longevity! (plus I take real good care of it).

Studio Setup: the next chapter

2005-05-25T14:29:00.000-04:00

I am a firm believer in using things - especially technology - as long as it is practical. That's why I have been using a powerMac 8500 for my writing and transcription work for a good long while.

I bought it off of eBay for $150 to replace a Mac clone that got fried by lightning. I use it for digital audio work, sequencing, and Finale stuff.

I purchased my first ever new Mac in February - a Mini. For a long while it has stayed in the living room, perched on top of a 10 year old IBM 17 inch monitor that was absolutely huge - it was quite funny looking, but very functional.

I don¹t' want to lose what I have with the 8500, so today I moved the mini down to the "outhouse" (it's a 12x16 ft little house out back with my studio and workshop). I'm using a KVM switch (the 8500 has a usb/firewire card installed), and the 2 machines are networked together (with a crossover cable, of course. Why spend $ on a switch when I already have the cable?)

So I'm working with one machine running MacOs 8.6 - running Finale, EZ Vision, and assorted audio utilities (like Soundmaker from Micromat) - and the other running MacOs 10.3.

Gotta love it! A Very functional studio using a blend of the old and new.

Is this a good place to mention the Mac Classic running MacOs 7.1 that I use in the piano studio at the store? (I use it for basic sequencing in my piano lessons). It brings new depths of meaning to the word "slow"!

--------------------------------------

The MaconMacMusicGuy

http://www.tomrule.info/

http://www.tom-and-co.com

http://www.youngamericamusic.com --------------------------------------

Performing: What it Takes

2005-05-18T11:25:00.000-04:00

Last week and this week I have had/will have performances with the Grapevine, Joey Stuckey Band, the Earle Barnette Group, and of course tom&co.

This is a plethora of styles and situations. Grapevine is what we called in South Carolina a "beach band" - there are few charts, and everything is done by ear. I was sitting in for their regular keyboard guy - who had moved to guitar because their regular guitarist couldn't make it.

I'll be with the Joey Stuckey band in Cordele playing jazz in a trio setting Friday - with some homemade charts that serve as reminders. They are definitely NOT note-for-note (in some cases, not even chord-for-chord!).

Earle Barnette's group plays a more traditional form of jazz - it's a small ensemble, with charts that look pretty good. Lot's of chance for improv, but not as many as in a trio setting.

................and then there's tom&co, which will have the usual personnel changes that happen week to week, and will have some new praise and worship stuff to learn. We are also rehearsing a new song just written for this summer's Vacation Bible School Xtreme - we have to get it recorded in the next 3 weeks.

So why do I bring this up, I hear you asking? (I have a good imagination.) It points out the necessity to be flexible and good at what you do if you are going to be successful as a musician. The more skills you have - in my case this week, those skills include improv, good ear skills, ability to fake my way out of a musical jam (pun intended), and a facility with my ax of choice (keyboards, especially multiple keyboards).

Those skills, along with my ability to get along with people and my reputation for consistency and keeping my word - mean that the bands will hire me.

It isn't just the musical skills. It's also the people skills.

Piano: Thoughts on Teaching

2005-05-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

I've had my own piano/keyboard teaching studio for almost 2 years now. I've also taught piano at the college level for a total of 12 years (some of those years I was full-time faculty, others an adjunct). Today, I was thinking about some of the differences between teaching privately and on the college campus - it is interesting, to those of us who teach, anyway!

You have a certain stick hanging over a college student's head - the grade, but this may or may not be a motivator! I've had many college students start taking piano, and then never really practice. Many are actually surprised that I expect them to practice between lessons. My approach to this problem has mellowed out a bit over the years. I used to fret a bit over not being able to motivate the student. Now - and perhaps this is because my own two boys are in their teens or rapidly approaching - I realize that at some point I am not responsible for the choices the student makes. Nowadays, I lay it out flatly that it will require practice if they really want to get better - and that piano lessons are a lot more fun when they practice (because we can get beyond the notes and other basics).

For some, this is enough. Others, it doesn't seem to really matter - which is a shame, since they are paying extra to take private piano! For me, I will push the students who seem to want to make music. The others, I try to keep it interesting by throwing in stuff from outside the book, but i'm not going to worry about it. That is, unless they are music majors.

Music majors are in a whole 'nother ballgame. If a student truly wants to major in music - that is, have a prayer of a chance at making a living at this field, then they'd better be able to play or sing real well - and that takes extraordinary amounts of intelligent practice - 4 hours a day.

Yes, I push the music majors.......but my regular private students I have to treat differently. More on that next time. Leave some Comments!

After the Performance

2005-05-04T19:24:00.000-04:00

Wow! What a performance with the Joey Stuckey Band last Monday! What an adventure! The group was tight - about as tight we've ever been. I presume that the video will be available on EvolvingArtist.com shortly - there will probably be free registration required to find it. The setup was pretty good - the studio is located in a century old mill building, right next to a bar that plays live music - except on Mondays, so the building was empty. We had about 10 people in our "audience", and 4 cameras. The staff at evolvingArtist was great - seemed to know what they needed to do. I'd personally like to see some processing equipment for the audio (a couple of compressors, a really good reverb unit) - but if wishes were horses, we'd all be running dude ranches, right? Was it worth flying up to Massachusetts, spending three days, flying back - all the aggravation of toting equipment up to Atlanta and shlepping it to checkin, going through security (hey, I even got "wanded" in Hartsford! The sax player was randomly selected for a more thorough check)........ Only time will tell. I do know the performance was pretty darn good.

Teaching Music - a crazy way to make a living!

2005-04-28T13:25:00.000-04:00

Teaching music is an interesting way to live. Not only do you have to constantly deal with upgrading your skills, but you have to somehow present this very intangible art to people of various ages in such a way that they can figure out how to program their brain to work their fingers to create sounds that match what the symbols on the page represent. My oldest student right now is in her 30s. I have several 5 year olds, several in elementary school, and not a few teenagers (both high school and college). They each take a different approach - not only because of personality diferences, but because of sheer stage-of-life issues. The adults require a lot of encouragement - I try to point out where things are getting better. adults are very aware of where they are in the process - “I play at this level, and Bruce Hornsby plays like this. Man, I am a far cry from there, and the going is tough”. The kids just care about right now. “I have THIS piece to learn. Maybe he’ll pass me on it today”. I have to constantly keep them on track - sometimes allowing them to talk, sometimes to improvise, sometimes tugging on the elash to get them to play the assigned pieces. The college kids are a unique mixture in-between. To paraphrase James Dobson - Teaching isn’t for cowards. You have to care enough to constantly analyze the situation - both the life and musical situations - compute how to present the solution tot he issue at hand, figure out how to creatively present the solution (this might relate to a practice technique you TELL them about, or you WRITE about it, or you discuss it, or you demonstrate it and then they try it.......). Then add technology to the mix...........! No wonder I’m tired after a day of teaching. Wait, I CAN”T be tired tonight. Time to go to rehearsal. Gotta keep those skills up!