http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ The Community for Working Musicians en-US Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:05:40 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/search.php http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/salary-requirements-in-job-postings#post-1880 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:25:13 +0000 Cameron Mizell 1880@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I always try to give a flat rate. I also think most people believe you get what you pay for. If you bid too low, you might give the impression that you're not good enough for the job. If somebody is actually trying to pay you as little as possible, then it's probably not a gig worth your time, anyway.</p> <p>The union rates are a good place to start figuring your prices, but there are a lot of gigs that simply won't pay that much but are still worth doing for other reasons.</p> <p>One of my friends pointed out that every gig has three factors:</p> <p>- The Music<br /> - The Money<br /> - The Hang</p> <p>If you can get two out of three, that's a gig worth doing!</p> <p>I also think about how much time I'll have to invest preparing for the gig.</p> <p>For example, if somebody would like to hire me to play guitar for them, this is what I want to know:</p> <p><ul><li>How many songs will I need to learn?</li><li>Will there be charts or do I have to learn the music by ear?</li><li>Do I have to memorize everything?</li><li>How many rehearsals?</li><li>How many instruments am I playing?</li><li>Is there going to be a backline or do I have to bring my gear?</li><li>Is this for one performance, or will there be gigs in the future playing the same material?</li><br /> </ul></p> <p>Experience has taught me to ask these questions. I've learned how much time it takes me to prepare for a gig based on how much material is provided and what is expected.</p> <p>The irony, of course, is that gigs that will provide professional charts, tracks, and backline at the rehearsal and gig always pay more than those that send you a bunch of YouTube links, need you to spend all week transcribing and memorizing songs, and then need you to haul your gear to multiple rehearsals and the gig.</p> <p>Finally, try to learn what you can about the actual budget. I once got a gig that paid really well. I got all the answers to my questions above, and it was going to be a pretty easy gig--show up with my guitar, play some charts, go home. Then I get to the venue and realize it's a huge party for celebrities and NYC's upper crust. I also figured out I was the lowest paid person in the band! It was still a great gig and good money, but had my negotiating skills been better, I would have been able to earn more. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/obtain-permission-for-excerpt#post-1879 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:57:46 +0000 Cameron Mizell 1879@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I'm not sure. I believe it's ultimately up to the original author or copyright holder. It's never a bad idea to obtain permission, but it could get you tangled up in unnecessary red tape.</p> <p>Speaking of getting tangled up, I know that "Only Wanna Be With You" by Hootie &amp; The Blowfish was a nod to Bob Dylan and made reference to some of his songs and quoted some of his lyrics. Dylan ended up suing and won a settlement.</p> <p>It's better to error on the side of being too cautious because the cost of settling a copyright dispute later will probably not be cheap. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/obtain-permission-for-excerpt#post-1872 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:47:09 +0000 ccouture 1872@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Hello all, I'm hoping someone can answer this question for me.</p> <p>I understand the permissions and licencing involved in recording/releasing a "cover" song, but what if you're just using one line?</p> <p>I have an original song in which I quote two lines from "Pirate Jenny" of The Three Penny Opera. The melody is mine, the surrounding lyrics are all mine... do I need to contact the copyright holder for permission to use two lines of lyric? </p> <p>Are there guidelines to follow?</p> <p>Any advice is welcome! Thank you! </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/solo-acoustic-guitaristsinger-questions-about-the-gig#post-1870 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:43:37 +0000 Higgs 1870@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>1) Most of the guitarists I've heard on ships play mostly MOTR pop/rock. If they have to play daytime pool music (with no vocals), Jobim and some mellow jazz fits the bill quite nicely. It never hurts to have some light classical pieces in your rep as well. Basically, versatility is the key.</p> <p>2)You could play anywhere from 2-5 hours, often split up. An hour or 2 by the pool at lunch and 3 hours a night in the lounge. I would guess 3 hours a night is average. </p> <p>3)Brown Eyed Girl, American Pie, Any Beatles song, Me and Bobby Magee, Elvis (!), Elton John, Johnny Cash, ABBA, Beach Boys, John Denver etc... etc... etc... Dave put together a list of the 100 most requested piano bar songs, and I would think a guitarist list would be pretty much the same</p> <p><a href="http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/top-100-piano-bar-songs/" rel="nofollow">http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/top-100-piano-bar-songs/</a></p> <p>4)Probably not, but you never know. On P&amp;O Australia, I had a guitarist who did, but he wanted to, and we had a couple of guest ents whose shows sounded much better with a guitar. But it wasn't a regular thing. If you're being hired as a solo guitar/vocal, you won't be required. </p> <p>5)You bet! A good thing to do is have a song list that passengers can look over. If you don't know the song they want, they can usually find something that's close enough. I would suggest having about 300 songs on your list. (I have about 800 songs on my list, but I use cheat sheets for the lyrics and chords).</p> <p>6) Proship was my agency, and I had nothing but great experiences with them. They want to get good musicians work. There are a bunch of other agencies (Oceanbound is one that comes to mind), but I can't vouch for them. I probably had more options as a pianist than you will as a guitarist, but you might be able to get a gig by the spring. </p> <p>7) Ships can be a wonderful experience, with great opportunities to see the world while doing something you love. But ship life can be rigid and frustrating sometimes. There are a lot of rules to be followed, most of which often don't make any sense. Playing 5 hours a night, 7 nights a week for 4 months can be exhausting, and if you don't have vocal chords of steel, you may end up sounding like Harvey Fierstein by the end of your contract if you're not careful. A lot of guys get burnt out and bitter after a few contracts, and for some good reasons. By the end of my last contract, I felt a little piece of my soul died every time someone requested Piano Man. You would probably have your own cabin, but maybe not. You might get room service, but maybe not. You might have officer privileges, but maybe not. But you meet amazing people from all over the world, see things you never even imagined, beer's a buck in the crew bar, and people are more..."accommodating" than they are on land, if you know what I mean. </p> <p>Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, there are some pretty good articles on this site that will give you a taste of life at sea. I was on ships for 5 years, and I had the time of my life. I've been to all 7 continents (including Antarctica), seen the Great Wall of China, La Sagrada Famiglia, The Sistine Chapel, the fjords of Norway, Venice, the Acropolis, Eva Peron's grave, Borobodur, the Istanbul spice market, and the Sydney Opera House. After a year away, I miss it like crazy sometimes. And though I don't think I would ever go back, I don't regret it for a second. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/introduction-and-patch-question#post-1869 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:57:30 +0000 nathang 1869@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>If you have a Mac, a good way to organize patch changes is to program it all into Mainstage (which is now a separate app that can be purchased for $29.99 on the App Store.) Regardless of what program you use, if your patches are in order, then you can use a MIDI Mouse or similar tool to cycle between them. This will even work if you have patches programmed into the Master section of a keyboard. I hope this helps! </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1868 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:03:20 +0000 nathang 1868@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I guess I forgot to edit that second sentence. I meant to say something along the lines of "It might not have as many features as the Lexicon but it more than makes up for it in sturdiness and functionality." </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1867 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:02:44 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1867@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I actually have one out for delivery right now. I found an 8i6 on eBay for 200 new, and grabbed it up. I'm pretty excited. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1866 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:51 +0000 nathang 1866@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Regarding PreSonus and Lexicon:<br /> I have used both, and much prefer the PreSonus. It might not have as many features as the Lexicon (mine was the Lambda). I managed to find an open-box PreSonus Audiobox USB for $120 last year, and it's one of the best purchases I've made. It's by far sturdier than the Lexicon, and even though it doesn't have as many features, mscottweber pegged it when he said that often that will mean it performs better with what it has. In this case, the physical construction of the box is far superior (all metal versus plastic), and the converter is much higher quality as well. My Lambda crapped out when I was about to take it on tour last year, I'm glad I was able to borrow one to use until I could find the Audiobox. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/musician-website-from-the-ground-up#post-1861 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:37:31 +0000 Joe Stone 1861@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>laura,</p> <p>You could always find another web developer willing to update your site for you. I've done that for people over the years.</p> <p>Unless you really think you need to have your site redone completely, this would probably be a cheaper way to go. I would suggest that you don't get your site redone because you are getting a new person to do it. Get your site redone when it's time to change it, either because you want a new look or you want new features that require enough changes that you may as well redesign it.</p> <p>Look at it this way. You don't need a new kitchen if your faucet is leaking and needs to be replaced. But, if you want to add a dishwasher, a microwave, a convection oven, well then, yes, you may want to redo your kitchen then. &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/bb-plugins/bb-smilies/kopete/smile.png&quot; title=&quot;:)&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/musician-website-from-the-ground-up#post-1860 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:06:18 +0000 laura 1860@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Piggybacking on tcuffari's question...I've been reading the responses to your email...for anyone who wants to answer this: is it fair to say that the templates/themes/capabilities of hosting packages are sufficient for a professional, unique-looking website with all of the bells and whistles that a musician needs? (ability to sign up for mailing lists, ability to list upcoming gig dates, blogs, etc.) </p> <p>By the way, I feel tcuffari's pain! About 4 years ago I spent over a thousand dollars to have someone build my website and host it (a friend of a friend). I quickly found out that, once he got his money and had the website up, he was very hard to reach. Suddenly, emails and phonecalls to him went unanswered. So, any question I have had or changes I've wanted to make have not been done. So, buyer beware -- if you work with an individual, make sure you get several references first. </p> <p>I, too, am illiterate with websites. I have now decided I need to start from scratch again instead of banging my head against the wall with the original designer. </p> <p>Now I have a lot of research to do. </p> <p>I am so glad I discovered this forum. You guys are great!</p> <p>-Cheers,<br /> Laura </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/skype-lessons#post-1859 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:39:50 +0000 SmallTimeMusician 1859@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I have been searching for a musician that has created any steady income stream giving Skype Lessons. I think Funkyguitar has such a good response from his personal experience. His response may indicate why Skype lessons have not yet come about. I do however think online lessons have a future, but I suspect they will be more successful with 'branded' and known musicians. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1858 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:17:22 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1858@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Thanks, Cam. That pretty much covers exactly what I was wondering. So I guess it would be safe to keep those videos up for now, and I'll take them down as I make higher quality videos and (hopefully) see more traffic to my channel. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1857 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:50:45 +0000 Cameron Mizell 1857@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>The person/publisher who owns the copyright for the underlying composition might not want the song online. Unlike releasing cover songs on albums, there's no compulsory license for video--meaning you don't need permission from the owner to distribute it as an audio recording (as long as you pay royalties) but you do need permission to distribute it in a video.</p> <p>Many publishers have an agreement with YouTube and are paid via ad revenue or something like that when people use their songs. Other publishers don't have an agreement and can issue take down notices or, perhaps, whatever you're seeing.</p> <p>For example, I know Prince doesn't like his songs being used, so somebody over at Universal Music Group spends all day looking for Prince songs to remove.</p> <p>Read the section about YouTube here, and check out the link to Suzanne:</p> <p><a href="http://www.musicianwages.com/the-working-musician/recording-releasing-performing-cover-songs/">Recording, Releasing, and Performing Cover Songs</a> </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1856 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:26:44 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1856@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I've seen some of the links, but I guess what I'm wondering is, what's the copyright law on performances? Music law is a bit more obscure to look through. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1855 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:59:59 +0000 Joe Stone 1855@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Nick,</p> <p>Have you seen this?</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/t/copyright_center" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/t/copyright_center</a></p> <p>(If you scroll <em>all</em> the way down, you'll see a link called "Copyright" in the footer, along with "Help," etc.) </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1854 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:51:41 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1854@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Okay. I still get the notification each time I go on my account page, though, so I have been wondering about that. Oh well, if they take it down, they take it down. I hope by then I'll have a new set of videos. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1846 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:38:34 +0000 funkyguitar 1846@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I think that video will be fine where it is. I believe the notice you received is merely to acknowledge that the copyright is held by another party. You wouldn't be able to do certain things with the video like earn money based on the number of views. My guess is if they haven't removed it you should be OK. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/solo-acoustic-guitaristsinger-questions-about-the-gig#post-1845 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:36:21 +0000 Fabrice Choudry 1845@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Ive been reading up on what it takes to a be a solo acoustic performer aboard a cruise ship and have a few questions</p> <p>Whats the general type of music i should have ready in my repetoire?</p> <p>how much would i be playing a day roughly?</p> <p>Examples of tunes the audience on board usually like to hear?</p> <p>Will i be expected to perform with the showband as my sight reading skills are quite poor</p> <p>Is taking requests part of the gig?</p> <p>how long between applying and getting out there, im hoping to be on board a ship by end of april</p> <p>Any general information regarding this type of gig would be helpful, ive never done this type of gig before so anything would be helpful</p> <p>thanks </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/youtube-copyright-notice#post-1844 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:34 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1844@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I got a copyright notice from YouTube for one of my videos. It's a performance of my show band on my ship doing a Tom Jones medley. I got the video from the sound crew after the show; they were filming. There are two other performances from that same show uploaded to my channel, however, I did not get a copyright notice for them. What would be my legal rights to uploading the video, if I even have any? </p> <p>Here's the video in question:</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZpku28BZdA&#038;list=UUgji_RsWg_KUBQL8S4lCH0w&#038;index=4&#038;feature=plcp" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZpku28BZdA&#038;list=UUgji_RsWg_KUBQL8S4lCH0w&#038;index=4&#038;feature=plcp</a></p> <p>Not the greatest video, but until I can get better quality examples of my playing, I kind of need it to stay there. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1843 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:54:27 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1843@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Thanks.</p> <p>With the MXL mics, I kind of am strapped for cash. This recording thing is a trial run, and I'm going to start playing with the gear and try to make YouTube videos of me playing tunes, and myself performing most (if not all) the instruments. The idea is, if I start making bread with this skill, I'll keep upgrading the gear. That being said, I found this:</p> <p><a href="http://www.oktavamodshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=114" rel="nofollow">http://www.oktavamodshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=114</a></p> <p>From what I've found in my internet research, Michael Joly is a well-respected microphone repairman and tinkerer. When I have the bread, he can modify a 990 to sound like its Neumann U 87ai counterpart. After reading off-site reviews of this guy, and hearing his comparisons of the $3500 microphone vs. a modded mic that costs about 10% of that, it seems like a good purchase. I've already exchanged emails with the guy, and he told me to take my time and he'll be there if I decide to go that route. Seems like a very sincere man.</p> <p>As for the Presonus, I've been hearing great things about it, and after running around and shopping the local areas, it seems the Focus Rite Sapphire 8i6 is very well thought of. They go for about $150 used, and I'm going to try to snipe one at around 100 if I can.</p> <p>As for that last paragraph, I couldn't agree more. I'm about as far from a gearhead as one can get, and it took me a while to figure out what amp to buy for my electric. What it comes down to is as long as it's not distorted or busted in some way that keeps it performing at all, I probably won't know the difference. But if I didn't bring my "A" game to the gig, then that will grab my attention. I just had my Fender set up today by a reputable local repairman, and we were talking about gear, and he said he couldn't tell the difference when they used a cheap mic or an expensive one. I bet most people feel the same. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1842 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:53:21 +0000 mscottweber 1842@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Re: MXL mic package<br /> I would ONLY buy that package if I was strapped for cash and desperately in need of a handful of mics for recording something like a drumset. You will get much more use out of the Audio Technica mic mentioned above, or AKG's similarly priced equivilant.</p> <p>Re: SM57 vs Beta 57a<br /> I have no firsthand experience with the Beta 57a, so I cannot speak as to how much better it sounds than the standard SM57. However, the SM57 is a ubiquitous microphone; virtually every pro studio in the world has multiple of these. Not nearly as many studios have the Beta 57a. Also, I used to work at Guitar Center and I know that the profit margin is much higher on the Beta 57a than on the SM57. I am <strong>not</strong> saying that the salesperson was trying to upsell you just to make more money, but you are free to presume whatever you like based on this information.</p> <p>Re: Presonus vs Lexicon<br /> I have no experience with either of these products, but often times a box that costs the same but does less/has fewer features will <strong>perform better</strong> at what features it does have. Also, I know numerous people that have/use various Presonus interfaces (not that particular one) and really like them. I don't know anyone firsthand who has/uses a Lexicon interface. Again, derive from that information what you will.</p> <p>The most important thing to remember, something that can get forgotten quite easily when we start talking about gear and recording techniques and whatnot, is that a mediocre recording of a great performance will trump a great recording of a mediocre performance any day of the week. I'm sure you are a standout player, so I wouldn't stress too much over gear specifics </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/musician-website-from-the-ground-up#post-1835 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:25:28 +0000 tcuffari 1835@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Hi Dave,</p> <p>That site looks really nice. You have a lot of things on your site that I am trying to teach myself to do on Wordpress. I have been watching so many how-to videos, most of them are confusing or outdated as they apply to code writing or PC programs. I think I need to get assistance from someone who knows what they are doing. When I was back in music conservatory I wish they would have stressed the importance of learning to market yourself and get the skills to build websites. The vast majority of education I have received about surviving as a musician started after school. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sight-reading-tips#post-1834 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:22:59 +0000 RobertJ 1834@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>As silly as it sounds, the best thing to do for your reading to get better is to just play more music. The more music you're exposed to, the easier sight reading becomes. Just grab a new piece of music everyday that you've never heard and read through it. You can do this for notation as well as chord charts (more of what you'll find in a cruise ship environment). </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sight-reading-tips#post-1833 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:20:40 +0000 AustinBourdon 1833@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>I am a Music Ed. student in Chicago and graduate in roughly 2 years. After graduation I'm looking to find work on a cruise ship, possibly, or other things of that nature. My guitar chops are not my concern, I have 10 years of serious playing under my belt from all different genres. My drawback is my sight reading ability. I understand this is a huge disadvantage to me when looking for the type of work I will soon be looking for. With 2 years left before any huge auditioning takes place, what are some things that you guys have done to hone your sight reading, or what things would you have done? (websites, exercises, etc. And what does the sight reading look like for the Cruise lines or agencies? (Mostly jazz chords? mostly just melody?)</p> <p>p.s. This is a great site and has kept me reading for awhile! </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/musician-website-from-the-ground-up#post-1832 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:36:20 +0000 David J. Hahn 1832@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Hey Tom - </p> <p>I put together a website in one day this last Tuesday, and I thought I'd share my experience. </p> <p>I decided I wanted to make a website about my songwriting, and really try to market myself more in that direction. Check it out here:</p> <p><a href="http://Songwriter.fm">Songwriter.fm</a></p> <p>I know a lot of people don't like GoDaddy, and certainly they have valid reasons, but I've always liked them. So I went to GoDaddy and looked for a domain name. Miraculously <a href="http://songwriter.fm">http://songwriter.fm</a> was available so I snatched it quick!</p> <p>I added the new domain to our hosting plan and asked GoDaddy to install Wordpress for me. I waited about 20 minutes for them to finish that. </p> <p>While they were installing, I looked for themes. I went to ThemeForest.net and stumbled a theme I liked, <a href="http://themeforest.net/item/purity-clean-minimal-bold-wordpress-theme/639774">Purity</a>, and bought it for $35.</p> <p>I connected to our hosting space using the ftp client I like, Cyberduck, and uploaded the theme to the right place in the (now finished) Wordpress installation.</p> <p>I made a header image (my signature, with "New York City Songwriter" underneath) and uploaded it to the theme. I found a bunch of black and white photos to use on the site, picked out that bright pink color for the links and started uploading content. </p> <p>I also went to MailChimp.com and created a new mailing list for the site. I put the sign up form on the front page in bright pink.</p> <p>Altogether the site took maybe 8 hours to put together.</p> <p>Then on Wednesday I went to Facebook, told everyone I was starting a new project and asked if they would sign up for my newsletter. I got some sign ups and started sending out emails today (Thursday). </p> <p>Now I'm putting up some blog posts - YouTube videos of my favorite songs, mostly.</p> <p>And that's it. A new musician website in a day. I hope that info is helpful for you! </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/backing-tracks#post-1831 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:11:10 +0000 Patrick Colwell 1831@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Keys,<br /> Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. That was a lot of good info and I am surely going to need to read it at least 2 more times to fully digest it! The part that really caught my attention was your advice on arranging, particularly this quote:</p> <p>"Use your arranging powers for good and not evil. The more complex your backing track is, the less your audience may view you as a "live" musician. And don't be “that guy” who uses Garageband to re-create an AC/DC song that now has an accordion solo in it... just sayin'."</p> <p>At this point I have created tracks using the Garageband App that are (for the most part) just drum &amp; Bass tracks. In my solo show I play mostly rhythm guitar, sing, and play solos and melody hooks on harmonica. I am hoping that by adding the rhythm tracks I will be able to induce some dancing! I would never use the technology to ad in preprogrammed vocals or solos (although adding a vocal harmonizer pedal is on my list), but I have added simple piano loops to one song (werewolves of london).</p> <p>Your point about sound quality is also well taken. I have not yet decided to use this idea live, but if I do I will definitely woodshed it alot with my PA and make sure the sound is right. </p> <p>Thanks again Keys, I really appreciate your feedback. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/backing-tracks#post-1830 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:02:52 +0000 keyz88 1830@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Patrick,</p> <p>As David stated earlier, some patrons are obviously not hip on the backing tracks philosophy... and we musicians are the most picky. Musical karaoke? That term definitely holds true on most yet not all levels. You know that you are going to get a variety of opinions regarding backing tracks. Learn and grow from their feedback (pun intended). </p> <p>Have I used backing tracks? Yes on about 5% of my gigs when the client requests it. Just to clarify, 5% of the gigs, not 5% of every gig. </p> <p>As a musician, do I consider this cheating? Please keep this in mind: IT'S ALL RELATIVE... meaning it depends on the situation. After all, you're a working musician if not a musical mercenary.</p> <p>Patrick, I saw your video on Facebook. Since it sounds like you're going to utilize backing tracks as a working solo artist, I could make a few constructive suggestions:</p> <p>1.) YOUR CLIENT/AUDIENCE: What does the (solo artist) competition at the same venue you wish to play at utilize? What is acceptable and what is not acceptable? If they use “enhancement”, is it audio backing tracks, MIDI sequences or simply employing a more organic approach with a vocal harmonizer and acoustic guitar (YouTube “Will Makar – Chariot”... that's what I use when I do a solo guitar gig – gives a live sound with no backing tracks ever required). I know a lot of solo guitarists who find the vocal harmonizer approch more satisfying for their clients.</p> <p>1.) THE PLAYBACK: Using a non-MIDI type of audio recording (mp3/wav) will NOT have the needed dynamic range (or punch). Playing back audio or MIDI via your typical laptop soundcard will also sound just as bland and flat. At least MIDI sequenced tunes from a dedicated multi-timbral MIDI sound module will come closer to what you might have in mind, yet always remember this ... ain’t nothin' like the real thing baby!</p> <p>2.) YOUR ARRANGEMENT: Are you going to use backing tracks as an enhancement, or a crutch? A lot of backing track creator/arrangers can't do anything other than adjusting volume and muting someone else's existing pop music midi tracks. I play acoustic piano, but about 5% of my gigs have me playing some sort of midi-sequenced arrangement depending on the venue. A Frank Sinata-esque big band midi version of Bad Bad Leroy Brown (by Kim Croce) is cute and campy buy usually works for only one song. Use your arranging powers for good and not evil. The more complex your backing track is, the less your audience may view you as a "live" musician. And don't be “that guy” who uses Garageband to re-create an AC/DC song that now has an accordion solo in it... just sayin'. </p> <p>3.) ECONOMICS: In my opinion, the current economy actually makes it easier for a solo artist to find jobs and fill the gap, monetarily speaking. Example: A venue might not have the budget to pay a three-piece jazz combo yet desire the sound of a combo playing mellow jazz standards. Sequencing tastefully arranged bass lines and percussion to augment my live electric piano playing does pay well, allows me the flexibility to reach a wider client base that will still pay the bills. I'm sure it also beats flipping burgers for minimum wage. Unless that's your thing. Some places will pay you and your backing tracks good money to be like the tapestry on the wall... something quaint yet nothing more. Other venues or bands want a keyboardist to arrange create and play midi-sequenced tracks to augment their existing show band. Back before everyone had access to the Internet to liberate copyrighted works for no compensation to the original artist or licensed affiliate, we had to make our sequences from scratch. It was called the early 80's. I had a live 5-keyboard setup with a Commodore SX-64 (Google it) slung underneath my lowest keyboard on my keyboard stand. Very sexy and cutting edge by 80's standards! Back then, I used to state that I was in a 4-piece live band, that sounded like a 10 piece pop Top40 commercial band making the money of an 8-piece live group. We could also play the whole night without the sequencing, but back in the 80's most venues wanted that 80'$ $ound. Currently you usually can fill the gap for a venue that can't afford, have the room for or don't want the drama of a full band. </p> <p>Would I currently pop $125+ a ticket to see a pop entertainer in concert, knowing full well that 80% of both the the vocal and instrumental part of the “live” show professionally utilized “backing tracks”? I'd rather not. I could use that same concert money to purchase their entire discography.</p> <p>Would I go see two friends that are monster musicians/vocalists play a duo gig at a mellow casino bar, playing backing tracks to enhance a small portion of their cover tunes (with midi sequences that ironically the original artists similarly employed when playing live in concert back in the day)? Yeah, no problem. </p> <p>IN CONCLUSION: To use backing tracks verses just manually perform the real deal? For the working musician, it's all relative.</p> <p>BTW: Who uses backing/sequenced tracks and pre-recorded tunes? Here's some examples from major artists...<br /> (Feel free to Google, YouTube or Wikipedia the following):</p> <p>* Violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and 2 others during the USA Obama January 23rd 2009 Presidential Inauguration, performed pre-recorded music on live TV before millions of viewers. They even had microphones set up for the faux performance. Hint: In-ear monitors used by any classical quartet is always the first giveaway. BTW: They pre-recorded their performance two days before.<br /> * Most of the 80's Top-40 pop mega hits that employed an unwavering machine-gun 16th note high hat for the entire song.<br /> * The late Italian Tenor Pavaroti: in Torino (Italy) 2006 and the 2006 Toronto (Canada) Olympics, ...<br /> * Martina Mcbride: at a Super Bowl football (USA) “Halftime” show (she was still shaking hands with the crowd at the end of a guitar solo when her backing track started without her and her hand-held mic. I flipped when I saw it on live TV.<br /> * Sir Elton John: 1971 Top of the Pops appearance with T-Rex (BTW: the actual “Bang A Gong” studio recording was keyboardist was Rick Wakeman). Elton even did the cliched Jerry Lee Lewis piano bench kick at the end of the performance – simply awesome! BTW: the whole band lip-synced to the original recording that day.</p> <p>I'm not saying musicians who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones... yet there are scenarios to where even the biggest stars (of opera, classical, country, top-40 Pop) used and are still using backing tracks. We've heard the rationalizations of “It's too cold”, “I'm too sick/stoned/drunk”, "takes too much effort to play live", "my record company demands it", “I'm a pop star anyway so get used to it” and “there's too much coin invested in this musical roller-coaster to disappoint the concert audience”. And we will never again use the phrases “Ashlee Simpson” and “Saturday Night Live” in the same sentence... but I digress.</p> <p>There was also a time where a “distorted” electric guitar was considered the anti-christ of popular music and string ensemble sections reproduced on an electric piano keyboard robbed actual union studio musicians of jobs. Before all that there were blacksmiths that would shoe your horse, but the automobile kinda took a chunk out of that livelyhood. Everything is relative... backing tracks are no different... or are they? </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/home-studio-gear#post-1829 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:09:41 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1829@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Thanks.</p> <p>I went and shopped around at the local Guitar Center, and saw this:</p> <p><a href="http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/900-series/990-991/" rel="nofollow">http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/900-series/990-991/</a></p> <p>They were selling the package at clearance for $60. Is that a decent buy? The sales guy told me it would sound great on my upright bass and maybe tuba, but trombone might hurt the mic. He also suggested the 57 as well, but suggested the Beta 57a.</p> <p>Also, I forgot I have a BBE 383 preamp for my bass, which was a popular recording preamp a while back, time to dust that off, too.</p> <p>You make a good point, Scott. I'm going to save buying a preamp to the end, and only get it if I need some sound boosting.</p> <p>He also suggested the Presonus AudioBox instead of the Lexicon. He swears it sounds better, and it's roughly the same price, but it only has two channels as opposed to the four of the Lexicon. I'm only planning on recording one instrument at a time, but it would be nice, just in case. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/help-with-music-class#post-1828 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:03:39 +0000 mpmike 1828@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Hey Everyone I'm a University of Pennsylvania Student and I really need help with a class. IF YOU ARE A MUSICIAN, Can you please just take 2 minutes to take this survey? Thank You So Much!<br /> <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/STGF366" rel="nofollow">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/STGF366</a> </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/new-versions-of-logic#post-1827 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:11:53 +0000 Joe Stone 1827@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Get the App Store versions. The only thing you're not getting is Soundtrack and Waveburner.</p> <p>Also, give yourself time for the download. It's GBs big! </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sopa-and-afm#post-1826 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:05:50 +0000 Joe Stone 1826@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Nice analogies, Nick! &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/bb-plugins/bb-smilies/kopete/smile.png&quot; title=&quot;:)&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p> <p><blockquote>Is there maybe something we could do about this? Hair keeps sending emails and videos out that complain about the hits the top tier of working musicians have had--and the rest of us always seem to be forgotten. It just seems like he needs a "what about us?" statement.</blockquote></p> <p>[Before I go on, a caveat. As I mentioned, I'm not a union member, so I have no idea how things are run nor any possible consequences of doing things like I might suggest.]</p> <p>Simply put, my suggestion is "Think Global, Act Local." I doubt you'd get very far with the head office, unless you found someone there that was friendly to your cause. But maybe you can get your local to represent <em>you</em>. The trick might be doing that without alienating the old guard. Are they worth keeping around? I don't know, but they may fight back if they think "their" union is being taken away.</p> <p>I bet David would have a harder time doing something like this in NY with the HQ right there than you would in Florida.</p> <p>That's just a thought from the outside. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sopa-and-afm#post-1825 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:46:05 +0000 David J. Hahn 1825@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Labor unions were created by outspoken people. They should feel grateful that some part of their membership still feels enough passion for the institution that they care what happens to it.</p> <p>I would get more involved if I felt like it would do any good at all. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sopa-and-afm#post-1824 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:37:26 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1824@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Also, I am kind of worried about being outspoken about it. Would the AFM fine me for not backing them up, kind of like if an AFM member works for a blacklisted orchestra? </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/sopa-and-afm#post-1823 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:36:10 +0000 Nick Rosaci 1823@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>Is there maybe something we could do about this? Hair keeps sending emails and videos out that complain about the hits the top tier of working musicians have had--and the rest of us always seem to be forgotten. It just seems like he needs a "what about us?" statement. </p> http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1822 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:58:25 +0000 keyz88 1822@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ <p>The Art &amp; Zen of the Tip Jar etiquette will vary from gig to gig, and everyones ideas on this thread are indeed very illuminating. Nice suggestions... keep em' coming... </p>