Another bullet in the cake? No, this time I eat the cake. I finally saw “Hate Rock” the long awaited - actually 23 hours download - documentary about us. The presentation of the documentary seems much harder than what the video says in reality. Before watching this video I asked for impressions to people who saw it on the cable in the US and all their comments have been very negative. I was caught days ago while answering to some questions on the phone. I classified this documentary as antifascist propaganda, because this is what it seems reading the introduction on the websites (SMG productions and Discovery Times) and this is how people described the show to me. I have to say instead, after watching the work, that it is a “documentary” and not the ultimate show about the “absolute evil”. If I ever missed anything or did not understand anything or if you just want to post a comment (including the expected “go to hell”), you can send a message to my forum (you don’t need to register) or to my email address: viking@ashtree.org

Contents Length limitation (about 1 hour) and lack of time make also the best of the videos a marginal work. You must have asked yourselves: what to include and what to exclude? How to delineate the whole documentary? So, this is the section in which I will list (I will exceed!) your “made 30s, why not 31?”, all good advices for someone who’ll try to write a book - maybe - about hate rock in future, and I guess many of the things I will write down here were maybe consciously excluded, not just forgotten.

I have seen you pointed your attention to our more or less extreme faces, the “interface”, so how music is spread, how concerts are organized, what different images we use, the persecution we get and so on…it’s a very good video, but I think sometimes it is too “aesthetic”, it often proposes some songs with “impact” lyrics but does not get into their deep meaning, imaging people outside already know about our beliefs (only in Detroit instead you captured a good deal of explanations about some aspects of white power music or when you talked about the 14 words) and sometimes it escapes too much towards descriptions of political organizations forgetting it is a documentary about music and it confines the “white power” movement into the racist thing too much. Question number one: what is a racist? And on a higher level: what is a nationalist? It would have been interesting to know how a song is born, in what situation. From the documentary we seem to want ethnic cleaning mostly or only and above all… and you sent my song “Don’t go round with the Jews”, for instance (I’ll take myself as example, because I know myself), which is not a song about that topic, but about the problem of social integration. You chose from my interview my declaration “I say I’m not a nazi, I’m a fascist, I must defend my italian history”… I must comment, with or without that sentence my position doesn’t change: I’m a so-called “white power” songwriter anyway, so the statement - extracted from a long discussion - is redundant in this context.

You talked a lot about persecution against our music, absolutely daily life. I think you fully described what happens to our bands and organizers. Shawn made very clear arguments about it and Erich of Resistance added that music sales help the activities, but what’s missing between these parts? It’s quite clear that people like the Big Jews or the Communists persecute us (Death to ZOG! People shouted.), but no one clearly expressed some opinions about the reasons. Hegemony for example? What does it mean? What could the interests be? (I’m aware it’s impossible to talk largely about it in such a video without falling out of the circle of the topic, but maybe a little idea could be given) I think the most important reason is implicit, but at the same time fragmented, in your documentary: this kind of music is engine for activities! Really there are harder crimes than “loving your own folk” in this world, but they are not persecuted. Is recruitment a possible reason for this persecution? You talked a lot about it, but you did not say it is - surely it is - a reason why we are persecuted, or better, there are opposite forces pulling people from other sides into their own gardens. Very good…In total simplicity you expressed so well the moment “before the concert” in Verona (also in Britain showing true rehearsal). It’s direct, it’s clear… I’ll write more about it later in the editing section. Another good note about the concert in Germany (it was like you were there ready to be arrested together with the skins!).

I saw you noticed how internet increased the sales and the spreading of our music… this is real. Anyway, you didn’t investigate about how our music is technically and artistically produced. (You must have seen that artistic production is almost completely missing in this scene!) You showed a recording studio… but what about other solutions, live recordings and…distance recordings? You also talked too little about executive production: if you look carefully you’ll find deep gaps among labels! You touched the MTV topic, but which are the requisites for being on MTV? And do we want to be there or are we avoiding? (I personally was on the charts for most downloaded songs on mtv.it…eheh! I’m terrible!) Or did you ask yourself: in terms of numbers does the white power movement produce and prefer more musically skilled bands or lyrically oriented bands? Which is the balance among these two aspects? (Erich just mentioned something about it) Is there any kind of attempt/effort for an industrial product? Prussian Blue have an organization behind, they “aggressed” the media, they have a tv crew supporting them, a network of advancers…you talked about them, but did not notice this! And how would a music industry based on political groups make difference from current mainstream industries if it takes off? What consequences does it take? You talked about bands, some in political groups, others external, but which are the differences between a band in politics and a band which is not? Is music more transversal when outside the party? What about the “fans”? How much do they spend? How do top seller products change according to age, country, income…of buyers? What about peer-to-peer and how does it damage our scene? How do fans interact and cultivate their interest (forums, mp3-video-photo uploads, blogs and original websites…)? The Turner Diaries: cutting that part there was place for all these aspects or for another band… I would have chosen Kolovrat or some other band from Eastern Europe.

I appreciated the fact - and now I’ll be killed for this - that you didn’t mention Ian Stuart so much, but your analysis of “hate rock” has been contemporary. I liked a lot the line you followed, visiting the concerts and their backstages as self-talking environments.

What’s really missing? I’m not the only one who states this: I think you didn’t focus at all on the metal scene, such as Burzum (whose cds are sold at your local Virgin Megastore!), or neofolk (I’m considered neofolk, but I’m not one of the exemplary artists who play this genre). You didn’t talk about the pagan and christian subcurrents and their struggles (oh, so wrong to have religion and politics together… but this happens!). And what else… you didn’t see there are some professionists who make this music and who are trying their way outside the movement. (I won’t nominate, because I’m not sure I am allowed) I’m sorry to say this final thing, because your work really deserves many honours, but this documentary is still a “flouring” of white power music. I’m very critic about this, yes, like a spinster teacher, because the attempt was really promising and mature this time! So, sincere congratulations!

My experience on the set and the comments of the old aunts… I have to award the professionality of those who worked on this documentary, obviously in particular those 3 nice guys I mentioned on “Gloucester Road” (I don’t know the others…). It was not my first time on tv and on press in general. Apart from right-wing press stuff, my relationship with the out-of-the-ghetto press has always been quite stormy… do you remember, folks, for example, my pics with the bottle or when (on Italian satellite tv) a prestigious reporter aggressed me and cut my hair? I have to say this time I was treated like a princess. I spoke, answered to questions, I was not aggressed, never interrupted and I have eaten and drunk. I was shown on the screen like a normal girl with a guitar during a possible ordinary moment of my life - ok, Magnus and Katana are still laughing on the floor saying I walk like a duck. Also all the other people in the video are “men and women”. I received some complaints via email about what I didn’t say in the video… you have to know, sometimes I speak too much and I had promised my close mates of Ashtree things about defence topics and scientific reseach and paganism, because these are important themes in our struggle here at Ashtree Records. You didn’t choose anything of this and ok, it’s your choice. To those who say I’m shown for a too short time on this documentary I reply: I have always tried to fill my music with hidden messages and now I appear on this video as a subliminal message, so I don’t see the problem!

Audience Some people said your documentary is too British. Well, in my opinion since you are British and the documentary was first produced for Five and then distributed overseas, I think you might have some British audience. I would like to write down some personal observations and I would like to propose some new hint for reflection and curiosity. Before investing money on any television production, you must have an idea about the audience to which your product is addressed. It’s hard - believe - it’s hard to find a man who’s got no interest or simply never heard of “hate rock”, who sits down in front of the tv and watches a show like this. It’s not ignorance… it’s a situation like going back home, tired from work and just relax with something pleasant which depends on tastes. You know, television is still not “programmed” by audience (even digital terrestrial, which is sold like “power in the hands of the spectators!”) anyway the man, who’s God with the Remote Control, could choose a documentary about lions rather than sieg heil sieg heil… You talked about “arising hate rock”. Do you think hate rock is arising alone or is it accompanied by the number of people who are interested in watching your documentary on tv? (Remember, we sell cds because there are fond listeners) I’ll try to be clearer. I have the curiosity to know, whether you considered to produce this video because there are a lot of people who would like to know more about the topic. Somebody shouted “another jewish thing!”… no, I think, instead, as Orwell’s Big Brother teaches, the unwanted truth is hidden! You DO show hate rock, so I see no jewish conspiracy.

MacIntyre Donal, what kind of name is that? Anyway, I thought MacIntyre was much worst, according to what my nice cooperator from our Press Room Neil Rush said: “George Clooney on holiday”. Oh, God, I thought, What is it? I’m watching from far away Italy. The times I was in Britain I never had the opportunity to see this man in action on tv, so this is my first time. I read his name and I searched on internet. His photos on his website don’t make good impression of him as professional figure… I’m not becoming a bigot… I would like to focus again on the introduction written for this documentary. As I said above it seems a factious introduction, referring to words like “disturbing rise of the racist and anti-semitic music industry”. It’s true, I should not connect the man with the words reported above, but - this is an advice - pay attention, Mac, because you may fall into the well known tv trap of “kindness”, a disease attacking media… nobody’s safe! The history of times has taught: good-looking = kind. Anyway, Mac, I know you too little to go on discussing this. I found the location where you spoke adeguate. It was very “hip hop” style and in a certain way “opposed” to white power and since you are an external viewer (I’m not saying you’re hip hop or black) the thing unconsciously matched somehow. I’m sure, I bet 50 pounds, you didn’t think about this, but the location was chosen because it was more “streetlife” and more “bad macintyre”.

Video & Sound Editing … More on http://power.ashtree.org

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What do we mean when we say that someone “has a good ear?” Actually, the term can mean several things. When someone has a good ear, they can accomplish at least one of the following:

1) they can identify, usually by note name, the various pitches that they hear, and sing those pitches in tune; 2) they can identify chords by name; and/or 3) they can identify instruments or combinations of instruments within a musical work.

Having a good ear is something that most musicians strive for. Having a bad ear means that you can’t recognize or label the music you are hearing - an important skill for performers and composers.

I run a songwriting website, (The Essential Secrets of Songwriting ), and I know how important a good ear is. If you are a songwriter, having a good ear is vital because the best way to improve your songwriting craft is to listen to the music of the professionals. But if you can’t really identify what you are hearing, you’re missing out on opportunities to improve. Throughout my years as a music teacher, I have observed something interesting and very important. The marks that my students make in music theory studies are usually very close to the marks they receive in ear training. And more than that, I can usually gauge how a student is going to do in one course by looking at their progress in the other. For example, students who do well in theory but poorly in ear training will usually see their ear training marks rise over time. And students who have great ears but weak theory skills will generally experience better marks in theory over time. In other words, music theory and ear training go hand in hand. The first and most important thing you can do to improve your ear is to improve your theory skills. Why? When you understand how music is structured, your ears have a reason for what they are hearing.

Here’s one good example. In any key, there are three or four certain chords that work well to reinforce that key, and are more likely to occur than any other chords. Knowledge of theory helps you know and identify those chords. So when you are listening to music and trying to identify the chords you are hearing, you can focus in the most likely choices. Besides improving your theory skills, here are some other pieces of advice for you:

1) Try some of the ear training websites that are out there. Just do a search for “online ear training” and you’ll find lots of resources that can help.

2) Try purchasing some ear training software. These days, most university aural perception programs incorporate computerized training into their curriculum.

3) Try writing down the melodies that you hear being played. Transcribing music in this manner actually does not require strong music reading skills, and you will find that what skills you do possess will improve greatly and quickly. Take a simple song, and play it on your CD player a bit at a time, writing down whatever notes you hear. Even if you aren’t sure of the rhythms, write whatever pitches you can. If you’re stuck on a note, find it on your guitar or piano, and then write it down. This is the best ear training exercise there is!

Practicing your instrument is crucial to becoming a better musician. But be certain that you don’t neglect your ear!

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What grooves you? Why do you want to improve? Regardless of your intentions - whether to get started playing, learn a few licks of your favorite tunes, or want to expand your repertoire to include blues, funk, or rock and roll music, on your way to recording yourself, there are resources out there that can help you. Here are a few ideas that may help you better understand your guitar playing and some solutions you can consider.

Guitar videos You can purchase guitar playing videos, either for home or computer watching, that include hand position, strumming technique, rhythm and timing, and finger exercises that take through various type of songs. Essentially these become a mirror for you in learning to play as you mimic what you’re watching on screen and then reproduce this on your own. With commitment and determination, this can be a good one to go - especially for the visual learner who likes to learn primarily on their own.

Guitar lessons You can find a community of guitar instructors in your surrounding area who are either private tutors or work through a community college. You’ll want to consider their expertise, the type of students they work best with, their flexibility with your schedule, success stories, and of course their fees, in considering working with them. In pursing guitar lessons, you can either do one on one or group - both have their plusses and minuses but either can work for you.

Playing partners Find someone in your local community who plays. You can do this through asking the local community college, posting online to a resource like craigslist, or asking the guitar shop. The idea is to develop a friendship with someone who is a bit better than you who wants the accountability of practicing weekly. What you can provide is the commitment to meet up with them weekly and practice. In return, you can learn from their techniques or methods what works. Of course, you always need to be aware of learning bad habits in situations like these, which is why it’s important to have a foundation in guitar technique before starting.

Guitar theory Related to guitar technique is developing a basis in guitar theory. Chord patterns, minor and major chord progressions, note scales, and overlap with piano and percussion instruments can all give you a basic structure upon which to layer in the knowledge and technique you gain in your guitar playing.

Playing guitar can be a wonderful expression of one’s musical and creative talent. And with a commitment to constant improvement, it can provide a lifetime of enjoyment for yourself, friends, and family.

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Friday night we headed out once again to Rock City Bar, this time to catch Sintense, Open Chapter and El Sancho. I hadn’t heard much about El Sancho, so I had no idea what to expect. We walked in about halfway through their set and I wish we had gotten there a little earlier to catch the whole thing.

Put together the reggae rock of Sublime and the funk rock of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and you’ll get something like El Sancho. They really mix it up - every song sounds different, and I love that. I was talking to some of the guys after their set, and they told me that they’re always writing new songs and that they play a different setlist at every show. That’s cool - keep it fresh - you never know what to expect! You also never know what instrument they’re going to pull out. They had bongos, maraccas, a tambourine, a vibraslap and something else that I missed. You can listen to two of their songs on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/elsanchomusic.

You can also listen to the next band’s - Open Chapter’s - music on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/openchapter.

The guys in Open Chapter are very young and have a lot of potential. The singer has a great gritty voice and a good range. Some really cool-sounding harmonies with the guitarist. The bass player is way hyper - I kept waiting for him to knock out the singer with his bass! My only complaint is that I’d like to hear a little more variety within and between songs. Change it up a little…different rhythms, more complicated riffs, etc. It’s things like that which make a song catchy, memorable, make it stick in your head, make you want to hear it again. Other than that, good modern alternative rock sound. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Next up, Sintense. These guys sent me a CD a while back, and I’ve been trying to get out to see them ever since, and I finally made it. I’m so glad I did. It was a great show!

Sintense has a great alternative rock sound, mixing heavy driving songs like “Probandt” (my fave) and “4 O’Clock Rush” with a bit more mellow tunes like the rock ballad “Define Happy” and the almost classical-sounding “Julias Tune”. The singer, Dex, is extremely energetic, damn near moshing on stage. That boy needs a much larger stage! Here I kept waiting for him to take out the bass player! Great guitar and bass riffs from Paul and Ike. Bernabe jammed on the drums. I think, if given the chance, these guys could make it far.

They also have a pretty large following. I’ve never seen Rock City so packed. About mid-set, I looked over at the far wall and realized that it had become standing room only in there. They definitely have a loyal (and violent) fan base…one guy kept threatening to kick their asses if they didn’t play one more song. They ended up doing several encores!

They have 4 songs up on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/sintense. “Define Happy” will be on the upcoming Edge Magazine compilation CD. Also, they’re now playing “4 O’Clock Rush” on KISS, so call up and request it!

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Suzuki or Not Suzuki

that is the question. –

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind, to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous boredom; Or to take arms against a sea of Twinkles, And by opposing end them? When Shinichi Suzuki introduced his method of instructing students in the art of playing the violin it was somewhat controversial.

It was, he said, a more natural way of learning. The idea was to learn to play the violin the same way that a person would learn to speak their native language, the so-called “mother tongue approach” to music education.

Suzuki also explored an area which became known as “talent education.” The word “saino” in Japanese can be translated ability or talent. But it can also be used to mean the development of an ability or personal trait, such as one’s character. As such, Talent Education came to refer to the development of skill, knowledge and character. A seemingly well-rounded approach.

Suzuki developed a repertoire and a curriculum, and teachers from all over the world visited his institute in Matsumoto, Japan to learn his techniques. The method spread from the violin to other instruments including piano, cello, guitar and harp. There are more than 8,000 teachers worldwide who endorse his methods and follow his curriculae. More than 250,000 students study music by the Suzuki method.

The question becomes, “Is the Suzuki method right for you and your student?”

A Quick Comparison of Traditonal violin study vs. Suzuki.

Suzuki

* The Suzuki method of study emphasizes parent involvement and parent-student interaction. Parents take several classes prior to the start of their student’s studies and are encouraged to participate in the student’s lessons once they have begun. Parents are also the primary means of motivating the student to practice and of making sure that the student follows the instructions once the lesson is complete and the student has returned home. This means that the parent will, at least at the beginning, be actively involved in every single practice session. * The Suzuki method emphasizes both active and passive learning. Before a student ever touches a violin he is exposed to the music he will play in the form of recordings. These recordings are repeated over and over until they are completely “internalized” by the student. In doing this it is believed that the student will have a tremendous advantage in learning to play the music that he has already heard . . . in some instances hundreds of times. And for quite some time the only thing that the student will play is “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” * The Suzuki method encourages students to learn by following the example of other students and by interacting with them on a regular basis. Individual instruction takes place one-on-one with the teacher or in a “small group.” This is where the student actually receives hands-on instruction by the teacher. But periodically the Suzuki student will attend “group lessons.” At these group lessons the student interacts with other students from his teacher’s studio. They play together. They study together. And hopefully they progress together. In any case, when other students are present students who are not actively being instructed are urged to sit and observe what is happening. * Individual lessons frequently concentrate on a single “teaching point.” Progress is made one step at a time in one area at a time. At least early in the learning process more emphasis is placed on the student’s posture, technique and tone production than on playing recognizable tunes. In fact, many Suzuki students don’t even start their violin careers with a violin, they use a box on which they can bow so that they learn proper position first. * Music reading is not emphasized until the student has mastered basic performance skills on the instrument itself.

Traditional

* In traditional instruction there is usually no active involvement of a student’s parents other than observing practices. While parents are often encouraged to attend lessons, the majority of instruction usually takes place outside the parent’s presence. The parent is requested to monitor a student’s practice (or at least the amount of time practiced), but are usually not a part of the practice itself. * Instruction is often only one-on-one with the instructor. Unless the instructor is part of a school district program, or has taken the initiative to form some sort of ensemble group the student does not usually interact with other students at his skill level. If ensembles do exist, they are usually focused on performing works together as opposed to Suzuki group lessons that may be focused on developing a technique together. * Listening to music that will be played may be encouraged, but it is not usually an integral (or even integrated) part of the program. * Emphasis is placed on reading music very early. See the note, learn the note, play the note is quite common. after several weeks of instructionSeveral weeks in the student can already recognize the written notes that he will play.

My Evaluation: A Pox on Both Their Houses!

Both Traditional and Suzuki methods have strengths and weaknesses.

Suzuki emphasizes teaching a philosophy through which a skill can be developed. A successful Suzuki student will be a good performer early if he doesn’t burn out playing and hearing Twinkle over and over. If there is a good student-parent dynamic this can also be a really successful method, and an even stronger bond can develop. But at times the intensity of the parent-student involvement can become a bit overwhelming.

The traditional approach emphasizes the development of a skill, and through the acquisition of that skill the realization that practice and dedication usually leads to success. Parental involvement is not usually nearly so intense in the actual instruction and practice, and the student is much more likely to play recognizable works earlier since he is actually taught notes sooner.

The Solution?

Integrate the best of both methods and then throw in a little fiddle! An integrated system of listening, observing, performing and having fun seems to me the best approach.

There is no doubt that listening to the works to be performed is beneficial. There is no doubt that repetition can be tremendously important in skill acquisition. There is no doubt that music theory introduced early becomes a strong foundation on which a student can build an amateur (or even professional) music career. And there is no doubt that students learn from seeing and interacting with other students.

What we need is a single system integrating the whole world of violin into a happy amalgam.

Why not start with a Suzuki approach in which the parents are introduced to the instrument and understand the instructor and her expectations at the start? Allow parents to observe lessons and encourage them to participate in practices at home! Teach the parents the games that Suzuki students play with their bows and let them play along the same way they would in a Suzuki studio!

But at the same time, why not let the students start working on note recognition at the same time they learn technique? When we show them the violin’s A-string, show them the note on the staff! When we show them the D-string, show them the notation, too. Why not use the flash card or “big book” approach that is used in our schools and hold up a picture of a rest symbol when we want them to be quiet? Let the student see as well as hear what they are doing. It seems to me that this is really implementing Shenichi Suzuki’s message. Just as we don’t expect our children to communicate only verbally and we show them how we use written language early on, we should let the student see what they are playing, not just hear it. In the same way that our four-year old daughter used to “write” stories by scribbling lines on a page, she could have “composed” songs by drawing on a staff. And think of how powerful it would have been if she had learned to play and read individual notes and had “discovered” that she could read or write the melody herself!

Regarding fiddle, a child who picks up the fiddle doesn’t particularly care about if he is holding the fiddle correctly. He doesn’t care if he can read the notes on the staff. All he wants to do is play something that sounds good and have fun. He is highly motivated, and is thrilled when he finds out that he can producing something that makes him smile, although those others may really want to plug their ears. We need our young students to be excited about picking the instrument up! We need our young students reluctant to put the instrument down. We need our students to truly experience success on their instrument very soon after they first touch the instrument!

And let’s integrate listening in a realistic way! Why not let the students hear the music they will play, but also introduce them to the local symphony orchestra or bluegrass group so that they don’t think that violins only exist on CD’s. And speaking of CD’s, develop a library of a recordings that feature the violin in various settings. The Suzuki CD’s are fine if that is all you are playing, but what about Sarah Chang’s recording of Sarasate’s Concert Fantasy on Carmen when she was just nine years old, and Stephane Grappelli’s Jazz in Paris album so that there is some jazz violin in the house, and maybe even an album by the all-woman string quartet Bond.

We need to find a way to motivate students to want to learn more about the violin. Maybe a daily visit to www.violinstudent.com will help! Maybe a T-Shirt they can wear or some other visual cue in their room will do the trick!

We can see that the theme parks, the children’s television networks, the toy companies and the fast food restaurants realize that the key to influencing your child’s decisions is a multi-sensory approach. We should be just a wise as they are in our approach to our children.

The Bottom Line

Either the Suzuki or Traditional method can produce competent violinists. If parent-student interaction in what can be a frustrating situation is good - by all means consider Suzuki. But if intense child-parent interaction frequently leads to tears in either party, the traditional approach is probably better. And in either case, make sure that the relationship between child, parent and teacher is a good one. Three individuals tugging in different directions never make good progress. Finally, have fun with the violin. After all, we don’t say that I “work” the violin . . . the verb we use is “play.”

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Quite often when we display our favourite photographs in our home, we do so in standard 6″ x 4″ photo frames with a border. We love to have these decorations around as it keeps our families and friends close by, as well as being a great opportunity to show our loved ones off to guests. What is slightly inconvenient about this set up is that often faces and small details of a 6″ x 4″ photograph can’t be seen from even a close distance and we find people having to pick up the frame in order to see who is in the photo.

Now Digital Photo Frames are solving that problem as they come in all shapes and sizes, and digital photographs can be cut, cropped and resized to fit them too. The 7″ digital photo frame is the perfect size to still fit on your mantel piece or on the wall but be big enough to show all those tiny but essential details to onlookers. Add to that the fact that digital photo frames can display a great number of photographs in one album in a slideshow presentation and you have the perfect home ornament. Now there’s no need to choose between your two favourite pictures of your grandson’s graduation or choose from a huge selection of personal wedding photographs. Simply put them all onto one memory card or USB stick, slot them into the frame and there they are!

7″ digital photo frames still keep the small and uninstrusive stance of the standard 6 x 4 print, but they make it that little bit easier to see from a distance whilst adding modern technology to your home and enhancing the look of a room.

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With the state of the music business becoming more and more
stale, consumers are looking to the internet to satisfy their
craving for new and innovative music. A record label located in
Wichita Falls has started a revolution on the internet with
music that is daring and groundbreaking. Wichita Falls Records
has released albums such as Merseybeat, the Savage Sprague
Brothers, and now its newest release Cavern. The recording
artist Frank Lee Sprague is well known the world over for his
loved recordings of the best in rock’n'roll. Playboy magazine
called his band a “great lost west Texas rock band.” Now he has
turned his innovative approach to business. With the launching
of his new label Wichita Falls Records Frank has created
marketing strategies that have been blazing the internet
resulting in sales and promotion in staggering numbers. Not
content to do things the old fashioned way, Sprague keeps
creating in music as well as business. As a sign of recognition
of Frank’s genius El Toro Records in Spain recently aligned
itself with Frank’s label and released a multi-volume CD of the
Sprague Brothers music. This is a sign of things to come
concerning Sprague’s music as other companies worldwide are
eager to join in the new music revolution. Many cooperative
ventures are on the horizon and there are DVD’s in the queue for
release as the label is growing at a staggering rate. The future
of music is secure at ‘tomorrow’s music company’ and with the
internet becoming more and more of a force in the industry
Wichita Falls Records and Frank Lee Sprague forge ahead!

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BlueSkiesCareers.co.uk have collected a great status towards supplying the top most quality personnel recruitment solutions. The company ensure each and every one of Blue Skies’ customers enjoy access to some of the most creative marketing candidates available at just the depression of a button.

They specialises in various types of markets counting marketing, public relations, advertising and also sales promotion. The recruitment agents view the company to be very distinct compared to another personnel recruitment companies; they do ensure that the company incessantly take a crystal perception of precisely what their company is researching for, the recruitment agency are also publicised for their skill to advise both clients and also candidates in their special necessities. This rises from the reason that Blue Skies Careers hire skilled recruitment agents that have worked within the advertising sector, bringing with them knowledge and also experience.

Advertising has become one of the most famous job markets to start into after university and every kind of further education. With an industry like advertising it could also be particularly hard to join directly unless you have been opportune enough to have the correct contacts. This can also be the reason why advertising recruiters have become therefore trendy; their guidance can be needed to join the sector and get desirable attainable positions.

Blue Skies source BlueSkiesCareers.co.uk’s marketing candidates both offline and online via their website. Blue Skies’ online website makes it effortless for candidates to get possible positions and apply directly on the website. There can be found lots of key features to BlueSkiesCareers.co.uk practice and these include; Developing an unclouded realisation 5 said clientele wants, Providing detailed reports for each and every retained assignments, issuing timely info during the whole of the the recruitment phase.

BlueSkiesCareers.co.uk’s know how of working with a large number of the worlds leading companies and agency networks have helped the recruitment consultants to become an industry best. The companies recruit by both famous sector figures and smaller independent start ups. http://www.blueskiescareers.co.uk are experts in marketing recruitment, view their website online for to see more details.

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Recording is a time-intensive experience, and problems that arise often seem magnified. No one wants to wait for an hour while the guitar player runs to Guitar Center for new strings. So, to keep things going smoothly and efficiently, here are some things to do in preparation:

1. Practice! You’d be surprised how many bands come into the studio obviously unprepared. If you can’t play through the song without making mistakes, then you’re not ready to record yet. Take the time to practice the songs you want to track thoroughly. This isn’t to say that you can’t be creative in the studio, but it’s a lot cheaper to be creative on your own time.

2. Make sure your songs are finished. Going into the studio hoping to finish lyrics or parts on the spot is a recipe for dissatisfaction. You may be inspired by the pressure, but you’ll inevitably listen back to it later on and think that you could have sang it better, or that you don’t especially like this line or that phrase.

3. Record yourselves. It’s very useful to record your practice using a simple tape recorder. The finished product won’t sound very good, but you’ll be able to hear if you’re off time, or off key. It may also make you aware that some parts of your song are dragging, or that other parts could be extended or more developed.

4. Get your gear in shape. Don’t show up for a session that you’re paying for with gear that doesn’t work, cables that cut out, batteries that are going dead, or blown speakers. If you’re afraid that your gear is less than perfect, make some calls. You engineer can point you to some people in town that rent gear on a day-by-day basis, or to other musicians who might be willing to loan an amp or cabinet for a day or two. It makes a difference!

5. Tune your instrument. Drummers should put on new heads about 1 week before the session. The snare head should be replaced immediately before the session, and if you’re doing more than one or two songs, consider bringing extra snare heads. Nothing sounds as good on tape as a fresh snare head. Guitarists should put a new set of strings on a few days before the session. Bring extra strings, as you probably will break one or two. Bass players can replace their strings, although new bass strings can be a bit overly metallic. I recommend changing bass strings a week or two before the session.

6. Let people know you’re busy! You don’t want to be called in to work half-way through your session. Everyone involved needs to clear their schedules. Nothing creates more tension in a session than someone wanting to blow out early so they can hit some party. Also, if you’re recording at your home, make sure your family knows about it. Take phones off the hook, recording will require some degree of quiet. If you’re working at your practice space, make sure the neighbors know that you’ll need some quiet, if there are other bands at your facility, ask them for their schedules, and work out a time when they won’t be playing in the next room.

7. Have a plan. It’s always better to have fewer songs to finish, and to know precisely which songs you’re trying to get done. Often, once a session gets rolling, it’s easy to just go ahead and track some of the other songs you have. While this isn’t terrible, in my experience these tracks are usually discarded, as they haven’t been thoroughly practiced, and may not even be complete.

9. Develop a vision. I like to come see a band before I record them, just to get a feel for their sound, and develop my vision for the session. If you envision your record sounding like the latest MTV hit, you may be frustrated and disappointed. Your band is unique, and my goal as an engineer is to find what’s best about your band and accent that. Your record may not sound like anything that’s come before, and trying to cram it into a pre-existing notion of a “good recording” doesn’t do it justice. The Pixies didn’t sound like anything that came before them, nor does Modest Mouse, or the Beatles, for that matter.

8. Relax! Recording is fun, and there’s really no pressure. Just be prepared, and you’ll have a smooth, enjoyable session with a great product at the end!

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It is generally understood by most people, whether or not they work in the radio industry, that commercial radio stations, one-on-one, still carry the most listeners in the terrestrial broadcast world. This is versus non commercial, public, and college stations.

Hence, their large listenerships are, in part, why it is difficult for new independent artists to break into their main rosters directly for airplay. Additionally, their listenership numbers are why commercial station rates are the most expensive as well.

But, there is a “back-door” approach that can get your music on commercial radio stations from the onset that eliminates your need to “build up” to them by first going through college, non commercial and public stations.

I’m not saying that you don’t need these other stations, because you do. However, again, you don’t need to wait nearly as long just to create a history and, pardon the pun, track record for commercial stations.

And, the element that assists you in achieving this feat is known as “specialty/mix shows.”

It is truly perplexing to me when I read other writers’ articles that attempt to devalue specialty/mix radio shows as positive sources of exposure for independent recording artists.

They attempt to further substantiate their claims by alluding that specialty/mix shows are aired during late nights when no one is listening, say, at 2:00 a.m. Come on! Not everyone has “day” jobs.

Without trying, I can think of a number of jobs, services and positions that function all night, with their employees listening to radio stations during their entire shifts. One such area is the security industry which, by the way, is a very large industry.

And, while it is true, in part, that many such shows air during late nights and overnights, there are just as many shows that air during early evening time slots as well.

To learn if stations have specialty/mix shows, which many have at least one, it is as simple as calling them up. If a station has a website, it will usually post its program schedule online as well, which will oftentimes include its independently produced deejay-run shows.

However, some stations won’t include their specialty shows and, in these cases, you are better off contacting their programming departments by telephone, as you may then find that they also have multiple shows where your music will fit.

To further support my own argument for specialty/mix shows, many listeners keep their radios set to their favorite stations around the clock, regardless of the programming content possibly changing during different times of the day.

Hence, in relation to working with commercial radio stations as a part of your promotion, your goals should be as follows:

1. Locate as many commercial radio stations as possible.

2. Discover as many specialty/mix shows that each station carries in its programming lineup that specifically fit your genre.

3. Ask for the names of the producers of the shows, who are usually the same individuals who host, and who are far easier to get in touch with than the station’s staff music and program directors.

Additionally, in most cases, it is much easier to get your music aired on specialty/mix shows that are carried by commercial stations, as opposed to attempting to get it onto commercial stations’ main rosters.

Likewise, the specialty/mix show host has much more time to, and can more freely present bios on the artists whose music he is airing on his show. You will rarely (if ever) get this added service through a station’s main programming, unless you are a superstar artist.

Be sure to also include a note within your media kit informing the host/producer that the music can be purchased online, either on your site, or on a site such as CD Baby.

And, as I’ve informed through other articles, you should also ensure that your music is carried by such organizations as The Orchard (http://www.theorchard.com), as well as by New Artist Direct (http://www.newartistdirect.com).

Why?

Because, in addition to providing online sales, these particular two distributors also place orders with offline music retailers, with (I believe) a 90%-95% concentration depth on a national level in the United States. They are actively involved with both major music retail chains, as well as independent music retailers.

And, they have been specifically created to offset and eliminate the headaches and heartaches that most artists and small labels experience when dealing with traditional distributors.

By the way…radio stations maintain constant contact with their area retailers to learn what is being requested and moving via sales. Likewise, retailers stay in contact with area radio to learn what is popular enough to stock.

The best things that can come from all of this are:

* If your music becomes extremely popular on the show, and the station request line heats up, followed by your sales increasing in the station’s area retail stores, its popularity will get noticed by the music or program directors, who may decide to try it within the main lineup.

* Due to its popularity with station and retail requests, retailers may decide that your music has proven itself and is worth the risk of ordering from The Orchard or New Music Direct to stock in advance.

So, are you now thinking more seriously about marketing your product to specialty/mix shows on a national level? If not, you certainly should be.

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