do you know what Angie all the Aparo knobs do? Label Zero before the becomes an music dies Indie Hero 80% 1.5 BWR PD No. 41 OCTOBER 2006 $3.95 USSE P $5.50T/OCT CAN Gear & tech www.iLiveToPlay.net TC-Helicon VoiceSolo 10 buyers guide to road cases
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I`ÕÃÌÀÞ¿ÃÊvÀÃÌ inside Features 14 Angie Aparo Published by This one-time L.A. rocker with a label deal turned Nashville Dayspring Communication Group, LLC indie has turned songwriting chops, good connetions and the PUBLISHER Internet into a whole new career path. Robert A. Lindquist 16 Before the Music Dies Two Austin filmakers take a hard—and ultimately hopeful— EDITOR IN CHIEF Bill Evans look at the state of the music biz. 26 Buyer’s Guide ASSISTANT EDITOR If your gonna gig, you gotta have a good case. Dan Walsh Here are some tips on what to look for. OFFICE MANAGER 28 Making a Live CD Part II Jacque Rhodes Richard Gilewitz moves from the stage ARTIST RELATIONS to the studio and the mastering process. Kristi Singer Director of Sales & Marketing Tech Stuff Iris Fox 12 Live Sound 101 Do you know what all the knobs do? Art Director, Production Linda Evans, Evans Design This look at the EQ section of a mixer will help you get there. EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS 20 Gear Review Priscilla DiLallo Erin Evans TC-Helicon VoiceSolo Personal Monitor ADVERTISING SALES 22 Gear Review Iris Fox • Ellen Johnson EV Blue Cardinal and Raven mics CIRCULATION 23 Gear Review Stephanie Scott • Barbara Lindquist Hornet drum sticks HOW TO REACH 24 24/7 Studio SINGER&Musician Starting at the beginning. First For subscriptions, change of you gotta prepare your space. address or back issues, 25 Gear Review contact us at: Singer&Musician Roger Burnley vocal P.O. Box 1288 DVD (part 1) Harrisonburg, VA 22803 40 Tools Web: www.ILivetoPlay.net New mics, mixers and Letters, comments, other tools you can use. & editorial suggestions: Columns [email protected] 9 On the Road What is a stage plot and Proud Member of: why do you need one. • Folk Alliance • NAMM 10 In the Trenches • IAJE A new face and a new direction. Meet John Singer&Musician (issn#1555-9831) is published six times per year. Ground Sollenberger. shipments to: 729-B East Market Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. Subscription 42 My Back Page rates - US and possessions: $23 for Love, love, love… one year, $39 for two years or $49 for three years. Canada: $33 for one year, $50 for two years or Singer&Musician $75 for three years. All other countries: $60 per year. University Subscriptions outside US must be paid in US currency. Sponsored by Thayers Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. Reproduction Deconstructing a Hit— of copy, photography, or artwork prohibited “Soul Meets Body” by without permission of the Death Cab for Cutie publisher. All advertising material subject to The Successful Singer publisher’s approval. Blend Your Highs and Lows Diversify Ask the Vocal Coach Departments 6 Set List 10 Product Spotlight 38 Singer & Musician’s Mall onthecover Classifieds Angie Aparo—indie artist with hit writing credit and first-tier 38 Advertiser’s Index producer. Photo provided by 360 Media. See this issue’s cover story on page 14. YourVoice. YourMix. YourNight. Introducing a new concept in personal monitoring
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T C E l ECT r o n i C i n C . USA p h o n E (818) 665 4900 m A i l : i n f o @ TCE l ECT r o n i C . C o m SetList iRadio: Where Everyday is Independent’s Day By Robert Lindquist ne of my greatest Contrast this to what has happened over the expose and establish dozens of new artists last three decades. Broadcasting has become which has led to increased bookings, CD sales discoveries of the replaced by Narrowcasting, with programmers and airplay on conventional radio stations. using ever more precise tools to define We are convinced that an Internet radio summer has been their audiences. But wouldn’t you station dedicated to exposing Independent O know it—right when they thought artists has unlimited potential and merit. But a Website that features their focus-groups had pin- the key has to be variety, just as it was airchecks from the golden pointed precisely what songs during the glory days of Top 40—so we’re their audience wanted to reformatting SingerRadio to offer a days of Top 40 radio hear and when they wanted wider selection of artists and styles. (approximately 1956-1984). to hear them, along comes And we’re giving it a new name: the iPod, freeing the masses iRadio (go to www.iLiveToPlay. As a one-time Top 40 jock and radio to again experience the net, click iRadio logo). The I is for programmer myself, being able to listen actual joys of musical variety. Independent and our mission is to recordings of my childhood heroes on “Big With the advent of bring listeners around the world 10-WCFL,” “77-WABC,” “1050 CHUM,” “WLS- Satellite and Internet the best music from Independent Music Radio” and (pardon me while I clear this based radio, some say Singers&Musicians on the lump in my throat) “The BIG EIGHT / C-K-L- there are just too many planet—Call us crazy, but why just W,” is by far the greatest use of the Internet I’ve listening options. To write about an artist when we can found to date. that I say, “Nah!” A actually play their music. We have Aside from being a mind-numbing dose of case in point: Over the power, so Stay Tuned! nostalgia, listening to these one-time giants of the last 3 years, over Oh, by the way, the Website I the AM dial reminded me that there was time 60,000 listeners have spoke of up top is www.Reelradio. when radio stations simply played good music. popped by our own com. It’ll cost you $12 a year to During any given hour, you might hear country, SingerRadio.com subscribe, but if you remember gospel, pop, bubblegum, rock, schlock, folk, to check out the what great radio was all about, jazz and a few Golden Oldies and never give fare. As a result, it’ll be the best 12 bux you it a thought. we’ve helped ever spent. Enjoy! sm
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Bruce Bartlett Bret Love 24/7 Studio Angie Aparo Interview A long-time Singer&Musician contributor, Bruce Bartlett Bret Love is too modest. His self-penned bio said is a technical writer and microphone engineer for Crown, he “has written many articles for many publica- an audio journalist, and a recording engineer. A member tions you’ve probably never heard of, and probably of the Audio Engineering Society and Syn Aud Con, Bruce wouldn’t be impressed by even if you had.” Actually has presented several AES papers on microphones and you probably would know many of the publica- mic techniques. He holds several patents on microphone tions, especially if you live or work anywhere in the designs. (In other words, he knows what he is talking southeast U.S. But he has also sung for Pope John about. You should listen closely.—Ed.) Paul II in the Vatican, dropped rhymes with Chuck A gigging musician, Bruce runs a 24-track commercial D and jammed with Zulu musicians in South Africa. recording studio using Cakewalk Sonar Producer. His He currently lives in Atlanta, and divides his time current books are “Practical Recording Techniques 4th between being a single dad, performing improv Ed.” and “Recording Music On Location” (due October comedy and freelance writing. 2006).
Phil Parlapiano Deconstructing a Hit David John Farinella Phil Parlapiano is a multi-instrumentalist composer who has worked with Grammy award winners John Prine, Rod Stewart, Tracy Chapman, Lucinda Williams and many others. While Before the Music Dies this is his first appearance in Singer&Musician, it is not his first time writing for other musi- This is his first piece for Singer&Musician, but cians. He was one of the keyboard specialists in GIG Magazine (another publication that was David John Farinella has been writing about the aimed at working musicians) as well as writing inside of the music business, plus an assorted features and columns over a period of several “celebrity” feature here and there, for the past years. 16 years. His work has appeared in magazines The idea of Deconstructing a Hit (now a regular ranging from Mix and Front of House to Play- feature of Singer&Musician University) is not just boy and Rolling Stone. His book Producing to show you how to play someone else’s song. Hit Records: Secrets from the Studio features The hope is that, by “deconstructing” the work interviews with dozens of producers, artists of other writers, you will find ways to advance and industry insiders who offer up their experi- and vary your own writing. Phil’s current CD ences and advice to up and comers. is entitled “PianoForte” and is available at CD Baby or his website, www.parlapiano.com.
Jake Kelly My Back Page Another new feature in Singer&Musician, My Back Page will be Jake Kelly’s literary playground (until he ticks us off which, if you know Jake, you know is inevitable). I have known Jake since the early ‘80s and he put together the first version of my current band with me in ’84. In fact, he is responsible for my stage persona and nickname—Rev. Bill (long story, hunt me down sometime and I’ll give you the gory details). He, like Phil, also wrote for the late, lamented GIG magazine. Jake has been working, recording and writing in Nashville for more than a dozen years. As a member of Gary Allan’s band, he has been on four platinum albums and his tunes have appeared on several of Gary’s records including the title cut of his debut Used Heart For Sale. Jake has also released three of his own CD’s (I Shouldn’t Talk When I Drink, Bitter…Party of One…Your Table’s Ready and I Run With Scissors) as well as working with other Nashville indie artists.
Breck Alan Breck Alan has taught and sung for over 20 years. He studied at the New England Conservatory, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and Naropa Institute. He is the author of the vocal instruction series, The Art of Body Singing. Visit www.bodysinging.com. Send questions to breck@ breckalan.com. Mark Baxter Mark Baxter is the author of The Rock ’n’ Roll Singer’s Survival Manual and is featured in the video, The Singer’s Toolbox. He teaches privately in Los Angeles, New York City, and Boston. Clients include Steven Tyler, John Rzeznik, Amiee Mann, and Steve Augeri, and more. Visit www.voicelesson. com.
Lisa Popeil Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, singing expert, one of the top voice coaches in Los Angeles, a vocal researcher, the creator of The Total Singer available on both VHS and DVD, and the Voiceworks Method. Visit www.popeil.com.
singer&musician October 2006 ontheroad The Plot Thickens By Mike Aiken n mid-July, I was booked player brings his own Shure Green Bullet mic as you can. Save it as a .PDF file and attach for solos). it to your contract. Then send it to the sound to play a festival in Show any special needs or requirements company along with any backline requirements you may have (I need two DIs/channels for my at least 2 weeks before the gig. Also carry a few my old hometown of guitars and a send for my personal monitor). hard copies with you. Read on and you’ll see I Describe what you need for your monitor why. Buffalo, NY. What an event mix and sends. Let the sound crew know what it was—three stages of you want to hear ahead of time. Back to Buffalo I’ve included my full band stage plot as an I was backstage waiting to go on—we were music and 400,000 people example. When you create your stage plot you the featured act on the main stage Saturday in two days. It was a good should make it as simple, clear and concise night—and obviously wanted to put on a good show. Now bear in mind that I’m mostly time and very hectic. an acoustic performer. When I got on stage I found they had Marshall double If you are not familiar with how stack and an Ampeg SVT bass rig! Not festivals run backstage (compared to your typical acoustic set-up. While my concerts) let me explain. In most festivals, bass player was happily threatening to the promoters want the acts to change over turn it up to “11,” I went over to the sound in a very short amount of time to maximize folks and said, “Something doesn’t seem the entertainment value for the audience. quite right here. Didn’t you get my stage While this is great for the show if you’re plot and requirements?” What followed a fan, it often means the performers have was the story of my stage plot blowing very limited sound checks, if any. out the truck window on the freeway, The festival in Buffalo allowed 20 then being chewed by a dog…and could minutes between acts. That’s not much I draw up another quickly? This is when time for one band to clear the stage and I learned you should always have a hard another to set up. (At the recent OzzFest copy with you. metal show, changeover was scheduled Situations like this are all a part of for 10 minutes. Headliners got 15 and the being on the road. Remember sound crew ran an average of two minutes ahead crews at this type of event have their of schedule all day.) Anticipating this, I hands full and are under a lot of pressure. contacted the sound company two weeks So being relaxed and working with them prior to the show to give them my band will get you farther ahead than by having stage plot and back-line requirements. an attitude. They are the ones who not You’ll find that if this is done well in only control your monitors but also your advance it will help make a stage change front of house sound. You want them fast, efficient and easier on everyone. working with you. At the end of it all we had a good What’s a Stage Plot? laugh, the sound crew busted their tails Show a layout of how you and your for us and we had a great show. band will be positioned on stage. You don’t By the way, my band and I have been need exact distances as all stages vary, just on the go a lot this summer and I always a basic relationship of who’s behind whom appreciate hearing form those of you who will do. When you create your come up after the shows to tell me you Give a sound crew an idea of how follow the articles in Singer&Musician. many microphones you will need, how stage plot you should make Thanks! will they be used and where you would like them. If you use a special or specific it as simple, clear and Until next time, mic, you’ll want to bring it as it’s likely the Mike sound crew won’t have it. (My harmonica concise as you can. [email protected] sm
www.iLiveToPlay.net inthetrenches Lessons Learned By John Sollenberger ’ve been a pro musician In other words, I’ve been in the trenches surprised looks on the faces of my classmates, and eaten my share of dirt. as I was doing something that, as it turned out, since God was a little I’ve also worked as a journalist and member was something not very many people could do of the music industry press for more than a at that time. boy, or at least since the decade. As such, I’m in a somewhat unique I learned a few things from that gig. The first I position as someone who’s not only “been thing I ever learned as a pro player: You can’t late 1960s. I’m a drummer there, done that” musically, but also someone set your bass drum up on a gymnasium floor by trade, playing mostly who’s worked the other side of the stage. without a rug and anchor. In the course of writing stories from and The second thing: Always, ALWAYS carry an rock, R&B and a little for a musician’s perspective, I’ve spoken to extra pair of sticks in your back pocket in case country. I’ve never been heavyweights in the music business who you launch one. themselves have offered advice about what Sure, these are things that every newbie in a famous band, never works, what doesn’t and things you absolutely player knows these days. But I’m constantly had my name on a Top 40 should never do as a musician if you intend to surprised at the things that a lot of seasoned keep working. players apparently don’t know to this day. hit. However, I have had a Whenever I think of things I wish I’d known For example, the idea and art of self- at the time, I’m always drawn back to my very promotion still seems to be a stumbling block, lifetime of playing gigs large first professional gig, when I was 17 years old. even among players who’ve spent years in and small, starting with It was an after-game dance at my high school, a the trenches. Some may find it distasteful or place where I wasn’t particularly popular with immodest, but you have to throw that notion out high school the kids or the staff. I’ll never forget the rush, the the window. This is a business, and just like any thrill of getting up there and watching the other enterprise, it pays to advertise. dances and Oh yeah, the third moving up to The idea and art of self-promotion thing I learned from that first gig was that if you’re mom-and-pop still seems to be a stumbling not popular at your high neighborhood block, even among school before the gig, you probably still won’t bars and bowling players who’ve spent be afterwards, no matter how good you are. But alleys, restaurants, years in the trenches. you don’t do this thing corporate casual Some may find it for the love of your friends; you do it for the and private distasteful or love of the craft. In upcoming issues parties, right immodest, of Singer&Musician, I up to large but you have intend to offer words of wisdom from pros festivals to throw that in the music business, (including as well as my own notion out the voice of experience. the window. This is a In this column I’ll try to provide information Playboy business, and just and, hopefully, insights Jazz into what you, as a like any other working musician can Festival). enterprise, it pays do to help your cause along, no matter what to advertise. your axe. Here’s hoping I can help. sm
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livesound101 A Study in Equalization What do you do when the guitar player says his tone is not “brown” enough? By Bill Evans ’m pretty lucky as band first to leave and they carry the least amount If it is just a case of adjusting the main of stuff except the sax player because I have a channel fader, we are golden and there is no leaders go because—get three-sax book—alto, tenor and bari—so he gets explanation or instruction necessary. When a pass.) the problem is EQ or aux send related I find this—after almost every For the past year we have been rehearsing myself closing my eyes, visualizing the board, I in a studio (Sound Arena rocks!) in California. and telling them which knob to turn and by gig and rehearsal people stick Getting back and forth with gear and using how much. There seems to be a fear—or at around and help pack up and an “already there” P.A. has made our normal least hesitance—on the part of many musicians personal monitor approach tough. We have to get their hands dirty on the middle part of a they really try (to the best of had to deal with all of the “I can’t hear myself” mixer. No need. It does take some knowledge their knowledge and abilities) and feedback crap that I once hoped to have but it is not rocket science. left behind forever. The good news is that the to help with setup as well. two people not tied to an instrument—my two RULE #1: LISTEN FIRST backup singers—have jumped in to make needed Every system is different and you have (This does not include horn players who adjustments which allows me to concentrate on to listen to get the most out of it. The most almost always are the last to get there and the running the rehearsal. important skill you can develop when it comes to running sound (at any level from a small rehearsal room to a club to an What’s That Sound? arena) is to learn how to listen. With all of the new high-tech toys available Knowing the frequency ranges of various instruments can make the job of EQing a lot easier. Keep I find far too many sound guys who this chart handy until you have it burned into your brain. A printable PDF is available to Singer&Musician spend more time looking at laptops subscribers at iLivetoPlay.net and touch screens and processor * Fundamental Notes (no harmonics or sub-harmonics) menus than they do listening to the band. They are, in effect, trying to mix Frequency Range (Hertz) with their eyes. This doesn’t work very well. Instrument Minimum Nominal Maximum When it comes to the kind of smaller systems typical of what most Kick Drum* 130 164 196 Singer&Musician readers will be Floor Toms* 220 - 440 using, it’s important to not get too tied up in where the knobs are pointing. Rack Toms* 350 - 700 Adjusting the EQ based on what you are hearing is far more beneficial than Snare Drum* 650 784 1000 making sure a particular frequency band is knocked down by 6 dB like Cymbals 500 - 40k the guy in some (other) magazine says it should be. Bass Guitar* 31 - 500 EQ BANDS AND TYPES Guitar* 82 - 700 A typical MI (Musical Instrument) quality mixer will have anywhere Piano* 27 - 4186 from two to four bands of EQ on each input channel. Two is easy—one is B3 Organ 32 - 5920 high and the other is low—just like the bass and treble controls on your home Tenor Sax* 110 - 587 stereo. As we add bands, we get into the midrange and that is where things Violin/Fiddle* 196 - 2093 can start to get confusing. Let’s start with EQ types. First, Blues Harps* 196 - 2959 you need to know if you are looking Baritone Voice 110 220 392 at a true ‘cut and boost’ filter or a simple roll off. With a roll off, all of Tenor Voice 146 261 440 the frequency content of a particular frequency band is present when Alto Voice 196 392 698 the control is dialed all the way on. Dialing it back “rolls off” the content Soprano Voice 261 523 1046 of that band. A true cut and boost is at zero—or “flat”—when the knob is at
1 2 singer&musician October 2006 livesound101
12 o’clock. There is often a notch in the knob’s rotation at that point called a “détente”. Dialing the knob up or down either boosts or cuts the There seems to be a fear—or content of that frequency band. Both types of EQs are centered at a specific frequency and have a specific width (how many adjacent at least hesitance—on the part frequencies they affect) called the “Q.” These frequency centers and filter widths are a huge of many musicians to get their part of what makes one mixer sound different from another. hands dirty on the middle part The other kind of EQ or filter is called a parametric or semi-parametric. These are of a mixer. No need. It does also referred to as sweepable and are usually found in the midrange. A good mixer—for me, anyway—will have four bands of EQ including take some knowledge but it two sweepable mids. A “fully” parametric equalizer consists of is not rocket science. three adjustments. First is the center frequency, next is the amount of boost and/or cut applied to the band and, finally the Q control that for your system, your mics and the players, you with (as it should be if your channel trim is adjusts how wide the band actually is. An will find yourself making the same cuts most set right) then adding EQ is like adding water EQ that includes all three of these controls is of the time (like cutting at 120 Hz to take the to that pipe which could overload it. In the referred to as true or full parametric. Most of the mud out of a kick drum or cutting 1.25 kHz audio world, that means distortion and maybe sweepable controls you will find on MI mixers from a vocal mic). When you get to that point, feedback. When in doubt cut, don’t boost. So, will leave out the Q control (the width of the it is tempting to just make those adjustments how do you get more bass, for example? Try filter is fixed) and are properly referred to as automatically before really listening to the cutting everything except the lows and then “semi-parametric.” system. In my world, that is just a bad idea. Start boosting the overall signal a little bit to get the flat and listen before you start adjusting. same effect as just boosting the bass. There is a sidebar here that you will find HOW DO I USE ‘EM? RULE #2: ‘TIS BETTER TO CUT THAN TO invaluable as you continue in the sound world. The first thing I do with any board is to BOOST It discusses the frequency bands of various “zero it out” by setting all of the channel When it comes to EQ it is ALWAYS better to instruments (which is a little like giving away faders, auxes and EQ controls are at their zero cut than it is to boost. Remember our plumbing the secret of the ages for sound guys. Keep this setting. Remember, on a true cut and boost EQ, analogy when we started this series? Well, info close to the vest lest it fall into the wrong the “zero” setting is usually at the 12 o’clock assuming your main pipe is pretty full to start hands…) position. As you gain experience and get a feel sm
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www.iLiveToPlay.net 1 3 Coverartist ANGIE APARO From Label Zero to Indie Hero
Short, sweet relationship with Arista leaves Atlanta-based singer/songwriter with fresh outlook on the biz and a strong plan for the future.
By Bret Love
here are millions of But while Aparo admits enjoying his brief It was a fruitful collaboration; why did your climb to the music biz mountaintop, tectonic relationship with Arista fall apart? shifts in the industry’s structure soon left him musicians who would Clive was being pushed out of the company without a label, major or otherwise. These days, and we got caught up in it. We were about to kill for the good Aparo is among the thousands of indie artists release “Cry” as the next single, so we were T using the Internet to build his fan base. His new fortune of Angie Aparo, who postured to break out. We had an option to 5-song EP, El Primero Del Tres, is entirely self- follow him, but we thought it would take him hooked up with producer released despite production by Dan Huff (Dixie a year to start the new company, so we figured Chicks, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts). We recently we’d get lost in the shuffle either way. We bet Matt Serletic and was caught up with Aparo to discuss his return to on staying with L.A. Reid, and it just didn’t pan the Indie world, and how sites like MySpace signed to Clive Davis’ Arista out. are changing the way music is marketed and Records in the late ‘90s. His promoted. debut album, The American, How do you view the monolithic changes in the music business since you began your career? broke through at modern How did your life change when you went from It seems like a completely different ballgame being an unknown singer-songwriter to a Top now. rock radio in 2000 on the 40 artist on a major label? Yeah, it really is all about the Internet now. strength of his hit single, It changed it dramatically. From an artistic I love it, and we’re using every aspect of it. To “Spaceship,” and his song standpoint, working with those kinds of people be able to shoot me singing a song in my hotel always produces huge growth if you’re willing room and have it as a podcast an hour later is “Cry” was later covered by to let it. In a weird way, I struggled with losing just insane. It’s approaching the immediacy of the independent spirit I’d grown up in. I had live performing. I still think the right relationship Faith Hill, who ultimately creative freedom, but it took me a while to adapt with a strong indie or major label is valuable. won a Best Female Vocal to having people around me when I was used But where before it was, “God, give us ANY to getting in a car with my guitar and playing record deal, please!” now it has to be really Performance Grammy. up the coast. It becomes a whole machine, and right. I think all the access to fans through the it took me a while to realize that everyone was Internet has really strengthened indie labels, on my side. But the interaction with Clive Davis and that’s the most exciting thing for me. I think was especially amazing. it’s good for business.
You may be releasing your music independently Was there anything in particular you learned these days, but you’re working with Dan Huff. from him that stays with you now that you’re How did that relationship come about? back in the indie world? That was through the interaction with Faith. Oh, sure! My philosophy is that if you I was close to having three songs on her last think you know what anything in life is as you record, two of which I sang on, but for various approach it, you eliminate everything it could reasons they got dropped from the record. I met be. Going into that relationship I was just so Dan during those sessions when I was singing open to it, and I picked up so many little things backup for her, and he and I hit it off. We were from Clive–everything from how to build a set sitting around one night and I said, “I don’t list to how to view art. I tend to enjoy those have a deal and I don’t have any money for lessons, and I definitely carry them with me. continued on page 37
1 4 singer&musician October 2006 www.iLiveToPlay.net 1 5 Before the Music Dies Indie Film Makers Look At the Music Biz and Even Create a Pop Star All In the Name of Promoting Indie Music
By David John Farinella
ndrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen came together with an idea to take a hard look at the music business from the fan’s point of view. The two traveled the States, Ainterviewing dozens of artists, industry bigwigs and music fans in search of where the industry stands and where it’s going.
16 singer&musician October 2006 featurestory
Their award-winning documentary, Before they are completely responsible for growing label to do it for you. In fact, it’s much less the Music Dies is a stunning piece of work that and maintaining their fan base virally through likely now than it ever has been to achieve that should be required viewing for any musician, no something like My Space or the independent through a major label. But, if you want to be matter the level of their experience or success. labels. Britney Spears or if you want to be U2, you still More information, and a handful of resources have to dance with the big boys. for artists, can be found at the website www. And yet, those small labels like ATO work with beforethemusicdies.com large distributors. I wonder if that’s the key to You two created a budding pop star by the Singer&Musician caught up with Shapter and the small label’s success? name of Taylor Hannah in the film. Steve Poltz Rasmussen at their Austin, TX headquarters. Shapter: You can’t do it without ‘em. They wrote a song, you all recorded her singing and built the highways and if you’re going to drive then cleaned it up with Auto-Tune and then So, is this film hopeful or cynical about the down them, you have to partner with them. It’s shot a video. After you created that, did you music industry? a sad truth, but there are smaller labels that shop it around? Joel Rasmussen: It’s ultimately very hopeful. distribute themselves. Rasmussen: We did have a couple of In doing the research we knew there was a bad Rasmussen: I would say there’s a qualified agencies interested in the song and in Taylor, story in music, but we did go out with an open answer to that. It really depends on what the and played with including that. A couple people mind and we were surprised to learn about artist is looking to achieve. If they want to be felt pretty strongly that we should have included all the great news about how the changing U2, there is only one avenue and that is major that in the film and make complete asses of the landscape really is leveling the playing field recording industry folks that are doing that job. and putting the power in the hands of musicians It was an artistic decision on our part. When and music fans in a way that has never existed we were doing the voiceover work with Forest before. Whitaker at Margarita Mix in Los Angeles there Andrew Shapter: I started out pretty cynical was an agent who saw the video, saw Taylor, about everything and then got more excited who didn’t see anything leading up to it and about the accessibility that we have now to said, ‘Who is that? We gotta have her name. artists. Lord knows, I never thought I could We need to have her.’ He was very interested email Neil Finn to let him know that I thought in going further. his latest album was great or I could keep track of him through his My Space account or iTunes. Thus, proving the point. On a smaller scale, local bands can reach out Rasmussen: Yeah, and she would be perfect. to fans one by one and that’s great. We might She is cute, she can dance and when you are have to dig a bit deeper to find the best acts, looking at numbers and your job is not to get they are not going to be on the front page of fired, the easiest lowest hanging fruit is just iTunes or on VH-1, but they will be there. There that. Let’s find a cute girl who can more or less are a lot more of them and they are easier to Even after 10 or 15 sing and more or less dance, put her in skimpy find. The goal of the film was to promote that years, with a fan clothes, hire a great video director and you’re way to find them. done. It’s not really great music, but it’s good entertainment and something that can be used In the past, record companies used to be the base, the fact is to sell tires or shampoo. kindly gatekeeper, weeding out artists who veteran artists get weren’t quite ready for prime time and then What surprised you about the state of music? cultivating others. That is gone now. Did you dropped because they Rasmussen: I think what was most surprising get an indication from the artists or industry was just how quickly things had changed and people that you interviewed of when that don’t turn around how completely the establishment missed the happened? boat. When we were interviewing the guys from Rasmussen: I think that happened in the run units as quickly as Paste, they talked about My Space and how it up of the economic development of the late 90s had not been a phenomena, but now there are when the last remaining few labels went public. whoever is new. bands that have sold a million albums without a It was no longer necessary to cultivate talent, it record deal. That floored me. The flip side is now was out there and they just had to make better that there is a level playing field and everyone packaging for it. For most people it coincided that saw it quickly, at least at the level of with the closing of a lot of those individual musician and music fan, has a My Space page. record stores, so we went from a situation I think that’s a much more interesting place as where we had a Tower or a Warehouse store a music fan to have the market exist. The thing where there were 60,000 titles to a Wal-Mart that differentiates one band from another is where, for the most part, they carry 3,000 titles. not the [radio] spins and the marketing dollars So, to go from 60,000 to 3,000 you no longer behind them, but how good that band is at need that process, you need what sells to the writing, playing and conveying what’s on their broadest mass of people. minds and then putting that into a form to get it What’s exciting to me, though, is that there out to people. That makes for a very interesting are smaller labels that are thriving. That’s the playing field. third act of the film and those labels are doing Shapter: One of the things that surprised me was the lack of respect for seniority. I think much better than the big labels by holding that distribution. If you want to have a career as the fact that some of these big labels are traded role. We knew about ATO, but it was fun to a middle class musician, as Jenny Toomey on the stock market, they’ve got to get big learn about them on a business level and figure (president of the Future of Music Coalition) returns and [veterans don’t sell many units]. out what makes that company tick. What they explains it, where you can afford a mortgage Maybe because it’s the veteran stars require a are all about is finding good music and things and put food on the table with your music, then higher rate of return because they own their that fans of their other music are going to like. that’s possible through independent labels or own material, I don’t know, but that is a concern There are so many labels that are like that now if you are a savvy person and can build your with some of the musicians. Even after 10 or 15 and it seems like that’s where the industry is following and manage that yourself. If that’s years, with a fan base, the fact is those artists get shifting now, where bands will take it upon what’s you’re after then you don’t need a major themselves to be their own label and then continued on page 38
www.iLiveToPlay.net 1 7 a d v e r t i s e m e n t nEWproductspotlight
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18 singer&musician October 2006 a d v e r t i s e m e n t nEWproductspotlight MZ-M200 Imagine the perfect in-ear sound. Hi-MD Recorder Then build it with SD1 Sony takes Hi-MD to a higher level with Optimize monitor sound in any acoustic setting with In-Ear the introduction of more intuitive record- Sound Design, the breakthrough signal processing toolkit. ing features, easier navigation, and a Ambient ear-level mics let you reconnect with your environment, more ergonomic design – while delivering audience, and band. SD1 Bodypack with four selectable pre- the same high-quality CD sound sets gives you dynamic, real-time control over your ambient and and the convenience monitor mix. Sound Design Audio Manager software lets you of recording create personalized “sound environments” that you can save, on the MD edit, and reuse. Compress and equalize monitor and ambient format. signals independently using 20-bit DSP on your PC or Mac. Download up to four memories at a time to the SD1 Bodypack. For the whole SD-1 story, and to download a free copy of SDAM software, visit our website: inearsounddesign.com
The MZ- Sennheiser e835 microphone M200 is the The Sennheiser e835 lead vocal stage microphone is designed to perform ideal field re- flawlessly under pressure. The hard working mic is con- corder for radio structed of rugged journalists, musicians, songwriters, and all metal with a shock-mounted types of pro-audio applications. This next capsule that re- generation recorder is now Macintosh® duces sensitivity to compatible and comes equipped for the handling noise. The field with a stereo microphone, earbud cardioid pick-up pattern isolates sound interference from other headphones, 1-line backlit remote control on-stage signals, which allows clear, smooth vocals to reach and audience while unit, USB uploading software, a recharge- the performer moves freely about the stage. Minimal proximity effect provides consistently able battery, an AC power adaptor and clear bass and performance when singing closer or further from the capsule. And no mat- 1GB Hi-MD disc. For more information ter the climate, the neodymium magnet technology helps deliver great, stable sound. The go to www.sony.com/proaudio e835 mic is also available with a switch. URL: www.sennheiserusa.com/evolutionwired
The Epiphone Blues Custom The Quadra When developing Epiphone’s new “Blues Custom 30” guitar amp, the Gibson Labs USA Design Team recognized the importance of selecting the perfect speaker. That’s Pyramid™ why they chose the experts a Eminence to help Acoustics ® create a new, custom speaker specifically de- First has signed to enhance its’ unique tonal character- created a new, patent istics and features. The result was a completely pending, new speaker called “Lady Luck.” And while it’s variation certainly lucky for guitarists everywhere that of the tradi- they did, luck had little to do with it. When tional offset you combine legendary brands like Epiphone, pyramidal Gibson and Eminence - That’s a sure thing. diffuser. The Visit us at www.epiphone.com Quadra- Pyramid™ presents a low profile with four pyramids creating sixteen angles of reflection on the surface of Rock Your Vox a single 2’ X 2’ panel. When wall mounted, Designed for singers at every level, Rock Your Vox is a it becomes a mid-bass absorber in the range comprehensive instructional DVD and CD set that will ben- of 250 Hz (0.60 SAC). NRC= 0.20 Mount- efit even the most advanced singers. Hosted by nationally ing is designed for wall or ceiling grid. Fire rating is Class 1 (A). Test results are now acclaimed vocal performance instructor Rose Coppola, this available. The product (Number AFP22Q) DVD covers proper posture and breathing, and includes is currently in stock for immediate shipment. beginner, intermediate and advanced vocal exercises. As The QuadraPyramid ships “nested” to re- an additional bonus, Rock Your Vox comes with two audio duce both freight cost and storage space. CDs that contain all the vocal exercises from the DVD, one For more information contact: Nick Colleran, for the male voice and one for the female voice (perfect Marketing, Acoustics First Corporation TEL 804 342 2900 • FAX 804 342 1107 for practicing in your car, in the studio or at home). The 2247 Tomlyn Street exercises are challenging and effective and, with regular Richmond, VA 23230-3334 USA practice, singers will greatly increase their range and gain e-mail: [email protected] vocal strength. Rock Your Vox works! web: http://www.acousticsfirst.com
www.iLiveToPlay.net 1 9 gearreview TC-Helicon VoiceSolo By Robert Lindquist e all know that more interested in what they (and the girls at the reproduce the human voice in the most bar) hear than what you do. intelligible and natural way) the VSM-300 is (regardless of about as close as your gonna get to a mirror OK, How Do We Fix This? image of your own glorious voice. The enclosure their perceived Over the last few years, we’ve seen several has both mounting points to mate with a mic W companies come up with viable answers to the stand as well as rubberized pads so you can set competence level) it’s always questions posed by the need for better ways to it on the floor. best to leave the front of hear ourselves on mic. The latest is the VoiceSolo personal vocal monitor from TC-Helicon and it’s Church Chat house sound to the person quite a departure from preceding designs (along To test the unit in a real world, “ah, why responsible and concentrate with being a monitor, it’s also a handy dandy doesn’t this work?” situation, I brought the VSM- practice amp and/or small PA, as well as an 300 along to our weekly practice for a little on what we need to do overkill amp for an iPod). In other words, put church’n up. For this test, I choose an Audix any experiences with other seemingly similar OM-6 with a broad hypercardioid pattern, an as performers. However, models aside. This is not your daddy’s mic stand- Audix OM2 with a true hypercardioid pattern, in order for us to do that mounted monitor. a Sennheiser e835 with a cardioid pattern and The VoiceSolo comes in three delicious an EV RE510 condenser with super cardioid voodoo that we do so well, flavors. You can get the VSM-200 in both pattern. active and passive versions. This model is Why do I even bother to mention this? The we too must hear. great if you have someone running your VSM-300 mounts to a mic stand and—thanks If you’re one of the fortunate members of monitor mix, which is not what we’re talking to a pretty ingenious mounting mechanism, that tribe of musical gypsies who spend most of about here. We’re looking for something you can mount it to a mic stand and then use their playing hours on stages at festivals, concerts that your typical, hardworking, hard driving, a boom mounted to the top of the monitor for and larger shows, where there’s a dedicated hard gigging Singer&Musician can carry with your mic. In other words it can be an all in one tech riding the board on the monitor system, them. Something that sets up quick and, most deal. But what a lot of singers don’t know is you just don’t know how lucky you are. Here in importantly, provides an accurate sonic image that most of the tight pattern mics out there that the other world, where a hole worn in the carpet of what’s coming out of their throats. Yessir, do so well at rejecting off-axis sound actually often suffices for a stage, what you get in your we’re talking about the TC-Helicon VoiceSolo pick up significantly more sound at 180° from monitors is a crapshoot. If you’ve played a coffee VSM-300. the front than they do at, say, 90°. Which is house, legion hall, or small church auditorium By combining a BASH 150 Watt why you see a lot of floor wedges set up at an you know why they call them “intimate stages.” amplifier and an ICT point source driver (to angle and not directly behind the mic. But TC Personally, my regular gig is with a pretty has apparently taken this into account and all tight praise and worship band at a small of the mics performed fairly equal as far as the country community church. The number VSM-300 was concerned. In other words, of players can vary from as few as five, they all went into the feedback zone at with two vocalists, up to 10 with five approximately the same level. vocalists. With a complete crew, there’s Because of space considerations on just enough clearance between the the stage, typical floor monitors would singers and pickers to avoid a neck- do little more than cause people of all to-neck collision—and the singers ages to fall to their knees in a most can never hear themselves. unreligious experience. The idea of a Can’t relate to that, huh? Okay, stand-mounted monitor has a lot of then how about this one: Remember merit. It’s up, out of the way, and most that bar gig where the monitor importantly, close to the ears of the system consisted of a scratchy, old, singer. It may be a small church, but beer-soaked woofer that lay on we make a lot of noise. Earphones the floor in front of you heaving of any type are out of the question like a dying animal? You may have on this gig—the VSM-300 is a great thought otherwise, but your guitar option. and your voice really were coming Initially, we set up the VSM- through the system, just not through 300 with the vocal mic connected the monitor. The sound tech (the to the XLR jack in back, and the barkeeper’s girlfriend) confirmed it. mix from the board running into the Silly scenarios aside the fact is— line in. “Hmmm,” we thought, “How if you can’t hear yourself correctly, come the vocals aren’t in the mix?” your show has a better than average Duh. That’s what the I/O box is for as chance of ending up in suckdom. If it includes a mic pre to bring the signal your show is just you, that can’t be up to something the amp inside the VSM- good. You certainly don’t need me 300 can work with. Indeed, the I/O box is to tell you that most sound techs, a most handy tool that includes a split that especially at smaller venues, are far continued on page 30
2 0 singer&musician October 2006 N o w w i t h
Unconditional L i f e t i m e G ua r a n t e e gearreview EV Blue Mics By Bill Evans here have Cardinal is good up to 150 dB input off once and a quick cut at about 3k got things while the Raven can take back under control and there was nary another I seen a walloping 162 squeal all night long. dB without a stuff problem. The final part of the review was still pending, W the dreaded drop test. Back at the shop, both that looks THE mics were dropped from a height of about five like these GIG feet to a concrete floor. The verdict? The wood I shell of the Cardinal sustained a small ding but mics before? u s e d that was it. No bent screen, no broken mounts— Wasn’t there the pair we even dropped them both twice to make sure of mics they could take it. Plugged in, they sounded just a Latvian on a like they had before being dropped. company that c l u b The look of both mics is different. Vintage in gig with an almost sci-fi way. I dig ‘em but they may not made funky a four- work for everyone, especially in a front vocal p i e c e , situation. The other things we found to bitch looking mics like keyboard- about is that for a mic that looks this cool and these? Yes, and heavy, fairly is touted as stage-ready, it does not ship with loud rock much in the way of protection, Sure, the Crowne these are really the band. I would Royal-style velvet bag continues the whole cool- have liked to have look vibe but not real practical for keeping the same thing. Electro- tried the Raven on mic safe from the inevitable bumps and drops Voice has taken over a guitar cab, but as of the road. Also, the dual-swivel mount works well but only one of the swivels tightens the worldwide distribution by hand with a thumb screw. of Blue Mics and these The other requires an Allen wrench that most stage are basically re-branded techs I know do not carry with Blues—in other words, them as a they are Blue mics with matter of course. an EV label. Besides the ( T h e y s h i p interesting look, there is a with an lot to like about these mics. e v e r y t h i n g appropriate except the wrench but drums were by the time THE GEAR direct, we we did the We got two models. The Raven is a dynamic opted for the review the whose response gently rises between 50 Hz and k i c k - d r u m boxes were about15 kHz with bumps at about 800 and 5 torture test. nowhere to be kHz while the Cardinal is a condenser that is It was plug and found and neither virtually flat between 100 and 2 kHz with a bump play. Really. We ran were the wrenches.) between 2k and 5k and another between 6k and it flat and it sounded Regardless, with the 20k. For the non-tech among us it means that good and just worked. combination of excellent both mics have enhanced “presence” in certain No positioning issues. No sound, good pattern ranges. The Raven bumps up in the 800 range problems. Gotta love that. control and what I which often gives definition to instruments like The Cardinal got tagged with vocal find to be a very bass and kick drum as well as a vocal-friendly duty and was like wise easy to use and cool look, I would bump at 5 kHz, while the Cardinal has the same make sound good. Open and airy, like a love to have a trio vocal bump as well as a lift in the high and that good vocal condenser should be, we were of the Cardinals gives added “air” and clarity in the high end. also pleasantly surprised with the lack of for the horn section Both are “bullet” style with an adjustable stand feedback. This is a real small stage and in my own band. Or mount and, while both are listed as cardioid, while being used with a male vocalist, the maybe a couple for the the dynamic Raven actually has a looser pattern mic was placed less than 18” to the side of two female singers. Whatever, than the condenser Cardinal. and just behind a two-way JBL mid/high I like ‘em and they are fairly Both mics look very cool. The Raven is— box. Other condenser vocal mics that I use affordable to boot—much natch—black, while the Cardinal sports a finish and like have had pretty sever feedback more so than most Blues. of real cherrywood. Both mics have a dual- problems with the same band in the same Raven $199, Cardinal swivel mount that makes positioning easy. The position. But the Cardinal started to take $269 MSRP sm
2 2 singer&musician October 2006 gearreview Hornet Drum Sticks
By Daniel M. East or a drummer, finding based 5B stick with a full wood ball tip was the wood from those old sticks I used to settle slapped across my hand. I was amazed by for and I could not be happier. that perfect drumstick the comfortable design and overall feel of the As one who usually goes for simple and Hornets, although it does come with a slightly traditional products that may either have is as elusive as finding higher price of $24.99 for most models. While too little girth in the throat under the tip or F that might seem to be a bit pricey, I found that just feature a standard taper, I am very glad the perfect set of strings the Hornets splinter less and last much longer to have discovered these sticks that are the is for a guitarist or the than other brands so they are a good value and complete opposite. I am so impressed with look good, too. the Hornets drumsticks that I will not go back appropriate microphone for Taking the sticks on a few real-life to conventional commercial sticks again any a singer. performances, I was convinced my first time soon. It is definitely something you have impression was correct—the Hornets are to feel for yourself, but they really give you the The reality is that the exhaustive search impressive. Sporting a slight flair/taper in the ability to put some sting in your swing. These often ends in the frustrating position of settling mid-section, the sticks are perfectly designed for are funky looking, great feeling and excellent on something that seems to work instead of added control and precision. The overall shape sounding drumsticks. They need to be tried to something that is just right. We learn, adjust and easily allows for approximately 15 percent more be believed. Find them. sm grow accustom to whatever is close enough— velocity in the attack of each stroke and using www.hornetsdrumsticks.com having recently discovered the well designed, the same effort produces a more accurate stroke List price: $24.99 - $35.99 funky looking and great feeling Hornets brand that enables the performer to be more dynamic drumsticks, I no longer have to worry about while playing. Daniel East is an author and freelance writer that. With about a 4 percent forward throw, very for several media outlets and publications with The result of a father and son business from consistent wood weights and an increased level more than 25 years of experience as a touring Robert and Aaron Wilhelm, Hornets Drumsticks of control when the sticks are held at varying musician, live sound engineer, tour manager have more to offer than just brightly colored stick points (not unlike the control from “choking up” and consultant. designs on the grip sections with a little “stinger” on a baseball bat of O-rings at the base. Most models measure in some ways), I 16.5-inches of hickory and are available in sizes found that I wanted 7A, 5A, 5B, 2B (at the time of this writing) with to play more, play their bundle-style sticks, Swarm Sticks, coming longer and was in at 17-inch in maple. Their round “ball tip” able to play with design allows for increased definition at any less effort. I also angle and, unlike “bullet” or smaller ball sizes, found that I had Hornets focus the impact in a way that reveals less soreness in my the true timbre of the drum shell, tuning and tendons and hands head type. after several shows I visited Hornets’ booth at the recent and less discomfort NAMM tradeshow and asked for a very simple, from vibration yet difficult to find, stick of my preference. overall. Add to The representative replied by asking to see that the lack of my my hand. Once my palm was out, a deep red- usual splintering of
www.iLiveToPlay.net 2 3 24/7studio
Simple Acoustic Fixes For Your Home Studio by Bruce Bartlett If your recordings sound like they were made in a house rather than in a studio, here’s some help! o your recordings supercardioid, or hypercardioid—which any local fire and building codes.) reject room acoustics. Don’t overdo the foam padding. A stuffed, sound mushy or • Record bass guitar and synth direct with dead room is uncomfortable to play in. Keep a guitar cord or a direct box. Since you some reflections because they add “air” and distant, even without omit the microphone, you pick up no liveliness to the sound. D room acoustics. To get a good sound when Other high-frequency absorbers are any effects added? Do your recording electric guitar direct, record off sleeping bags, carpeting, curtains, and fiberglass monitor speakers sound the effects boxes, use a Line 6 Pod, or use insulation covered with muslin or burlap. If a guitar amp plug-in. possible, space these materials several inches boomy? The cause might from the wall. The spacing helps be bad room acoustics. The them absorb mid-bass frequencies. Start with just a little absorption first step to a good studio behind or above the musician you’re is optimizing the physical recording. Add more absorbers, a few at a time, until your recordings space so let’s look at some sound as “dead” as you wish. To absorb low frequencies, you low-cost ways to control can make bass traps. Get some rolls acoustic problems. of fiberglass insulation, wrapped in plastic from the factory, and stack How do you know if the acoustics need to them up to the ceiling in each room be improved? corner. • You clap your hands next to a wall and There are other ways to absorb you hear flutter echoes (a fluttering sound). bass. Wood paneling works well. These are caused by sounds bouncing back Figure 1. Some acoustic treatments. An open closet full of clothes can and forth between hard parallel walls. do wonders. It also helps to place • Your studio is a very live environment, such • Overdub instruments one at a time rather couches and books a few inches from the walls. as a garage or concrete-block basement. than recording them all at once. You’ll pick In a basement studio, nail acoustic tile to the • You hear too much room reverberation. up a much cleaner sound. However, this ceiling joists, with fiberglass insulation in the air • Your studio is very small. loses the emotional interaction that occurs space between tiles and ceiling. • You hear outside noises in your when all the musicians play together. You You may not need any bass traps if you recordings. might record all the loud instruments at don’t put any bass into the room. For example, • Bass-guitar amps and monitor speakers once: drums, bass, and electric guitar. Then don’t turn up the bass guitar amp -- just record sound boomy. overdub the quiet instruments: acoustic the bass direct and have the musicians wear • You want the freedom to mike several feet guitars, sax, piano, vocals. headphones to hear the bass. away without picking up noise or excess • Record in a large room. This lets you spread room reverb. the musicians farther apart, and weakens Controlling Standing Waves • You hear a lot of leakage in the mic signals. the sound reflections from the walls into If you play an amplified bass guitar through Leakage (bleed or spill) happens when the mics. a speaker in a room, and play scales on the an instrument’s sound gets into another bass, you may hear some notes that boom out instrument’s mic. Sound from an instrument Acoustic Treatments in the room. The room is resonating at those travels to the nearest microphone, and Reverb and echoes are caused by sound frequencies. These resonance frequencies, which also “leaks” into the mics set up for other reflections off room surfaces. Any surface that are strongest below 300 Hz, occur in patterns instruments. is highly sound-absorbent helps to reduce those called “standing waves”. They can give a tubby There are two ways to reduce acoustic problems. or boomy coloration to musical instruments and problems that cause things like echo and To absorb high frequencies, use porous monitor speakers. leakage: with recording techniques, and with materials such as convoluted (bumpy) foam Room resonances are worst in a cubical acoustic treatment. mattresses. Nail or glue them to the walls, or room. They are less of a problem if the room’s mount them on frames. Thick foam works length, width and height are different. Recording Techniques better than thin. Four-inch Sometimes you can make clean recordings foam on the wall absorbs in an ordinary untreated room (such as a living frequencies from the mid- room, basement or club) if you follow these bass up. Leave some space suggestions: between the foam panels; • Mike close. Place each mic 1 to 6 inches this helps to diffuse or from each instrument or voice. The mics spread out the sound in the will hear more of the instruments and less room (Figure 1). (Be sure of the room. You might want to use mini that any materials you put mics, which attach directly to instruments. on a wall are fire retardant Figure 2. Staggered-stud wall • Use directional mics—cardioid, and that you are following construction keeps out noises.
2 4 singer&musician October 2006 24/7studio
Try to record in a large room because the won’t reduce noise in the studio, but room resonance frequencies are likely to be it will reduce noise picked up by the below the musical range. Use bass traps to microphones. absorb room resonances. Contrary to popular When building a new studio, you might opinion, non-parallel walls don’t prevent want to make the walls of plastered concrete standing waves. block because massive walls reduce sound Resources For better results and a more professional transmission. Or make the walls of gypsum appearance, consider buying some acoustic Making A Quieter Studio board and staggered studs. Nail gypsum treatments from these companies (Web sites The following tips will keep noises out of board to 2x4 staggered studs on 2x6 footers below). your recordings: as shown in Figure 2. Staggering the studs tubetrap.com • Turn off air conditioning, appliances and prevents sound transmission through the realtraps.com telephones while recording. studs. Fill the airspace between walls with acousticalsolutions.com • Pause for ambulances and airplanes to insulation. primacoustic.com pass. The ideal home-recording room for auralex.com • Close windows. Consider covering them pop music is a large, well-sealed room with acousticsfirst.com with thick plywood if fire codes allow it. optimum dimensions. This room is in a quiet wallmate.net • Close doors and seal with towels. neighborhood. It should have some soft illbruck-sonex.com • Remove small objects that can rattle or surfaces (acoustic foam, carpet, acoustic- rpginc.com buzz. tile ceiling, drapes, couches), and some fstechnologies.com. • Weather-strip doors all around, including hard vibrating surfaces (wood paneling or underneath. (Leave the doors open for gypsum-board walls on studs). Flame retardant treatment for blankets ventilation when not recording). Your home studio may not need acoustic and curtains is available at www.rosebrand. • Replace hollow doors with solid doors. treatment. Do some trial recordings to find com. • Block openings in the room with thick out. But if your room could stand some I recommend this excellent source of plywood and caulking. improvement, the suggestions here should information on room acoustic treatments: • Put several layers of plywood and carpet point you in the right direction. sm on the floor above the studio, and put www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html. insulation in the air space between the Bruce Bartlett runs a commercial recording studio ceiling and the floor above. studio and uses the same acoustic treatments • Place microphones close to instruments described here. Reach him a bbartlett@ and use directional microphones. This iLivetoPlay.net Roger Burnley’s EZ Vocal Method
By Bill Evans
e are approaching this review a little differently. Instead of one of us watching the WDVD and then telling all y’all what we think about it and being done with the process at that point, we are going to expand on things a bit. In this installment, we will give you a basic idea of what the package consists of and then, over the coming month, a “developing” singer will work with the DVD and tell you whether or not it helped in her growth as a vocalist. Ready, begin... Roger Burnley is a noted vocal instructor and, most importantly, one who medical doctors often turn to when their singing clients have to recover from damage caused by bad technique and re-learn the art of singing in a sustainable way. The EZ Vocal Method consists of two pieces: a one-hour-plus instructional DVD where Burnley explains and presents his method as well as a CD that contains actual exercises for both men and women (30 mins each). This split into two pieces is one of the best parts of this product. The actual instruction being on DVD opens up visual possibilities that a CD or even a book just can’t match. And it plays well into Burnley’s approach which, instead of offering tricks and quick fixes, gets right down into the physical process of producing vocal sound. Splitting it with a CD that contains the actual exercises means you can do things like practice in the car or somewhere else where there may not be a DVD player available. In other words you don’t have to fire up the entertainment center in order to practice. Oops, there goes another excuse out the ol’ virtual window. So, how does it work? For that info you will just have to wait until out next installment. Or go to iLivetoPlay.net for regular updates from our intrepid test singer. sm
www.iLiveToPlay.net 2 5 buyer’sguide Road Cases: Do You Have Protection? By Bill Evans instrument, we are going to call it a case.) The The low-end models offer almost nothing bags close with a zipper and usually includes a on the pro side. They offer little protection and shoulder strap or backpack-style straps for easy they look crappy and cheap. Truth is that if your ack when I was in my lugging. instrument (usually a guitar) came with one of first Top 40 band we The pros of a gig bag include these then it is not a pro instrument. The soft light weight, low cost and a cases are a different story. I would not use one had a tragic (or so it degree of protection against if I had to pack the instrument in a truck, but it B scratches and bumps. On is great for a “throw it in the backseat” gig or seemed at the time) accident the con side is just the to carry on an airplane. (More on the whole regarding a case or, rather, lack of real flying issue later.) Another thing to consider protection. is that a bag or nylon case is a bad idea in the lack of one. a very dry climate. That Gibson I referred to has had some major neck-bend issues that are We were on our way to a gig and, as usual, directly related to the dryness here in the desert the drums and P.A. were piled in the back of R e m e m b e r and none of my other instruments in hard cases an open pickup. One pothole jarred the truck that piano? It was have had comparable problems. enough that a rack tom went flying out of the in a good gig bag but truck and shattered when it hit the road. I wish that did not stop it from Hard Cases I could say that I learned my lesson from that sustaining some real damage. This category covers a lot of ground--from experience but, the truth is, when my family Like many, I bought the gig bag the good cases that ship with a good instrument moved from L.A. to Las Vegas a year ago, we because I did not have the dough for a up to P.A. racks and even flight cases. On the loaded a rented trailer with things we didn’t trust real case. It ended up being a bad decision. instrument end, they resemble that Traveler the movers with. That included heavy P.A. gear case except they have a wooden top and back along with fragile art works. There were also Fiber or “Soft” Cases surface and the entire thing is covered in vinyl at least four guitars without cases wrapped in These are supposedly a step above a gig or leather. They are molded inside—in the bubble wrap back there. They all made the trip bag but they can actually be worse. At the low instance of instrument cases—to the specific without a problem but it could have easily been end of this type of case are the cheap cases that instrument. On the rack side, plywood top, otherwise. About the same time, I was on a gig come with some inexpensive acoustic guitars. bottom and sides are either painted or covered and had to spend precious set-up time fixing a Fiber—at least in this case—is a nice word for with a thin plastic or metal panel. digital piano that had gotten knocked around a “cardboard” usually covered with cheap vinyl. These kind of cases generally offer good bit and the gig bag it was in did not help much. These kind of cases are usually mass-produced protection and the thing that separates one from I ended up having to replace a half dozen of the and not fit to the individual instrument. another is usually the hardware. In an instrument keys. Call me a slow learner… At the higher end of this kind of case is case, look at hinges and latches and handles. Are what is best described as a gig-bag-on-steroids. they beefy or whimpy? How are they attached Are You Serious? An example is pictured here. This is the case to the case? I had a case for a Fender Strat that It may seem like a bit of a stereotype, but as that came with a Gibson Traveler guitar that we over the course of checking it for a dozen airline I work sound and production gigs, I can often reviewed in Singer&Musician last year. While flights, the handle came off and all of the latches tell the serious musicians from the wannabes the outside is nylon and the top and back offer were broken. I still have and use the case, but solely by the way they transport their gear. Yes, little more protection than a good gig bag, the have had to put new latches and a handle on there are exceptions but they are pretty rare. If sides are reinforced and the inside is fit to the it. Yes, you can chalk it up to rough treatment you are serious, you need good gear and if you instrument. at the hand of some baggage handler but that have good gear, you need to protect it. happens when you check an instrument. So what is the best case? Depends on the In an instrument case, I have another wooden guitar case for a ’72 gear and how you use it. When it comes to Gibson ES335 (original case) that I have had to protection there are a few basic types—gig bags, look at hinges and retire because it was just falling apart. I keep it fiber cases, wood cases, molded plastic cases latches and handles. Are for sentimental reasons and the stickers on it but and at the top of the heap true flight cases. Let’s it is useless as a case. take a look at each and their pros and cons. they beefy or whimpy? In a rack case, look at latches, corners, and Gig Bags castors. These are the things that are going to I never have been able to understand why fail, not the case itself. Castors, especially, take these are called “gig” bags. My guess is that the some real abuse and you want the best ones term originated with NYC players who got to you can get with large wheels that will roll over the gig on the subway and just needed a bag to rough ground easily and lock when you need carry their axe in. As it was being carried and not to make sure the case is not going to roll away packed—even in a car trunk—the need was for when you don’t want it to. something to transport the instrument without it Molded Cases getting scratched. Just a guess but it makes sense As it is with all other kinds of cases there are so that is what I am going with. different grades here. Even within a particular A gig bag is generally a durable nylon brand things can be different—heavier or fabric bag molded in the general shape of lighter weight, quality of hardware and other the instrument. (Whatever the material, if it features. While these cases offer a high degree is molded to the shape of a specific model of
26 singer&musician October 2006 buyer’sguide Road Cases: Do You Have Protection? of protection and will do the job for most and the gear (good) or a suspension system musicians, they are not quite what is considered that actually isolates the gear inside from the pro or “flight” cases. That being said, I own a case allowing the case to take the hit while half dozen of them in different sizes and formats. protecting the gear inside (better). This type of All of mine are SKBs (a name once synonymous case is significantly more expensive than their with molded cases) but since other companies non-isolated counterparts. have moved into that space the competition has resulted in more choices in terms of both styles Up Up and Away and prices. You will see some cases referred to as As always, hardware matters and with this “ATA rated. “What does that mean? ATA stands type of case it is mostly about the latches. Here for the Airline Transportation Association and is something else to consider: I have a couple that group publishes standards for shipping of molded rack cases with built-in wheels and containers including cases. But just calling a retractable handle much like a ‘roll-aboard’ a case ATA rated does not necessarily mean suitcase. They work OK, but instead of fully much because there are many ATA ratings. For removable front and back, there is a removable example, Specification 300 category 1 means front and a small removable panel on the back. that a container has been determined to be This makes it tough to get to connections, able to withstand at least 100 flights. Some especially in the dark and in the heat of battle. ATA cases will include a warranty that covers the contents of the case up to a specified dollar Shock Protection amount. Look for this kind of deal if you are No, not electrical, this refers to a hard looking for a really good case and remember physical shock—a real hard hit or even a drop. that most case warranties cover one thing and A shock protected rack case will have either one thing only—the case itself. That expensive a layer of foam between the sides of the case gear inside? Sorry, dude, you’re on your own.sm
www.iLiveToPlay.net 2 7 makingalivecd
Mixing, Mastering
Mike Fuller, and Mastering Engineer, Fullersound, Marketing Miami, Florida.
have navigated through my career mainly as a solitary a Live CD artist—on occasion performing with others on stage or By Richard Gilewitz Iin the studio, but never playing in a band. Yet, even as a solo artist, I am never as alone as I sometimes think. In a project like Whether it’s a brief segment on a television has been for me the most enjoyable part of the this, it helps to or radio show, performing in one of the many entire process. Basically you just sit back and slots at a festival, as one act on a bill of many at watch the show as they all literally work their surround a performing arts center, as a support act for a magic! major attraction, or headlining as the main act After carefully selecting the following folks with someone opening for me, I am still just one to address the above tasks at hand, I would like yourself with the of the many parts of an event. Accepting and to end this second segment of three parts by allowing myself to enjoy my role in these events offering their personal comments on what their right people. offers up a much more relaxing experience and titles and roles were in the process, along with generally a better performance on my part. what they would like to see from an artist so that Which brings us to the project at hand: they can do their jobs more effectively. my first live performance CD. In the last issue I talked about which microphones and pickups Chris Pariso, Mixing Engineer/Producer, Viral were used, what equipment was involved (both Audio, Titusville, Florida: software and hardware), and the process of “Basically Richard came to me with a live selecting tunes, stories, and their sequence in recording he did by hanging two condenser the mix. Today, in sharing my evolving outlook mics in a left/right stereo pattern, which was as a solo artist, I want to stress the importance of printed to a single stereo track on his laptop. learning to be willing to relinquish control over We then transferred these as data files to my a project. Turning over my material to the right D.A.W. I am currently running Logic 7.2 on a people to complete the job was the right move G5 with two MOTU 2408s. We then proceeded for all the right reasons. to arrange the tracks in order from start to finish to get an overall feel of the CD. Start and end Masters of Mastering points were adjusted and the applause at the The process of mixing this live CD involved end of each track was brought down in volume. constant sound level checks and adjustments, Then we auditioned many different fade out sequencing the tunes, and rough editing of curves for the end of each track, finally deciding sporadic glitches here and there. This was all to on a fade with a little more “curve” to it so the create a finished pre-product for the mastering applause gets thinner and fades out. There were engineer. These are the folks who do amazing a few little blips that Richard needed removed, things with trillion dollar equipment and even which were no problem. The last step was to when dogs admirably say, “What was that?” they bounce out the individual tracks so the edits simply reply, “I’ll tell you later.” Presto Perfecto! and fades were printed. I made a quick rough The other issues involved with completing “mastered” version so we could listen and get the project are artwork, design, legalities, and an idea of the finished product. I then burned the pressing plant. This is all about how your a data CD containing the tracks as files for the CD will look, whereas the aforementioned has mastering engineer. Richard is a great guy to to do with how it will sound. As I mentioned at work with - light hearted and very professional. I the top, surround yourself with the right people. enjoy working with clients who know what they I have been very fortunate to have discovered want and Richard knows what his music should some extremely talented people that I felt more sound like.” than comfortable relying on to finish the CD. It
28 singer&musician October 2006 makingalivecd
Richard and his mixing engineer, Chris Pariso, Viral Audio Production, Titusville, FL. Photo credit Terry L. Stafford.
Mike Fuller, Mastering Engineer, Fullersound, Perri Harper - CD Design and Layout, Zenguin leave time for the inevitable changes which Miami, Florida. www.fullersound.com: Productions, Houston, TX, www.zenguin.com: often come right up to the very last minutes of “Mastering is all about details and “Though under a tight deadline, the grant of the deadline. Waiting for the final print is the precision. Every recording is different and there design freedom made this project great fun for hardest part. Once my job is finished, the wait is no one way that works for all. My goal always me. Still, as always, it came down to a puzzle: for the completed CD is like staring at a gift with is to create a master that sounds natural and is ten days, five photos, a title, text - and very little a Do not open until tag, with no possibility of extremely competitive in its genre. The challenge room. Conquering time and space in this case peeking!” of this project was that it was a live recording meant creating a design that clearly said what If you take a glance as you run past this CD, that had considerable phase issues and a very it is – in a flash. When designing for the tight you’ll know that you can expect to hear guitar excited audience that sometimes over powered confines of a CD cover, it can help to imagine music. Walk past it, even briskly, you’ll know the direct sound of the guitar. I found that seeing the whole idea as if looking through a that it’s guitar music by Richard Gilewitz. Stop mastering this album with analog gear added a small window. I applied the run/walk/stop to look at it for even a quick moment, you’ll great deal of warmth and added dimension to tests* and flew through editing and proofs to know it’s LIVE at 2nd Street Theater. sm the overall sound. Using the Sontec EQ in the mid/side chain gave me the ability to enhance the detail of the guitar as well as remove some unwanted low mid frequency room reflections. I also used automated digital EQ to help control the crowd level and sound. Some light analog compression and stereo enhancement rounded out the final balance between Richard’s guitars, his voice and the audience.” (Mike Fuller has mastered recordings for Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart and the film soundtrack for Dirty Dancing to name a few.)
Beverly Phillips, Project Coordinator, Zengator Productions, Inverness, Florida, www.zengator. com: “The completion date of any project is directly related to the number of components within the project. Coordinating all of the parts from concept, layout, design, content, licensing, to production and distribution becomes much like mapping out a trip. If the content doesn’t fit the layout, the next step is delayed until the size issue is resolved. If the design is working for a poster but not the CD cover, then a new “road” must be inserted into the journey. If the mechanical licenses are not properly obtained, then a particular tune may not make the list. Every part of the project has the potential to either speed up or delay the final output. One of the most challenging elements in being a part of the process is the absolute necessity of respecting and honoring the artist’s creative input, without compromising the commercial side of the project.”
www.iLiveToPlay.net 2 9 gearreview TC-Helicon continued from page 20 Tech Specs allows you to flow the signal from the mic, to the mixer AND give you separate control of the • Cast aluminum enclosure with simple setup with most mic stands vocal assigned to the VSM-300 and the rest of • Point source driver with indestructible high frequency transducer the mix. To facilitate system expansion, the I/O • 150 Watt (200 Watt Peak) BASH amplifier with limiting protection box also includes a sub-output and a stereo link • Pro connection options using floor based I/O box: Mic In, Stereo Instrument output creating a stereo system by employing and Aux in – with pass-thrus another VSM-300 or VSM-200. (Keyboard • Personal mix control of voice, instrument, EQ, VoiceShape tone circuit and players are gonna love this.) main level A little quick rewiring and we had a smiling, • 116dB peak SPL at 0.5m happy singer who could turn her vocals up, and/ • Integrated tuned port doubles as carrying handle or turn the instruments down, at will. To make • Dimensions (H x W x D): 9” x 7” x 9.75” sure there wouldn’t be any unexpected squeals of feedback, I started out with the -20 dB pad long as you move the stand and the monitor as with a 5 pound, small-base mic stand, it engaged. I ended up leaving it on because one unit, it’s fine.” remained very stable. In most cases, you’ll want even with the dynamic mics, there was ample In addition to the volume controls, there’s to have the mic stand in its lowest, un-extended volume (with the output at the max). Typically, high and low EQ and a “Shape” control that lets position and adjust height with upper arm. This you would use this position for higher output you tailor the sound of the mic to your liking. keeps the weight low and increases the stability. mics, like condensers (the unit actually has Important is that what you do EQ-wise does not Also, you’ll want to use a good quality stand, phantom power, no skimping here). I’ve learned, affect the signal being sent to the house mixer. with tight fitting adjustments. however, that—when working with talented, With an MSRP of $560 cashmoneybux, well-meaning folks who’s desire to gain a greater Other notes the VSM-300 may appear to be on the “a bit education of all things audio is rivaled only by If you are even the tiniest bit prone to pricey” side. But if you keep in mind that a their interest in knowing just how many trout it misplacing things, as I know I am, make sure good, powered wedge can cost double that and takes to fill a Winnebago—it’s best to take the you don’t misplace the little sleeve adapter that a earphone-based system will cost you that just safe route. marries the mic stand to the VoiceSolo unit. for a pair of custom-fit earpieces and it will seem We asked one of the singers, Liz Edwards It’s probably best to just leave it in the unit like a bargain. Shop around. There are plenty of Naples, NY, to testify as to what she thought and secure it with a piece of tape. The other of bargains to be found. Then weigh the price of the VSM-300. “It had awesome sound,” she suggestion I offer is to not rush setting this unit against that horrible, sinking feeling that comes gushed, “I really liked the tone and, once I up. Make sure all the knobs on your mic stand when you step out on stage and welcome the understood the controls, it was easy to get the are as tight as you can get them. The VoiceSolo crowd, only to find you can’t hear a single word mix I wanted. It looks sort of top heavy, but as unit is so amazingly well balanced, that even you’re saying. Can I have an “Amen?”sm
3 0 singer&musician October 2006 singer& musician university Providing the knowledge you need to reach your goal of vocal & musical success…
SONG:soul meets body ARTIST: death cab for cutie B y P h i l P a r l a p i a n o The harmony drops to the C and the drums Dm, Bb to C. At the halfway point, the acoustic fill into a bass-less first verse. A lot of acoustic mixes it up by playing Dm, F/A, Bb, C, to C/E. guitars, some with capos, strum out the Dm to F As the climax of the tune, the bridge, the eattle has always been progression, reminding the listener of “I Won’t hook lyric is sung 3 times. Everyone plays well known for its great Back Down” by Tom Petty. The vocal melody is together-acoustics strumming the 8th notes, low in pitch, in a dorian mode, resting on the 1&2&3, 4&1&2 with the drums and bass rock acts from Jimi suspension (G) note before being supplemented accenting accordingly. There is a strange, echoed S vocally an octave above at the lyrical hook. keyboard that peeks out in the empty spots of Hendrix in the ‘60s through Verse two rings in the bass entrance, playing the rhythm. The hook lyric melody consists of the ‘90s with Nirvana and 8th notes, fitting between the strummy guitars long notes rising from a D pentatonically to the and drumbeat. The vocal is joined by the octave A, holding, with lots of echo added at the tail. countless grunge bands. double this whole verse. The acoustic guitar This hook repeats 3 times, the last ending at a 4 lead joins back in as the vocalist sings about bar buildup of a C and C suspended chord. Beginning in 1998, Death his head being ‘a greyhound station’ where he The last chorus continues with the inclusion Cab for Cutie, went through sends ‘his thoughts to far off of a doubled lead vocal. The destinations,’ so they can last vocal line, ‘A melody the independent record find a place where they are softly soaring through my ranks before signing with ‘far more suited that here,’ atmosphere’, repeats 4 (A blatant metaphysical times. At the second time the Atlantic in 2004, though reference in a pop song!) band drops out and leaves This verse juts right into the arpeggiated minor 9th still maintaining their fresh a new section that we find acoustic guitars that the guitar based alternative out is broken down chorus. song entered with. At the Instead of lyrics, the vocalist last word, ‘atmosphere’, roots. sings ‘Ba Da Ba Da, simply they disappear at the over an electric guitar and syllable ‘phere’, leaving the Soul Meets Body simultaneously sounds drum beat. voice alone with a lovely classic and current while maintaining the This leads to the next tail of reverb. originality of the band. The beat and melody verse, very much like the The marriage of the remind one of several English bands of the ‘80s last one. The lyric imagery words, music and vibe of (The Police, The Church, even The Cure) while is evocative as the vocalist “Soul Meets Body”, remind the acoustic guitar driven harmonies recall Tom speaks of turning the dirt ‘with our palms one that rock is not dead and is still quite Petty and other ‘roots’ rockers. The words are a cupped like shovels’ but knowing ‘our filthy capable of evoking emotions and philosophic good example of holistic pop poetry, speaking of hands can wash one another’s.” thought. a relationship as the ultimate spiritual pursuit. A vocal chorus follows, the melody going The song starts with a Dm chord, the up an octave to an ‘A’ note, sounding very Phil Parlapiano is a multi-instrumentalist/ center key of the song, while an acoustic guitar Sting-like. While the band tightens up the composer who has worked with Grammy award riff teases the ear with the 9th, sounding very arrangement, an electric guitar arpeggio sounds winners John Prine, Rod Stewart, Tracy Chapman, much like something Fleetwood Mac would do. over one acoustic chugging out 8th notes with Lucinda Williams and many others. His current At a tempo of 128, the bass drum knocks out the bass. The chord progression is similar, Dm CD is entitled PianoForte and is available at CD the quarters (dropping some) and percussive to F in half notes, then to C, but with the G in Baby or his Web site, www.parlapiano.com. hits echo 8th notes around the tonal spectrum. the bass. This runs twice then the progression is Reach him at [email protected].
www.iLiveToPlay.net 3 1 singer&musicianuniversity The Successful Singer By Mark Baxter n the days of the gold Under Cover anatomy and physical therapy to singers who Performing cover songs seems to be simply hand down exercises they’ve learned rush, California was a the most under-appreciated, music-related, along the way. Regardless of level, sustaining a occupation and it’s a mistake to think of it as a career as a voice teacher requires you posses the magnet for those looking “plan B.” It requires a lot more than just pulling patience of a saint. I together a bunch of musicians and learning the If any of these paths smell of artistic to strike it rich. While the current Top 40. You will be in competition with compromise then do yourself a favor and cross few who hit pay dirt became bands that honestly love the songs they play and them off your list immediately. It’s tempting to are focused and relentless with promotion and think you can pull off any situation for the right celebrities, the real financial mailing list duties. These bands will get the gigs price but the philosophy will backfire every time. winners were the ones and you will be frustrated that your back-up Emotional reservations show in the voice. Not plan requires so much effort. Also remember: only will you be financially unsuccessful, you selling picks and shovels. weddings and similar functions require you to will doubt your talent. It’s a lose/lose situation. act as MC. If you can’t imagine yourself smiling Finding the right fit between personality and When people say a singer has “it,” they’re while leading, “The Bride Cuts the Cake,” then career takes time. Often what clouds an artistic usually talking about a mixture of elements. vision is the lack of physical skills. Basic Personality traits such as presence and vocal mechanics are routinely glossed over creativity, and physical factors like pitch, tone by beginners, which distracts them from and phrasing combine to create an individual discovering new professional opportunities. style. Realistically, a singer will be dominant in a few of these areas. Occasionally, people are If any of these paths “It” is you and You are “it” born with them all. Ironically, what connects If you feel your true vocal identity every popular singer has nothing to do with smell of artistic has yet to reveal itself, don’t despair. their sound, but rather their soul. Each has Every singing issue can be addressed found a way to let their heart and soul, their compromise then do by training. Pitch, tone and phrasing essence, shine through every word they sing. are dependent on your physical The results are as varied as the population. condition and muscle coordination. Each year, the music business touts the yourself a favor and Just as working-out in a gym improves success of a handful of artists who make the overall muscle performance, vocal exercises rest of us feel left out. Take heart; the riches cross them off your isolate and develop target areas bypassed of a relative few are no gage of your talent during routine singing. Solid skills provide or your chances for recognition. The coveted list immediately. It’s an avenue for creativity. What begins as a record contract is not the only game in town. heart-felt vocal line often becomes detoured Just as entertainers gladly sang for their supper by physical inability or lack of security. That’s in the saloons along Tin Pan Alley, there are tempting to think what happens if you try too hard or think many options available today for making a too much. The goal of training is to develop living with your voice. you can pull off your reflexes to create the shortest path from A common mistake is to say you’re willing inspiration to microphone. to do what ever it takes to make it without any situation for If you are brave enough, and work hard defining what “it” is. Picture a musical enough, you can strip away the physical and career as many parallel journeys. Vocal mental barriers and tap into your soul. When development, musicianship, song writing the right price but combined with the right performing situation, skills, band chemistry, wealth, and fame all everything should flow naturally. If this run on separate tracks. Excelling in one area the philosophy will seems too easy, you are probably one does not necessarily lift the others. Luck and of the many who began compromising timing are factors that yield nothing without backfire every time. your talents right from the beginning. hard work. Many people rely on drugs and alcohol Success in any niche of this business takes to break down their barriers. A better everything you’ve got. However, this becomes solution is to develop the physical act much less of a burden if your personality of singing to a point where your body type matches the gig. To sustain yourself as a don’t even ponder the potential of earning performs without thinking—bypassing doubt. street musician, for example, would require hundreds of dollars for a few hours’ work. It’s When working on your voice, the “it” is you perform well without the confines of stage not for you. physical form. When performing, the “it” is or schedule. If the street seems too hostile (yet There are even career options for singers exploring what’s in your soul. The combination you want to avoid the politics and smoke of who can’t envision themselves on stage. Studio of the two will be the best damn singing you’ve the clubs) there are plenty of outlets to make sessions and voice lessons can provide a great ever done. You’ll have that coveted “it” factor a musical dime. Retirement homes, hospitals living, but you’ve got to have chops-o-plenty. that makes audiences expand, gets bands hired or corporate parties are always open to new Session singers are vocal ninja’s. They are again or fills the bucket in front of you with ideas for shows. You don’t even need to play hired to check their egos at the door, lay down coins. The bottom line here is this: No matter an instrument—sequencers and Karaoke tracks precision singing, and then leave in a flash. how, when or where, if you can pay your bills have become widely accepted by audiences— Voice teachers run the gambit from those who by singing alone then you, my friend, are a very as long as the idea is okay with you. combine their studies in music, psychology, successful singer.
3 2 singer&musician October 2006 singer&musicianuniversity Blend Your Highs And Lows By Lisa Popiel ou go to a higher Compare the two sounds and feelings, first ‘hey’ length is long, the edge of the cord is thin, the loud and low, then ‘oo’ in a falsettoey sound. sound is soft and sweet, vibration can be felt in note and suddenly When you’re singing low (in what I call your head and the concept is ‘light’. ‘pure front muscle’) your vocal cord length you’re unintentionally is short, the edge of the cord is thick and the Imagine This Y sound is loud and coarse—you feel vibration in As you sing higher, your vocal cord stretches yodeling. You try to act like your neck and chest (that’s where the term ‘chest and thins, similar to what happens when you your voice break was done voice’ comes from!) and the concept is ‘heavy’. stretch rubber bands. Our vocal cords, however, If you’re singing a really high note on the vowel are much more complex. In fact, they aren’t on purpose. But what’s ‘oo’, you’re singing in what I call ‘pure back cords at all but rather folds of muscle covered actually breaking?—And are muscle’. In this configuration, your vocal cord by a mucous membrane. Human vocal cords are complex little guys and scientists you hurting anything? are still trying to figure them out. The shape, length and tension of the vocal One of the thorniest technical issues cords change depending on your pitch facing singers is that of ‘registers’ and ‘register and volume—even which vowel you’re blending’. Though not every singer has breaks singing! They are amazingly flexible when singing up and down the scale, most little biological machines considering, singers have to work at getting an even sound on average, they have the diameter of they can rely on. To add to the confusion, it a dime. seems that every voice teacher has his or her Voices ‘break’ when the register own way of explaining what registers are and muscle activites become unbalanced how to blend them. I’m no exception. Having and your ‘front muscle’ shuts off wrestled with registers over a lifetime, it is with suddenly. If you sing too loudly as you glee that I can share with you a really novel way ascend the ‘front muscle’ overloads, of experiencing vocal registers and of fixing shuts off and you’re left with the ‘back breaking problems. muscle’ only. Voice-breaking is not Let’s start with my description of what a harmful, in fact yodelers develop the register is—muscle activities in your larynx sudden shift to a fine art. (voice-box) that activate related to pitch. What I love about this register Humans have two registers, a lower register model is that it goes where the action and an upper register. The lower register is the originates—in your voice-box. Simply muscle activities that easily activate on your low by paying attention to the feelings notes. Conversely, your upper register muscle over time, you’ll be able to develop a activities occur when you sing high. You can sensitivity and control that will amaze actually feel these muscle activities, though you. not with your fingers. When you sing loud and When working on register blending low on the word ‘hey’, see if you can feel some the goal is to have an even sound up sensation in the front of your larynx. Then sing and down your range instead of two a really high note on the sound ‘oo’, sounding different sounds—your lower, heavy like a little bird. You should be able to feel sound and your higher, lighter sound. some muscle action in the back of your larynx. Here’s another way to visualize this: Instead of black on the bottom and white on top, aim for grey on ALL of Into The Blender... your notes, low, middle and high. Focus Rather than focus on where your voice breaks, on each note having it’s own blend that lifts or passagi (different words for the same changes as you go up and down. things), I choose to focus on how to blend the This approach not only helps take two muscle actions. Here’s how to blend: the fear out of singing higher but keeps 1. Imagine that every note you sing is a you in the driver’s seat by showing blend of ‘front muscle’ and ‘back muscle’ how to feel your registers rather than sensations. relying on feeling the effects of registers (meaning vibration in your head or 2. For every note you sing higher, stretch chest). Now you can go to where the and thin your vocal cord more and for every note you sing lower, imagine shortening action really is—inside your voice-box. Let the and thickening your cord. exquisite muscular dance begin. 3. As you sing higher, make sure to add upper belly support , pushing gently OUT with the center spot of your upper belly. Keep thinning your cords as you go up. Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice is creator of the Voiceworks® Method and the Total Singer 4. Practice sirens up and down your range on different vowels (ee, ay, ah, oh, oo) Instructional DVD. www.popeil.com 800-BEL- VOCE. [email protected].
www.iLiveToPlay.net 3 3 singer&musicianuniversity “Diversify.”
By Randall W i l l i a m s
t’s not easy to be a full- When you’re married with children, you can’t special, and also so they’re not forced to rely on drive around the country, sleep on couches, one thing for income. Diversifying your income time musician, and it’s a and take poor-paying gigs. I work with artists empowers you to turn down the shows that you to examine what other skills they have, and probably shouldn’t be taking anyway. Plus, tough road to get there. capitalize on those.” running around taking every gig you can is a I great recipe for burn-out. There’s no pre-fab success Who would have thought… Kari suggested other ways to diversify, too: roadmap that works for Kari said something really interesting. She “Capitalize on your particular skills,” she said. talked about creative diversity, but it seemed to “Some people do publicity, accounting, or everyone, but there is one go hand in hand with generating diverse sources radio promotion for other artists. Or find a niche bit of advice that is just as of income. market such as a concert series for the elderly in “I had a client who won the John Lennon your state and get a grant for it.” applicable to musicians as it Songwriting Contest,” Kari said. “But while She brought her point home with the is to corporate moguls and working on her second CD, the songs just example of how she came to produce a concert weren’t gelling. I realized she was still too close for Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie. “Although I corn farmers: Diversification to the subject matter, trying to put too much was a successful Boston concert promoter in emotion into rhymes. I suggested that she write my own right, out-of-town promoters coming to is vital. her songs as stories. The end result was a book, Boston used to hire me to cater,” she began. “I a play, a collection of one-act plays, and a CD. made great connections that way. I catered a gig Diversification means not putting all your She developed her voice as a writer and became eggs in one basket, all your money in one for Pete and Arlo once, and was asked to write a playwright and an author in addition to being Pete’s bio for that show. I had no idea how hard company’s stock, or the same crop in the same a musician.” field every year. It also means that musicians it would be, so I agreed.” Afterwards his wife In this case, artistic diversity spawned Toshi remarked that it was the best bio they’d who do only one thing are going to have a hard financial diversity. “Three to seven hundred dollars time building a successful career. had in a while, and Howard Leventhal dropped may be standard for a concert,” Kari said, “but a her a note shortly afterwards asking Kari to There are lots of really talented musicians play might bring in five to out there and you might be better produce their next concert at Symphony Hall! than some or even all of them. But what makes Learn how to capitalize you unique? Why are you going to get hired on your skills as you for a gig over two- dozen others? And how are work toward your you going to get enough work to goal of making a leave the day job behind and decent living doing do what you love full-time? what you love to do. Let’s ask Kari I put these But what if you think you can’t do anything questions to else but play music? somebody who knows: “If you can’t do anything but music, then Kari Estrin. Kari’s been in f i f t e e n do it the best you can,” Kari says. “Maybe you’ll the business for more than hundred.” be able to play full-time and find somebody else 20 years, promoting and managing “A lot of to do all the other stuff, or maybe you’ll have to internationally, and offering customized career people don’t think they get a part-time job that allows you the flexibility consulting for artists. Kari spelled out the need have anything to offer,” she continued, “but to travel when you need to and take the shows to diversify income streams as well as the need often they do. Lots of artists have unique skills you want to play.” to diversify artistically. that they don’t capitalize on. Heck, Christine Personally, I’d say if you think you can’t “Diversity means not just relying on one Lavin used to twirl a baton on stage. And Kami do anything else, you should look harder. Or facet of what you can do,” she said. “Typically, Lyle plays the trumpet.” maybe you should call Kari. Kari Estrin Management: www.kariestrin.com musicians experience this when they learn a Capitalize on your skills You can reach Randall Williams at randall@ new instrument because the band needs it, or Adding a workshop into a weekend tour iLivetoPlay.net when they become their own booking agent schedule is a great way to diversify, as is because nobody else is.” teaching. Kari was clear that musicians need to “But as you get older, the stakes change. stand out from the crowd by offering something www.iLiveToPlay.net
3 4 singer&musician October 2006 singer&musician university askthecoach Sing From The What? ost people diaphragm). This is best achieved two ways: 1. By aligning the body properly to best aren’t in touch free up the support system muscles from constraint and over control so with how the that they may react reflexively. Posture M is key. diaphragm and the other 2. By learning how to warm-up in a way breathing muscles actually that will activate and develop the support system muscles to re-act in operate and are still connection to singing. This includes convinced that they’re the diaphragm all the way down to the lower abdominal muscles just above singing from it because the groin. they were told to do so I like exercises that stimulate and develop coordination directly related to somewhere along the line. singing. Those include tongue-rolling, lip- rolling exercises (when taught correctly), and When I’m quizzing a singer, I love to hear certain full-range tone exercises designed to just how many clichés and misunderstood give a singer a tour of the complete range of ideas they’ve picked up along the way about motion in their support system muscles. I’m singing. When I ask them, “Where is it we’re not a fan of arbitrary breathing exercises like supposed to sing from?” I get responses the “pant like a dog” exercise, or the “lie on like “Sing from the heart. Or is it the gut? the floor and put books on your abdomen or Or could it be the head? Can we really sing chest” exercise, or the “shouting” exercises from our toes? How about our privates?” seen in a lot of contemporary voice schools. I love these responses and personally They are, supposedly, designed to stimulate think they’re all correct in their own way, but the diaphragm but in my opinion are good the most common answer is, of course, “sing for little more than giving the singer a sore from the diaphragm.” throat. The diaphragm is a large horizontal I believe in a general truth about the muscle dividing the abdominal cavity support system: “Where you are in your from the upper respiratory cavity. It does range is where you are in your support not function on it’s own but is assisted by system.” This means that as you sing high the abdominal muscles, back muscles and you’ll be using the upper support muscles intercostal muscles that control the ribs. more naturally (to comfortably generate Singers who are capable of coordinating more air) and the lower muscles when all of these muscles to work harmoniously singing lower (to produce a non-pushed in a reflex manner have the most flexibility, lower air quantity). This general rule can be range, tonal color and control. overturned, but if your body is aligned well, you’ll be amazed at how comfortably this So how’s it done? falls into place. This alignment is achieved The biggest problem with breath control through an understanding of posture. is the idea of separating it from the all-at-once The idea of a performance is to go on activity of singing. Singing is coordination. an emotional ride and take along any brave It’s about connecting the dots of breath, soul open-hearted enough to follow. There is resonance placement, pressure in the throat, no other true singing goal. Let the emotion musicality and acting abilities. Breath is just dictate the tone and the tone will dictate the one of the dots, but it’s a big dot. We call breath. Then you are truly singing from the breath control in singing “support.” That’s heart. And ultimately, that is the place to be what the breath must do—support the tone. singing from. What’s important to understand is that the tone dictates the support. This means that each type of tone you sing has a slightly iLiveToPlay.net different air requirement from another. A For more on the importance of posture high note requires more air than a low note, in developing breath control and support, as an airy note needs more air than a non-airy well as an explantion of the “Open Rib Cage” one, etc. You are not fast enough to be down technique, access the “Online Exclusives” in your support system dictating the amount section in the Singer&Musician subscriber- of air needed for every note. If you try you only section at www.iLiveToPlay.net will undoubtedly become a pushy singer. What you want instead is to develop Breck Alan has studied, taught and great reflexes in the muscles involved in engaged in the act of singing for more than breath control (all of them, not just the 20 years.
36 singer&musician October 2006 Coverartist
songwriter, you can go up to Nashville and make and war and peace came to me. Not just the war Angie Aparo a good living. But without really going after [a of nations, but internal conflicts, relationships... continued from page 15 career as a songwriter], I don’t know how many So the whole second record came from that one someone of your stature, but would you wanna “Cry”-type hits you’re gonna get. I think being line, and the third record deals with love and do something together?” He said yeah. a songwriter will allow me to take more risks unity, and the inspiration for that came from a as a performer, but I don’t know, because I’m song on the first EP called “Only.” So in a weird not making a conscious effort to get cuts. But way the first EP gave birth to these other two The success Faith had with “Cry” must have it definitely allows you to make decisions like, records. The whole idea of conceptual works given you some financial freedom. Has your “Well, I don’t really want a label right now...” has sort of gotten lost in the age of digital music. success as a songwriter made it easier for you to So it all goes back to the idea of being free as take a more independent road as a performer? an artist, and wanting to remind myself that the You’ve just released the first of three planned best art comes when you’re not worrying about Yeah, I think so. I’m living in Atlanta, but EPs. What’s the concept behind them? the business side of things. sm I’ve been going to Nashville every couple of I was writing songs for the first EP, and there months. I’d never co-written a song before I Subscribe to Angie Aparo’s weekly podcast started meeting all these unbelievably wonderful was a line in “Spider Song” that says, “We all need our enemies.” That just sat in the back of at www.angieaparo.com and be listening for writers, and it’s good for me because I’ve Angie’s latest release on iRadio: All Indies, All found a community up there. If you’re a good my head for a while, and the more I thought about it, the more these songs about conflict Day – at www.iLiveToPlay.net
Featured Artist During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Calvin B. Streets grew up amongst the angst, broken glass and sharp edges of the Brooklyn streets he was named after. He learned early on that life is filled with sharp edges and broken glass, and that, to survive, you have to find a soft spot every now and again. This was no place for the faint of heart. This is evident by his angry, and at the same time sensitive and emotional, no holds barred style of rockin’ blues, as well as the artistry of the guitar that Mr. Streets embodies. The feelings of those sharp edges and broken glass, concrete and brick streets along with the hope and despair that is the mortar that binds is almost unparalleled in the blues genre. His city influenced style of blues, mixed with equal parts of his childhood guitar heroes, makes his unique style recognizable. His ability to write and perform original blues and ragtime tunes make him a truly unique American composer.This break out solo album covers the blues genre from rippin’, rockin’ blues to Delta Blues, where it all started. This is truly a blues guitar album. And watch out for the Christmas 2006 release of the blues classic (an advance copy of which is on this album) “I Wanna Have A C h r i s t m a s ” G o to CDBABY.com and pick up a copy today.
www.iLiveToPlay.net 3 7 Singer&Musician’s Mall Classifieds
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In addition to the big names in the film, you spent some time with a handful of unknowns. Is your perspective that people are returning to playing music for the love of it? Shapter: I think so, definitely and the point of those little musical segues was to remind people of just that. There is so much joy to be found in music for music’s sake that you get disconnected from if all you are plugged into is the Clear Channel, pre-packaged sugarcoated stuff. I have to think that with the audiences that we are interacting with and the feedback that we are getting, that there is a huge hunger for just that. The biggest challenge for a lot of people is that they don’t know where to go to find music.
Were aspiring musicians talking to you out of their love of music or because they thought it would be their ticket to being discovered? Rasmussen: We definitely got both. There were people who understood what we were trying to say with the film and then we had musicians who saw the film and still didn’t get the message and wanted us to be their big break or wanting us to put them in touch with someone, not getting at all the message of the film that you are your big break, there is no one else that’s going to do that for you. That’s the new reality of the market. sm
38 singer&musician October 2006 www.iLiveToPlay.net 3 9 tools thegoodies&thegadgets
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MYbackpage It’s Not a Competition, Right? B y J a k e K e l l y
love a great fight. for the soul. Therefore, we choose not only to the award shows, and the battle of the bands, go up some tributary from which to draw our this is not a competition. Though it sure feels hydration, but occasionally even go as far as like it at times. Like when you’re the opening digging our own well. And when our buckets act and not allowed to go above a certain db I arise, we drink with gusto and let the excess level in your show, one might have a strong spill about us. Then we expound upon (to argument that it is a competition after all. When For the most part I’m a pacifist so it’s not the heavy weight championship that I’m after. On those that are willing to listen) the virtues of the the drummer has to set up his kit and the last the other hand, there’s nothing more engaging pureness and maybe even the natural minerals floor tom is in an area that most would consider than engaging (is that one too many engagings?) that permeate our water, and how holier we are backstage, it might feel so. in a heated debate, particularly over music and than thou. Here are a few the pursuit of art. These are debates that I love Then there’s John Lennon, more examples: to—dare I say it—engage in. Some might say who I love to quote. One Suddenly, I was • No sound check. I’m a passionate person, others would say I’m of the lyrics I’m most often • No stage-hands for just a ... liable to quote is “love, love, asked why did your gear. But I’m getting off my point. love.” • You pay full price at There is certainly music that I like and But the other night, over I tout “love, the bar. other music that I do not. Generally, I would many beers, while touting the • Worthless songs think that readers of this magazine are the kind clarity of the waters in which I love, love” when get airplay, but yours independent artists that find the mainstream not only drank, but swam in, I don’t. to be a somewhat polluted source of nutrition happened into a discourse on my heart was Should I go on? the music The best doesn’t i n d u s t r y always win—the and several so clearly filled best singers don’t get of the acts contracts, the best that lie with hatred. songs don’t get cut, w i t h i n . the best music doesn’t I’m not sure but I might— get heard—and i’m sure you’re asking yourself, might—have used profanity “Why?” and perhaps—perhaps— Because it’s not a competition—artistically, questioned the intelligence anyway. But, ask yourself, “do you make art or do of the radio listening public. you make a product?” If you ever wondered why I most certainly vilified those a great demo got passed on, while someone less acts that I find to be the worthy (in your eyes) got picked up, it’s because worst dispensers of heroin to the label thought they could make money off the children. Oops, I mean that act. It’s not that their music was better, it’s dispensers of meaningless, that the label felt they could make money off nutritionless ear candy to the that “product”. masses. I’ve seen several songwriters, singers and Suddenly, I was asked bands make calculated decisions to appeal why did I tout “love, love, to the people that can get them in front of the love” when my heart was so masses. Some of these people are friends of clearly filled with hatred. mine, and I’m not just talking about people I can Well, after I gave that use. While I may disagree with their approach to witch her deserved tongue making a living making music, I still like them as lashing, I started to think people (or perhaps, friends I haven’t been able about it and I came to a to use yet). surprising conclusion. The Love, love, love. truth is that I don’t hate these Okay, I’m trying really hard not to hate those so-called artists. I just hate who have had commercial success with music their music. that I don’t like. And it’s really a challenge. But, see, there I go getting Maybe it’s because they know something I off the point again. The point don’t know. is that, contrary to the charts, Maybe it is a competition. sm
4 2 singer&musician October 2006