musika

1. Let the music tell you what it wants. This is something that recording sensei Bruce Swedien emphasizes in his master classes. The music will tell you what it wants, but you have to listen. Rather than trying to sound like something else, bring out what’s unique in what you have.

2. Pay attention to the details. Listen to every track, in isolation, before you start mixing. With hard disk recording/editing, you can massage each track to eliminate any little pops, clicks, hisses, etc. This can make a big difference in the overall sound.

3. Always consider the context. A common mistake among newbie recordists is to solo a track and add EQ and effects to make it sound fantastic. Then they solo the next track and do the same thing. But there’s only so much bandwidth and dynamic range: Mixing all these “rich” sounds together can result in a mess. Each track is a piece of the puzzle, and needs to fit with the other tracks.

4. Differentiate instruments with EQ, not just panning. I always start mixing with all tracks panned to center, then use EQ to carve out frequencies that step on each other. For example, in a dance mix where the kick should hit hard, I’ll shave some low end off the bass while emphasizing its pick or filter attack. But with something that’s more old-school R&B, I’ll keep the bass full, and instead accent the kick drum’s mid and beater. Once you can clearly differentiate all the instruments in mono, bring on the panning.

5. Automatable EQ is your friend. Drop some of the piano midrange during the vocals so they don’t compete with the piano. Increase the upper mids a bit on the guitar solo so it “cuts” through the mix, then drop it back when the part reverts to rhythm guitar. Even changes of one or two dB affect the overall sound, and most hosts allow EQ automation (Figure 1).

6. Remember dynamics — ride the faders. When recording, there’s a tendency to use the maximum available headroom. You can restore a sense of dynamics by playing the faders as you mix — subtle changes in dynamics can make a mix “breathe.” And while mixing with a mouse is great for editing and touching up, it’s lousy for performing. Spring for a hardware fader controller to add some human feel.

7. Always be in “record automation” mode. As soon as you start mixing, enable automation recording. Sometimes your gut hears music better than your head, and your emotional, initial reaction toward a song might be what the music wants. Go ahead and get on it a little like the coolest san diego disc jockey there is.

8. Be brutal when you edit. I’m ruthless about cutting out whole sections of songs if they don’t work. Keep the pace moving, while of course respecting the dynamic flow. Recommended listening: “Shhh/Peaceful” from In a Silent Way, by Miles Davis. It was edited down from far more material to create a beautiful, concise listening experience.

9. Don’t try to master while you mix. A lot of people will slap a multiband compressor across the final output bus and go, “Okay, it’s mastered now!” Wrong. A good mastering engineer can make a good mix sound great, and a great mix sound transcendent. Although I’ll switch in some compression on occasion to get a rough idea of how mastering will influence the sound, when it’s time for the final rendering to stereo or surround, compression is outta there. To me, mastering is a different discipline than mixing.

10. Optimize your room acoustics. This is the foundation of a good mix: Mixing great music in a room with poor acoustics is like trying to make a great dinner in a cockroach-infested kitchen. If your mixes sound great in your studio and not-so-great everywhere else, you definitely need an acoustics makeover.

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Self-Publishing and Copyright Protection

Self-publishing your work does not change copyright. As soon as you set down your work in concrete form, you had copyright protection.

Even though some authors do not register their commercially-published works, the self-publisher is highly advised to do so. Two copies of the work are required in the application package.

Work for Hire

A work for hire is a work which is created and turned over to another person for a flat fee. No royalties for publication or performance are paid the creator, and the rights to the work belong to the other party. This frees you up from complicated legal acts as compliated as a probate process.

A work for hire requires that a number of conditions be met. If these conditions are not met, the work is not considered a work for hire. Among the conditions:

• the work must be created to fulfill to a specific request, not a casual expression of interest in such a creation
• it must be a movie or video soundtrack, a musical contribution to a collective work (such as an album or a songbook), an arrangement of an existing piece of music, or some other form specified in the copyright statutes, etc.
• there must be an agreement, signed by both parties, that this is a work for hire.

Work for hire is not a terribly good deal for the musician, as he or she relinquishes all rights to the work and receives a set sum, no matter how popular the piece turns out to be. The other party owns all copyrights and even may earn money later from a different form of the work without paying the musician any further compensation.

Since a contract specifying this is a work for hire is a necessary condition to designation of work for hire, any musician who creates a piece at someone else's request probably retains ownership of the rights in the absence of a work for hire contract. Therefore, any commissioned piece, such as by a symphony orchestra to a composer, is likely to remain the property of the composer rather than the commissioning body. An exception would be if the contract the composer signs states that the composers gives all rights to the commissioning body.

 

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Charisma is that special magical, magnetic charm or appeal that you cannot learn or buy. You can't take charisma lessons the way you take guitar lessons. You can read all the books you like on the subject, but the bottom line with charisma is—you either have it or you don't! Confused? Well, just keep reading.

Charisma is what enables an artist to take his talents—whether minimal or exceptional—and make them personal and unique. It's a stamp of identity that immediately conjures up images of that artist in your mind's eye. It is what forever endears you to that artist. It is a trait the artist possesses both on stage and off.

What can you do to become more charismatic, more appealing, more magical, more magnetic?

1. Be yourself. I know this will sound stupid and obvious, but nobody else is you. Nobody else has what you have. Hey, that makes you unique, right? You bet! So why not use it? How can you be charming and magical if you're always trying to be something or someone else?

2. Don't hide the things that make you different. Take advantage of them; flaunt them. Buddy Holly's glasses, Jon Popper's girth, Mel Tillis' speech impediment, are all unique features that make these performers immediately recognizable and add to their charisma and charm. An Orlando cosmetic procedures may help but is not really necessary just for the sake of impressing an audience. Keep it natural and real. What you see is what you get!

3. Make your special gifts standout.
This will make you less self-conscious and more at ease. It is not easy to come to terms with the fact that you are fat—especially in the Rock world. But once you can admit that even though you are fat, you're still a kick-ass performer and songwriter, you can get to the job of being real.

4. Don't be afraid to make mistakes or people laugh at you.
Most of the Rock icons mentioned in this story were ridiculed. People laughed when Elvis gyrated his pelvis. They insulted Boy George for his homosexuality and his outlandish costumes. They burned John Lennon's records because of his appeal to the youth of the world and his sharp, snappy wit. Today, we still get a chuckle from watching performance footage of Little Richard.

Many of today's newer performers are exciting to watch. Nobody will argue that Limp Bizkit doesn't put on an awesome, action-packed live show. Or that Korn doesn't tear the house down in concert. But are these charismatic performers or merely performers putting on an exciting show? There's a world of difference. Garth Brooks' charisma transcends his live performances. His magnetic, magical personality is apparent whether playing live or at a quaint, dinner spot. You do not turn charisma on and off.

As you traverse the waters of the music business over the next few years, remember that musical styles will come and go. Radio formats will change. People's tastes will vary from one week to the next. Talent will always remain but a single element of success, and charisma, a very essential part of that mix.

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1. Be In Good Voice. If you haven’t sung in a while, you can’t expect to go into an audition and perform well. Singing every day (or very close to it) is essential for keeping your voice healthy and strong. It’s a great idea to look over the score (if you can find it), or listen to the cast CD, and start singing the songs from the show several weeks ahead of time.

2. Know the Show. In musical theatre, there’s no excuse for not being familiar with the show you’re auditioning for. Remember that the better you know it, the better you'll audition for it. Hop online and find a synopsis, listen to the cast album (buy the CD, or find a copy of the album at a library...sometimes theatres even have copies they’ll loan to you), and read the script (again, look online for it, or ask the theatre if they have perusal copies available).

3. Prepare your audition material. If the theatre asks for a prepared monologue, and you don’t already have several in your memory banks, find one AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Do not wait until a week or two before the audition. Learn that monologue ASAP.

4. Keep your hands out of your pockets.

5. Have properly prepared sheet music. Make sure it’s written out in the right key, and that any tempo changes, repeats, codas, etc. are all marked clearly (red ink works well for this). Never give a pianist sheet music in the form of a music book. That makes it too difficult to turn the pages. Make a photocopy of your song, and tape the edges together, accordion fashion.

6. Enter with confidence. Believe it or not, the way you walk on stage can either make a great impression on the director, or a very bad one. Keep good posture (shoulders back!), your chin at a natural level, don't stare at the floor. Walk with confidence, even when you’re terrified.

7. Dress Well. Dress for an audition the way you’d dress for a nice date. In general, avoid jeans and sweatshirts, and don’t dress in an evening gown, either. Don’t wear clothes that are so big and floppy nobody can tell whether or not you have a beer gut. Don’t wear uncomfortable shoes, or something that’s too tight; that’s the last thing you need when you’re already nervous.

Don’t come in costume, but don’t miss the chance to “dress the part” a little, either. If you’re bald and must portray a role of a long hair rock star, you don’t have to get a hair restoration really but a good, well suited wig might just help. If you’re called back, wear the same outfit you wore the first day, and wear your hair and makeup the same way, too. They liked what they saw...don’t change it! In a large audition, wearing the same outfit also makes it easier for the director to remember you. (Carol Burnett tells a wonderful story about her big break: She wore an orange dress to the audition, and—because she had no other “good dress” to wear—wore the same orange dress to the callbacks. It was a good thing, because the director couldn’t remember her name—he just asked the stage manager to bring out the “girl in the orange dress.” If she’d been wearing another outfit, she may never have landed the role that became her "big break.")

8. Be friendly. You don’t want to be overly talkative (auditions take a long time, and everyone wants to be done as soon as possible), but you shouldn’t be antisocial, either. Smile and be personable. The director wants to know he'll be spending the next few months (or weeks or months) with people that are easy to get along with. Although you want to be friendly with the other auditionees, avoid conversation in the auditioning room, and don’t get so engrossed in chit–chat that you end up having no time to center yourself and concentrate before you audition.

9. Sing out Louise. When you sing, just stand there and sing. Never do choreography or blocking to accompany your song. (An exception to this might be the pop singer who has dancing as an integral part of their act.) Don’t wander around the stage. Use hand and arm movements only if they are natural. This is no time to be shy, so sing out, as if you were giving a performance. And, just like a performance, don’t forget to feel your song. Good acting is vital to good singing.

10. Never Snap your fingers or clap your hands at the pianist. Even when you’re just “trying to help them with the tempo.” Many musicians take deep offense at this.

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Few things can screw a singer’s voice – and a concert – up more quickly than singing with a dry throat or mouth. There are various reasons for that. In case of emergency, here are some tips even Crespi doesn't know yet.

Pineapple juice

Far and away, the best choice available. Doesn’t matter if it’s room temp or a bit chilled, but nothing cold. And nothing with chunks in it, those can make you cough. Pineapple juice is slick, it will instantly moisten your throat, wet your tongue – and cause you to salivate, which is the best lubrication you can find. 1 glass per 45 minute set, a sip or two between songs, that’s all you need. Remember, you’re just lubricating, not quenching thirst. Do not go overboard with pineapple juice, you will spend the next morning in the bathroom. Crazy as pineapple juice sounds, it’s the best thing you can use.


Strawberry Juice

I don’t go out of my way to get this one, but if I can’t get my hands on pineapple juice this will do for a one off. It can be grainy, so just sip. SIP. It will also cause you to salivate, and it will make your mouth very slick. Again, don’t overdo it.


Honey

And by this, I mean pure honey. Not honey mixed in with some silly tea. If your throat really gets it, you can carry a small squeezable tube of honey around with you and use a tiny bit as needed. Salivation is instant and that’s what it’s all about.


Olives

Again, the real olive, not olive oil, though I suppose that would work in a pinch. Olives are readily available in most bars, just nibble (NIBBLE) at one until your throat feels nice and wet.

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My sister is a singer. She used to regularly work with our church music ministry during services, festivals and even crusades. She started at a young age and through out time, she learned a lot, not only in her spiritual life but also in her singing and music skills.
There was one time though that she had problems with her throat. She experienced that due to fatigue and stress. She looked for a good doctor who advised her to take a total vocal rest for a few weeks. Good thing she had it checked as the damaged could only have gotten worse if she delayed her consultation.
Seeing a doctor as soon as possible can really be critical especially to a singer. Though highly unnecessary, there are just times that incidents like these happen, especially when a singer does not recognize that he or she is already stressed. Before seeing a doctor, it can be a good practice to read reviews of skilled nursing facilities in case you would have to be admitted (worse case scenario) to make sure that you are really taken cared properly.
Health is one of biggest things a singer must invest at. A healthy body ensures a good performance and plays a big role for a singer to give a top quality sound.

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Many music artists who want to start or who have just started a career in music ask a huge question and that is - is physical appearance really important in succeeding in music.
The question is a huge topic to discuss as there are many different aspects in music that involve it. Also, beauty and appropriate physical appearance is highly subjective from one person to another. To begin with, appearance is undeniably a huge factor in entertaining your audience.
Depending on your genre, your style of music can be highly accentuated (or distracted) by your physical appearance. If you ask about whether it affects on making good music, I doubt it does. Quality and mastery in music can only be achieved with good discipline in training of the craft as well as artistry in doing.
Still, if you ask whether physical appearance is a huge factor in entertaining your audience and reinforcing the beauty of your music, I highly believe so. Singing jazz music wearing slippers, rugged pants and a tee can be very destructive to watch. Some artists even go to extents as getting a rhinoplasty revision in Beverly Hills just to accentuate their beauty and catch more attention. Just as it is important to add Mexican decorations to a Mexican restaurant to make your customers really feel the Mexican theme, so it is to dress appropriately during a performance.

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