Great Performances #21
January 30, 2009
Here is a hard swinging rendition of “Bolivia” played by Freddie Hubbard who, unfortunately, left us in December last year. Thanks for all the great music, Freddie.
Enjoy
January 30, 2009
Here is a hard swinging rendition of “Bolivia” played by Freddie Hubbard who, unfortunately, left us in December last year. Thanks for all the great music, Freddie.
Enjoy
January 29, 2009
Dear Musicians,
When it comes to recording music on the go, spontaneity is one of the key elements to capturing an inspired performance. Whether you are jamming with friends or just playing alone at home, there is always a chance that you will hit upon a musical idea that you will want to preserve so you can work on it in more detail later. This could be a riff, a chord progression or maybe even just a lead line that you think would fit in well with one of your compositions.
As with most musical ideas, for those of use who don’t have total recall the most important thing is to get it down on tape as soon as possible in order to make sure that the essence of the sound is captured before it flits out of your brain and heads back to wherever it came from.
Even though the number of affordable, compact stereo recorders has greatly increased in the past few years, Belkin has decided to take things a step further in terms of convenience and release a product which makes use of a piece of gear almost every person in love with music already has with them at all times – an iPod. The device is only compatible with some of the iPod models so make sure to check out the Web site for details. The Belkin GoStudio is sort of like a docking station for an iPod, and it includes a pair of condenser mics located on either side and which can be rotated forwards and backwards in order to direct them towards the sound source. The GoStudio uses the iPod’s digital storage space to save music as 16-bit WAV files, which are easy enough to pull off the music player with iTunes onto any PC or Mac. A pair of XLR jacks lets you plug in your own mics if you have them available, and there is even a little speaker for instant playback gratification – although better sound quality can be found from the iPod’s standard headphones.
The Belkin GoStudio chunks up the iPod to a degree, doubling the length of the device when the two are mated together. However, on its own it is small enough to be conveniently slipped into a pocked or backpack. At around $120, the GoStudio makes a great choice for musicians who never want to miss out on the possibilities offered by a great tune jumping into their brain from the ether.
January 22, 2009
Dear Musicians,
We place a lot of guitar- and piano-vocalists on cruise ships and thus it happens quite often that we come across demos of entertainers that are missing that certain “je ne sais quoi”. Some entertainers choose to use the most basic midi setups to run their sequences and thus can’t manage to create an exciting sound. One of our musicians recently pointed out a gadget that thoroughly impressed me. It’s called the VoiceTone Harmony G (for guitarists) or M (for keyboard players), made by a company called TC-Helicon.
This machine instantly creates harmonies based on your voice and the chord progressions you’re playing. Check out the video below for a demonstration.
Here the demo for the guitar version of this gadget.
We don’t get paid by this company to advertise this, we merely think that this is a quick and easy way to stand apart and to add some excitement to your performances.
Let us know how you like it.
January 21, 2009
Dear Musicians,
We are always looking for cover bands that play great music and are fun to watch. One problem some of the cover bands run into is the size of their lineup. Some of these bands are used to playing for corporate events where they’re asked to perform as a 6-, 7-, or even a 12-piece band. Cruise lines, however, have a different set of challenges to consider and thus prefer smaller lineups.
Cruise lines will fly musicians to the ship and back home after the gig. In order to keep costs down, they prefer not to fly 12-piece bands around the world. Similarly, a limited amount of cabins will be assigned to the entertainment department on ships which limits the amount of musicians they can sign-on.
The sweet spot for cover bands is 4-piece. Ideally, the lead vocalist would play an instrument as well which makes for a bigger sound and more versatility. 5-piece bands are also hired, but only by a few cruise lines. If you apply as a 4-piece you will maximize your chances of getting a gig.
Some 4-piece bands are using pre-recorded tracks for some songs to make sure that vital aspects of the songs aren’t lost because you cut your band down to 4 people. These tracks can easily be run off an ipod or any other type of playback device.
Keep these tips in mind when you’re planning your application and feel free to contact us for more information.
Oceanbound Entertainment Inc.
450-714-0964
January 6, 2009
Dear musicians,
It’s a new year, and you may be thinking about where to get gigs. If you are interested in gigs on cruise ships, start by visiting Oceanbound Entertainment Inc. where you’ll find all kinds of information. This newsletter may be helpful as well.
Good luck.
