Recording your amp at home - Part 1: Gear
In
this day and age, it is no longer necessary to go to your local studio
in order to do some quality guitar tracking. Sure, they have lots of
expensive gear and much more recording experience, but with some time,
patience, and money (trust me, not a lot of money!), you will be well on
your way towards learning how to capture those amazing tones you've
been coaxing out of your setup. READ MORE!
New Age Instrumental Review: Steven Vitali-Language of the Soul
Release Date: June
10, 2013
Label: Vitali
Music Entertainment Corporation / Dream Music Publishing
Steven
Vitali began his musical journey with an upright piano and a dream. Thirty five
years later he is still making music and sharing his gift of emotionally
intuitive soundscapes. In his album Language
of the Soul, Vitali has seventeen original instrumental pieces he composed,
arranged and produced himself. Each one holds a resonance of time, space and
memories reaching out to the listener, providing a tranquil moment in a hectic
world.
“Everything Happens for a Reason” was a piece inspired by
Vitali’s friend Larry Dunn. Elegant keyboard fans out and encapsulates the
musical landscape. Electronic elements span out across the background, bleeding
into the picture like a watercolor stretching across a paper canvas. Rife with
color and texture, this piece is joyful and spontaneous. Vocals pop in at the
last segment of the song, highlighted with glittering percussion. The
composition and arrangement of this piece is very well done and it captured my attention
immediately.
“A Sign of the Dragon” begins with a foreboding Asian
flare. Like the soundtrack for a beautifully costumed drama set in the Far East
in the time of ninjas and warring dynasties, this piece holds wisps of the
past. Electronic keyboard components pop and bring the track back to modern
times. Chanting and a spiraling percussive element add layers and complexity to
the song. Sounds of wind, water and elemental magic stir the imagination as the
listener bear witness to the mystery and majesty of a being lost in the mists
of time. If you listen closely, you can hear the brush of the dragon’s wings.
“Hope’s Theme” was written in memory of Vitali’s dog, Hope. Keyboards send the song whirling to life with a light romping arrangement. A dog lover myself, I can see the feeling he had for his furry child in every note. From the ethereal twinkle of the bells, to the voices calling out love and greetings from behind the veil, the piece also calls back the times of playful wandering. The simple things are the ones we miss when they’re gone. The velvet touches of a dog’s face as she lays her cheek against yours at night. The soulful eyes that see into your soul and love you even on your worst day. Those are the moments frozen in time…in memories. This song brings back Hope and I can see her bounding along having a carefree moment in the company of her master. Those are the times that make life worth living.
Steven Vitali has a way of grasping the emotional energy
of a memory or situation and giving it life within a few notes of
well-orchestrated music. Language of the
Soul is exactly what the title claims it to be. This album is a window to
the inner life of an artist. Instruments include keyboards, piano, guitar,
drums and percussion. From a song for a
friend to memories of his mother and canine companion, this album is a relaxing
soundscape of eloquently put together electronic sound and classical
improvisation. I enjoyed it immensely and it is a perfect way to end a very
busy day.
4/5
Stars
Key
Tracks: Everything Happens for a Reason, A Sign of the Dragon, Hope’s Theme
Tracks:
01.Everything Happens for a Reason
02.Guitar of Soul
03.Stephanie
04.Be the Miracle
05.Creative Soul
06.Human Race Humanity a Runner in Motion
07.A Sign of the Dragon
08.Forever Germaine
09.Soul and the Senses
10.Maritime Shores
11.Red Piano
12.Believe
13.Soul Healing
14.Tomorrow Starts Here
15.My Father My Prayer
16.Hope's Theme
17.Piano in Paris
Dana
Wright, Sr. Staff Writer
July 18, 2014
Review
Provided By New Age Music Reviews
Get Your Song Ideas from Symphonic and Heavy Metal Music
Russ Suereth
Last
week we discussed getting music ideas from new age and ambient music. This week
we’ll discuss getting ideas from symphonic music and heavy metal.
It’s
hard to find two types of music that are more different from each other than heavy
metal and symphonic music. But they are also similar, because both can excel at
musical passages that are simple and hard to get out of your head.
Case
in point is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. Written around 1805, this
composition starts with the famous ta-ta-ta-daa, ta-ta-ta-daa. These eight
notes are part of our ordinary music knowledge, and have been used by modern
groups such as the Electric Light Orchestra.
The
point here is that these eight simple notes can be used as a basis for your
eight-note or ten-note hook. Sometimes it’s the simple things that are
memorable and that catch a person’s ear.
The
same goes for heavy metal music. There have been a lot of great hooks in heavy
metal for years. Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album is full of powerful hooks. For
instance, the beginning of the song “Ironman” has a great guitar hook that
feels like a giant metallic beast stomping across the countryside. That piece
still makes me smile today.
Other
heavy metal examples, of course, can be found in Led Zeppelin tunes. The song “Good
Times Bad Times” starts off with a great riff from Jimmy Page that is simple and
memorable.
Just
because Beethoven and Page were, and are, great artists does not mean you
should be intimidated. Just focus on the notes, and forget the rest of the
song, and everything else. Start playing some notes on the keyboard or the
guitar, and find something you like and that sounds catchy. Keep it simple. And
then embellish it a little with your style and tone. Or embellish it a lot. It’s
your riff!
New Age Instrumental/Solo Piano Review: Roger Davidson-Temple of the Soul: Rhapsodies & Meditations for Solo Piano
Release Date: June
10, 2014
Label: Soundbrush
Records
People
like Roger Davidson receive a gift from a higher power or a superior intelligence
at a very early age. At four years old he was drawn to the piano and began
playing and improvising. He continues on to this day bringing the solace and
joy of the ivory keys through his compositions.
The recently released Temple
of the Soul: Rhapsodies & Meditations for Solo Piano is a gorgeous
collection of solo piano works. The tracks range from classical to new age and on
to jazz-infused piano throughout, in any combination of all the genres. This is
an album that eases your mind, body and spirit. Yes, the triangle of life
receives a surge of energy by absorbing this powerful yet serene music.
On the artist website it states the following: The solo
piano pieces on this CD show what happens when Roger, in a reflective mood,
simply lays his hands on the keys. The influences of a lifetime flow through
him. You may hear nods to Gershwin, Jobim, and Ravel, and to the wealth of
styles he has absorbed in his travels. The album, he says, is “not just a
journey of the spirit; it’s an intuitive journey around the world. When you
have the right color and the right kind of brush to express a feeling or a
quality of life, it instinctively comes up and becomes part of the fabric of
each piece.”
That puts everything into proper perspective. The
simplicity of one man sitting at a piano and creating such beauty is a wonder
to me. I listen to many forms of music and some of it is very complex. This
kind of experience allows you to appreciate artistry in its finest form. You
bear witness to an enlightened soul letting the music do all the talking. I
think that is much more difficult than singing along to a tune. Davidson has
the ability to make it all seem so natural and flowing; it’s comparable to a
river running down a mountainside, giving life wherever it may go. In essence
this perception, as the title of the album would indicate, literally feeds the
temple of soul.
I found myself not only appreciating the sheer beauty of
the music, but what each piece was communicating to me. “Temple of the Soul”
breaks the ice, ever so sweetly, while the majesty of an “Ethereal Ocean” of
sound sweeps you away with tides of peace and introspection. “Blessing” holds
beauty, proud and strong at the outset, then it allows for tranquility to
prevail as it moves along. If your ears are open there is so much to take with
you while paying attention to this music. Every track is a special journey that
can be translated to your own understanding.
Temple
of the Soul: Rhapsodies & Meditations for Solo Piano is a
good listen for any time day or evening. Simplicity and beauty abound through
the fingers of this talented man, Roger Davidson. This recording comes highly
recommended from this listener.
5/5
Stars
Key
Tracks: Temple of the Soul, Ethereal Ocean, Blessing
Tracks:
01. Temple of the Soul
02. Ethereal Ocean
03. Forest Prayer
04. Blessing
05. From the Rising Run
06. In the Eye of the Storm
07. Desert Light
08. Blue Voyage
09. Freedom From All
10. Journey of Wisdom
11. Waves of Reflection
Tracks:
01. Temple of the Soul
02. Ethereal Ocean
03. Forest Prayer
04. Blessing
05. From the Rising Run
06. In the Eye of the Storm
07. Desert Light
08. Blue Voyage
09. Freedom From All
10. Journey of Wisdom
11. Waves of Reflection
Keith “MuzikMan”
Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder
July 16, 2014
Review
Provided By New Age Music Reviews
New Age Instrumental Review: Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman-Winds of Samsara
Release Date: July
2014
Label: Listen
2 Africa
If
you are looking for an album of peace and positivity, look no further than Winds of Samsara. Over one hundred and
twenty stellar musicians went into the making of this epic album of love and
light. Featuring tracks highlighting the lives of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma
Gandhi amongst others, Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman have created a pattern of
starry skies and moonlit wonders as vast as the heavens.
Some of the contributing artists are: Wouter Kellerman
(flute, fife), Ricky Kej (bass, keyboard), Ciro Hurtado (guitar), Prakash
Sontakke (vocals, Hawaiian guitar), Vanil Veigas (keyboard, Santoor), Keerthy
Narayan (keyboard, orchestral arrangements, synth), Cochin Chamber (string
section), Manoj George (choral arrangements), Bangalore Women’s Choir (choir),
Varsha Gowda (percussion), Lamine Sonko (vocals), Janine Maunder (vocals),
Angela Librandi (vocals), Joe Creighton (vocals), Tholsi Pillay (keyboard),
Gopi (Indian vocals), Mauritz Lotz (guitar, programming), Vinnie Henrico
(drums), Veena Biju, Chaithra HG (vocals), Gayathri Suresh (vocals), Denny
Lalouette (bass) and many others. This album is chock full of amazing
performers who light up the album with their talents. If I could give a higher
score than 5/5 I would in a heartbeat.
“Heaven is Here” begins with eloquent meditative flute
sounds paired with atmospheric spaces and chanting. The keyboards bring
balance, as do the Santoor, bass flute, Sitar and percussive elements. The highlights
for me were the soothing feminine vocals from Alexis D’Souza and scat vocals
from Jyoti Venkatraman. Kej and Kellerman are simply rapturous in this piece.
Heaven could not sound any more soothing or in tune. The textures layer and
weave in amongst themselves to band into a cohesive sound fit for the ears of
the angels themselves.
“Remembrance” also named “Greensleeves” is a classic we
have heard many times before. Just not quite like this. Edgy flute blended with
hollow sounds and ethereal landscapes brings this piece to life. Synth, guitar,
bass, piano, cello, the magical Sitar, drums and soothing vocals twist and wind
around you like a vine from a village hidden in time. This piece brings to mind
the elegant ladies of medieval days and Renaissance fairs.
“Nocturne” is the final track on the album and features
classical pianist Michael Lewin. Kej, Kellerman and Lewin have quite the
reenactment of Chopin’s composition. There is a fusion here of flute and piano
with vocals drifting in and out like cloud formations. Emotionally infused,
this piece will take you back in time to memories of things loved and lost and
found again. It is simply breathtaking.
Winds
of Samsara is a breathtaking effort by hundreds of
artists and it stands out in a crowd. In many New Age albums, one track leads
into another without much to distinguish between the pieces. This is not the
case here. Each composition stands for something and is audibly different. From
a tribute to Nelson Mandela to a resurgence of Chopin’s magnificence, this
album captures classic sound and infuses it with Indian influences; World
Music, unique instruments and vocals that will make your heart sing or weep as
the emotion takes you. I have listened to it for over a week and have not
gotten tired of it once. Let this album wake you up in the morning and tuck you
in at night. It is a soothing cup of tea for the soul and I highly recommend
it.
5/5
Stars
Key
Tracks: Heaven is Here, Remembrance, Nocturne
Tracks:
01. Mahatma (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
02. New Earth Calling (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
03. Crystal Moon (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
04. Madiba (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
05. Longing (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
06. Heaven Is Here (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
07. River of Time (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
08. Eyes of Wonder (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
09. Remembrance (Greensleeves) (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
10. Journey to Higher Grounds (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
11. Mountain Solitude (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
12. Desert Wind (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
13. Grace (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman featuring Fiona Joy)
14. Nocturne (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman featuring Michael Lewin)
01. Mahatma (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
02. New Earth Calling (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
03. Crystal Moon (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
04. Madiba (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
05. Longing (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
06. Heaven Is Here (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
07. River of Time (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
08. Eyes of Wonder (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
09. Remembrance (Greensleeves) (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
10. Journey to Higher Grounds (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
11. Mountain Solitude (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
12. Desert Wind (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman)
13. Grace (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman featuring Fiona Joy)
14. Nocturne (Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman featuring Michael Lewin)
Dana
Wright, Sr. Staff Writer
July 10, 2014
Review
Provided By New Age Music Reviews
Get Your Song Ideas from New Age and Ambient Music
Russ Suereth
I
like to listen to different types of music. They provide me with different
perspectives, and they fit the different moods that I have. But I also like
different music because it gives me different ideas for creating new music. That’s the topic of this article, borrowing
aspects of different music to incorporate into your own music.
When
you think about creating a song there are two main areas you can consider.
1. The song’s foundation or chord structure
2. The melody
I’ve
always felt that a great source of ideas for a song foundation can be found in
new age and ambient music. Those styles often focus on the atmosphere of the
song. Lush pads and eerie landscapes can last for several minutes. During that
time, an occasional string pluck or keyboard tingle helps provide focus.
Of
course, you just can’t steal someone’s work. But you can take chord progression
ideas and modify them to suit your style and taste.
When
I’m listening to new age and ambient music, my mind usually embellishes the
sound. It inserts a few notes here and there to fill in where it thinks
something is missing. After a while into the song, I’ve created a basic melody.
The song provided the foundation and I’ve added a little melody, sometimes
without even noticing.
It’s
the same with the rhythm. The song may have a distant repeating bell in the background,
or a pulsing drone. Many times my mind will add a low bass drum to emphasize a
rhythm. Maybe even add some toms to fill
in a transition.
You
could even record all of this on your cell phone so you can retain it. Without
even realizing it, you can have the start of a new song.
From Where The Artist Sits: Creating A Music Video
Russ Suereth
There are a lot of processes and a lot of steps to creating a video.
There are a lot of processes and a lot of steps to creating a video.
I
just finished a new music video for my song, Portraits from Living. This week’s article is about the process I
went through to create that video, how I did it, and why I did it that way. So
let’s start.
First,
I determined what type of music video I wanted to create. There are all types
of music videos out there today. My budget is on the low side. Accordingly I
decided to do something minimal like the recent videos from a variety of remix
channels. A great example is the Majestic Casual channel on YouTube. These videos
simply have a still photograph, the words “Majestic Casual,” and their logo.
I’ve
have liked that minimal style lately because those single images are usually better
than the moving images I see in music videos. I also think that the minimal
style helps me pay attention to the music.
So
I took that idea and embellished it. I got a single image and added some minor
movement effects to it. Then I added my name, the title, and my logo over the
top.
What
did I use to make this music video? Here’s a list of the hardware and software
I used.
·
Computer: iMac i5
·
Video
Software: Final Cut Pro X
·
Video
Software Plugin: PRO16MM from Pixel Film Studios
·
Graphic
Software: Adobe Illustrator
And
that’s it.
I
use Illustrator for the title, my name, and my logo on the video, but you can
use the text capabilities within Final Cut Pro to do that instead. Also you can
use the effects that come with Final Cut Pro instead of the plugin. Or you
could use any tool like iMovie or Adobe After Effects instead of Final Cut Pro.
Here
are all the steps I took to complete my video project:
Step
1. Find a photograph, painting, or graphic design that you like. Try to find an
image that can somehow connect to the music. Take a picture of a river, or a
friend. Or pick something from the many stock photo sites on the internet. Make
sure that you have the proper copyright capabilities with any photo you
purchase. Just because you purchase an image doesn’t mean you can use that
image for your video. Check the small print available on the stock photo web
site.
Step
2. Find a font to use for your name and
the title. The software you use will
have many fonts to choose from. Or you
can buy a font that may be a little more unique to your video.
Step
3. Add some effects to your image. Video
software usually comes with a library of effects to enhance the colors and the image.
You can go from subtle to aggressive on the effects. Regardless of your choice,
I really think you should add some degree of effects to give the video your own
personal touch.
Step
4. Add your name and title to the
effected image. I like adding the text
on top of the image and effects, so that the text stands out.
Step
6. Whether you have a complete movie, a
single-image that moves, or a still photo you’ll need to save that in a format that
YouTube can handle. This YouTube link discusses
the proper formats and how different formats can be converted.
Step
7. Upload the video to YouTube. I normally use Final Cut Pro X to do many of
the steps listed above. Final Cut Pro,
as well as other video software programs, enables you to share your video to
YouTube by making a few clicks.
Alternatively here’s another link from YouTube about uploading your
video.
Step
8. Once your video is on YouTube, go to your Video Manager and choose the
thumbnail that people will see before they click your video. Then provide an interesting
description of the video. And don’t forget to promote yourself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)