Does the artist make the electric guitar, or the electric guitar make the artist? I suspect the answer to that question would vary significantly depending on who you asked. A manufacturer such as Gibson, Fender, or Yamaha would probably reply that an artist can only be as good as his instrument. But a guitarist, while likely to acknowledge the importance of a good guitar, would probably want to take the lion’s share of the credit for himself. This is the “chicken and the egg” question of the musical world and one to which we will probably never know the answer. Fortunately, even without knowing it, we can still enjoy the outrageous talent that electric guitarists have displayed over the decades.
Keith Richards. My favorite quote about this gentleman comes from comic Robin Williams’s 2002 Live on Broadway performance: “I know there is a cure for whatever bioterrorism they send at us. I know that there is one, and it lies within Keith Richards, I know that. He’s the only man on the planet who can go ‘Anthrax? (sniff) Alriiiight!’” Sums it up, don’t you think? Mr. Richard, guitarist for The Rolling Stones, is a wonderful example of the rock and roll electric guitar player. He’s rebellious, scandalous, filthy rich and still going strong.
Eddie Van Halen. A poster child for the big hair era of the 80s, this man is still recognized thirty years after the release of his band’s first album, which was entitled “Van Halen.” Hey, if both the band and the album are named after you, that kind of says it all. Van Halen didn’t confine his talents to his own band, either, and he contributed a guitar solo to the song of another 80s icon. The icon was Michael Jackson and the song was Beat It. No wonder this guy is still (in)famous.
Carlos Augusto Santana Alves. No, I didn’t know he had four names either, to me he’ll always be “Santana.” This gentleman first became famous over forty years ago and he’s showing no sign of slowing down. His genres include rock, blues, salsa and jazz fusion. His music has experienced a resurgence in popularity over the last decade or so and in 2003, Rolling Stone named Santana number 15 on their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time. Talk about getting the industry’s stamp of approval.
Jimi Hendrix. There has possibly never been an electric guitarist who more strongly influenced the industry or who more perfectly embodied a generation. He has, posthumously, been inducted into both the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a statue on the streets of his hometown, Seattle, Wash., and an eternal place in the annals of not only American music, but American history as well. A tremendous performer and a brilliant innovator, Rolling Stone named him number one on its 2003 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He remains one of the most famous artists ever to have lived.

“21 Questions” written and performed by 50 Cent, from his ever popular chart-topping albums Get Rich Or Die Trying (2003). Released in 2003 as the albums second single, it became his second #1 hit after “In Da Club’. 50 Cent had an un-heard of feat of having two singles hits in the Top 30 at the same time. This chart-topping track was produced by the geniuses Dirty Swift and Bruce Waynne of the notorious Midi Mafia productions.

I am a true 50 Cent hardcore follower. I still remember the first time I heard the song “21 Questions”, it blew my mind.  With such catchy and groovy lyrics such as:

“If I feel off tomorrow would you still love me?

If I didn’t smell so good would you still hug me?

If I got locked up to a quarter century

Could I count on you to be there to support me totally?”

Chorus: Girl its easy to love me know

Would you love me if I was Down and Out?

Would you still have love for me girl?

The music video for “21 Questions” was an MTV chart topping, most requested video in 2003.  The music video was directed by Damon Johnson, Dr Dre and Phillip Atwell. This video depicts 50 Cent arrested and confined to a prison, where he tries to keep in touch with his girlfriend.  The video has a cameo appearance by G-Unit and Nate Dogg, who sing background in the song. The video debuted on MTV’s Total Request Live Show in 2003. The video reached #1 on the video chart and stayed there for fifty days.

There are musicians who are more than comfortable remaining anonymous. You know, happy to hide behind their guitars or keyboards and be sidemen to the stars of today or tomorrow. Then there are those that have grandiose aspirations of stardom, adoration and limelight. And then there are those who have a driving desire and need to say something original artistically, to express themselves and to communicate that expression to an audience, be it a small niche market or wider demographic.

Those falling into the first category can make a living, albeit fairly modest as a general rule. Those falling into the second category often live in a little bit of a dream world and, depending on their tenacity and ‘smart’ skills, usually end up disappointed because the focus is set on the destination rather than the journey. The third category usually reaps the rewards of the second category gaining all the success and limelight, but as a result of focusing on their art rather than the shallow and flighty end of the musician’s world. These are usually the most fascinating people too, because they generally have a little mystery about them and because they actually possess what most entertainers really want; sincere and dedicated talent!

But there are also those that are in the early stages of artistic development who are still learning their craft, and open to influences. Possibly they will become great artists in the future, possibly not. It will be a question of choices and consequences, and doors opened and opportunities taken advantage of – or not. Life certainly will take you places.

But for those that do have aspirations of artistry and expression, then I firmly believe you must have qualities that others do not have. As an artist I believe one must stand out from the herd in order to be heard. It is so easy to make a record these days. One no longer needs to have the luxury of a recording contract in order to stand on a pedestal and say “I am an artist – buy my record!” With home studios costing one 16th of the price they did ten years ago and with software programs that do it all, you can churn out albums by the dozen if you put your mind to it. And many do.

However, just because you can, why would you? – is my question. Just for fun? OK, valid I suppose. But Isn’t it better to spend that time and energy searching relentlessly for something unique and different? God knows record companies are releasing enough mediocrity by the hour. Even signed artists are now under the impression they have something to offer. Maybe they have, but for the most part I don’t think so (as public reaction and their CD sales will attest!)

Perhaps I am being extremely unfair, but I think too many artists do not realize that they have a responsibility to say something profoundly unique, certainly if they expect any kind of career longevity. We live in a world where musicians spend their lives emulating their heroes; singers spend their lives emulating Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and so on. Rock guitarists spend their lives emulating Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Paige, Jeff Beck and Eddie Van Halen. Jazz guitarists are proud emulators of Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Wes Montgomery. Saxophone players worship Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Michael Brecker. And so on…

Before I go on I have to say that emulating heroes is absolutely imperative in your formative years as musicians. You simply MUST listen to the greats, past and present. One has to have a strong grounding and musical knowledge and one simply cannot get there without listening. However, way too many ‘artists’ cannot get passed this stage. They need to have peer approval, have to know that other respected musicians around them recognize them and applaud their abilities. Often all this takes place subconsciously.

This ‘peer approval’ is a stage of development that is also important. Every musician goes through it at some point. It is absolutely natural, but I firmly believe that to become a great artist, you have to move beyond that stage and look inward. I always liken it those wedding band singers, who despite having an honorable and justifiable (and in some cases envious) career, they are all too often ‘performing monkeys’. They are often fine vocalists but at the end of the day they are seeking approval and applause and not communicating or expressing anything artistic. They certainly know how to entertain but do they know how to intrigue? It’s a huge gap. Nothing remotely subtle about it as far as I am concerned.

The real communicating artists seek unique expression. They are not interested anymore in sounding like their heroes. They have moved past that, now searching constantly, developing and refining their own unique voice. Look at any of the true giants of yesterday and today. Yes you can hear their references, but they also have their own strong identity. At some point during their development something bigger than them took over. The chances are they knew it at the time and took advantage of it and made an extra effort to really hone that uniqueness.

Finding that unique inner voice might not be as easy for some. I think it starts by recognizing your technical weaknesses. It is often those weaknesses that ultimately end up becoming your artistic strengths. Let’s face it, if you were able to play the guitar technically perfect, at all speeds, meticulously so every note that came out was totally clean and audible, would this be ultimately interesting to an audience? Yes it might be very clever and impressive, but for how long could you listen to an album where every phrase felt like you were having your teeth drilled!!?

Wes Montgomery played with his thumb because he didn’t want to wake the neighbors, ultimately enabling him to become the greatest and most influential jazz guitarist of all time. BB King has about three licks in his entire blues repertoire. Does anyone NOT know BB King when they hear him? Thelonius Monk refused to conform to traditional piano techniques and musical ideas. He simply HAD to play music the way he heard it in his head. He made such a bold musical statement during his time that he is now emulated the world over and revered by the greatest musicians living today.

Technical shortcomings can be the very essence of your unique artistry. Now, should those shortcomings get in the way of what you need to say musically then those weaknesses might need to be turned around so they don’t restrict what you hear in your head.

Remember that the true artist simply communicates from within. All other extraneous thoughts, influences and distractions need to fall by the wayside. The minute a lick or a phrase that your hero played or sung (and made famous) ends up on your record – watch out! You might be in trouble. Absolutely steal from your heroes, but just remember that real artistry is about what YOU have to say, not what your heroes have already said before, and have possibly said better.

Push yourself to the max and search for that truly unique quality within. After all, that next great talent we are all so desperately waiting for might just be you!

5 Work at Home Solutions for Working Musicians

As creators and artists of original music, we all would like nothing more than to have our tunes blasting out all over the airwaves bringing in a constant revenue stream of ongoing residual income. Some people figure that out and more power to them. I for one have not and that is not the purpose of this article. I will say good luck to you in your pursuit of that dream if you are still running it down.

The objective here is to discuss 5 solutions working (or non working for that matter) musicians can use or apply to bring in extra income.

These are not get rich quick or easy Internet money programs. They are 5 solid solutions to realistically making extra money to compliment your true passion, playing music. Some of these you may have considered and some sites you may not be familiar with. The Internet has changed everything and it is always changing. There are always opportunities out there. You just need to be careful not to get involved in the wrong ones or involved in too many. The Internet really can be a tangled web if you let it snare you.

One of the best things you can do is to find a business mentor; someone who is successful in the endeavor you are pursuing. Surrounding yourself with successful people will help you overcome obstacles everyone faces when pursuing a venture. You also need a healthy positive attitude and a confidence in yourself. When you develop these, you become inspired to do great things.

With that said here are 5 Solutions:

Solution #1: Royalty Free Music Factory

Royalty Free Music Factory is a website that pays you, the musician, a commission on the sales of your soundtracks. The founder of the site, Mike Rowntree, is a musician and sound engineer who came to realized that there is a huge international market for music tracks you hear on radio, television, and internet sites. Producers of advertisements and programs in these media want to avoid paying ongoing royalties which is how this market niche developed. You upload your 15, 30, and 60 second MP3 tracks along with your full length version(counts as one track) and they are reviewed within 2 business days. Upon acceptance, they are listed on the site for sale. They pay you a 35% commission on each track sold. Visit them at: http://www.royaltyfreemusicfactory.com/

Solution #2: Digitally Delivered Products

Digitally delivered products are all over the Internet and music instruction is certainly no exception. The biggest retailer of such products is Clickbank. Products range from simple ebooks, to full blown membership sites like http://www.musicmasterpro.com/ with online video instruction. To get started on a shoestring, you will need a PDF writing program and a free Clickbank account. The most popular PDF software is Adobe Acrobat, but you can probably find a free shareware program that will do what you need. Accompany that PDF with MP3 files and not only can you charge more, but you’ll probably sell more. I purchased Alex Sampson’s http://www.bassguitarsecrets.com/ and thoroughly enjoyed what parts I’ve gone through. Alex charges $49.95 for that product and I feel like he over delivered.

Solution #3: Become An Affiliate.

With your Clickbank account, you can also become an affiliate for other marketers and make a commission on your sales. For example, MusicMasterPro pays 70% commission on membership sales. With your free Clickbank account you will need what is called a “Hoplink” to the affiliate you are promoting. The hoplink is a combination of your unique Clickbank ID and the affiliate you are promoting’s ID. Clickbank pays you directly for your commissions.

Another huge Affiliate website is Commission Junction.http://www.cj.com/ You can find other complimentary products to sell and receive a commission if a sales is made through your link.

Solution #4: DVD Production & Sales

An old friend of mine, (Tony who happens to be the Godfather of my daughter), makes great extra money doing this. He is a full-time drummer on Bourbon Street here in New Orleans and makes DVDs and sells them in the clubs he works in. To do this however, you will need to make a deal with the club owner and split the proceeds. They certainly don’t want you taking money out of their clientele’s pockets, but if you make an arrangement you can both profit from DVD sales.

Back in the day we would pay a sound studio $50/hr, practice to perfection not to screw up in the studio, and then send the thing off to a place called Disc Masters or something like that to make the CD. I guess people still do that, but with all the technology out there you can do this yourself. Like I said in the beginning, we’re talking about making extra money – not being a rock star!

Aside from the camera, you will need video editing software like http://www.pinnaclesys.com/ and a CD/DVD label maker. Instead of using the camera audio, Tony has some really small, really inexpensive handheld recording device he uses to record the band live. It’s quick and easy and he can pop out DVD in not time. Of course, it does help to have an outgoing singer/frontman to push the product!

Solution #5: The $9 Solution

Chad Rissenan, The Marketing Cowboy, has a $9 Solution to making money online and work at home business. Chad is a guitarist and singer with the North County Band. http://www.northcountyband.com/

Chad’s $9 Solution teaches you everything you need to know about Internet marketing and how to develop a successful work at home business. With the $9 Solution, Chad has an audio file and guides you through the whole process of how to build a successful business right from your computer, without ever having to sell products. It also comes with a 10 Day Marketing Success Guide that has income producing activities that ensure your success.

www.ninedollarsolution.net

As a musician and small business owner, I sincerely hope you find some of these solutions helpful in your quest to play music and make more money at the same time. Whatever you do, do something! Stay positive, focused, open-minded and visualize your success.

TV brackets have many advantages than just saving space of the living room. The viewing angle of the TV set can be changed without much hassle, thus enhancing the viewing experience. Moreover, a stylish looking TV bracket can be used as a decorative item to enhance the impression of the living room. There are different types of TV brackets available in the market to serve different purposes of the consumers. Each one of them has their own advantages. However, it is important to choose a TV bracket, which best suits your purpose.

Different types of TV brackets and their advantages
The following are a list of different types of TV brackets and their respective advantages. This will help you to choose the right TV bracket that suits you the best.

•    Flush TV Wall Mounts: Flush TV brackets or wall mounts are the best choice for people who just want to mount their TV set on the wall fixedly. This is also the simplest way to set the TV to the wall without much hassle. Most flush TV brackets can rigidly hold the TV less than an inch from the wall. Another advantage of flush TV brackets is that they can hold any size of TV set, securely to the wall. This is not possible in the case of many other moveable brackets.

•    Tilting TV Wall Mounts: Tilting TV brackets are ideal for people who want to mount their TV on a wall with a limited flexibility in changing the viewing angle. This is mostly used in home installations where TV sets are mounted at higher altitudes from the place of watching. Most TV brackets have approximately 3-inch mounting distance from the wall and are a little thicker in depth compared to Flush TV brackets.

•    Swivel & Tilt TV Wall Mounts: Swivel & Tilt TV brackets make an ideal combination with smaller LCD TV sets up to 32 inch in size. These wall brackets can be tilted up and down to 15 degrees and can be rotated by 360 degrees. Thus, this TV bracket provides maximum access to the user in terms of changing the viewing angle of the TV. These can also be expanded up to 20 inches away from the wall or folded back – closer to the wall.

•    Cantilever Arm TV Wall Mounts: Cantilever TV brackets are popular choice for both home and commercial purposes. These brackets are flexible to support all sizes of television sets. Thus, it is easy for TV owners, to select a TV bracket of their choice. Its capability to hold even larger size TV sets makes it an ideal choice for businesses. And the best part of these brackets is that all these advantages are clutter-free in terms of appearance and hassle-free in terms of installation.

•    Ceiling TV Wall Mounts: Hanging or ceiling TV wall mounts are just like tilt-TV wall mounts, but are fixed on ceilings. These TV brackets are an ideal solution for businesses, like supermarkets, where walls are not ultimate places to mount TV sets. Since, these brackets keep TV sets out of touching distance, they also fit perfectly for leisure centers or clubs.

Since the TV brackets are going to hold expensive LCDs or Plasma TVs, it is crucial to avoid going for cheap ones. This may put those fragile electronic devices at stake. There are dealers who can provide TV brackets with maximum guarantee at affordable rates.

If you are thinking about experiencing the latest in HD TV technology, there are a few important areas to take into consideration. Firstly, what do you intend to watch? There has been a lot of buzz around High Definition TV lately and it is important to consider the HD TV Channels being offered in Australia. Secondly, not all HD technology is the same, so it is important to know what equipment is best.

While Australia is an early adopter of high definition television, recently digital terrestrial television looks at being more popular. This isn’t to say that High Definition TV isn’t worthwhile as there are many HD TV Channels available to the consumer. For example, the Australian government allocated the five national terrestrial television stations (ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine and Ten) one channel each which they are required to broadcast a simulcast of the analogue offerings in High Definition TV format with at least 20 hours per week of HD TV content. This push from the Australian government provides for free to air HD TV Channels available to the consumer.

While the free to air offerings are fantastic for experiencing regular programming in high definition for the Australian people, most consumers would be looking for other content in the high definition High Definition TV format. HD TV Channels such as sports or documentary type programming are popular choices for consumers and as such have been a strong offering from pay TV providers offering High Definition TV.

While HD TV Channel content is an important consideration, this should be balanced with knowledge of the formats and technology that are used in the HD TV spectrum. With High Definition TV there are two main formats; 1080i and 720p. In the case of 1080i, the HD TV picture may have 1080 interlaced or progressive scan lines. 1080i offers 1920×1080 pixel resolution and displays more information in the way of scan lines. This means sharper pictures particularly with slow moving images. 720p offers 1280×720 pixel resolution and while offering less resolution to 1080i, 720p offers full frame, progressive scanning enabling fast-moving action without blurring the image.

Recently, the Communication Arts Advertising Annual showed up in my mailbox. Like it does every December. I’ve been a subscriber since 1993.

With each passing year, though, I find myself spending less and less time looking through it. The work that’s showcased this year is…well, it’s all pretty good. Nice art direction, a few clever things, some cool visual weirdness, a fairly thick “integrated” section I don’t recall seeing much before.

But like I said, just pretty good. Nothing more, nothing less. Is it me? Why am I not blown away by today’s work?

Then in a flash, I suddenly realized why. It’s Huey Lewis’ fault.

Or maybe it’s Michael Stipe’s fault. Or maybe Bryan Adams’.

You see, I’m a huge fan of music – and I started buying records when I was 7 years old. To me, nothing will ever replace the music I heard in the few years when I was 13, 14 or 15 – smack in the middle of the 80′s, which many older people considered to be a musical wasteland at the time. But damnit, I wanted my MTV, and I still wish they had World Premiere Videos. It’s not that I don’t like new music. The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Madele ine Peyroux – all are good, but none of their CD’s get under my skin the way “Life’s Rich Pageant” did. Or “The Joshua Tree.” Hell, I’ll even cop to being a fan of “Reckless.”

Likewise, no recent ad has gotten under my skin the way Nike’s “If You Let Me Play” or the beautifully black & white Norwegian Cruise Lines ads with the non-linear, poetic copy did. For me, those were the seminal ads that showed me what was possible in advertising. I vividly recall seeing those ads, reading them, re-reading them, and aspiring to write something that would rise to that level.

I suppose this is why some people get downright maudlin when talking about DDB’s Volkswagen ads of the 1960s. Those ads were unlike anything else that was being done at the time, particularly in car advertising. The ads launched a creative revolution in the industry. But, let’s face it, they look quaint now (for God’s sake, you actually have to read the body copy to understand what the ad is saying!)

Getting nostalgic is hazardous to your career. The key to staying viable in the ad business is to stay current. I’ve worked with, and I’m sure you have, veterans of the ad industry who’ve simply rusted, whose skills are outdated, who attack every problem the way they did 20 years ago.

This is a wild time to be in the ad business. Technology is pushing us into places, physical and others, we’ve never been. Some people, and some agencies, will get left behind. And the new work in CA, well, it reflects where we’re going, not where we’ve been: less words, more visuals. Showing more and saying less. Ideas that don’t quite fit a 4-color, consumer magazine spread. Ideas that are worthy of recognition, even if they don’t come in instantly recognizable forms.

Perhaps the new CA is disappointing ’cause no new ads could ever stack up to ones done in the “good old days” – and those are whatever days one considers good & old. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare today’s work to what was done 10 years ago, or even 40. The ad industry, like the rest of the world, has changed since then, and we better keep up.

Oops. My “Best of the 80′s” mix just stopped. Does anyone know how to rewind an iPod?

Today, people are searching for cheap mp3 downloads that can provide them with unlimited download options to have extended enjoyment whenever they require. Offering varied download services, they are easy to access.

Of course yes, with the rise of internet, cheap mp3 download is gaining more and more popularity as they provide unlimited and effortless access to songs, videos, or different files. As a matter of fact, there are numerous ways to download your favorite music safely. Today, finding a right website or an online music store is not at all difficult. You only need to educate yourself on different available options to find the best one for you.

Look Around For Quality Sites

Well, if you are looking for music on the internet, take your time to find a good site that can provide you with best mp3 music download options. A large number of sites are ready to help you find good stuff so that you can enjoy listening to music as long as you can. Apart from that, it is extremely essential to check out testimonials of the selected site to get high quality stuff that is completely protected from virus. Make sure that you have carefully gone through different services of the site that you have chosen.

There are websites that are not secure and can be really problematic. So, pay good attention to the websites, before availing their music downloads services.  This way you can download music online without any fees. Also, downloading songs from reliable websites can provide you with many choices of your favorite songs. You do not have to spend a hard time searching for the stuff that you like the most.

Access Your All Time Favorite Music

These websites also give you a number of chances to download music files as per your personal musical tastes. They give you the privilege to download cheap mp3 music that ensures good quality. Containing a wide collection of songs, they make you enjoy your all time favorites. These well sorted songs add more value to your existing music list. Providing fast downloads, they offer services in a more organized way to meet all your music needs.  They also enable you to enjoy your favorite music even if you are on the computer, dancing at a party, or jogging through the park.

•    Helping you to download music in every genre and style, they allow you to burn your own CDs to be used at home.

•    Creating a huge impact on the music lovers, these Mp3 music formats help you listen and share music at the same time.

•    Bottom line is that they help you get unlimited free download in a way that saves both your time and money.

•    With million of choices on the internet, they offer services that are not only fast, but also reliable. The really make a great choice as they help you download your favorite tunes whenever or wherever you like.

•    Enabling you to download free music instantaneously, they are apt for ever changing musical trends.

Thus, if you want to try your hands on free music downloads; you are at a right place. Here, you can download MP3 songs or videos according to your musical tastes.