Clash of Clans

Caustic 3 is a totally cool apps. It’s a simple little layout with easy to understand applications. I recently was able to have pro tools installed upon my computer. That made me feel like a kid in the candy store. So I was able to work on project at home, awesome. So as first I downloaded a simple beatbox looper, it was ok. I was wanting more. Caustic 3. When I first open the app it plays a silly demo song, I Immediately pressed stop. After that fiasco was settled I explored through each little piece and what it can do. It has a couple different delays and reverb effects that can be modulated into the mix. The beatbox portion has some interesting features to adjust the color of the drum voice. The multiple synths are totally wicked. Multiple nobs of all shapes and colors to adjust the sound into your own. I have found myself now on the L messing with that app instead of play Clash of Clans. The next portion I will explore is the recorded voice. I feel because the mic on the phone is poor at best the quality of the recording may be just a sample to warp. Is this the directions of future music to be created? Music created on the fly. I would even think of attending a concert where it was created on the fly. Would you use this app? Would you pay for this app? I paid ten bucks for it and I feel it was worth it. 

Flipping burgers

Many artist and musician fall into the trap of needing money to pay bills and when to practice or perform. Currently I am working two jobs and juggling school just to keep bills in the black. Yet I am struggling to keep up with practicing of my art. Time management would be a key factor to a successful music career. I remember growing up and mentioning to my step-dad I wanted to be a musician he chided back you'll be flipping burgers. Great, thanks for the support. So, finishing grade school was interesting, yet I wanted a career I enjoyed. The idea of corporate law sounded good because the money would be amazing yet the hours of study and memorization not going to happen. So I studied music theory, enjoying life and writing poetry. Years past and I am still paying bills, enjoying life. Over the years I have learned to not stress over bills, somehow it all works out. A career that encompasses all your mental faculties helps your stress level. If every time you go to sit and practice and your hungry the practice won't go as planned. The Zac Brown Band in Nashville purchased a studio. They started something I think is good. If you book a recording with a band there they will have a half or whole hog cooked for the band to eat. Keeping the creative atmosphere alive and full.  So, I hope that my life journey has brought me enough experience to be able to direct or help other having the same issues.

Groupies are fun

I have always wanted to be part of a group performing. The rush of blood to the face stepping out on stage. Where do you meet band members that care? I'm almost to the point of finding a really large house and only renting apartments to Musicians. To get everyone in a possible band within close practicing proximity. I'm sure there are numerous bands that where started as roommates. Yet as a single musician moving to an unknown city what resource is available to find a like musician? Craigslist? Facebook? Myspace? Now I have met a few musicians off craigslist. One sticks out more than others. I responded to this guy’s drummer post, said he was playing for 10 years, and listed good stuff about himself. So I figured I would test his knowledge and asked him to meet me at guitar center, he couldn't get past a simple 4/4 beat closed hat and crash. Needless to say the jam session never happened. So, if you want to start a band is it as simple as surfing the social media sites? Randomly I meet a guitarist that couldn't stay sober. So the jam sessions only lasted for about two hours if we we’re on a beer night. Lately I've decided to chase my own path, be the one man band with a bottle filled with rocks tied to my shoes, cymbals in between my knees, elbows armed with small tambourines and a harmonica on the shoulders.  I could play to a captive audience every day. 

Android

Android operating system is the most used in the world yet is very limited on the music applications. The amount of applications available in the Mac and IPhone world are incredible. Yet Apple still has a strong hold on the majority of music applications, partially due to the OS of the Androids. An IPhone has the ability to devote all its processing power to one specific app. In production terms it helps latency and quality. The Android platform only allows a portion of the processing power for an app. I personally checked the Play store for music applications the list is long and growing yet if you read any of the reviews latency and quality problems are littered throughout. Some of the negative comments are people trying to use a phone as a DAW. Seriously? What are they thinking? I downloaded Caustic for the android and it's pretty cool. I wouldn't seriously try to mix and master on it but to get a inspiring beat or synth a loop, no problem. In the convergence of technology, the ability to do everything on every device is a bit of a downfall. A smart phone or tablet only has so much processing power and memory. You could almost call a smart device an instrument creating a tone or loop of some sort. Will this be the way of the future? The sugar packet society wanting everything instantaneously stimulates growth in technology. So what is next? A hand held device that records and writes directly to cd?

Financing

Have you ever lost your artistic inspiration? In todays modern technological age money is a necessity.  The electric company will not take a well-mixed song for payment they want money. Housing companies will not accept a post dated check based on supposed sales. So what do you do? There are many avenues that can be used to finance the creation of art or record a album. Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Fundly and Crowdfunding would just be a few of the avenues that are fan based funding site.  The cost and requirements are individually different by the site of choice. I remember ten years age the only way to get funding was to have a friend at a major label or a bad ass beat. So I wonder, because more people have access to artistic funding is that helping the mediocre musical material being produced.  There isn’t a panel of musicians that approves or disproves music as being quality. If you have the money an album with very simple means can be produced. The convergence of technology allows most computers now days to do anything musically you can imagine. Some programs and effects actually try to digitally create a mechanical presence that older tube components created, bringing that sonic color into the twenty-first century. I sometimes find it difficult to focus on creating music with money on the mind. Finances are a huge part of any artist. Yes, I personally would love to sit at the house, practice all day long, and not have to clock into a job. Yet real world helps give you focus and perspective. 

Society

Traveling in the city of Chicago can be loud. When I first moved to Chicago and traveled on the transit it was very interesting seeing the majority of passengers having ear buds playing music or whatever media. The interaction of people is almost minimal unless your traveling with someone, even then if some email or text is received most will multi task there attention and respond to the text or email. The most noticeable change that I personally have notice is at the bar. Patrons when I first started bartending used to talk to each other.  As technology progresses more and more I have noticed that more patrons are entertained with there phone or one there phone and not even talking to the person they went to the bar with. Seriously! Why did you invite me out for a drink and ignore me?  Technology can be amazing at the same time. A tablet can be turned into a synthesizer due to the touch screen.  So maybe I will start it myself, instead of listening to my ear buds I will play my harmonica walking the streets. Start a drum circle on the train instead of playing Clash of Clans. Sometimes I wonder as a fan of Science fiction movies if we lost use of electronics what would really happen. Would society be able to survive without a microwave? I know many people that have emphasized that they would die if they didn’t have their phone. Society has become so dependent on technology that I wonder what would happen.

Vlog

This is my first ever video blog.

Artist Challenge

I have used recorders for interviewing someone in the past, but this was the first time I felt the quality of the recording was good enough to do the job. Also the gentleman I interview is doing what he loves. Its a music repair shop but he goes to work happy.
Interview

This second recording was for a video I was editing and I needed some environment noise
Noise

 The final recording was recorded for my fellow artist. Please enjoy.
Bucket Challenge

Culturally Divergent Music?

Why is the music produced in the United States of America have a specific sonic color and something in the same genre yet produced in another country have a completely different color?  Do society's music evolve with the characteristic of its social system? North American Indians sang with strong guttural tones and tense manners while Saharan African tribes used strong rhythmic complexity’s and improve lead sharing. Strong male leader style society would suggest a solo style music. On the other hand in early cultures the large family groups of hundreds that had gender equality the music had a chorus effect with so singled out solo lead. I feel that makes a little sense. America in the founding days was a melting pot of all societies so the eventual evolution of music to its own sonic color is evident. Some hooks that are now catchy in pop music most likely have roots from some form of sing song circle. I feel our music sonically has fallen into a state of lull. Copyright laws have everything locked up tight. The sharing a story and sharing it for the love is no longer possible. To spend your day as a hunter gather and sing around the fire is gone. Technology is a curse in a way, as we as a society progress technologically we become slaves to the technology that is created. Do I really need to be able to watch TV on my watch? No, yet I guarantee if apple came out with one people would flock to purchase one. #TvWatch

Purchase

My point is that all the music that I heard while camping was purchased. I didn't hear anyone sitting around the campfire singing songs or even talking to each other; some even had projectors so they could watch TV. Isn't the point camping to enjoy nature and it sounds? Yet it is hard to not focus on money. As an artist myself it is a hard balance to maintain. Staying true to my art and not being fixated on the money. The American dream of getting a one hit wonder and making it I feel is truly a dream in today’s technological age. Artists have to push the boundaries and need funding to accomplish their goals. Somehow the American dream got twisted, I really don't want to be rich. I would like to be able to live comfortably while having enough to be able to help those in need. Musicians now have gotten to a point of its my work, my song, my lyrics, my samples, pay me, pay me, pay me. Are there jam session concerts anymore? A non-scripted show just let the musicians perform and collaborate on the fly. Are musicians stuck with craigslist to find each other? In Nashville, of course its mostly country music, there are many venues that cater to singer song writers, why is that not more popular in other city's? Small bars trying to drum up extra revenue should totally explore that avenue. Back to money, I find it hard not to want to produce something just to make a buck, yet chasing my ultimate dream of having my composition performed at Madison Square Garden. Yet that would take some time and money. 
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