Bands and Albums

A lot of people have this dream of being in a band. After all, being in one allows you to have bragging rights. Plus, you get to experience being popular all because you are part of a band and you are able to share your love for music through the songs that you play. Being in a band gives you a “rockstar” status. You take in the lights that come on stage during your gigs. You marvel in the applause of the audience. And you enjoy this great feeling that everybody knows you.

However, there are times when your band goes through some rough stuff and some people have to go away. With that, you will need to find some new members to complete your band. The process you have to go through in finding new band members can be quite tiring and it can be pretty difficult.  Here are some tips that you can follow tocomplete your band, have it up and running, and ready to take on the stage again.

Looking for someone with or without experience?

You have to ask yourself and ask the members of your band on the decision of finding a replacement for those who left.  Each member must be part of the decision if possible and everyone must have a unanimous decision or choice.  You have to decide if you like to find someone who already has the experience playing in a band or if you prefer to go with someone who is familiar of your songs and know it by heart.  What qualities do you want your new members to have? What level of skills you require from them to bring your band to the next level.  You may want to also consider their experiences and what they can contribute to the table when it comes to the development of your band.

Choosing a person who does not have any experience with other bands can also be quite an advantage for you. If you start with someone who is inexperience, then you can teach and guide them to the path you have chosen for your band to take.  There will be less drama or arguments for they will be like sponges that are open and willing to learn everything from experts like you.  Plus new people to this industry are filled with real great ideas. They have not yet seen the real deal of being in the industry and so they have ideas that you may have lost once you have gotten way deep into the whole business. But the new people still have those ideas that you can actually use to make your band become even better.

Which genre are we looking at?

Another thing that you have to consider is the kind of genre of music that you guys play. If you are into rock, then you may want to make sure that the person you will be choosing to join you also has a good understanding of rock. It will be difficult to get someone who has no idea of what rock is in a rock band. If that is the case, then you will definitely have a hard time dealing with that person and dealing with all those intricacies that come with making music.

Finding someone who knows rock but has not yet played rock,is something that you may want to take into consideration because this person have the understanding of the genre - he just needs the time and the exposure to it.

You can find them online.

If your time is mostly spent online doing a lot of things for your band, then you can take some time to actually post an ad about this position that you want to be filled. For example, if you are looking for a bass guitarist, then you can post online about you looking for one. There are plenty of places online where you can advertise. A good example would be in music forums. If you are usually hanging out at these forums, go ahead and advertise that you are looking for a replacement for a specific position in your band. Put your email address so they can easily contact you if someone is interested.

If you also know of people who own websites or who have blogs, then you can also ask them for their help. Ask them if it would be alright if they took the time to write something about your band looking for a new member. That way, they can help spread the word and so you can find that missing member easily.

Hold auditions.

You need to have auditions.   Audition is necessary for you to assess the skill of the people interested in joining your band; it allows you to see if they can really play or their style is something that you like or something that you can incorporate into your band.

Of course, it is also important to hold auditions even if there is just one person wanting to join your band.  If that person really shows that he or she can play, you can have him or her play a song or two with you so you can know his skill level when it comes to making music, better yet, have him or her play one of your songs.  Doing so will give you a better perspective of how the person fits in your band.

These are just a few of the things that you need to keep in mind when it comes to finding new members for your band.  It is important for you to know that there will be an adjustment period between the new and the old members so it is important that you constantly meet and bond together to break whatever tension there is in the midst.  It may be difficult in the beginning but once you spend more time together and get to know one another, the awkwardness will be eliminated.  Just let your love of the music unite you together as one team and let the music flow.

Musicians need to have a space where they can rehearse for their gigs or performances. With that said, bands find music studios a good investment as it gives them a comfortable, well-equipped and soundproofed room where they can create, play, record and rehearse for their live performances. Being the artistic creatures that they are, they sure want to make their studio comfortable as it is pleasing to the eye. So if your band is stuck with the dull and small windows of your garage, or basement, think about doing something with the windows to make it look more appealing to work with.

Studio owners should keep the studio clean, not only to ensure the comfort of the people working in it, but also to preserve the quality of the musical instruments that it stores. It needs to be well-ventilated even with all the soundproofing installed in it. In addition, it should have the right kind of window treatment—one that provides enough shade against daylight and privacy during rehearsals. More importantly, it should that one that allows enough ventilation, allowing air to circulate inside the room whenever the airconditioning unit is off and the band is not working inside the studio.

If you are a novice music studio owner, finding the money to spend for the right window treatment may be a real challenge. The thing is, you can actually use the same window treatment that you use in your home into your music studio. The idea is to make your windows functional and pleasing enough to look at. Anything is better than leaving your windows bare. You may start decorating your windows with your old set of white fabric curtains. Or, you can dig deep into your storage to score some old venetian blinds, though investing on new and durable roller blinds is the more practical way to finish your window. That should give your studio the cozy shade and privacy that musicians often demand.

If you are meaning to do a total window makeover for your studio, try converting your old and dull windows into either bay windows or casement windows, which ideal for smaller spaces. Casement windows also have well-ventilation and this type of window also shuts all the way through, which is better for your studio because it has low air-leakage and good noise reduction.Getting your windows remodeled could be the more practical option as it helps improve the soundproofing as wellas the sound quality of the equipment inside the studio. Sometimes, all it takes is a correct window design and treatment to turn what used to be a bare space into a musical haven.

 When Devon-born blues-folk singer songwriter Josh Bray released his album Whiskey and Wool, almost everyone thought it had quite a resemblance to Ray Lamontagne. It was his strummed acoustic guitar and smooth, calming vocals that led people to think so. But even before we jump to Bray’s music inside his Whiskey and Wool album, why do you think he name it such? Do the items whiskey and wool have any significance to his life?

Well, we haven’t quite got the exact answer yet but we have some few hunches on the reason why. To begin with, Josh Bray spent most of his early years on rented farms. We’re guessing his mother handed him a nice wool fabricin the form of a bonnet, sweater or blanket when he was young that he eventually became highly fond of because of its fleecy and comfortable feel.

While we claim no truth to that, we think wool signifies Bray’s comfort to music and life because as we all know, the wool fabric is an excellent insulator that keeps heat close to the body by trapping still or dead air within fibers. It gives off great comfort in extreme wet and cold conditions making the fabric a very lovable one. With regards to the whiskey, we’re presuming Bray simply just have great keenness to the alcoholic beverage. Bray did graduate law school and we’re only imagining the pressure he has been through. A glass of whiskey every now and then with his friends was probably the best way to unwind and have a good time.

Now that we’ve got the title covered, let’s take a good look at his album holistically. We know that Bray didn’t take a job in a law firm because his friend convinced him that his music talent is far more worth pursuing. Whisky and Wool is the result. Bray's presentation is just one of the displays of folk and country records that have emerged over the past six months. Taking into account the existing state of the music scene, the renaissance of folk music is barely astonishing. At that time, Brit Awards was mainly ruled by either R&B or famous folk-genre people singing songs about the 18th century. With the esteem of acts such as Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons, it's much simpler for people like Josh Bray to gain some large audience. Because Bray’s musical style owes a lot to Nick Drake, a tremendously talented British artist of the 1970s, he may find it complicated to claim an identity outside that of a generic source of imitative folk music.

If you try to listen to the first half of Bray's album, you will notice how it has the similar restrained production that characterized Drake's output. You can discern there is sophisticated acoustic guitar work, pensive vocals, tranquil drumming and accompaniment from cello and strings. The first song you’ll even hear from the album Whisky and Wool and is the song titled ‘The River Song’. Many believe that it’s homage to Drake’s lingering classic song called ‘River Man’. We can’t deny that Bray’s songs are quite good. In fact the songs ‘Rise’ and ‘This is Life’ mostly received comments that are positive. They’re nice, impressive compositions but the setback early in the album is that it’s limited by the shortage of originality of the final product. Bray upholds his niche in a musical tradition but eclipses his own work.

But other than that, Bray’s talent and ear for a great song has made him an album filled with timeless classics. Bray has handled to produce a folk album that is amusing in its wooly familiarity, and is reminiscent of its boozy sentimentality.

If you are someone who loves music, you get to own at least one or two musical instruments. Thus, when you have a band, you at least have a guitar, a keyboard or drums. Musical instruments such as these are a little bit expensive that is why, it is but inevitable to take care of them and keep them in good condition.

Self storage of musical instruments is very important because they can vary in sizes and shapes because of this reason, you will need a large room or compartment for you to store them safely. Many people would be perplexed at how to store a piano or a drum set. Smaller sized instruments however, are easier to store. The simplest solution for this is for you to prepare the proper storage for these instruments.

You need to first clean, and condition them with paste wax for wood, resin and others. Never use an oil-based polish or alcohol on wooden instruments as it can damage the surface. When packing, disassemble parts, remove reeds, relax strings, and remove mouthpieces, mutes and straps. Strings of guitars should be loosened to avoid them from being broken. If possible, store instruments in cases that are designed for them. Violins and guitars normally have cases along with them if you buy them.

Cover bigger instruments such as piano, drums, and organs with tarp or a sheet to protect it from dust. When you are storing instruments for a long period of time, be sure to clean them and keep them in tuned before playing.

Moreover, if you are not sure what to do, you can ask the help of a professional when it comes to storing. Most people rent a space or a storage compartment for their instruments especially if they are traveling and their house does not have the right or proper insulation.  Proper storage will keep them in good condition.

They say being a professional gets you money, while being a musician gives you passion… and women. It is a tough choice and every music lover needs to take a pick, or worse, make compromises. What happens when the band member is also a professional? What if the band members are actually highly paid architects Sydney professionals? Those lucky men, you might think.

People are more driven to stay with theirhigh-payingjobto make ends meet and to support luxurious lifestyle. In the same generation, artists are more comfortable to follow aspirations without being overly ambitious when it comes to money matters.Luckily, our culture is open to the possibility of merging professional aspirations and musical inclinations, putting two almost dichotomous lifestyles together.

If you think about it, popular musicians handle multiple roles in their daily lives. They are musicians and businessmen in their own rights. Their band and their image are their products, and these products need to be marketed and advertised well. Their day job provides them the avenue to hone their professional skills and maintain steady income. So how to they do it? They jam at night and work during the day.

It is interesting to think that there are people who can handle a balanced lifestyle. Who would have thought that an architect or a lawyerwould go home and pick up a guitar to rock?We have created an idea within ourselves that challenging professions cannot coexist with passion, specifically being in a band.

We have grown accustomed that sensibility and passion do not grow together, that one of these two must give up to make room for the other. Little did know that there are bands that have interesting day jobs before heading to the bar for a gig. The Shirley band’s vocalist is actually a lawyer who has worked for a firm in years. Zara KH is a band comprising of all advertising creative directors.

While this is a shock to many, it can be a good sign to all professionals who gave up being in the band to earn a decent living as well as to musicians who have given up money to live an artist’s kind of life. Yes, it is possible to rock ‘n’ roll your way to leading a balanced professional and musical life.