Ty Showers' blog on imeem

What Every Singer Should Fear

Ty Showers — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:31:13 -0000

What Every Singer Should FearAuthor: Ty Showers

The audience is loud and abuzz with excitement. Lights swirl around the stage and audience. Low volume downtempo music is pumped through the speakers as a prelude to the music about to be heard.

The band is heard behind tall curtains tuning up in preparation for the opening. The audience screams with anticipation of the curtains rising. Then, the band starts. They are playing a popular song and the lead singer and background vocals are right in sync with the band. The audience is stirred and applauding in anticipation to the curtain rising. The curtain rises, and there is the band. The audience screams!

Vocals are in complete sync with the music. Throughout the audience sparse impressions of the vocal arrangement can be heard. Everyone is grooving and happy.

There is no lead singer visible, and there are no background singers visible. However, the stage is covered with dancers gyrating to the beat, band members playing their respective instruments and visibly suspicious is a keyboard player, playing notes that seem to be in concert with the lead and background vocals.

- - -

The above scenario sounds like science fiction - a band and no singers, though singers are heard. We may not be too far off in seeing this scenario unfold. Software manufacturers are busily creating software that sings (not speaks) the words that are typed and played via MIDI.

I for one can’t wait for this day to arrive, especially as one who can’t sing. I fully support jazz, r&b, downtempo, electronic and urban musicians, especially those with talent but can’t sing. I know how difficult it is to find a gifted singer who doesn’t have an ego. If this sounds like I’m bitter because I can’t sing, you’re right! I don’t know if you’ve noticed the past decade how musicians seem to be an extinct species, especially on stage. You usually have singers, dancers but no musicians. Granted, this depends upon genre, but even some genres that you never think this could happen to, it's happening. Often times there is a single person with a keyboard playing full jazz ensembles or full symphonies.

Audio and MIDI loops have just about extinguished talented musicians. Anyone with GarageBand or Sonar can create a pretty nice sounding groove. And worse of all, no one cares how the song is made. If it has a nice groove, the making of it is irrelevant.

This is why the creation of the virtual singer is on my wish list. Because if musicians have to be relegated to the background, and symphonies to pits, so should singers.

This would also be a good way to weed out poor singers, because they would be in competition with software. Poor singers who use software to manipulate their voice to be in tune with the music wouldn’t be needed. The software would sing and there would be no need for tuning thus reducing the production work load.

And most importantly, the egos of singers can be placed in check. Most musicians say, if only I can sing. Well soon they will be saying, if only I could afford singing software.

About the Author:

Ty Showers is the creator of Taliferro Music. A starter label dedicated to supporting talented but under capitalized artists.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What Every Singer Should Fear

Taliferro Music

Ty Showers — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:20:51 -0000

You may already know that I revived my interest in music in May 2008.

Since then, I have had so much fun creating and producing music of all kinds. It's a great hobby. I have taken baby steps, getting my feet wet in the various realms of music.

Some of the baby steps:
- First I needed to practice and re-acquire the dexterity (on the keyboard and bass) I had when I was younger - still in progress.
- Learn which software and hardware tools to use in order to create a finished musical work.
- Learn about copyrighting and registering music.
- Learn how to query radio stations and generate air play.
- Study Music Marketing. (At first, I created compilations with all types of musical genres in the same release. I had jazz, R&B, ambient, electronic on the same album. I don't think people appreciated this mix). :-)

Being on Imeem for almost a year, I have also learned that there are quite a few talented musicians that yearn to be heard. Unfortunately, they all seem to want to fly solo. Well, there's one thing I've learned in the corporate world, you can't do everything yourself.

A thought occurred to me one day, how can I apply what I've learned to help out other artists - and myself?

I came up with this concept called a Starter Label. Just like the notion of a starter home, the starter label is a place where artists can land for awhile, where they can receive maximum exposure to help propel them to a larger label.

The starter label's main focus is to give artists maximum exposure on the Internet but will not charge artists. Plus, select a hand full of artists, that reflect a razor sharp focus.

This may or may not be a good idea. Don't know yet, but I plan to give it a shot. So, I've started with some simple webpages as proof of concept and located a few artists to promote. One page describes the mission of the starter label. Other pages are for all the genres of the label's focus so far: electronic, ambient, r&b, jazz, chillout/downtempo and - to come - urban.

If nothing comes of it, at least it's a good place to stream different types of music.

Bohemian Manifesto 88.9 FM Show Gone!

Ty Showers — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:55:19 -0000

Musicians have very few resources for getting their music heard on a large stage. Grace Cabezas provided such a stage for musicians and now she's no longer on 88.9 in Miami. What's up with that? For 5 years Grace hosted this show, and now the show is non-existent. Did a shortage of musicians to interview just occur?

If this was a station management decision, it is a very poor decision. What are these Program Directors be thinking?

I also noticed that quite a few of the shows I watch online (I don't have a TV) will no longer be on next season. My favorite show, "Boston Legal" is retiring. "Private Practice" I heard is canceled, and a few of other shows I watch. I'm glad I don't have a TV - especially paying for TV.

Affiliate Marketing - A Musician's Perspective

Ty Showers — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:20:51 -0000

When I watch a video on Hulu the advertisements are a minor annoyance, however I realize the ads are allowing me to watch the video.

I've belong to an affiliate program for years and have an affiliate account but have never used it. In an effort to try an produce quality music and at the same time monetize it without turning off a listener or fan, I decided to try and apply some adds to my streaming music, blog and website - taking the Hulu approach.

Not too many that it turns off a reader or listener, but just enough to create a balance with earning and site aesthetics.

Well, in order to monetize the blog and music you have to have traffic. I don't know if the things I'm doing will generate traffic, but I'll keep you in know. What I have noticed though is that when you perform a search on anything, the search results tend to favor keywords in the URL. For example, if I do a search on music, music.com, music.mp3.com, etc. are more apt to be in the top of the results.

DrumLoops - My Fascination Grows Daily

Ty Showers — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:48:50 -0000

I have been scouring the internet for the last few weeks for drumloops. I have become so fascinated with how changing the drums in a song changes the entire character.

I have this one song called "Ice" where I was struggling to make it more funky. I applied Hip-Hop, Custom, and R&B style drums to the track, but I couldn't make it funky. Then I ran across this one drum loop, and magic. The track is now funky. Let me know if the funk is justified, take a listen to the track below.

Anyone know where free drumloops can be obtained let me know.

Electronic Jazz - How It's Different

Ty Showers — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:37:42 -0000

This is hypothetical, but I can imagine taking any traditional jazz song (acoustic bass, piano, sax, drums, etc.) and replacing them with synthesizer sounds and you'd wind up with electronic jazz.

I love traditional jazz, but I get bored of it quickly. That's why I find creating and listening to electronic jazz so fascinating. I'm not bound by my choice of instruments to listen or use. With Electronic Jazz I have not only have infinite notes to play with, but an infinite combination of instruments at my disposable. Thus, every song could potential sound totally different. Of course you do need some skill as well and a mastery of some techniques to play jazz.

I was talking with a friend of mine and he happened to mention that people don't care how fast you can play. Most people yes - I agree - could care less. However, if I were playing music for most people, I'd probably simplify my style, especially if I made my living in music. I don't know how traditional jazz artist (in America) make a living.

Nobody cares about the painstaking hours it took to master an instrument. Which is kind of sad. People really should appreciate the diligence that went into playing an instrument, especially one that is played well.

I guess that's why "smooth jazz" was created. To give talented musicians a genre where they could actually earn a living.

Beyond Bop

Ty Showers — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:00:04 -0000

I received this e-mail from Tom Kiebzak of Beyond Bop on November 9th. I must preface this by saying at the time I did not have any CDs, I was distributing my material digitally. So I thought, get some CDs made.

"Greetings Ty,

Beyond Bop is an internet radio station created for musicians by musicians, showcasing some of the best kept secrets in Jazz - you! We're looking for talented artists like yourself who play jazz, jazz fusion, world fusion, and acid jazz to play on our newly created internet radio station, free of charge.

To submit your piece for consideration, send your CD(s) to:
Tom Kiebzak
W4885 Valley Heights Drive
Fredonia, WI 53021

Please note: If you are not a member of ASCAP or BMI provide a statement of permission to play your music on our station."

Today I received this e-mail:

"Greetings Ty,

Yes I got your CD's. They are produced and recorded very well unfortunaltely the genre doesn't fit the format for our station.

Keep up the chops!
Tom"

I swear, if I ever run into this guy - POW!!!!

What kind of Bullshit is this? First of all, I could have sent that CD to someone who actually listened to my music. It's evident, that this guy must have sent me a spam message, so musicians beware.

Also, the postage cost and time. I could have been creating music instead of sending this jerk a CD.

Jazz Music Bloggers, What About The Other Types of Jazz Music

Ty Showers — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:41:54 -0000

I've visited some of the jazz music blogs, and for the most part I've been disappointed. Most are out of date or mostly only cover traditional jazz, even though there are various deviations such as electronic, smooth, chill, fusion, jazz rock, etc.

This discovery came on the heels of trying to find bloggers to review and/or recommend my music. If I could write a little better and had a little extra time, writing a jazz blog would definitely be on my priority list.

I'm sure I've not been to every jazz blog, so I can only speak to those I've visited from doing a search. There may be some quality blogs that I just don't know about. I'll continue my search and hope to stumble upon one.

In Search of Airplay . . .

Ty Showers — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:11:36 -0000

Now that I have all this music, how do I get it heard. Well, my first thought was to find a music aggregate like INgrooves, but since that didn't work out, my next option was to contact radio stations myself.

Doing a search on jazz radio and downtempo radio stations I was able to find sites that provided handy listing, complete with links to the station's website. From there I either searched for music submission guidelines or sent the music director an email.

The good news is that I got responses. The bad news is that for every 10 emails I sent, I only received 1-2 responses (and that was 3 days ago).

The next option is, if they don't respond, find the station address and send a CD to the station's Programming Director.

The emails that I have received were all positive and got me excited about the potential. I have mailed 7 CD samplers so far.

INgrooves

Ty Showers — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:11:23 -0000

I just knew once I sent a professional looking package to INgrooves, they would jump all over me (sign me up for distribution). I haven't heard anything from them - at least tell me to go fuck off or something. A better response would be no you're not what we're looking for and here's why.

Why do people do that - tell you to send your material with no intention of listening to it or signing you. Very frustrating. In my younger quick tempered days, these people would have been cursed out or fucked up. How time and wisdom mellows you.

I'm also beginning to understand why artist - once they make it big - treat everyone like shit. There is just no downhill courtesy. Perhaps if there was common courtesy, people would be more willing to help each other.

Does Anybody Like Jazz Music?

Ty Showers — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:41:15 -0000

Sure I know there are quite a few people who like Jazz Music, but just about any music that can't be categorized is thrown into jazz. Some people who have defined their version of jazz to me I can't say I agree with.

For past 3 weeks I've been working on 6 compilations simultaneously (about 60+ songs), and I'm not sure I fit the Jazz Music category. I have 1 or 2 songs that fit the traditional jazz genre, but when trying to come up with what artist I compare to, I draw a blank. Over the past month I've been compared to "Joe Sample", "Atlantic Starr" and "Yanni". Quite a diverse comparison and I don't think I sound like any of these people. Hopefully it will all wash out.

This weekend I'm dedicated to finishing up the 6 compilations I've been working on, and getting them mailed to radio stations. Will keep you posted on where I'm getting played.

So You Want Sparkle . . .

Ty Showers — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:19:51 -0000

I love mixes that have deep bass, balanced mid-ranges, and sparkling highs. The problem I've been experiencing in mixing my own music is getting that balance to sound good on various devices (car, clock radio, expensive stereo, boombox, etc). After much trial and error, I think I have created a cookie cutter formula - with slight modifications during mix-down to make this happen. These are the steps I perform in the final mix down in Sonar:

Place string or pluck type instruments in a group and use the "Bring Acoustic" setting of Sonar's HF Exciter

Place bells, cymbals, triangles and the like into another group and use the "Sparkling High" setting of Sonar's HF Exciter

Add compression to bass drum of 12:1 ratio, 4:1 rate and a volume boost of 8-10 decibels

Add compression to bass guitar of 24:1 ratio, 4:1 rate and a volume boost of 4-10 decibels

Apply "Band Stop" of 250Hz to bass and bass drum, then overall mix using Vintage EQ

Boost 4-6 kHz by 2.9 decibels of instruments I want to have presence, e.g., pianos, synthesizers, electric guitars (I listen and look at the EQ band to see what looks and sounds right 4 kHz may be perfect or 6 kHz - depends)

One thing I have not figured out is how to make my bass playing sit in the pocket and at the same time dominate the song as the main melody. Still working on that one.

Artist of the Day

Ty Showers — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:03:26 -0000

Got an email this morning saying I was the "Artist of the Day" for the site http://www.gjkpromotions.com/.

Cool!!!

I was also the artist of the day on All About Jazz a few weeks ago. Plus artist of the hour on 88.9 FM down here in Miami, back on November 11th.

Very interesting to see how creating music and being diligent gets you noticed.

I think I'm going through a classical music stage, now. I composed a symphony over the weekend, and also took the song "Close To You" by the Carpenters and made all the instruments some type of violin (except the drums and piano). With a hip-hop drum track.

I don't know how true musicians stick to one genre. That's amazing to me! With so many ways to arrange music, why corner yourself in one genre? I know it probably relates back to marketing, but sometimes you have to just let go and do something different.

Keeping my website up to date

Ty Showers — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:30:03 -0000

I finally bit the bullet and registered tyshowers.com.

I'm finding it useful having the site and keeping it up to date. It helps me stay organized and focused.

I have set it up so that I can stream albums or individual songs, which I use often to listen various tracks and to see how they relate to one another. Whether a song is louder than another, etc. This great little widget player that I found on Desmond Williams' blog comes in handy in organizing music and creating a user experience.

I also found a handy little tool for propagating my blog to various sites.

Maintaining my website also help me practice SEO skills (which I seem to be quite rusty).

May you have a happy holiday!

Either I'm Too Fast or People Are Too Slow

Ty Showers — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:29:15 -0000

Since I've gotten back into music, I have been asked to collaborate countless times. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked to collaborate, well, I'd have almost a dollar.

The issue is either:

* They ask to collaborate, I say OK and I never hear from them again (I guess I'm calling their bluff)
* They ask to collaborate and are so slow to respond

Don't they know I'm trying to put out an album every 30 days?

I was talking to a friend of mine, and she said that a local band here took a year and a half to put out an album. 1 1/2 years! One and half years working on the same 12-16 songs. Is it really supposed to be that hard. Especially if that's your job. I'm putting out an album a month - doing it part time.

I suspect the time issue may be in the music collaboration.