There have been many varied definitions of music, dependent on the writer’s idea of, or appreciation for, music. One man’s music is another man’s noise. And he defines accordingly.

One says Nevin is music and Bach is noise. One declares Mozart to be noise and Stravinsky, music. Another reverses the definition. Even the dictionary tells us that “music is the art of combining tones to please the ear.”

Whose ear — yours or mine?

A French writer, Jules Combarieu, is more general, and declares it to be “the art of thought in tone.” In other words, it is an art, not a natural phenomenon; it deals with tones, and it presupposes thought; that is, educated mental action and discrimination. “Thought, using tone as its medium, creating an art work.”

And still, this leaves open to discussion, “What is an art work?” We journey back to the starting point, you saying Mozart created art works, and Schonberg didn’t; while I may pin my faith to Cadman and Herbert.

One might reduce the definition a little, and make it more generally satisfactory, by saying music is “thought expressed in tone.” This would exclude noises — casual, unbrained combinations of tones — and require definite mental application, presupposing a knowledge of the essentials of musical construction.

While this definition may be satisfactory to you and to me, there are those whose idea of music is so different from ours, that only a definition to fit their own particular style would suit them.

One says music should be impersonal, abstract. Another school declares that it should always tell a story. Still another division of the musical public says that music should go much farther than the dictionary definition above quoted; that it not only is the art of “combining tones to please the ear,” but that music should represent the whole of life, whether it pleases the ear or not.

In other words, if the subject portrayed is one of pain, horror or calamity, then the music must be of clash, cacophony, discord, entirely abjuring the idea of beauty or “pleasing the ear.” Out of all this, long ago, arose the question whether it was the function of music merely to be beautiful, or whether, like painting, its mission is to portray all of life — good and bad, pleasure and sorrow, happiness and horror.

That is a question no part of the world can settle for the rest. Ever since music reached an advanced stage of development, it has been a bone of contention among musicologists and composers, and, no doubt, it will so continue for decades, and possibly for centuries.

So, not to enter discussion of it, the simpler way is to accept such a generalized definition as that suggested above, and classify music as “thought expressed through tone,” to which hardly any school of music, or composition, can take exception.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Performing Songwriters Abby White to Speak at Indie Music Week

Nashville, Tennessee - Indie Music Week has announced that Abby White, Music Editor of Performing Songwriter magazine, will be participating as an Indie Music Week panelist. IMW, taking place in Nashville March 11-12, will feature three industry panels of Major and Independent A&R, promoters, label executives, producers, managers and lawyers, and will wrap up with a Music Industry Summit.

Since the bulk of my daily responsibilities involves listening to new music and trying to find ways to inform our readers about it, it’s pretty much a dream job for me! In my three and 1/2 years at the magazine, I’ve had the opportunity to interview many people throughout the music industry, from label executives to independent musicians. Since our magazine is proud to serve as the voice of the performing songwriting community, we’ve always provided coverage for independent artists and created articles to help them further their careers, says Abby.

As Music Editor at Performing Songwriter, Abby has written extensive feature articles on a wide range of independent artist-related topics including Vocal Health, Life on the Road for the Traveling Musician, Alternative Markets For Your Songs, The Current State of Radio and the FCC, Enhancing Your Product, and Conferences and Festivals. She has also conducted industry and artist interviews with such well-know writer/artists Melissa Auf der Maur, Guster, French Kicks, Sam Roberts, Ben Folds, Johnathan Rice, Jason Mraz, Gavin DeGraw, Evan Dando, Adam Cohen of Low Millions, Jump (Little Children), Carbon Leaf, Adam Richman, and Matt Hales of Aqualung. She was previously employed by Nashville radio station Lightning 100 (WRLT), Nashville’s only commercial Triple-A indie radio station.

Other confirmed panelists include Danny Kee from Warner Bros. Records, Amy Stevens of Vivaton Records, Lyric Street Records Kirk Boyer, Nashville Star and Sony Musics Tracy Gershon, Larry Shell of Broken Bow Records, Bradley Collins of BMI, EQ Magazines Mitch Gallagher, and the Nashville Association of Professional Recording Services (NAPRS). In addition to the industry panels, Indie Music Week will also feature two Artist Showcases to be held at Nashvilles famous Douglas Corner Caf.

To attend Indie Music Week 2005, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org for registration information. The registration fee for Indie Music Week is $99, with 50% fee discounts for music industry students or artists that showcase. To be an Indie Music Week sponsor, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org or call 615-292-1337.

Some Help with Figuring Out the Sometimes Confusing Ways
That Artists Are Paid For Their Work In The Music Industry.

The thing we like most about the music industry is also the thing that is most confusing and frustrating. It just doesnt work like every other job in the country. When you make a living as a professional songwriter, producer, musician, rapper or singer, you dont work 9-5, you dont have a boss and a desk and all of those normal job things. Thats what we like about it.

But the music industry is a business and a lot of money flows through the companies that promote, produce and market the music you make. The process of getting the money you deserve works much differently in the music industry than it does in corporate America.

To be considered full time at your art and craft of being a songwriter, producer, musician, rapper or singer, you have to get paid. Being an artist doesnt exempt you from the rules we all live by. You have to eat, live somewhere and pay the rent as they say. And you dont want to just get by. Ideally your music will become recognized and well liked and you will become one of those filthy rich rock, pop or rap stars you see on VH1, MTV or BET. But to do that you have to master one basic idea. You have to figure out how to get paid.

This article will give you the basics. We will go over some of the unique terminology that pertains to how money is collected and paid out to artists in the music business as well as discuss some of the organizational systems that you must understand to be able to make a buck in this business.

Strange New World

The terminology or the words we use to refer to the payments systems in the music industry are much different from in a normal job. You dont just report to payroll for your regular paycheck every other week. So our first order of business is to define and understand a couple of terms and the systems they represent. The two terms you should get to know the best are recoupment and royalties.

You Mean Its Not a Gift?

Recoupment may seem like a sweet deal up front. Recoupment is essentially a loan from the record company to fund the expenses of your recording work. The record company has signed you and now the work of producing the CD is ahead of you. In order to allow you to focus all of your energies and time on making the record for them, the record company will advance you a lump sum of money to handle both your living expenses and the expenses of the recording. This is to go for:

* The gear and equipment you will need to produce the recording.

* Living expenses and incidentals during the recording process

* Touring expenses

If you receive recoupment money for recording your CD, immediately discuss with your band or other key people in your camp two important concepts and enforce them religiously.

1. Keep track of what you spend and use the money wisely. You could blow through your recoupment money very easily and suddenly realize you have no more expense money and the recording or touring is not done. You dont want to face that. Pick the most trustworthy, numbers aware person in your band or entourage and make him the budget wizard for the entire process and obey him like he was your master. You will be happy you did.

2. It isnt your money! Remember, recoupment money is a loan. It is an advance against the profit the record company will make from your work. The record company must recoup the funds from sales and if they do not, they loose money and you could be dropped.

So be careful in how you negotiate and use your recoupment funds. Recoupment is a wonderful system to give you the freedom to produce a quality recording. But beware that there are hidden costs and demands that come with a recoupment. Dont let them take you by surprise.

A Royalty That Does Not Refer To Princess Di.

The term royalty when it pertains to the music business is somewhat more familiar. The simplest definition is that a royalty is a percentage of the sale of a song or CD that is paid to the artist, the composer and other participants in the process. Royalties are used in many creative industries including publishing, television and movies as well so most people are aware of the idea.

But you might wonder who handles the collection and distribution of royalties? As a rule, the publishing company takes on this job. They have the accounting departments and the organization to handle this on-going duty. That helps you out a lot. Oh, they take their cut too but for the most part, if they treat you honestly, it is worth letting them participate for the hassle they save you in managing these details. There are four kinds of royalties to discuss before we are done with this topic and those are…

* Mechanical Royalties

The cut you get when another artist records or covers your song to release on their CD. You receive a royalty for the sales of that CD as the author and copy right owner of the song. This type of royalty applies whether you write a song that the artist releases initially or if the artist is covering a song you have already released.

* Synchronization Royalties

You receive these payments when your song is used in a movie, a TV show or a video. These are negotiated on a royalty-by-royalty basis so make sure your agent is experienced in this kind of contract. If your song becomes the theme some for a popular Sitcom, it could be a huge windfall for you if the synchronization royalties are negotiated correctly.

* Print Royalties

As the title implies, print royalties are what you receive when sheet music of your song is sold. Print royalties can run in the 10-15% range so they are worth securing and protecting.

* Performance Royalties

Royalties are due to you every time your song is played on the radio or performed. Performance royalties, as you might expect are very complicated to track and collect so you will come to rely on a type of service organization known as a PRO.

A PRO is not a Terrorist Organization.

PRO stands for Performing Rights Organizations and they are the good guys because they help you get paid the performance royalties you deserve for your material. These organizations work on behalf of song authors and publishes to collect performance royalties on any possible venue including:

* Radio
* Television
* Movies and even
* The Internet

Now you may think every time you hear your song on the radio, you immediately earned a small royalty but it doesnt work exactly that way. Instead, radio or other broadcast media including internet pay services pay a single flat license fee to broadcast from a catalog of songs represented by the PRO. The PRO then establishes a song frequency percentage based on samplings of air play to determine how much your cut of each radio station license fee might be and from that they pay your performance royalties.

To learn more about the major Performance Rights Organizations, here are the big three and how to research or contact them…

1. BMI
20 W. 57TH ST.,
NEW YORK, NY 10019 USA
Tel 212-586-2000

2. SESAC
SESAC (headquarters)
55 Music Square East
Nashville, TN 37203
615-320-0055
Fax 615-329-9627

3. ASCAP
One Lincoln Plaza
New York, NY 10023
Tel: (212) 621-6000
Fax: (212) 724-9064

Conclusion

There is a lot to learn about how you will be paid for your artistic work in the music industry. But its a worthwhile investment to understand the system as much as possible because in doing so, you increase the amount of money you will see come to you for your songs and performances.

In this article, we have given you an overview, some definitions and introduced you to a few organizations that are central to making the music industry payment system fair and workable, to find even more as well as thousands of other essential music business contacts visit http://www.MusicBizPhoneBook.com

Dont stop with this introduction though. Work with your management and become industry savvy about royalties, contracts, recoupment and all the inner workings of the money side of the music business. Your homework will pay off and lead to a long and prosperous career as a performer in the exciting world of the music industry.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I wish you Much Success!

This article was written by Ty Cohen, the music industry’s most recognizable voice!
Ty is the C.E.O of Platinum Millennium Publishing and Platinum Millennium Records as well as owner of http://www.MusicContractsOnline.comand http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.com

To find out more about Ty Cohen, his services, products and how he may be able to help you succeed in the music industry go to http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.comand sign up for his free limited edition music industry success 10-part “Mini-Course”, it will work wonders for you and best of all, it’s FREE, but EXTREMELY VALUABLE!

“Live music.” That common saying may contain some truth, but these days the word “live” is having less and less to do with music. For many people, a dj is their form of live music. Despite what dj’s would like to have you believe, musicians make excellent entertainment.
In the first place, people enjoy human performance. Many musicians like great atheletes are multi-talented. They will croon on the tenor saxophone right to your soul, then turn around and chunk out a funky rhythym on a Fender Stratocaster. Can a dj play a turntable behind his head or with his teeth? Professional musicians love to sing and groove on just about any style of music from a Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They especially enjoy playing when the audience is responding to their performance.
In the second place, musicians are students of the arts. Musicians do not merely “push buttons.” They’ve had years of practice in their homes, and they do their thing on stage. Unlike dj’s musicians do not try to sing over or add other loud or strange noises to program music. Once a song starts it flows to the end and in the unfortunate event of a power shortage musicians can continue to entertain acoustically until power is restored. Even non-professional musicians usually understand “the show must go on” concept.
Lastly, one of the most attractive features of bands as entertainment is the affinity between them and their audience. Watching a great drummer is never boring because they’re constantly moving…feeling. An animated solo violinist playing an old wooden Stradavarius violin has a much greater chance of reaching into your soul and stirring your emotions than a dj with an array of magnetic speakers and digital amplifiers no matter how great his system sounds. It’s an apple trying to be an orange. It’s the difference between human blood and electricity.
Contrary to popular opinion, bands can be affordable. Just like with a dj, finding a band well in advance and securing them with a low downpayment, the price can be negotiated to avoid costly or inadequate entertainment. Bands will even throw in a free cocktail hour or an extra half hour at the end to secure a date! Many bands are now offering “dj time.” This is when the musician hat comes off and the dj hat is put on to play the Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc…genres of today. People who have small parties should appreciate these characteristics of bands. However, many people who have large parties opt to have bands because they love the musician personality. In many ways, musicians are the ideal entertainers.
Candido Bretto
PartyBands.com
Partybands.com is a free website for bands and is home to over 100+ bands from all around the country. If are a musician or you’d like to know how you can be a proactive live music supporter please visit Partybands.com.

Are you confused by the various types of music file formats out there? Most of you would have heard of the popular MP3 format, but are you aware there are other alternative digital music formats like WAV, WMA, RA and MIDI? Some of these give better sound quality than MP3 (e.g. the WAV format) but also need more disk storage space. Others like WMA give file sizes smaller than the MP3 format and are more suited for portable music players.

Let’s run through the various file formats now:

The MP3 File Format

MP3 files have the extension “.mp3″ and are available for download from many web sites. MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) technology compresses a sound sequence into a very small file (usually one twelfth of of the original file size). The designers of MP3 compression algorithm managed to do this by eliminating sounds that the human ear cannot perceive. While MP3 technology is impressive, it has been abused by music pirates. One can very easily create MP3 files from commercial CDs and make them available for download. The RIAA and major music companies have been cracking down on the distribution and sharing of MP3 files in this manner.

The WMA File Format

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is Microsoft’s proprietary music file format that it is marketing aggressively. WMA files are smaller in size than MP3 files, but still retain a decent level of sound quality. This format is getting very popular in websites for sampling music and also in portable music players. However, whether WMA will overtake the popularity of MP3 remains to be seen.

The WAV File Format

A wave file is characterized by the file extension “.wav”. This music file format provides raw, uncompressed audio data. Originally invented by Microsoft, wave files are still used widely (examples include your start up and shut down sounds in Windows). Audio quality is excellent, but the file size is huge. A full pop song in wave format may take up to 30 MB of disk space or more.

The AIFF File Format

The AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is a popular music file formats used in the Apple Macintosh operating system. In a way, they are the Macintosh equivalent of wave files. AIFF files have the file extension “.aif” when accessed via a PC. They contain raw audio data (which result in excellent sound quality) but take up a large amount of disk space.

The MIDI File Format

The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) file format was originally created for recording and playing music on digital synthesizers. MIDI files are very small in size. The reason for this is that the MIDI file only contains information on how music is produced (e.g. note-ons and note-offs). The sound card which plays back the MIDI file takes this information and plays back music using an in-built soundcard wavetable.

The RA File Format

RA (RealAudio) files support streaming technology. Created by Progressive Networks, an RA file is highly optimized for live, streaming audio from websites. RA files are best played back on RealAudio players which are freely downloadable from Progressive Networks.

Conclusion

Well, that wraps up our coverage of the most popular music file formats out there. You may be interested to know that there are many software applications which can convert music from one format to another (e.g. MP3 to WAV or WAV to AIFF). Do a search for these applications at www.download.com.

Next Up and Coming Guitarist in a Long Line of Famous Van Zant Musicians Launches Munch Music - Classic Rock Themed Digital Recording Facility

Live Your Rock & Roll Dream at Munch Music CD recording, music lessons and live performance experience are now within the grasp of all musicians

Tsawwassen, B.C., June 21, 2005 — Munch Music, Inc. - www.MyMunchMusic.com. On July 16th get ready to jump into the center ring of your own ‘Rock & Roll Circus’ as Munch Music opens its doors in Tsawwassen, B.C., Canada, to music fans and performers of all ages and experience levels,. Munch Music is the brainchild of Taylor Van Zant. Taylor a 15 year old who has been playing guitar for two and a half years - his goal: to be the next in a long line of famous Van Zant musicians. Directors Brian Noer and Dawn Van Zant, who have a combined forty years of professional expertise in the financial markets and many successful business ventures between them, are backing Taylor in this exciting new enterprise.

The concept behind Munch Music is simple: You have a Rock & Roll Dream and we provide the means for you to live that dream. Life at Munch Music is never boring, and here you’re never too old or too young to be a bona fide ‘Jukebox Hero’! Munch Music provides the fulfillment of musical dreams through a state of the art digital recording studio, the opportunity to promote your new CD both in-store and online, and a staff of experienced lifelong musicians who are available to instruct and guide you through your musical journey. And to top it all off, we are able to offer our services and expertise at extremely affordable prices that should suit the budget of even the youngest new chart toppers.

I have always wanted a chance to live my own Rock & Roll Dream, said Taylor Van Zant, so I developed the concept behind Munch Music as a place where I could live my dream and others could live theirs too.

It was an exciting moment, said Brian Noer, Director of Munch Music, when Dawn and Taylor approached me with their concept for a place where musicians of all ages, and particularly teenagers, could channel their energies in a positive way towards the realization of musical goals. Music has been a positive influence on me for most of my life, and I relish the opportunity to run a business whose aim is to develop the creative instincts of the next generation of musical talent.

The Munch Music website features an extensive list of music industry links from classic rock to copyrighting your own music for avid music fans. Click here for more details: http://www.mymunchmusic.com/music_links.htm

Other famous Van Zant musician links
http://www.vanzantmusic.com/
http://www.vanzantmusic.com/
http://skynyrd.com/
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

About us: http://www.mymunchmusic.com/about_us.htm Doors Open on July16, 2005 at 10:00 am. Check us out online at www.MyMunchMusic.com, where you can view a complete description of our services, facilities, price list, menu and merchandise.

Music Industry Blog: http://musicinvestornews.blogspot.com/

Contact: Brian Noer or Taylor Van Zant
bnoer@investorideas.com
866 725 2552
Unit 11 - 1835 56th Street, V4L 2L8
Delta, BC - Canada

About the author:
About us: http://www.mymunchmusic.com/about_us.htmDoors Open on July16, 2005 at 10:00 am. Check us out online at www.MyMunchMusic.com,where you can view a complete description of our services, facilities, price list, menu and merchandise.

Some of < ?xml:namespace prefix = u1 />America’s best-loved music wasn’t written in this country. Two different songs were considered to be the national anthem. One flag-waving tune took 20 years to compose.

Your celebration of Independence Day may include watching fireworks, having a barbeque, or tuning in one of the TV marathons, but chances are you will also hear some patriotic music during the holiday.

These familiar tunes are exciting and uplifting, but how much do you know about how they were created or the people who wrote them? There are some surprising facts behind all of this glorious music.

So, fire up the outdoor grill, look up at the pyrotechnics, and strike up the band as we reveal the secrets behind the most influential nationalistic musical moments of all time.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key, 1814.

Schoolchildren in America all learn how Key watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and so admired the courage of the beleaguered American forces that he wrote four stanzas of “The Star Spangled Banner” (only the first is usually performed). Key based the melody on an English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The song has only been the national anthem since 1931, and there was a strong movement to replace it with one of the other songs on this list.

“America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” Samuel F. Smith, 1832.

The music was composed in the 1700s, sometimes attributed to Henry Cary. First popular in Great Britain as “God Save the King (Queen),” the song became bi-continental in 1832. Modern audiences have been greatly moved by the R&B version by Ray Charles, a truly wonderful blending of emotion with what musicians call “the groove.”

“Rally ‘Round the Flag,” George F. Root, 1862.

Written for the Union army and its supporters during the Civil War, the song was hugely popular in the North. This didn’t prevent Confederate troops from writing their own lyrics and singing the song throughout the South.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Louis Lambert, c. 1863.

Lambert was a pseudonym for Union Army Bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore. His lyrics, set to an old Irish folk song, were popular through the whole Reconstruction Era (1865-1896). It appears in an extended instrumental version on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s film “Dr. Strangelove.”

“Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia W. Howe, 1861.

Howe is another lyricist who succeeded by utilizing a pre-existing piece of music, in this case a camp meeting tune of the 19th century (which also became “John Brown’s Body”). The profound power of the words combined with the compelling melody cannot be denied, and it was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

“Overture: 1812,” Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1880.

Patriotic music doesnt always revolve around the July 4th celebration, or even refer to the USA. Tchaikovsky got Russian hearts a-pounding with his “1812 Overture in E Flat Major Op. 49,” written to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his country’s victory battle during the Napoleonic Wars.

“Semper Fidelis,” John Philip Sousa, 1889.

Popular ever since it was first performed, the effective and spirited tune takes its name from the U.S. Marine Corps motto meaning “always faithful” and is dedicated to the Marines.

“America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, 1895, 1904, 1913.

Originally a poem that Bates twice revised after its first publication in 1885, “America the Beautiful” was sung to several different melodies. The song associated with it today is “Materna,” composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882, but it was also often performed to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“Stars and Stripes Forever,” John Philip Sousa, 1896.

Composed on Christmas Day, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has become the country’s official march (US Code, Title 36 Chapter 10). Sousa wrote lyrics to the song, but they are little known today (sample: “Let martial note in triumph float / And liberty extend its mighty hand / A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers, / The banner of the Western land.)”

“Yankee Doodle Boy,” George M. Cohan, 1904.

“You’re A Grand Old Flag,” George M. Cohan, 1906.

“Over There,” George M. Cohan, 1917.

Known as “the man who owned Broadway,” Cohan was a superstar before the term was coined. While his film biography is called “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the title of his first big tribute to America is actually “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Cohan excited U.S. audiences again in 1906 with “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” although the original line was “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” It was America’s entrance into World War I in 1917 that inspired Cohan to write “Over There,” for which he received a congressional medal.

“God Bless America,” Irving Berlin, 1938.

The prolific Berlin (900+ songs despite being unable to read music) originally wrote this song right after the first World War, but did not complete it until just before World War II. Kate Smith first performed it during her radio show on Armistice Day, 1938. An immediate sensation, the song was often suggested to replace the “Star Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Jimi Hendrix, 1969.

The legendary guitarist took the stage near dawn on the final day of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The 13th song in his hour-long set was an incendiary rendition of the venerable tune. In a performance that was somehow savage and grand at the same time, Hendrix wrestled new levels of emotion from the song and generations have never heard it quite the same way again.

“Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola, 1979.

The music in question is “Ride of the Valkyries,” from Richard Wagner’s opera, “Die Walkure” (1854-56). The composition fit perfectly into director Coppola’s nightmarish vision of the Vietnam War. The sequence, featuring a helicopter attack at dawn, never fails to raise the emotions of viewers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Good writing has a transcendent quality and possesses the power to transport through time and mindset. Even if it is done purely for the sake of entertainment, good writing enables us to see and experience life from vantage points much different than our own. Steve Andrews (aka The Bard of Ely) offers a complex and varied array of songs that are in short “good writing”.

The Bard of Ely carries listeners through various paradigms that range from the earthy and humorous musings of “You’re A Liar, Nicky Wire” and the bravado spoof “Superhero” to “other- worldly” expositions like “For Peter & for Paul” and “Priest of the Venusians”.

Perhaps the true heart, soul and conscience of The Bard Of Ely find clearest expression in “commentary” songs like “The Hundredth Monkey v The Beast” and “Insect Inside” or the philosophical proclamation “Sound of One”.

As you read Steve’s responses to the CreatorsWeb Interview questions below you will see that he sites the influences of songwriters like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Neil Young. You will recognize their musical and spiritual presence in The Bard of Ely tracks as you listen.

Check it out for free at: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/bardofelymusic.htm

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Music Style And Audience

How do you classify your music?

I don’t! If asked I say I write songs. I am always fascinated finding out what other people make of my songs but for me I feel that a song is basically a set of words, the lyrics, and a tune. I write my words first and then find a tune on the guitar and that is the basic song but how it turns out later is another matter. All songs are open to being arranged differently and can be given different production. They all start out as words and music and in my own creative process I write the lyrics first, so in the beginning was the word!

Do you target a specific audience? If so, who?

Not really, I just sing my songs and if people like them then I consider that to that degree I have been successful as an artist. I do find I get a better reaction from rock fans rather than ‘folkies’ though.

What performance venues are you currently exploring?

Mainly festivals. I have been the compere for the Avalon Stage at Glastonbury Festival for the last 2 years, as well as playing there, and followed this with doing the same at It’s Jo and Danny’s Green Man Festival in Brecon.

Musical Instruments - Recording - Computer Hardware - Software

What musical instruments do you play?

Guitar and harmonica, keyboards, penny whistle and Jew’s harp enough to have used them on recordings. Kazoo too but that is so simple it doesn’t really count as ‘playing.’ I regard my vocals as an instrument as well.

Do you record in a home studio?

I haven’t got one, only Cool Edit and a microphone but I have used the home-studios of friends.

What equipment and software do you use?

Various. It all depends on what is available. I have various guitars but I mainly use a semi-acoustic Fleetwood jumbo for practice and gigging. The only computer music software I have used myself is Cool Edit. I must confess that I don’t know much about creating digital music and am much happier with a guitar and mic. This doesn’t stop me collaborating with other musicians online who are skilled with this new technology, and in fact I have a song called ‘Electric Bard,’ which is a 3-way collaboration between myself and EXLectiX from America and Catherine Duc from Australia. I wrote the words and did the vocals and my collaborators created the music and produced it. Also, the highly talented musician, Ed Drury, has added his music and arrangements to a series of my poems. This sort of thing, to my mind, is one of the wonderful things about the world of music available online.

Musical Background -Influences

How did you get started playing music?

I would have been aged about 12 and I was listening to pop and some rock bands and also soul and Tamla and this would have been when I was first thinking about it. This was the time of the ‘Mersey sound.’ Then the psychedelic ’60s arrived and the folk protest movement and as a teenager I was inspired by Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, Neil Young and many other singer/songwriters, as well as the whole idea of an alternative society. I would say that I fancied myself as following in these singer/songwriters’ footsteps if I could. By the age of 16 I was going to festivals and gigs and I made my own start at playing guitar and writing songs and poetry. Initially it was an effort to impress girls because I was painfully shy. I had decided that I wasn’t that impressed by the Beatles, although John Lennon is one of my ‘heroes,’ and The Stones were far more my sort of rock band. Neil Young was my favorite guitarist then and still is. Other acts that I really liked and still do are Hendrix, David Bowie, Roy Harper, Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Dory Previn, Jefferson Airplane, Nico, Lou Reed, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Bob Marley, Neil Diamond, the Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett, Joni Mitchell, Bridget St John, Tyrannosaurus and T. Rex, Roxy Music and many many more. Then in the mid ’70s Punk and New Wave happened and a lot of the energy of the movement I found inspiring. I saw a lot of the bands then like The Clash, Boomtown Rats, the Stranglers, Patti Smith and others.

What has influenced your music the most?

All those acts I have mentioned above, along with many more modern ones and genres of music like the Blues, Soul, R&B, Folk, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jazz, Experimental and anything else that I’ve spent time listening too. My inspiration for songs though is very varied and just reflects my life I think.

Music And Internet Marketing

How has the Internet effected you as a musician?

In a big way: I used to be heavily involved in music networking via the snail mail with all the fanzines and small press and the casssette culture which gave way to CDs, but I seem to have phased most of that out because the Internet is a lot easier, cheaper and faster to use.

Also, I have made very many good friends, whom I have met via OMDs and at bbs, and discovered so much excellent music. As well as these things it has given me a means of collaborating with people all over the world.

When did you start marketing your music on the Internet?

In about 1997 when I first began to understand IT and to have access to computers.

What has been the most effective way to market your music on the Internet?

Via OMDs and Bulletin Boards. My favorite OMD was mp3.com and I haven’t seen any other site which has offered so much. The stations it gave acts the option of creating was a great way to promote your music and that of other acts you enjoyed, as well as finding new music.

Musicians And The Future

What does the future hold for you?

More collaborations, more festivals…but as to where my music will take me I really don’t know! I have just written my first song in Spanish and am learning the language, so who knows where my path will lead?

Finally, is there anything else you want to say about yourself?

I prefer to hear what others think of me and my work so I’ll let my good friends Laura J Boll and Chris Kalessin have their say:

Words can barely describe the amazing, multi-talented, multi-faceted and multi-media phenomenon that is the Bard of Ely!!! Part eco-warrior, poet, Arthurian Druid, master of herblore, techno-folk fusion pioneer, MC, songwriter, singer, actor, writer and performer, the Bard has assumed cult status and is featured in many counter-culture books and articles … a genuinely iconic figure!

His solo work, many collaborations (most recently with Funender stalwart Ed Drury) and remixes represent a wonderfully eclectic body of writing and performance, work that that does justice to the traditions of acoustic music, yet with modernity, political relevance, and some great melodies!

And something else that distinguishes this talented artist is his enthusiastic and positive support for music and musicians, and his friendly, universally-respected presence across the online music community. We are proud to know him and highly recommend his music to all - Steve, the Bard of Ely!!!

Check him out TODAY!!! http://www.bardofely.com

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Ken is a pastor, writer, musician living in Greeley Colorado. His articles have been published in a number of magazines, ezines and websites including his own www.creatorsweb.com

International Music Rights Expert to Speak at Indie Music Week

Nashville, Tennessee - Indie Music Week has announced that Marghie Evans, a Nashville based media consultant and expert in international music rights and clearances, will be participating as an Indie Music Week panelist. IMW, taking place in Nashville March 11-12, will feature three industry panels of Major and Independent A&R, promoters, label executives, producers, journalists, and entertainment attorneys, and will wrap up with a Music Industry Summit.

From 1988 to 1998, Marghie was Repertoire Manager for PolyGram in London, England, before becoming the Head of Rights and Clearances at Universal Home Entertainment, where she stayed until 2001. She has been involved in dozens of video productions from The Cream of Eric Clapton to The Who: 20 Years Maximum RnB as well as produced the Dire Straits Greatest Hits Video and DVD The Sultans of Swing. Marghie has also acted as a consultant on behalf of Universal to the MCPS (Mechanical Rights Protection Society) and BPI (British Phonographic Industry) on rights clearance for new media.

Marghie currently resides in Nashville, acting as Rights Administrator for several independent publishers as well as clearing music for a number of video producers. In addition, she is a partner of well-known video company, Warner Park Media, whose latest release is The Players featuring Peter Frampton, Travis Tritt and others.

With so many artists facing the very real necessity of exercising more control over their careers, understanding complex issues like publishing, royalty collection, licensing, and song rights becomes very important and essential to their income. Were so glad a real industry veteran like Marghie is willing to step up to help our attendees, says Indie Music Week President Jonell Polansky.

Other confirmed panelists include Nashville Star and Sony Musics Tracy Gershon, Danny Kee from Warner Bros. Records, Performing Songwriter magazines Abby White, Amy Stevens of Vivaton Records, Lyric Street Records Kirk Boyer, Larry Shell of Broken Bow Records, Bradley Collins of BMI, EQ Magazines Mitch Gallagher, and the Nashville Association of Professional Recording Services (NAPRS). In addition to the industry panels, Indie Music Week will also feature two Artist Showcases to be held at Nashvilles famous Douglas Corner Caf.

To attend Indie Music Week 2005, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org for registration information. The registration fee for Indie Music Week is $99, with 50% fee discounts for music industry students or artists that showcase. To be an Indie Music Week sponsor, please visit IndieMusicWeek.org or call 615-292-1337.

Some of < ?xml:namespace prefix = u1 />America’s best-loved music wasn’t written in this country. Two different songs were considered to be the national anthem. One flag-waving tune took 20 years to compose.

Your celebration of Independence Day may include watching fireworks, having a barbeque, or tuning in one of the TV marathons, but chances are you will also hear some patriotic music during the holiday.

These familiar tunes are exciting and uplifting, but how much do you know about how they were created or the people who wrote them? There are some surprising facts behind all of this glorious music.

So, fire up the outdoor grill, look up at the pyrotechnics, and strike up the band as we reveal the secrets behind the most influential nationalistic musical moments of all time.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Francis Scott Key, 1814.

Schoolchildren in America all learn how Key watched the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and so admired the courage of the beleaguered American forces that he wrote four stanzas of “The Star Spangled Banner” (only the first is usually performed). Key based the melody on an English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The song has only been the national anthem since 1931, and there was a strong movement to replace it with one of the other songs on this list.

“America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” Samuel F. Smith, 1832.

The music was composed in the 1700s, sometimes attributed to Henry Cary. First popular in Great Britain as “God Save the King (Queen),” the song became bi-continental in 1832. Modern audiences have been greatly moved by the R&B version by Ray Charles, a truly wonderful blending of emotion with what musicians call “the groove.”

“Rally ‘Round the Flag,” George F. Root, 1862.

Written for the Union army and its supporters during the Civil War, the song was hugely popular in the North. This didn’t prevent Confederate troops from writing their own lyrics and singing the song throughout the South.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” Louis Lambert, c. 1863.

Lambert was a pseudonym for Union Army Bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore. His lyrics, set to an old Irish folk song, were popular through the whole Reconstruction Era (1865-1896). It appears in an extended instrumental version on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s film “Dr. Strangelove.”

“Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia W. Howe, 1861.

Howe is another lyricist who succeeded by utilizing a pre-existing piece of music, in this case a camp meeting tune of the 19th century (which also became “John Brown’s Body”). The profound power of the words combined with the compelling melody cannot be denied, and it was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

“Overture: 1812,” Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1880.

Patriotic music doesnt always revolve around the July 4th celebration, or even refer to the USA. Tchaikovsky got Russian hearts a-pounding with his “1812 Overture in E Flat Major Op. 49,” written to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his country’s victory battle during the Napoleonic Wars.

“Semper Fidelis,” John Philip Sousa, 1889.

Popular ever since it was first performed, the effective and spirited tune takes its name from the U.S. Marine Corps motto meaning “always faithful” and is dedicated to the Marines.

“America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates, 1895, 1904, 1913.

Originally a poem that Bates twice revised after its first publication in 1885, “America the Beautiful” was sung to several different melodies. The song associated with it today is “Materna,” composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882, but it was also often performed to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“Stars and Stripes Forever,” John Philip Sousa, 1896.

Composed on Christmas Day, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” has become the country’s official march (US Code, Title 36 Chapter 10). Sousa wrote lyrics to the song, but they are little known today (sample: “Let martial note in triumph float / And liberty extend its mighty hand / A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers, / The banner of the Western land.)”

“Yankee Doodle Boy,” George M. Cohan, 1904.

“You’re A Grand Old Flag,” George M. Cohan, 1906.

“Over There,” George M. Cohan, 1917.

Known as “the man who owned Broadway,” Cohan was a superstar before the term was coined. While his film biography is called “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the title of his first big tribute to America is actually “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” Cohan excited U.S. audiences again in 1906 with “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” although the original line was “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” It was America’s entrance into World War I in 1917 that inspired Cohan to write “Over There,” for which he received a congressional medal.

“God Bless America,” Irving Berlin, 1938.

The prolific Berlin (900+ songs despite being unable to read music) originally wrote this song right after the first World War, but did not complete it until just before World War II. Kate Smith first performed it during her radio show on Armistice Day, 1938. An immediate sensation, the song was often suggested to replace the “Star Spangled Banner” as the national anthem.

“Star Spangled Banner,” Jimi Hendrix, 1969.

The legendary guitarist took the stage near dawn on the final day of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The 13th song in his hour-long set was an incendiary rendition of the venerable tune. In a performance that was somehow savage and grand at the same time, Hendrix wrestled new levels of emotion from the song and generations have never heard it quite the same way again.

“Apocalypse Now,” Francis Ford Coppola, 1979.

The music in question is “Ride of the Valkyries,” from Richard Wagner’s opera, “Die Walkure” (1854-56). The composition fit perfectly into director Coppola’s nightmarish vision of the Vietnam War. The sequence, featuring a helicopter attack at dawn, never fails to raise the emotions of viewers.

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