Newsletter Home:  2006 | 2005
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11th November, 2005

CONTENTS:

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Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Don't Tell Me To Stop!)

By Linda Dessau 

This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an expert perspective, I interviewed Dr. Sarah Mickeler, B.Mus., D.C. Dr. Mickeler is a former professional musician and a chiropractor who concentrates on musicians' injuries in her practice.

1) What led you to specialize in musicians' injuries?

I have a very personal connection to musician's injuries. I had trained as a classical clarinet player and it was during my undergrad that I started to have all sorts of problems from playing too much and with poor posture. Unfortunately, I was told, as many others are, that I should just play through the pain and that maybe it would get better! Of course, it didn't, and it eventually led to the demise of my career as a clarinetist, because I was totally unable to hold up my instrument. So, I decided to pick a new career that would help others musicians - and hopefully before they got to the point that I was at! Chiropractic appealed to me because of the whole health care paradigm that it embodies - as chiropractors, we diagnose and fix the cause, rather than masking the symptoms.

2) What is different about treating musicians than treating the general population?

Often, what I tell people who don't understand the specifics of musicians' injuries, is that "it takes one to know one". As a musician, it can be very difficult to explain to a physician or physiotherapist or even another chiropractor what the mechanics look like when you are playing your instrument. But when someone comes into my office and says that they play flute, or guitar, or tuba, or whatever, I know exactly what the physical component of playing their instrument involves. That is a very important first step.

Secondly, not only do you have to be able to have a good understanding of what playing that instrument involves, but you have to be able to see that person play. Even if someone tells me they play violin (I automatically think: "ok, so they will be leaning their head to the left and have right shoulder problems, etc..."), I am often shocked to see how over the years of playing they have contorted themselves into a little pretzel while they play!

So, on the first or second visit, all of my musicians bring in their instruments and I do a thorough playing analysis to see what it is that they're doing right and wrong. It could be that their posture is contributing to their injury. Or maybe there's something about the instrument that we could change; it might just need a minor adjustment in the thumb rest or a key positioning.

For instance, I have very small hands and found it difficult to reach some of the alternate fingering keys on my clarinet - so I had them sawed off and re-soldered on in a different direction so I could reach them.

Thirdly, it is important to recognize that there are some really common reasons for performance injuries. The most common ones are a change in repertoire, a change in the instrument (such as a new mouthpiece or something similar), a change in practice time or an upcoming recital. If we can pinpoint what it is that the performer has been doing differently lately to contribute to their injury, that helps immensely.

And lastly, it is so important to realize, especially for freelance artists, that you can't just tell them to take a muscle relaxant, and take a few weeks off. If these people took a few weeks off, they wouldn't have a roof over their head or food on the table. While it's occasionally absolutely imperative that a break be taken, most of the time I take a holistic approach to treating performers and change and fix what we can, within the obvious limitations of current gigs and upcoming events.

3) What's the most common injury that you see in your office?

In my office, there is a tie for the most common injury. The first is upper back/shoulder/neck pain - I lump these together because those terms can mean the same thing to a lot of people - often someone will come in and say that their shoulder hurts and point to the pain, but to me what they're pointing to is actually their upper back or lower neck. This one is often a function of poor posture or poor practice ergonomics. If we can figure out how to improve the overall posture and ergonomic situation then this tends to resolve quickly.

And the second most common injury is hand and arm pain. You would not believe how many people walk into my office with numb and tingly hands and fingers - which can be very scary if you're the one to experience it - to find out that the problem isn't actually their hands and fingers at all, but it's a little further up the arm and can be quite easily treated once properly diagnosed. Or they come in with tennis elbow - but they have never held a tennis racket in their life! In my office, I call tennis and golfer's elbow "musician's elbow" because it is a repetitive strain injury. It is really, really common and surprisingly easy to treat.

4) What can musicians do to prevent injury?

First of all, don't be a hero! There is just no reason to practice for hours on end without a break. Always remember to take a little break for every 30 minutes that you are playing. Secondly, don't play through pain. The pain signal is there to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Playing through it is not going to get you anywhere - other than in more pain and in worse shape down the road. Thirdly, be aware of your ergonomics. If you sit to play, does your chair fit you properly? In rehearsal, do you have to strain at all to see both the stand and the conductor? Are your arms contorted oddly in order to be able to play properly? This is not good. And lastly, seek the help of a professional who can not only help you with the injuries that you are currently dealing with, but can help you avoid future injury and optimize your overall performance.

You can find out more about Dr. Sarah Mickeler and her Toronto-based chiropractic practice concentrating on musicians' injuries at http://www.drsarah.ca.

To echo Sarah's advice, please pay attention to any pain signals your body is sending you! Admitting you're having a physical problem doesn't make you any less of a musician – it means you're a very smart musician with years of playing ahead of you!!

This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter's Resource website (February 2005) http://www.musesmuse.com.

(c) Copyright Linda Dessau, 2005.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, "Everyday Artist", subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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The King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson Still Stands at the Crossroads

By Robin Piggott 

Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth Century is now one of the most revered and respected of all Musicians who make up the Genre of the 'Blues'. I speak of course about the wonderful Robert Leroy Johnson. Born in 1911 in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, in a Deep South plantation, he, in his pitifully short life, has become one of the founding Fathers of the Blues.

He recorded only 36 sides over a period of a couple of months between November 1936 and June 1937 in San Antonio Texas. These remarkable recordings still bring tears to the eyes of Blues aficionados the world over and shaped the face of the music of today.

The post-war Blues of Chicago owe a great debt to Robert Johnson and it is sad to think what might have been had he lived! In just a few short years he matured from a young black guitarist into a superstar of his day. The often repeated legend was perpetuated by his contemporaries that he sold his soul to the Devil in return for his amazing guitar techniques.

His story is one of hardship tinged with great success in his own locality of the Delta and women were said to be rendered helpless as he sang his compositions. His death at the hand of a jealous husband at the age of twenty seven robbed the world of one of Americas finest ever Musicians and Blues artists.

Years after his death, in 1938, a photograph was unearthed, one of only two in existence. It shows not only his inimitable style of dress but quite remarkable slender fingers which helped him to achieve his unique mastery of the bottleneck guitar technique. He is pictured in a chalk–stripe suit which would have been somewhat overstated for a man in his position at that time. When I first saw that photograph the one thing above all else, that stood out were his beautiful long fingers that enveloped the guitar fingerboard and obviously caressed it as though it was a Woman helpless in his arms!

What about his subject matter… well nothing much has changed in the passing of time; the age old, painful process of unrequited love; of restless yearnings to move on down the line to pastures new; to unfaithful liaisons; and of course much sexual innuendo.

Robert Johnson’s skill as a poet of the time and place is absolutely unsurpassed in my estimation! For sure he borrowed words, phrases, and guitar licks from his peers, but moulded them into something quite unique that not only stands the test of time but has a relevance to today’s Rock music.

There cannot be any Blues Band on this Planet that has not been influenced by Johnson and his music and this is a testament to the greatness of the man! The list of recordings of Johnson’s songs by modern artists is endless and forms the backbone of the resurgence of the Blues in the early sixties in Britain and continues to this day! Most of the long lasting Bands of the R,n,B revolution of 62, 63, and on into the seventies have recorded several of Roberts songs. Notable amongst these would be The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream,The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Elmore James, and many more. Johnson’s songs transcribed particularly well to the new Electric guitar line-ups of the fifties and on into the sixties. Probably one of the most popular of his songs, which I can’t imagine anyone not having heard in a modern format, is of course Crossroad Blues.

This song was recorded live at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1968 by the great Eric Clapton, and his two buddies, Jack Bruce on bass and stickman, Ginger Baker. This song also featured in Cream’s farewell concert at the Albert Hall in London in 1969. I doubt whether Johnson envisaged this treatment of his song when he wrote it or that his poetry would one day be the cornerstone of the Blues Revival of the Sixties.

It is a poignant end to his story that the great impresario John Hammond, who later went onto sign –up a young Bob Dylan in 1962, was just too late when he searched for Robert to appear in the momentous concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Robert Johnson was dead but his spirit and his music will live on for ever in the hearts and minds of the lovers of the music we call THE BLUES.

© Robin Piggott 2004 Key to the Highway Publications.

Robin Piggott is a professional Driving Instructor based in Limerick,Ireland.He is a life-long disciple of the Blues and is hard put to choose between his Gibson and his Car as the most treasured possession.His web site is designed for Learner Drivers and visitors to Ireland.

http://www.astralmotoring.ie

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Guitar Players...Learn About The Point Of Discipline.

by Craig Bassett

The point of discipline is when most guitar players quit. Rather than using their self-discipline to TRULY master the lick/exercise, they stop practicing it and move onto something new. It's tempting isn't it? We've ALL done this at some point in our
development as a guitarist. But what's the cost of doing this?

Some of the negative consequences of quitting at the point of discipline include:

1.You'll never reach the virtuoso levels of guitar playing. Can you imagine virtuosos like Yngwie Malmsteen, Rusty Cooley, Michael Angelo etc, quitting before they have
mastered what they are working on? I don't think so! They didn't become so
incredible by being quitters. They have learned to tap into their self-discipline.

2. You'll never have that feeling of pride that comes with truly mastering something.

3. You won't learn to confront your present technical limitations and overcome them. This will mean that you'll learn a lot of new things but your overall level of playing
won't become elevated.

4. You'll know about 1007 bits of songs, but if someone asks you to play a song from start to finish, you can't.

Not a pretty picture is it? So what are some things that you can do about it? Here are a few ideas…

1.When learning a new lick or exercise, set a speed goal. Keep practicing the lick/exercise until the speed goal has been reached. Realise that this can sometimes take weeks, months (or even years!).

2. Learn to enjoy using your self-discipline. Feel proud about yourself every time you follow through and master something.

3. Use visualization. See yourself in your mind's eye becoming a guitar virtuoso. This will help keep you motivated and enthusiastic!

4. Make a commitment to completion. With everything you learn, refuse to quit. Keep working on it until it has been mastered.

I guarantee that if you learn to tap into your self-discipline your guitar playing will improve at an accelerated rate! Of course, if you want to sit on the couch watching TV and eating bags of potato chips,dreaming about one day becoming an awesome guitarist, that's cool also!

Copyright 2005 by Craig Bassett. All Rights Reserved. Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert)is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author living in Auckland, New Zealand. Master the notes on the guitar fretboard... www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com/note-mastery.html

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Most everything you are told about booking gigs is wrong. An average band hears so much advice from so-called experts they can write a book about it. Most misconceptions are harmless. The ones that cause the most damage are the ones that are the most popular. Popular opinion should almost ALWAYS be avoided when dealing with the music business. This report is meant to deprogram you and tell you what no one will share about really booking better gigs.

It is important to attack the root of misconception fast. Therefore I will take a stab at it now. If you are a good band playing horrible gigs it is most likely because you have a skewed perspective of "time line". This article will be littered with the term "maintaining time line". This is not some trendy "industry term". This is simply the best way to describe your main priority in the quest to tour on your own 4 wheels.

What is "Time Line"?

Time line is a concept. It doesn't really exist. You have to think of it as rule that governs your music business habits. If your time line is too short, your success at gigs will be sporadic. If your time line is too long you will remain stagnant. You have to handle your gigging schedule with precision and thought. You must tweak your time line in order to correct what ails your band.

Less is More

This may be a cliché you hear tossed around a lot in the music business, but it is seldom followed. Playing too often in any market will kill your draw. That is the bottom line. Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. I will spare you all the metrics and sterile accounting speak that proves this point. You must break free of the shackles of saturation if you are going to maintain time line and reach booking zen.

The War

You want to think of booking your band like a war. There are territories you must win. From here on out we will refer to these as markets.

You have to find a way into each market and begin your campaign. For the remainder of the report these will be referred to as gigs.

You must find allies that align with your intentions and best interests. In other words, bands.

You must find a marketplace that has something to gain from your war. This report will refer to them as promoters.

Who Will Help You The Most

The one thing that will probably surprise you the most is where to start getting better gigs. Many of you started out "cold calling" clubs out of the phone book or local rag and ask for a gig. Although this smash and grab attempt can create some lucky opportunities here and there, it will destroy your time line. The truth is, bands that are already successful in that venue will be your greatest ally. If already have some "cherry popping" gigs under your belt, or a demo, this will be crucial in forging a relationship with bands.

Many good drawing bands will have very strong connections with local promoters. Promoters are drawn to them because these bands are a vital commodity in their industry. Club owners and promoters plan to have these bands a certain many times in the year and account for so much business. Usually, in this type of relationship the band can book virtually at will and many times can create bills, or cards. Your best bet is to align with such a band. If you can do this it will launch your time line correctly.

When to Do it Yourself

Assuming your first gig at a venue was under the circumstance outlined above you should make sure you meet the promoter and/or club owner that night. You want to make an impact. When a promoter feels like giving you a bone he doesn't want to throw it. Your initial gig at a venue via another band is the best time to see if the promoter was even paying attention. If they were they might need you for another bill, but you have to come to them.

Leverage

Your draw in your home market will determine your leverage against other markets. In other words, a following in your market will create opportunities in others. This does NOT mean "create buzz here and then everyone will beg for us elsewhere". This means you can now find other bands in other markets that are successful and trade shows, or "swap gigs". Other bands that want to break into your market will want to align themselves with you. Repeating this across multiple markets, and applying a solid time line, will create success. You will also always have a good show supporting locals who draw at least as much as you do on other markets. Creating this leverage, by raising your draw, will be the key to routing better gigs across markets. How does one do this? Simple. Maintaining time line.

How Often Should You Gig in One Market

When you are fist starting out, it is important to play whatever gigs you can to get the hang of how it works. Think of those early gigs as practice. Think of the gigs you do supporting better drawing bands as where you really iron out your craft. Eventually you are going to want to test the waters and see what you are really worth. A band will, at some point, have to go out on its own and try to "headline", or put their own bill together as the "biggest" band. The first couple of times you do this it should be no more than once every 6 weeks. When your time line is ready to be set at optimum performance you should not headline any one market more than 4 or 5 times a year, or once per season. That's right, your time line gets longer, not shorter. When everything is working properly you will play less gigs, but with significantly more draw at each.

Choosing the Right Venue

You want to fight battle you know you can win (we will talk more about battles in a moment). You want to play where you are confident you can draw. If you know a certain venue is famous for having death metal bands, and your name is DECAYING FLESH, you should probably put that club high in the running to become your home venue.The venue you draw the most at should be the one you concentrate on in the market.

War is Made Up of Battles

As General, it is important to have a keen sense of delegation. You must be aware that the entire campaign is on your shoulders, but you have resources and a team of people to help you. Your band may not seem like an awesome war machine now, but you have to think logically. You have to delegate.

The easiest way to start creating a draw is to first hit your friends via your band mates. Delegate a realistic amount of responsibility to the other players in your band with a real value. You should start with "heads", or people they bring. Every member of your band should feel they are responsible to bring 20 heads that pay to get in. Instead of looking at your promotional campaign as a daunting war you will gain more ground with your band fighting smaller battles at once.

Some of the members of your band will have 20 cousins who will love to come. Some of your band members will have to resort to begging ex-girlfriends they dumped. Most of you will go the traditional route and hand out fliers at shows. No matter how, you each must meet your goal of 20 heads.

The PR and marketing front is a whole other battle. The Internet has made it possible to have your music heard, gigs found, and pictures seen across the world in hyper-speed. Properly presenting your image will be very important on this front. If you feel you need help in presenting your image you should refer to my previous article "The Truth Behind Press Kits, Bios, and Controlling Your Image". Remember, there are bands in other markets looking for bands to swap with, so make sure you are easy to find on the Internet.

Optimizing Your Time Line

At first, you might be surprised that you do not meet our goal of 20 heads per member. Do not be discouraged. But when you finally create that watermark you are ready to begin stretching your time line and playing less gigs. You should reserve your headlining events for once a season and only break that rule for an opening slot for a national act or a great promotional opportunity like a benefit.

Growth

At this point you should be concentrating only on creating new fans. Think of the first wave of friends as your new soldiers. Delegate some task to them with a real value. A good starting point is having all your friends get at least 2 people to the next show or to at least sign up for the mailing list on your website. You have a website with a mailing list don't you?

You should not neglect historical methods of creating interest. Giving away free tickets to people who sign up to your list always gets some response. Promoting the fact you are giving away something for free at the next gig works too.

The actual venue that you play is often overlooked as a great place to promote. Not just by handing out fliers to patrons, but perhaps posters and banners. Most clubs will not have a problem with you putting up promotional materials around the venue. Always get a professional artist or art student to create your posters and fliers. This is the first thing many people will see promoting your band, make sure it counts.

Merch

If you can afford merchandise, or "merch", like apparel and stickers, it can be a great revenue stream for your band. But again, you have to apply time line to your stocking habits. You want to be able to create and sell a new item at every couple of shows. Even if all you can afford are some new stickers or a new style button, do it. So if you really want to get those expensive glow-in-the-dark sweaters that say your band's name when you press a button make sure you have enough to get some more new merch soon.

New merch is a great way to train your fanbase. You have to train your fanbase to bring money to your gigs. When your fans are expecting new merch they are more likely to come prepared, or "armed with dough". Go to Scenejumper.com for more info

Divide and Conquer

Use your newfound leverage to repeat success across multiple markets. Trade shows wisely and always do your research. Always make sure a gig swap is really worth it. Choose your markets carefully. It should be practical and affordable to gig other markets. You want to move out from your home base logically. Eventually you will be able to easily route yourself across your surrounding markets. Applying the proper time line and work ethic you can do mini-tours every season.

Bishop Dolarhyde is co-founder and editor of music news blog http://www.scenejumper.com. Bruce had his first live gig at 15 and has had various jobs in the industry since. He spent years as a guitar tech, tour manager, endorsement liaison, bassist in a national act, and promoter in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Today’s technology for the recording musician has been getting better and better with each passing month it seems. Software and computer interfaces are getting much less sophisticated and more user friendly for the average Joe. And,let's not forget, less expensive.

Software like Acid Pro 4.0 is what I use to create and upload music to the web. I've been using products from Sonic Foundry Sony) for 4 years now. Their software products are superb to say the least. I highly recommend this software to build your music creations.

Acidplanet is where I upload my music and Video for the whole world to see and hear. As a member, you can upload music and video files for free.

Software like Vegas Video (also made by Sonic Foundry-Sony), it is what I use to create music videos.

Now, don’t get me wrong… this is the software I use and recommend. There are many reliable programs out there to choose from.

I've been doing some online music collaborations as of late myself. This has been a great experience for me. However, as with anything else, there is a learning curve.

So... I thought I'd pass some simple tips that will help anchor you to a basic format you can start with.

These are common sense tips that I'm giving here and they work well if you follow this basic format everytime.

First, you need you find a website that has musicians who have the same interest you do. Yes, "online music collaborations."

"Musician Forum Boards are a great place to start. Here are just a few that will help get you started."

Guitar Noise Forums has recently created a page called, appropriately enough, Online Jams and Collaborations. It’s pretty much a bulletin board where you can hook up with others who are interested in putting together an online jam, hosted by another site. You can join in on a jam or announce one of your own.

“GuitarDuel.com" is a site for guitarists of all ability levels to display their work. The best part is that it's free to join, but we'll have weekly contests with real prize money," says site creator, Don Harrold.

The appeal of GarageBand.com is the unique way in which it uses the Internet to find talented new groups.

Artistopia is committed to building the ultimate end-all solution for music artists, musicians, songwriters, and industry professionals to develop and do business in one spot. Armed with comprehensive membership plans, industry experts, expert technologist, business management, and solid online presence, Artistopia is leading the frontier in online artist development.

Whenever a site such as these have a Forum Board, use them to find other artist that have the same taste as you. I usually introduce myself right away after signing up. It doesn't take long until you find some really cool musicians that are more than willing for an online collaboration. Acidplanet.com is where I upload my tunes.

Once I get on the Forum Board, I'll look for topics of discussions. Songwriting Topics, Recording Topics etc. This is where you'll find folks to collaborate with.

A great why to start is by taking a consensus. Throw the idea out there with some guidelines established. Remember, it's all in the approach. Then, folks need to hear what you are working on first, just to find out if it's something they can get into...

My first "collabs" were done by posting backing tracks for others to download and do their own thing with..

Some of the top players on AP really had a good time with that, and it grew into something way beyond what I intended. Very cool…

You can do the same thing by building the backing track, and listing the lyrics you want in the song description.

You'll probably get a lot more folks involved if you let them post the songs on their own pages too...

To collaborate with others takes time. Just being vague and asking for a collaboration will probably not get very many responses. Having your ideas laid out before hand would probably get more responses. Most good musicians I know are looking to be challenged a little when it comes to making music. Remember, it's got be worth while I'm sure.

Any "collaboration" is a community effort between people, with equal input and participation throughout the project.

A great approach would be to post a subject idea for a group project, discuss ideas posted by participating members on that subject, and come to a consensus on:

1. What the outline of the song should be (genre, instrumentation, time signature, tempo, key, section layout of verses/choruses/bridges/solos).

2. Which people will contribute what parts and instruments

3. Where the finished parts of each collaborator will be uploaded to

4. Who is responsible for collecting/mixing/mastering the parts

5. A timeline for when parts need to be done to keep the project moving smoothly

6. What profile the song will be uploaded to

7. A "project head" to oversee the entire process and make sure things are running smoothly, communication is consistent and informative, and every participant is included equally in the project.

"Hope these tips and guidelines help you get you on the right track."

Internet Jams By Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas
Managing Editor
Guitarz Forever.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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<sup>And speaking of jamming, if you're tired of jamming alone, check this out!

Guitar-Backing-Tracks is a brand new site that allows you to select ANY drum beat - ANY bass riff - or ANY synth track... and start jamming immediately!

Improve your guitar playing... create your own songs... improve your lead with over 125,000 different combinations of beats, riffs and synth tracks behind you!</sup>

For the last 6 months, Chris Elmore and the team at Guitar Tips have been flat out recording and he's just told us he's finally finished!!!
Because you're already a subscriber on our newsletter -- we wanted you to be among the first to check it out.  It's called "Guitar-Backing-Tracks" and like all his other sites, you can access the site any time of the day or night, at the times which suit you best!

Whether you enjoy slow jazz beats, hard rock beats, ultra fast grooves or slow mellow tunes... ... you'll be jamming in your own home, with your own virtual 'Backing Band' behind you!  There's so much more to explain, so check out his new site over at:
http://www.guitar-backing-tracks.com.au before everyone else gets in!
 

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