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	<title>Gorilla Music</title>
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	<description>Battle of the Bands, win a $25,000 record deal with RockXRecords.</description>
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		<title>Gorilla News</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/12/latest-news/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/12/latest-news/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:14:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gorilla News]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Gorilla Productions Breaking News!

THE KANSAS CITY MUSIC FEST TIME SLOTS
This video is a MUST SEE for any band!
This is why working with Gorilla Productions will help you succeed.


Chip Tha Ripper 1st US Tour &#8211; Gift Raps
Coming to a city near you!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS NOW!!
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;

 


The Keeping Riley tour is off to a great [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Gorilla Productions Breaking News!</strong></span></span></p>
<p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><a href="http://www.gorillamusic.com/kansas-city-music-fest-time-slots/">THE KANSAS CITY MUSIC FEST TIME SLOTS</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>This video is a MUST SEE for any band!<br />
This is why working with Gorilla Productions will help you succeed.</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-OzAmqElivA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-OzAmqElivA&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Chip Tha Ripper 1st US Tour &#8211; Gift Raps<br />
Coming to a city near you!</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><a href="http://www.gorillamusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Chip-Gift-Rpas-Tour-Flyer-Dates.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5477" title="Chip Gift Rpas Tour Flyer Dates" src="http://www.gorillamusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Chip-Gift-Rpas-Tour-Flyer-Dates.png" alt="" width="500" height="640" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><a href="http://www.gorillamusic.com/chiptickets/">CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS NOW!!</a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://gorillamusic.com/wp-content/banners/keepingriley_banner.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="119" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SbHZuJFcP98&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SbHZuJFcP98&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<strong>The Keeping Riley tour is off to a great start.<br />
Check them out headlining the House of Blues in Cleveland.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>It&#8217;s not too late to see them live:</strong><br />
Aug. 14-Greenville, SC-The Handlebar<br />
Aug. 15-Nashville, TN-Exit In<br />
Aug. 21-Buffalo, NY-Club Paradise<br />
Aug. 22-Cleveland, OH-Peabody&#8217;s<br />
Aug. 29-Worcester, MA-Tammany Hall<br />
stay tuned, more dates announced soon!!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="fontsize: x-large;">Gorilla Productions is proud to announce the <a href="http://www.bellydancesuperstars.com/" target="_blank">BELLYDANCE SUPERSTARS</a><br />
on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH 2010 at the HANNA THEATER in CLEVELAND, OHIO!<br />
Tickets on sale now!</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.gorillamusic.com/testimonials/">FIND OUT WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GORILLA PRODUCTIONS</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Hartford, CT &#8211; 05/29/09</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/05/hartford-ct-052909/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/05/hartford-ct-052909/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battle of the Bands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[battle]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[january]]></category>

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		<item>
		<title>The Road To Rock Stardom &#8211; Chapter 1</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/04/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/04/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:31:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Center]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=2303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CHAPTER  1
START   UP
“If you can dream it,
You can do it.”
                                                              -  Walt Disney
______________________________________________________
IN  THIS  CHAPTER
.  How to find the right band to join 
.  How to get into any band you want
.  How to form a great band
.  How to find talented musicians who share your vision
_____________________________________________________________
So, You Want to Be a Rock Star?
Unless you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>CHAPTER  1</strong></p>
<p><strong>START   UP</strong></p>
<p>“If you can dream it,<br />
You can do it.”<br />
                                                              -  Walt Disney<br />
______________________________________________________</p>
<p>IN  THIS  CHAPTER<br />
.  How to find the right band to join <br />
.  How to get into any band you want<br />
.  How to form a great band<br />
.  How to find talented musicians who share your vision<br />
_____________________________________________________________</p>
<p><strong>So, You Want to Be a Rock Star?</strong></p>
<p>Unless you are a soloist, you will probably need a band.  This can mean any number of things.  You may wish to join an existing band, you may form a new group, you may create your own music with musicians and vocalists for hire or you may formulate some other band structure.  In any case, it is important to make decisions based on goals and a long-term view.  This will ensure that you get what you want out of the experience.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Joining  a  Band</strong></p>
<p>Set goals early, but don’t be afraid to change them.  If you are a young or inexperienced musician, it is O.K. to join a band simply to gain experience.  Most successful musicians have been members of more than one band.  If your goal is simply to learn, do not limit yourself to a specific type of music.  Try to identify and join a band that you can learn the most from.  A band that has outstanding musicians, songs, stage presence and professionalism can teach you more than a lazy band that is exactly your style.  Remember your goals.</p>
<p> <br />
 FOR EXAMLE:<br />
 If you are a highly skilled musician, but your stage presence is<br />
 Lacking (or you have never been on stage), you may want to find<br />
 a band that has an outstanding live show.  This is where you can learn  <br />
 the most.<br />
         </p>
<p>Experienced bands can sometimes teach you a great deal about musicianship, songwriting, rehearsal, relationships and getting gigs, but be careful.  Some experienced band suffer from many negative traits such as pessimism, complacency, bitterness toward the music industry and stubbornness.  It is amazing how so many bands can continue to do things the same old way, over and over again, without even a hint of success.  Don’t get stuck in a rut.  Model the traits that are successful.  Learn from those that are not.</p>
<p>If you are an experienced musician, you may want to find a band that is talented, professional and shares long term goals similar to yours.  This is harder than it sounds.  You will find that most bands lack in more than one of there areas.  Even bands that are talented and professional lack the goals that are needed to make it to the next level.  If you look hard enough, you may be fortunate enough to find a great band.  Perhaps your contribution to the band musically and strategically may be the difference in helping them find their way.  It can happen if you meet the right people. </p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Finding  a  Good  Band  to  Join</strong></p>
<p>There are numerous places to look for bands.  The best place to find bands seeking musicians and vocalists is in the classified section of alternative weeklies and local music publications.  These are efficient resources because there are usually many listings, and bands list exactly what they need.  For example, if you are a bassist, you can quickly review a number of potential bands seeking bass players.</p>
<p>Bands may also be found through word of mouth and bulletin boards.  These methods will take much more work but can be very effective in helping you find a band.  You will need to visit many concert clubs, rehearsal studios, independent record stores, recording studios and music stores.  Many of these places have bulletin boards and people that can offer suggestions.</p>
<p>Of course, finding a band to join is much easier than finding a GOOD band to join.  Good is subjective.  In order to find a band that is good for you, you must prepare for your audition by making a list of questions.  These should be prepared even before you pick up the phone.</p>
<p><strong>Asking  Questions</strong></p>
<p>At the same time that the band is interviewing and auditioning you, you must interview and audition the band.  Try to find out as much as you can about the band on the phone.  Don’t waste your time auditioning for a band that is not right for you.  If the band prefers to answer your questions in person, do not argue.  Set up a meeting, or simply ask your questions at the audition.</p>
<p><strong>Romance  Period -</strong></p>
<p>After a successful audition, a band and a musician usually experience a brief “romance period” where they are getting to know one another before making a final decision.  This romance period will usually last from a few days up to two weeks.  You will need to know the answers to almost all of your questions by the time this romance period is over.</p>
<p>The  Importance  of  Questions  –</p>
<p>Asking good questions serves several purposes:</p>
<p>.  To find out if the band is right for you.</p>
<p>.  To make the band feel that you are genuinely interested in them.  Most <br />
musicians who are trying out for a band just talk about themselves.  This is almost always a turn-off.  Bands generally want to tell you about how great they are.  By asking questions and showing interest in their project, it is more likely that the band will prefer your company over a candidate that talks about himself.</p>
<p>.  To demonstrate your professionalism.  Your questions will make a good      <br />
    Impression on the band, and they will know that your are a serious <br />
    Musician.</p>
<p>.  To prepare you so that you can customize your pitch.</p>
<p><strong>18  Questions  to  Ask  a  Band  -</strong></p>
<p>Following is a list of 18 things you need to know before joining a band.  These questions may vary a little from band to band, but this should provide you with most of what you need to know.  Take notes on the answers, and be sure to remember the names of all of the members. </p>
<p>You should try to get the answers to the first five questions prior to the audition:</p>
<p>1.  What type of band are they?  What kind of music do they perform?<br />
 What are the band’s musical influences?<br />
 What is the band’s style?<br />
 This will further define the band for you.  You will also want to know  about the band’s overall image, such as fashion, stage presence and <br />
 other factors.  This will also help you to determine how to dress for <br />
 your audition.</p>
<p>2.  What are the names and position of all band members?</p>
<p>3.  How old are all of the band members?<br />
 This is not critical, but you should know this.  Some people prefer not<br />
 to be in bands with large age differences.</p>
<p>4.  Can you get a tape or CD of their music prior to the audition?<br />
 If so, should you duplicate old parts of their songs or create new <br />
 ideas?  <br />
 If not, are any live shows or rehearsals scheduled that you <br />
 could attend?<br />
 Will you be replacing a former band member or creating a new role?<br />
 The band should describe to you exactly what elements you will be <br />
 expected to perform.  <br />
 This tape or CD will also help you determine whether or not the band<br />
 is right for you.</p>
<p>5.  Is there anything specific they would like you to perform?</p>
<p>The remaining questions may be asked at any time before the end of the romance period, but the earlier this information is learned, the better:</p>
<p>6.  How often does the band rehearse?  Do they have a fixed schedule?<br />
 All serious bands should have a regular schedule.<br />
 Where and when do they practice?</p>
<p>7.  What do all of the band members do for a living?<br />
 Do they have “careers” or “jobs”?  Beware of bandmates with thriving<br />
 non-music careers.  Careers will be prioritized higher than the band.  <br />
 If you are serious about being in a successful band, you and your <br />
 bandmates should be willing to change jobs to adhere to your <br />
 rehearsal schedule, coordinate studio time, perform gigs and pursue<br />
 opportunities.<br />
 Exceptions:  If a bandmate has a great job, and is willing to help <br />
 finance some of the band’s activities, it may be worth planning <br />
 around their work schedule.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p> <br />
  <br />
    TIP:   <br />
    Bartender and waiter/waitress jobs can be bad jobs for musicians<br />
    because these jobs may require a person to work nights and the<br />
    schedule may change from week to week.  If this is the preferred <br />
    profession of any of your bandmates, encourage them to find a job<br />
    where they have a flexible boss.</p>
<p>8.  Is the band attached to its hometown?<br />
 Can the band pick up and leave if necessary?</p>
<p>9.  What is the marital and dating status of each band member?  Any kids?<br />
 If they are in committed relationships, they may have time and <br />
 financial commitments that conflict with the band.</p>
<p>10. What bands do your potential bandmates follow?<br />
 What clubs do they hang out at?<br />
 Are they the same places that you would hang out?<br />
 Try to learn as much as you can about the personalities and tastes of <br />
 your potential band mates.</p>
<p>11. Do they drink or use drugs heavily?<br />
 Heavy use is almost always a problem.</p>
<p>12. Does everyone in the band get along?<br />
 If not, why?  Who causes the most trouble?  How are disputes      <br />
 Resolved?</p>
<p>13. What is their experience, both individually and as a group?<br />
 Have they performed on stage?  If so, where and when?<br />
 What other band have they performed with?<br />
 Do they have a fan base?  How loyal are their fans?<br />
 Have they recorded any music?  Have they sold many units?<br />
 Do they have a manager or an agent?<br />
 Do they already have a record deal?</p>
<p>14. What are their short and long term goals?<br />
 Is the band highly motivated and ambitious?</p>
<p>15. How does the band promote itself?<br />
 What is the level of commitment toward promotion?<br />
 Do they understand business?<br />
 Do they have a logo, web site or mailing list?<br />
 Do they have a marketing strategy?</p>
<p>16.  What type of equipment do they have?<br />
 Is it cheap or high quality?<br />
 Bad equipment will break down and sound poorly.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>  TIP:<br />
  If a band has cheap equipment, you may want to question their<br />
  Commitment to being in a serious band.  (You may want to<br />
  consider a review of your own equipment as well.)<br />
 </p>
<p>17. How do they write songs?<br />
 Are there individual writers, or is writing a group effort?<br />
 Are they open to your involvement and ideas?</p>
<p>18. What is the band’s focus?<br />
 Do they focus on songwriting, music, lyrics, live shows, jamming, etc?</p>
<p>Try to get answers to as many questions as possible prior to auditioning.  You may need to ask many of them at the audition or after the audition.  There will also be other questions that are unique to your situation.</p>
<p><strong>Telling  a  Band  About  Yourself</strong></p>
<p>Of course, you are probably the best guitarist since Eddie Van Halen or the best pianist since Liberace.  Even so, it is not wise to approach a band with that attitude.  Egotistical musicians are a turn-off for most bands.  You should not have to brag.  Be confident, but let your professionalism, friendliness and audition performance do the talking for you.</p>
<p>Because you asked questions first, you will be better prepared than your competition to present yourself in a favorable light.  You may decide to leave in, or leave out, topics that you otherwise may have handled differently.  This does not mean that you should be dishonest.  If you mislead a band, you will only hurt yourself in the long term.  We are merely suggesting that you should emphasize your strengths in the best possible manner.</p>
<p><strong>8  Things  to  Tell  a  Band  About  Yourself  -</strong></p>
<p>There are several things that you should tell the band about yourself.  None of these pieces of information is absolutely necessary, but the band should have a chance to get to know you.  It is up to you to answer their questions and share the information that applies.  Feel free to casually mention positive items that the band may forget to ask about.  Here is a list of 8 things to share:</p>
<p>1.  What are your musical tastes and influences?<br />
 Are they in common with the band’s?</p>
<p>2.  What are your skills?<br />
 Vocals, instruments, studio, computer graphics and other beneficial <br />
 skills are worth mentioning.</p>
<p>3.  What is your experience?<br />
 What is your musical history, including other bands?  Do you have<br />
 studio or live performance experience?</p>
<p>4.  What valuable relationships do you have?<br />
 Be honest and tactful.  You do not want to look like a name-dropper.<br />
 Try to be modest about any high-profile relationships you have, if <br />
 any.</p>
<p>5.  What equipment do you have?  Is it in good shape?</p>
<p>6.  Describe your level of commitment.<br />
 This can be a great selling point if you are sincerely committed to <br />
 your music career.  Let them know that you are willing to work hard <br />
 and make the band your #1 priority.</p>
<p>7.  Provide them with sample recordings, only if they are good.</p>
<p>8.  Based on the information you received from the band, explain why you<br />
 are the best candidate for the position.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>    <strong>THE 80:20 RULE:<br />
</strong>    The ratio of time spent discussing the band and time spent <br />
    describing yourself should be approximately 80:20, favoring<br />
    the band.  This means that 80% of your conversations with the <br />
    band during your phone interview, meetings and audition should <br />
    be talking about them, not you.  When the band asks you a <br />
    question, do your best to follow your answer with a question<br />
    about the band.  Bands usually enjoy talking to people who are <br />
    interested in them and their music.<br />
      </p>
<p><strong>How  to  Succeed  at  an  Audition</strong></p>
<p>If you are able to show a genuine interest in the band’s answers to your questions and maintain a friendly attitude, you should quickly develop a good rapport with the band.  If you are unable to cultivate a relationship using these techniques, this is probably not the right band to be working with.</p>
<p>If you get off to a good start with the band, you should be ready for your audition.  Being ready requires preparation.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Preparation</strong></p>
<p>Music –</p>
<p>What will you be performing at the audition?  Are you performing the band’s music, or yours.  In either case, you must practice.  Your performance must be flawless.  Decide what you will be doing, and practice until you get it right every time.</p>
<p>You may want to prepare a few new ideas based on what you know about the band.  If they like your ideas, you will leapfrog over all of the other candidates.  If not, then it may not have worked out in the long term anyway.  If you are not able to come up with new ideas that you are confident in, don’t force it.</p>
<p>Equipment  -</p>
<p>Be over prepared.  Back up equipment and spare supplies can be critical to winning the spot.  For example, if you are a bassist or a guitarist, bring extra strings, and if you are a drummer, bring extra drumsticks and snare heads.  Your chances of success could drop to zero if your equipment breaks down during an audition.  Even if you don’t use any of these items, your preparedness will reflect your professionalism and reliability.<br />
 </p>
<p>    DRUMMER TIP:<br />
    Unless you are auditioning for a musical genre that commonly <br />
    features huge drum kits, such as metal formats, resist the urge to<br />
    bring a large kit.  Bands are usually more impressed with your<br />
    skills if you are able to blow them away on a smaller setup.  You<br />
    can explain that you brought a smaller kit to save time and that you<br />
    can demonstrate your skills sufficiently without an unnecessarily<br />
    large drum kit.<br />
 </p>
<p> <br />
 <br />
     GUITARIST AND BASSIST TIP:<br />
    String your instruments at least one day in advance to avoid <br />
     tuning distractions at the audition.  Plan ahead.  Strings will <br />
     stretch and change tune if you replace them too close to your <br />
     audition.  Also, always bring a tuner.  A tuner that will allow<br />
     you to silently tune your guitar or bass is preferable.</p>
<p> <br />
     VOCALIST TIP:<br />
     Warm up before you arrive at the audition.  If you have to do<br />
     scales in the car or sing to the radio, go ahead.  Be at your best<br />
     when you arrive.<br />
 </p>
<p><strong>Appearance  -</strong></p>
<p>You should dress appropriate for the genre of music.  Look professional and stylish, but do not dress too outrageously.  The band should be able to envision you as a member of the band.  Every situation will be different.  Use common sense.</p>
<p><strong>At  the  Audition</strong></p>
<p>Be on time and ready to go.  Being late and unprepared can lose you the job before you even get started.  Introduce yourself to the band, ask where you should set up and get moving.</p>
<p>Set up quickly.  Unless the band holds you up to talk, you should be ready to perform within minutes.  If you are a drummer, or you use another instrument that requires a more elaborate set up, be efficient and organized.  Your ability to set up your equipment is part of the audition.  Everything you say or do is being reviewed.  Be at your best at all times.</p>
<p>Once you are ready to go, and the band is ready to listen, you may begin.  Act confidently as you introduce the material you will perform.  Of the songs provided by the band, perform the best songs first.  It is important to make a strong first impression.  If you can perform any of their other songs, great.  If not, be honest, and tell them that you have only prepared some of the material so far.</p>
<p>Suggest new ideas you have prepared if you are ready and if they have an interest in listening.  Do not force the issue if they aren’t interested.  Also, be ready to perform other material that you have written or played in previous bands.  Your knowledge about the band will guide you as what is appropriate and what is not.</p>
<p> TIP:<br />
 Do not goof off in between songs by jamming and tuning.  If you <br />
 Must tune your guitar or bass, do so silently.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>Do your best to listen to the band’s instructions and follow them.  If they ask you to stop, stop.  This can be either a good sign or a bad sign.  They may simply want to move on.</p>
<p> NOTE:<br />
 Generally, a band won’t ask you to play anything else if the audition <br />
 is going poorly.  It is almost always a good sign if they ask you to <br />
 keep playing.</p>
<p>It is very unusual for a band to audition a person and hire them on the spot, but by the end of the audition, you should have a good idea whether or not the band is right for you and you are right for them.</p>
<p><strong>Declining  the  Spot</strong></p>
<p>If, at any time, you determine that the band is not right for you, let them know, and move on.  It is not fair to waste their time on meetings and auditions if you know that it won’t work out.</p>
<p><strong>Winning  the  Spot</strong></p>
<p>Bands don’t usually make decisions based on ability alone.  Many factors are considered, such as:</p>
<p> Ability<br />
 Compatibility and Likeability<br />
 Style-Musical and Visual<br />
 Professionalism<br />
 Commitment<br />
 Enthusiasm and Positive Attitude<br />
 Relationships<br />
 Money<br />
 Knowledge<br />
 Creativity<br />
 Other Skills and Factors</p>
<p>To win the job, you must demonstrate the right combination of these factors.</p>
<p> NOTE:<br />
 If you are able to deliver more of these elements at a superior level <br />
 than your competitors, you WILL get the spot.</p>
<p>With the right preparation, you should be able to earn a position on any band you audition for.</p>
<p>If you are fortunate, you may find a band that has the right elements to be a major success or provide you with the education you need to grow as a musician.  Sometimes, the right band is difficult to find.</p>
<p>As a prepared navigator on the Road to Rock Stardom, you can take control of your future and create your own route.  Once you have exhausted all of the potential bands in your area, you may choose to form your own band.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Forming  a  Band</strong></p>
<p>Because most bands are formed to function as a true group effort, we will spend this chapter discussing groups as those with equal partners.  If you are a solo performer who intends to hire musicians for studio or stage performances, much of this chapter will still apply to you.</p>
<p><strong>Have  a  Vision  and  Set  Goals</strong></p>
<p>This is a critical component to forming a band.  What is your vision?  Do you have at least a general idea of what your band will look like or sound like?  Of course, this is really a preliminary vision.  Once you have assembled your new members may inspire greater things.  This is good.  Although it will likely change, you must have a vision before you get started.</p>
<p>What are your goals?  It is equally important to have clear goals early on.  If you don’t, you may find yourself committed to a group of people with very different ideas about where you are headed.</p>
<p>Defining your vision and setting goals are discussed in Chapter 4.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Finding  Musicians  To  Fit  Your  Vision</strong></p>
<p>There are many ways to find musicians for your band.  Often times, bands are formed by friends with common interests.  This is fine, but be careful.  Discuss and write down your goals and expectations in detail before agreeing to form a band with anyone, especially your close friends.  Romantic interests can make things even more complicated.  Unless there is no other person on the face of the earth that could do a better job, you should avoid forming a band with anyone you had, have or expect to have any romantic feelings for.  On the other hand, there are examples where couples have been bandmates in outstanding bands.</p>
<p>There are three primary methods for finding musicians:</p>
<p>1.    People you know or know of<br />
2.    Word of mouth and referrals<br />
3.    Advertisements</p>
<p>All three are discussed in detail below.</p>
<p>1.   People you know or know of</p>
<p>Again, be careful with people you know.  Try to be objective.  Do not choose a band member based on their ability to make you laugh or entertain you.  Your best friend may be fun to hang around, but he or she may not have the skills, discipline, charisma or other characteristics that you are looking for in a bandmate.  For people you know well, we suggest that you make an inventory of their skills so that you can compare them on paper to other prospective band members.  Decide on the traits that you are seeking, and then try to make an honest comparison of the candidates.  At the same time, it is still important that you get along with your bandmates.  It can be fun and rewarding experience to grow a successful band consisting of your best friends.</p>
<p>Make mental notes of your favorite musicians in other local bands.  You never know when there will be a window of opportunity to get them on board.  It would be nice if you could simply snag your favorite musician from their present band.  If you know in advance that a certain musician fits the bill, you could simply approach him or her about working with you.  Of course, it usually isn’t that easy.  There are unwritten rules about soliciting members of other bands.  We recommend that you try dropping hints or asking for suggestions and referral ideas.  If they bite, great.  Otherwise, it is better to catch them when they are between projects.  Don’t worry, there are thousands of great musicians out there.</p>
<p>2.    Word  of  Mouth  and  Referrals</p>
<p>Once you begin to form a band, don’t be shy.  Let people know that you are seeking talented musicians who share your vision.  Ask around.  You will be surprised how helpful other musicians can be.  They all have friends in other bands.  There is always a friend of a friend who plays a mean bass and just left a go-nowhere band.</p>
<p>You may discover three weeks after you begin looking that musicians will start to approach you.  “Hey, I heard you’re looking for a drummer.”  Hang out at the live venues, check out bands and spread the word.</p>
<p>3.     Advertisements</p>
<p>One of the best ways to find musicians is through advertising.  Through advertising, you will meet many people with diverse backgrounds and interests.  Not only will this help you to build your band, it will also expose you to creative people with many good ideas of their own.  These are people that you otherwise may have never met.</p>
<p>Advertising also places you in a position of leverage.  People that call about your ads generally want to be in your band.  Instead of asking someone to join your band under their conditions, musicians that respond to your ads must be willing to accept your terms and vision.</p>
<p>It is important that you describe what you are seeking in detail in order to avoid wasting your time with unlikely candidates.  It may seem like a good idea to place a generalized ad to get more responses, but this usually just leads to wasted time.  Be specific about what you are seeking and who you are.  You will find that the respondents are more in line with your ultimate vision.  You may even discover that the specifics in your ad were the reasons your best candidates called.</p>
<p>Television, radio, billboards and blimp advertising are usually too expensive for the average start-up band.  Instead, you must rely on print ads, flyers and the internet to find your future bandmates.</p>
<p><strong>Print  ads  -</strong></p>
<p>A classified ad in an alternative weekly is possibly the most effective advertising medium.  Most alternative weeklies have a section specifically designed for musicians seeking musicians.  Of course, this is where musicians look to find bands such as yours.  Ads here are usually inexpensive and provide the best results.  Sometimes, musician classifieds are free.  If you live in an area that does not have an alternative weekly, check local newspapers and other publications for musician classifieds.</p>
<p>If you do not get the results you want after a few weeks, rewrite your ad and run it again.  You may need to reevaluate the publication.  Perhaps, there is another publication in your area that is read by more musicians.  Ask around.  Keep making adjustments until you find what you are looking for.</p>
<p> TIP:<br />
 Many publications list classifieds alphabetically.  If your<br />
 Publication organizes ads alphabetically, the first word in your<br />
 Ad should be the position you are seeking, such as “BASS PLAYER<br />
 WANTED” OR “VOCALIST NEEDED”.  By doing this, potential <br />
 Candidates will be able to find your ad quickly and easily.</p>
<p>If you are seeking more than one position for your band, it is usually best to advertise both in the same ad.  Occasionally, you may find two or three musicians who already work well together.  Each week, you should rewrite the heading of your ad so that it is listed with a different placement.</p>
<p>FOR EXAMPLE:<br />
 If you are seeking a bassist and a vocalist, your ad should begin<br />
 “BASSIST AND VOCALIST WANTED…” in the first week and<br />
 “VOCALIST AND BASSIST WANTED…” in the second week.</p>
<p>An effective classified ad contains these four components:</p>
<p>1.  Write a clear heading which describes exactly what you are seeking in <br />
      capital letters.  Make sure the entire heading fits on the top line.  The <br />
      sales representative will tell you how many letters fit on one line.  If it<br />
      is too long, you must rephrase it until it does.  Avoid using adjectives <br />
      in the heading.  The heading may be a full statement or the beginning<br />
      of a sentence.</p>
<p>2.  Describe your band and the person you are seeking as carefully as<br />
     possible.  This will help you to generate the best possible candidates.</p>
<p>3.  If possible, describe what projects you are working on, such as recording<br />
     or performing live.  This will produce more responses than a basic ad.</p>
<p>4.  Include a contact name and phone number.  You may also elect to <br />
     provide best hours to call.  The number must have an answering machine <br />
     or voice mail service.</p>
<p> SAMPLE AD:</p>
<p>    GUITARIST WANTED<br />
    for original heavy metal band.<br />
    Must be serious and willing to practice<br />
    regularly.  Stage charisma and songwriting<br />
    must be strong.  Vocal skills a plus.<br />
    Stage and studio experience preferred.<br />
    We are performing live and preparing<br />
    to record full-length CD.  Call Tom at<br />
    999-999-9999.<br />
Avoid hyphenations and unclear abbreviations in your ad.  Most classified ads are placed over the phone.  After providing the sales representative with the text in your ad, have them read it back to you over the phone line by line.  If they tell you that a word has been split onto two lines, try to rephrase the sentence so that no words are hyphenated.  Abbreviations are acceptable, as long as they can be clearly understood by your potential candidates.</p>
<p>Display ads (graphically designed ads that are found in the main sections of newspapers and magazines) are not recommended for finding musicians.  These ads are typically more expensive than classifieds and have unpredictable placement.  Musicians seeking to join a band will not be looking in the body of a publication for your ad.</p>
<p><strong>Flyers  -</strong></p>
<p>Flyers should contain a detailed description of who you are and what you are seeking.  In addition, flyers should include graphic elements to attract attention and to communicate your band’s image.  Flyers should be designed professionally in order to attract the best people.  If a flyer is created on a typewriter and enlarged eleven times on a grainy copier, it will not appeal to the best musicians who are looking for a professional band.  Be professional.</p>
<p>Flyers that are to be posted should have pre-cut tabs with your phone number that can be easily torn off.  You may even want to crease the tear line so that tabs are torn off squarely.</p>
<p>Flyers should be posted and distributed at music stores, concert venues, studios and band rehearsal spaces.  If you have time, it won’t hurt to hit a few independent record stores as well.  You should stop by weekly to refresh your flyers.</p>
<p><strong>Internet  -</strong></p>
<p>An amazing number of musicians are online.  Almost every band has their own web site.  As a result, there are many bulletin boards, chat rooms, internet classifieds and other available services that can help you with your search.  We recommend that you begin with your local concert venue web sites.  They often have bulletin boards where musicians can post listings.  You will also find links to bands, music stores, publications and other sites that will help.  Also check out the web site for your alternative weekly, local music stores and independent record stores.  Local operations are more likely to help you find musicians in your area.</p>
<p>The goal of all of these activities is not to find the most candidates, but to find the best candidates.  We suggest that you employ all of the methods described above in your search.  You never know where you will find that superstar who fits perfectly into your vision.  He or she may not know someone you know or see your flyer, so you should do everything you can to find them.  They are out  there.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><strong>Audition  Process</strong></p>
<p>So, you talked to people you know, you spread the word and you advertised.  Now you need to determine who is right for your band.  This is called auditioning.</p>
<p><strong>Phone Interview</strong></p>
<p>Auditioning begins with a phone interview.  The phone interview is an important part of the process.  It helps you to screen candidates so that you do not waste your time, or theirs.</p>
<p>Prepare yourself for these calls with a list of questions.  If you are busy, or do not have the questions handy, take down their phone numbers and call back when you are prepared.  The questions on your list will be unique to your needs, but most of the things you will want to know are listed in the 18 questions below.  If a person does not seem right for your band, be polite and move on.  If one of them sounds like they might be a good fit, set up a convenient time to meet.</p>
<p><strong>Meet</strong></p>
<p>Meeting prospective band members in person prior to auditioning can save you tremendous amounts of time.  You can set up 4-5 meetings per night and not waste time with equipment set up and tear down.  There is no need to evaluate talent that doesn’t agree with you philosophically.  Usually, you will know prior to an audition if a person is right for you.  Even if he is a little rough around the edges musically, his willingness to improve and his compatibility with the band may make him the best choice.</p>
<p>TIP:<br />
 If a person is a strong prospect, you should discuss the details of how<br />
 the band will operate in advance.  He will likely be impressed with <br />
          your organization and your level of professionalism.  The meeting                                    <br />
          should make any musician more excited about the possibility of     <br />
          joining your band.  If he doesn’t share your goals or vision, it is easier <br />
          shake hands and remain friends.<br />
          Do not skip this step.  It is much more difficult to reject a   <br />
          person based on their musical audition.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>18  Questions  to  Ask  a  Musician  -</p>
<p>These are 18 things that you should know about each prospective band member before inviting him or her to join your band.</p>
<p>1.  What are his skills?<br />
 Musical and other useful talents.</p>
<p>2.  What are his musical tastes and influences?</p>
<p>3.  What is his experience?<br />
 Has he been in other bands?  If so, describe.<br />
 Why did he leave other bands?<br />
 Has he performed on stage or in a studio?</p>
<p>4.  Does he have any recorded material?  Can you hear it?</p>
<p>5.  How old is he?</p>
<p>6.  Does he have many friends?<br />
 This will tell you two things, whether or not he is likable and friendly, <br />
 and how many friends he can bring to your shows.</p>
<p>                                                 <br />
7.  Does he have a job?  If so, what is it?<br />
 What is his work schedule?<br />
 Will it conflict with practice or performances?<br />
 Does the job provide schedule flexibility?<br />
 Will the band be a higher priority than the job?<br />
 Is he willing to quit his job if necessary?</p>
<p>8.  How often is he willing to rehearse?</p>
<p>9.  What are his goals?<br />
 Are they in line with yours?</p>
<p>10. Is he willing to move to a new city if the band earns a big opportunity?</p>
<p>11. Is he married or dating anyone seriously?  Any kids?</p>
<p>12. What clubs does he hand out at?  What are his hobbies and interests?</p>
<p>13. Does he drink or use drugs heavily?</p>
<p>14. Is he willing to help promote the band?</p>
<p>15. What equipment does he have?  Is it in good shape?<br />
 Again, if it’s not good equipment, he may not be committed to being a serious musician.</p>
<p>16. Ask him to describe his level of commitment.<br />
      Do not put words into his mouth or influence his response.  If he is <br />
      unable to verbalize his sincere commitment on his own, it may not <br />
      really be there.</p>
<p>17. What valuable relationships does he have?<br />
 Be honest and tactful.  You do not want to look like a name-dropper.  <br />
 Try to be modest about any high-profile relationships you have, if <br />
 any.</p>
<p>18.  Ask him to explain why he is the best candidate for the position.</p>
<p>You should also take the time to describe your goals and plans for the future.  Every potential bandmate should share your attitude and goals.</p>
<p>NOTE:<br />
By now, you will know if he or she is a strong candidate or not.  If  <br />
the person is right for your band, you will likely be 90% sure before <br />
the audition. </p>
<p>                                 <br />
<strong>Audition</strong></p>
<p>Prior to the audition, decide exactly what performance traits you are looking for.  Make sure you are evaluating candidates using the right criteria.  Sometimes it is easy to see things that aren’t there.  Don’t stretch.  You will know when you find the right person.</p>
<p>When you schedule the auditions, set 30 minute auditions with beginning and ending times in order to eliminate the uncomfortable situation that could arise if an audition doesn’t go well.  If any audition is outstanding, you can always extend it.</p>
<p>Auditions should last 30 minutes with at least another 30 minutes to spare before the next audition.  This will give you time to discuss each person before the next one arrives.</p>
<p> TIP:<br />
 Take notes on each and every person that auditions.  It would be <br />
 very bad to confuse names when reviewing your choices later.</p>
<p><strong><br />
Accepting  a  New  Band  Member</strong></p>
<p>Before inviting a person to join your band, you should require them to enter into a prepared band agreement.  By signing an agreement, each band member will be more obligated to perform his or her duties and remain committed to a rehearsal schedule.  Band agreements are discussed thoroughly in Chapter 4.</p>
<p>If you follow the above guidelines on how to form a band, you will assemble a skilled group of musicians that share common goals and musical tastes.  With this band, you can begin your journey down the road to success.</p>
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		<title>The Road To Rock Stardom &#8211; Chapter 2</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2009/04/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-2/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:41:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Center]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Road to Rock Stardom
CHAPTER 2
PERFECTING YOUR MUSIC
&#8220;Great songs, that&#8217;s what I look for. Without great songs you have nothing.&#8221;
- Every A&#38;R rep you&#8217;ll ever meet.

IN THIS CHAPTER
• The importance of determining what musical style your band performs
• How to establish techniques for stimulating creativity and writing original songs 
• Maximizing and organizing your rehearsals
• [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Road to Rock Stardom</p>
<p>CHAPTER 2</p>
<p>PERFECTING YOUR MUSIC</p>
<p>&#8220;Great songs, that&#8217;s what I look for. Without great songs you have nothing.&#8221;<br />
- Every A&amp;R rep you&#8217;ll ever meet.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>IN THIS CHAPTER<br />
• The importance of determining what musical style your band performs<br />
• How to establish techniques for stimulating creativity and writing original songs <br />
• Maximizing and organizing your rehearsals<br />
• Basic music theory</p>
<p>PICKING THE GENRE OF MUSIC YOUR BAND IS GOING TO WRITE AND PERFORM</p>
<p>So, your band is completely original and there is no way to compare it to any other artist or sound. Well, that&#8217;s bad news. Record companies are looking for artists who write songs that they can sell. All major record companies are corporations, and they are in the business of making money for their shareholders. The last thing you want, is to be so original, that a record company would not know where or how to market your music. Being too original can be very difficult, because what radio station is going to add your avant-garde songs to their play lists? Which record stores are going to start a whole new section, just for your band&#8217;s records? Most importantly, who is going to listen to your group&#8217;s music?</p>
<p>Of course, it&#8217;s important to be original. People are always searching for music that is new and exciting. Therefore, writing music that is truly unique is one of the most rapid ways to create mass interest. So, how can a band&#8217;s music stay mainstream enough to be marketable, yet still be original enough to create enormous appeal? Fortunately, it&#8217;s not that difficult. It requires only three steps.</p>
<p>STEP ONE Determine the musical style that your band performs. Do this by asking yourself, where and who would play our music? Which radio stations would add our music to their playlists? Where inside a record store could our compact discs be displayed? Simply ask yourself which bands or artists are we most similar to, and where can their music be found?</p>
<p>STEP TWO Now, you have established what sort of music your group performs. It&#8217;s time to begin studying. You&#8217;re going to want to study band that are at different levels in their careers. First, study all the bands that are tremendously successful in that genre. Learn things like how many choruses on average are in each song. How long are their songs? What type of instrumentation do these songs have in common? What are the lyrics and vocals saying in each song, what types of hooks, and how many hooks do they use in their songs? (A hook is the part of a song that stays with listener long after the song has ended.) Educate yourself on every aspect of their music. Who is their audience? Try to identify the reasons for their huge appeal. Get a basic understanding of why they&#8217;re so successful. This information will help you to better achieve your goals.</p>
<p>The second kind of band that you need to take a close look at is the up-and-coming artists in the same genre of music as your band. The ones that have just recently gotten a record deal. These are the bands that have only one record out, and have probably just started to tour. Once again, you will need to ask yourself a series of questions. What makes them different? Are they new and exciting? What is it that they are doing well? Are they taking the musical genre in a new direction? What did the record company see in this band? Obviously, you will not know the answers to every question. The key is to ask yourself and others as many questions as you can. This will help you discover what makes other bands successful, and it can help you to understand where you need to go in order to get to the next level.</p>
<p>STEP THREE Take in all the information that you have learned about the genre of music your band performs. Use this knowledge to perfect your style and sound. Next, you will need to take this genre of music somewhere brand-new. You will have to create your own sound. You can use new sounds, new vocal styles, or even different instrumentation. Use idea&#8217;s that are unique. Use whatever techniques you can to accentuate the way your music sounds or feels.</p>
<p>The more fluent and unique your group is in that particular style of music, the better your chances of success. By analyzing and studying others, you will become fluent. This happens in almost in the same way that, writers become great writers by studying other great writers. By rehearsing, experimenting, and stimulating your creativity, you will become unique.</p>
<p>ESTABLISHING TECHNIQUES FOR STIMULATING CREATIVITY AND WRITING ORIGINAL SONGS</p>
<p>1. Determine the most favorable method for writing new material</p>
<p>Once again your songs are the single most important element in enabling your band to excel to the next level. So, you are going to need to formulate the best writing style that you can. Continuously experimenting with how or who writes your songs will give your group many writing options. The more writing options your band has, the better your chances of writing great songs.</p>
<p>Here are a few examples of the most popular techniques for writing songs:</p>
<p>A. Jamming or writing songs as a group<br />
B. Writing teams (two or more members writing together and presenting parts of songs or whole songs for the band to work on or learn)<br />
C. Individuals writing parts or songs for the band to work on or learn <br />
D. Individuals sharing ideas or parts that they have developed for the band to improve on <br />
E. individuals or teams bringing recorded material for the group to learn or work on</p>
<p>The options are limitless. We encourage you to experiment with many different writing techniques.</p>
<p>2. How to stimulate your creativity</p>
<p>In order for you to maximize your creative juices, you are going to want to keep things fresh and exciting. Do not get in the old trap of always rehearsing old material for your next show. It&#8217;s extremely important to continuously be writing new material. For two reasons; you want to continuously improve on your craft. Secondly, you are always going to want to write that truly amazing song, and the more songs you write the better your chances.</p>
<p>Now, come up with as many new ideas as you can. The more willing you are to experiment the more likely you are to create some real interesting songs. Keep yourself on the creative edge. Borrow ideas from other bands in your genre of music, but then take those inspirations and make them completely original. Be constantly working, to become more creative.</p>
<p>Here are a few examples of how to stimulate your band&#8217;s creativity:</p>
<p>A. Take a song that you have already written, and play with its instrumentation. Try changing a bass line or a guitar part. Next, try different vocal arrangements or a different way to sing the vocal lines. For example, if the song you&#8217;re working on is being sung softly, then try singing it with a harsher feel. Then play with its structure, how long are the choruses, maybe change the order of the parts. The options are limitless. Apparently, when Trent Reznor wrote the material for Pretty Hate Machine he created more than a dozen versions of each song. The Beatles would work on obscure harmonies. They played with many different vocal arrangements until they were happy with each vocal part. They are countless example of this style of writing. </p>
<p>B. Try different production ideas. Try using more or less distortion on guitar or even vocal parts. If you&#8217;re a bass player that plays with your fingers, try using a pick and maybe even try muting the strings a bit as you pick each note. Consider all types of different production ideas. One of the biggest examples of a band using production techniques to create their sound is U2. Their guitarist used an echo effect on his guitar that was very catchy. It was unique; however it was not so avant-garde that they could not be categorized. Play with every aspect of the production of each song. That might even mean using as little processing as possible to give your band a raw or rough around the edges type of sound. </p>
<p>C. You could use different instrumentation. Using an instrument that is not typically used in your genre of music can be affective in creating interesting sounds. An example of a band that was very successful doing this was Jethro Tull. I know they&#8217;re a dinosaur today, but in their day they were very popular. What they did was to incorporate the flute into a rock format. Once again a rock band reinvented the wheel to make their place in a business that&#8217;s full of fierce competition.</p>
<p>D. Experiment with new writing techniques. If you generally write alone, then try writing with another person. If your band usually writes as a group, then try writing alone. Pick a place to write where you&#8217;ve never written before and if you usually write on your keyboard then try writing with a guitar. Try this even if you can&#8217;t play guitar. You might be surprise at how this technique will stimulate you creative juices. You may not write anything that you feel you can use but this technique will change the way you look at your instrument of choice. Finding different ways to look at things can lead to new ideas for writing. Other ideas for stimulating your creativity include: writing in the dark, changing the color lighting in your rehearsal room, writing at a different time of day, perhaps even as early as six a.m., or try writing at different volumes, very loud or a very quiet volume. There are infinite possibilities. One of the most famous stories in regard to a song writing technique is how the Beatles wrote The Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. What they did was; they all created fictional characters, then during the writing process they became those characters. They wrote the songs as though they were The Lonely Hearts Club Band. That album is considered by most critics to be one of the greatest albums of all time.</p>
<p>E. Educate yourself on everything you can. Take lessons, classes, learn from friends, examine songs that you admire. Buy music magazines to learn from and to keep yourself well informed as to where music is going.</p>
<p>F. This might seem strange but another way to enhance your creative output is to take a break. That&#8217;s right take a break from music. Stop rehearsing and writing for several days or even a week. Once you start writing again you will have a fresh mind, and this will enable you to write from a different perspective.</p>
<p>Always strive to come up with new writing styles or techniques for writing</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>MAXIMIZING AND ORGANIZING YOUR REHEARSALS</p>
<p>You&#8217;re going to need to maximize the amount of time and effort you can spend writing songs, which means that you&#8217;ll need to become organized and efficient. Fortunately this task can be easily achieved. This is how:</p>
<p>1. Create a structure for rehearsals<br />
This means setting up a permanent rehearsal schedule that for the most part you follow on a regular basis. If for some reason one of your members can&#8217;t make it to practice you should still rehearse. You should use this situation as an opportunity to work on something that needs attention, or as we&#8217;ve already mentioned you could use the time to stimulate your creativity, work on parts, or whatever else needs work.</p>
<p>
2. Schedule longer rehearsals<br />
Longer rehearsals are more productive then shorter more frequent rehearsals, for several reasons. First, most great ideas come after all the obvious options have been exhausted. Something happens after you reach a point where you start to feel as though you&#8217;re running out of ideas. If you can work through that dead end feeling, then just moments later, some really great ideas will emerge. Rehearsing for longer periods of time will get you to this elevated creative state. In some cases it can almost feel euphoric. I&#8217;m sure if you think about it you can remember a time when you have reached this elevated state. Some other benefits to longer rehearsals is that less time is wasted over the coarse of time, on set up, tuning, gabbing, or waiting for late members. </p>
<p>3. In order to be more efficient divide your practice time into parts:</p>
<p>A. Rehearsing individual songs <br />
Work on the different parts of each song. Work on choruses, verses, bridges, new parts or whatever seems to need work. It&#8217;s important to pay special attention to the beginnings and endings of songs as well as any choruses or hooks. People remember hooks, which can be found in any number of parts in a song, and usually always in the chorus. People also remember things that come first or last. This is why it&#8217;s also important to work on the beginnings and the endings of your songs.</p>
<p>There are many different aspects for your band to work on perfecting. Maybe you need to tighten up a certain part of a song. This can be done by performing each part over and over until you feel good about that part of the song. You might want to change what a particular instrument is playing, or even rearrange the order of the parts. After everything feels just right, then play the entire song from start to finish. Play it over and over until you&#8217;re happy with the way that it sounds, and you&#8217;re happy with each performer&#8217;s execution of their parts.</p>
<p>B. Writing new material &#8211; Discussed earlier in this chapter.</p>
<p>C. Evaluating songs, writing techniques, recorded material, live performances <br />
Spend time evaluating every aspect of your music. This is the only way to get a true understanding of where your music is strong and where it needs work. Very few aspiring bands spend the time to do this with their music. Bands with record contracts and big selling albums do this, every one of them.</p>
<p>D. Preparing for live performances<br />
The first thing your going to want to do is determine which order you&#8217;re going to perform your songs and then create a set list. It&#8217;s important that everyone has a copy of this set list. You&#8217;re going to want to put your strongest songs either first or last, since people pay the most attention to and remember most what came first or how things climaxed.</p>
<p>Next it&#8217;s a good idea to run through the beginnings and endings of every song. Linking songs together if that&#8217;s what you&#8217;ve decided or leaving room for something to happen or someone to speak. Practice the approximate length that will be between each song. For example play the beginning of your first song or what ever you&#8217;re going to play at the very beginning of your show, stop to evaluate or to rehearse it again, then play the end of your first song followed by the beginning of your second song. Stop to evaluate or to rehearse again, then play the end of second song followed by the beginning of the third song. Stop to evaluate or to rehearse again. Do this with the ends and beginnings of every song. The final step of this technique is to practice how you are going to end your show.</p>
<p>Now, you&#8217;re going to run through the entire set from start to finish. Do this without interruption. You should run through your set in this manner several times. It&#8217;s a good idea to plan out where and what you might say in between songs. Do not plan out where you are going to be spontaneous. It ends up looking like you planned it out or even worse goofy. It&#8217;s much better to plan approximately what you will do or say, then allow yourself to be spontaneous if that&#8217;s what occurs. It is also a must to record your dress rehearsals, then to evaluate your performances.</p>
<p>E. Preparing for the studio<br />
First off, make sure your equipment is in tip top shape. Your equipment must be suitable for recording in the studio; some equipment is not adequate for studios use. Bad sounding equipment can be the death of your session. Take the time to discuss the quality of your equipment with your engineer before entering the recording studio.</p>
<p>In preparation for your recording session, each member will have different thing to work on. Singers will want to work on pitch, phrasing, timing, and maybe lyrical content. For pitch you can work on scales or practice harmonizing with other singers or with an instrument. Repetition of parts or notes you might be having trouble with can also help. For phrasing and timing you might want to get creative and try something new or maybe just tighten something up. The rhythm section should practice playing with a click track. (If your band has never practiced with a click track don&#8217;t be surprise if it takes you a while to get used to it. This is normal, it might take as long as a month or more to finally get comfortable, but then it will be just like riding a bike.) Practicing with a click track should be done even if you&#8217;re not planning on using one in the studio. Problems with pitch and with timing are almost always the most concerning issues in any recording section. <br />
Make sure everyone knows their parts inside and out. Your rhythm section should be able to play their parts without vocal cues. In the studio more than likely they will use a dummy vocal track for the rhythm section to follow, but practicing without vocals is a good way to make sure the band really knows the songs to be recorded, like the back of their hands.</p>
<p>One of the best ways to prepare for the studio is to set up a mock recording session at practice. First record all your songs with a regular tape recorder. Record each song live, and then listen carefully to them. Change or fix anything that seems off. Now pick your best songs to be recorded in the studio. Only choose about the number of songs that you can complete with your allotted recording budget. (Recording budget and time needed to complete recordings discussed in chapter 11.) </p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how a mock recording session works. Take each song and record it as though you&#8217;re in the studio. You can use either some kind of multi-track recording device or if you can&#8217;t get a hold of a multi- track recorder, then use the 2 tape recorders method. (This method is performed by recording basic tracks first, and then you play along with the recorded tape while recording the tape with the added instrumentation or vocal part. This technique is extremely crude, but it will give you the needed results.)</p>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve determined how to record your mock session, start recording all the rhythm tracks of the songs you&#8217;re going to record in the studio. Usually it&#8217;s a good idea to record a few extra rhythm tracks from a few extra songs. Songs that you might get a chance to finish if your session goes well, so it&#8217;s a good idea to record the alternate rhythm tracks during this process as well. After the rhythm tracks are finished you will want to start recording any over dubs, such as second guitar parts, keyboard parts or anything else that you want to get down on tape. Next, you will record the vocal parts including and harmonies or doubling that you might want to record in the studio. Lastly, before mixing you can add anything else your heart desires.</p>
<p>Now, that you have finished the mock recording process, take a short brake from the material that you&#8217;ve just recorded. A day or two is usually enough. After this brake really listen to the tapes and evaluate everything about it. You might even decide that an alternate song is better than one of the song you originally were going to record. Now is the time to make any changes that need to be made. You should also know at this point which areas might still need practice before entering the studio.</p>
<p>4. Record everything</p>
<p>a. Record every show <br />
Record every show, then as a group listen to the tape. It&#8217;s going to be an eye opening experience. Now, your show was much better then what you will hear on that tape. This type of format is very unforgiving ad usually not very professional sounding. So, get passed the ugliness of the tape and listen for timing issues, bad notes, wrong parts being played, unprofessional behavior, or anything else that might be a problem. Also listen for everything that went well. Theses are the types of things your going to want to duplicate.</p>
<p>b. Video tape every show- Same procedure as above</p>
<p>c. The 2 tape method<br />
For this method you will need a dual deck tape recorder. Do not write or rehearse without using the 2 tape method. This technique will save you more time than almost anything else you could do at rehearsal and it will insure that you don&#8217;t lose new ideas. Here&#8217;s how it works. Leave a blank tape running at all times. This tape will serve as a reference tape. You will be able at any time, stop the tape and rewind it. Enabling you to go back and find interesting parts that maybe someone just played but is unsure as to what part someone is referring to. It also can help refresh someone&#8217;s memory if they&#8217;ve just played something cool that they can&#8217;t remember. You can use this reference tape to point out a mistake or problems with a part of a particular song that someone might be having trouble performing. When the tape is over you just flip it over and start it again. You can use the same tape over and over again.</p>
<p>The second tape is used to collect new parts or new songs. When you have a new part or song you just record it on to the memory tape. Then when you take a brake or come back to a new song a few days later you have a recording of it in case someone can&#8217;t remember what they were playing. Only record each idea once for easy relocating purposes, and always document what songs or parts are on each tape. Never reuse this tape, when you get to the end of the tape open a new tape and store the tape you&#8217;ve just finished filling up.</p>
<p>
BASIC MUSIC THEORY<br />
COMING SOON</p>
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		<title>Local Band Has Much To Be Thankful</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/12/local-band-has-much-to-be-thankful/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/12/local-band-has-much-to-be-thankful/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:45:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gregg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Band News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=1190</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[BY JANET ORTEGON • Sheboygan Press staff  • November 28, 2008

Well, that might be overstating a little, but just six months after winning the title of Sheboygan’s Best Band, local band Benson Klemme is trying to land a record deal and a yearlong tour in a national battle of the bands sponsored by Gorilla [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>BY JANET ORTEGON • Sheboygan Press staff  • November 28, 2008</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>Well, that might be overstating a little, but just six months after winning the title of Sheboygan’s Best Band, local band Benson Klemme is trying to land a record deal and a yearlong tour in a national battle of the bands sponsored by Gorilla Productions of Cleveland, Ohio.</p>
<p>The band, fronted by and named for 30-year-old Ben Klemme of Sheboygan, is a quintet of musicians that is relatively new in the universe of rock bands with one foot in the pond of big-time record labels.</p>
<p>Klemme and vocalist Scott Schmidt form the core of the band, and the other three members — Jenna Lee Krueger on keyboards, Matt Burzon on bass and Jeff Schloesser on drums — came on board just recently.</p>
<p>The band has already made it through the first level of competition in the Gorilla Productions contest, culminating in a show Nov. 2 at the Miramar Theater in Milwaukee. They won that first round, earning them a spot in the second-round competition, which will wrap up Dec. 20 at a battle of the bands show at Milwaukee’s Rave Theater.</p>
<p>Ray Rowe, a talent buyer at Gorilla Productions, said Benson Klemme is a strong competitor.</p>
<p>“They’re an extremely motivated band,” Rowe said. “Very, very talented. They’ve got everything it takes to make it in this business. They’ve got a very marketable sound, they’re very professional people.”</p>
<p>Klemme said the band’s goal is to win the top prize in the nationwide contest, and to do that they have to show organizers that they can fill theater seats.</p>
<p>“The upcoming show at the Rave is kind of important,” Klemme said. “It’s local venues like the Rave (that want to see) we can bring in a crowd. That’s really huge for us. We’re just overwhelmed with the response and support we’re getting from Sheboygan.”</p>
<p>The band did a radio interview with WXER, 104.5 The Point, which ran Tuesday morning. It’s part of the band’s effort to build local recognition and get its songs played on the station.</p>
<p>Klemme said the band’s songs were going to be put into the station’s weeknight and weekend rotation, which was a significant achievement.</p>
<p>“That will be our first U.S. radio airplay and we’re so pumped about that,” he said. “It’s getting kind of numbing, but it’s just a joy to have such a great city to be part of things in.”</p>
<p>Klemme said the search for Sheboygan’s Best Band, a contest sponsored by The Sheboygan Press, is one of the things that got the ball rolling for them.<br />
 “It caused us to make the music video,” he said. “If you can have your fans see you, it’s so much better.”</p>
<p>The other part was a documentary video made of Benson Klemme and the other finalists in the contest, available online for people to watch and vote on.</p>
<p>“We’ve gotten unbelievable response,” Klemme said. “We’ve gotten this snowball on a roll, and it’s just getting bigger and better and it keeps getting more exciting.”</p>
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		<title>Nov 22nd Sullivan Hall FINALS Showcases Best of NYC!!!</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/11/nov-22nd-sullivan-hall-finals-showcases-best-of-nyc/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/11/nov-22nd-sullivan-hall-finals-showcases-best-of-nyc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gorilla_Jeremy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Battle of the Bands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BOTB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=1023</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Battle of the Bands FINALS!
Nov 22nd, 2008
SULLIVAN HALL
7pm Show &#8211; ALL AGES
Tickets: $10/$12
Cleveland, OH - One of the most highly anticipated shows every year in NYC is the Outburn Magazine and Pabst Blue Ribbon Battle of the Bands FINALS, presented by Gorilla Music. This year, seven of New York&#8217;s best will compete on Nov 22nd at Sullivan [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Battle of the Bands FINALS!</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Nov 22nd, 2008</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>SULLIVAN HALL</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7pm Show &#8211; ALL AGES</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Tickets: $10/$12</strong></p>
<p>Cleveland, OH - One of the most highly anticipated shows every year in NYC is the Outburn Magazine and Pabst Blue Ribbon Battle of the Bands FINALS, presented by Gorilla Music. This year, seven of New York&#8217;s best will compete on Nov 22nd at <a href="http://www.sullivanhallnyc.com/">Sullivan Hall</a> for the Grand Prize of $500, studio time, record label submission and other prizes. The top two finalists will be advanced into the national competition for a shot at a $25,000 record deal.</p>
<p>This season&#8217;s FINALISTS:</p>
<p>(Click on bands&#8217; names to view their Myspace)</p>
<p><strong><span style="underline;"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kruciation">KRUCIATION</a></span></strong></p>
<p>Kruciation is a New York based black/death metal band that formed in early 2007. They are a pure black metal band contisting of Vicarios, Astaroth, Kannon Kage, and Ramanoth. Now the onslaught is complete and Kruciation is born. The band is looking to leave its mark in metal history as one of the first black metal bands in NYC.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p style="inline !important;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/gabrielthemarine">Gabriel The Marine</a></strong></p>
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<p>Gabriel the Marine is a concept fueled indie rock band from Long Island. They put out a self-titled EP in the fall of 2008. Band members are Michael Desmond, Dylan Ebrahimian, Mark Herburger, Dominick D&#8217;Agostino, and Tommy Davis. One of the hardest working bands east of the Hudson River, they have a highly developed sound that is on the forefront of the new rock sound and a core fan base unparralelled in Long Island, backed up by some of the most cutting edge songs out there.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><span style="underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/roscoeblue">Roscoe Blue</a></strong></span></p>
<p>Roscoe Blue is a New York based rock outfit capable of reaching a combustable point and exploding to little bits and pieces at any club they play.  Dangerous stuff!</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><span style="underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/theaccomplicetheory">The Accomplice Theory</a></strong></span></p>
<p>The Accomplice Theory consists of Mike, Wilson, Fabio, and Danny.  They will blow up plastic cats on stage&#8230; and make wreckage of all who cross them. They are a mean crew of punk renegades.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><span style="underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/beyondhopelies">Beyond Hope Lies</a></strong></span></p>
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<p>Beyond Hope Lies is a rock/powerpop band from New York whose talent is only overshadowed by the genious hooks in tracks like &#8220;Catch me if you Can.&#8221;  They tour regionally, will be opening for Chiodos, and are soon to have their own show appearing on MTV.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><span style="underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/azkelt">AZKELT</a></strong></span></p>
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<p>Lead singer Jessica Rendon met brothers Tito Ruiz (guitar) and Patrick Ruiz (drums) in 2007, and though raised on two different side of the nation, to their surprise they all had the same background, Mexican/Irish. AzKelt (Aztec meets Celtic) is a respectfull allusion to their heritage and is the inspiration for the conceptually driven sound. Along with Ahmed Abdallah (bass) the band has opened for national acts such Southern Rock Gods and STONERIDER, and has headlined many premier New York clubs.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p><span style="underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/calamusica">CALAMUS</a></strong></span></p>
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<p>For singer, guitarist, and songwriter Eli Greenhoe music comes naturally.  Though still in high school, Eli, Charlie (guitar), and Sammy (bass) have developed into one of the most interesting and original three-piece, acoustic/bluegrass/rock trios in the New York area. Their fans are rowdy, their sets precise, and their riffs make anyone want to dance.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>For tickets, please contact the artists at the Myspace adresses provided.</p>
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		<title>The Road To Rock Stardom &#8211; Chapter 4</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/10/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-4/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/10/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-4/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:45:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Center]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=716</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Road to Rock Stardom
CHAPTER 4
TAKING YOUR BAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL

IN THIS CHAPTER
• Why it&#8217;s so important to be professional 
• Defining your band&#8217;s main objective, setting goals and forming a common vision 
• Taking goals and turning them into an action plan
• How to conduct band meetings and create meeting agendas
• Discussing songs, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Road to Rock Stardom</p>
<p>CHAPTER 4</p>
<p>TAKING YOUR BAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>IN THIS CHAPTER</p>
<p>• Why it&#8217;s so important to be professional <br />
• Defining your band&#8217;s main objective, setting goals and forming a common vision <br />
• Taking goals and turning them into an action plan<br />
• How to conduct band meetings and create meeting agendas<br />
• Discussing songs, planing promotions evaluating the progress of your bands goals<br />
• How to draft a band agreement and why it&#8217;s important<br />
• The eight primary sources of capital and other ideas on how to raise money<br />
• Why you must manage capital, spend it wisely, and then account for everything<br />
• The absolute importance of integrity</p>
<p>PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS</p>
<p>Why is it so important to be professional? Being professional comes down to one main thing; making the peoples lives in which you&#8217;re working with, easier. There are different areas both on and off stage in which a band will be judge on it&#8217;s level of professionalism. All onstage practices will be covered in chapter xxx. Being professional off the stage, is pretty simple;</p>
<p>1. Be on time<br />
2. Act logically (this doesn&#8217;t mean it can&#8217;t come from your heart, just make sure you translate anything that come from your heart in terms that a corporation can understand) <br />
3. Speak without being overly emotional (regardless of how strongly you feel about a subject) <br />
4. Seek to understand, and then to be understood ( this will gain you more respect from others than any other thing you can or will do in your life) <br />
5. Work diligently<br />
6. Be responsible<br />
7. Over deliver</p>
<p>Think of all the times in which you had to deal with someone that was constantly late, or made almost no sense to you, or even worse would completely get emotional to the point where it was difficult to be around them. Now if you owned a record company asks yourself; would you want to deal with this type of person on a regular basis? People from record companies want to work with responsible individuals that can help promote themselves and even control their own careers to some point. If they can help it, the last thing they want is to deal with is some drugged out space cadet that has almost no clue where he is or what he is doing. Don&#8217;t misunderstand this, they will deal with space cadets if they think the rewards out weigh the headaches, but if you&#8217;re looking for a record deal, a professional attitude is a better bet.</p>
<p>Now as we&#8217;ve stated earlier, a record company must love your songs, but it is also important that the record company actually likes the people in the band. One way to help make sure that the record company doesn&#8217;t get turned off by your band is to always act in a professional manner. If a record company likes your band, and believes the members of the band like each other enough to stay together long enough to sell enough records to protect the record company&#8217;s interests, well then your in good shape. Now a day&#8217;s record companies are not only looking for bands that write good songs, but bands that can also, help to promote themselves, work in a friendly professional manner, and are going to be together for a long time. For every piece of that pie that is missing you&#8217;re hurting your chances of getting your band a record deal.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>DEFINING YOUR BAND&#8217;S MAIN OBJECTIVE<br />
AND CREATING A COMMON VISION</p>
<p>I think that you will discover that if everyone in your band has a common vision; things will run much more smoothly. The more that a band can agree on, the less they will have to deal with in terms of getting along. It also would make sense that the more determined, and the more people you have in your band that see eye to eye, and are able to commit to a common set of goals, the better your chances of success.</p>
<p>What does it mean to have a common vision? Basically everyone&#8217;s ideas about where the band is headed and what the band should sound like should be somewhat similar. Now, that doesn&#8217;t mean that everyone&#8217;s ideas have to be exactly the same, but if they are so far apart that they cause a great deal of conflict, then this will probably be too troublesome to overcome. For instance; one member wants to write and perform songs that are extremely heavy or fast sounding while another member want to work on slow soft music and neither member will compromise his position. Another situation might be; one member wanting to perform on a regular basis, while everyone else is focused on writing and recording. If all members can sit down and agree on a common vision, a lot of these situations can be avoided.</p>
<p>Here are a list of things that are important to agree on before moving forward with any musical project:</p>
<p>1. What type of music your band will perform<br />
2. How often your band will rehearse<br />
3. Is this project just for fun or are they&#8217;re other expectations (If you&#8217;re reading this book you probable have some long term goals)<br />
4. How much time and money and effort if any, will each member contribute to the project<br />
5. Where does this band plan on going(in terms of a career)<br />
6. How much effort will be put towards writing<br />
7. How much effort will be put towards performing<br />
8. How much effort will be put towards recording<br />
9. How much effort will be put towards promotion, if any<br />
10. How much effort will be put towards any long term goals, if any</p>
<p>All these issues should be agreed upon in your band&#8217;s band agreement. (Band agreements are discussed later in this chapter.)</p>
<p>SETTING GOALS</p>
<p>Setting goals is on of the best ways to reach your final destination in a timely fashion. Setting well thought out goals will cause your band to think about where it&#8217;s heading and come up with ideas on how to get there.</p>
<p>For example if you were driving across the country and you had several stops along the way. How much harder and how much longer do you think your trip would take if you didn&#8217;t have a map to guide you? Twice as long? Three times as long? Maybe you would even have to give up without reaching your final destination.</p>
<p>Well&#8217; that&#8217;s exactly what goals are, they are road maps, how to get from point A to point B. When you book a show don&#8217;t you hope that there are more people at this show than the last show, and when you record new material is it not in hopes that some new people will listen to it or that it will get played on the radio. These are goals, the only problem is that all goal need to be in writing in order to be as effective as possible.</p>
<p>Go back to our road trip for a second. What if before you left for this cross country trip? Instead of having no idea of how you were going to get from point A to point B, someone spent about five minutes explaining all your stops and how to get there. It in no way compares to using a map, and it would only be a little bit better than not having any idea what to do or where to go at all. That&#8217;s what bands do; they get a little advice or watch what other bands do and then just aimlessly head down the road. Bands for the most part follow some other band&#8217;s lead. They just do as the other bands do; unfortunately the bands that they are modeling are going nowhere. This is why you must either model band that have succeeded or create your own action plan and set your own goals.</p>
<p>Setting a goal is very easy. <br />
1. A goal must be in writing.<br />
2. It must be specific.<br />
3. It must have a deadline.</p>
<p>Here is an example of a legitimate goal: We will perform at _______________ (specific club) in front of 150 of our own fans and some other people that happen to be there, by December 15, 2003.</p>
<p>When setting goals it&#8217;s best to start backwards. <br />
Ask yourselves some questions. <br />
1. What is our ultimate objective?<br />
2. What do we need in order to get there?<br />
3. What steps do we need to take in order to get there?<br />
4. Where do we need to start?</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t worry if you don&#8217;t have all the answers right now. More than likely, you won&#8217;t have all the answers just yet, but use your best judgement for now and make adjustments as you go along.</p>
<p>If the answer to question # 1 is: <br />
We want to play music for a living <br />
We want to perform for people all over the world<br />
We want to gain critical acclaim<br />
We want to sell millions of records</p>
<p>If any of these answers are your bands ultimate goal or goals then you probably need to get a record deal in order to achieve this goal or these goals.</p>
<p>Therefore the answer to question #2 is probably:<br />
We need to acquire a large some of money in order to achieve our goals or we need to get a record deal with a record company that will support our band financially and help to guide us in the right direction. Remember your goals need to be specific. This means you are not just going to set a goal to get a record company to sign your band. You need to set your goal to be getting a record deal with a company that will nurture your band and help you to achieve your ultimate goals of touring the world and selling a million records by a specific date like (December 15, 2005.) This is how these particular goals would look.</p>
<p>Now you need to figure out how to get there.</p>
<p>Here are 3 ways in which bands can get interest from a major record label. <br />
The first way is they hear the bands music and are impressed. Basically they see them live or get a hold of a recording.<br />
The second way is by first getting a smaller record company to sign them and grow them into a big success. <br />
The third way is a band impresses them with what they a have achieved without a major record company supporting them. This might mean having a large regional following, or they have been able to sell a lot of product on there own.</p>
<p>So, really you&#8217;re looking at two main objects. <br />
1. Write great songs.<br />
2. Become great promoters.</p>
<p>EXAMPLES OF LONG AND SHORT TERM GOALS<br />
Short term goals:<br />
1. Form a band with ambitious people that I get along with very well (follow steps in chapter 1) by _____________________.<br />
2. Have all of the equipment necessary for the band to begin working by __________________.<br />
3. Set a permanent rehearsal schedule by __________________.<br />
4. Write 12 great songs by ___________________.<br />
5. Perfect each song by _______________________.<br />
6. Write one new song every week.</p>
<p>Intermediate goals: <br />
1. Hire preliminary manager by __________________ .<br />
2. Book first show and promote it successfully by _____________.<br />
3. Practice and perfect our live show by _____________________.<br />
4. Perform first show in front of 200 of our own fans by _____________________ .<br />
5. Create 400 person local fan base by _________________ .<br />
6. Book and pay for studio time by _________________.<br />
7. Produce and release our First full length CD by __________________.</p>
<p>Long term goals:<br />
1. Build relationship with important people in our home town by ___________________.<br />
2. Cultivate relationships with A&amp;R departments of record labels by _________________.<br />
3. Cultivate relationships with talent agents by ____________________.<br />
4. Showcase our band in LA or NYC for record labels by __________________.<br />
5. Showcase in LA or NYC every 8 weeks by _____________.<br />
6. Showcase in home town with all our fans there to support us with A&amp;R departments from at least two labels are in attendance by ___________________________.<br />
7. Sign a very good Record deal by ___________.<br />
8. Sign with a very good talent agency by ________.<br />
9. Hire a management team by _______________.</p>
<p>Prepare to set new goals after you have signed your deal, or you will end up getting dropped if your band doesn&#8217;t sell as many record as your record company wants you to sell.</p>
<p>GOALS PUT INTO ACTION</p>
<p>ACTION PLAN<br />
Here is an example of an action plan for a moderately new band whose main object is to obtain a record deal and eventual sell millions of records:</p>
<p>First set of goals<br />
Short term goals and action plan:<br />
1. We will write 12 songs by __________. <br />
We will do this by setting up a permanent rehearsal schedule. We will rehearse several nights a week for several hours a day.</p>
<p>2. We will prefect each song by ___________.<br />
We will do this by using all the song writing techniques we have learned.</p>
<p>3. We will rehearse and perfect our live show by ___________.<br />
We will do this by rehearsing and discussing how to perfect our live shows, as well as using all the techniques we have learned.</p>
<p>4. We will hire a preliminary manager by __________.<br />
We will do this by talking to people and placing classified ads in news papers.</p>
<p>5. We will book and then promote our first show for several months making sure that it is sold out. We will do this by ___________. <br />
We will accomplish this by following the promotional plan that we have developed, through our research.</p>
<p>Intermediate goals:<br />
1. We will record our first full length CD by ___________. <br />
2. We will promote a record release party that we will perform in the most prestigious clubs in our home town that we feel that we can sell out by ___________.<br />
3. We will build our home town following to over 400 people per show ___________.</p>
<p>BAND MEETINGS AND AGENDAS</p>
<p>Your band should schedule meetings for important issues whenever they come up and you should meet at least once a month. The first rehearsal of a new calendar month is a good time to meet. Topics to discuss are goal and how they&#8217;re progressing, the state of your music, business issues, any relationship issue or concerns, any up coming events, and any news in regard to any other type of band news or issues.</p>
<p>Every member should come with notes, Ideas, Concerns, or anything else that they think can benefit the band. One person should preside over the meeting. This should be the person with that is the most business minded. It could be divided into parts, one person for business issues leads that part of the meeting, and another person leads song writing and musical topics. It could be your preliminary manager that leads the business meeting. Do whatever works best. Avoid negative input from members. Try to make everyone understand the importance of only positive input and problem solving discussions.</p>
<p>Everything discussed must be put into writing and include and action plan. This plan must determine who is responsible for what. Hold each person accountable for there role set in your goal meetings. Everything must have a deadline.</p>
<p>DISCUSSING SONGS</p>
<p>At each meeting discuss each song at length. Are there things that still need work? Are the hooks strong enough? Which songs are the strongest? Which songs are the weakest?</p>
<p>Are your songs going in an interesting but marketable direction? What direction is the genre of music we are performing seem to be going? Can we add something new to this genre with the direction in which we seem to be headed? Who are the recently signed bands in that style, what are they doing, and will it change the direction of the genre? You&#8217;re not always going to agree musically with each other, so learn to compromise and make decisions that are in the band&#8217;s best interest. Sometimes different opinions are what can make bands great, however without compromise, they wouldn&#8217;t get anything accomplished.</p>
<p>PLANNING PROMOTIONS</p>
<p>At each meeting your band should discuss any upcoming performances. You&#8217;re going to want to discuss every detail that pertains to the promotion of said performances. This would include distribution of flyers, progress with ticket sales, advertising campaign and any other promotional aspect of the event. At this meeting, you&#8217;re going to want to determine who will be responsible for each aspect of the promotion. Also schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss your progress in order to be able to hold each member accountable for whatever responsibility they have taken upon themselves. (See Chapter 7: Promotion for details on promoting an event.)</p>
<p>EVALUATING PROGRESS OF BAND GOALS</p>
<p>This is important to do because it allows you to determine where your band needs to expend more effort in achieving your goals. For example, if one of your goals is to create a 400 person following by a certain date, and you only have a 100 person following, then more effort or new strategies need to be employed in order to achieve that goal. Or at that time, you may determine that a 400 person following is not what your band needs to concentrate on at that time. On the other hand, if your goal is to have a 400 person following and you now have a 600 person following, it will allow you to concentrate on other areas or goals. By evaluating each goal and the progress of that goal, you can determine in which direction your band needs to go.</p>
<p>SETTING NEW GOALS</p>
<p>At each monthly meeting, it is important to set at least one new goal, even if it&#8217;s as simple as writing one new song before the next meeting. It is also important to set several different types of goals, short, long-term, and intermediate goals. You want most of your short-term goals to be easily achievable. Almost set it up in a baby-step style so you&#8217;re always achieving success in some level. Some of these goals would include writing new song, showing up for rehearsal on time, etc. Intermediate goals should be goals that are a little more complex but something you can achieve within a two to three month period or less. They could be promoting a successful show or recording a CD. These are the goals that are going to get you closer and closer to where you need to go in order to reach your long-term goals. Your long-term goals can generally take six months or more to achieve and can be more involved. Long-term goals can include cultivating relationships with A&amp;R departments with record companies,</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>BAND AGREEMENTS</p>
<p>HOW TO DRAFT A BAND AGREEMENT</p>
<p>Before you start to draft your band agreement, the first thing you&#8217;ll want to do is sit down and discuss your short and long term goals and all the different topics that will relate to the actual band agreement. You&#8217;re going to need to determine and agree upon what type of music you&#8217;re going to perform. It&#8217;s also important to determine and agree upon some of the terms which are listed below. It will be up to each band to determine which terms are important.</p>
<p>NECESSARY TERMS:</p>
<p>• Rehearsal schedule<br />
All serious bands have to have a serious rehearsal schedule as previously stated. That&#8217;s not to say it can&#8217;t be somewhat flexible, but the more serious it is, the more permanent it will become. It is also recommended that you include some sort of language in regards to punctuality.<br />
• Time commitment<br />
It&#8217;s important that the band understands and agrees with each member&#8217;s time commitment. The best time to agree upon this is in writing before bad habits are established.<br />
• Financial commitment<br />
This will be different for each band. Some bands will not ask for any type of financial commitment from any member. Some bands might have more of a financial commitment from one member than another for whatever reason. Still, another band will agree to have an equal financial agreement. It&#8217;s entirely up to the band, but it is important to describe this in your agreement so you will avoid conflict at a later date.<br />
• Performance commitment<br />
Once again, this will vary from band to band, but it&#8217;s a good idea, if possible, to work with other people that are willing to commit to whatever performances the band as a whole decides are important. There may be rare occasions where a member has an event such as a family member&#8217;s wedding, work-related obligation, or other that would prevent them from participating in what would be considered an important performance. It is recommended that all members use best efforts to perform at any important event, however you might want to add a clause that states that any unforeseen occurrence (e.g., family emergency, serious accident, etc.) might prevent a member from performing that evening.<br />
• Equipment condition agreement</p>
<p>• Transportation commitment</p>
<p>• List of each person&#8217;s responsibilities (e.g., promotion, writing of new material, financial responsibility, miscellaneous research, or other responsibilities)</p>
<p>• Royalties agreement</p>
<p>• Professionalism clause</p>
<p>• Band&#8217;s main objective</p>
<p>• Amount of effort put towards writing, performing, or recording</p>
<p>• Amount of effort put towards promotion</p>
<p>EXAMPLES OF AGREEMENTS</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s an example of a band agreement between Bob Smith and his band Suckerstar.</p>
<p>BAND AGREEMENT</p>
<p>This agreement is entered into by and between Bob Smith (band member&#8217;s name) and Suckerstar (band&#8217;s name).</p>
<p>Bob Smith (band member&#8217;s name) agrees to rehearse 3 nights a week for 4 hours per evening on the following evenings: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM</p>
<p>Bob Smith agrees to keep his equipment in working condition for all rehearsals and any performances. He would also be required to have his equipment fine tuned by a professional for any recording session in which that equipment would be used.</p>
<p>Bob Smith agrees to use best efforts to help promote each event that the members of Suckerstar agree to perform.</p>
<p>Suckerstar agrees to use best efforts to achieve each one of its written goals and also agrees to treat each member with respect. Each member understands and agrees that there will be setbacks from time to time but will always use best efforts to help achieve its common goals.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>CAPITAL<br />
8 SOURCES OF CAPITAL<br />
MANAGING IT<br />
REINVESTING IT<br />
NEGOTIATING<br />
ACCOUNTING FOR IT AND BEING RESPONSIBLE</p>
<p>THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY</p>
<p>*glossary at end of book</p>
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		<title>The Road To Rock Stardom &#8211; Chapter 3</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/10/the-road-to-rock-stardom-chapter-3/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Center]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=714</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Road to Rock Stardom
CHAPTER 3
HOW TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON EQUIPMENT 
IN THIS CHAPTER
• Learn what equipment your band needs
• The importance of quality equipment 
• Where to get the best deals on equipment
• How to buy equipment without any money 
• How to maintain your equipment

DETERMINING WHAT EQUIPMENT YOUR BAND NEEDS
You&#8217;re going to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Road to Rock Stardom</p>
<p>CHAPTER 3</p>
<p>HOW TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON EQUIPMENT </p>
<p>IN THIS CHAPTER<br />
• Learn what equipment your band needs<br />
• The importance of quality equipment <br />
• Where to get the best deals on equipment<br />
• How to buy equipment without any money <br />
• How to maintain your equipment</p>
<p>
DETERMINING WHAT EQUIPMENT YOUR BAND NEEDS</p>
<p>You&#8217;re going to have two sets of needs. Individual needs (stage gear) and your needs as a band. As a practicing band you&#8217;re going to need some sort of PA. Depending on the type of music your band is performing, your needs will vary.</p>
<p>I believe for most bands a vocal PA should be all that is necessary for rehearsals. Now, whose responsibility is it to supply the band with this equipment? If it&#8217;s just a vocal PA, then it should probably be the singer&#8217;s responsibility to bring his own equipment since the vocals will probably be the only thing going through it. If it&#8217;s a larger PA and everything is being sent through it, then you will have to discuss a fair arrangement.</p>
<p>In most cases a full blow PA is completely unnecessary and can even be counter productive. Also, it usually won&#8217;t sound as good as just using a simple vocal PA. The reason for this is, if you are sending every instrument through the PA. You are in effect, amplifying every thing twice. This can and usually will cause your band to rehearse at a volume that is much too loud, causing harm to equipment, ear drums, and even vocal cords.</p>
<p>In most cases it is best to practice at a more reasonable volume in which everyone can hear one another. Now, in some cases it might be important for a band to practice at a louder volume in order to get the right feel, but be careful not to over do it.</p>
<p>One of the best investments a band can make is to purchase a multi-track recording device. Usually 4 to 8 tracks are enough to accomplish a tremendous amount. Some simple recording equipment can help a band to write or improve songs, and to prepare for both live performances and studio sessions. It&#8217;s the most important tool a band can use to improve the quality of their music. You can&#8217;t really listen objectively to your music, while you&#8217;re performing. The closest you can get to being object regarding you music is to listen to it on tape. Being objective enough to know whether something is working or not, plays a key role in writing good material.</p>
<p>For the most part, a small PA, a multi-track recorder and a dual cassette recorder should be everything that your band as a whole, would need. However, commingling money to buy band equipment is not usually a good idea. Doing so can create the possibility of finical head-aches if in the event your band breaks up someday. It&#8217;s a much better idea to have individuals buy their own equipment, and then allow the band to use it for its purposes.</p>
<p>Each individual will need their own stage gear. If you&#8217;re a singer, unless someone in your band, or your band, owns a PA, you will need a small vocal PA and a microphone. If you are a guitarist or bass player, you will need a guitar \ bass guitar and an amplifier \ bass amp. Most guitarists these days, also have a bunch of processing gear as well. A guitar tuner that will allow you to tune silently is a must have piece of equipment for guitarists and bass players. Drummer will of coarse need a set of drums. How many pieces and what size drums will depend on what type of music you&#8217;re performing. You should always have a spare snare drum, spare drum heads, and extra sticks. It&#8217;s also a good idea to own an extra kick pedal. A keyboard player or DJ will need a keyboard or turn tables. As you can see, it&#8217;s pretty self explanatory.</p>
<p>YOU MUST HAVE QUALITY EQUIPMENT</p>
<p>When you&#8217;re dealing with sub-par equipment, it can hurt you in several ways. Poor sound quality, difficulty with the performance of your instrument, and a lower perceived level of professionalism, can all be factor as a result of sub-par equipment. For instance, if you are using a cheap copy guitar and the action can not be easily adjusted. It can make it difficult to play, and also make it sound badly, or even cause the instrument to feed back much too easily. Some cheap drum sets might be almost impossible to tune properly. A badly tuned drum set is terrible sounding in the studio. So, the importance of using professional equipment is immeasurable.</p>
<p>The best ways to find the right equipment is to do some experimenting and to do some light research. First ask your self what bands do I enjoy listening to on a regular basis? What type of equipment do they play? Ask your self, do I know anybody locally that plays the same equipment? If you know someone that has the same or similar gear, then ask them how they like the equipment. Ask them what they paid for it, whether it seems to hold up well and maybe even ask them, where they bought it.</p>
<p>Next buy a couple musician guides that judge the quality of musical equipment. Read up on what list prices are and what the going rate is on that particular piece of equipment. Another very good source to find out about the quality of a musical instrument is any sound engineer that you might know. First off, they will usually know a lot about numerous different pieces of equipment. Engineers come in contact with so many different kinds of equipment on a daily basis. Secondly they will have no motive to steer you in the wrong direction. A sales person at a music store might have a financial motive to sway you in the wrong direction, when you&#8217;re in the process of purchasing gear. So, they can&#8217;t always be counted on for sound advice. No pun intended.</p>
<p>Do some light research. Ask sound engineers and fellow musicians for advice, and read up on the different equipment that you&#8217;re interested in buying. Take the time to try out a couple different pieces of gear. You can go to several music stores and experiment with how the equipment sounds and or how it feels. Take your time and make the right decision. Its best not to make an impulse buy, so leave the store then decide what is the right equipment for you. Next your going to need to decide how and where to buy the gear that you&#8217;ve decided to acquire.</p>
<p>WHERE TO PURCHASE YOUR EQUIPMENT</p>
<p>Now you need to determine if you have the money to flat out buy the equipment that you need. If you can pay with cash you will be able to get the most bang for your buck. If you need to finance your purchase then refer to the section on buying equipment without any money.</p>
<p>Heres some of the best sources to save money on buying musical equipment:</p>
<p>1. BUYING USED EQUIPMENT FROM INDIVIDUALS<br />
Buying equipment used either through the trading papers or through word of mouth is where you&#8217;re most likely to get the best deals. Used equipment is usually in fair to good shape, but you will want to ask the seller a few key questions before purchasing used gear. Theses questions can help you get an idea what the condition is of the equipment your thinking about buying. It can also give you some helpful tools to negotiate with later if you decide that you are interested in the equipment. First, how old is the equipment, and where has it been stored. If when they show the equipment to you, it&#8217;s in a cold damp basement or an overly hot attic, then these would be negative factors regarding the condition of the equipment. If it&#8217;s been kept in a temperature controlled room, then that&#8217;s a good sign.</p>
<p>Next, find out about the sellers use of the gear. Was it use all the time, was the equipment used for a band that performed five nights a week for the last three years. Musical equipment is some what like cars in the fact that you don&#8217;t want to buy one with too many miles. Dragging your gear from club to club causes more wear and tear then just performing at home or at practice. You also don&#8217;t want to buy equipment from a nineteen year old kid that loves heavy metal, and has been playing all his equipment at its highest level. It&#8217;s important, when you&#8217;re shopping for used equipment you factor in from whom you&#8217;re buying this equipment. Also before making a decision to buy factor in how often the equipment was used, and in what capacity.</p>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve decided the equipment is in good condition and that you would like to possibly buy the gear, then it&#8217;s time to start the negotiations. Musicians are usually very motivated sellers. When they are selling something they are selling it for a reason, either they are no longer using it, or they really need the money. In both cases this gives the buyer the advantage. Always low ball your first offer you can always come up a little if you need to in order to make the buy.</p>
<p>If a piece of equipment list for say $1,800 dollars and they are trying to sell it for $700 dollars, you would first remind them that it is a used piece of equipment and that it comes without a warranty. Also remind them of any imperfections as well as any of your concerns such as &#8220;It&#8217;s been used a lot on the road or it&#8217;s seems to have been stored in your cold damp basement, where it&#8217;s some what dusty.&#8221; These types of statements devalue the sellers perception of his equipment, allowing him to be more open to a low ball offer.</p>
<p>Next present your offer and show the seller your cash. A good starting point would be say $385 dollars. Don&#8217;t use a round number like $400 or $450, $385 sounds more firm. If he turns you down flat with out countering you, that means he is going to be pretty firm with the price. If you think his $700 price is not to far out of line, then continue with the negotiations. Start over, but don&#8217;t talk about the equipment your negotiating to buy. Change the subject for two reasons. One to get the seller to like you. You can do this buy asking questions about him or her. Ask about their band your their old band. They will eat this up, and you will probably enjoy this topic as well, and you might even learn something. People love to talk about themselves, and if you give them that opportunity they will like you more for it. Second you want to give the seller more time to think about your offer. This time will also, give them the opportunity to counter your offer. Any time someone counters your offer you are automatically in a better negotiating position than if they don&#8217;t counter your offer.</p>
<p>Now, if after some time you still can&#8217;t get them to counter, then it&#8217;s time to make your second offer. Your going to want to make them feel good about themselves, for selling their equipment to you. Here&#8217;s how: tell them that you really like the piece of equipment that they&#8217;re selling but that you only have limited funds available for this purchase. Tell that it would mean a lot to you and your band to be able buy this piece of equipment, then slightly raise your offer to say $435 dollars or $455 dollars depending on how you think things are going. If you&#8217;ve went up to $435, that&#8217;s a $50 dollar increase from your initial offer of $385. At anytime the seller starts to counter you will use this negotiations strategy. After each one of his counters you will take your time, and then increase your counter by one half of whatever the amount of your last increase was. So, regardless of the amount of his counter offer you will keep decreasing the rate at which you increase your offers. His offer more than likely will be to meet you in the middle, people are conditioned to negotiate like that. If they try to meet you in the middle your about to get a great deal on some used equipment. It should go something like this: <br />
You offer: $385<br />
He counters: (probably a price some where in the middle) say about $550 or $600<br />
You counter: $435<br />
He counters: (once again he will probably try to meet you in the middle) $475 or $500<br />
You counter again: $460 <br />
At this point he will either agree on your offer of $460 or you will end up agreeing on something like $475 either way you just saved yourself a great deal of money. With the money you&#8217;ve saved you can start to think about your next purchase. <br />
So, you just bought a $1800 dollar piece of equipment that&#8217;s in good shape for $460 dollars. Don&#8217;t be surprised if you get it for even less.</p>
<p>2. E-BAY:</p>
<p>3. USED EQUIPMENT FROM MUSIC STORES <br />
Buying used equipment from music stores really only makes sense if your getting a great deal for some reason and they&#8217;re giving you a warranty. The only other reason you might want to buy used gear from a music store is if you need some financing in order for you to be able to afford the equipment. If your going to buy something used you can get much better deal from a private individual. So, spend some time reading the trading papers or searching the Internet if your looking for good deals on used equipment.</p>
<p>NO MONEY DOWN <br />
If your short on cash, and you desperately need some gear, the best place to go if you have bad credit is directly to your nearest music store. They will usually finance almost anyone. If you go this route beware, your going to end up paying list price and very large interest rates as well. They usually also have large late penalties. They have to some how make up for all the people that default on their loans. It&#8217;s also usually set up as a rent to own situation which put you in a weak position if can you no longer make your payments. Music stores are however, famous for being very understanding and are very flexible if you run into some financial trouble. They might even give you time to catch up or ever restructure your payments in order to help you get through your tough times.</p>
<p>The other advantages to buying equipment from music stores are the warranties, personal service (which is usually very knowledgeable and helpful), Equipment that is guaranteed to be operational (if it&#8217;s not working they will replace it at no cost to the buyer), and the advantages of owning new equipment. If you have the money to spend. It&#8217;s always advisable to go through a quality to music store for your musical equipment purchases.</p>
<p>Other ideas for financing equipment include: borrowing money from friend or family, credit cards personal loans, business loans(if you can prove to the bank that the equipment will generate enough income to substantiate the loan ), and creating a band fund in order to purchase the necessary gear.</p>
<p>
MAINTAINING YOUR EQUIPMENT</p>
<p>Musical equipment for the most part is very durable. With a little maintenance your gear could last almost forever. Without proper maintenance your equipment will be more likely to break down, sound badly, and be more difficult to operate. Proper care should be used every time you play.</p>
<p>1. Guitars and Bass Guitars: <br />
A. You are going to want to wipe you neck and strings down after each practice session. The salt from your fingers will cause it to wear on both your strings, (causing you to have to replace them more often) and your fret board. A worn fret board will slow down your action and possibly create a buzzing sound. It will also devalue the guitar.<br />
B. Clean your string after each use with a cleaning towel (a cotton T-shirt works well). Take each string and wrap the towel around it, then with your thumb and index finger pull the towel from one end of the string to the other end of the string. Move the towel around after each lap up or down the string. Do this three or four times on each string or until there isn&#8217;t any dirt left on the string.<br />
C. Secure all screws, nuts, or bolts. Never crank down on something so hard, as to strip it or break something.<br />
D. It&#8217;s a good idea to regularly change your strings. Always change your strings before an important show or event such as a studio session. The difference in sound between old and new strings is immense<br />
E. Take your guitar into the music store with the best reputation a least twice a year and certainly before entering the studio to have the intonation checked and adjusted. Always have them put a new set of string on before starting to work on its intonation. Also have them look over your neck and your pick ups to see if either of them needs adjusting.<br />
F. Never lean your guitar up against a wall, or anything else for long periods of time. This can and will cause your neck to bow. It is best to always put it back in its case after each use.<br />
G. Never store your guitar in trying temperatures, hot or cold, or in damp areas within your house.<br />
H. A good way to extend the life of bass strings, is to boil hot water in an old pot. Then place your strings in the boiling water one at a time, pulling them out and wiping them down. Be sure to only do one string at a time, it&#8217;s not good for your neck to have all your strings off at once.</p>
<p>2. Drum Sets:<br />
A. Keep your drum heads tuned. You can easily do this by stopping by the practice spot a few minutes early and adjusting each head.<br />
B. Keep your set clean and dry. Wipe your drum set down after each practice session.<br />
C. Change worn heads as needed and keep all hardware secure.<br />
D. Always use cases when transporting your drums.<br />
E. It&#8217;s not a good idea to let inexperienced people set up your drums for you, without training them first. They could end up striping some nuts or breaking something.<br />
F. Never store your drums in trying temperatures, hot or cold, or in damp areas within your house.</p>
<p>3. Keyboards:<br />
A. Keep your keyboard clean and dry. Wipe it down with a dry rag after each use.<br />
B. Never store your keyboard in trying temperatures, hot or cold, or in damp areas within your house.<br />
C. Try to avoid dirty, and dusty areas, extreme dust, or dirt can cause problem with your keyboard. Also try to avoid very Smokey areas. This is very difficult since most clubs are fill with smoke, so don&#8217;t go crazy, just do what you reasonably can.<br />
D. Always cover your keyboard when it&#8217;s not in use. This will help keep out any unwanted dust particles.<br />
E. Also some types of smoke machines are not good for keyboards to be expose to, so make sure if your band is going to use a smoke machine that it won&#8217;t damage your keyboard. Some smoke machines are completely safe. You just have to make sure you&#8217;re using the right kind of machines.<br />
F. Always use a case when transporting your keyboards.</p>
<p>4. Wind instruments:<br />
A.</p>
<p>5. DJ Equipment:<br />
A.</p>
<p>6. XXXX</p></p>
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		<title>Punks For A Princess</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/09/punks-for-a-princess/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/09/punks-for-a-princess/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:06:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gregg</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Band News]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[







DOWNLOAD FLYER HERE
Today I was speaking to a band from Providence, RI and they had told me that you were doing a benefit show this weekend for a 7 year old girl who tragecly passed away earlier this month. Her name is Kaitlyn Ferra.
As he was telling me this story it made me realize how [...]]]></description>
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<td style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u223/sdmuk/benefitflyer1.jpg" alt="" width="447" height="614" /></td>
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<p><a href="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u223/sdmuk/benefitflyer1.jpg" target="_blank"><strong>DOWNLOAD FLYER HERE</strong></a></p>
<p style="center;">Today I was speaking to a band from Providence, RI and they had told me that you were doing a benefit show this weekend for a 7 year old girl who tragecly passed away earlier this month. Her name is Kaitlyn Ferra.</p>
<p>As he was telling me this story it made me realize how amazing people can be. I just think that is so great when bands take time out of their lives to help a family. I told the band Frenzy of Tongs that i would post something on myspace about the event. However, after much consideration i just thought it would be better suited on here.</p>
<p>My prayers go out to he Ferra family for their loss.</p>
<p>Now there is a website you can go make donations to it is www.kaitlynferra.com</p>
<p>Also there is a memorial video that you can watch as well by going to</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://kaitlynferra.com/images/kaitlyn7.wmv" target="_blank">http://kaitlynferra.com/images/kaitlyn7.wmv</a></p>
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<enclosure url="http://kaitlynferra.com/images/kaitlyn7.wmv" length="17102843" type="video/x-ms-wmv" />
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		<title>Learning Center</title>
		<link>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/08/learning-center/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gorillamusic.com/2008/08/learning-center/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Center]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gorillamusic.com/?p=171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gorilla Productions is excited to open our new learning center. Please stop back soon for up to date band education information.
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gorilla Productions is excited to open our new learning center. Please stop back soon for up to date band education information.</p>
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