David Cook Wins American Idol!

David Cook Winner of American Idol Season 7

   It was really a surpise that David Cook won American Idol. Especially given how much the judges loved David Archuleta’s performances. Archuleta even won over Simon Cowell on the final performance episode.    Continue reading “David Cook Wins American Idol!”

Will David Archuleta win American Idol?

David Archuleta and David Cook
Archuleta and Cook

   First off, I’m not a huge American Idol fan and I don’t watch the show regularly. I do download and watch the episodes from iTunes and I have to say that I’m honestly impressed with the contestants singing abilites.  Continue reading “Will David Archuleta win American Idol?”

American Idol, Talent or Hype?

   It’s amazing to see all the press coverage and the numbers of viewers that American Idol attracts. I’ve talked to a lot of musicians about the show and I always ask them their opinion. I usually get a mixed reaction with some believing that there’s some real talent on there and some believing that it’s all rigged and that the songs are recorded in advance.     Continue reading “American Idol, Talent or Hype?”

Dressing For The Stage

   I like being comfortable. I’m the most comfortable in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I have to tell you that I don’t like wearing costumes and I hate dressing up. So for a long time I just wore jeans and a t-shirt onstage. Then I started opening for other bands and I really began to notice how cool they looked creating a look for when they played onstage.  I remember thinking once at a gig that the band that opened for us just looked cooler than we did. They just seemed a lot more hip even though musically we blew them away. The real bummer was, the crowd was louder for that band than for us.   Continue reading “Dressing For The Stage”

“Big Bends Nut Sauce” Tribute Song, by Shufflin’ Noah

   Okay, I had a request to hear the tribute song my band “Shufflin’ Noah” recorded one night for our favorite guitar lubricant:
Big Bends Nut Sauce Tuning Lubricant

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How To Get Out Of The Garage and Onto The Stage

   We’ve all been there. The band has been together for months, you have 25 songs learned and you’re itching to get out and play. The problem is you’re stuck rehearsing and you don’t have enough songs to play a 4 hour club date. Well guess what, you do have enough songs to play a party. Even better it’s a party that you’re going to throw. Continue reading “How To Get Out Of The Garage and Onto The Stage”

Why Do I Want To Give My Music Away For Free?

    Why do we as musicians want to give our music away for free? The business term is Marketing. Music is what we do and our music is our offering to the world. Our music is what we hope that people will want to listen to and ultimately buy from us. Our goal is to make the most amount of money from our music. To do that, our music has to be heard by as many people as possible. Continue reading “Why Do I Want To Give My Music Away For Free?”

Getting Your Music Heard Online

   The music industry has changed so much in the last 10 years that it’s almost mind boggling. I remember how hard my band Shufflin’ Noah worked to get our songs heard on the radio. It was such a rush to be in the car listening to our music on the local independant radio station.

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Music Is Your Business

    When I finally got out of high school and first started doing club gigs a good musician friend of mine gave me a book. I read it cover to cover and it has proved to be a valuable resource even after all these years. That book is no longer in print but I want to suggest another book that just released its 3rd edition in 2007. Continue reading “Music Is Your Business”