Category: Various Ramblings

Matt’s observations and insights into the music experience

Make The Leap To HD Radio With The Microsoft Zune HD

Explore the amazing sounding world of HD Digital Radio with the Microsoft Zune HD.

Microsoft Zune HD
Microsoft Zune HD

   One of the most important things any live musician can do is keep listening to music on a daily basis. It’s no secret that you are what you listen to and it’s in any musicians best interest to listen to the widest variety of music possible. One of the reasons I love satellite radio so much is because of the wide variety of non-stop music available to listen to.

   I have been subscribing to satellite radio for about 5 years now and had all but given up listening to my local radio stations. But there are some drawbacks to satellite radio broadcasts. The three biggest drawbacks are the monthly subscription fee, the fact that you can’t receive it indoors without a good antenna and the fact that it doesn’t sound as good as a CD. So I was very intrigued with the development of the new HD Digital Radio format.    Continue reading “Make The Leap To HD Radio With The Microsoft Zune HD”

The Beatles: Rock Band Intro and Outro Animations

Watch video clips of The Beatles: Rock Band intro and outro video animations.

The other day on Live Musician Central we did a review of The Beatles: Rock Band video game. One of the things we talked about was how amazing the animation was in the game. So today we’re posting up the video clips of the opening and closing animations of The Beatles: Rock Band so you can see for yourself how great they look. On our Playstation 3 system they look much better because the resolution is true HD.

The intro and outro videos were directed by Pete Candeland who is best known for animating The Gorillaz. The videos in The Beatles: Rock Band definitely have his unique style to them and they really take you into another world where The Beatles themselves rule.    Continue reading “The Beatles: Rock Band Intro and Outro Animations”

Sound Wave Art Using A Chladni Plate

Video of a Chladni Plate being used to create complex patterns with salt using sound waves to vibrate the plate.

   I’m into music which is the art of organizing sound so naturally anything created using soundwaves intrigues me. I saw this really interesting video on YouTube of a device called a Chladni Plate being used to create complex patterns out of salt.

   The Chladni Plate is basically a flat surface that is resonated at different frequencies. Salt or sand is then scattered on the plate and complex and patterns emerge when the plate is resonated. It’s really fascinating to watch and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. To learn more about Chladni Plate check out the Wiki page about it’s creator, Ernst Chladni.

Chladni Plate, Salt and Sound Waves

Which Beatle Are You Quiz

Take a fun quiz to find out which Beatle most matches your personality.

Which Beatle Are You   With the realease of the new ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ game there has been a ton of hype around all things Beatles. Let’s face it, The Beatles changed Rock-N-Roll forever. At the beginning of their career, what really carried them, was the simple fact that they were one of the best live bands of all time. They’re one of my personal favorite bands and I’m really stoked to get the new game and give it a spin. The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle has been getting 4 Star and 10 out 0f 10 reviews all over the internet.

   One of the great things about The Beatles was the fact that they were truly a band but at the same time were made up of four very distinct personalities. So, to celebrate the release of ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ I’m linking to a fun quiz titled: Which Beatle Are You?         Continue reading “Which Beatle Are You Quiz”

Les Paul – In Memoriam June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009

Tribute to the life and contributions of the late and legendary Les Paul.

Les Paul - Young or Old, the man could play!
Les Paul - Young or Old, the man could play!

   If you had to pick a guitarist that has had the greatest influence on modern music technology then the top candidate would have to be Les Paul. I don’t think any single guitarist has influenced the way we make and record music more than Les Paul has. His advances in the electric guitar and its amplification alone have completely changed the way guitarists play and perform in their live bands as well as in the studio.

   Les Paul was born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915. He later adopted the stage name Les Paul which would go on to be one of the most legendary names in all of electric guitar history. Les Paul’s contributions to music have been many and they’ve also been extremely groundbreaking and important. There have been a lot of great guitar players but let’s face it, great guitar players are a dime-a-dozen. Les wasn’t just a guitarist, he was an inventor and an innovator.    Continue reading “Les Paul – In Memoriam June 9, 1915 – August 13, 2009”

In Memoriam: Michael Jackson 1958-2009

A musician’s perspective on the passing of the great Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson - The Thriller Years
Michael Jackson - The Thriller Years

   The world has lost one of the greatest musical talents of the 20th century, the great Michael Jackson. There’s no way to underestimate the impact that Michael Jackson has had on popular music. If you have a career playing in a live band then you know that Michael Jackson was also one of the greatest live performers of all time.

   Michael Jackson has been surrounded by weird stories and scandals for the last couple of decades. His ever-changing physical appearance only added to the strangeness. There’s no question that these things have tainted his legend and at times overshadowed his amazing accomplishments. I don’t want to talk about his eccentricity and bizarre behavior. I am a musician, and Michael Jackson was a musician so that’s what I will remember him for.    Continue reading “In Memoriam: Michael Jackson 1958-2009”

Thanks To My Father For Supporting My Musical Journey

My tribute to my Father, Allen L. Rushton, for supporting me so much in my musical career.

My Dad, Allen L. Rushton, and my 3 older brothers.
My Dad, Allen L. Rushton, and my 3 older brothers.

   Yesterday was Father’s Day and I got a lot of love from my kids for being such a “great Dad” (their words). I’m glad they feel that way but I had to tell them that the greatest Dad was my Father, their Grandfather. My Dad, Allen Rushton,  is one of the biggest reasons why I play music and perform in a live band today.

   In his day, my Dad played lead tenor saxophone in various bands when he was in his late teens and early twenties. He was a member of the Nevada Musicians Union and would get called by the union and told where and when he would be playing on the weekend. He made some money doing this and wanted to be a professional musician. He then entered World War II and when the war ended, he went to college and got a degree in Education. He ended up being a Teacher, then a Principal and finally the Assistant Superintendent of the White Pine County School District.      Continue reading “Thanks To My Father For Supporting My Musical Journey”

The Good Singers Vs. Bad Singers Debate

Trying to label something as unique as the human voice as either “Bad” or “Good” is a very difficult thing to do.

Bob Dylan - Good Singer or Bad Singer?
Bob Dylan - Good Singer or Bad Singer?

   Today I’m going to address a topic that is a personal pet peeve of mine. I personally don’t like labeling artists as either “Good” or “Bad”. That goes for anybody that creates a work of art including painters, writers, musicians or any other person that creates something from nothing. Art is subjective and what’s beautiful to one person, may seem ugly to another. But, my real pet peeve is the labeling of something as unique as an individual human voice as either “Good” or “Bad”. The sad thing is that I hear comments from the crowd about good vs. bad singing every time I watch a live band play.    Continue reading “The Good Singers Vs. Bad Singers Debate”

About The Product Links From Amazon, eBay and Musician’s Friend

You want to be safe and get great deals when buying music equipment online. That’s why Live Musician Central links to Musician’s Friend, Amazon.com and eBay.

  
   Hi everybody, I’ve had a few people ask me if Live Musician Central is all about selling products. The answer is no, Live Musician Central is all about playing in a live band. That’s why I link the words Live Band to the homepage of Live Musician Central. So why do I have so many links to products on Live Musician Central?    Continue reading “About The Product Links From Amazon, eBay and Musician’s Friend”

Live Musician Central One Year Anniversary Of Everyday Blogging

Live Musician Central author, Matt Rushton, reflects on the one year anniversary of this Blog.

Live Musician Central Author - Matt Rushton At The "Imagine" Mosaic, Central Park, New York City
Live Musician Central Author - Matt Rushton At The "Imagine" Mosaic, Central Park, New York City

   This week marks the one year anniversary of Live Musician Central going live online. It’s been a really fun year writing and producing Live Musician Central and I’ve learned more about Blogging and web development than ever imagined that I would. I’m giving myself a pat on the back here because the only outside help I’ve had is from friends and family who have done some graphics work for me. It’s been very challenging at times trying to get things to work the way I want them to on the site and I think Live Musician Central is improving all the time.    Continue reading “Live Musician Central One Year Anniversary Of Everyday Blogging”