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Pay to Play Music is Going Away in Canada…

Back in July of 2013 this blog mentioned the story regarding the requirements of issuing permits without which restaurant owners are barred from playing live music. Well, recently (as of this blog post) Canada has reversed similar laws directed at smaller venues and bar/pub owners. Now smaller acts have something to celebrate regarding silly regulations that have no reason to exist in our music world… rejoice!
Jam On!
-Ron

… Update on Regulations regarding Payment to Play Live Music.

(via: by Lee-Anne Goodman The Canadian Press/GlobalNews.ca)
Ottawa has effectively eliminated a fee charged to international musicians that critics complained was deterring acts from abroad from playing in Canadian bars, pubs and restaurants. The removal of a work permit requirement for foreign musical acts, part of the government’s overhaul of the controversial temporary foreign worker program…

… read rest of article here:
https://globalnews.ca/news/1416999/canada-has-done-away-with-international-musician-fee/

432 hz tuning vs standard 440 ‘A’…

This might be considered controversial however, it is definitely interesting to note that 440 hertz ‘A’ tuning only found its way to modern music within the last century. Jamming in the 432 hz tuning can be not only different and soothing, it’s fun to note the response of your audience compared to standard tuning… Give it a go and see what you feel.
Jam On!
-Ron

(Credit given to Jamie Buturff)

Music celebrities creating silly waves…

The events of popular musicians making outrageous publicity due to their ridiculous adventures, eg., Justin Beiber finding himself in more-than-once trouble… one has to wonder if these shenanigans are nothing more than a way to draw attention, albeit negative, to their cause of creating silly waves of publicity to sell more stuff… Is it really worth it?
This recent article from Chicago Tribune sums it up…
Jam On!
-Ron

(via: Chicago Sun Times – by: Mikael Wood)

“Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” Elton John once sang, but for celebrities that no longer appears to be the case.

Apologies from high-profile musicians and actors have been piling up recently, reflecting regret (or at least its image) for a wide variety of perceived offenses, from the seriously damaging to the laughably slight.

There was Justin Bieber seeking atonement after videos surfaced…
-> read the complete article here… <-

Led Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love”… remix

As of this post Jimmy Page is just a tad over 70 years young and a master at ‘Re-Mastering’! Jimmy is doing (and had done) a marvelous job of taking their past sounds and re-packaging them into extreme dynamics… Be sure to dawn your headphones for this adventure!
Jam On!
-Ron

(credit given to Led Zeppelin YouTube Channel)

From Led Zeppelin II (Deluxe Edition) – Led Zeppelin’s remastered second album will include additional companion audio with unreleased studio outtakes.

Listening to Vinyl Records/Albums…

Here’s a curious follow-up to the original vinyl age of dics. Vitaphone offered something stranger than time travel… They pulled back the screen from another dimension.
In this video (and further reference hereof) you’ll discover some very interesting facts about getting the best sound out of your Vinyl listening pleasure.
Jam On!
-Ron

(credit to: Seth Winner, via: Bob Kosovsky)

Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one which was widely used and commercially successful.

The name “Vitaphone” derived from the Latin and Greek words, respectively, for “living” and “sound”.
via Widipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaphone

Former Rolling Stones manager nixes Rock Hall of Fame…

You might find this story of interest as it relates to our music industry and as a musician… Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ early manager has essentially told the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to go take a hike. The article provides some pretty cool insights as to why Andrew finds the commercialism of their event not living-up to the original intention of Rock’n Roll. I personally have to give him credit for holding-down the rock scene as it was in the 60s!
Jam On!
-Ron

(by Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times – via:arcamax.com)
Rolling Stones former manager protests Rock Hall of Fame, skips own induction… Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ early manager, producer and publicist who is being inducted this year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has announced that he will skip the ceremony…
Read more at https://www.arcamax.com/entertainment/entertainmenttoday/s-1502699#9ttVOHj5Jbcksjbd.99

Forming Your Band…

So, I found this thread (below) that has a wonderful discussion… ‘How long does it take to form a band?’ What I enjoyed about it was the fact that some of the essential elements of forming a band are detailed. eg., the biggest factor is if the forming band-member has a gig or more in the bag… as this does indeed contribute to experienced players paying attention to answering ads and to practice time…
Jam On!
-Ron

(via:TalkBass.com/forum)

I am currently in the process of recruiting 6 musicians for a new funk cover band. In two weeks, I have filled 2 of the 6 positions using my current contacts. Not a bad start, I suppose…
… read more here:
https://www.talkbass.com/forum/f67/how-long-does-take-form-band-1067847/

Pi and memorizing the music scale…

the Music Scale (using Pi)

Wow, this enhanced my ability to recognize the power of math and the musical scale. Incredible to learn that thirty-nine decimal places of Pi are enough to compute the circumference of a circle the size of the known universe with an error no greater that the radius of an hydrogen atom… Now, that gives one another way to ponder the depth of music!

Jam On!
Ron

(by JUR re: Sciencedump.com)
This guy wrote a song to help him memorize Pi, since he can memorize music easier than strings of numbers. In his mind, he can hear the melody, and figure out the numbers…
See this insightful video here:
https://www.sciencedump.com/content/guy-creates-song-using-numbers-pi

The launch of SXSW and it’s flashback years…

SXSW

South by South West moves forward this year beginning this week. Lots of fanfare and lots of music and music related elements for sure. I found a great way to keep-up with all the doings @ SXSW this year, without dealing with travel, accommodations and the crowds… aka, Surviving SXSW

Jam On!
-Ron

(by: entrepreneur.com)
Entrepreneur is on the ground in Austin for SXSW 2014. Feel as if you’re there with us as we share the latest innovations and give you a sneak peek at the launches and ideas that will change how you connect to your world…

Keep up with all the doings @ SXSW here:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/sxsw

YouTube, the good and the bad for musicians…

YouTube has provided (and continues to do so) a great platform for listing views for your musical works, eg., bands, solos, (live and video mixes) et. al. However, hence its inception YT has lost some revenue generating power. Using Utube to display your works is still a powerful platform indeed, yet as a revenue producer… well, Jack Conte of the Pomplamoose YouTube fame has some great updates and tips to expand your musical income considerations…
Jam On!
– Ron

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and filmmaker Jack Conte may be best known as one-half of Pomplamoose, the indie-pop duo that racked up over 80 million views for their “VideoSongs” on YouTube

Recorded in September 2013 at XOXO, an arts and technology festival in Portland, Oregon celebrating independent artists using the Internet to make a living doing what they love. For more, visit https://xoxofest.com.