Grumpy Old Musician

Create And Succeed In Your Own Music Niche

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 03:07:00 +0000

You want to stand out. Be the hottest independent band or artist on the music industry’s lips. You have a vision for success but don’t quite know how to go about this. You need to find your ground and start from the bottom up. So the first question you need to ask yourself is: how do I find my niche?

There are two options…

Create your own niche market.

See what doesn’t exist and become it (provided it makes sense, of course). Music fans love something new and unexpected. It creates excitement! Be that new sound or start that new movement. One piece of advice I would give however is to not be TOO different. Music fans do like some degree of familiarity. So while it’s great to be strange and edgy, you don’t want to stray too far from the norm — as it is more likely to put music fans off. Be clever about it.

Put your own spin on an emerging niche market

You may not have your own niche market to create — so the next best thing is to follow the music you like and what happens to be popular at the time. But remember, your own unique contribution to this niche is crucial. Please don’t try to emulate an existing band too closely. My advice is to see what the trend is; take elements from it and let it influence you; but come up with something new and edgier to set you apart from the herd.

Once you have found your market you have to work on the following things:

Your Sound – It is crucial that you stand out in your niche. You must have your own special take on things.

Your Image – Look the part. If there is a certain fashion trend in that niche — you probably need to get on it. However, just as you don’t want to sound like every other band out there, you don’t want to look like every other band/artist in that market either.

Take elements of the trend and mix it with something new so to your potential fans you look like the kind of band they idealise and want to dress like but you offer them something a little new to feast their eyes on. Do you want to be like the all the other plain hot dogs in the factory or do you want to add some mustard? Bad example, but you get the point.

Your Attitude – Excite your audience. Don’t play it safe; make an impact. Make your live shows amazing. Do something visually memorable. It’s not usually the music that fans talk about after the gig but more when the bassist does a flip over the guitarist. Now I’m guessing not all of you are gymnast,s but it’s the kind of unexpected thing that people remember — so think of what you can do in your live shows or anywhere else for that matter to stand out and be remembered; positively I might add.

Broadening beyond your niche

So you’re making yourself known in your niche market. You’re gaining fans, touring around your home country and making a name for yourselves. Great! But maybe now you want to aim a little bigger. Sometimes a niche market can only take you so far. Depending on the kind of success you’re aiming at in your career, you may need to appeal to other niche markets too.

Now this must be approached in a clever way that isn’t going to alienate your existing fan base. You don’t want to be labelled as ‘sell outs’. You need to remain ‘cool’ essentially. Now I’m not suggesting that you change your style at all. Many bands try to become something they’re not just to appeal more to the mainstream — and few succeed. The option I present to you lets you keep your credibility and not scare off your fans.

Business Marketing Power With Email Marketing For Fans And Bands

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 10:52:00 +0000

Music marketing with email marketing? What would it mean to the bottom line of your music business if you could increase your sales by up to 50%? Would that entice you to consider email marketing? My imagination tells me that you're screaming a resounding YES to yourself at this point.

Email marketing is a relatively new and very lucrative method of marketing your music, and is definitely something that you should be looking into if you're not already taking advantage of this profitable marketing medium.

Email Marketing Done Properly Is Not Spam

Over the years, many internet users have been consistently blasted with what has now become known internationally as spam. However spam is not what we'll be discussing today. In fact, spam is a practice that as a musician you're going to want to keep yourself as far away from as possible. There is a very thin line between what we know as spam and a music business email, such as the professional(and free) option offered by ReverbNation. You're not only going to want to make certain that your emails don't look like spam, but you'll also want to be certain that your emails are providing enough punch so your readers will really take notice of the great information you send them.

To start, your music business website should be designed to capture potential fan and customer email addresses the moment they've arrived at your website. This is a great way to start a non-threatening relationship that - if approached properly - can lead to merch sales later on in your email marketing efforts.

Studies have shown that the best way to entice your visitors to either buy your merchandise, or join your email list is by offering them something of value related to your band - at no cost. Think coupon and you'll understand why this works so well. Your fans have already shown an interest in what you have to offer by visiting your band website, so by offering them something free (like a song, or free entry to one of your shows) without a sales pitch will begin to develop the trust that is absolutely necessary to making the future sale.

Below I've detailed 7 very effective ways in which you can achieve the same results that many successful musicians are already putting to good use;

1 - Add a Form For Your Band's Email List to Your Band Website

You can set up an auto-responder to automate your communication with new subscribers. With a set it and forget it system, your email marketing campaign can work at marketing your music for you 24 hours a day and 365 days a year... all while you attend to important daily music business affairs, and while you sleep peacefully at night.

2 - Provide Great Content In Your First Email and Continue to Build Trust

Be diligent and creative in what you provide your readers in their first email. This is a make or break email in terms of creating a long term relationship with your potential customers. The first email you send will almost always be opened and read and it's at this point that you really need to wow them with the quality of your content. Impress them at this stage and you can raise your chances considerably of having them open your future emails.

3 - Provide Free & Valuable Information To Entice Continued Interest

Remember that you're not always "on" when it comes to selling. No one wants to be sold to all of the time, and nowhere is this more true than in your fans in-box. Providing quality content and information related to your music is most useful to your visitors. It's best if your first two to three emails are nothing but quality information that's absolutely free.

4 -

Your Fans Expect To Be Sold... Eventually. Provide Solid Offers And Free Content - Keep Them Happy

Once you've gained your readers trust they are most certainly ready to hear from you regarding what you have to offer in terms of the sales of your music and merchandise. Heck, they are fans right? And they signed on to your email list knowing that you'd be selling them something at some point in time, so by the third email they should be ready to receive some type of sales offer. To maintain a good relationship, continue offering free quality content in every email you send. This will continue to raise their trust levels with your band and your music business and as a result, you'll elevate their reciprocity (give and take) patterns with your products.

5 - Don't Give Away The Farm In Your Music Business Email Marketing Campaigns

Remember not to raise their expectations too high. Offering ONE free bit of music news, a helpful resource link, a free downloadable video, a secret advanced listening opportunity, or a trial to your band membership club per email is more than enough to demonstrate your willingness to share valuable information with them.

6 - Encourage Interactivity - Keep Your Fans Involved

Always try to make your emails as interactive as possible. Whenever possible, include an excerpt to a post on your music business website to direct them back to your own band website. (You DO have your own band website... right?) Ask them to comment and join in the community conversations. Provide them with opportunities to enter contests on your website or to respond to surveys - again - all hosted on your website. A great website that is loved by the search engines, ensures repeat visits, bookmarks and the nirvana of all music business email marketers and indie bands, blog subscribers. Concentrate your efforts on generating traffic to your band website as much as you do on the quality of the emails that you send.

7 - A Great Subject Line Can Raise Your Email Marketing Open Rates Exponentially

I simply can't stress enough, the importance of your subject line. This is the one area that studies have shown is key to whether your email is opened or not. You'll need to rivet their attention with an enticing subject line if you're going to succeed with your band's email marketing campaigns. The subject line is what they see before anything else, so spell out the details of your message clearly and give them just enough information to make it compelling enough to open your message and read the contents. Of course once you've proven that you provide quality content regularly, your fans will come to know that opening your emails will be well worth their time and they'll open them without even thinking at some point.

These are just some of the basics of managing a successful band email marketing system and is by no means a complete list of what you'll need to succeed in your email campaigns.

Use these tips as a starting point and you could very well have your own successful band email marketing campaign up and running in no time. Just remember to always treat your fans with respect and integrity when sending anything to their in-box. No one likes spam.

Networking And The Music Business

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:51:00 +0000

You have set up your music business and now you want to get your clients? You do not know where to start? Well there is no other tool better than networking to help you succeed in this business. Below are some tips that you can use to sharpen your networking skills which can help you grow your business leaps and bounds.

Freshen up old relationships. Reach out to old friends. It could be a small telephone call or an email or most innocent of all invite friends through social networking sites like Facebook. The key here is to just start keeping in touch and not start selling your business from day one. Try and find out more about them, their professions, their hobbies etc. Meet them up over a drink if they are in the same town. Revisit old times but do not speak much about your business. Keep in regular touch with friends who seem to have some form of interest in music. Once you have had enough communication with them and both of you feel comfortable with each other, at that time introduce your business. Remember it should never sound like you have got in touch with them just because of your business else you will lose your friends.

Next reach out to local businesses. Offer your services to them for free or nominal fee. Take part in online competitions and community events. Meet up prospective clients in these events. In fact playing in local competitions is one of the most time tested ways of getting clients. If you play well you will start developing a fan base and you can then reach out to them to give you business.

Networking with relatives is another area where you can use your networking skills. In most cases you might be aware which of your relatives are interested in music. You can keep in touch with them and speak to them about your progress and latest developments in the world of music. Once they know that you are genuine and not keeping in touch with them for getting business they will be more than happy to recommend you.

There are some golden principles of networking that you should remember:
- Keep in touch with your network. Start a newsletter. It is my favourite and most effective tool here. It takes time but a solid mailing list will be your biggest asset. Take the effort to know them - their likes and dislikes and have common topics of discussion when you meet them.
- Do not always talk about your business. Business will come your way if you genuinely keep in touch with them. Even if you have to talk business, let that be the last point of discussion.
- Be courteous. Do not keep on bragging about yourself and how well you play. If you are good they will notice and it is always better to get praise from your customers.
- Finally take time out for your network and do things for them even if it is not part of your business. When they see that you care about them, they will make sure that they will send business your way.

How To Support Independent Musicians

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 09:21:00 +0000

Are independent musicians destined to go the way of Big Band music - a quaint but dated genre appreciated only by a certain generation? Fans of independent rock musicians answer that question with an emphatic "No way!" and are determined to promote and encourage both famous rock bands as well as unsigned independent musicians.

Whether they're into punk music, grunge bands, vintage music, or hard rock and roll music, fans want more from their favorites and want to hear the voices of new, unsigned bands. They show their appreciation by wearing rock and roll T-shirts or their favorite band T-shirts, and by displaying rock music posters, rock concert posters and other band posters on their walls.

Fans of independent musicians are even using social networking websites to discover and discuss the new talent that's emerging from unsigned bands. Web portals are springing up that direct fans to unsigned bands' websites and that promote unsigned rock bands' CDs and merchandise.

If you're a member of an unsigned band, there are a number of ways you can get noticed and create buzz - which could lead to a lucrative recording contract. The first thing you need to do is create a CD that contains at least three original songs. The songs should accurately reflect your band's style and voice. That means booking some studio time, but it's well worth it to have your music heard by hundreds of thousands of potential fans.

Next, write up a biography of your band. Make the text enticing, and talk about your music, your musical influences, and each of your band members. Your biography doesn't have to be long, but it does have to grab the reader's attention.

After that, it's time for a good band photo. If you don' t have the money to hire a professional photographer, find a good amateur with a digital camera. If a studio shot is out of the question, consider an outdoors shot in a venue that reflects your band's musical style. Use your imagination and try out different poses, different clothes, and different backgrounds. With a digital camera, you can literally take hundreds of photos, which will ultimately give you a greater choice.

Once you have your band biography, your CD, and your band photo, seek out a Web portal that specifically promotes unsigned rock and roll bands. You can use their web site to promote your own web site, your CD, and any band merchandise you might have.

App Technology For Musicians

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:44:00 +0000

Okay, so it's 2013 and I have only recently dived head-first into the world of mobile apps. I did so for the same reason that I enlist myself on certain music sites.....a combination of fan reach and moving along with the times.

If, like myself, you are a musician or a recording artist or entertainer who has your own music or recordings in the apple iTunes store or available on-line then you should be thinking about having your own app or "application" as a useful tool to help promote your music. So what is an app you ask? It is simply a software programme that is designed to specifically operate on a particular device (e.g. smartphone, iPhone, template computer, iPod, iPad, etc). Each app is usually represented by an icon on the devices menu screen.

So how can an app help you find potential customers? Well currently there are 5.3 billion mobile subscribers in the world, in 2009 half a billion mobile subscribers accessed the internet worldwide. Android is expected to become the top operating system for new smartphones in 2011 and top the Apple iPhone. These stats can be seen at the "mobiThinking" website.

In February 2010 the 10 billionth song was downloaded from the iTunes store. So there is plenty of demand for those artists that make it into the iTunes store. An app can provide a vehicle to assist a musician gain exposure. While I am relatively new to the app building industry I can identify the big advantages for the musician in having their own app and the shortage of affordable app producers that can meet the rapidly expanding demand for good, basic affordable apps.

Advantages for a musician in having their own app: -

1. Presence in the market place where your customers go to find music, yet not many musicians so far have an app, (there are reports of 306K iPhone apps and between 150 - 250,000 Android apps),

2. Add credibility to your existing PR portfolio (blog, fan page, social network pages) as your fans want to be able to access your music, videos, etc, anywhere on their mobile phone that goes everywhere with them,

3. Increase sales of your music, promo products, etc, once you connect with more potential fans,

4. Build your fan base, have old fans reconnect with you as well as have new fans find you.

5. Update your fans of your new releases, new products, albums, singles, etc,

6. Have a free app so anyone can afford to have it to use and it can potentially have a viral spread amongst the music community.

7. Be one of the first musicians to have an app in the app market and take advantage of the leverage it can give you.

So as you can see from the above list of advantages there are some valid reasons why musicians and recording artists should have their own app promoting their music. After much research, I recommend utilising 'Apps To Order.' The cost of having an app is no longer an issue. Irrespective of the time taken or complexity of your desired app, the cost varies from $20.00 up to $60.00. Time is no issue. Getting your app exactly as you want it is the number 1 objective. They are well worth giving a look-in. I have heard nothing but compliments to 'Apps On Order' and to me for suggesting them.

Be A Creative Musician

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:07:00 +0000

So you want to be a recording artist? Are you going to sing or just make the score for your music masterpiece? Are you any good? How can you know until you try? There are a lot of factors to consider when becoming a music artist or in getting started in your endeavors to create the music that you want everyone to love understand and of course play. It is so much easier now to produce your own music, whether it is the full compilation or just the musical score. Technology is advancing in ever increasing speed and while you thought you might one day want to try you may be surprised now at how easy it will be for you to do just that. You can get started the easy way from home and then as your career takes off you can move into the professional recording studios.

You could always try out for shows like the American Idol style of shows that are now on offer in almost every country of the world, even though they change the name of the show itself. However, perhaps you want to have a stab at it at home first just to make sure you don't sound terrible.

There are a wide variety of software options for creating music and you can start out with some very basic free options or you can turn to some more advanced packages it of course just depends on how committed you are to this music thing or whether you are just doing this for the fun of it. Either way check out the options you can find on the internet and perhaps find a blog or forum where other novice musicians are creating their music and get ideas from them about what might be the best software for you.

Make sure that you have written notes about the music as you can so that you can create your master piece over a period of time and remember where you were at when you started. Not everyone can create music in one day or one afternoon so you will generally need to come back to your music at different periods and if you keep good notes you will easily be able to pick up from where you left off.

When you are using home systems make sure that you have some set up on the software or program that you are automatically constantly saving your work because the last thing you want is that you forget to save something and the power goes out or your cat jumps on the keyboard while you are in the middle of getting the notes down just how you want them. In fact lock the cat out because you don't want a meow in the middle of your tracks either....unless you're a weirdo(!).

On that note make sure that you set up the area where you are going to do your work to be as comfortable and suitable for the type of recording you are going to be doing. You don't want to be recording in a room that is facing the street and mixing engine noise in with your music, unless of course that was your intention from the start?

Now there are a lot of steps to actually getting to your final product so make sure you take your time and get the desired results from your music. When you are finished make sure you give your music to others to listen too before you go sending out your tracks torecording studios. While you may think your music is fantastic and your mother or your wife or husband say it is just wonderful, it may be possible that they are just not willing to hurt your feelings.

Find a good friend who you know will be honest with you and have them listen to it. Or find a complete stranger who couldn't care less whether they hurt your feelings and get their response. You don't want to be in the position that you are actually perhaps not very good at this. If that does happen then you can tell all that it was about your music software and that you will give it another shot when you find a better program. But hey that maybe just me because I know I couldn't do it. Either way, why not just give it a go if it has been a dream then you should give yourself the chance to turn it into a reality.

Old Musician. New Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:23:00 +0000

If you are unfamiliar with my music, music promotion and blogging then prepare yourself for observations made and tried by someone who has limited computer skills. My techno-buffoonery is hilarious. Having said this, since early December 2012, I am very pleased to share with you the results of painstakingly accrued information relating to mobile on Android.

Being 'almost' a techno-luddite, I accidentally encountered a site that allowed me to create a free and polished mobile app on Android. This first effort has remained my favourite....and it's free for my followers. Feeling rather pleased with this initial effort, I showed my two children who were very ho-hum' about it. After watching them flicking this and swiping that and then asking me to try out my app on Android. I had no idea....and still don't. I don't need to know anything outside of testing the functionality on my laptop.

The age of the Android phone is well and truly upon us. Android phones have feature-rich applications that are not included in other mobile phones, and are ready to take on the market. The best part of Android is that you have a number of options with you, and not only some of them. An interesting feature of the Android phones that offer multiple levels of volume for the various functions of the phone.

The system, developed by Google Android, is a manufacturer of mobile phones to help compete with Apple's iPhone. The Android is now seen as increasingly strong competition from Apple and so many cell phone companies are able to offer smart phones like the people in the market to your current phone.

I tried to put me in the shoes of my supporters. What do you need from your phone? It's a good question to consider when it comes to mobile phone users is for an update. Originally, the sole purpose of owning a mobile phone was to make calls andd make and receive messages. Since the mobile phone tour, people began to want to take Photos, text messages, listen to music and Internet access. You can do all this and much more if you choose a smartphone. Now you can play Games on their mobile phone, weather and a series of activities, and make calls. Before selecting one of the Android phones it should be considered what basically you are looking for in a phone.

If you are considering buying a new phone, here are some of the best options to Android phones. Best Android phones are as good as the other Smartphones on the market. The reason is that several mobile phone manufacturers have adopted the Android operating system on their phones. It is possible not noticed, but the fact is that Google's Android phones are all over the mobile phone market. As one of the best phones available on Android, the HTC Hero has made a lot of hype. This entry is made for the price conscious buyer who wants all mobile perks an Android phone and not to pay outrageous dollars for more comprehensive and 'official' apps. more. From in-depth research on my part another option for mobile phones running the Android software is BETouch Acer E400. The company Acer install its own user interface connected to the system and also installed GPS Android, 600 MHz processor and Wi-Fi. A Android phones on the market first is the LG MaxGW620 InTouch. This phone is powered from Android 2.

It is a business, while Android kicks WIN mobile in the teeth, &, a division of the open mobile advertising if a viable business because it can not expect Google stores Getting in a search application in all places and from any phone. One of them is the Google marketplace where thousands of applications for mobile running the operating system Android than T-Mobile G1 and the myTouch T-Mobile with Google. Android users are waiting months after the first announcement to receive Pandora Mobile App for Android. In fact, many people complain that there is absolutely no competition for Android phones in the mobile Market. An important aspect of owning a specifically themed mobile phone app is Android Marketplace mobile applications, with thousands of requests to choose. If you are a parent, and are concerned and monitor the activities of your children, to protect cell phones and other sexting Mobi dangers stealth, then parental control software is for you. The launch of Android, the Google mobile operating system in virtually all areas of the market as "beginner is published up to and including the super-power Smartphones.

Since Android has progressed well, the Google mobile operating system used in virtually all market segments appear, including high beginners and the end Phones. Look at it, the Android phones can now be purchased almost everywhere. As Android, the mobile operating system designed by Google appeared in almost every conceivable niche, from "Rookie" to and including the super-smart phones. The Rough Guide Slick bag Phone reveals the secrets of this operating system back and forth, including models from Motorola, HTC, Samsung and many others. It is only by tradition, Android phone makes Skype instant messaging, voice and video calls worldwide via Skype. I love all the functions of Android, but UMA only tops, especially when I get home, I get off the frequency with which T-Mobile does not penetrate the walls of the building may have.

In addition to technical issues, Google has many areas that prior to any serious threat to address, as a substitute for a weight providing music Android/iTunes smartphone battle. However, since the reach of Google Android as a free open-source operating system that reduces the value of acquisitions Palm Goal. Having 'tried' an Android phone, and I have heard bad things about it, like Google uses the data for advertising, but I think it's a step towards a universal platform for open-source smartphone. The idea that Google will experience the same phenomenon in the store request U.S. dollars ridiculous. The iPhone uses a lot of Google applications and search in Google there is no difference in their pursuit of your surfing habits.

Apple, however, is basically skimming the high-margin customers with valuable, Blackberry is still very popular in the society (and blackberry sell more servers, the real interest) and Android, will take over the rest of the smartphone market at $49 (for the app, not the user) - remember that Google gets nothing for all sold Android and Apple earns $200 - $300 for each iPhone sold without iTunes... that's the difference.

Online Cash Advances

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:15:00 +0000

Cash advance loans for people with bad credit

Unexpected bills can happen to even the most dedicated and hard working people. Have you ever run out of money before you wrote all the checks that were due for the month? Of course, we all have at one time or another. In most cases we are able to slip by and continue to live paycheck to paycheck until the unthinkable happens and we are faced with a sudden unexpected financial crisis. Before you find yourself in this sort of predicament, you should take it upon yourself to learn more about payday cash advance loans and what they can do to help get you through a rough money crunch.

What is an Online Cash Advance Loan?

An online cash advance loan is quite simply a small loan, typically between $100 and $500 that is given to you by a third party company. The loaning company uses your current wage earnings and checking account as evidence that you will be able to repay the loan in a timely manner. Most online cash advance companies will require recent check stubs, which prove that you earn a minimum amount each month; this amount varies from company to company. They will also need to see evidence that your checking account has been open and in good standing, which means they'd like to see that you have no returned checks for at least a month to a maximum of about three months. There are also companies in the marketplace today that offer a no fax option to their clients, making the entire process of applying for a loan even easier for you. An online cash advance can often be the quickest route to getting the cash you need for an emergency and get yourself out of a potentially bad financial situation.

What do I need in order to be approved for an online cash advance loan?

While the eligibility requirements vary somewhat from company to company, the most common requirements are:

You must be at least eighteen years old to apply for a payday loan
You should be earning at least $1,000 a month at your current job
You must have been at your current job for at least three months
You should have been living at your current residence for at least three months
You must have an active checking account that that has been open and active for at least three months, with no returned or "bounced" checks on the account.

If you meet these minimum requirements then you will be eligible for a cash advance loan through most companies.

Getting a cash advance loan despite bad credit

People with less than perfect credit would be naturally hesitant to apply for a cash advance or payday loan, but really, there's no need to be. The majority of cash advance loan companies provide their service without running a credit check. What most of them do in order to do a cursory check is to communicate with other payday lenders to make sure that you haven't defaulted or fallen behind on a cash advance loan with someone else. Some of them may also use a check verification service to ensure that your check writing history doesn't show any returned or bounced checks.

In most cases, you can have your loan advance in less than 24 hours and the money won't be due for repayment for about two weeks on average. The exact amount of money you can borrow and the fees associated with these loans are company specific and the only way to determine these details is by checking with each payday lender to find out their terms and stipulations. When you are talking to a potential cash advance company, be sure to ask in advance about all the possible fees and penalties. It is equally important to find out about the possibility for extending the loan beyond the original term should you be unable to repay the loan as quickly as you had anticipated.

If you are careful and you read the fine print and think you can repay your cash advance loan in the time allowed, there is no reason why bad credit should stand in the way of you getting the cash you need with a cash advance loan. Just don't agree to anything until you understand how it can affect you in the future. If you have any questions whatsoever, do not hesitate to ask them before you sign on the dotted line. The choice to take or not take a payday cash advance loan is yours and yours alone. Don't be pressured into making a financial decision that is not the best choice for you. Always trust your instincts and go with your gut feeling.

Technology And Intuition

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Technology has moved us into a whole new world. We can know and do things that we never dreamed possible in the past. It also demands that we evolve with it. Major discoveries often make our current abilities obsolete and so it is with the world of technology. A developed intuition enables us to sift through this unprecedented amount of information and make choices to create the lives we want.

Once we discovered how to make matches, the skill to start fires by rubbing sticks together was no longer needed. After the invention of hand-held calculators, it was no longer necessary to memorize our multiplication tables. With the advent of the Internet we can access libraries of information without even leaving our homes.

Things are moving faster and faster, and we are required to make immediate decisions on more and more issues. There is less and less time for analysis. In this new world, how do we make informed decisions? What new abilities do we need to develop?

Life gets harder and harder every day for the ordinary person. This causes stress, and the stress continues to mount. The nervous system becomes overwhelmed. Affecting our perception, causing us to make mistakes. Mistakes bring more stress, and our life moves into a downward cycle. If we are doctors, nurses, pharmacists or pilots, our mistakes can cost lives. For most of us, our mistakes are less critical, but they still affect the quality of our lives.

What can be done about it? When we choose a lifestyle that focuses our attention on releasing the stress that builds up in the nervous system on a daily basis, the system becomes stronger. This strong nervous system provides clarity in perception, which helps us to achieve our goals. Achieving our goals makes us even stronger, and we begin to create an upwards spiral in our ability to create better lives for ourselves.

A developed intuition is crucial in order to function in a high-tech world. We can now get more information in a split second that we can ever use. It is more important than ever to be able to determine the value of the information we receive, and know if that information will be helpful to us. The intellect alone is not very effective in this high tech world. However, we can choose to develop our intuitive abilities, which allows us to make immediate decisions that are always in our best interest. Intuitively we can know. The intellect can only think or use reason and logic, which is much too slow for the new world where we find ourselves.

What is important? Recently I read an article about several people who were now billionaires many times over. They were young and had made an enormous amount of money as a result of technology.

However, the article said they were all severely depressed and could find no meaning to life. If you could be granted one request for your life, what would you ask for? Most of us would probably ask for happiness. When it comes down to it, the pursuit of happiness is one of the strongest drives we have as human beings. Have we been looking in the wrong direction for our happiness?

The technology we now enjoy is a major evolutionary step for us as a society. Technology seems to exist outside ourselves. It represents an outwards direction- pointing to a world beyond ourselves, a place where we seem to focus most of our attention. We have gained outer success, but what about what is more important within us.

Technology and everything in the outer world is only a means for us to use in our growth. It is the inner development that makes life really worthwhile. The self-actualized person functions well in the outer world because he knows both the inner and the outer worlds. Understanding how they relate to each other, he recognizes what is important. He has conquered fear, which allows him to feel peaceful, whole and complete regardless of what appears to be happening in the outer world. He knows that either world can be changed from within himself.

The soft stuff- high touch- is actually where the power lies. We usually think of high touch as our relationship to other people- the ones that help us to keep from getting lost among all of the machines and mechanical routines in our lives. High touch most importantly refers to our relationship with ourselves.

We have the power we need right within ourselves to create our lives to be just the way we want them to be. What kind of life will you create? It is all a matter of choice. By developing your intuition you will be able to just know, which is increasingly valuable in this age of information overload.

Modern Warfare 3. I'm Hooked.

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 12:46:00 +0000

After listening to my son playing talking about a computer game called "Modern Warfare 3" I eventually weakened and had a try at it a few weeks back. I was expecting blood and guts and so forth but the actual violence which is implied in the title account for about 10% of "Modern Warfare 3." The remaining 90% is strategy....very complex strategy where a razor sharp memory is required. This is where I fell down.

Having said this, I was immediately captivated with the amazing story lines, far superior 'in game graphics', and extremely addicting game play. What I found after a short time of playing is that (obviously) there is an enormous difference in story mode versus online game-play. Anyone, dedicated enough, can master story mode, no matter what level the difficulty has been set on. The reason being, story mode bots are predictable. Humans on the other hand are not. You will never know for sure what the enemy player will do. Although, there are several tactics that can be used but none of them is perfect. They all have holes, there will always be someone who is better than you or knows your tactics. In my opinion, the game designers are trying to keep it that way by bettering their new "perks" system, which gives the gamer countless strategic and weapons assembly possibilities. That way a smaller percentage of players have the same style or set up and by extent, make the enemy that much more unpredictable.

Certain strategies have their pros but usually they have more cons. I am not claiming to be any expert, but through years of observation I believe I have some idea of what I'm talking about. Want to know My personal strategy? Well I don't have a permanent strategy. They never seem to work for very long. Unless you get into a good groove which is almost always short lived. I usually just go with whatever strategy will work at the time and I never use the same one twice. Sometimes slowly sneaking around the outskirts of the map with your scope up and ready will rack up a decent amount of points, if you are lucky. Or on smaller maps running around with a full or semi auto shot gun with perks such as "Extreme Conditioning," "Steady aim," or "Sleight Of Hand." Using this particular method unfortunately leaves you begging to be titled things such as "Striker Whore" "Buck shot punk" or any other heavily thought of name that our young minds can produce in an angry fit of rage.

Personally I use this on smaller maps when I know it will work for the most part, but as I said before it doesn't always work. By far, the single most frowned upon method known to ANY first person shooter game is, you guessed it, "Camping." Which consists of well, basically grabbing an overly powered weapon, find a heavily trafficked hallway or corner, pitch a tent (figuratively) and start killing all those unfortunate enough to unexpectedly run into you. Now almost anyone knows this method takes absolutely no skill, no strategy, and furthermore a person with no brain, to master. It ultimately takes the fun out of the game completely, and you will soon get an earful from anyone who has it out for "Campers."

Well you're probably thinking, "Just use flash bangs and grenades." The fact of the matter is, your team members (sadly) aren't as smart as you are half the time and will keep falling for it over and over again thinking "Okay I'll get him this time" but they never do, causing your team to lose. That is why it basically boils down to, unless you are in a team with friends, loan wolfing is the only remotely effective strategy. Teammates you don't know will often times have horrible communication skills, or never communicate at all. They like to stand in doorways getting you killed because you have nowhere to run to, they stand in front of you while you are scoping the map out, and cause a lot of attention to you when you are trying to sneak in on a "Camper" for a kill. I know it probably sounds rude, but honestly my advice is to steer clear of your teammates unless you know them well enough.

Don't run anywhere without checking your corners first, never just run into a room, always keep your scope up down hallways or around corners eliminating the need to draw up before the other person does. When in doubt, throw a grenade into a room you aren't entirely sure is occupied or not and if you get a hit marker they are now weakened so, toss a flash bang and head in. People who run around everywhere with "Extreme Conditioning" are always easy targets, it takes longer to get their scope up and aim or even fire from the hip accurately. Last but not least people on higher ground ALWAYS have the upper hand so find another way to get that "Camper" hiding in the window, get up to his level and take him out. Thank you, happy hunting, and "Rage Quitting" is as healthy for the heart as laughing.

If you're looking for a complete Modern Warfare 3 Strategy Guide then look no further. This MW3 Strategy Guide will give you everything you need to dominate this Call Of Duty Game.

Spy Gadgets Dilemmas. An Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 12:05:00 +0000

A Wi-Fi detector (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every now and again I'll go off on a tangent with regards to researching or purely for my own entertainment. Earlier today I stumbled across a few sites and blogs dedicated to spy jammers. "Brilliant!" I yelled to myself. My minds eye had me as the new James Bond until reality kicked back in.

Quite a few folks would have imagined that the spy gadgets they see in film blockbusters and thrillers would become extraordinarily reasonable and available in the market that any person can order them from specialty gizmo shops or from online stores. These devices have exploded into popularity not only for law enforcement agents and private detectives but also for homeowners, business owners and any individuals needing security and surveillance tools.

The most common spy gadgets are disguised or concealed cameras and recording devices that are used to capture photographs, videos and sound during security monitoring and surveillance work. But that's not the sole use for spy gadgets. Devices such as signal jammers are also classified in the spy gizmo category though they have technical variations in function as you would find out in the following.

Jamming with Signal Jammers

Jamming devices are also regularly featured in spy and action pictures. Dependent on the scene, heroes or villains would simply flick a switch on a device or console to prevent their adversaries from making a call, activating another device or triggering a bomb. On other scenes, jammers are used to interrupt radio and other communication signals as well as rendering radar and other direction systems. People would be surprised to know that the spy gadgets they see in these flicks are available commercially at the moment.

Technically, jammers emit a specific 'noise' frequency that will meddle with a selected signal or frequency range. There are devices that will interrupt cellphone signals in the DMA, GSM, DCS and 3G bands inside a forty meter or more range without interrupting correct functioning of other electronic gadgets.

Other jammers are made for the 2.4 To 2.5 Ghz frequency range and would block all Wi-Fi signals with a good knock-out range of roughly ten meters. Others include devices that will scramble L1 and L2 GPS signals inside a 10 meter radius rendering all GPS trackers worthless.

Points to consider before buying Signal Jammers

These types are cool devices to have in your gadget armory but before hauling out to buy yourself a set, there are specific concerns you will need to make and understand before taking any action. Most importantly is that you need to appreciate and know the type that you'll use for a selected purpose. As discussed earlier, signal jammers are designed for a specific frequency range under consideration. So if your need is to dam Wi-Fi signals from your home or business multinational, then it might be dumb to get a GPS signal jammer and use it for this reason.

Before buying these types, you need to clearly understand that though these devices are generally legal to possess and use within your own homes and properties, use of signal jammers in public areas aren't lawful in most nations apart from the military, law enforcement agents and other Fed agencies. The US federal Communications Commission considers jamming frequencies by broadcasters for public use as public burglary. In other countries where there's a potential misuse by terrorists to interrupt military signals, the utilization of this type is precisely illegal. It is important therefore to understand the legal issues of their use before purchasing them.

Other items you need to consider before purchasing signal jammers is the power and working coverage area where the jamming frequencies are going to be used. Transportable and pocket-sized versions are enough to cover a room, but you'll need stronger devices if you need to cover a larger area or even an entire building.

Where and When Should You Use Signal Jammers

Signal Jammers can be used within your own houses, business corporations and other properties. The following describes certain locations and eventualities where it might be best to use signal jammers.

* Library libraries are places for study and research and not for talking with friends on your cell-phones. The noises generated by the ringtones, message tones as well as the chattering voices may cause interrupt folks present from their research. Stop these pesky folk from making disturbances by using them.

* Lecture Halls - A lecture hall is another place for learning and for the academe so it might be a giant bother and distraction for other scholars if folk keep texting, surfing and using their cell telephones while a lecture is continuing. Cut them off with it.

* Examination Halls - Technology has grown so classy that even cheaters find ingenious methods to cheat in examinations using their cell phones and other mobile devices. Prevent these cheaters from having their way by cutting off their mobile phone or Wi-Fi signals with jammers.

* Government Buildings - On certain public areas and Fed facilities, the utilising of mobiles and Internet access is prohibited due to certain security requirements. Make sure that this is followed by installing signal jammers in lobbies and other secured areas.

* Russia - The utilization of GPS signal jammers are welcomed in this country as most users prefer to use Russia's own version of the GPS.

* Offices - Research has shown that worker potency is seriously reduced due to their uncontrolled use of cellphones and other mobile devices. Hinder them from abusing their rights and focus on their work by jamming them.

* Automobile - If you suspect your auto has been bugged with a GPS tracker, or is probably going to be, a GPS jammer would be great to make certain that your movements aren't tracked.

* Wartime - Modern warfare uses the benefits of GPS, cellphone and Internet technologies. Militaries can gain an advantage over their enemies by employing numerous sorts of signal jammers.

Stop uncontrollable cellphone and net users by cutting off their source by employing signal jammers. Defend your privacy from bugs or GPS trackers by using the same. Nonetheless despite their coolness, users and potential buyers of them should first take one or two points to consider into account especially regarding the lawful use of these devices and enjoy full use of these wonderful contraptions.

How To Host Your Own Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:13:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

We all have things to say. Many of us have opinions we want to express or stories we want to tell. Not only that but we all like discussing our idea's and our views about certain topics, possibly about music, arts, a show we have just seen. Of course many will also be political in nature. Whichever it is there used to be some difficulties making our thoughts generally known.

Many people kept diaries and such great diarists as Samuel Pepys have been a source of knowledge, and of course amusement over a long period. There were also letters to the editor of different publications, usually to express an opinion at some article they had published. The first few pages of Time Magazine and The Economist, not to mention large sections of newspapers are devoted to this form of personal expression.

But much of this has changed forever and is still developing at a furious pace. With the rolling out of the internet there are now a myriad of ways to go about making one's voice heard. The first and most obvious way is in the comments section of online newspapers and magazines. Click through any article and, where allowed by the editors, there will be a discussion. On some controversial topics these contributions may run into the thousands.

A slightly out of date way, and also unlikely to get much exposure are the chat rooms. Many chat rooms are open discussion groups but when they are unstructured are usually pretty pointless and are often dominated by one or two people with the others in the room being ignored or worse.

Facebook and other social media are open and free. But the only people who are likely to see your opinions and arguments will be your online "friends". Most of the postings on Facebook are only a few entries long as time brings more contributions to the fore so postings age very quickly.

One can join a forum. There are many forums and one can find many that will allow one to open one's own "thread" to which the other members of the forum may or may not contribute.

The best way, however, is to open one's own blog. A blog is a contraction of the words Web log and started life as a chronological listing of one persons thoughts and opinions, with the most recent being displayed first. Pretty soon however most blogs started to allow contributors to express their opinions. Unlike chat rooms but somewhat like forums these tend to be archived so a topic may remain "live" with contributions and discussion points being added for an extended period.

Many people would not know how to start a blog. Actually the process is quite easy. Perhaps having a look at my own personal blog will provide guidance, tips and a detailed description of the steps one has to take to start, open, host, advertise and maintain a blog.

Running one's own blog is a hugely satisfying thing to do and provides a useful focus point to keep one's opinions and ideas focused and to the point.

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Is The Internet Cluttering Your Mind?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sun, 13 May 2012 08:50:00 +0000

Kicking Television (Photo credit: dhammza)

Our lives can often feel very complex and busy, filled with machines and gadgets, tasks and usually people. It can feel as though the pace of life had quickened and we are all struggling to keep up. We are bombarded with information every day - from television, the Internet, magazines and newspapers and so on and so it is no surprise that our minds often feel cluttered and overloaded. When this happens, it can be difficult to think clearly or to relax. Technology has made it possible for us to do more in the time we have, yet the downside is that we are often pressured into doing more, leaving less time for us to have quiet moments to unwind.

Relaxing our bodies and minds is vital for our health. Our minds can only cope with a certain amount of information before they become fatigued and unable to function optimally. If we are overloaded for too long, stress can occur. And as we all know, stress has many horrible side effects, affecting our health and our emotions, our relationships and our ability to perform tasks well. It is a recipe for an unhappy life as well as negative thinking patterns.

In order to declutter your mind, you need to give yourself some peace and some space. Take time out from the technology and gadgets in your home. Switch off your mobile, telephone, TV and computer. Read a relaxing book or take a long bath. The key is to physically slow down and relax your mind and recharge. Drink tea or go for a walk - you might find that your cluttered mind has made you tense and uptight. When this happens, some gentle exercise or a massage can work wonders. You might want to try meditation or yoga.

A cluttered mind is often a tired mind. A cluttered mind can struggle to think clearly, so never make big decisions when you feel overwhelmed or stressed out. A great way to declutter your mind is to write down the things that are troubling you, things you need to do or things you want to achieve. Writing down helps to clear your head and committing your words to paper makes your intentions and goals more definite and helps you clarify your problems. If something is troubling you it is a good idea to take a step back from the matter and then come back to the problem later when you have had some distance from it.

A cluttered mind is often a fearful and self-doubting mind stuck in a pattern of thinking negatively. Decluttering your mind requires that you give yourself a break and be kind to yourself. This is a time to forgive and forget and not dwell on past mistakes or failures or wrongdoings. Instead, be thankful for the many blessings you have. Showing gratitude is a wonderful way to declutter your mind of any negativity. Negativity can clutter our minds with all sorts of bad thoughts and emotions such as regret and guilt and resentment and hate. This negativity serves no positive purpose and does not help you in any way. Swapping any negative thoughts with positive ones is a great way to feel good about yourself as well as declutter your mind.

You probably need to limit your time around negative people because they can clutter your mind as much as negative thoughts. Instead, surround yourself with positive and uplifting people. And lastly, do not see this decluttering as a one-off project - it is something that you need to do regularly to make sure you get the best results.

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Recording Obstacles

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:12:00 +0000

Further to my previous entry, my start to 2012 hasn't been ideal as far as recording goes. In a nutshell, I haven't even come close to recording anything of any use. "Why?" I hear you ask. In a nutshell, a longstanding back injury reared it's ugly head two days prior to me hitting the recording studio.

I won't rave on about my back complaint except to say that it is on the mend with physiotherapy and decreasing doses of analgesia. Add to this the fact that I'm quitting cigarettes gradually and with success, I haven't been the happiest camper for some time....until today. My back feels much 'looser' and there are no shooting pains down my leg. I have an appointment with my G.P next Wednesday to get my C.T. scan results. I'm optimistic.

Entering the recording studio for any musician, be they a band or a solo artist isn't just a matter of walking into the studio and 'record.' Even getting to the studio, with life commitments taking (understandably) a considerable time out of one's free time which is when recording should be scheduled for. Add to this unexpected occurrences arising that can't wait.

In the case of music bands, after arriving at the studio and getting their instruments the way that both they and the sound engineer wants, the biggest hurdle that I found was getting everyone else to be quiet when it was my turn to record. At this times, all other musicians should be out of the recording room. This is a rather odd sensation initially as you know full-well that the other band members are listening intently to only you. For some reason you may feel edgy. The more that you can concentrate on what you are doing, you will soon allay these unecessary jitters. Let's face it folks; you've made blunders in front of of your music colleagues before. Why should a recording studio be any different?

A recording studio should not create an obstacle to creation. Quite the opposite. The recording studio should be a place for creativity, be you a solo recording artist or a member of a band.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

How Will You Start 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:53:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia
With everyone in the midst of the festive season, it's easy to get 'too' involved in the goings-on. Many people get so tied up with the countless deadlines that rather rapidly impinge upon the whole idea of this time of year; namely enjoyment. I'm part of this sort of scenario but not by choice.

The hustle and bustle form both sides of the family has left me sitting here on the afternoon of New Years Eve with part of the family going out to a full-throttle booze up while the other side of the family (myself included) shall be celebrating quietly at home. The fact that I'm a recovering alcoholic led me to the decision of staying at home. Getting drunk doesn't appeal to me. Neither does having just the one drink. If things go according to my own plan, I'll be woken at midnight to 'see in the New Year' and return to bed shortly thereafter.

As boring as this sounds, the lead-up to it is already causing some angst. My cousin is playing in a band at the full-throttle drinking event. I'm taking him out there and will be picking him up tomorrow at goodness knows what time. This may not sound stressful as such but he's still making phone calls, organising this, that and the other. Just to put the icing on the cake, his kids will be staying here but are already asking if their Dad can stay at home. Even I can't pin him down to a departure time.

So....for the afternoon I envisage two ratty kids. Tomorrow will be the same until my brother arrives home sleep-deprived at best. All of this comes at the end of a great Xmas and busy but enjoyable five days with my children.

As you can imagine, my lack of sleep has to be caught up on. I was hoping that it would be some time tonight or even tomorrow. Evidently I was wrong. Despite any urge to consume alcohol, a series of unexpected changes to the routine of a manic depression have a more severe impact than those who don't suffer from the condition. In my case the symptoms are constant lethargy and higher than normal anxiety levels.

Having said all of this, it will all pass very soon and I have promised myself to get back into the recording studio early in 2012 as it has been very 'patchy' in 2011.

I'd like to wish you all the best for the New Year and thank you for your ongoing support.

Internet Vanishing Act

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBaseWith the ever-increasing rate of Xmas approaching, it's time to prepare for an extended absence from both my internet activity and recording activity. At this point there are few certainties time-wise. What I do know is that my children will be spending Xmas day with my ex-wife. Due to the fact she's a Nurse and works shift-work, this will be the first time in quite a few years that they will spend with her.

On the flip-side, at this point it is unsure if my younger brother has his kids Xmas Eve or Xmas Day. If he does have them Xmas Eve and Xmas Day, this will entail myself and my parents spending Xmas Eve at his house. (How this works out is a mystery to my brother and I).

The aforementioned activities were to put you in the picture for the real purpose of this blog.

Between now and Boxing Day when I pick my children up to have a 'second Xmas' at my place there are quite a few 'plans of action' to put into place online which will allow me to skip the internet for the entirety of my children's visit. When my children are here for 2-3 days, it's no big deal but their trip up on this occasion will be an extended one and I don't want to be feeling the need to update anywhere.

After my recent highly successful and rapid-fire 'Xmas Shopping Blitz' I had a day messing around with a few tracks from my upcoming. On paper the the album looks half-completed but in reality I would say that it's about one-third of the way through. The album, when it eventually surfaces, will be initially released on Bandcamp where I currently have two albums and three singles. Bandcamp will always be the cheapest online store for my releases. Two-three weeks after this, the new album will be released on iTunes and then Amazon mp3. The only major reason that I have my material on iTunes and Amazon is purely for their 'reach' as far as searchability is concerned.

As far as Facebook is concerned, I shall simply be leaving a Xmas greeting on both my profile page and the Bob Findlay Music Page.

The most pre-Xmas work regarding my online presence will be getting my Twitter page 'loaded' using Hootsuite. With a Klout score of 51, I'll be interested to see how successful my pre-scheduling will be. There is one thing that I do know, it will have no effect on Tasmania Today. I have now got "Tasmania Today" running smoothly and enough 'backed-up' material for it to run for some time on its' own. It can be viewed at the bottom of this entry.

I have between now and Thursday to make these preparations but having said this, who knows what 'surprises' may appear by the deadline?

This may be last blog entry before Xmas so I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your support, friendship and laughter in 2011 and wish you and those close to you a fantastic festive season.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Internet Vanishing Act

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:15:00 +0000

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business"&amp;gt;Mean Business by Bob Findlay&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

Fatherhood And Music In 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:38:00 +0000

My musical reality checks come in the form of my two children who are in their early teens. In many ways it's a two-way street.

My daughter, the youngest, is well into all of the internet gadgetry and keeps me up to date on what's "fully sick" and what these new iphones can do. I was just starting to get my head around the iPad when all of a sudden there's a second version(!). My rather simplistic take on the iPad is that it must be a hassle to carry. Let's face it, in todays' era of nano-technology the iPad isn't exactly as portable as the pundits claim it is. In defense of the pundits I'm not 100% sure of what the iPad is capable of doing....and don't really need to know.

Recently I was browsing a brochure from an electronics shop and had to get my daughter for some assistance. Once I got past the huge televisions and computers I was confronted by four pages of an vast array of iphones....in all of their different forms and names. The phone that my daughter is keen on for Xmas (I forget its' name) has a 3.2" touchscreen and slides out to reveal a tiny keyboard. Whilst I sat there nodding mindlessly I calculated that in order to use this particular iphone properly, the user would have to be about 7 inches tall. Failing that, they would have to have their fingers whittled down to the size of toothpicks to use the keyboard and a set of binoculars permanently fixed to their heads in order to see the screen.

As if to add insult to injury, my daughter wants a pink or purple one. I suppose they must be better(!).

My son, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the techno-world. No mobile phone, no Facebook, no Twitter, etc. He's more into hands-on, old-fashioned creation. He's content to go into his Grandfathers shed & create some amazing things from pieces of wood, metal...pretty-well anything that Dad isn't using. He' currently planning a miniature magnet-driven car!

When it comes to music my son & daughter consider my music 'old-fashioned'....and they're quite correct. I have, however, managed to show my son some tricks on the guitar. I did this by showing some old rock classics that he had heard before but hadn't 'listened.' The first was "Alright Now" by Free. I told him to really listen to the verses and tell me what he noticed. half way through the first verse he said; "There's only one guitar and drums playing." I did the same with "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones. I went on to show him a few 'tricks' based on the Eric Clapton 'less-is-more' theory. He is now applying it of his own volition. Something that can only be done if one actually 'feels' the music.

So....between iphones, musicians like Katy Perry, Lady Ga Ga, and All That Remains, this middle-aged musician still maintains that there is still something to be gleaned from the past.

"It's only rock and roll but I like it."

Guilty Of Music Piracy? Walk The Plank!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Piracy is the act of duplicating anything without prior permission and consent of the rightful owner.

Music piracy is nothing but the act of duplicating an original recording in an unauthorized manner in order to generate commercial gains. There is no consent in any form, from the rights owner of the recording. Piracy has forced many an upcoming artist to shut shop, and does not give artistes the recognition and money that they deserve to get. Record companies lose revenue and face heavy financial losses because of piracy.

Pirated copies of music are usually a compilation of several tracks of the performing band or artiste and are available in the market in CDs, Cassettes and DVDs. The advancement in technology and the availability of this technology to the public, especially the pirates has led to a dangerously high increase in the flow of pirated music in the market.
The internet is helping the growth of piracy?

When is the last time you wanted to download a track from a torrent site on the internet? Well, this is an act of supporting piracy, and in some countries, where copyright infringement is a big issue; you could be committing an offense. The extensive reach of the internet throughout the world, the inability to police the net effectively, and the humongous number of users the internet has, has indeed made the internet a haven for pirates. Pirates no longer find the need to burn music on scores of music CDs or DVDs, pack, and finally smuggle them, to be sold on the streets. All a pirate has to do is buy the original CD, rip the tracks from it, and upload it to his website on the internet. A few links around, and within days, his website will be flooded with traffic, most of whom only want to download the song.

Some pirates even sell the music for cheap rates! They end up making money on a bulk scale. When this is repeated for thousands of songs, they eventually build up a download library of sorts, and end up making enormous amounts of illegal money. Some sites also use illegal downloads as a tool to increase their website traffic or to gain popularity and make money advertising. This is also illegal and constitutes music piracy. Some people also have doubts regarding the use of P2P software to "share" music. If the music being transferred via the P2P file sharing network is not copyright protected, then it is perfectly legal. However, transfer or download of copyrighted music via P2P networks is illegal, as P2P facilitates the unauthorized distribution of the music, and it is done without prior authorised permission from the record label or artiste.

I urge every independent aratist to properly copyright their material as they may (already) be losing out big-time and losing out legally if not copyrighted.

Fishing For A Music Album Theme

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:12:00 +0000

I entered my home recording studio early last week for the first time in a few months. I have commenced my latest album recording. All I had to 'run' with was a thread of a bass guitar track. Four days later, I re-emerged with five full tracks, minus vocals. The album, even at this early stage has taken on a life of its own. I'm not particularly 'involved' any more. Ideas are hitting me left, right and centre and they're all of a vaguely similar nature. Luckily they're not SO similar as to be blatantly repetive album-wise.

I generally stop the 'creating' process when I have around sixteen or seventeen tracks fully completed. As far as a 'theme' is concerned, it is currently happening right now which is why I can't divulge any more at this point. I shall, however, be addressing the album HERE on its release.

Creating an album is a process, and keep the basics in mind. An album, in itself, consists of two elements. First is catchy tunes that appeal to a large audience. Secondly is the often overlooked 'theme' of the album. It's not just a matter of recording ten or twelve songs and comiling them haphazardly

Too many ideas will spoil an album. When listening to an album in its entirety, you will often notice that the music is made of certain phrases that repeat themselves or appear as a slight variation of a previous track. They are called themes. A theme may be melodic, rhythmic, harmonic or combination of these. When you hear the themes, it registers to the brain and that makes it easier to remember, particularly when applied with care to an entire album.

A common mistake of songwriters is they make it boring, where the listener has no urge to want to hear the song again. Remember, if they like it, they want to hear your song again and again and again (which can translate into more record sales for you).

Sometimes a songwriter will experience "writer's block". When this happens, you might want to use a different approach, such as creating the melody first, or experimenting with some chord progression first then melody, or even rhythm first, then melody, and chord progression last. I've doing this all week.

Remember, there is no correct way of creating a theme for an album. Experiment with different instrumentation. Relax. Take a break. After a few days out of the studio, I have deliberately gone for a walk up the street, to the Post Office and newsagents and returned, every time, with at least a handful of lyrics. I KNOW that at least some will be used on my upcoming album

It's every independent musicians goal to produce an album full of great songs. You think they are perfect, where the girls go gaga over your songs and the guys elevate it to the national anthem of angst and raging hormones. But!....you need to record those songs and try to find a way to put it in public in a manner that is even more conducive to sales than an individual song alone, right? Much to a musician's chagrin, there are steps and systems to follow. Yes, the way to the gold pot at the end of the rainbow requires a keen sense of direction from here to there.

Despite many years of vodka abuse, I have a surprisingly good memory for things musical. Having said this, like everyone else, my neurons my misfire at anytime and you may lose those precious, MTV award-winning lyrics (Well, some musician's neurons misfire ALL the time. Why am I not surprised...?). Make sure that you record all of the lyrics or, at the very least, put them to paper/notepad. Don't be afraid to use different schemes also (acoustic or amplified instruments, or if you feel operatic -- solo, duet, or acapella). The more variations, the better your chance of hitting that sweet spot for airplay cut. Anyway, you need to record that track. Once every track is to your liking and you're ready to compile your album, this is where things get very frustrating and indecisiveness reigns....if you let it.

Fine tuning: Any portion in any part of a song can be repeated in throughout the album as often as you want. The more, the better but keep it subtle. You may cut the portions that makes no sense, portions that puts the great rhythm in the grey instead of concrete, defined colors. Edit out any unwanted portions of any song. You can polish up on those areas that needs polishing, strengthening the areas of the album where the tune must flow freely and the thought unobstructed.

Mastering: Here, you try to maximize the tracks and optimize the cuts by stuffing tracks that are weak in between strong tracks. Or you place weak tracks at the latter portion of the album and the strong ones as the opening singles. This is an indirectly VERY time-consuming affair. I say 'indirectly' because it means walking away from what you think is a well-themed album for a few days, only to return and listen to it wondering what the hell you were doing.

Copyright: Here, you stamp it down and tell the whole wide world that the song is yours, with a great heaping of blood, sweat and tears. You put enough protection and fence around the real estate of your mind's work, telling them to get lost or else...well, depends on you and your vigilance to protect what is yours.

Is ReverbNation Losing It's Original Spirit?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:19:00 +0000

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Without doubt, ReverbNation is one of the most beneficial specifically music sites
around for the independent artist. ReverbNation offers the new online musician
outstanding free statistics, promotional tools & means of maintaining contact with your fanbase. Over the last 12 months,however, more tools have been offered to independent musicians and guess what? Yup! They come with a price.

Before you enter ANY data into ReverbNation, I suggest both finish reading this article and then jump over to ReverbNation and go through it with a fine tooth comb. It will make things much simpler & MUCH more effective as you can quite easily become sidetracked. It will save you money.

The promotional & statistical tools offered by ReverbNation are a real online highlight. Supporter sign-up forms come in varying sizes with colours also being able to be
customised. They can be deployed on your website, pages that you have on other
sites blogs & other online areas.

Additionally, ReverbNation have an assortment of mini-players that can be similarly
deployed. These players can be set on 'auto-play,' as suggested by ReverbNation. I
suggest NOT doing this & the vast majority of online listeners will agree. More of that
shortly.

As I recommend for all sites, upload no more than 8-14 tracks. Keep track 1 at the top
of the list as it greatly affects your statistics & continuity. It also helps you climb as far as Google is concerned.

ReverbNation keenly encourages artists to offer a track, or tracks, as “fan exclusive”
free downloads. I have had this conversation with everyone from D.J.s to promoters,
musicians & followers. Their argument is the same old “people like free things.” They
use this philosophy as a means of attracting followers.I find this extremely patronising towards listeners in general & statistics show that it DOES NOT boost a musicians true following. You want REAL followers, not transients.

IF you do opt to offer a free download, use it wisely. NEVER use what you consider to
be your best track or your most requested.

The “free download” widget IS a handy tool forplacing on your website, blog & so forth but bare in mind there's a lot of people will be put off by the fact that they go to
download the track only to discover that they have to sign up as a
ReverbNation member. Even though it's free, people STILL feel that they're being
roped in.....and roped in by YOU, not by ReverbNation. Don't try to dupe the public.

Once you have your ReverbNation page ready, launch it by making it known on other
music sites and; social networking sites using the assortment of widgets and banners
provided. Word will travel quickly, believe me.

ReverbNation gives your followers the option to join your mailing list. To my mind,
when used properly, it's THE single most powerful in-line communication tool for
musicians. To see it both under-utilised & abused by musicians played a part in me
embarking on the writing of this book. Unfortunately the limit for your mailing list is 500 fans. What happens once this limit is reached? I don't know.I'm still awaiting a response. IF it means that I lose my mailing list then I'll be catching the next train out of there.

Initially you will have a reasonably high percentage of followers who also sign up to
your mailing list. By checking the locations of who truly is paying attention via clickthrus'
in combination with song-play locations can help you delineate a target
audience, geographically & demographically. Through human nature your mailing list numbers will drop over time. Don't be disheartened by this. A mailing list of between 10 and 20% of your total followers is a good figure.

Mailing your supporters is FREE. One paid service offered by ReverbNation is
professional templates for your emails with additional features. From my experience
this paid service makes no difference at all. Keep your credit card in your wallet and you will save almost $120 a year.

The most common mistake I've encountered is artists emailing supporters with news
that people aren't interested in. This is a sure-fire way of watching your mailing list
plummet. Paradoxically, make your followers aware of upcoming & new releases. Let
them know that you are still thinking of them.

Don't email your list every time you hit a chord. Emailing your list every 2-3 weeks is ideal. Ensure your emails are relevant, well laid out & maintain continuity regarding previous mail. Spending a little extra time (not a great deal) on these little thing really DO make a difference.

If you enjoy it, your fans will too.

I am now wondering what their next move will be. No doubt it will entail a fee. For this writer/musician, ReverbNation began losing its' independent nature when it jumped into bed with Audiolife with regards merchandise & CD production. My monthly 'fair share' amounts plummeted without me doing a damned thing.

Call me paranoid but it appears tome that ReverbNation may well be trying to be the Amazon or Sony BMG of the independent music scene. Time will tell.

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Internet Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 06:28:00 +0000

Independent music relies on alternative means to promote alternative music, since the idea is to eschew the standard music industry models of promotion. Independent music therefore has created it's own record companies and ways of doing things. It relies a lot on radio stations and websites on the Internet, for one thing.

There have been many things going on with this side of the business model that the average listener has, perhaps, been unaware of. For example, Sound Exchange recently decided that radio stations on the Internet should be held accountable for royalties and retroactively.

Naturally, there were parties who had disagreements about the fairness of this. On one hand, it seems like the fair thing to do for independent artists. On the other hand, the amount of royalties due from major providers of Internet radio such as Pandora would be in the millions of dollars and, for smaller Internet radio broadcasters, this would threaten to wipe them out.

A bill known as the Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced and rallied for, but the net end result of all of this was that the price of being a broadcaster went up.

It would seem that, sadly, the Internet is just absorbing the old business models and that these ways of doing business are what makes it difficult for the average listener to find and listen to new music, new independent rock and other alternative music.

Another example of this is that many Internet radio stations are so purely business that they charge the artists for airplay. The artists either pay a one time fee for airplay or can purchase a certain number of plays. This, of course, inflates the idea of just how popular the artist really is.

Even by voting, such as is done on some radio stations and music websites, the artist or band can more or less 'stuff the ballot box..'

Even though the consensus seems to be that the day of the critic is over, and it is true that they can often be wrong. Perhaps the need for reliable, knowledgeable sources to provide good music reviews is what is needed once again.

What's With Guitar Hero?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:04:00 +0000

A few days ago I posted a blog entry on independent rock bands and what it took to 'get there.' I received a humorous comment from one chap who suggested the video game Guitar Hero.

Well, I have a confession. A few months ago I actually did have a go at it. My personal take on this Guitar Hero trend took something of a turn that weekend when I was actually introduced to it by a friend. Having never been one for computer games, I was pleasantly surprised Guitar Hero. Although the price of the guitar can really be a budget buster, (the guitar isn't needed, but I'd recommended one), once you get the gear however, playing this game is a great experience on your gaming system or even on your personal computer.

Guitar Hero is an outstanding music game which offers a number of great choices for gamers; but there is some serious confusion about the guitar controllers out there. There was a Wikipedia article that had an easy to understand chart. You may want to check it out before you get to far along or totally frustrated with this. The song selection is fantastic. The music will range from Punk to power pop-rock to heavy metal. Songs like "Raining Blood" by Slayer (which I hadn't ever paid any attention to in the past), will literally have you pulling out your hair.

Making sure you hit each and every long note will earn you the achievement award. Notes will sometimes seem to be behind the music and it's not uncommon to see notes just skip on down the fret board to catch back up I'm not sure how you are suppose to handle this just yet. For a rhythm game this is brilliant, since precise timing is needed for your success. Notes are represented as circles that fly down a timeline and when the moment comes, you need to press the appropriate key on your guitar and 'strum', tilting your guitar upward while doing these sets off a bonus scoring mode.

Hit the right notes, and the crowd will go nutso. If you miss or hit some notes at the same time, and you'll be greeted with a sharp "twangy" noise, if this happens very often you will have to listen to the booing and eventually a fast exit, stage left.

In 'Battle Mode' you can send attacks to your opponent by twitching your guitar like you do when trying to build Star power. These attacks really work best when you send a couple of them at a time.

While I only had one afternoon playing Guitar Hero, and it was an apparently outdated version, I loved it.

So....finally....I confess that video gaming can be fun.

The Price Of Music

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:22:00 +0000

We are much more reliant today than ever before on technology and the many contributions it makes to our lives every second. Perhaps most notable is the many options technology has given to the Internet and the world of entertainment, making many artistic projects and productions, from digital music albums to e-books to short and long films and television programs available to a larger audience of people.

Steadily children that grew up with the Internet and don't remember a time without it are reaching adulthood, and attitudes about both the monetary value of artists' works available online and the cultural value of these works are changing. This revolution began with the introduction of CD's, which became easy to copy and distribute to friends.

There are certainly varying opinions about the worth of downloadable music and purchased music in general; while a younger generation of music lovers is certainly divided on whether music downloaded online should be free music, there are definitely more in that generation deciding that perhaps people should be more freely allowed. When it is so much easier to copy mp3's online and from friends, and also easier to record entire albums in the studio with full digital capabilities, many young music listeners wonder, is a musician's work and the musician him/herself really worth as much as at the dawn of the recording industry?

Many studies have shown that adults that remember a time when recorded music was expensive and more difficult to obtain are much more cognizant and respectful of basic music Copyright Law. They understand why certain laws are in place, and some that are artists themselves have relied on Copyright Law to protect their creative expressions. Copyright Law also allows music and other art forms to perpetuate in the world, and is the reason there is so much variety available.

The music industry has been cracking down on how people get their music recently in response to the increased availability of downloadable music and digital music on the Internet. The music industry was largely unprepared for the sudden introduction of file sharing programs to music lovers, and it has taken several years for them to realize their impact on musicians, songwriters, other music professionals and record companies. Before the Internet, most young people bought CD's, and shared them by simply burning a copy for friends. While this was certainly a violation of Copyright Law, it somehow did not pose as large of a problem as when mp3 players became available and people downloaded free music off the Internet en mass through high-speed connections. The music industry has recently started filing lawsuit after lawsuit to stop this phenomenon and put systems in place to make music lovers pay for downloadable music. As was evidenced in recent lawsuits that were filed against those in small towns in middle America, you do not have to be high profile to suffer consequences for violating the law when it comes to digital music.

The industry has been driving hard to try to get the public to recognize that not paying for music takes money away from artists and musicians that they deserve for their hard work. While music is a source of entertainment and a cultural commodity for most, for those involved in creating it, it is a job that they rely on to make lives for themselves. Like any other professional, musicians can't be expected to do their work for free. While the amount some receive is certainly debatable, what is not debatable is that they should receive something. The latest drive to enforce Copyright Law by the music industry is causing a stir among young people. New anti-piracy software is now being put on CD's to cut down on illegal CD copying. The software prevents listeners from burning the CD more than five times.

Teens especially are noting that this will not stop others from discovering new ways to get music. Many adults agree that someone is bound to come up with a way around the software, as technology always seems to find a way to surmount obstacles that prevent free sharing of music, DVD's and other media.

Many teens note that there is an obvious and simple way around the anti-piracy software; all a person has to do is make a copy of the CD once and then use the copy to make more copies. Those invested in the downloadable music and digital music craze feel the anti-piracy software is really just a way to slow down some of the most avid copiers while the industry thinks of a more permanent solution.

Other teens support these new attempts to prevent people from getting music for free. They feel that music is a valuable part of everyone's lives that touches so many aspects that certainly free music or even cheap music should not even be an option. They fully understand why musicians deserve to be paid for the privilege of owning and listening to their music over and over again.

So what are some alternatives to illegally downloading digital music or free music?

There are many services that provide low-cost and virtually free music for professionals and individuals simply hoping to expand their music collection. For those still entrenched in the CD movement, there are some subscription services in development that will allow people to freely share unlimited CD's through the mail at very low cost and without violating Copyright Law.

As more services for downloadable music and digital music arrive on the scene and make a more competitive market, track downloads and album downloads are becoming cheaper. Even iTunes offers songs as 99 cents apiece, and entire albums at cut rates, so even young people can afford to buy music legally to enjoy.

As an alternative to digital music provided by major music providers, reputable royalty free musiccompanies are bringing original tracks of music plus many high quality royalty free music versions of some favorite classical pieces to listeners at affordable prices and sometimes even free. Royalty free music companies such as Royalty Free Music.com offer huge and very comprehensive downloadable music libraries with collections from every genre from classical and jazz to rock, techno, dance and Hip Hop. And with royalty free music, you pay to satisfy Copyright Law upfront so you don't have to worry later about any additional fees. Many royalty free music companies even offer totally free music that is of excellent quality and different from anything else available.

The point with digital music is that listeners will continue to try to find ways to get free or cheap music; at this stage of technology, finding loopholes and ways that allow for freer sharing of information is just human nature.

Sexuality In Song Lyrics

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Findlay) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:28:00 +0000

Rock and roll and sex have always been inseparable bedmates. And it’s been no secret affair. Many musicians admit that they only learned how to sing or play an instrument so they could enjoy the fringe benefits of band membership. They don’t mind sharing the details of these fringe benefits in their lyrics, either. Some lyrics are blatantly explicit, while other lyrics hide their sexuality behind metaphors. Here are some lyrics that seem very suggestive—or maybe we just have dirty minds!

“Brand New Key” by Melanie.(....I'm showing my age here....).

Remember this novelty hit from the early 70s? Also known as “The Roller Skate Song,” there seemed to be plenty of innuendo in the lyrics, “I got a brand new pair of roller skates/You got a brand new key/I think that we should get together and try them out, you see.” Also, many listeners interpreted the lyrics “new key” as “nookie.” Although Melanie didn’t intentionally write sexually suggestive lyrics, she did admit that, “I guess a lock and key have always been Freudian symbols, and pretty obvious ones, at that.”

“Knocking at Your Back Door” by Deep Purple

The blatant title, which also makes its way into the song lyrics, needs no explanation. But the band wove more subtle suggestiveness into the lyrics, “So we put her on the hit list/Of a common cunning linguist/A master of many tongues.” If you don’t get it right away, quickly say the lyrics “cunning linguist” out loud several times. Oh, so that’s what he’s saying! The lyrics flew under the censor’s radar, and were played on numerous radio stations. According to the liner notes in the band’s Greatest Hits, they wrote the lyrics as a joke, and never expected the song to get any airplay.

“Little Willy” by The Sweet.

This incredibly catchy tune by glam band, The Sweet, initially drew critics’ scorn for its “nursery porn” lyrics, “Little Willy, Willy won’t go home/But you can’t push Willy ’round, Willy won’t go.” The song lyrics were supposedly inspired by late singer Brian Connolly’s nonstop nightclubbing. Since “willy” is also British slang for a man’s you-know-what, there’s also speculation that the lyrics regard that organ’s endless desire for satisfaction. In any case, the song and its lyrics ignited a succession of 14 hit singles, including 11 chart-toppers.

"Cherrie Pie" by Warrant.

The lyrics of “Cherry Pie” are filled with so many humorous sexual metaphors, where do we begin?

Well, here are a few of those lyrics: “She wanted me to feed her/So I mixed up the batter/And she licked the beater,” “If I think about baseball/I’ll swing all night,” and “Tastes so good/Make a grown man cry/Sweet cherry pie.” Singer Jani Lane wrote the song’s music and lyrics on a pizza box in 15 minutes. Talk about a quickie!

“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel

Influenced by sexually suggestive soul music lyrics, the lyrics of “Sledgehammer” are loaded with innuendo. In addition to “I want to be your sledgehammer,” the lyrics refer to steam trains, bumper cars, pollination, fruit, bees and a big dipper. Regarding the lyrics, Gabriel said, “Sometimes sex can break through barriers when other forms of communication are not working too well.”

That theory may work well in song lyrics, but it’s a line that might backfire if you’re trying to pick up someone in a bar!

Grab your 50% discount on "Mean Business by entering the codeword: thistle

<a href="http://bobfindlay.bandcamp.com/album/mean-business">Snake Eyes by Bob Findlay</a>

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