Theory and creativity, amp sims, and supporting the American Music Fairness Act
Heya folks,
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of playing NextFest at the LA County Fair supporting my partner Jessica Gerhardt. Pictured here is the band, with our drummer Joseph as a rancher and single father.
A little bit of theory and technique can make—not break—your creativity
In every part of music making, there's a silly argument of head versus heart, that is, technical knowledge versus artistic expression. I say, learn the heady stuff and embody it, so when you need to speak from the heart, you can articulate yourself clearly. I found this neat quote in Richard Miller's The Structure of Singing: "One should spend only the minimal time each day required to to deal with technique of singing so that one may move on to those much more important aspects of the art that have to do with musicianship, interpretation, and communication."
You don't need a tube amp for recording
Is there a tube amp to amp sim pipeline? Maybe. When I was a kid, I'd spend hours on guitar forums and web shops coveting tube amps. These days, when I'm recording electric guitar, I usually forgo the amp, plug my guitar right into my recording interface, and use an amp sim in my DAW. For more, see my notes on Getting a realistic tone from amp sims.
Sign this petition in support of the American Music Fairness Act
In Europe, whether you're an artist or a sideperson, musicians get paid whenever their work is played on the radio. The American Music Fairness Act seeks to offer musicians the same protections when their music is played on American radio stations. The good news is this bill has bipartisan support in the House and Senate, but large broadcasting companies are lobbying against it. Show your support by signing this petition.
Odds and ends
Peace,
Arend
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