Canadian Musicians Blog

Holiday Music Keeps Giving

by Heather Hill on December 22, 2011

At this time of year, many of us are wandering the shops trying to find gifts for family and friends. This year I have been particularly aware of the holiday music bubbling from the speakers. Michael Buble seems to be winning the race to our ears, as his music is everywhere: most retail stores, toy stores, tech stories, coffee shops. In a close second, seems to be holiday music from Glee, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Beiber and the Killers. As a lover of songs, I am excited when a new holiday album comes out. I like to buy music for myself and others at this time of year. My personal favorites so far are the new albums from Glee, Michael Buble, This Warm December (various), and Tony Bennett.

As I have been preparing for a holiday house concert, I have poured over several volumes of holiday music. I have old music that has been passed through the generations with wonderful notes in the margins. I also have collections of new holiday music that have new, modern takes on the holidays. But, the songs I love to play are the ones with memories attached — school pageants, musicals, family singsongs, concerts, etc. Every year I am reminded that some of the music is very difficult to play on the piano. I keep doing it because to me there is nothing better than gathering around singing some songs. Last night I discovered the original version of “I like to teach the world to sing” otherwise known as coke’s version called “perfect harmony”. The words are timeless and the sentiment is beautiful.

As for what’s on my playlist this year, I like to mix it up with some oldies. I like to be transported back to my Christmas past with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby (Boney M – for my dad). These songs take me back to my grandpa’s old farmhouse down on Lake Erie. We would arrive around dinner on Christmas Eve usually in a snowstorm. My grandpa’s farmhouse would be decorated and full of excitement. I would warm up my PJs on the radiators. My great aunts would arrive from Chatham with their car jammed with gifts and baking for everyone. Lawrence Welk reruns were still on TV in their full glory. Ah, youth!

As for my Christmas present, CBC is my go to for a great mix of holiday tunes – jazz, classical and pop. I am thankful for CBC radio as it brings in the season for me every year. I am always sad when January hits. The online music stores continue to reveal some of the new artists that I am loving, such as Jack Johnson’s new single “In the morning”. I love “Tracks in the Snow” by The Civil Wars, “Snow Globe” by Matt Wertz and “Christmas Without You” by Onerepublic. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals “Please Come Home for Christmas” is a timeless tune for anyone with glass of Bailey’s and a book. If you were wondering, I am asking Santa for an endless collection of the Beatles,

As for Christmas future, I would love to do a holiday album with my music friends some day. I tried my hand at writing a song for the season. It isn’t as easy as it looks. Nonetheless, I wrote about what Christmas means to me. The song is called the “Red Door” and it hasn’t been recorded. This song is about returning home to my parent’s house every year on Christmas eve in rain or snow. I would open that red door and smell a turkey and other festive foods. I would feel warm and welcomed. There would be candles burning, food overflowing and someone playing the piano. Whether or not there was a santa was irrelevant to me, it was all about being together in health and happiness. I am sure like other families, some members were absent or ill certain years, and that made us even more thankful for what we had.

A few years ago, the TSG – the Toronto songwriting guild – wrote a bunch of holiday songs. The songs were both funny and heart-felt. We sure learned a lot about each other that night. One song by Alec Steinwall poked fun at the grumpy people in malls, etc. (he needs to record this one too). I think we need to do this exercise again. It reminds us of what we like and don’t like about the season. I would love to see an album of original holiday songs or covers of lesser known song from some of my old books. After all, it seems the traditional songs have been done so well and so many times.

Holiday music is an amazing gift. It helps us connect to our wonderful past, opens our heart to the possibilities of the present and inspires our future. Have a wonderful holiday, and I hope there is a song that really moves you this season!!

10 Things to Do to Prepare for your Final Vocal Recording

by Heather Hill on December 07, 2011

If you are like me, and you weren’t born into this world to give perfect vocal performances on the first few takes of a recording session, this blog is for you. I have heard that there are singers who can do three passes of the song and have it nailed down. What amazes me is that their vocal performance is perfect while keeping the intimate connection to the story. Although my ability to record vocals has become much faster given intense lessons and experience, I am still in awe of the three-take wonders.

I think we all agree that the vocals are absolutely critical to the success of your project. You often hear music executives saying the song must great, the band great…but the vocal performance has to move you! So much preparation goes into making the songs strong — multiple reviews, rewrites, performance. The band practices and sorts out arrangement for these great songs and lays down tight bed tracks. Next, the singer has to really perform these songs well and with a connection like a live performance. I want to touch on this last point, because a vocalist really can prepare for the studio. Here are a few things I have learned over the years and I hope they are helpful to you:

1. Take singing lessons at least once or twice a week for 3 months in advance. Three to four months in advance of recording the final vocals, the singer should pursue lessons from a reputable vocal coach. There are a number of reasons why. Singers sometimes forget that the human instrument is quirky and complex. The singer might need to undo some odd habits formed over time like sticking out the neck, tightening the jaw, not lifting the scalp, slouching and emoting. Maybe the break between the chest and head voice isn’t smooth. Maybe there is a loss range that has happened over the years. Maybe the singer runs out of air when singing – perhaps the air support needs work.

2. Practise 15 to 20 minutes of vocal warm ups every day (prior to any singing). Your singing coach that you take lessons with will be more than happy to provide you with a 20 minute warm-up to be practised everyday. By warming up your voice, you will have greater endurance in your recording sessions. You will be able to sing for five or six hours with ease. To take this one step further, you can do a short yoga routine each day to really warm up and loosen up your body and strengthen your breathing.

3. Action your lyrics. I wrote a blog on this topic already, but to summarize, you write an action verb beside each line of your lyrics to express the character’s action in each line. This performance technique (borrowed from acting) gives each line a unique meaning that comes across in the lyric. For me, this technique made an incredible difference in my vocal performance. While it is easier to connect with a live audience because you have immediate feedback, it is harder to connect when you are singing into a mic in front of your face.

4. How do you want your fan to feel?. I find it helps to truly think about the listener and how you want them to feel from your singing. What style of singing is appropriate – legato, behind the beat, on top of the beat, punchy, etc. You can play with different styles depending on the song. If you give your producer lots of variety in your takes, you will have a strong session.

5. Get lots of sleep. Health and endurance are required in vocal recording sessions. In terms of health, you need to keep your energy and health in check so you don’t have any throat or nasal conditions (if you are feeling stuffed up try a salt water gargle and the neti pot). In terms of endurance, if you are being produced by someone other than yourself, you may have to act out different roles and parts. You may have to try on voices and styles you may not be familiar with.

6. Time of the month. Really? If you are female, watch out for the pre-menstrual time of the month when you are recording. Studies have proven there are several vocal changes (menstrual cycle dysphonia) http://www.singershealth.com/pms.html. Some of the changes include difficulty singing high notes, having a husky or fuzzy quality, decreased volume, breathy quality, and intonation problems. Speaking from experience, being pregnant is another hormonal ride that can make consistent vocal performance difficult (shortage of air, etc.)

7. Watch certain foods. As you get closer to the recording session, stay away from mucous causing foods like dairy products. Try to avoid coffee and alcohol (yeah right) – if you can to stay hydrated. Try licorice tea as an anti-inflammatory after a hard day of singing. On the day you are recording, avoid clearing your throat as this is hard on your voice. Drink luke-warm water (with a bit of lemon) to stay hydrated. Doing stretches for your neck and back will keep you lose during the session. Eat lots of healthy foods to keep you going.

8. Try different mics. Prior to recording, I would suggest trying out a bunch of different microphones – rent or borrow a few different ones. Have an idea of the vocal sound you want and see which mic delivers the vocal sound you like. In my recent project we tried six mics or more. There were a few clear winners for my voice. If you have a producer, find out what their favourite is and why.

9. Be fearless. One tip I recently learned is to not be embarrassed to make mistakes and try different things. Almost every time I make big mistakes there are some incredible moments afterward. Keep going…don’t stop because it wasn’t perfect.

10. Sing from beginning to the end. Doing several entire takes of the song right from the start really gives you a way to connect with the song. It is nice if you don’t have to carve up the song or use Melodyne. The more you have worked on your instrument, the less you will need to tamper with the voice in Melodyne! If you are paying for the studio on an hourly basis, you will find that the more you work on your voice, the faster your session is going to go, and the cheaper it is going to be!

If this is your first time recording vocals, you can expect that you will do one song per day (this may not include the harmonies). You will realistically have a good five or six hours of recording in you. It is best not to have to record the same song over a few days because your voice is difference each day and you may end up having a poor vocal match. If you are recording for several days in a row, you might want to try the licorice tea each night and gargle with salt water to help your voice recover. You may do the harmonies or extra vocal parts after each of the songs are completed or do the parts at the end.

Thanks to my wonderful vocal coaches along the way for all of their wisdom and advice: Ann Ruckert http://www.ruckertmusic.com/, Orville Heyn http://www.orvilleheyn.com/ and Micah Barnes http://www.singersplayground.com/.

Happy singing!

SOCAN Appears at Supreme Court Hearing on Music Copyright

by admin on December 06, 2011

Seeks Fair Remuneration for Internet Uses of Music.

SOCAN is appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada today and tomorrow to represent the interests of its members, Canadian music creators and publishers, in three copyright cases related to the use of music on the internet by large telecommunications and broadcasting corporations.

SOCAN will appear before Canada’s highest court on behalf of the more than three million music creators and publishers it represents in Canada to support the decision made by the Copyright Board of Canada and confirmed by the Federal Court of Appeal to licence the use of music on the internet by several of these multi-billion dollar corporations, including Rogers, Bell, Telus, Apple, and Shaw.

“We have a situation right now in which businesses that are making large profits from the use of copyright-protected music on the internet don’t want to compensate the creators of that music,” said Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN. “In an earlier appeal, the Copyright Board and the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed the right to fair remuneration to music creators and publishers for such internet uses, and it is our hope that the Supreme Court will do the same.”

Composers, lyricists, songwriters, and publishers earn much of their living through royalties collected by music copyright collectives, such as SOCAN, in the form of licence fees paid by businesses in Canada that use music as part of their operations. The current case before the Supreme Court addresses the use of music online in the form of downloads and musical previews, as well as the use of music in online games. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to be delivered in 2012.

About SOCAN
SOCAN is a not-for-profit organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of over three million Canadian and international music creators and publishers. SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in supporting the long-term success of its more than 100,000 Canadian members, as well as the Canadian music industry. SOCAN collects licence fees from over 42,000 businesses coast to coast and distributes royalties to its members and peer organizations around the world. SOCAN also distributes royalties to its members for the use of Canadian music around the world in collaboration with its peer societies.q

Writing a good bio

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

I have been trying to write a solid bio. In all honesty, I have discovered that I cannot write a bio to save my life. While, I may be a writer, I am not good at writing my own story. I have tried countless times. It has become clear that I can provide the facts and that is it. I am unsure what is interesting to people in my story…gee I hope there is something interesting.

I decided it was time to find a writer to help me. When you put your money where your mouth is you really start to see the kind of bios that are right for you. If you are famous, with many notable achievements, the bio appears to be easier. You can string the accomplishments together and provide a few amazing quotes. If you are an up and coming creative type, they amazing quotes and facts may be sparse…you need to tell a story that is full of the artist’s personality and story.

A friend told me a great story the other day. He was in the store trying to buy a bottle of wine. His budget dictated what bottles he could chose from. He had three bottles in front of him. Two of the bottles had beautiful labels that described the wine and their fruit overtones. The third bottle had a label which told the story about the vitner’s dream of having a vineyard, and the how the vitner wanted to give the proceeds to the charity they supported. My friend bought the bottle of wine with the story of the vitner’s dream. It seems that people love to read stories about people’s dreams and the obstacles they have overcome.

With music, it seems we all use words and notes and talented musicians to make and record music. The difference is the individual and the fire in their belly. The story about the music intrigues the fan to listen. Maybe the artist had another career and quit everything to pursue music. Maybe the artist woke in the night with a voice telling them to pursue their dream. Maybe the artist was sick while pursuing some other life pursuit and to heal the artist needed to create. There are countless amazing stories to be told – but it has to relate to the music you are making.

There are a lot of contradictory views of how to write a bio on the Internet. My favourite article on how to write a bio is: http://www.themusicsnob.com/2008/07/25/write-band-artist-biography/. While, this article tells you what not to do, it does not provide a sample of a good indie artist bio. I read a bunch of different sites, and I was left feeling like I didn’t know where to start. I looked at Ariel Hyatt’s suggestion of how to position yourself by describing yourself with artist’s that others know (Music Success in 9 weeks) http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com/. Dan Kimpel doesn’t seem to be a fan of this. To Ariel’s credit, it does help people classify your music so they have a reference point. Another good link is: http://www.indie-music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4506.

If you are totally confused after reading these links, you will know where I am. The funny thing is, I feel like I know what works for me. I am not the music press, however. It is time to get some more help. Please let me know what you think!!

Ten Things to Do to Prepare for a Recording Project

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

If you are working on your first or subsequent album, this post is for you. For me, this second CD is very different from my first time because I have more experience with the process — just less time (two children, a home and countless responsibilities). I have become rather good at multi-tasking – except for last night when I was changing a chart, watching the kids swim, steaming veggies, talking on the phone and burning the salmon on the BBQ.

Since the topic of recording is on my mind — as I am going into the studio next week to put down the bed tracks — I thought I would share with you my quick top ten steps for getting ready for the studio (I may have missed some and I am sure I will pay for that later

1. Write the songs – keep 15 of them or so. I have written around 50 songs for the past few years. I have also ventured into cowriting – which I highly recommend. The new ideas and approaches make for great songs. Mark down your favorites.

2. Test your material. Go out and play the songs to anyone who will here them. Ask which ones people liked and resonated with them, and write them down. Find out which songs sounded like they could go on one album (common sound, theme, etc.). Ask your FB or MS friends too. The decision is yours but a little feedback from others may reveal parts in your songs that do or don’t work.

3. Rough record your best 15 to 20 songs on your own – voice and piano/guitar and your recording software. The recording doesn’t have to be great, just good enough for someone to listen to and experience the song. You will need these recordings for the producer and any players.

4. Interview producers. I suggest meeting with some of your favorite producers and asking them questions. Feel which one is right for you. When you think you know, test your instincts and produce a song with them. A full album is a lot of songs and the personality, talent and financial fit of a producer is critical.

5. Create a budget for your project. While you are at it, start your album’s business plan. From what I have learned you need about $1500 to $2000 per song unless you do it yourself or have lots of nice friends. After you meet with the producers you will have a great sense of this. Who knows, you may decide to produce it yourself…

6. Pick a producer – Pick your favorite. Find out which songs resonate with them. Play live or pull out those recordings! Also, ask for the financial breakdown and timeline for your project. Find out whether or not there is any marketing help available or if it is just recording.

7. Pick the songs. With the selected songs, ensure that the songs are sorted out — good structure, arrangement, lyrics. You may need to re-rechord based on your producers’ feedback – the songs may be cleaned up. Sometimes you may even need to go off and write a few more tunes. Maybe your producer will co-write one with you.

8. Make the charts – This step is a bit of work, but every musician should do it — it is great experience. You will intimately understand what your music is doing in terms of chords, melody lines and timing. You need to write good charts – if your handwriting isn’t very neat, there are lots of great tools.

9. Hire your musicians (unless you have a band). This step may be looked after by your producer. I give my musicians binders with lyrics, charts and mp3s. We rehearse one or two times before we go into the studio.

10. Book the studio (seems to be about around $650 for 10 hours with an engineer) to get those bed tracks down. Again, if you are working with a producer this step may be taken care of.

It is time to record. You will record the bed tracks, the vocals, etc. Once the producer has finessed the tracks in Logic or ProTools — the songs will have to be mixed and mastered. There will be many junctures for listening and tweeking along the way.

After I am out of the studio, I will venture into the marketing side of this CD (the business plan). Stay tuned. Lots to do and learn. As always, I would love to hear from you!!

10 Things to Do When Recording an Indie Music Project

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

A few blogs ago, I talked about the 10 Things to Do When Preparing for an Indie Music Recording Project. That checklist served me well, I was able to go into the studio and record 9 bedtracks in 16 hours. The musicians were pros, the producer was incredibly organized, the engineer was inspiring, and the food was healthy and abundant!! What an amazing day.

No one could understand how we could record so many songs in one studio day. That question was the inspiration for this next blog post. I do want to point out that we rented the studio for another 12 hours to complete the last song, add overdubs, record a percussionist, flutist, and trumpet player on a bunch of songs. This session was also incredibly organized and fun – thanks to the producer and the other great people involved. The schedule was clear, the charts were perfect, the musicians were practised and the food was good. We slipped on the schedule a little, but that happens when magic and inspiration are involved.

Note – keep in mind that this checklist is from the perspective of an indie artist trying to help other indie artists. I am sure people who work in a studio or run these projects all the time could do a better job of this checklist. Feel free to comment if I have missed anything big!!

So here are the 10 Things to Do When Recording an Indie Music Project:

1. Prepare for the studio day(s). If your producer doesn’t do it, create a good schedule for what needs to be done and the timing. When you know who is coming and when, make the day enjoyable. Prepare healthy food, snacks and drinks. Also, bring the checkbook to ensure that you can pay your players there so you don’t have to chase them down.

2. Record rough tracks of the songs (piano and vocals) in advance and play them back at the studio for the musicians. These mp3s and charts are sent to the band prior to rehearsals. At the rehearsal we nail down the arrangements and record our best version to play back at the studio on the day to refresh memories.

3. Use the rough vocal and click tracks in the studio. This is a key element for the producer/engineer to work with. Also, I can’t exactly sing live as my voice would bleed into my live grand piano part.

4. Record bed tracks on the main instruments (drums, bass, guitar, piano). On the first studio day, we already have the arrangements worked out. Once all the bugs in the set-up are worked out and we have a good monitor mix (we could hear each other well), we are able to get a great take of each song in an hour or so. The drum, guitar, bass, and piano are core instruments in this project.

* Note – make sure the piano is tuned and you have played it in advance. If you are recording on piano for two session – ensure you are using the same piano, tuner, etc. You will also want to ensure that all the instruments are tuned – good to check before starting each song!

5. Record any additional instruments and overdubs or changes on a new day. On the second full day in the studio we are able to finish our last tracks and develop the arrangements on our existing tracks by bringing in other musicians (flute, percussion, trumpet, electric guitar, choir, etc.). These players are given mp3s and charts for their parts in advance.

6. Record final vocals and harmonies. Once there is a good mix of the songs, it is time to record killer vocals on top of smoking hot instrumental tracks. This session may warrant another studio date, or it can be done in a place that has great equipment and there is a person providing vocal direction! I think I mentioned this before in my blog, but I will do it again. It is so important to be in your best voice and instrumental shape possible – a few lessons wouldn’t hurt. It is amazing to see how fast your vocal recording goes when you are prepared and your voice is the best it can be.

7. Listen to the mixes of each song for a few weeks. You need time to live with your music on every device, under different life situations. If it is part of your strategy, share these mixes with your close friends, family, fans, writing circles to get feedback. Only write down the feedback that resonates with you. These weeks are important – sometimes you need to change the mix. Sometimes the artist has a different view than the producer and/or person doing the mix. You may need to make changes, additions, re-record vocals or parts.

8. Make final mixes of your songs based on feedback and your gut instincts. The artist has to love it – the artist is the one who has to promote it!! Don’t leave your songs now – help them grow and be free!!

9. Pay all of these amazing people, receive receipts and give them thank you notes or nice cookies. I love this part. I love listening to the magic the musicians make–hopefully they move you (give you goosebumps). I love giving them money to help them continue on their journey. It feels like our culture thinks art should be free – IT ISN’T. These beautiful people need money to survive too…embrace the payment process. If you can’t pay, find a way you can help them with their projects.

10. Love what you are doing and show it. It is the best experience of your musical life. Enjoy the music, the musicians, the engineers, the process, etc. This is real world education.

Stay tuned to the posts on mastering, legals, CD dup. artwork, launch plan etc.

Review of “Your Successful CD Release”

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

As part of my upcoming CD launch, I have been combing through a number of business plans. I have found one that I really like by Dave Cool and Peter Spellman called “Your Successful CD Release”. This plan is money well spent because there are a great deal of tools to get you going and it is not too intimidating. I won’t lie – it is a ton of work! This particular plan is very focused on keeping the artist on the right track. It is also very current.

Here are some of the things I loved about it:

1. The helpful checklists at the end of each section. I used these checklists to do a quick list of things I needed to do each day to get that section of the plan done.

2. Using artists with great examples in each section. This plan highlights indie artists like Ember Swift, Rob Szabo, etc. These examples really drove home the points about goal setting and how many shows you need to be playing.

3. I really liked seeing some of the links to services and offerings, such as links to house concert services, indie helpers and merchandise providers. The helpful sites are abundant in this site (if there were even more I wouldn’t complain).

4. I loved the concept of the promo box on your desktop…great trick from Derek Sivers. There are so many times you have to upload all of this information to a variety of sites.

5. I found the more warm and fuzzy side of this plan. There is a suggestion about tangible goal setting and even visualization. The quotes from non-music related coaches were refreshing.

6. The Tip and Resource boxes in the plans were amazing. I found that the tips were not obvious and the resources lead me directly to web links with the pertinent links. The resource boxes are the best! Thank you…thank you! This makes my job easier.

7. I like the conversation about street teams…I haven’t seen much good discussion about how to use your team.

8. The marketing spreadsheet is a fantastic tool. I recreated it and filled in my information. A spreadsheet which details your potential spend on your Cd would be good too (may be another plan). Are there any metrics on how much money you should put aside to market the CD, as opposed to creating the CD? At a seminar, I once heard Terry Brown (former producer of Rush) say to some indie artists that if they are spending $30,000 on your CD you should at least expect $100,000 to market it properly.

The few things I would have liked to see in this plan, are even more artist examples as this lessens my work and gives me new ways of looking at things. There are so many clever indie musicians out there with great ideas and angles. Also, I would have liked to see more talk about the team that is required to be successful. A CD launch only seems as good as the team that is surrounding it. What have some of the artists mentioned done in terms of team?

So, my advice, if you are launching a CD, buy this document and write it. There is a great deal of thinking, research, and writing to do, but the information here will help you prepare for success. You will be humbled by the amount of work it is to get your music out there. If your music is great, it is worth taking the time to do the marketing work! Thanks Dave and Peter!!

House Concerts: the new reality for an age-old tradition

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

By Heather Hill

House Concerts are a wonderful way for musicians to play in intimate venues, sell CDs, charge admission and meet new fans. There seems to be growing interest and participation in house concerts for many musicians I know. They are adopting some of the former parlour experiences of our ancestors! There is one exception…the model in the past included the talents of the audience as well.

When I was at Songstudio this summer in Toronto, Ron Hines, a prolific east coast, canadian songwriter reminded me of the days of old. He said that every member of his family (young and old) would take a song, poem, joke, dance, cookie to their host’s home and perform for everyone there. They did these house/parlour concerts so often, their creative muscles were well toned.

My mom and dad also experienced this house concert concept growing up in small town or rural Ontario, Canada. I was lucky enough to have had it in my life. My mom’s rural family got together and sang songs around the piano, played cards, brought baking, told stories and jokes. In the days of radio (and a lot less or no tv/movies), they enjoyed each other’s company. My dad’s extended family gatherings always included each family member getting up and playing the guitar, singing and story telling.

This form of entertainment which is what we now call “user-generated content” is coming back. I have enjoyed watching a number of my musician friends welcomed into people’s living rooms to play a few sets on their piano or guitar. The evening is warm and intimate and reminiscent of the past in many ways. This house concert format is wonderful for the musician to take away the pressure of putting “bums in seats” and then having to pay a lot of bills at the end of the night. The fan pays at the door to listen and a deeper bond is formed with the performer.

The house concerts of the past were a little different in that there was not a focus on money for talent because everyone contributed a talent. There was a big focus on community and the fun that entertaining each other brings. The house concert of today is just an intimate venue with one performer and a host (that offers food/friends for a bit of the price of admission). Nonetheless, there are a few new takes on the house concert model because of technology. Now, the musician can host online from their own living room and not have to offer tea and cookies (or clean under the piano).

Out at the Westcoast Songwriters Conference (WCS) there was talk of a new paradigm for house concerts at the session called “Play for Pay” by Evan Lowenstein and Karmina. Evan is the CEO of Stageit – “A front row seat to a backstage experience” http://www.stageit.com. You broadcast live from your laptop in your living room in real-time. Fan pay to hear you play. Check it out!! Why not rehearse your material online – get paid to play your set!!

Well, this is a modern take on an old concept, but I love what it is about. I believe fans still want to enjoy live music. They want to experience music. And yes, they do want to pay a musician for their time and talents. I just think it is time to take back some of the old world models and connect with people in our living rooms. Like-minded people come into your home to consume your art-form–they are not strangers, they are friends.

I run a songwriting guild and it has served this need for community so far. Eight to ten writers come into my home regularly and each member brings a song. We talk about the songs and support each other. We eat cookies and drink tea. The parlour of the past looks a little different but it keeps us connected and constantly creating.

So anyway, I am so inspired by these concerts, I am going to have an old fashioned holiday party this year…we will sing songs around the piano and each person (kids included) can bring a talent! I can’t wait. I may be doing the bulk of performing because people haven’t flexed some of their talent muscles for a few years, but it is a good time to start.

Write to me and tell me what your experiences of house concerts have been like.

Actioning your lyrics to intensify your performance

by Heather Hill on December 02, 2011

As a songwriter, I was not as familiar with the rehearsal and performance technique by actors called “actioning”. While working on my upcoming album, my producer, Orville Heyn, and his wife, Julia Paton (an acting teacher at Seneca College), asked me to “action” each line of my lyrics. You can imagine the look on my face. They gave me two resources for this homework: The Actor’s Thesaurus by Marina Caldarone & Magie Lloyd-Williams and an example of Tori Amos’ lyric with the actions for “Slient All These Years”.

So, what is actioning and how will I do it to my lyrics? I learned from the intro of the thesaurus written by Terry Johnson that “actioning provides the stimulation for the actor to directly play each line of the text, and develop alternative ways of bringing the character(s) to life.” Actioning keeps an actor from becoming automatic or monotonous when delivering lines. When the actor plays a specific action on each sentence, the performance will be interesting. Bringing this technique to lyrics does the same thing. When a performer is aware of the action in each line, the story comes alive…the focus is on the interesting character.

Actioning comes from Stanislavski (1863-1938) a Russion actor/producer who wanted to enhance the emotional depth and truth in performance. His system is widely practised around the world. Many directors use this rehearsal technique, eg. Max Stafford-Clark a famous British director.

Before defining the action for a line of text, you need to define your objective (or what the character wants). Actioning is a way of achieving an objective. An action word is a specific transitive verb that describes what the character is doing to another character. For example, “would you like some water” could be performed different ways depending on the objective of the character. Action words might be to cheer, seduce, fear, befriend, etc. If the objective is to welcome the person by offering water, the action word “to befriend” is the best choice.

Knowing that I need to embody the character and find specific transitive verbs, I looked at the first set of lines from the Tori Amos song “Silent all these years”. Orville Heyn provided the actioning interpretation and following analysis:

“Silent All These Years” – Tori Amos

Excuse me but can I be you for a while (to wish)
My dog won’t bite if you sit real still (to warn)
I got the anti-Christ in the kitchen yellin’ at me again (to amuse)
Yeah I can hear that (to provoke)
Been saved again by the garbage truck (to belittle)
I got something to say you know (to search)
But nothing comes (to admit)
Yes I know what you think of me (to confirm)
You never shut-up (to insult)
Yeah I can hear that (to roll one’s eyes)

But what if I’m a mermaid (to dream)
In these jeans of his (to relish)
With her name still on it (to accuse)
Hey but I don’t care (to confide)
Cause sometimes (to consider)
I said sometimes (to confirm)
I hear my voice (to inform)
And it’s been here (to cherish)
Silent All These Years (to lose) etc. etc. (email me for the rest at heather@hillplay.com)

After studying this example, I could not believe the range of emotions I experienced in each line. It was a complex and fulfilling journey. I felt I understood the song better.

I tried using actioning on my own lyrics. I found a couple of incredible things. First it is easier to memorize your lyrics when you put in this kid of effort. Also, I had written some lines that I didn’t completely understand until working this process. Sometimes lyrics have meanings that are not obvious, they just sound good so we go with them. Furthermore, I had to embody the character in the song, which turned out to be a great exercise. I found that the more dramatic the actions, the easier it was to deliver the lines.

For example, I have a song about my son being treated poorly at school called “Find Your Way”. The song is from the mother’s perspective. In the bridge, my action goes from trying to calm him to pleading with him. This dramatic tension brings a greater emotional punch to the delivery of the song.

In another song of mind called “Leuty Station” I wasn’t totally clear what the objective of the character was in this song…I just thought is was a journey to a beach on a stormy day. I learned the song was about escaping life and responsibilies and being galvanized by the elements to that the character could return to their normal life with new strength.

While actioning takes time, I have found that it is worth the effort if you want to truly perform your songs with as much emotion and clarity as possible for your audience. Give it a try!

Phone Numbers Are History, Thanks to SocialDial

by admin on November 29, 2011

Bababoo, Inc. today (Nov 29,2011) announced the release of SocialDial, a new, free mobile app for both iPhone and Android that lets you call and text Facebook and LinkedIn friends without having to know their phone numbers. Users simply log in once to their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and SocialDial builds a new address book that includes all their friends and contacts. Users can call or text any of them simply by touching on their name.

“For the last 130 years, the only way you could call someone was to have their phone number, it was their unique identity, their only identity as far as the telephone company was concerned,” said Randy Adams, CEO of Bababoo, Inc. “But today we have lots of unique identities, our Facebook name, our LinkedIn name and our email address, just to name a few. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to call someone based on those identities, and that’s exactly what SocialDial lets you do.”

SocialDial expands your mobile phone book to include people on your social network and lets you communicate with anyone in that network by texting or calling them. SocialDial typically doubles the number of people you can call or text. And with SocialDial you never have to give away your phone number and can block anyone from calling or texting. It’s the ultimate in phone privacy.

SocialDial also lets you make group calls; you can instantly set up an invitation-only conference call among people on your social network as well as people on your regular phone list. And unlike VoIP systems that produce poor quality calls on mobile phones, SocialDial uses your carrier’s local connection to provide the highest quality call possible while greatly reducing the cost of international calls. SocialDial is available free of charge on the company’s web site http://socialdial.com.

Company DescriptionFounded in 2010, Bababoo, Inc. is a next generation communications company, developing and deploying software and services which provide innovative solutions to consumer communications (text, voice, video and data) across the social graph. Bababoo specializes in identity-based interconnections for voice and data, circumventing traditional legacy-based numeric identities (telephone numbers) and instead allows consumers to connect via their unique social identities (email address, LinkedIn, Facebook identities, etc.).

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