First Vietnam Casualty Honored In Nashville

Since it opened in 1947, there have been many presentations at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop’s Midnite Jamboree. But, none made as many people in the crowd any more emotional as the one on Saturday, November 19. The family of James Thomas Davis were in attendance at the WSM Radio show that evening, as Davis – as well as all Vietnam War veterans who laid down their lives for the United States – was celebrated. On December 22, 1961, Davis, a Tennessee native, was traveling the Vietnam countryside under orders from President John Kennedy. He was intercepting radio transmissions of the Vietcong to help...

Concert Review: Brandon Rickman in Atlanta, GA

Singer-songwriter, Brandon Rickman kicked off a solo performance tour at the Red Light Café in Atlanta Thursday night. It was just last week, Rickman, lead vocalist of the Lonesome River Band, performed with the group on the Late Show with David Letterman with special guest Steve Martin. J.R from Atlanta’s WFRG Radio 89.3 FM, introduced Rickman who drew fans as far away as Statham, GA. Carlo and Sally Cellucci traveled well over an hour to see...

How To Install A Replacement Pickup

Have you ever wanted to replace the pickups in one of your electrics, but were hesitant to tackle the job? No worries! John LeVan—an ace guitar repairman in Nashville—takes you step-by-step through the process. One of my favorite projects is pickup installation. There’s something very satisfying about taking a pile of wires, coils, and potentiometers and turning them into an awesome tone machine. Recently, I had the opportunity to install...

Songwriting - The Groove

It’s hard to image now, but a lot of the uproar over rock and roll music in the fifties was the beat: that infectious R&B influenced groove that inspired an entire group of poets, writers, artists and performers to be called the Beat Generation, and led a teenaged John Lennon to call his new band the Beatles. White parents thought the primal beat of rock and roll would put their impressionable, hormonally excited teenagers into a catatonic, euphoric, trance-like...

The Unwanted: A Photographer’s Perspective On The Music Industry Today

I have to wonder when media and concert photographers became the unwanted step-children of the music industry. . Over the last decade, the industry as undergone some significant changes in the way media is allowed – or, more aptly put, not allowed – access to artists, concerts and events. We used to be wanted, even needed, by artists who understood that it was our photos, our articles, that helped them get to where they are today.

Digital Recording and Work Tapes

The term “work tape” is, of course, completely outdated, but the term is still widely in use even if the recording is actually on your iPhone. A work tape is meant to be a simple record of the results of a writing session, but with the proper approach and some reasonably-priced gear it can serve as much more. The first thing to consider is what you record on. Recording to your phone may be convenient, but the audio quality is not going to be very good. If anyone else...

Songwriting - Structure Basics

The structure of a song is the framework the song is built on, the bones, the skeleton. I normally look at two basic forms with students, the classic American pop or country form of verse / chorus / bridge, and what I unscientifically refer to as the classic “early Beatle British pop” form of a/a/b/a – both of which can incorporate infinite variations within the basic forms. This article breaks down the elements of the classic American pop / country form in a very basic way.

10 Posture Tips for Studio Singing

Posture sounds like a technical, cold word. But you wouldn't believe how assuming a better one can change your life as a recording studio vocalist. Here are 10 essential posture tips when in the vocal booth. 1. Stand with your feet in farther towards the mic than you're used to. Ask the engineer to make this possible, which may entail a longer boom stand position so you can move under it. You may need...

“Gathering” Ideas For Your Songs

I love the fall. Here in Nashville it seems like summer just keeps hanging on. Then finally...those cooler nights and mornings. We get a first glimpse that the season is about to change as the leaves slowing turn into those gorgeous reds, oranges and golden browns. Growing up in northeastern Ohio with vibrant maple trees everywhere is one of my favorite childhood memories. I know this will sound crazy, but I still like the chore of raking leaves, watching the way they lilt...

Top 19 Causes of Vocal Strain

If you are serious about your voice, now is always the right time to get to the bottom of any vocal strain you are experiencing. The first step is of course to identify the possible cause(s). Here are the top 19 causes of vocal strain I see in singers and speakers: 1. Bad Breathing Technique: ...inhaling too high in chest, too much or uncontrolled breath pressure applied to vocal cords. 2. Tight Throat Channel: ...tightness where nose, throat and mouth meet at the...

Songwriting – Style

I’ve written this article as a broad overview of the attitude of style in songwriting, not as a detailed exposition of genres, styles and techniques. The best way to understand particular musical classifications (pop, country, R&B, blues, gospel) is to listen to them a lot. Or be born into that culture. Describing music with words is like trying to describe a color to a blind man. So for the purposes of discussion here, I am talking about generalized...

Concert Review: Hunter Hayes in Atlanta

For those in attendance at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA, on November 3rd, the evening proved to be an extremely memorable one. Gathered to see Hunter Hayes perform his first show in Atlanta, the crowd got much more than a just a concert. The doors at the venue opened at 7:30pm, just about the same time that power went out throughout the entire neighborhood. With fears of...

Songwriting: Strength in Numbers

The actual act of songwriting can be looked at or considered a job; there is a lot of work involved. From choosing the music to deciding the song title is all countless hours of work and decision making. Even if you don’t necessarily have any major placements with labels or big name artist. Doing the work and perfecting your craft is all considered work and being a songwriter is your job that will pay off in time. Of course the ultimate accomplishment

A Songwriter's Primer on Digital Music Formats

We songwriters and musicians are often very old-school in how we work. Most of us still write and perform primarily on acoustic guitars, and I personally have yet to encounter a keyboard that is as gratifying to play as my little Baldwin console piano. But advancements in technology have moved quickly over in recent years, and we risk being left behind by the rest of the musical world if we don't have a basic understanding of digital media...

New Artist Spotlight: The Dirt Drifters

Words like “gritty” come to mind when The Dirt Drifters take to the stage. Of course, there’s no shortage of grit out there, but something in the sound of this five-piece separates it from the pack. Maybe it’s the vivid images on these 11 tracks performed by band members: drummer Nick Diamond, lead singer/guitarist Matt Fleener, singer/guitarist Ryan Fleener, bassist Jeremy Little and singer/guitarist Jeff Middleton. The images — cigarettes and beer cans on...