Jennifer Higdon , Blue Cathedral San Francisco Symphony Orchestra , Stephane Deneve (Conductor) PROGRAM NOTES : “ blue cathedral” Blue…like the sky. Where all possibilities soar. Cathedrals…a place of thought, growth,  spiritual expression…serving as a symbolic doorway in to and out of this world. Blue  represents all potential and the progression of journeys. Cathedrals represent a place of  beginnings, endings, solitude, fellowship, contemplation, knowledge and growth. As I  was writing this piece, I found myself imagining a journey through a glass cathedral in  the sky. Because the walls would be transparent, I saw the image of clouds and blueness  permeating from the outside of this church. In my mind's eye the listener would enter from the back of the sanctuary, floating along the corridor amongst giant crystal pillars,  moving in a contemplative stance. The stained glass windows ' figures would start moving with song, singing...

5 TOP Music Promotion Tips for Bands Follow these tips when promoting your music online. CONTENT: Free and members only online music promotion websites have revolutionized the music industry . From Reverb Nation , to You Tube , to i-Tunes, you and your band are expected to know a few things about basic marketing before marketing your music to the masses. Follow these tips below to create a great online band portfolio. AFFORDABLE MUSIC COACHING AT MUSICXRAY 1) Have a vision and set a goal. Who are you? What does your band stand for? What is your niche? Are you rock? Are you jazz? Are you hip hop? Find out who listens to your band and find out where they are. Do they frequent coffee shops? Do they hang by the beach, the basketball court, colleges, or the kitchen? You do not need to appeal to everyone to be successful. In fact, when you appeal to everyone, then you just begin to sound like elevator music. Find a vision for your band and set a goal. For example, when in grad s...

Success in Music During the Digital Age How can a musician achieve success during the Digital Age? Can we all be the next Lady Gaga or Bieber? What does it take to make it in the 21 century?  In the last several years, you might have noticed that some big name "oldies" bands have hit the road again. Why? Because they can make more money on concert tickets and music merch. Some bands need this to survive (or to at least keep up with their mega mansions and lifestyles), but I think that the majority of musicians that are going to make it today will have to be content with less lavish lifestyles and fame. Sure, we will always have the Lady Gaga and the Bieber making their way through the music scene , but there will be thousands of other musicians balancing a "day job" with their love of music. I think that part of the digital revolution is the new definition of "success". Does a successful musician have to have a limo, three mansions, and a dozen o...

"We are not entertainers, we are sound scientists." - Kraftwerk Modulations is a feature-length documentary produced by George Gund and directed by Iara Lee which captures a moment in history where humans and machines are fusing to create today's most exciting sounds. It traces the evolution of electronic music as one of the most profound artistic developments of the 20th century. By cutting back and forth between avant garde composers, Kraftwerk's innovative synthesizer drones, Giorgio Moroder 's glacial Euro-disco , Afrika Bambaataa 's electro-funk and Prodigy 's current worldwide superstarstardom, Modulations celebrates, replicates and illuminates the nomadic drift of the post-human techno sound. The film examines the kids who have turned the turntable into a musical instrument , disillusioned disco lovers who created acid house out of primitive synthesizers, Motor City mavericks who saw the drum machine as their escape route out of urban...

10 Money-Saving Tips for Musicians: Create Music Without Breaking the Bank  1. Work from a home studio . Snapshot of my home studio. You can literally save thousands by investing in a basic home studio. You can start with just a quiet room (or a room padded with rugs to insulate), a computer, and some basic software. You will have to look into what you need. Do you mostly mix beats with some sampled vocals? Then a PC and a good mic is probably all you need. Do you work with video and music? Then you will need a faster computer and software that allows for scoring to music. Do you have a live band? Then look into a home studio set up where the recording equipment and the band are separated by a room (or dividers, at least). While it is ideal to be able to record with top-notch engineers in a sweet acoustic space, most folks do not have the cash to back it. Instead of letting your project sit and get stale, get your hands dirty and learn how to record from home. Then release...

So how important is social media for the musician today? Well, to be honest, many  musicians underestimate the power of social media while other musicians have a tendency to rely solely on the power of the Internet. However, the reality is that musicians need to balance their use of social media marketing and one on one interaction with their fans. For example, you might have the most amazing band on the face of the planet. But if your only audience member is your grandmother then there really is no point to your band other than making Nana happy (not a bad goal, but probably not what you are shooting for).  Now what could a musician do to enhance his or her band web presence?   One thing you could do is a simple GarageBand recording. Get a digital recorder or a laptop or a tablet, even your smartphone, and record the band playing. Then use one of many free web hosting sites to create a simple band page. Shoot a couple selfies of the band or put up a video of...