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Head Above Music is a community of musicians providing tips and advice
about music, songwriting, gear, booking, touring, travel and health.
Here is some insight on what performing musicians have learned from
their journeys.
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Friday, September 3, 2010 |
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Vocal Tip ~ 1 ~ The “Instant Fix”
By Cari Cole
This is a quick trick that makes you sound better instantly so I’ve named it the “Instant Fix”.
Say A-E-I-O-U (watch your jaw movement in the mirror)
Did your jaw close on any of the vowels? I’m sure they did.
Do it again. Watch.
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Posted by admin at 08:37 AM
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Monday, August 30, 2010 |
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Your First Recording Session
By Brandon McHose
Austin, TX
 
The first time you record is one of the most exciting moments in your musical career. It’s the first time you sound “professional” and it’s the first time you feel like it’s all about YOU and your record.
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Posted by admin at 08:23 AM
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Monday, August 23, 2010 |
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NEW RECORD: THE HORSE LATITUDES
By John Common
 
THE DOLDRUMS.
DEATH VALLEY.
4AM.
THE DIFFICULT MIDDLE.
PUEBLO.
DONNER PARTY.
These are all metaphors I’ve used to describe what inevitably happens during any large scale creative undertaking–the making a record, for instance. It’s that barren, dusty, treacherous middle expanse filled with nagging depression and gnawing self-doubt that the Muse or God or Whomever places in our path to test our faith.
It forces us to answer the question, “How badly do I want this?”
As with all of my metaphors, this is just an ineffectual way of trying to convey something that feels complex and nuanced. And it’s also a great way to avoid working on my record. But the best metaphor I’ve found yet for this horrific middle expanse is THE HORSE LATITUDES.
Yes. The Horse Latitudes is a better metaphor–a bettaphor:
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Posted by admin at 07:53 AM
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Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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i hear so much complaining about this subject, i just wanted to lay my practical experience on you. free.
first, three pre-conditions:
1. if you are a very materialistic person, skip this article, i don’t think you are going to like what it says.
2. if you don’t have the music where you want it art-wise, you might want to go work on that, this article isn’t going to help you much either. you will be better off by practicing and studying and working on your music instead. you will need to get the art pretty close to where you want it, before you should worry about making much of a living out of it.
3. determine if you are actually called to be a musician. if you aren’t called, all the gyrations in the world, won’t make it work. if you are called, no matter what you do, it’s going to work. this determination will solve most of the problems you are going to encounter.
assuming these three conditions are met, you are financially workable and you have the music where you want it and you are surely called into the art, here goes, in no particular order as i am wont:
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Posted by admin at 10:27 AM
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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The Music Biz – it’s all about networking
By Peter Manhart
Chicago, IL
My name is Peter Manhart, and I am the frontman for the Chicago band Molehill. In the past year and a half my band has really started to hit its stride, and a lot of our recent success is thanks to networking in the music community.
Michael W. Dean wrote a book called “$30 music school”, and the part I remember the best is a story he told. Dean’s band Bomb was signed by a major label, and one day this guy comes up to him at his practice space and says he’s trying to get together as many bands as possible to commit to attending each other’s shows, so that they all have a crowd to play for all the time. Dean was cocky at the time and declined the offer. That man who had approached him ended up being the singer for Counting Crows, they got famous, and Dean’s band eventually faded away.
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Posted by admin at 08:29 AM
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Friday, August 6, 2010 |
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Independent Artist’s Daily And Monthly To-Do List
By Indie Vinny Ribas
As an independent artist or musician, you have a lot of responsibilities. Besides being a performer and a recording artist, you are also a business owner in charge of booking, dealing with contracts, marketing, PR, inventory management and much more. To improve your chances of success in the industry, it helps to know that both you and your business are running on all cylinders. That means insuring that everything that needs to be done is getting done, and nothing is overlooked or forgotten. Here are three short checklists that might help in this process:
Things to do daily (or no less than 3 times a week):
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Posted by admin at 08:10 AM
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Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
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Climbing the Wall While Not Being Signed
By Mimi Page
Los Angeles, CA
I started composing on the piano at 5 years old. What started out as a natural hobby turned into a daily necessity, and at age 15 I decided to make it my career. Easier said than done, especially in an era where the music industry is rapidly changing and making it harder and harder to catch a break. The more I put myself out there, the more I realized the days of being discovered and sponsored by a label’s big budget are dissipating. Overwhelmed, I had no other choice but to shift my perspective and embrace the challenge of doing this completely on my own.
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Posted by admin at 08:12 AM
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Friday, July 23, 2010 |
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The Skinny of Show Preparation
By Skinny Paul
I’ve been playing music on stage since I was 9 years old. I’ve tried it all when it comes to vocal show prep. Throat coats, vocal exercises, honey, cough syrups, and gum were always a way to get through shows when I was playing 3 or 4 nights a week. It took me “blowing my voice up” at 22 years old and never having it come back clear to learn from an E.N.T. Dr. on how to sing without hurting myself.
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Posted by admin at 08:31 AM
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Monday, July 19, 2010 |
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Leave Your Drama At Home: More Rockin’ And Less Squawkin’!
By Sheena Metal
No matter how we, as human beings, live our lives…drama happens. And the average musician has more drama than the crazy cat lady down the block has bags of used litter on her porch. At every turn, your average wannabe rockstar has a crazy squeeze, a crazier ex, a harem of would-be lovers, and a gaggle of insane stalkers. Then there’s the band drama, manager drama, club drama, fan drama, gear drama, and let’s not even get started on the online drama potential. Before you know it, your band makes “Desperate Housewives” look like 60 Minutes.
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Posted by admin at 08:51 AM
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Sunday, June 13, 2010 |
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BECAUSE I LOVE IT!
By Robert Rolfe Feddersen
When asked to do anything in the realm of music I am always flattered. Whether it be a performance, a song for a no budget film, or an article of advice for musicians. Here it is:
Play, write, record music because you love it. Any other motive is bullshit. I want to be a star, I don’t want to work, I want to be rich….etc. Although it does happen for some, it does not happen for most. Music first and foremost is something you feel, something you hear, and something you express. Make it mean something to YOU first. Honesty and truth when done well always gets through to the listener.
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Posted by admin at 06:18 PM
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keep looking »
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Sep 04, 2010
