Everything’s gone green - The world of mistrust music

Not exactly music-related, but some news anyway. I’ve recently had an article published in a popular e-learning magazine in the USA. I wrote about how young kids are growing up learning the language of the World Wide Web and how we should encourage them to become proficient in using the internet at an early age. The article was reproduced from my own e-learning blog that someone from the magazine found a while ago, and asked if they could publish it. I’m quite chuffed, as you can imagine, and it just adds to the the list of other articles/letters I’ve had published in the last year or two (eg in Future Music magazine).

You can read the whole thing (and the rest of the magazine) online in a virtual magazine reader here at E-Learning Magazine’s website (go to page 50 of the NextBook edition.) or see it in its original form on my e-learning blog.

Also…. I’m seriously considering moving all my other blogs into one place (here!) as it’s easier for me to keep tabs on what I’m writing and who’s reading them.

I’ve been using Acid Pro, samples, plugins, etc for ages but I’m now seriously thinking of going “hardware” (much more fun!). Thought about getting a basic mixer but I need more flexible routing and control (MIDI/Audio), and someone recommended the Presonus Firestudio. It looks like it’s the sort of thing I need, so maybe someone who’s reading this has used one? I think it’s around £500 and seems to be worth it - it includes loads of plugins and comes with Cubase 4 LE, Reason Adapted, and loads of other stuff. I’ve already got a computer so it might be the complete package - it got a great review in MTM too! There’s an offer on at the moment where you get a rebate on the MSR remote control for the Firestudio….

Anyone else used one of these? If you have or can offer some advice, please let me know….It’s a big outlay so I want to get it right!

Just to let you know I’m finally in Music Tech Magazine for winning the Motif XS6 synthesizer! The article is in February’s edition - but in case you don’t want to buy it, the editor sent me a copy of the page, and I’ve attached it here as pdf (the whole page) and a jpeg (click to see the whole pic).

Other news…
the manager of a band from New Zealand called “Pitch Black” has said I can have a go at doing a remix of a track from their new CD, “Rude Mechanicals”. If it’s good enough, it’ll appear on the band’s remix CD and as a download on music sites like iTunes and Beatport. More on that soon when I decide which track I want to have a go at….

Non-music stuff: we took Paul to see a residential school in Shrewsbury today. Absolutely amazing place. Part of a 16th century hall and estate. Class sizes are usually 2 students and one teacher - it’s for kids with autism. He sounds relatively keen on it, but we’ll have a job on convincing the education authority to pay for him. It’s around £30,000 per year!

Page from MTM magazine reproduced by kind permission of Music Tech Magazine/Anthem Publishing/Yamaha UK (c)

Just came across an interesting site which gives a really good breakdown on the things you need to do these days to get your music “out there”. It’s been set up by Last FM, the music networking site, who are calling the site “Now form a band”, and has a manifesto of “The Campaign for Better Music”. Aren’t we all looking for better music? Well, hopefully this will explain….

The Campaign for Better Music is here to say: it doesn’t have to be like the old days. We’re going to show you how to produce, promote and distribute your music, without spending a load of money, and without lots of other people getting involved.

Have look for more information over at

Now form a Band…. 

I’ve tried to write about music-related things recently (when I’ve actually had time to get on the computer!), as that’s what my main interest is. I struggle as a bedroom (or rather, lounge - as in where the tv, sofa, children, wife, etc. live) musician, hoping that my tunes will make it onto some tv or movie blockbuster, so I can invest in some better recording equipment. That may not happen for a while or a long time, so the only way I can seriously get some decent gear is to either steal it (no way), borrow it (who from?), or win it. Which brings me nicely onto the fact that I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago on the new Music Tech Magazine Ning community, saying what a great place the site is. Then a few days ago, I got an email from the site admin people, saying they’d used my blog post in the latest edition of the magazine and I’d won the prize for “Star Letter.” Talk about chuffed. My ramblings published in a major music tech magazine, and winner of Letter of the Month. The prize? A “Rode” studio microphone, complete with all the trimmings. Not bad, eh.

If you’re into music production, music technology, or anything like that, get yourself over to Music Tech Ning and join in….