Does a Band Need a Style?

Greetings!

I’ve been away from my blog while working on music for my new band, Gunslinger Saints.  We have enough material to release a CD, once our voices have gotten stronger and my mixing skills improve.

However, we are missing one key element: style.

So far, we have songs that are acoustic-folk, hip hop, techno, alternative, acoustechno, punk, and adult contemporary…  And one song that could barely pass as gospel, minus the lyrics.  There doesn’t seem to be a trend throughout our music.  Beck got away with it on “Odelay,” but at least there was a cohesive retro-sampled sound to his work.  We are missing that.

Do we need to re-style our music to fit one genre, or should we release a CD that transcends a single category?

As for fashion, we have a militant look to our band – If we can’t “wow” people with our music, at least we can always make them ill-at-ease with our presence.

At any rate, we are still making progress, and I will update this blog as we move along.  I will update the Musician’s Resources page later today.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Tom Delay to Quit “Dancing with the Stars”

I thought I would share this, in case anyone cared: Tom Delay to Quit Dancing with the Stars

Quitting Smoking the Old-Fashion Way: Cold Turkey

Greetings!

Well, today is the day I FINALLY quit smoking.  A friend/former co-worker had a heart attack from smoking, a petite female friend of mine had a heart attack from smoking, my dentist has been diagnosed with COPD from smoking, and a former co-worker/acquaintance (Brian Lephew) died at the age of 34 from a heart-related condition brought on by smoking.  How many more signs and clues do I need to see a trend going on here??

Thanks to my medications, I’m actually enjoying living again for the first time in years, and I do not want to do anything to shorten my time here on planet Earth.  So I’m going to quit smoking today simply by not smoking.  No patches, no pills, just discipline and willpower, as much as I can muster.

I am not on an anti-smoker crusade, but if you do smoke I do encourage to think about quitting.  The benefits of quitting outweigh the pleasure of smoking in the long run.

Please take great care of yourself and have a long life!

Best wishes,
Shannon

Vocal Training: Two Programs That Can Help You to Sing Better

One thing that is obviously clear to us in our band is that none of can sing very proficiently.  We can sing, but our voices are rather “unique,” to put it diplomatically.

So I did some research for online singing programs for us to learn vocal technique and style.  Here are two that I have found to be useful:

Singorama

Singorama costs $99.95 and comes with  28 audio files, software, and a PDF on how to warm-up and sing.  While it is not a very robust and the software seems cheap, it comes with a money back guarantee.  Personally, it is my second choice and I find some of the testimonials seems questionable.

Brett Manning’s Singing Success

Singing Success is my first choice.  It comes with a DVD and 12 CDs as well as a book showing the anatomy of the vocal mechanisms.  It costs $199, but comes in different payment plans to fit all types of budgets.  It has a series of vocal warm-ups, tricks to extend the vocal range without straining the vocal cords, and lessons on different types of singing styles.

Practice-Practice-PRACTICE!

Neither of these programs will make you an American Idol overnight.  It takes constant practice and a lot of patience to master these lessons correctly.  I do sense an improvement in my voice after two weeks, but I know I still have a lot of room to grow and master my voice.

Within the coming weeks, I will release a promotional single.  Hopefully by then I can demonstrate how these programs have been beneficial.

If not, then I might become the poster child for talentless singers.  Either way, I will be heard.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Side Effects of Xanax Addiction

Since many of my blog visitors seem interested in Xanax addiction, I found a source that gives more medical information on the subject: Side Effects of Xanax Addiction by Jennifer Marsh

More information can be found here:  The Ashton Manual

I hope this information helps people to get off of benzodiazepines.  They are much more powerful drugs than people realize.

Best wishes!
Shannon

A Band in Need of a Name

Greetings!

Well, the band name Gunslinger Saints has been basically panned by everyone I mentioned it to, so we need a new name.  Now taking suggestions.  (Within good taste, please!)

Best wishes!
Shannon

TennCare Solution: Behavorial Health Safety Net

As another chapter unfolds in my losing health insurance through TennCare, I fortunately found another system through my state-run psychiatric clinic: Behavorial Health Safety Net.

I’m still learning about this health care insurance, but so far I found out that I do qualify.  It has two components to it: Cover RX (covers my medications) and another plan to cover my psychiatrist appointments.  So I no longer need to fear going back into a severe, crippling depression once again.

If you are losing your TennCare insurance and use a state-run clinic for your psychiatric needs, ask about Behavorial Health Safety Net.  There is still treatment after TennCare vanishes.

I will post more information on this as I learn the process.  If I can help one person to keep his/her treatments going, then I have done my job with this post.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Technical Difficulties

WordPress had some “issues” this morning.  If my blog looks messed up again, please know that it is system-wide, not just my page.

Hopefully things will stay stable from here on out.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Article: Twelve Common Mixing Mistakes

If you are having difficulties mixing your tracks like I do, here is a great article by Michael Cooper: Twelve Common Mixing Mistakes

From the article:

As a mastering engineer, I hear a lot of mixes from other studios. Some are great, some are not. But what is striking to me is that the mixes that need help usually suffer from many of the same problems. The good news is that these shortcomings can all be avoided or corrected by using a few simple techniques.

I hope you find this helpful like I did.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Discussion: What are your favorite bands or music artists?

Greetings!

Being the curious type I am, I was wondering what music you, the reader, like to listen to.  Please leave your answers in the comment section and I will respond.

(Note: If you say “Gunslinger Saints,” then I know it’s you, Paul Todaro!)

Best wishes!
Shannon