11th Annual Great American Song Contest Now Accepting Entries

From The Muse’s Muse website:

The highly recommended Great American Song Contest is open to amateur songwriters everywhere. This annual international event features prestigious awards to 45 winners in 9 categories and provides $10,000 in Prizes. Music-industry judges include prominent publishers, music producers and recording artists. Entrants receive written evaluations of their songs. Songwriters, lyricists and composers are invited. Sponsored by Songwriters Resource Network, a trusted educational resource for songwriters everywhere. Submission deadline is October 30, 2009.  For details, visit: http://www.GreatAmericanSong.com

Software Review: Propellerhead’s Record

Propellerhead’s Record

Propellerhead’s Reason 4 is a robust and quite complex DAW that lacks the ability to record outside audio sources.  Until now…

 

Propellerhead’s Record

  

Finally, you can add vocals, guitars, and other non-synthesizer instruments to your Reason 4 compositions.  Record add audio channels for outside audio sources, and they can be treated as “clips” in the sequencer.  Which means, you can splice, rearrange, add effects, and automate a wide assortment of controls to alter them during playback.  So now you don’t have to use a sampler to use the vocoder to its fullest potential.

 

Package Options

  

Record comes in two flavors: for people who already have Reason 4 or a package bundled with Reason 4.  Technically, you could buy Record alone (it has a few but limited built in instruments) but you would be missing out on all the features that Reason 4 has to offer.  The cost for Reason 4 owners is only $149 plus shipping.

 

Time-Stretch Feature

  

One of the biggest surprises of Record is its algorithm for time-stretching audio clips.  You can change the tempo, either faster or slower, and the audio clips sound as sharp and clear as if they were never altered.  No grainy artifacts, pops, or phasing.  It’s extremely handy if you want to record a complex piece: You can play the part at a slow tempo, then speed it up at a faster tempo to sound as if you were really that good of a musician.  Cheating in the studio?  In short, yep.

 

The Mixing Console

  

The mixer is modeled after the SSL 9000K mixer.  It brings a new level of professionalism to the final mix.  It makes Reason’s simple reMIX component seem like a toy in comparison.  There are several levels of EQ features, effect returns, and each channel can have its own Mastering Suite.  Entire posts could be devoted to the mixer alone.  I am still learning all it has to offer.

 

VST Plugins?

 

For those who love VST plugins, I am sorry to say that neither Reason 4 nor Record supports them, other than those that can be controlled by Propellerhead’s ReWire program.

 

Piracy Control

 

One issue that has become somewhat controversial is the new anti-piracy feature for Record.  The demo of the software (which you can download by clicking on the Record icon in this post) is fully-featured except you cannot open files nor export audio that has been saved.  Once you purchase Record, you can access the complete program with all the features by logging into Propellerhead’s server.  Once the software is shipped to you, it comes with a USB dongle that needs to be registered online.  Many people do not like the fact that a spare USB port is needed for the dongle.  But this is how Propellerhead is protecting their new program, like it or not.

 

Home Studio

 

People are divided up into two camps: Those who love Propellerhead’s programs and those who prefer other DAWs on the market.  But if you are on a tight budget and want to create a home studio, I would definitely recommend the Reason4/Record combination.  Its expandable mixer makes my 4-track recorder look antique.  Plus the sound quality is superb.

 

Learning Curve

 

If you are new to Propellerhead’s software, it can seem very overwhelming and complicated.  There is definitely a learning curve, and tutorials, tips, books, and DVDs are coming out all the time to teach users to take advantage of all Reason 4/Record has to offer.  If you already use Reason 4, Record will be much easier to work with than for a beginner.

 

Final Analysis

 

Despite all the competing DAWs on the market, I will always go back to Reason 4/Record for my computer drums, synthesizers, samplers, and recording needs.  If you are skeptical, please give the demo a try.  Once again, just click on the Record icon in this post and it will take you to the site to download the demo.

Best wishes!

Shannon

Movie Review: “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)”

Before I begin this movie review, I must warn you: This is probably the most psychologically and emotionally damaging film I have ever seen.  And I have seen some pretty disturbing films before, but “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom” is by far the most repulsive and morally bankrupt film I can recall.

Here is the IMDB’s basic plot summary: “Four fascist libertines round up 9 teenages [sic] boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of physical, mental and sexual torture.”

And that pretty well sums up the movie in a nutshell.  Scene after scene of brutality and humiliation all in the guise of an “art” film.

But Is It Art?

This is far from any form of art as I view it.  It is nothing more than a disgusting exploitation film filled with examples of humanity at its most vile and cruelest forms.

Based on the circles of Dante and stories of De Sade, the movie goes through four phases: The rounding up of the young, underaged victims, the Circle of Manias, the Circle of Shit, and the Circle of Blood.

Without going through a scene-by-scene summary of the film – partly because I do not want to relive the experience – I can best compare the subject matter to watching NAZIs torturing Jews or the Japanese invading Nanking.  The only difference is this film gleefully depicts Italian Fascists performing acts of depravity on young orphans – A cinematic “snuff” film of sorts.

The Death of the Director

Ironically, the director, Pier Paolo Pasolini, was murdered not long after the making of this movie.  Whatever the motive was, it was a brutal murder, with Pasolini being repeatedly run over by a car.  Some speculation has it that this film may have been funded by the mafia, but that has never been officially proven from everything I have read.

Final Analysis

What is the purpose of this film?  It certainly was NOT entertaining, and there is no redemption or justice in the end.  There is no moral, no artistry, no point to all of it.  It was only approximately 90 minutes of watching young teenagers being abused, tortured, and killed while the Fascists derive pleasure from the horrific acts before them.  No art.  No entertainment.  And no reason to subject yourself to this disgusting and revolting piece of cinema.

Do yourself a favor: Avoid watching it at all costs.

Meebo Added

Greetings!

I added a chat application called Meebo to my page today.  Please feel free to leave me a message or chat with me if you see me online.

Best wishes!
Shannon

Have You “Plurked” Today?

Twitter has grown drastically in just the past year.  It even helped bring information out of Iran during the crackdown of the last Presidential election.

But are you familiar with Plurk?  It’s another micro-blogging network, not as robust as Twitter, but still very enjoyable to use and to make new friends.

If you are looking for another micro-blogging system, I highly recommend checking it out.

My username at Plurk is: shanm1971

Feel free to add me as a friend or a fan.

Best wishes,
Shannon

TennCare Refuses a Fair Hearing

This is my continuing saga of trying to hold onto my health insurance.

I received a letter yesterday which read that my appeal to TennCare’s decision to drop me from their system did not meet their criteria for a fair hearing in front of a judge.  To be allowed a fair hearing, three criteria must be met, which follows (from the letter):

1. You must give us the facts we need to work your appeal.
2. AND, you must tell us the mistake you think the Department [of Human Services] made.
3. AND, that mistake must be something that, if you’re right, would mean that you would be found eligible for Medicaid.

I gave them the facts they asked for, and I told them the mistake I believed they made (which is dropping me from the system while still on disability), but apparently that mistake did not change the fact that I will no longer receive TennCare after October 8th.

Furthermore, I receive $850 a month from disability, which according to the new policies of TennCare, is too high an income to receive TennCare.

Not the Only One

I did a little more digging and found out that TennCare won a lawsuit in which they could change the program in order to save as much money as possible [Translated: Cut and slash benefits by changing the eligibility rules in mid-course].

I am not just one person complaining about my situation.  People across the state of Tennessee are now losing their TennCare Medicaid and left without health insurance of any kind.

My Options

I have two possible options available to me.  One, go to the pharmaceuticals’ websites to see if there are any cost-reduction programs, in order to continue to receive my medications that have successfully treated my suicidal tendencies.  The second, and more time consuming and risky, is to find legal counseling to see if I can sue TennCare for negligence.  The second option could easily be a class action suit, since I know of several people who had to be hospitalized because they could no longer receive their medications from TennCare.  (In a cruel sense of irony, hospitalization due to the loss of medication only costs the state more in the long run.)

So this is the situation so far.  Unless something changes, I will be uninsured on October 8th.  And having a pre-existing condition, I am probably uninsurable.

But like the Gloria Gaynor song, I will survive.

Best wishes,
Shannon

Copyrights: Information on Protecting Your Work

As I’ve stated in earlier posts, I’m beginning a new band (Gunslinger Saints) and we’re now in the studio to begin work on our first CD.  I would love to share some of our work, but so far our music has not been copywritten.

So I did a search and found the official US Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov.

This site should answer all of your copyright questions and has been a big help to us.

Also, to protect your band name legally, be sure to check out http://www.bandname.com.  By registering your name, you can prevent other bands from accidentally (or intentionally) taking your name.

And you can find more information at http://www.legalzoom.com for creating contracts and trademarks.

I hope these links are beneficial to you.

Best wishes,
Shannon

Brian Lephew: Death of a Former Co-Worker (Updated Post)

Lawrence Brian Lephew

I have sad news to report this morning.  Brian Lephew, a former co-worker of mine and a great guitarist, died of an apparent heart attack while he slept.

He was a quiet man, quite young (not sure about his age), and a friendly sort of person.

He was considered a possible candidate for my band, Gunslinger Saints, since he was very talented on the electric guitar and close friends with Tony Smith, the bass player.

I will update this post when more information is available.

For now, I send a silent prayer for him that he should rest in peace, for he was a tormented soul in life.

Due to respect for the dead, I will not blog about his personal issues.  I will let him take them with him to the grave.

Sincerely,
Shannon

UPDATE: Obituary from Morristown’s Citizen Tribune  

 

LAWRENCE BRIAN LEPHEW

 

Lawrence Brian Lephew, age 34, of Morristown, passed away Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 at his residence.

He attended White Oak Grove Baptist Church.

He is survived by his parents, Lawrence and Jessie Lephew; daughter, Kattie Grace Lephew; sister, Sandy (Phil) Taylor; special niece, Christy Taylor; aunt, Hazel Winstead; uncle, Leroy (Becky) Evans; and several cousins.

Funeral services will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 at Westside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Jeff Holt officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at St. Paul Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6–8 p.m. Saturday, prior to the service at the funeral home. Arrangements by Westside Chapel Funeral Home in Morristown.