MuzikTeechur

In my keyboard lab at school, I have 12 keyboards, plus a grand piano, and a Yamaha Clavinova. I use lysol disinfectant wipes on them. Also, the past two days (one rotation through our schedule) I've had every student take out their phone, take a lysol wipe, and clean their phones and cases.

After years of carrying a *real* Hammond to gigs, (A B-3 Chop, then a B-200) then spending tons of money on clone wheels... and finally landing on the Nords because I like them; I'm convinced that you folks are haggling over nuances that can only be heard in a set of decent headphones. Your average barfly can barely hear the keys in the mix.

wow - this thread will never die! Full Disclosure: I still own at least 8 pieces of Alesis gear, including my original QuadraSynth 1.04 purchased in 1994.

He's been gigging all alone. I've seen him a couple of times at Hampton Beach Casino in NH in the past 10 years. No more, I guess. p.s. He's a prick in person. At least to fans.

I could not have survived three decades as a high school music teacher without a strong and deep understanding of music theory. There were certainly times in college and grad school when I was pulling my hair out over a theory problem, but I never questioned the value of Music Theory.

When I graduated high school, I knew one thing for certain: I was NOT going to be a music teacher! Even though it seemed pre-ordained to everyone else: came from a very musical family, studied piano from the age of 5, played multiple instruments well, sang in the chorus and show choir, played in local bands etc. etc. etc., I turned my back on music - actually, I FLED music, and an acceptance w/small scholarship to Penn State and instead joined the Marine Corps. While there, I found myself gravitating to the base chapel on Sundays to play piano for services, toting a guitar literally all over the world, seeking out other musicians among my fellow Marines... got out, went to college to major in Electrical Engineering... but found myself in the Music building a LOT... after a dismal semester I had to face facts: I should be a Music Major. When I started the Spring semester, I felt like I was "getting away" with something: Music Theory, Music History, Piano Pedagogy, Instrumental Methods, Piano Lessons, Saxophone Lessons, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, University Singers... I mean... does the school know that I'm only taking Music classes? This is HEAVEN! Of course, I was a Music Ed. Major, which is a lot like being a Performance Major but you have to take pedagogy classes, plus a lot of other "teacher classes" like Ed Law, Human Grown & Development, the American School, Psy101, etc. etc. etc. The Performance Majors had longer lessons than the Ed Majors, too. That was over 30 years ago and I'm deliriously happy with my choice. I know plenty of graduates - Music Ed, Music Perf, other majors - who aren't doing anything related to their degrees; but I also know lots of other folks who have had career changes. That's Life. Someone commented that you don't need a certificate to say you can play, and that's true: you don't. But you DO need the valuable instruction, experience, practice, and relationships that "certificate" represents. You don't go to college for a diploma: you go to college to learn. It sounds as though your daughter is already doing a lot of the "working musician" things in her life, and only wants to do more of that, but with deeper understanding, knowledge, and experience. I say let her do it. CAVEAT: When I was in college I knew a few people who majored in Music because "I just adored my Chorus teacher and want to be just like her" or "I didn't know what else to major in, and I always enjoyed Band, so...?" Those are the WRONG reasons to major in Music, and especially Music Ed. They're recipes for failure - being a Music Major is HARD WORK, just like any other major. One doesn't choose a career in music. It chooses you. And it won't be denied (or you'll be miserable). Many of us make a living working day jobs, but we look forward to playing; at home, at a gig, in church...

Congrats! That's a lot of posts. If you spent one minute on each post, that would be nearly 7 straight days of non-stop posting. Get some sleep.

As a high school music teacher, I find myself either on the FRONT lines, or SIDE lines of new musicians coming up. We have many talented instrumentalists and singers in our high school programs, but when there are music festivals, concerts, competitions... the papers are silent. Lots of coverage for a losing basketball team, however... But if three kids who know three chords manage to poop out some 3-minute recording from their garage, the local paper gushes over them. It would be nice if the support were for the garage bands AND the school music programs. The second thing I see as a concern is that kids who might otherwise have invested in lessons and learning, are lulled into this idea that they can be a "music producer". I have them in my Music Technology class often, and the disconnect is that they don't realize that "sampling" other's work without consent is frowned upon by the courts. SOMEBODY has to make the new music, not just thieve from old albums. The truth of the matter is that nearly every musical innovation - ragtime, dixieland, big band, jazz, bebop, fusion, rock, R&B, Reggae, Rap, and on - has come from the minority community. Now those kids are being drawn into either being "rappers" or "music producers" looking to "lay down a beat" for a rapper.. and the talent drain from actually PLAYING INSTRUMENTS is very concerning. Rap sells, and the glitz and glam and the allure of money, sex, and nice cars belies the fact that every one of those artists had to work their asses off to get there - and most failed along the way. Before this gets further into a "you kids get off my lawn" rant, I'll just say that I don't know where the next Jimi, or Louis, or Stevie, or Gladys, or Aretha, or Prince will come from if we're not supporting and encouraging our youth to learn actual instruments and push the boundaries.

As others have noted, everything you have listed is on point and necessary. I would add that, in a tribute band (or any cover band that plays songs from a similar genre or era): 1) There are going to be a lot of common keyboard sounds 2) They probably aren't going to hire a full horn section, strings, aux keyboard player, etc., so you're going to have to pick and choose what you're playing which leads to 3) Each tune has some signature sound or hook that MUST be played (think of the alto sax on "Turn the Page" or the Piano intros on "Don't Stop Believin'" and REO's "Keep On Runnin'") Definitely write it all down in whatever format works for you: I'm a musician by trade, so staff paper works just fine for me. Plenty of apps out there for it too: someone mentioned iReal Pro which is great for sketching out progressions and saving them (also, often you can find that someone else has already done your work for you and uploaded it to the forums/libraries). What I do is print out the lyrics, then write in any chord changes. Then on staff paper I write out any specific lines which must be played, cut them up, use a glue stick to put them in the margins, then photocopy the entire thing. Scanning works too, if you're going to put them into OnSong or something else that will take pdf files (and maybe even send out a MIDI message to set up your patches). Good luck!

I always found the Barbra Streisand Christmas Album and the Neil Diamond Christmas Albums especially..um.. ironic? Hey, I guess everyone's gotta' make a buck. But, personally, it has to be playing "Sleigh Ride" for non-singers at a party or whatnot. If you don't lead them by the nose into the bridge, musically it's all over.

Poor analogy. As a music teacher and a sax player I can speak to this comparison: yes, out of the box, a $249 sax plays "surprisingly well" in the hands of a pro. However, it will VERY QUICKLY break down - cheap design, cheap parts, cheap construction - and then nobody, and I mean NOBODY, will touch it to fix it for you. They don't want to be responsible for repairs that won't ever fix a poorly-designed instrument. See also: "Polishing a turd."

It was as stable as the Mackie on the stand, despite being larger. Now, mind you I knocked the Mackie into the drum set more than once, so you have to be careful around these to begin with. I use a mic stand with an iron base. Might do better with a tripod base, but I usually don't have a lot of room behind/beside me to place the monitor so I use the smaller iron base. The Mackie was pretty loud, too, but it was a harsh loud - lots of mid and treble, not much bass. Lot of sound, but not much presence. This definitely has better fidelity across the spectrum, with more depth. I tend to not pump up the low end so as not to interfere with the bass player's spectrum - a holdover from playing a lot in jazz combos where bass players get really pissy if you dare to even play the root of a chord when comping! However, I found that the overall sound quality was really nice and full - so much that I could turn it down as compared to the Mackie which had to be on full head-cutting mode to cut through. I think you hit the nail on the head, Randy - it's about size, portability, and fidelity with these little monitors. Even being 50% larger than the Mackie, space is not a problem on a cramped stage. I'm surprised that SW is selling the 205D for that much. Other places have it for sub-$200 and free shipping.

I have a Traynor K4 for sound reinforcement in REALLY loud clubs and outdoor venues, but for most gigs I had been using a Mackie SRM150 for a personal monitor for my two boards. XLR out to the board and FOH. Last week I arrived (thankfully) early for the gig, got set up, and nothing out of the Mackie, which had been bulletproof up to that point (probably three years of hard use). Powers up but no sound at all. Luckily one of the band members lived nearby and had an identical Mackie SRM150 I could use for the night, otherwise it would have been direct box to the board and no monitor for my boards. It's a busy holiday season, and I'll probably send the Mackie out to see if it can be resuscitated, but I needed something NOW. Did some searching, and could have bought another Mackie ($280), but was looking at Behringer monitors as well. The direct competitor is the Behringer B205D - same claimed specs - at $179. For about $100 more, I noticed the Behringer B207MP3, which has a larger speaker, more inputs, and even a USB port for a thumb drive from which you can play music. Pretty handy for playing music at set break or for backing tracks. [note: MP3 format only - no AAC, MP4, etc.] I grabbed the B207MP3 for $268 and off to the gig I went - UPS dropped it off just shortly before I had to leave for the gig. We can debate Behringer longevity - I've had some gear that died after a few months, and other stuff that has taken more abuse than should ever be expected and keeps on keepin' on - but that's for another thread. First impression: Plugs up, mounts on a mic stand just like the Mackie, although it's much bigger than the Mackie by probably 50%. Powered up and gave my keys a go, and right out of the box I was impressed with the sound quality - 6.5" (vs. 5" in the Mackie) speaker really makes a difference in a small monitor! I really just need to hear what I'm playing, and I let the sound guy worry about how it sounds out front, but I was very pleasantly surprised - I was hearing stuff in my patches that I'd only heard with headphones before. Secondly, it is LOUD - way more so than the Mackie although both claim 150W. There are four ports for air to move, and I from 4' away I could feel the air moving out of the ports as I played. The Mackie has two ports but under closer inspection they are decorative and not functional. Sound guy noted that the signal coming from the B207 (XLR out) was much hotter than that from the Mackie, so we had to do some adjusting. So, very pleasantly surprised with this little monitor, which could be easily be used as a mini-PA for small rooms. Two would be even better for that, but then you're into $500 territory and there are lots of other amplified speakers in that range.

I'm fortunate in that my entire life is music - teaching, performing, multiple ensembles, multiple bands, musicals, etc. I've always said "when this is no longer fun, I'm going to stop doing it." I haven't reached that point yet, but it sounds like perhaps you have. I would suggest what others have said - take the pressure off yourself. Keep one board set up to play - when you want, and only when you want. I've heard lots of people in my life say: "I regret giving up the guitar/trumpet/piano/kazoo/bagpipes/etc. " but I've never heard someone say: "Man, all those years I spent playing music? Waste of my time!" I hope you're not the first.

Well, THAT one back-fired! The Law of Unintended Consequences Strikes Again.

That chicken foot (on the piano tab) gets me every time.

One of my fears, for certain. I hope that copious practice (and lots of Hanon exercises) will keep it at bay, but we'll see if I get my Dad's arthritis or my Mom's ability to play well into her 80's, even after suffering a stroke. Interestingly, and I don't suggest this.. but: my father kept bees. He believed in many of the curative powers of honey and honeycomb, but one of the weirder ones was to allow a bee to sting him on his arthritic hand, sometimes two bees (honey bees die after stinging). Although it's mildly painful, he claimed relief from his arthritic pain for several days afterwards and had much better use of his hands. Honey bees are pretty docile - they'll land and not sting, and then leave. When one would land on the back of his hand, he'd touch it with his finger and that would cause it to sting. p.s. Don't try this. But if you do, don't try it with yellowjackets or other wasps: they're just a$$holes.

My approach to this tune was to learn the solo verbatim, then let that flavor creep in to what I'm doing. Keeping it minimalist the whole time - Cissy isn't a time to be showing off your lexicon of scales. People who know the tune will appreciate the nod to the original, but nobody will accuse you of playing a canned solo which always lacks feel. Same with "Green Onions" or other iconic tunes - learn the original, let that inform what you play, but add your own stink to it. Over everything else: have fun.

Not to hijack the thread, but Eric - how did you secure the rights to Burnin' Down the House to Record it? How expensive was it?

Oops - never mind; the link worked!

I (finally) found a kit to connect my A105 to my Leslie 715 (without paying retail). However, it did not come with instructions, and I can't lay my hands on the set that I printed out last time I bought an (incomplete) 1174 kit. Previously I printed them out here: https://www.fishorgans.com/leslie_kits/001174A.pdf But this link is no longer working. Anyone have a working link to the Hammond 1174 kit installation instructions? Please and thank you. LW

I didn't see one on the site, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were one available. I use a boom mic stand

Every time one of you damn keyboard monkeys mentions a new or different keyboard stand I have to go out and buy it. I must have 15 keyboard stands. I have a STACK of tubular a-frame stands with the idea of the grand Erector Set approach as a few have done. I have at least two "Stand-tastic" stands, a couple of Z-stands, a Monolith stand, an Apex 48, X Stands.... I look for: 1. Can I adjust it so that my keys - both upper and lower - are where I want them? 2. How long does it take to set up? 3. How much room does it take up in the car? I have a wagon, but sometimes take my truck or my g/f's Civic (fold-down seats) 4. Does it have room for two sustain pedals and two controller/expression pedals? 5. How much does it weigh? 6. Is it durable? Well, someone mentioned the K&M 18880 and the 18882 "stacker" (the 18881 isn't adjustable for angle, the 18882 is). I happened to have $225 that wasn't earmarked for frivolities like food or gasoline, so I pulled the trigger on YET ANOTHER KEYBOARD STAND. First impression: This thing is REALLY light. Way lighter than even my "heavy duty" X-stand that I keep going back to. Is this going to hold up? 2nd Impression: Lots of adjustments here. Height, 2nd tier height, angle of 2nd tier, length of stacker arms (much like the stand-tastic). A bit fiddly to get it right, but once you're there, you don't have to mess with it again. However, if you get on the gig and discover it's not 'right', you can adjust it without a lot of fanfare - especially the upper tier for height/angle/arm length 3rd Impression: This thing is REALLY light?!! Is it going to get destroyed on load-in/out? Is it going to hold my keys? Is it going to move laterally when things start rockin' ? After one gig, I'll say that it's really light - my gf can carry it easily with one hand should she care to put down her cocktail and help load in. It was solid on the gig, no movement or whatnot. Very transparent in that I didn't think about it or worry about it. It's light, but seems very well-constructed with good materials and the welds look like someone gave a shit about what they were doing (rather than just tack/spot welds) I found one of the tensioning knobs in the back of my car when I unloaded the next day, but that was probably due to my not tightening it up. Also had to add a piece of velcro cord stay to keep the stabilizing rod from swinging about when moving the stand. Did I mention that it's light? So.. anyone want to buy a monolith stand with 2nd tier? Or maybe a few A-frames? Stand-tastic?.... anyone? Bueller?

Oh, Thank God; I clicked on this thinking it was going to be one of the Roots' performances with toy instruments. I was pleasantly disappointed.

This board, like many others, requires that images be hosted "off site" and linked through HTML, as we all know. For years I was using a free image-hosting site with no issues. Unfortunately, that site went out of business, and anywhere I can find either wants money, too much personal information (data mining), or both. What site(s) are you using now to host image for this forum and others? Thanks!