john

@TapperMike I'm glad I supplied the highpoint in such a hectic and exciting schedule!

I'll need to learn to tone it down, sorry Mike. I certainly didn't aim to be quite so stimulating!

Hi Gang Just a quick message to wish you all the very best for 2016! I hope that 2016 is the year you all want it to be. For Songstuff, lots of exciting things in the pipeline. I hope you will all join me in continuing to make this a great community... Let's push the envelope a bit further, to grow our community as best we can. Many thanks for all you do, every day, to help make this place what it is. Awrabest for 2016 Cheers John

Hey Roberto, great to meet you. Welcome to Songstuff!

Hi and welcome to Songstuff! To get a single line space hold shift when you press return/enter to get a new line.

Hi I have started this thread as a place for the Songstuff Community to pour out their collective wisdom of valuable lessons learned and solid gold tips. There is no sense in history repeating itself, with generation after generation making the same mistakes and treading the same worn path to obscurity. Indeed, that was a key driving force in creating Songstuff. For members posting tips: To avoid valuable tips being lost, buried in lengthy paragraphs, please try to keep it to one tip per post. Where there is a strong link between tips, and it makes sense to have more than one tip in a post, please use bullet points to keep tips prominent and easy to locate. Explain what the tip is for, the exact scenario if possible. Explain why this tip is important, why it works etc. Ideally give an anecdote that demonstrates the problem the tip addresses and the tip in action. Try to keep paragraphs short and to the point. If you are adding to an existing tip, please quote that tip within your post or link to the original tip directly. Experienced members, I urge you to take this opportunity to build this thread. It'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Please note: Don't post comments or replies (unless you are adding to an existing tip). Instead, please like the posts you find useful. Please share this topic on social media and spread the love!

Ha! You are very welcome!

Nice one Rudi. I'll create the topic.

Last year PRS decided to begin legal proceedings against Soundcloud, after 5 years of negotiations failed to produce an agreement regarding licensing. The agreement covers the use of repertoire controlled by PRS for Music since the service launched. It is an important step to towards a level playing field for the licensing of online services in a way that songwriters, composers and their music publishers can be paid properly for the use of their music online. Soundcloud will start reporting the usage of copyright controlled materials, although initiailly accuracy will be an issue, until thre reporting tools and process evolve. This could be an important step towards a fully functioning online marketplace for songwriters.

Rudi's Plucking Pick Contest? lol

Hey Rudi I would suggest a dedicated topic that starts by introducing the contest with a statement of the exact contest and prizes right in the first post. We can include pics of the picks lol I am happy to draft the post to save you the hassle? Either way... cool! On thought, we should declare the judge(s) and give it a snappy name lol Cheers John

Welcome aboard Justin

Hey Stefano, good to meet you. Welcome to Songstuff! Are you publishing your own music, or are you also signed to a music publisher?

Hey Jason, welcome to Songstuff! Good to meet you.

lol just being hip wit de lingo de youth

That's nothing, Rudi started with: Very hard plucker Hard plucking device Stiff Picks for fast plucking stiff pick for solo fast fingering Hardest pick for solo plucker being serious for a moment, the range of guitar picks is much broader than I thought. There really are some excellent picks out there. For lead work, my favourite remains smooth beach stones. Whenever I am at a pebble beach I look for any plectrum shaped stones that have been had their edges smoothed. Bits of beach smoothed glass can work too. The result is an awesome pick that glides across strings.

That's very nice of you Rudi! hmmm What to do? A 1 minute unaccompanied shredding (yes it's that word again lol) contest? Winner and runner up decided by a simple poll?

Hi and welcome to Songstuff! hmmm, what advice to give? Adding to what Mahesh is advising: it's never too late. Circumstances are always different, but they can be similar enough to know that knowledge and awareness improve our prospects by allowing us to analyse, plan, adapt and evolve. Reality kicks the crap out of wishful thinking every time. Be prepared to learn. Don't nail ideas down. Open your mind. Explore. Set goals, then write them down three times. Apply your creativity to everything. Make mistakes, but don't repeat them. Ask questions, LISTEN to the answers Copy what works (ideas, processes etc.) Set standards. Stick to them. Improve quality Be responsive. Think big, Aim high, keep expectation low Learn all you can about the business of music. Most musicians make money performing several roles within the industry, not just one. You have a better chance of winning the lottery than becoming a high earning, top echelon artist. Even so, a full-time wage is very possible. There are many older people who have become successful... But the details of their plan to become successful will have been different but at the same time with many shared elements, stages and methods. Age does have bearing. Different age groups and other demographics of fan / customers need to be approached differently. From knowing this you can adapt methods and adjust your expectations, costs, timescales, even entire music business models. So, know your audience! Beware sharks. Working hard does not guarantee success, but it does make it more likely. For independents, strength comes by working together, sharing assets and abilities. Care about the detail Push yourself, inspire Stay focused Dont be afraid to cut your losses Enjoy the journey! i am sure I missed loads, brushed over even more, but it's enough to get started! Lol

She sings like a modern pop vocalist with no mic training... ie as close as possible to the mic. I bet she was further back during sound check, because she blows the levels a few times

You can't beat a bit of Jimi...

Hope I can play the guitar like this when I am 81!

Welcome to Songstuff Greg!

Hi I am not a doctor, these are tips I got firstly from my mum (who was, amongst other things, an opera singer) and tips I picked up along the way. if you have a sore throat don't keep pushing. Above all, don't use lozenges, pastels, sprays or rinses. Numbing the feeling in your throat is a very bad idea. Many rinses and mouth washes also contain alcohol, which dry out your vocal cords, making them more prone to being damaged. Instead, hydrate (preferably by drinking pure, unflavoured water), REST and gently hum. If you are mot singing and not planning on singing: I ave also found that if I have a throat infection, alternating gargling with warm, salt water, and gargling with warm water and soluble aspirin is very helpful. Obviously avoid the aspirin option if you are allergic to aspirin! If your throat needs soothing, and you are not going to sing, take a spoonful of honey and slowly let it melt in your mouth, swallowing just the melted honey as you go. Cheers John

Hey Nika, welcome to Songstuff! The ups and downs of life can take over from time to time. On a bright note events can help to create a fertile ground for creativity to do it's thang. Plenty of emotional depths to to explore and express!

Just to be clear, I meant learning jQuery shouldn't be that hard based on the experience you have.