john

its not so much prediction as it is already here. Microsoft threw a lot of money at ai based songwriting, and there already ai based mastering algorithms and mixing and effects algorithms. The requirement for musical knowledge is quickly evaporating, along with the need for muscle memory built on years of practice. The only thing faster than the trend for push button tools is the audience’s lack of ability to tell or appreciate the difference. There will always be some who prefer real musicians and real songwriters. Just as there are still some who appreciate vinyl records. Sadly they are outstripped by those who appreciate vinyl records, but nowhere near enough for it to make a tiny bit of difference. That bunch are dwarfed by the number who just don’t give a toss. There will always be people who enjoy making music the hard way, just as there will always be people looking to bypass all the hard work. I tend to be more an equal opportunist. I’ll take advantage of tech or lose myself for hours in an old folk instrument. I enjoy the result, and although I like the journey, shortcuts can be appealing!

Hey Having an overall strategy for virtually anything makes a huge difference to rate of progress towards goals. Using specific tactics is essential to help implement your strategy. How do you rate your approach? Cheers John

Hi and welcome to Songstuff Ciga! You might want to add a link to your Soundcloud profile to your community profile About Me page, and links to specific songs to either the Musician’s Lounge or the Showcase board. Songs posted to the Showcase board also have the chance of being added to our playlists on Soundcloud, Spotify or YouTube. We also have critique boards for songs at various stages, where you are also expected to listen and discuss the songs of other members. Do you play any instruments? Are you really into recording and production? Cheers John

Are there people who don’t sing in the shower?

A good point Steve. You might as well use the assets of the platform to your advantage!

FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION SIGNS DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE PRESONUS AUDIO ELECTRONICS, INC. HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (Nov. 1, 2021) - Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement of merger with PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana based brand is the leading designer and manufacturer of recording and live-sound hardware and software solutions that solve real-world problems for working creatives. “We are thrilled to welcome everyone on the PreSonus team to the FMIC family and excited about the future growth opportunities available to both companies," said Andy Mooney, CEO Fender Musical Instruments Corp. “Our teams share the same passion for music, the same commitment to innovation and the same desire to inspire and equip current and future generations of artists” “I would like to extend our utmost gratitude to our loyal Baton Rouge and Louisiana community that have supported PreSonus for the last two decades,” said Kevin Couhig, Chairman of PreSonus. “It has been wonderful being a part of this incredible journey with PreSonus. I’m excited to see what the future holds going forward” "After more than 25 years PreSonus feels it has found the right partner to support us as we continue our growth,” said Jim Odom, Founder/CSO PreSonus. “We look forward to showing our current and future music community what this opportunity means for them.” “PreSonus and Fender's combined vision, the way we see the future of music creation, and the fundamental alignment of goals has made this an exciting idea since the first conversation," said Jim Boitnott, CEO PreSonus. For more than 75 years, Fender has been committed to creating tools supporting artists. With each technological advancement, the way that people create and record music is constantly evolving. While most guitar and bass players still plug into amplifiers, many also plug their instruments into interfaces, using virtual amps and effects to create their sounds. Players of all levels are spending more time online than ever before and using a variety of products and technologies to learn, practice, jam and perform, record and share. This modern workflow has expanded the traditional signal chain to include capturing and distributing creative content to the world. Fender envisions an ecosystem that seamlessly integrates hardware and software to create an effortless end-to-end experience for customers at all levels in their creative journey, and joining forces with PreSonus makes that possible. Founded in 1995 by Jim Odom and Brian Smith, PreSonus designs innovative audio products that provide professional sound quality and features without sacrificing affordability. Throughout its history, PreSonus has built innovative tools for musicians, content creators, producers, and audio engineers. Today, PreSonus is a leading designer and manufacturer of both recording and live-sound hardware and software solutions that solve real-world problems for real working creatives. Completion of this merger is subject to U.S. regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. At this time, FMIC and PreSonus will continue to operate as separate entities. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as legal counsel to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. PreSonus was advised by Robert W. Baird & Co. and legal counsel was provided by Butler Snow LLP. For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fender.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender.

I agree about being honest, and tactful…. I would add, it’s important that what we offer is considered. It doesn’t need to be agreed with, but as a discussion, it’s important that points are thought about. Apart from anything else, one of the pay offs for spending time on offering critique is that the creator has at least heard you, that they at least invested the time to hear your conclusions. One point I would make is that it’s a conversation. Because it is a conversation, those offering critique comments can choose not to load all their observations into one large post listing all the issues they spot. They can choose to deal with issues across a number of messages. They can choose to mix positive and negative comments. That way creators find it is easier to digest. It feels less like an assault. It becomes a less heated debate. Importantly for the person offering comments, there is less pressure to pull their punches. They can say all they want to say with less likelihood of it becoming an argument, just by spreading the “bad news” instead of feeling that they have to say it all at once.

Good job at a technical level. It stutters a bit. I don’t mean the audio, I mean your playing. It feels like you have got to a level when you technically have it, but aren’t yet confident. It also shows a bit in the performance. Still, you did very well. Better than I would do without a lot of work! It was nice to hear a skilled performance of music we rarely get to hear these days. Keep it up!

yep 3 buttons next to the start topic on the mobile interface. Not sure where on desktop until I check when I get back to my PC

you can change the board layout… there’s 3 formats available on the front page. I’m pretty sure the old list format is there.

Hey Interested in supporting Songstuff? Got a web page? Got a blog or similar page? Your own site? If you would prefer to use a text link please use this code to link to the main site page: <a href="http://www.songstuff.com">Songs, Songwriting and Music - Songstuff the Resource for Musicians</a> or to link to the community: <a href="http://forums.songstuff.com">Songstuff Songwriting and Music Community</a> Cheers John

Hi Currently we work with volunteers, offering what perks we can. We plan to hire some full-time staff in the nit too distant future, just not yet. We are looking for: Moderators Graphic Artists Website Designers & Coders (PHP, CSS, JavaScript) Podcast Show Hosts (new role) YouTube Show Hosts (new role) Interviewers/Reporters Content Creators Articles Tutorials Glossary Entries Videos Audio Graphics General Volunteers General volunteers can be anything, based on skills you have or indeed skills you want to learn. The latter will most likely come through the intern program. Skills are highly varied. If you think your skills could be of use to the Songstuff community and you are willing to help, please contact me, @john. In the near future we plan to look for interns for Songstuff (Digital Marketing) and within Red Circle 7 (RC7)(record label activities, music publishing activities and PR). More on that at some later point! If you are interested in volunteering for any of these roles, or just want to find out more, please contact me, @john. Cheers John

Hi Gang We all want more activity. More members posting more. What are your thoughts on: Finding new members Engaging new members Incentivising new members Re-engaging existing dormant members Incentivising existing dormant members Engaging existing active members Incentivising existing active members Thoughts and ideas for any and all are very welcome. Cheers John

Hi guys Site navigation is regularly mentioned as a cause of frustration. Some things we cannot change. Some things we cannot change easily. Some things we can easily change. Bear in mind, there is A LOT of information on Songstuff. A lot of site features. How would organise them? Cheers John

Hi I just posted a new site blog post about the benefits of giving critique. As ever, feedback, comments and suggestions for new articles are very welcome. Develop Your Skills - Use Song Critique Cheers John

Hey You didn’t do too badly at all. A bit too soft and laid back if anything. You’ve a nice voice at that low volume. I’m interested in hearing your voice with a bit more projection. A little more practice on the guitar to be able to smoothly play would help, plus a bit more experimentation to get the mic placed in the ideal place to achieve balance between guitar and voice… or maybe project your voice a little more. All in, pretty good! How would you pronounce your name? I’m guessing that’s why you sign off as Zachary? When I was at University, years ago, the Singaporean students often adopted English names to avoid the lack of Western ability to pronounce Singaporean names, or if they heard them, their lack of ability to spell them.

Spot on Clay!

Who is this a photo of?

Hey guys I thought you might be interested in this vid about the beginnings of the bass line for Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side: Cheers John

Yeah titles is a bit of a pain. Saying that I use it sometimes. If I am going to the trouble of generating titles outside, for static titles I use Adobe Fireworks, the old vector art prog they bought from Macromedia with Dreamweaver. FW is now replaced by Adobe XD. I am just very used Fireworks.

So true Clay. Even if pursuing music on a semipro basis, it’s worthwhile to be informed. Learning makes you aware of possibilities, if nothing else. It can have a big impact on how you approach your music…. and the budget you have to spend on music projects. Making money, even as a side benefit, doesn’t require you to sacrifice your soul on the altar of “becoming famous”. You do not need to pursue one to get the other. You don’t need to sacrifice artistic integrity either! Cheers John

Music tech in instruments has revolutionised music many times. The transition from the plucked harpsichord, through piano and the piano-forte hugely influenced music. It tracks the music of Bach, through Mozart to Beethoven. The later invention of the synthesiser and then samplers and virtual instruments enabled entire genres to be born. Ok some were more of a shuffle forward and others were a leap. The revolution of the acoustic guitar through electronic guitar, plus guitar effects enabled blues guitar to shift from Robert Johnston through Eddie Cochran, Jimi Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. Even the acoustic guitar has gone on a journey from Johnston through Adrian Legg to Jon Gomm. Technology played a massive part in enabling the playing techniques and sounds that defined genres. If you look at the internet, it has made finding and building an audience a very different proposition. The ability to laser focus on specific audience segments and analytics has transformed (is transforming) music marketing. Live stream allows you to play gigs without going on tour. For most that is an addition, for others it is instead of touring. Then there’s live collaboration using DAWs and cloud technology. Near zero latency for live recording across the planet. That’s huge. I think it is entirely possible to function, even professionally, without technology making a huge impact. But the capabilities available can completely transform an artist or writer or producers opportunities and their ability to take advantage of them. Technology plays a massive role in underpinning and enabling leaps forward in music. Nowadays we are so bombarded with advances, that the speed of progress has made massive changes an everyday occurrence. We hardly bat an eye.

It’s a cyclic swallowing and regurgitation, an ever blending of styles. Pop is literally eating itself in ever smaller portions. The value of such musicians is already largely not in their music. Trend wise, it’s technology lead. It always has been. We’re at the stage of AI written songs and music. That will continue the trend of making music creation accessible to the masses. The dumbing down of music will be completed by fame seekers pushing a button, completely devaluing music and musicians. In time, that will come full circle as fans will start to increasingly crave real music, written and performed by real musicians on real instruments. Being famous for nothing in particular will pass as a trend and people will demand skill again…. And so we go for another time around the wheel. I have always seen it as cyclic trends that fit within a cyclic overall trend, circles within circles.

Oh boy! At times all have applied, although number 11 got left in a ditch when I was about 22 after a small taste I realised fame/celebrity was more demotivating than motivating. I hated the loss of privacy (and all that went with it) and the loss of personal space. Also, different aspects apply to different roles. My role as a musician would elicit different numbers than my role as an artist or even my role in community as an educator, which obviously is a big personal motivator. That aside, I will reply foremost as a writer and artist. If I was to delve into Songstuff it would become way too complicated and bring in so many other facets, such as the buzz of helping someone and seeing what they achieve. The sense of personal achievement in creating this place and hopefully making a difference etc. Ordering the numbers… 4. Creatively Driven (psychological need) 25 Other (Connection) 1. Enjoyment 2 Learning/Educational Experience 3. Self Expression 15 Writer or Collaborator (both) 25 Other (Recording and Production) 20 Instrumentalist and Vocalist 25 Other (Making a mark/Doing something of consequence/Leaving something behind) 24 Professional 22 Recording (products) 12 Professional recognition Once upon a time playing live would have been number 3 or 4, but that isn’t really an easy option anymore.

Hey there Blizzy, welcome to Songstuff. Nice to meet you,