FM StatIc BioGraphY

FM StaTIc

(band bIogrAphY)

Trevor McNevan (Vocals),
John Bunner (Guitar),
Justin Smith (Bass Guitar),
Steve Augustine (Drums)

Ahh...summer. Windows down, a wispy breeze relieving the sun's scorching sting, and a stereo blasting the perfect sunny-time tunes ideal for singing along. It seems the flawless setting for any balmy destination. But this is Canada, not generally known for its summertime appeal. However that hasn't stopped the Toronto four, collectively known as FM Static, from writing the perfect summertime anthem album, intended to heat up any spot it's played.

Begun as a fun side-project to their already existing musical endeavors, FM Static was formed by long-time friends Trevor McNevan and Steve Augustine.

"Steve and I were talking about how fun it would be to start another band based around a bunch of songs I had already been working on, on my own, not really knowing what to do with them yet," McNevan recalls. "We've both always been big fans of the pop/rock genre, so we just decided to do it."
What resulted, after hooking up with acclaimed producer Aaron Sprinkle (MxPx, Anberlin), was the band's premiere forthcoming album, "What Are You Waiting For?" due out this July 22nd. The album, bursting with 11 infectious tracks of sunny faced power pop with a twinge of punk rock flair, combines all sides of talent from its collaborators, creating perfected teenage anthems.

"We're content with just writing songs about what it's 'really like' growing up, girls, and all the things that come along with the two of them put together," says McNevan.

This theme stays true throughout their album marked with loves, losses and growth in the face of teen trials, while still keeping a humorous spin on their heartfelt honesty of troubles and triumphs.

Songs like "Definitely Maybe," their infectious premiere single, highlight this mixture of ingredients in its lighthearted take on a hopeless romantic endeavor in the theory that nice guys still finish last: "How much longer? Will this keep getting stronger? / I wonder what she's doin' when I'm singin' myself to sleep. / He's a faker, see ya later, / I wonder when you realize that you mean a lot more to me."

Other standout tracks like "Three Days Later," "Something to Believe In," and "The Notion," all provide listeners with catchy choruses and an underlying positive affirmation that problems are merely temporary and won't stop the sun from continuing its illumination.

This affirmation and catchy style are what will lead audiences, both young and old, to be quick to identify with FM Static both lyrically and musically, and what will certainly heat up the Great White North and beyond this summer!

Thanks to liz for submitting the biography.

Piano Tutorial

Piano Tutorial
A few simple tips for playing the piano

Keyboard Layout

The following graphic indicates which keys on the piano keyboard correspond with the notes on a staff of music. There is no need to know the names of the notes. Just press the key on the piano that corresponds with the note on the written music, as shown on the following image. The black image represents the piano keyboard while the red image represents the notes on a sheet of music overlaid on the piano keyboard. (The notes that correspond with the black keys are not displayed.)

If the written note has a in front of it, play the note immediately to the right on the keyboard. If the written note has a in front of it, play the note immediately to the left on the keyboard. For example:

Relaxation

Try to touch the piano keys lightly and gently. If your fingers are rigid, stiff, with the anxiety of trying to get the right notes at the right time, it will be much more difficult to get it right. A relaxed hand is much easier to get the the right place at the right time.

Enjoyment

Play something you like and that you are familiar with. In time, you will be able to look at any sheet of music and play something close to what is written, but there is no sense adding the burden of playing unfamiliar music on top of learning to press the right key. When we learned to type, we learned by typing familiar words. We didn't learn to type obscure chemical names or technical jargon. The same applies to the piano. When starting out, play what is fun for you. Anything you play will develop your skill.
If you are practicing to play by ear, play what you are familiar with: advertising jingles, TV theme music, popular folk songs, etc.

For improving Fluidity:

Do you play by ear? I recommend you try it. I found that my fluidity went up greatly when I started playing by ear. Or in other words, without any music, sit down and play the melody to some songs that are very familiar to you. Add some harmony as appropriate. This should be music that you have not previously played from a printed page.
Since I started learning to play by ear, the music I play from a printed sheet sounds better. My fingers just seem to anticipate where the next note is going to be, even if my eyes haven't quite caught up. You don't have to become an expert at playing by ear, but if you practice until you can do it a little bit, it will greatly improve your sight reading capabilities!

For Improving Memory:

Another idea that has more to do with biology than anything else, is to play the piece you are learning immediately before going to bed. It should be the last thing you do before laying your head on the pillow. During the day, our brain stores many things in short term memory. These memories are transferred to long term memory during sleep. If you are doing anything after your practice, the memories of your practice session will tend to get overwritten by the events you do later in the day. Playing the song one time just before bed, will bring these memories to the foreground. They will be transferred to long term memory more efficiently.

Keeping the Rhythm

The trick is to play what you play in the proper rhythm, even if you only play a portion of the song. In other words, practice keeping the rhythm going at the expense of everything else. Don't play the cords, or play one or two notes in the cord rather than the whole thing. Before long, you will be able to get more and more notes included in the cords, or you will learn which notes are optional. In most cases nobody but you will realize that there is a note missing.

Where to Put your fingers

For scales:

The orthodox technique, for example if you are going up the scale with the right hand, would be to play the first three notes starting with your thumb, and then after playing the note under your middle finger to play the next note with your thumb again. (The thumb crosses under.) Going back down the scale, starting with the pinky on your right hand, you would play five notes, and then your middle finger would cross over the top of the thumb to play the next lower note.
Playing with the left hand is a mirror image of what the right hand does.

For regular music:

The same sort of arrangement applies, but it is also common to just pick up your hands and move them so that they span the next sequence of notes you are expecting to play.

Playing with Both Hands

(Nearly always) play with both hands, don't try to separate them.
Don't worry about skipping a note here or there in the harmony. If you don't get there in time, just go on to the next one, or make up a harmony! Few listeners will be able to tell. After a while your left hand will develop a feel for where the notes might be expected to be. After a while, your right hand will be able to pick out the melody essentially by ear without having to pay so much attention to the notes on the page, thus allowing you to pay more attention to the left hands harmonies. These two trends will combine together to make playing easier and easier. Doing a little bit of playing by ear, and a little bit of sight reading new music, will help to strengthen these trends.

Children and the Piano

So often, a parent will say, "Don't touch the piano", or "Quit making such awful noise on the piano", then the parent wonders why the children don't want to play the piano when formal lessons start. Children learn best by doing. Let them goof with the keys while you play. (It's less intrusive if you put them on the right side of you!) Or let them make horrible sounds by themselves, and if they accidentally play something that sounds good, be sure to acknowledge it, so it will be more likely to occur in the future. My son by the age of 8 was playing well both by reading music, and by ear, without ever having had a lesson. He just tinkered around. Not saying that there aren't some pretty unmusical things coming out of the piano, (even now), but overall the joy of listening to him play compensates for any bit of patience that was required.

Finding the Notes

To make learning sheet music easier, take a staff of music, cut it up into little pieces, and tape the pieces to the appropriate key on the piano, right up next to the body so they won't be in the way. Here's some notes if you want to try this at your place. You can tell where they go by looking at the staff at the top of this page.

Finding Music

The library is a great place to find music. Especially if you are learning to sight read. You can check out a book, play the songs in it a few times, and then go on to another book. This way, you always have a fresh challenge and don't get bored with the same old stuff.
Sheet music in PFD format may be downloaded from Shopping.Lofthouse.com.

Fake Books

Another fun book to play from is called a fake book. They typically come with just the melodies of the songs, and perhaps recommendations for what cords sound good with a particular part of the melody. You make up your own accompaniment as you feel best. To the uninitiated, it sounds like full blown sheet music, but the pianist knows what's really going on.

Playing by Ear

The grand mystery to playing by ear is deciding which note to start out on. If you choose that note properly, the rest of the music is greatly simplified. It also helps if you play the music in the key of C (no sharps or flats). To choose the first note, hum the last note in the song as a C. Then hum the first note in the song, and match it to the piano. This is simplified, because the starting note will typically be one of the notes in the base cord of the last note. (see drawing below)

Chords

The cords illustrated below, on the bottom staff, are the most typical cords in the key of C, which is the simplest key to play in. The notes on the top staff are typical of what notes you might be playing at the same time as playing the cord.

I usually go about it the other way around. If I'm playing a C note in the melody, I will typically form a C cord with the left. If I'm playing a D with the right hand, I'll typically form a G cord with the left. There's no hard and fast rules, play what sounds good. (The small grids above the staff are for guitarists.)

Organs and Synthesizers

They're all played about the same way. On the piano, folks will often use the sustain pedal so that the note can be played, and then your fingers immediately leave the note and go onto another note. On the organ, you will need to keep your fingers on the key for as long as you want it to make a sound. Synthesizers may allow you to set this behaviour.

A Parting Word

And finally, relax. It's so easy with quick moving songs to let the fingers get all tensed up with the challenge of being on the right key at the right time.

Good article on music industry

Good article on music industry

Rights issue rocks the music world

Record companies see it as mutiny. Musicians call it an overdue rebellion. Either way, the artists' rights movement has set the stage for combat that could revolutionize the music industry.

What started as a classic David-and-Goliath skirmish over contractual terms could be tilting toward a level battlefield as opposition on a wide range of issues swells against an industry mired in a sales slump.

"The record business is in rough enough shape that something might actually change," says Craig Marks, editor of Blender magazine. "If things weren't so uncertain, so bleak and in such disarray, the industry would be immovable, even with a gun to its head. If there was ever a set of circumstances that could lead to artists making inroads, it's now."

Clinging to the status quo are the world's five major record conglomerates: Universal, Sony, Time Warner, EMI/Virgin and Bertelsmann, represented by a powerful trade group, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They face challenges from increasingly vocal performers supporting the Recording Artists' Coalition (RAC), whose diverse roster of 150 members includes Bruce Springsteen, Sting, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Billy Joel, Elton John, Linkin Park, Aimee Mann, No Doubt, Puddle of Mudd, Staind and Static-X.

Key concerns from the broad range of byzantine conflicts:

Caps on contract lengths. Most major-label agreements require a commitment of six to eight albums, an obligation that can entail an indefinite term of indentured servitude. California state Sen. Kevin Murray, a Democrat, wrote a bill to repeal an amendment that exempts recording artists from a state law limiting contracts to seven years. After RAC and the RIAA failed to reach a compromise, the bill was pulled Aug. 15. Murray plans to resubmit it next year as part of a larger package also addressing accounting practices, pension plans and health benefits.
Accounting practices. Audits routinely detect unpaid royalties. Music industry lawyer Don Engel, who estimates that labels misreport and underpay artist royalties by 10% to 40%, says industry accounting practices are "intentionally fraudulent." Music writer Dave Marsh describes the process as "an entrenched system whose prowess and conniving makes Enron look like amateur hour." Royalties, based on complex and antiquated formulas that favor labels, are disbursed only after artists pay back advances, recording costs and other expenses. Greg Hessinger, director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), a union representing 80,000 actors, musicians and other entertainment workers, says this recoupment method "is so replete with ambiguity, complexity and subjectivity that the only true long-term solution is a complete overhaul. Until we can bury the recoupment system, changes must be implemented that provide for greater transparency and a fuller duty to account so that artists can at least be certain that they are being paid correctly."
Producer Steve Albini, trashing label practices in The Baffler magazine, outlines a hypothetical but typical record deal that bestows a $250,000 advance on a young band. The album sells 250,000 copies, earning $710,000 for the label. The band, after repaying expenses ranging from recording fees and video budgets to catering, wardrobe and tour bus costs, is left $14,000 in the hole on royalties.

A California Senate hearing on accounting practices is set for Sept. 24 in Los Angeles.
Health and pension benefits. Soul legend Sam Moore and other artists are suing record companies and the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds (a separate entity from the union) for pension benefits. Atlantic, which has sold Moore's music since 1967, never deposited a nickel into his pension because of convoluted formulas tied to royalties. Not surprisingly, labels are balking at paying roughly 20,000 artists up to 30 years of back pension and health benefits. The union, negotiating with labels since May, hopes to secure increased access to health insurance and improvements in pension participation when talks resume in October. Among 200 artists who signed a letter supporting the union's proposal are Steve Earle, John Hiatt, Johnny Cash, Marilyn Horne, Carole King, Billy Bob Thornton and Coolio. Copyright and ownership. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, once stated that the record business is the only industry in which the bank still owns the house after the mortgage is paid. Artists are demanding copyright reform and a reasonable means of reacquiring their master recordings. Payola reforms. Labels sidestep payola laws by hiring independent promoters to lobby and compensate radio stations for playing certain records. Opponents say this quasi-legal system stifles creativity and limits diversity. The drumbeat of war has been building in recent years as artists wrestle for self-empowerment and vow to amend a system that let soul greats Otis Blackwell, Jackie Wilson and Mary Wells die destitute. Before she died, Peggy Lee was part of a class-action settlement that won unpaid royalties. Courtney Love filed suit to break her Geffen contract. Prince fled the corporate structure and pitched camp on the Internet, where he sells directly to fans. Tom Petty's upcoming album, The Last D.J., slams industry greed.

Point: 'Corporations don't have feelings'

"The record companies are like cartels, like countries, for God's sake," singer/songwriter Tom Waits says. "It's a nightmare to be trapped in one. I'm on a good label (Epitaph) now that's not part of the plantation system. But all the old records I did for Island have been swallowed up and spit out in whatever form they choose. These corporations don't have feelings, and they don't see themselves as the stewards of the work. They are making shoes, and then they want to go to the Bahamas and get a suntan."

He advises new artists to "get a good lawyer and don't ever sign away your publishing rights. Most people are so anxious to record, they'll sign anything. It's like going across the river on the back of an alligator."
Waits joined the artists' coalition in hopes of exposing the industry's shadowy business practices.
"Artists really do need to communicate and organize," he says. "Don Henley is willing to get a haircut and go to Washington. I'm all for that."

Rock veteran Henley, an RAC founder, is confident the movement will lead to significant change, despite reluctance by some artists to get involved.

"Newer artists don't want to rock the boat," he says. "They're still starry-eyed idealists and haven't been around long enough to be mistreated. Other artists simply don't understand the issues or are too self-absorbed."

A new artist's limited avenues fuel apprehension, says Marks, noting that such midlevel acts as Aimee Mann and Ani DiFranco are content to toil outside the empire, but "most artists want to hear their song on the radio, see their big-budget video on MTV and be on stage in front of 50,000 people. The major labels have access to radio and TV. If push comes to shove, you're being shoved off a fairly steep cliff."

Michael Jackson's recent high-profile leap onto the bandwagon was met with skepticism. In rallying support for his financial grievances against Sony Music, he asserted, "If you fight for me, you're fighting for all black people."

Industry observers dismissed his sudden allegiance as an opportunistic tactic in a heated feud with Sony chief Tommy Mottola, whom Jackson branded a racist and devil. After Jackson joined activist Al Sharpton in condemning unfair contract and royalty practices, MTV.com reported that "the summit came off more like a vehicle for damage control than a constructive outlet for record industry reform."

Even with many artists on the sidelines, "there are enough of us, older and new, who know what's going on," Henley says. "We're going up against labels that have a powerful presence in Washington and have been politically active for 60 years. And yet we're making strides. We're getting help from managers, lawyers and politicians to get the fair treatment we deserve. The pendulum is swinging to our side."

The artists' coalition, which is financed in part by benefit concerts, plans to staff offices in Washington and Los Angeles before Murray's bill resurfaces next year. Though reform efforts in the '50s led by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Stan Kenton fell short, Henley says music's empowered boomer generation, the fuel for the industry's expansion in the '60s and '70s, is better informed and more willing to speak out.

"Like all other corporations, the music industry has gotten greedier," Henley says. "It's about profit, profit and more profit that always comes at a cost of principles. The predicament the record industry finds itself in is of its own making. They've alienated consumers and artists, and whether the rights movement succeeds, the house will fall under its own weight."

RAC detractors argue that contracts are fair and that drastic revisions could undermine the industry. The newly formed California Music Coalition, comprising independent labels, manufacturers and merchandisers, opposes Murray's bill, fearing it will place California at an economic disadvantage and reduce investment in fresh talent.

Miles Copeland, chairman of Ark 21 Records, predicts that passage could significantly harm "the entire music business because of the very visible complaining by a few successful recording artists. If the mega artists succeed with this effort, I feel strongly that it would be at the expense of those artists who have not made it yet."

The CMC, supported by such independent labels as Priority, Hollywood, Restless and Triloka, contends that, because very few records prove profitable, labels need the cushion of long-term contracts to recoup investments and justify risk.
Counterpoint: For every hit, a $6.3 million loss

Music and Your Body: How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health

♥♥♥ Music and Your Body: ♥♥♥

How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health

How and Why Is Music A Good Tool For Health?

Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as Music Therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways. The following are some of effects of music, which help to explain the effectiveness of music therapy:

• Brain Waves: Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state. Also, research has found that the change in brainwave activity levels that music can bring can also enable the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.
• Breathing and Heart Rate: With alterations in brainwaves comes changes in other bodily functions. Those governed by the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate can also be altered by the changes music can bring. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response, among other things. This is why music and music therapy can help counteract or prevent the damaging effects of chronic stress, greatly promoting not only relaxation, but health.
• State of Mind: Music can also be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay. This can help prevent the stress response from wreaking havoc on the body, and can help keep creativity and optimism levels higher, bringing many other benefits.
• Other Benefits: Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure (which can also reduce the risk of stroke and other health problems over time), boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. With so many benefits and such profound physical effects, it’s no surprise that so many are seeing music as an important tool to help the body in staying (or becoming) healthy.

Using Music Therapy:

With all these benefits that music can carry, it's no surprise that music therapy is growing in popularity. For more information on music therapy, visit the American Music Therapy Association's website.

Using Music On Your Own:

While music therapy is an important discipline, you can also achieve benefits from music on your own. This article on music, relaxation and stress management can explain more of how music can be an especially effective tool for stress management, and can be used in dailly life.

Music never dies(a poem)

Music never dies,

Music never dies,

It is waking, It is the making,

This is that euphony,

The movementThe inspiration,

This is that rythmic sounds,

The Sword came and washed me,

Music that hast taste, Why you worry?

Music that can never fade,

Music that is the poetic minstrell,

Without this love,

I will fake and never increase,

The awakening glory,

That I made it again,

This crown is upon me,

do not depose,

That I as Iam,

Made that crown fall upon my broken soul,

This is that sound of music,

This is that glory,

Behold I dwell on you,

That with your music,

All the demons run away.

Learn How To Play Guitar Chords♀♀♀

♫♫♪♫Learn How To Play♫♪♫♫

♫♪♫♫Guitar Chords♫♫♪♫

♀Introduction To Chords And The CAGED Fretboard System

Chords are 3 or more notes played at the same time. There are all types of chords, but all will fall under two categories: major and minor chords.

On the guitar there are only 5 basic major chord patterns. These primary chord patterns found on the guitar are C, A, G, E, and D. Together they spell the word CAGED which should help you remember them. All other chords that you will learn in the future come from the C, A, G, E, and D chord patterns.


CAGED is system of fretboard patterns for chords, scales, and arpeggios. It is derived from the unique tuning of the guitar. The C, A, G, E, and D basic chord patterns are just the beginning of the CAGED system. They are the first step in opening up a door to total fretboard domination.

Every other chord, scale, and arpeggio can be built from these 5 patterns. It has been rumored that Jimi Hendrix's vast abilities stem from his knowledge of the CAGED system and look at what it did for him. Understanding and mastering the CAGED system is the greatest achievement for any guitarist and

GuitarAlliance.com Member's Site will show you how to do this and more!

☼First Things First

Obviously the first thing you should do is to learn the basic chord patterns. Below I've taken a few pages out of the member's area that will teach you the basics of playing chords, how to play the C, A, G, E, and D major chord patterns, a complete guide to power chords, and a little bit of chord theory:

♀How To Read A Guitar Chord Diagram

Chord diagrams show you how to play new chords.
Below is a blank chord diagram. Think of it as a picture of your guitar sitting in front of you.
The 6 vertical lines represent the 6 strings on a guitar (low E on left side, high E on right). The horizontal lines represent frets except for the top line which is the nut of the guitar.

♀The Basic Guitar Chord Patterns

Introduction To CAGED

The CAGED system is derived from the unique tuning of the guitar. To sum it up: there are 5 basic major chord patterns on the guitar. These basic chord patterns are the C, A, G, E, and D chords. There are also minor chord version of these 5 basic patterns.
You'll notice that there are chords that seem to be missing such as F chords and B chords as well as chords with sharps or flats. Well, these chords don't have their own patterns. To play them (and all the other major and minor chords for that matter) you have to use one of the patterns on this page, so your first step is to master the chords on this page.

The 5 Basic Major Chord Patterns

Learn and memorize each chord pattern. Take your time to insure that you are playing them correctly. Each pattern is accompanied a picture of the chord being played and an audio sample of what the chord sounds like when played properly.

♀Chord Trouble Shooting

When you're first learning to play chords, it can be very difficult to get your fingers to cooperate. After a few days of practice your fingers will start remembering where to go. It's important to spend a little time everyday with these chords until you are comfortable with playing them.
Your fingertips on your fret hand will become sore and tender to the touch. If it becomes too painful, by all means stop practicing for the day and try again the next day. With steady practice you will develop calluses on your fingertips and this won't be any more problem.
If you're hearing a buzzing sound or the sound of the notes being played sound dull, then your not pressing hard enough on the strings, or one or more of your fingers is catching a nearby string. When you strum the chord each not should ring out clearly. You may find it hard at first to press all of the strings down firmly against the frets. If this is the case, don't fret. Your hands will build up the strength in no time with practice.

Chord Tips:

• Don't let your fingernails get too long! They will prevent you from fingering the fret board correctly.
• Make sure your fingers are standing straight up and down. Otherwise they may mute other strings.
• When playing chords your fingers should be arched at the joints so that your fingertips come in contact with the strings and not the flat fingerprint part of your finger.
• Your fingers should make contact with the strings slightly behind the frets if at all possible. The further your finger is from the fret the harder it is to apply the proper amount of pressure, hence the more likelihood that you'll get a "buzzing" sound.
• The size of your hand and the width of your instrument's neck can significantly affect which fingers you use to play the chords. All of the chord charts on this site use the most commonly used chord fingerings. These fingerings will work for 95% of all guitarists.
• You may come across a suggested chord fingering that you simply cannot contort your fingers to play. In this case try experimenting with alternate fingering