Archive for the ‘General’ Category
As the hours to Christmas draw closer and closer, I thought that this song written by The Wishmakers back in 2008 was a great way to sum up what Christmas should be about. Regardless of whether we live in the city or in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania, Christmas should be a time of being with friends and family, sharing gifts and food, and sharing the gift of music with others. Music has always been one of those things that binds us together at certain times of the year regardless of age, location and weather.
With the earthquake that devastated Haiti, Quincy Jones went back into the archives and revived “We Are the World” which Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson co-wrote in the mid-1980s. The big difference was what the song was for this time. The original version was written for the children starving in Africa in the 80s. This version struck a different chord which aimed to unite the world to help in raising money to help the Haitian people who had lost what little they had.
Of course, since it has been over 20 years since the first release of the song, new artists had to be rounded up to sing the new revised recording. The funny thing was is that even though the talent had changed, the feeling that they put into the various parts was similar to the original energy which was displayed.
Depending on the arranger, this song has the potential not only to be a demonstration of famous talent, but also the everyday talent of moonlight musicians and vocalists. All music groups could perform this piece in a unique manner that would demonstrate the individual talent and hopes of those singing and performing it.
The song has a powerful message to it that has meaning far beyond its original intention. No matter what the cause, we should always try to strive for peace and help out each other no matter where we are in the world. We all share this world for a very short time and while we are here we should work together in peace.
There is an organization that I have now had the privilege to work with for over two years now, Sweetwater Sound. The quality of service and support that I have gotten in choosing the right equipment for the job has been phenomenal. Unlike other companies that sell music and recording equipment, the sales engineers at Sweetwater know their stuff and give valid advice compared to sales clerks at other organizations who barely know what they are selling to you.
The greatest help I’ve gotten has been in selecting the gear for my new mobile recording venture, Streamin’ Sound. Even though the selection process included two different sales engineers, Brandon McSwain and Forrest Powell, both have steered me in the right direction as far as quality for on a shoe string budget. Even after the purchase, my current sales engineer, Forrest Powell, has been a great help in suggesting new approaches and worthwhile upgrades. The best part about working with them has been that I have a dedicated sales engineer who know me and my goals in music.
With regards to music, everyone at Sweetwater is involved in the music industry somehow. Most are musicians and recording musicians themselves so they assist from their own experiences. If they don’t know something they have gotten back to me right away either having spoken to a colleague or calling a manufacturer’s representative. In fact, recently, I have even received a courtesy call to tell me that my sales engineer was out on the road and would return my call when he returned.
I recall seeing an ad for Sweetwater a few years ago in a magazine and just put it aside as I was using another vendor for my audio equipment needs. When I began looking into establishing a recording studio, I found that the sales staff at my previous vendor was not familiar with what they were selling me. So, I decided to try the folks at Sweetwater. Since then, I have gone nowhere else for my recording and music equipment needs. Both Brandon and Forrest have been great in recommeding products based on the current industry and letting me what what new stuff is coming down the road. Once in a while I just give a call to my sales engineer to let him know what projects I’m working on and if he has any suggestions that could make the recording better.
I would recommend Sweetwater to anyone who is an electronic or recording musician. They have everything that you could want and if they don’t have it, they’ll get it for you. They’re just great to work with in general.