So this became my 1st NAMM in the heat of Summer in Nashville … a year and a half after I created my Christmas stocking wish list from my finds at Winter NAMM 2010. Summer NAMM was of a smaller scale than that of the Winter show in Anaheim last…
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If one were to bring a group of music lovers together and asked them who their favourite pianists of the Romantic period were, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and Chopin would undoubtedly be mentioned. Now ask me, and my answer would be a trifle long winded – – though I savour the…
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What sound system would you pick to dress up that room where you relax after a hard day in the world of power suits, the room where you also entertain high roller friends, and where million dollar deals are cut? What system could transform a not too shabby room into…
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George politely and magnanimously welcomed us in on this somewhat chilly December night. Under Jill’s advise we had packed our bags to stay-over at his humble abode; a long drive back up to Jersey just wouldn’t work in the thick snow. I set up the vidcam on the topmost shelf…
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I wrap up my coverage on NAMM 2010 with a special article, special to me for many reasons. I am a music tech buff or geek as some like to call me. I can’t deny it, bad habit. I am also a history buff; I love to listen to treasured…
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Thom Shepherd is one of these down to earth musicians I’ve mentioned in my various articles. The kind so comfortable with themselves and their music they don’t try to please. They are just who they are; comfortable. Thom wore a perpetual smile on his face for the 45 minutes we…
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Yamaha occupied an entire ballroom in the Marriott, a short sprint across from the Anaheim Convention Center. I caught up with long time supporter of Xenovibes, Western Regional Manager, Frank Yardley who gave me a tour of the ‘booth’ beginning with my favourite department; the wonderful world of electronic wiz….
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When I sat down with Beegie in the recital hall of the Steinway Piano Gallery in Nashville, I found myself a kindred spirit. I’ve had the privilege of meeting a few such people in my travels. Within minutes of exchanging pleasantries, including details of each other’s musical aspirations and the…
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The idea for house concerts is neither a new fad nor the latest. Most of us are familiar with the concept of patrons of the arts opening their homes to artists of the classical music persuasion. These patrons host a private event where friends are entertained, and have the opportunity…
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I felt like I had made a lucky find when I finally stumbled on MikTek tucked in a corner at NAMM 2010. This company from Nashville, TN was founded on the notion that tried and true technology should be at the heart of one of the most important assets of…
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NAMM 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center was to be a real treat for me.The last time I attended one was many blue moons ago. I was ready to reinstate myself as a music technology geek, and for my hidden agenda – to start a wish list for my 2010…
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Fresh from visiting a neo-eclectic symphony center draped with motifs inspired by an Egyptian revivalist church, I head for a Presbyterian church with an eye for the Gothic (read my previous article It’s the journey, not the destination, Mr Valentine). “Originating in 12th-century France and lasting into the 16th century,…
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Nashville the music city travels under the noms de guerre ‘3rd Coast’. A case of the expression “small but dynamite” with no pun intended. According to the wiki entry, the term “3rd Coast” is “used to describe several coastal regions distinct from the West Coast and the East Coast of…
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“Led by Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and President and CEO Alan D Valentine, the Nashville Symphony is today regarded as one of America’s most creative and innovative orchestras. With more than 140 performances annually, it is Tennessee’s preeminent cultural institution. One of the most active recording orchestras in America ……
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I set out to investigate Nashville two months ago; an idea that came about from a chat with Tom Brislin (Spiraling). On the balmy evening of August 21st 2009, Tom and I had positioned ourselves upstairs at the serving area of Bar East Ale House in NYC. I had just…
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“William Steinway (son of Heinrich) had great foresight at a time when America was ‘cowboys and Indians’ and things of that nature. We weren’t quite as sophisticated over here as they were in Europe. Culture was a very different thing particularly outside the big cities of the East Coast and…
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Ages are believed to correlate to the rise and fall of mighty civilisations and cultural tendencies, with Aquarius traditionally ruling electricity, computers, democracy, humanitarianism, idealists, rebels and rebellion… so reads the Wikipedia entry. It was no coincidence that the weekend I was exposed to “Hair” on Broadway, I should have…
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