What moves you more, lyrics or music?

I have been a long fan of instrumental music, and occasionally get into debates over whether lyrics are always necessary. Can God speak to us via the music without lyrical content. A majority of the music listening public would argue there is no message without a lyric, and without a message there is no communication.

Granted many may argue that music and lyrics belong together. I know there is a Edgar Allen Poe quote that says: "Since the comprehension of sweet sound is our most indefinite conception, music when combined with a pleasurable idea is poetry. Music without the idea is simply music. Without music or an intriguing idea, colour become pallor, man becomes carcass, home becomes catacomb, and the dead are but for a moment motionless."

There is a logic that can tie both music and lyrics together, however I would argue that the human soul can be moved by either individually.

There are many times when I've been listening to a particularly simple song (musically speaking), however the lyric is extremely powerful. A good example of this would be the song "Strange Fruit", most famously recorded by Billie Holiday. Although quite a minimalistic musical piece with few lyrics, each word is powerful. Another lyrical favorite of mine is a song by Christian musician Steve Taylor called "The Finish Line".

I am not a huge "word oriented" person, so I am not moved by lyrics as many are. However, I believe you can also be as equally moved by an outstanding instrumental performance. I have frequently been drawn into a performance simply by the musicians and their command of their instrument. The instrument itself has rarely mattered to me. I have been in awe over harmonica, mandolin, banjo, piano, harp, percussion, etc. I will get drawn in to the performance, to the point where nothing else has my attention.

My position would be that you can be equally poetic with either words or music, and they don't have to necessarily be together.

As a Christian, I would argue that God can move the human spirit with what He chooses, and this can be via music without lyrics or lyrics without music. Sure, there are biblical portions that speak of the power of words, and I would not want to imply that to be incorrect. My point is, God speaks to each of us individually, and not always in the same way.

Have you had an instrumental piece of music speak to you as strongly as a lyric? Are lyrics required for music to praise God? Feel free to comment.

Reminisce about 2006! - Has VH-1 gone too far?

OK, I just had to post something about this:

This week VH-1 (cable music channel) has been running a show called "I Love The New Millennium". Now, granted, I've enjoyed their shows looking back at the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s. But, "looking back" at 2 and 3 yrs ago seems a bit premature to me. With scenes like "let's look back at Ugly Betty" (the show is still on the air, for crying out loud), I'm not seeing anything but a lack of creativity on VH-1's part. Pathetic comes to mind. How bad have our attention levels gotten, when we now supposedly want to reminisce about 24 months ago?!? Is anyone actually watching these full episodes? I can't believe so.

Considering, I'm not much for watching network TV, I suppose my other choices are "Family Guy" reruns or History Channel shows ("Ice Road Truckers" RULES!!). It might be time to go back to books (if you haven't already).

Enough rant for now.

Later

Back Again - Sorry for being gone so long

Hey All,

Finally getting back to the good ol' blogging, and hopefully this will become more frequent.

So, what's new in my world:
- Life around the house is good. Been paying for a lawn fertilization service, and have found this to be beneficial. The only problem is that I need to mow the lawn more often, and it's not a favorite chore of mine. Oh well.
- A couple weeks back, me and my wife went to Chicago to catch a tour stop by Iron Maiden. They are currently flying around the world in a custom 747, and are playing music from their 1980s releases. The show was fantastic, and the crowd was great. Good time.
- Have some upcoming music and gigs scheduled, so keep tuned in for info on this.
- Been spending way too much time playing Mario Kart for Wii.

Current concerns and thoughts:
-The mainstream media has gone completely bonkers over Obama. I can't understand how they conclude that a first term Senator with next to zero other leadership experience is somehow qualified to run our country. I'm not confident the general public will get over their excitement over Obama, but maybe. Trust one thing: Washington will not allow anyone to make any real change to the way things are done, regardless of what Obama is preaching.

-Wondering what the future holds for the music industry. In the past, music lovers were primarily interested in achieving the best quality products they could afford. It would now appear that "convenience" has superseded quality. It's generally agreed that an MP3 file is a substandard music format, when compared to the standard audio CD. However, (partially thanks to Apple) all we hear about is how digital downloads are becoming more popular that CDs and will eventually replace them. I'm not sure I like the sounds of that, but I can see "convenience" win out. I do wonder what many people will do when their PC or iPod crashes, and they don't have backups of their music. Sure, iTunes allows you some multiple download options of purchased music, but I still tend to think many will be disappointed. Personally, I own an iPod 160GB model, and do find it more convenient for transporting my music library (it has cut back on the mass of CDs floating around my car and office).

-Wondering how long it's going to take for the public to start making any real changes in their daily lives, to the point where it levels off the current price increases. General economics will teach that supply and demand drive price. At this time, it would appear that the higher gas prices is starting to impact the price of food and services. Eventually, people will have to start cutting back on the non-essentials, and we will start to see a shift in the supplies. This will naturally force a drop in price, and the pendulum will start swinging the other direction. I'm just curious how long it will take before we will hit that point. I certainly don't expect the government to have any impact (except to make it more problematic).

Well, that's about enough for now. Looking forward to summer, and keeping you posted.

Thanks for reading,

Hammster

Reduced packaging audio CDs – good or bad?

I was recently in my local Best Buy, and noticed a selection of audio CDs that now come in simply a cardboard sleeve packaging. No jewel case, and no extra packaging. They also were promoting these as “eco-conscious”, and it didn’t hurt that they were on sale for around $7.99 each (I consider this a fair price for simply the audio CD with minimum packaging).

So, I picked up a couple releases that were on sale.

At first thought, this seems like it could be a good idea. I can see it taking up less space in my CD library shelf. I can see the reduced price as a good trend. Since I’m not a big reader of the inserts, I don’t miss that either (most releases are showing a website where you can find additional information on the release).

On the downside of the idea is the fact that it’s pretty hard to read the side spine on the sleeve. So, once on the shelf, it could be hard to find the disc you are looking for (especially if you have a bunch of these sleeves together). Also, if they don’t keep the price down, there could be the perception that you aren’t really getting much value for your dollar (why spend $8 on the cheap sleeve, when you could get the jewel case version for $10?)

I’ve read some customer reviews of online purchases, which turned out to be the cardboard sleeve packaging, and the customers are pretty upset. Most seem to wish they knew ahead of time (listing doesn’t mention packaging on Amazon), or had the choice up front.

So, I throw the idea out for discussion: Is this trend a good thing and should continue, or is this simply a case of companies trying to make their product more profitable?

Tim

Well done, Larry Norman - Welcome Home

This past Sunday (2/24/2008), Christian rock music pioneer Larry Norman left his earthly body, and went to join his savior in Heaven. After many years of his body failing him, he finally got his reward.


I was first introduced to Larry's music around 1982 or so. A friend of mine had the "Something New Under The Son" release, and I got a kick out of Larry's sense of humor. The bluesy rock music was also well done. I began checking out other releases from Larry, and discovered his involvement with Randy Stonehill (another favorite of mine, and the first "Christian rock" record I ever bought was from Randy). Larry had originally "signed" Randy to a record deal, and helped Randy get started in Christian music. Over the following years, I found Larry had many great songs addressing social issues as well as Christianity. During this time, I never did get a chance to see Larry perform.

Fast forward to 1998, when I was attending Cornerstone Festival with my wife. Larry made a previously unannounced solo acoustic performance at the HM tent. It was during this performance that Larry made some very motivating comments about suffering children around the world, and how we were called to reach out to them (if possible). After this, my wife and I sponsored a child through Compassion International.

Over the next couple years, reports began to come out about Larry having heart trouble. There were some times when the problems became quite serious, and there was question how long Larry would be with us.

The next time I got see Larry perform was at Cornerstone Festival 2001. Randy Stonehill was also at the festival, performing during a "legends of Christian Rock" special package of artists. Larry Norman was also scheduled to perform during that weekend. The relationship between Larry and Randy had suffered some problems during the 80s/90s, but they had rebuilt the friendship and Larry joined Randy on stage at the end of Randy's set. This was a reunion that many hoped to see. After this performance, I noticed Larry and Randy were watching another band from the side of the tent. I approached them, and asked if I could get a picture with them. They were both kind and accommodating. I had my wife take the photo you see here (Larry is the one on the far left)








The next day Larry gave a full band rock performance on the "main stage". I heard many say it was one of Larry's better performances, and was more energetic than many expected. The first half of the set was kind of a "retro-Larry" type bluesy rock show. For the second half of the set, Larry brought out a different backing band, and performed new modern arrangements of some of his tunes. Overall, a great show, and can be heard on the "Live At Cornerstone" release. Randy was supposed to join Larry, but Randy ended up having to leave the festival earlier than expected. I do specifically remember Larry making many comments about loving Christ, and how we need to be more loving to all.

I didn't get to ever see Larry perform again, but still enjoyed his music and ministry. Over the past year, I have been watching some Larry Norman videos a friend has shared with me. One thing is consistent with all the material - Larry loved Jesus and wanted nothing more than to share that with others. Larry wasn't without his problems or controversy, but he never said we should be following Larry. He was simply doing his best to point the way to Christ.

Anyone who has read of Larry's past health issues should not be surprised at his passing. However, it still is a loss for those of us still here, and we have to now step up and fill the gap left by Larry's passing. Larry Norman now gets to enjoy the rewards that he often would speak/sing about. Thankfully, we can still enjoy the music that Larry left for us, via his CDs and DVDs.

Thanks to God for allowing me to be around during the same period when Larry Norman was here, and having an opportunity to not only experience his live performance but also meet the man. Praise God, and thanks to Larry for the faith he shared.

For more info on Larry, you can check www.larrynorman.com They seem to have taken some pages off line for now, but may be back soon.

To purchase some of Larry's CDs, you can find many at www.christiandiscs.com

Tim

Have Americans stoppped thinking?

Maybe some of you can help me out here.

I am hearing frequent reports of people throwing their presidential support behind Barack OBama. This definitely has me questioning whether anyone is actually giving any serious consideration to the requirements of the job. Many state that Obama has said he will bring change and hope back to the office. There are numerous reasons why he is a bad choice, and I will cover a few here. Maybe some of you can help me understand why nobody seems to care about these issues.

Why are we even seriously considering a first term senator for the top office in the country? I know many like to say that there is no job that provides experience for the presidency, however there are some that come close. Many governors have become decent presidents, yet rarely is a senator ever elected into the position. We are talking about needing a person who understands how to build a solid team of advisers, who has some understanding of economics, and also has the courage to stand up for what is right (rather than always going with popular). I'm confident Barack is NOT that man. Sure, Barack can give a good speech, but that doesn't make him qualified to be chief executive of the country!!

I have yet to speak to anyone who can give me a single example of anything Barack has accomplished while in the senate. People simply like the way Obama speaks, and they like his personality. That's enough for them the elect him president of the USA, and that's a tad scary to me. Do you have any specific examples of Barack's accomplishments?

Barack wants us out of Iraq and believes we can reason with the terrorists taking refuge in Iraq. Any logical person can look at a sampling of terrorist actions and come to the conclusion that these are not reasonable people. The cowardly terrorist hides behind anonymous identities, claims no allegiance to any specific country, and sees their destruction of "infidels" as sanctified. I'm not sure exactly how Barack plans on reasoning with these individuals, but I'm 100% certain the terrorists simply want us dead. I am specifically not saying that all Muslims or Islamic people are terrorists, as I do not believe they all are. I also believe there are Iraqis who desire a country without terrorists, and are working towards that. However, the country has long been a safe-haven for terrorists, and Iraq continues wrestling with changing that. Unless we want another 9/11/01 incident, we need to continue taking the battles off our own soil. Barack doesn't seem to get that, and the USA cannot afford that ignorant leadership.



There are frequent reports of Barack not properly honoring the flag during the national anthem. He is pictured without his hand placed over his heart. It isn't a 100% of the time, but often enough to raise serious concern about him being our national leader. If he isn't 100% for the USA, what is the point of giving him the highest office? I'm not making this up. Look it up for yourself.


From Barack's own website:
If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.”
My first question would be: Who gets to pay for this? My guess is that he would say it will be covered by the government. Spoiler Alert: The government does not make any money - it only takes it from us via taxes. So, a program like this has no option except to increase our already high tax burden.
The other problem I have is: When was the last time you've seen a government agency run something efficiently AND as planned? Even the simplest of tasks ("department of motor vehicles" or "secretary of state") are commonly known for their long lines and huge amounts of "red tape".
Simply put, the government is only good at raising taxes and building up the military. Everything else should be left up to the private sector. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's "free"!!

Barack likes to tell us how he's going to change things in Washington D.C, but any aware person knows that won't be allowed. D.C. is full of too many special interest groups and lobbyists, who are working daily to keep politicians busy. If Barack truly believes he can change the massive bureaucratic leviathan of D.C., then he is too naive for the job already.

Now granted, I have not decided on any presidential candidate yet, but there is no way I can see myself voting for Barack. Maybe 10 years from now, once he's had a chance to get more understanding of how things work in Washington D.C.

One thing is for sure: Any clearly thinking American cannot conclude that Barack is the right choice for this election.

Tim

Another chapter ends...

As many of you know, I was part of the band Sojourn. As of August 2006, the band went on indefinite hiatus. The primary reason had to do with our lead singer (Adam) moving towards missionary work. Due to the time needed for him and his family to prepare, he needed to make more time in his schedule. The remaining members of the band could not see Sojourn continuing without both founding members.

After about 18 months, the www.sojournband.com band website (along with all affiliated email address) has now expired. This is not surprising to anyone, and only means the ending of another chapter in the saga that was Sojourn.

I'll take this moment to thank Adam, Dean, John, and all the past members who have come and gone over the years. It was a fun ride, and there are many great stories. Thanks for letting me be a part of the experience.

Onward towards the future...

Tim

Why do people do this?

One of my favorite longtime "pet peeves" is people who buy some item, and yet have no idea how to use it or why they need it. Please note that I am a "semi-professional" computer nerd, and gadget fan. I am adept at technology and can usually figure things out. I also like to have a justification for a new "toy", rather than just buy it because it's new.

A continuing culprit seems to be the person who buys an Apple Mac computer, because they were told it is something they need. I frequently run into someone who tells me "I don't know why I bought this because I don't even know how to use it". When I recently walked into a local Apple retail store, I was shown all of the "cool" features of the new Mac computers. When I would ask the salesperson "why would I care about that feature", the blank stare was amusing. My point is, the Apple sales people were pitching "cool" rather than functional. So, consumers are buying a machine they have little experience with, so they can go home and do "cool" stuff. I have a friend who bought a Mac computer with his home recording studio software, because he was told the Mac would be the best audio choice (no argument there). Trouble is, this friend was not familiar with the Apple operating system, and has trouble simply getting around the system. Another friend of mine was trying to import a video from his camera, and the "simple" Mac program was not cooperating. I think it was because the Apple operating system only wanted a specific video format. I had another person ask me if I could help them create a website on their Mac. I asked what software they were going to use, and again I got the blank stare.

I've often heard financial planners tell me that I shouldn't even invest in any stocks or funds that I do not FULLY understand. Don't buy into anything you cannot explain to someone. And yet, these same people seem to have no problem buying technology that they do not understand.

I am generally ignorant about automotive repairs, and am not the best at household repairs. However, I do at least understand how to put air in my tires, check oil level, and put gas in the car. I also understand how to replace filters in my furnace, check electrical breaker switches, and replace light bulbs. In other words, I may not be an expert, but I have a general idea what is needed to be an effective owner of the product. There are many who do not see this connection with technology.

So, don't buy an iPod if you don't know how to even download the iTunes software (which is free to all, and available in both Windows and Mac versions). Don't buy a digital camera if you aren't sure how to get the photos off the thing. Don't buy an iPhone if you can't get a standard cell phone to work. And don't buy a computer without having an idea of what they can do for you, or why you need it.

If you are desiring to buy the latest technology, please realize you need to spend some time researching your options and reading the instructions. From my experience, the only difference between a novice and expert is that the expert has read the manual. The guy who cracks out his iPod and starts trying to synchronize it, finds out right away that there are some rules you need to follow. The person who buys a digital camera without some prior research can find out they don't have the right port on the computer (is it USB or Firewire?). The person who buys the new computer and finds it a bit more complicated that promised, needs to plan on taking some time to get "acquainted" with the features and functions.

Most of us have had decades of experience where our purchases were easily understood items. I mean, how complicated is a toaster? Can-openers were fairly simple. TVs were a bit more complicated, but still intuitive (off - on - change channel). Video tape recorders were a bit more complicated, and needed some simple programming. Video game systems were fairly simple (set TV channel - turn on - inset game cartridge). However, now there are hundreds of functions available on TVs, computers, video recorders, microwave ovens, and even refrigerators with computers in the door!!

So, please, please, I'm begging you, spend some time thinking before buying something that you think you need. If you can at least explain how it will make your life better, that's enough to get started. If it's not going to make YOUR life better, what's the point?

Until next time,

Tim

Good News - Bad News

Time for some updates for those of you stopping by:

Good News:

The company who makes the Pro Tools software (Digidesign - www.digidesign.com) has been selling a "plug-in" virtual drummer called "Strike". I purchased this "plug-in", when I recently upgraded my Pro Tools LE system. Digidesign also recently provided an "expansion pack" free download for recent customers. Although I have had little experience with other software virtual drummer packages, I can honestly say that "Strike" is simply amazing. Unlike any other drum machine or software I've used. The software does only work within a Pro Tools session, so it's not compatible with other DAW software. However, for the Pro Tools user, "Strike" is almost unbeatable (pun intended). Options within the program allow you to adjust the "complexity", "intensity", "timing", "groove", and a ton other options. You can literally customize just about every element of the drum studio. Various mic options are available, all based from samples created from actual studio sessions. A complete mixer within the software allows you to further tweak your drum session, without leaving the plug-in. The "Strike" software is supposed to assume the time signature and tempo of your Pro Tools session. I have experimented with the tempo option, but haven't tried a different time signature. I've read there are some minor issues when working with odd time signatures, but I'll check that out later. I would have preferred the ability to adjust tempo within the "Strike" software, but I can understand why a "plug-in" would need to defer tempo control to the Pro Tools session. Still, kind of a pain. The drum samples are fantastic and exceed anything I've heard from other digital drum systems. The ease of creating a "typical" drum part is just what I was looking for. Although it's not the cheapest software on the market ($299 list) and does require Pro Tools, this is almost a "must have" software for the Pro Tools user. Simply amazing. For more info, check out the Digidesign website (Strike is under the "A.I.R. Virtual Instruments" section, in the "products" menu).


I have finally jumped into the world of the iPod. Granted, I'm primarily a Microsoft guy, but that doesn't mean I have no appreciation for what Apple offers. What has moved me to get the iPod was a desire to reduce the amount of CD "clutter" that has a tendency to accumulate. I am one who tends to have frequently changing moods for music, so I change out my set of "in circulation" CDs regularly. By getting much of my collection onto an iPod, I now have just a single unit that can satisfy my changing moods at a moments notice. I went with the 160GB "Classic" model. I have loaded up probably over 200 CDs so far, and still have only used just under 20GB of space. The unit can also play videos, which I know many use for watching TV shows while traveling. I do not have plans to make much use of this function, but there is a coming trend of DVDs including "digital" versions of the product. This "digital" version is supposed to be designed for easy transfer to an iPod type device. For now, I'll just stick with working at getting the music loaded up. Feel free to drop me a question if you have any.

Speaking of DVDs including "digital" versions, I just want to state my support for this idea. The recent release of Family Guy's "Blue Harvest" episode, includes the first "digital version" DVD. It is no "extra" charge, and is supposedly already encoded for easy upload to an iPod (I haven't tried it yet). Personally, I think this is a good idea, as it does offer the consumer extra value, which is always a good thing. My hope would be that the studio provided version would be of better quality than what you would get using some third party software. I see it as a good idea, and like the trend.


Bad News:
This week marks the end of the "Artists For Hope" website. In the spring of 2005, I put together a compilation CD of local independent Christian music. The disc was to primarily be a fund raiser for helping with relief efforts in areas impacted by the Asian Tsunami of December 2004. A secondary goal was to help build some awareness of the available local Christian music. While being successful as a fund raising project, the entire world had contributed much to the effort. This allowed the relief and rebuilding to take place at a much faster pace than expected. Also, the USA hurricane season of the late summer of 2005 created a whole new set of emergency situations, inadvertently taking focus off the Tsunami issue. These various issues, along with a reducing level of interest in the compilation, has resulted in the choice to no longer continue renewing the website. The project was a success, and I am grateful to all those who helped make it happen. There are some of the CD still available, and I am now offering them "free-of-charge" to anyone interested. Some of the bands are no longer active, but there are many which are performing and creating new music. Drop me a note if you are interested in obtaining any copies of the CD.

So, that's some of the latest that's been going on. There are some new opportunities coming up for me musically, but I need to keep those quiet for now. I appreciate all those who are reading this, and thank you for taking the time.

Blessings,

Tim
www.timhamm.com

Hammster Wheel and Hammonline Back

Hey all,

As some of you may know, I had discontinued the Hammster Wheel and Hammonline websites, as I pursued more music performance.

Well, as I have moved back towards original music, I have been giving thought to how to reposition myself regarding these two sites. I came to the conclusion that they were just fine as they were, and simply needed to be reinstated.

So, Hammster Wheel and Hammonline are both back. I have done some updating to them, but am planning full redesigns to both.

Let the fun continue!!

Quote for the day: "As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he was talking about." - Shaun

Tim

Early December 2007 Update

Update as of 12/5/2007:

Studio:
I have upgraded my Pro Tools LE home studio. I was previously using the Digidesign Digi-001 hardware with version 6.4 of the software. I used their "upgrade" program to trade-in the old hardware, and now have a Digi-003 with version 7.4 of the software. My thanks to Alan Finkbeiner at Sweetwater, for his assistance with this. If you need any music gear, I recommend contacting Alan at Alan_Finkbeiner@sweetwater.com Just tell him Tim Hamm sent you. With the new upgrade, I will first get back to completing The Well's Angels recording. After that, I will move on to new projects, which will include a solo effort. No definite plans are in place yet.

Bands:
I am not currently involved in any specific band. I recently met with Dean and John from Sojourn, and we just caught up on our lives. Adam was not able to make the evening. There was no plan for any further music. John is assisting with some drum tracks on some select tunes on The Well's Angels recording. For now, I'm content to focus on my own ideas, but don't ever expect things to stay the same. There may be some future music with myself, John, and Dave from The Well's Angels. Jim Cash, from CrossWise, is also a possibly collaborator for upcoming musical projects. We shall see. I do continue watching the Sookie Jones website (the last band I was with), to see what's coming up for them. I still recommend checking them out, if you get a chance.

Websites:
I am back at trying to get a handle on DreamWeaver 8. I got the upgrade last year, and simply didn't spend enough time with the product. I looked at Microsoft's new "Expression Web", and found it not nearly as exciting as DreamWeaver. So, hopefully there will be a new version of the TimHamm.com website coming soon. Once I get that up, I can proceed with updating some of the other sites I maintain. With any luck, this will become a secondary hobby to the music studio stuff.

Other:
Not much else going on with life. Simply trying to get through the holidays without going nuts, and enjoying life a bit. I wish each of you a very merry Christmas, and the best in 2008. Keep in touch.

Quote for the day:
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

T Hamm

As One Chapter Ends, Another Begins

It's been quite sometime since an update, but this one will only be brief.

I have resigned as bass player for the band Sookie Jones.

My decision to leave has nothing to do with the band or it's members. They are a fine local "cover" band, and I wish them the best in the future. However, the "cover" band idea wasn't providing me the fulfillment I have come to appreciate in creating original music. I joined them during a time when I suppose I was looking for simply an opportunity to play music, and we did have fun. Plenty of work over the summer getting sets ready, and we jumped into the fall with a fairly active schedule. During the past couple weeks, we had been working at finding a new drummer, and the performance schedule has nothing until late December. This "off" time, gave me time to think about where things stood. I also spent this past weekend enjoying the music and fellowship with some area original music friends, and I realized I had wandered onto the wrong musical path for me. So, I promptly let the other members know of my resignation, and made it effective immediately. I'm sure there is disappointment and frustration on their part, as they didn't see it coming and thought all was well. To be honest, all was well until I took the time to review my own desires.

So, I'm back on the road to more "original music", and hope to get some ideas going soon.

Thanks for all who bother reading these posts. Keep in touch.

Tim

Thoughts on Music Industry

I have been exchanging thoughts with a friend, regarding the recent announcement from band "Radiohead" that they will be offering their new CD via download for "whatever someone wants to pay". I thought I'd share my most recent post, and see if there are any comments.

Enjoy.

First off, I think Radiohead is doing this to help drum up some interest in their upcoming release. They've already built their fanbase, so there really isn't much risk there (the fans will buy). So, they try to get new fans with the "whatever anyone wants to pay" idea. They expect any new fans will most likely go out and buy the back catalog. If the band needs more money, touring is much more lucrative anyway (generally speaking).

For indie bands that want to increase sales, the steps are the same for everyone:

- Figure out your market. Who is going to buy your product, and where are these people? If you cannot answer this, you are already going to have trouble.

- Make the best product you can afford to, and hopefully better than others in your market. When asking people to spend money on your product, you need to offer them value. Putting out a poor quality product will not keep customers. Compare your product to others in your market, and improve as much as you can.

- Get visible. If you are hocking a CD, send it out for reviews and get it on local "consignment" shelves. Play shows where your customer base is. If there isn't a place to play, you will have much more trouble getting interest. Customers are out there, but you need to find them. Most are not looking for you.

An alternative is to think outside the normal ideas. Find places where your product or performance would fit, yet isn't a place that anyone else has tried. If you have a CD that follows a certain topic (say, pets), maybe you could talk with a specialty store about working together (say, perform at the pet store). If you have a comedy CD, try open mic night at a comedy club.

One of the big problems is that most indie artists think the world is waiting for their great new CD. Trouble is, the "great" new CD is typically well below industry quality standards. Anyone can burn a CD-R and scribble a name on it, but that isn't going to get many return customers. People want some quality for their money. They tend to forget about what prevents them from buying other artists product, and then figure out how to work around that with your own customers.

I know local musician who spend over $50,000 on his CD recording, back in 1999. It's a fantastic sounding disc, full of good music. However, the CD didn't get any response from local media. Nobody knew the guys name, and he wasn't playing shows anywhere. Recently, he has started playing more (almost every weekend, all around the midwest), and just this past week ordered his second run of 1000 discs (and he still has no media support). That's almost 8 years to move 1000 CDs of a high quality recording. He didn't start moving more product until he got in front of more people. As far as I know, he still hasn't broken even on the cost of the project.

The major labels want you to believe that they can market your product for you, and you'll get sales simply because you are on a major. Trouble is, majors release hundreds (maybe even thousands) of CDs a year, and very few ever break even.

If you are an artist on a label, you'll make about $1 per CD sold, after recouping product costs (and that's optimistic).

If you are an artist that is still indie, you can make much more per CD sold, and recoup costs much faster (due to none of the major label overhead).

Indies can make a living much easier, if they stay away from major labels. However, they do have to do all their own marketing work. Major labels will only want artists that can make them money, so they won't spend much effort on artists that aren't already selling units.

I don't believe that CD sales are actually declining, as much as reporting wants us to believe. I believe the market has simply diversified more, and customers are now buying more product direct from artists. Artists aren't putting bar codes on all their releases or registering the bar codes, so SoundScan isn't seeing the sales. Reports are saying "sales declining", when in reality they just aren't seeing the actual numbers.

Music downloads have made a small mark on the industry, but haven’t made any major impact (despite Rolling Stone’s reporting). The general music customer isn’t yet satisfied spending $10 for a “virtual” version of a CD, rather than having a physical product in hand for the same money. I believe things like iTunes have brought back the “single” as a valid option, and that has helped. But, most of the consumer market isn’t jumping on this yet either.

As an indie artist, you've got to find customers for a physical product (now downloads). If there are no customers for your product, you might need to seriously consider making some changes. Assuming there are customers buying similar products from other artists, you then just need to find out how to sell to those customers.

You say “But those bands that are struggling, no one has heard of them. No one goes to their site to buy their CD. Grassroots only goes so far, mostly into your neighborhood, etc. How can they increase sales? That’s my question.” I say, this sort of band isn’t doing all they can to get their name out there. If they are not making themselves visible to the market, nobody will find them. Get some reviews published (online or magazines), play some shows (even free ones on a street corner), give away some products, etc. You’ve got to build your fanbase, and get them to tell their friends. If you can’t motivate people about your own product, you are going to have difficulty. We all know people are buying CDs.

Bottom Line: Many indie bands are doing very well, without downloads. It can be done on your own, but you’ve got to take action. Indies are essentially running their own small business. If you don’t treat it like a business, you’ll have trouble.

Melodic Rock Fest - South Bend - October 6

Calling all fans of melodic rock - If you have any interest in supporting the genre, you need to do what you can to support the upcoming Melodic Rock Fest in South Bend, Indiana on October 6. Australian website www.melodicrock.com is hosting the event, and site founder Andrew is coming over for it.

Let's show the world that the USA still strongly supports quality melodic rock!!

www.melodicrock.com/southbend/

Hope to see you there.

Simply Remember 9/11

I know it's over-hyped and is quite emotional, but please take a moment on 9/11 and remember those events of 2001. If you find yourself not still affected by that day, do a "Google" search on 9/11 attacks and view some of the video of those events. I remember watching it all unfold live on TV, and cannot watch replays without experiencing the disbelief and anger. The truth of the images cannot be hidden.

Remember:
- The terrorists attacked primarily non-military unsuspecting civilian targets (with the exception of The Pentagon), using commercial planes.
- There was no explicit warning or message given prior. No opportunity for civilians to escape (unlike when the USA military attacks)
- The goal was to destroy as many lives as possible on USA soil, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, etc. It wasn't only USA citizens that were attacked.
- The USA (and world) is now having to fight a war against an organization that swears no specific loyalty to any country or government. They will hide wherever there is room or sympathy for them. They refuse to make themselves visible to the world.
- The USA military is visible and does not hide or mask themselves. We are open and clear about who we are, and what our purpose is. We continue to attempt to fight within the rules of engagement, while the enemy continues guerrilla attacks on civilian targets.

The attacks from 9/11 are unbelievable due to the veil around the plan and those who would be involved. A massive attack on primarily non-military targets, largely inhabited by non-military civilians is not something the world can afford to forget or excuse.

We must continue to pursue these terrorists around the world, or risk more death and destruction on our own soil. There is no third option. The terrorists want all USA citizens dead. Period. Yet, they refuse to reveal themselves, and continue to hide. If Bin Laden and/or his team are so strong and powerful, why not make themselves/himself visible? Why continue hiding?

We didn't start this war, but we will fight!!

God bless the USA, and those who stand with us against evil. Rest in Peace to those who died on that fateful day, and from other terrorist attacks. And may justice prevail against these cowardly murderers.

Hammster

Review of The Police concert

The Police – The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan - July 17, 2007:

After waiting since early March 2007, the “mighty” Police finally rolled into the Detroit area. Having sold out in a manner of minutes, the crowd was primarily fans that loved them dearly. This was becoming the “show to see” of 2007, and many were watching to see if the trio would be able to keep their personal differences in “check”.

Around 8:45pm, Sting, Stewart, and Andy opened the evening with the signature tune “Message In A Bottle”. The setlist (see below) continued with much of what has been past reported, with no noticeable difference. The band was on stage for almost 2 full hours.

Sting was in fine voice, although not as high as in the past. I am not able to confirm if songs have been lowered in key, however we suspect they have been. His bass playing was in fine form, and he has appeared to take some tricks from his solo career with various jazz musicians (some nice improv moments). Stewart appeared to be very serious and focused on his playing, while enjoying the occasional improv moments. Stewart had his main drum kit, while behind him was a selection of various cymbals, chimes, bells, a marimba-type contraption, large drums, and gong. Andy was the more “understated” of the three, while sporting a “South Park” themed guitar strap. His playing was outstanding, covering the entire spectrum from ambient echoes to blazing lead solos. Stewart and Andy provided occasional background vocals.

The band didn’t have any major visual changes during the show. Sting was stage right, Andy stage left, and Stewart in the middle. Sting stuck with his Fender bass for the entire night, and had a “not huge” amp setup behind him. Sting did have a set of synth pedals, which he only used occasionally to add some “rumble” to a chord. He did have a side stand for his coffee cup (I would assume tea, but didn’t really know). Andy stuck with Fender guitars, primarily a Strat and a Tele. He had a small set of MesaBoogie amps behind him. I couldn’t see his pedal board, but he didn’t seem to be hitting pedals often (everyone once in a while). Stewart had a Tama kit with various sized toms and cymbals, as well as the additional percussion gear behind him (mentioned above).

Musically, the set was nicely paced. They had some flexibility with some improvisation moments, however the band generally stuck with familiar arrangements of the hits. There were a few moments during the evening where it sounded like there were some missed cues or something. This helped reinforce that they were playing live, while showing that they aren’t perfect. Thanks to the live cameras, there were a couple moments when it was obvious the band was using supporting background vocal tracks. You could hear vocals additional to Sting, and could see that Andy and Stewart were not singing. Whether these were taped vocals or simply someone backstage was not known. You could also hear supporting percussion loops on “King of Pain”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, and “Walking In Your Footsteps”, although you could still hear Stewart doing his additional percussion parts.

The stage was very open with little obstruction, and was an “end stage” (not “in the round”). Stairs and a platform covered the side and back of the stage. Sting and Andy were both able to wander around and recognize everyone, as seats were filled completely around the arena. Three video screens were facing stage front, and a single screen was on each side and the back. This gave everyone a chance to see some of the close-up camera shots. There appeared to be a problem with the video system during the opening song, however this was fixed by the time they got to the second song.

Overall, I’d score the concert an 8.5 out of 10. They were very good, especially for not having been out on tour for 23 years. All three seemed to be enjoying the crowd response.

Opening band was called “Fiction Plane”, and is headed up by Sting’s oldest son, Joe. The band appeared to be not yet ready for such a big arena tour, although they are getting a good exposure opportunity here. I’d describe the music as a current 20-somethings version of The Police meets U2. Joe Sumner’s voice sounds quite a bit like his dads, and Joe also happens to play bass. The biggest problem was that the band looked kind of “stiff” on such a big stage, and didn’t engage the audience much. They may be much more appealing in a smaller venue. I heard a few comments from people who enjoyed their set.

The Police Set list:

Message in a Bottle

Synchronicity II

Walking On The Moon

Voices Inside My Head

When The World Is Running Down

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Driven To Tears

Truth Hits Everybody

Bed's Too Big Without You

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Wrapped Around Your Finger

De Do Do Do De Da Da Da

Invisible Sun

Walking In Your Footsteps

Can't Stand Losing You

Roxanne

King Of Pain

So Lonely

Every Breath You Take

Next To You

Changes and Updates

Hey All,

First off, let's talk some changes:
In an effort to reduce some unnecessary stress in my life, I'm backing off of some projects. Thus, the "Hammster Wheel" website has been redirected to my personal Tim Hamm website. This only means I am slowing down on the music production and web-design aspects. I am hoping to concentrate more on music.

I am also eliminating the "GR Music News" blog, as it simply required more time than I have available. It is still a good idea, but was simply more than I am able to keep up with. Maybe another time.

Moving on to band and music news:
I have been playing with the new group "Sookie Jones", and we have had some successful auditions at area clubs. We have some fall dates lined up, and hope to see some of you out there.

Updates should come more frequently, as I back off some of the other projects.

Until next time,

Tim
www.timhamm.com

Sookie Jones

"Doogie" Jones? "Boogie" Jones?

No, "Sookie Jones".

This is the name of a Grand Rapids based "cover" band,which I have joined. The name comes from a lyric in an Aerosmith song. The group was originally formed in 2006, and began playing out later that year and into 2007. The bass player position needed filling when their original bassist had trouble juggling the band and a 3rd shift job (who wouldn't have trouble with that?). So, the band started seeking out a replacement bassist, and I found their posting on the "Craigslist.com" website (I stumbled upon it while looking for other area music news).

The band is a 4-piece, with Brenda providing the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Rich on lead/rhythm guitar, Kevin on drums, and me on bass. Rich and Kevin help out with background vocals, and I am doing what I can while learning the bass parts. For info, check www.myspace.com/sookiejones. An official website (not MySpace) is getting finalized in the coming week or so.

At this point, there is no "original" music in the setlist, but we do try to put our own slant on the tunes we cover. For example, our version of Norah Jones "Don't Know Why" is based around guitar, rather than piano. Rich does a nice job with the arrangement, and Brenda does great with the vocals. The setlist on MySpace is only about half accurate, as we are adding and removing some.

Some of you may wonder why I have moved in this direction. I have two reasons that I can point to. One is that, with Sojourn, I found myself writing bass parts that were within my already existing skills. This led to little progression in my talents, and was my own fault for not working harder. When playing with a "cover" band, I am having to learn a variety of styles, and need to play them well. Thus, I have to become a harder working musician. Second, I am trying to take a smaller role within the band's business. While still enjoying my roles within Sojourn, it is nice not having to worry about sound gear, recording, and etc. I just show up and play bass guitar. More"play" and less worry.

I'm not sure where it will lead or how long it will be together, but I am finding the experience beneficial.

Gigs are already booked for the fall of 2007, and various auditions will be taking place over the summer. Come fall, there should be a more solid idea of how I will fit into all this.

See you out there.

Tim
www.timhamm.com

Marketing 101

So, what's going on with marketing these days?

I work in a small office and one of our owners fancies himself a marketing manager. The biggest problem is that he brings in some part time people who are going to help him with the "marketing". Apparently, his definition of "marketing" only includes creating documents in Adobe Pagemaker or Photoshop. Notice, there is no mention of determining actual marketing strategies or determining customer expectations.

In my opinion, the part time person is filling more the role of "graphic designer" and not actually "marketing.

Now, I don't profess to be any marketing expert, nor have I taken any formal classes on the topic. However, I have been spending some time lately reading various marketing books, especially ones that apply to the internet and website marketing.

One of the good ones recently published is called "Call To Action" (Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg). This books says more in the first 20 pages, than most books say in 300 pages. If you have any interest in internet website marketing, you MUST read this book You can find it on Amazon. As I look today, it's released in a paperback version. Get this book!!

Also, I have been reading good things about the new book "Waiting for Your Cat to Bark" (Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg). In fact, Amazon is putting these two books together as sort of a "package deal" (if that sort of thing interests you). In any case, I've heard plenty of good things about this book, and am planning on getting my own copy soon.

I started getting interested in this sort of thing after first hearing about Seth Godin's book "Free Prize Inside". This is another great book on basic marketing techniques.

On a final note, I would also recommend the classic "Guerilla Marketing" by Jay Levinson. This is THE book on budget minded marketing ideas, and has become the introductory marketing book for many small businesses. If you haven't read this one yet, grab a copy online or at your local bookstore. There will be at least one idea that could make a huge difference in your own endeavors.

That's it for now. Talk to you soon!!!

Hammster

Random Thoughts from the week

Hi All,

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I'm just going to throw some random thoughts out.

One thing on my mind this week is the impending announcement of Journey hiring vocalist Jeff Scott Soto as their new full time lead singer. Jeff has been in the lead singer role since July of 2006, having stepped in when previous singer Steve Augeri had to leave due to throat issues. From what I've read so far, it sounds like Steve A was never really that comfortable with the vocal style Journey required. Part of this is justified by the other members taking lead vocal shots during the recent "Generations" CD. Last month, I got to see the band with Soto as the lead singer, and I gotta say that he brought some energy back to the band. His level of enthusiasm was contageous, and the entire band appeared to be playing as it their lives depended on it. I could see how making Soto "full time" would help continue the current momentum they have going. From what I see, they have new "promo shots" with Jeff as part of the band, and the "official" announcement can't be far off. I see it as a good thing, even though I never really had a problem with Augeri.

On Sunday night, I was at the Bob Seger concert here in Grand Rapids. This was a "sold out" show, and there were plenty of 50-somethings wandering around. Now, I'm almost 42, and don't have a problem with an older crowd. My problem was with these folks acting like they were 20 again. Although I understand "reliving your youth", this went beyond that. As far as Seger, he sounded fair. Not outstanding, but good enough. No fancy lighting or introduction, and no live video feed to screens. Just the basic band, playing through the hits and some new music. In my opinion, it sort of came across as a giant "bar band". I would have like to see Bob give the tour a bit more thought, and have brought along some more of the current technology found at concerts (like the live video feeds). Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

This weekend, I will be catching the Jars of Clay concert here in Grand Rapids. I've never seen the band before, and have very little knowledge of their music. I'm going with a friend who has seen them before. I'm basically going along to get an idea of what the band is like live, and I'm not sure if I'll leave with any new opinion of the band. It would be nice to.

Other than that, I'm just kind of staying "inactive" in live performance, as I'm still not sure of what direction I want to go. After Sojourn went on hiatus, I'm just not sure what will best fit. I would like to do something more "rock", but I also realize that it's not exactly "credible" coming from a bunch of 40/50 yr olds. I'm leaning towards a more "coffeehouse" acoustic/folk/jam band type idea, but not sure about that either. I'm sure I'll eventually come to some conclusion.

That's enough for now,

Hammster