CYBERMIDI MUSIC and MIDI Blog

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Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it’s time the world knew. You’ve also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. They need to be recorded, MP3ed and put on the net ASAP. But you’ve got two problems. First, you can’t afford a studio, let alone a band for all this stuff. Second, you don’t play all, or any, of the instruments.

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Short loops, drum beats and sound effects, the kind often found on relatively inexpensive sample CDs, are basic tools for laying down most any kind of music track. While work like this is exactly what samplers were designed for, you don’t need to invest in one unless you’re doing a lot of work with chromatic instruments or strings. You can get the same job done using any Creative Labs soundcard that supports “SoundFonts” and a SoundFont editor program like the Vienna SoundFont Studio.

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Update 5/22: The winning song was announced last night: Time Of My Life by Reggie Hamm. Mr. Hamm’s bio is below. However, based on Idol’s low key approach to the song’s announcement (amazing that Hamm’s name was NEVER mentioned on the show), it just adds fuel to the fire. Does this mean that:

a) Idol is aware of the growing discontent with the contest and chose to low-key it.
b) Hamm specifically requested to “fly in under the radar”
c) This is the end of this songwriting contest.
d) All of the above.
e) None of the above.

Who knows - and will we ever know? Either way, certainly no disrepect to Mr. Hamm is implied. (or any other songwriter). Hamm is an accomplished writer and we wish him the best of success in his career.

Now back to the original article:
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On the eve of the 2008 American Idol finale, there is a growing conspiracy theory about the songwriting contest. Last year’s winner had relationships with American Idol. This year’s winning songwriter has a working relationship with last year’s winner. What’s wrong with this picture?

For the second year in a row, American Idol has run this songwriter contest, allowing people from all over the country to enter in which the winner will have their song sung and recorded by the winning Idol. At $10 per entry, American Idol – more accurately 19 Entertainment Co made a few hundred thousand dollars off the submissions. Was the general public “conned” into thinking they had a shot at being “discovered"?

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Guitarist and Bandleader Jeff Healey Dies in Toronto Hospital

Following a lengthy struggle with cancer, Healey passes away on the eve of the release of a new blues rock album (His First Blues Album in 8 Years)


Jeff Healey, arguably one of the most distinctive guitar players of our time, died today (Sunday March 2) in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Toronto. He was 41, and leaves his wife, Cristie, daughter Rachel (13) and son Derek (three), as well as his father and step-mother, Bud and Rose Healey, and sisters Laura and Linda.

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Music Publishing For Today’s Market
by Allen Johnston,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

Before the invention of the phonograph, songwriters earned income by relying on music publishers to sell sheet music and piano rolls of their songs. Even as radio and television replaced the piano in the parlor, music publishers continued to play an important role as popular singers continued to rely upon established songwriters to provide their material. (Tin Pan Alley) However, with the advent of R&B (and especially the Motown era) popular recording artists began to write more of their own songs. Since that time, the music publishing industry has taken on a less important role for singers and a much more important role for revenue growth.

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How many times have you read in an online forum or a web design tutorial that embedded midi (Musical Instrumental Digital Interface) files are “bad"? Probably more times than you care to remember. For the most part, embedded sound files of any kind have been categorized as web site “bling-bling", right along side animated gifs, flashing banners and complex frames layouts. Essentially, they just contribute to unnecessary glitz and clutter that does nothing more than distract visitors and significantly slow page download times.

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CYBERMIDI.com is the official distributor of music for Piano Wizard. Many people have asked exactly how the game translates into a real life learning experience. This article will attempt to explain the process.

While Piano Wizard boasts a revolutionary patented 4 step method, there are actually 6 steps that take you from 0 - 60 on the piano. Here is how the process works.

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Sarah Schmalenberger, hornist and musicologist, has launched the Life and Livelihood Study at http://www.musiciansurvivor.org in order to examine the physical and occupational well-being of women musicians who have had breast cancer. This national study has been designed to develop a profile of how the diagnosis and treatment of the disease affects women musicians. Physical problems during recovery from breast cancer treatment can be particularly burdensome to musicians, because of their physically demanding occupations or avocations. Unfortunately, scientific research on the number of women musicians diagnosed with breast cancer and the medical and occupational well-being of musicians after breast cancer is essentially nonexistent.

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For product information, please visit Music Wizard Home Page.