slstone

Thanks, bro, I really appreciate that, and kudos to you for catching the Iron Maiden inspiration there. Several things I have to say. 1st off, Autotune played no part in this advertisement. I sang in key the old fashioned way. Rage would be a good song for radio due to its brevity. It's only 3 minutes long. Relentless in only 4 minutes long. Also, as usual, I am playing all instruments and doing all vocals. My lovely wife, Debra did some backup vocals for me on 'Voices'. I wrote each and every one of my songs with assistance from my lovely wife. I wrote all the music, arrangements, everything. All copyrighted and protected by my business entity, StoneCraft Music. It has been shipped off to CD Baby for worldwide distribution, I am also readying my accounts on all the other sites that allow hosting. I will be marketing myself wildly next week, lol.

Hey everyone, finally got duplication done and things printed and sent off, etc. My CD will be for sale all over the internet on March 1st. I put together a sampler for everyone to listen to and watch if you so desire. Just though all my friends here would like a little taste of what is to come. Thanks to everyone!!!

Sounds kinda Indigo Girls style to me. Kind of folk rock sound.

Hey bro, I figured that out 10 or 20 years ago, when I first heard the Eagles on an Oldie station. Pretty soon we will hear all our old 80's hairband faves on an oldie station.

Kind of sounds like Mike Patton from Faith No More....listen to Falling to Pieces, then this one.

Hey DJ, if you like Marco, also go check some of what he is doing with a band called Northern Kings: Him and 3 other well known power metal singers....

Hey George, I couldn't agree more. I have said the same thing before, but there are those who game me grief for that view, so good luck. I have said I don't want to hear people at their worst, show me your best. So somebody may give you crap for expecting better performances.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Bruce didn't sing this one on the album. He had taken a leave of absence from Maiden. Blaze Bailey was the singer on the X Factor album.

As my own label and publisher, I think I can clear the air on copyrights, having become an expert in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). I will discuss original music as well as cover songs. 1. Original Songs. By definition, the U.S. Copyright office states that just as soon as you put something into any format, either lyrics on paper, a vocal or instrumental part recorded, even if its just humming into a tape recorder, it is considered protected under copyright law. However it would be considered unregistered. What that means is that although protected, you may not be able to sue another person for infringement unless it is registered or you have another way to prove a date of origination. If you upload something, it will have a digital signature marking date and time it was uploaded. If you don't have the money to register your work with the U.S. Copyright office, you can always do the "poor man's copyright". That is to mail it, be it a sheet of paper, or a cd, or whatever, to yourself. It will be stamped with a date by the U.S. Postal Service, thus proving a date. With the U.S. Copyright office there are two ways to register. You can register a single song for $30(last I checked) each. Or you can register a collection of works, such as an album for $30. The downside to that is that it is only protected as a body of work and can leave each individual song unprotected. Being a member of a performance organization doesn't have anything to do with your own original work. Unless you want to allow others to play and perform your work. Then your membership can benefit you financially if someone wants to record and sell a cover version of your song(s). 2. Cover Songs. This is where it gets tricky. Many of us have a 'cover' version of a song uploaded online. Ron is correct to a point. If you have purchase a karaoke track, you have done your part and paid for someone elses recording. BTW, almost all of your karaoke tracks are recorded by session musicians and not the original artists. These tracks allow those who don't have other means to record music, but want to sing to them, the ability to sing along to the music. However, the fair use rights stop there. You can record yourself to it and upload it or pass it out to friends(for free). If you charge money for your cover version, then you have crossed the line into needing a license from either the publisher or performance organization such as ASCAP. For example, your average cover band that plays the local bar/club do not have an ASCAP membership or any other company. If they are getting paid for their gigs, then technically, they are breaking copyright law, i.e. they are making money on someone else's music. If the club has a dj who plays top 40 or whatever genre and the club doesn't have a blanket license, they are breaking the law. You will notice, that most of the really good musicians on places like you tube who have some sort of cover such as a collaboration etc, will have in the description that the music was recorderd and posted for entertainment purposes and that no money is being made from the recording. sort of a standard waiver. So, to rephrase, you can post covers online as much as you want as long as you are not making money from it. Otherwise its piracy, infringement, etc. I think I have mentioned everything. probably not, lol. If anyone has any questions about copyrights or intellectual property rights, just ask. As I mentioned, this is part of my business as I represent myself and my music as well as any covers I do. Being smart here will save you a ton of headaches. Currently I am working on almost a dozen covers myself. I play all instruments on the ones I am currently working on. I have been thinking about advertising my services to record music for other vocalists but I am not sure if it is allowed here. Might have to shoot off an email to Robert to get permission. Anyway, hope I have helped someone.

That's what I generally do when I work on a cover. I will bring my instrumental version(that I almost always play record all the music myself), and sing it on the way to work to practice what I want to do, especially parts where I will put my musical signature on it.

I would be up for this, as I am a huge Queensryche fan. I have another song in mind I have been meaning to record anyway, however, I don't agree with the one rule as I am a perfectionist. And would only post it once I have it down like I want it, plus I do all of my own backup vocals as well. If we can bypass that rule, I would be happy to contribute to this challenge.

Hey bro, I appreciate the invite, but blues really isn't my "thing". plus I don't know when I would have time. At this current moment in time, I have 3 Nightwish collaborations, 1 Kamelot Collaboration, 2 Kamelot songs I am doing on my own, a Stratovarius song, Dio song and Dream Theater song. All in progress in various stages of completion, in addition to video footage being shot and edited for most of these. I am also gearing up to start writing for my 2nd CD. I also have a Petra song on back order to do. In all these songs, I am playing all instruments and singing all male vocals. The collaborations I have in progress are with another vocalist(female), singing female parts, respectively. I can say, thank goodnes I am a fast study. I can sit down to learn a song without ever having played it before in about an hour(by ear alone), and be ready to record 2 hours later to where it sounds like I have been playing the song for years. Like you, I work a full time job outside of home, in addition to familial obligations. Very time consuming, as you can imagine. I think you will really like what will be coming from my studio. Still pondering if I want to take up Robert's challenge. I am also a big Deep Purple fan as well. p.s. For a chuckle, I do all this even though I had my left index finger dislocated at work 2 years ago, and I still can't bend it all the way, which makes my guitar playing a challenge. I had to change my form and positioning to accomodate for it. You can't tell it from listening to me play. It is definitely a challenge to play with a finger like that. Challenging, not impossible. anyway.....

Mixing is definitely an art. I didn't gain my mad skills in one day. Took many years of a bit of trial and a whole lot of error before I really started to learn. It is definitely a skill with a huge learning curve.

Me thinks of the movie, 'Bill & Ted', where they go into the music store, checking out guitars for the band they hope to one day form. They see they sign thats says, "absolutely no playing 'Smoke on the Water' or 'Stairway to Heaven'," or something like that. Funny scene.

A little info for your question, bro. Reverbnation, like many of its counterparts, i.e. myspace, unsigned, purevolume, soundcloud, etc..., there are many, are mainly there for advertising and marketing. As you mentioned, not necessarily a gig getter, but a means for others to hear your stuff with links to buy finished products when you have them ready. I have many of these accounts. We self starters and self artist developers need a way to market ourselves without major label muscle and these are they. When used correctly, they can really help find fans for one's music. Again, consider me the class expert or even professor here on the DIY part of music making, producing and marketing. Ask me anything. Chances are if I haven't already done it or know about it, it doesn't exist yet, lol. Anywho, just offering my $0.02.

That's when we need Neville Longbottom's remembrall....

can you imagine reading a lyric sheet and being dyslexic, now that would be challenging...?

I understand. It just helps when one experiences the usual cranial flatulence that often occurs when recording, the dreaded sin of all musicians...forgetting the lyrics...or getting ready for your big splash of a vocal on your recording just to screw it up and end up being anticlimactic.. Anyway, glad I could help in some way.

Tommy, just a note: that is why most musicians/bands write out on paper or an erase board, their recording sequences, in essence, a way to count when laying down tracks. You could do something as simple as a notebook and a pencil. Write down how many times you need to play a certain part, or have a lyric sheet near you and write on it how many times you need to play parts. It makes it much easier to count and keep track of where you are when recording. I have a corkboard in my sound booth in my studio with which I use thumb tacks to tack up lyric sheets. Don't know if you have lyrics in front of you when you record, but it helps, even when laying down an instrument. On all of my songs, I wrote on my lyric sheets what chord was being played for each part. Made it easier if and when hiring a new player to help him/her learn a song. Anyway, hope this helps your process.

Hey Tommy, Just a note to help you feel a little better. A few years ago when I still had bandmates together, there was a period of time when we were a 'power trio'. That is, me playing guitar and singing, my bass player playing and trying to sing backup and my drummer. At that point, we had previously had another guitar player and we would do the songs with me playing during easy parts and choruses and the other guitar player would continue playing and I would stop. I write all of my own music, including my guitar riffs, which I don't write easy stuff. Go to my website and listen to my guitar riff in my song, 'Sands of Time', in the main part of the song. Tempo is 194. Riff is sliding up and down the neck at a breakneck pace. Well my drummer buddy, who stayed at my house at the time, had to go home for a few months and cut some wood, he lives further out in the sticks than I do. So I spent the next three months learning to play my stuff and sing it at the same time. I became a much better musician because of it, my guitar playing skills increased exponentially, as well as my singing skills. You mentioned something else that would make a great thread by itself. Playing and singing the song where the timing of music and vocal melody is different. If you want a real challenge(and I finally accomplished this about 5 or 6 years ago), play Crazy Train and sing it at the same time. the main verses are a bit of a challenge whilst playing the guitar riff. So fear not, you are not the only one.

You can get a cheapy guitar tuner for about $10

yes Tommy, it was me who mentioned the tuner thingy. Really simple. It teaches you two things. First off it teaches pitch accuracy(the needle don't lie, at least in the old analog tuners, lol). Then once you master the right pitch, it teaches you control, which in my opinion, alot of people need work on. After you peg the tuner for perfect pitch, then hold the note for a while without letting the pitch waver. Not as easy as it sounds. That's where it helps to teach control. Then it realy becomes tricky when you try to add vibrato and not letting it waver. Some people when they go to reach certain notes almost remind me of vocal flatulence. Don't squack the note. Sing it. So yes, something as simple as a cheap mic and a guitar tuner can teach you alot.

Must disagree a little, as usual. I tend to be a bigger fan of cleaner vocals...Michael Sweet...James Labrie...Roy Khan...and in early Maiden days, Bruce tended to sing clean on the choruses. I can't do grit or distortion in my voice, at least not for long...makes me cough and doesn't feel good. I have always liked the cleaner singers better, but that's just me...

I think it's great. Just needs some over the top stratospheric vocals to go with it.

Awesome job on the 'nuts in a vice' high note at the end of the chorus like Kiske did. I have loved thst song ever since I saw the video for the first time...spoiler alert...my age is showing...when MTV used to play music. Anyone ever watch Headbanger's Ball back then? For me that was like watching a TV preacher. It was a religioius experience, lol...