Some very smart people at Roni Music have figured out a way to take an MP3 file and slow it down, AND change the pitch if needed.
Whoa.
This means the time it takes to learn a song has been cut in half. Ergo, the Amazing Slow Downer can change your life, or at least save you a bunch of time by trimming the learning curve.
In my case, I am learning bass lines, so it helps me pick apart the structure of a song and figure out what should happen when. It doesn't rush me, it doesn't nag, it doesn't sigh. It just patiently gives me what I need, every time I ask.
Plus, songs slowed down bring out nuances otherwise overlooked. Little, subtle details do, in fact, make a big difference when all packaged together. Like a fine art painting or tile mosaic, when you step close to see the details, they can stand on their own; when you zoom out and look at it altogether, voila! Gestalt!
Roni Music gets extra roses and chocolate cake from me - I had some difficulties mounting it to the new Windows 7 platform - but Rolf and Monica at Roni's were very patient, and answered each plaintive email within 24 hours.
If you want to learn how to play or sing a song, and you need to trim the time it takes you to learn new material, the Amazing Slow Downer is worth every penny (50 bucks US). No, I’m not a salesperson for Amazing Slow Downer – just a very happy, time-squeezed musician.
4/4,
Mary
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, September 14, 2009
Search Me
According to Google, these are the things America is searching for: sports, music, Oprah.
If I were to write a song today about a singing football player who appears on Oprah, would people search for it? Would I be giving America what it wants?
Today, if you want your music to be heard or seen, it has to be on the Internet. If you can be Googled, you’ve got a chance.
I searched for Google hit statistics on “Paul McCartney.” Hit results were astronomical. I was surprised to learn that Canadians searched for Paul more than Americans, followed by Mexicans and Argentineans. The Brits were somewhere behind Argentina. People are nuts for his lyrics, which they look for more often than info on his tours, which came in second.
I then entered Texas-bred band Bowling for Soup. We cover one of their most popular songs, “1985.” It is just too perfect for our band of five women. I learned they are bigger in the U.K. than they are in their home country. What is it about hometown folks not being number one fans??
I then entered Merry and the Mood Swings. The message came up: “Not enough search volume to show graphs.” Well then! Here we have a wonderful home website and a presence on myspace, Facebook and now ReverbNation. I know we are searched for because ReverbNation can show me examples of where we have appeared on the web, and Google sends Mary H. updates when we appear on the web.
So I’m experimenting. If I salt hot topic terms into my blog posts and the band websites, will they eventually come up on Google searches? If they do and people click through, will I write a hit song titled “Oprah’s Football Music?” Maybe an entire CD, “The Battle of Jon and Kate,” “Taylor’s Swift Kick to Kanye,” “Facebook Virus Blues,” etc.?
Will I?
Search me.
If I were to write a song today about a singing football player who appears on Oprah, would people search for it? Would I be giving America what it wants?
Today, if you want your music to be heard or seen, it has to be on the Internet. If you can be Googled, you’ve got a chance.
I searched for Google hit statistics on “Paul McCartney.” Hit results were astronomical. I was surprised to learn that Canadians searched for Paul more than Americans, followed by Mexicans and Argentineans. The Brits were somewhere behind Argentina. People are nuts for his lyrics, which they look for more often than info on his tours, which came in second.
I then entered Texas-bred band Bowling for Soup. We cover one of their most popular songs, “1985.” It is just too perfect for our band of five women. I learned they are bigger in the U.K. than they are in their home country. What is it about hometown folks not being number one fans??
I then entered Merry and the Mood Swings. The message came up: “Not enough search volume to show graphs.” Well then! Here we have a wonderful home website and a presence on myspace, Facebook and now ReverbNation. I know we are searched for because ReverbNation can show me examples of where we have appeared on the web, and Google sends Mary H. updates when we appear on the web.
So I’m experimenting. If I salt hot topic terms into my blog posts and the band websites, will they eventually come up on Google searches? If they do and people click through, will I write a hit song titled “Oprah’s Football Music?” Maybe an entire CD, “The Battle of Jon and Kate,” “Taylor’s Swift Kick to Kanye,” “Facebook Virus Blues,” etc.?
Will I?
Search me.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It's Fall, Must be Time to Play Again!
Summer is drawing to a close and that means the Mood Swings are wrapping up projects we've been working on since May ("What I Did On My Summer Vacation"), only some of which I can talk about -- the other tidbits aren't quite ready, but we are excited -- details in mid-September, I promise. In the meanwhile, a sneak peek of our new songs for the Fall is below.
To kick off the "fall season," the 'Swings will play the big Tour de NeighborsGo event in Lewisville on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 -noon. It's at the Village Shops at Castle Hills, a gorgeous new enclave right off of Lady of the Lake Boulevard. It's a family thing, with trike event at 9:30, "Big Bike" event at 10, and 'Swings at 11. Families, vendors, fun, live music, and free! Details to come around the first week in September in every edition of "NeighborsGo" in The Dallas Morning News.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, our sax-flute-guitar-vox-kitchen sink member, Diane, plays a benefit for Dallas Heritage Village in an intimate setting -- the Alamo Saloon ! -- with Jubal's Paradise partner, guitar master Kevin Kirk. Jubal's plays gorgeous acoustic songs featuring guitar and flute. This venue seats only 25 people and tickets will sell out quickly -- for an evening of truly beautiful music benefiting the historic, accredited Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park, call Michelle at 214-413-3675.
Then on Saturday, Sept. 19 the whole band is back at Dallas Heritage Village for the Chili Cookoff. Mood Swings play at 1:30; this is a CASI-sanctioned cookoff for chili aficianados. Details at www.dallasheritagevillage.org!
Preview of some of the new songs on the horizon:
"Chickenheaded Thing": Southern Rock meets aliens on a farm-to-market road!
"Unh When I Sit Down (Unh When I Get Up Again)": Danceable rap, in full Mood Swings mode.
"Geez Louise": Swingin' tune about a society gal who has it all.
"Father Time": Rich harmonies in this thoughtful song about music, friendship and encouragement.
"There": Bittersweet, old-fashioned ballad of lost love.
"Don't Come Back": Done-Me-Wrong for the last time, cheater takes a hike in this rock-pop tune.
Have a topic you want the Mood Swings to sing about? Let us know--then be brave.
To kick off the "fall season," the 'Swings will play the big Tour de NeighborsGo event in Lewisville on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 -noon. It's at the Village Shops at Castle Hills, a gorgeous new enclave right off of Lady of the Lake Boulevard. It's a family thing, with trike event at 9:30, "Big Bike" event at 10, and 'Swings at 11. Families, vendors, fun, live music, and free! Details to come around the first week in September in every edition of "NeighborsGo" in The Dallas Morning News.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, our sax-flute-guitar-vox-kitchen sink member, Diane, plays a benefit for Dallas Heritage Village in an intimate setting -- the Alamo Saloon ! -- with Jubal's Paradise partner, guitar master Kevin Kirk. Jubal's plays gorgeous acoustic songs featuring guitar and flute. This venue seats only 25 people and tickets will sell out quickly -- for an evening of truly beautiful music benefiting the historic, accredited Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park, call Michelle at 214-413-3675.
Then on Saturday, Sept. 19 the whole band is back at Dallas Heritage Village for the Chili Cookoff. Mood Swings play at 1:30; this is a CASI-sanctioned cookoff for chili aficianados. Details at www.dallasheritagevillage.org!
Preview of some of the new songs on the horizon:
"Chickenheaded Thing": Southern Rock meets aliens on a farm-to-market road!
"Unh When I Sit Down (Unh When I Get Up Again)": Danceable rap, in full Mood Swings mode.
"Geez Louise": Swingin' tune about a society gal who has it all.
"Father Time": Rich harmonies in this thoughtful song about music, friendship and encouragement.
"There": Bittersweet, old-fashioned ballad of lost love.
"Don't Come Back": Done-Me-Wrong for the last time, cheater takes a hike in this rock-pop tune.
Have a topic you want the Mood Swings to sing about? Let us know--then be brave.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
You've been seeing a new URL, haven't you
Welcome to the new Mood Swings blog home!
I'm duplicating all the posts from the original blog site to this one.
As always, your comments are welcome. Do write!
4/4,
Mary
I'm duplicating all the posts from the original blog site to this one.
As always, your comments are welcome. Do write!
4/4,
Mary
Previously, On Mood Swings
Texas Country Reporter, Part Two
The big eye of TV winked as we played at Opening Bell Southside. Friends filled the seats, buddy/soundman/musician Doug Potts crammed the mixer board onto a table in the middle of the room, and Dan and Ryan from Texas Country Reporter moved around without notice, except for the fact that everyone of course knew exactly where they were at all times and pretended they didn’t see them, which of course they did, clearly, with both eyes, because Dan and Ryan were holding large TV cameras, one of which could look your way at any moment. It was a marvelous example of the the magic of television: even after being around for 80 years, TV still thrills. Through the magic of television, you can be transported into millions of glowing boxes in people’s living rooms, where, for a few pinnacle moments, you will be the center of attention, the fleeting electronic gestalt of countless strangers’ existences, with the side benefit of writing home to mom to say, hey, I was on TV last night, didja see me.
Gets ‘em every time.
And so this pixie-dust made for an animated crowd, and the ‘Swings fed on the buzz. It was such a boost to look out into the room at all those smiling faces, those dancing feet— a happy thing indeed, and we cavorted through “Trailer Park Living,” “Reach Out,” “Match Not Made in Heaven” and a few covers, including “Dream On,” with cellphones waving in the air like so many handheld Tinkerbells.
At the end of the night, as Ryan and Dan were packing up their things and the ‘Swings continued to play, Mary H. picked Ryan to be that night’s “Metrosexual.” For those who’ve not yet heard it, “Metrosexual” is a song Mary H. wrote about the kind of hunky guy who dresses so well he could be a magazine model: “He’s a metro, metrosexual, he looks better than me… he’s a metro, metrosexual, oh what a man is he. . .” It’s a lot of fun for the audience, and usually fun for the pick of the night, unless the pick is terribly shy and mortified by five women singing about how gorgeous he is in front of a bunch of people, but Ryan had a trick up his sleeve – at the end of the song he tore open his shirt and revealed a Mood Swings T-shirt!!
It was a Superman kind of moment.
After that night’s shoot was done, I thought we were finished taping, but I was wrong. I’m telling you, when Texas Country Reporter does a story, they really go after it. Not only did they tape the rehearsal and the gig, they taped four more interviews with various Mood Swings at their places of work or home, AND came back to shoot even more footage at the Deep Ellum Arts Fest. Unbelieveable!
Ooh! Ooh! Remember the big fat hint I gave Bob Phillips at the rehearsal taping, about heyyy, wouldn’t it be great if the ‘Swings could play at the annual Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie in October? Well guess who’s playing at the Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in October! Shazam!! We’ll be there on Saturday, October 24!! Do you know they actually shut down downtown Waxahachie so that 50,000 people can converge for the Festival? It’s a full day of seeing everyone you’ve seen on the show that year, only in person and in festival style. I can’t wait!
Merry and the Mood Swings play on May 9 at a fundraiser for septecimia patient Delia King at Opening Bell Southside (see http://openingbellcoffee.com/calendar1 for details about the benefit or www.deliaking.org for more information about Delia King).
Then the ‘Swings open for Once in a Blue Moon at Poor David’s Pub on Saturday, May 30 – if you’ve been jonesing for a Hendrix/SR Vaughan-league guitar player (no joke), don’t miss Once in a Blue Moon – OMG. And bring your dancin’ shoes (and cellphones)!
www.merryandthemoodswings.com
Copyright 2009 Mary Guthrie
The big eye of TV winked as we played at Opening Bell Southside. Friends filled the seats, buddy/soundman/musician Doug Potts crammed the mixer board onto a table in the middle of the room, and Dan and Ryan from Texas Country Reporter moved around without notice, except for the fact that everyone of course knew exactly where they were at all times and pretended they didn’t see them, which of course they did, clearly, with both eyes, because Dan and Ryan were holding large TV cameras, one of which could look your way at any moment. It was a marvelous example of the the magic of television: even after being around for 80 years, TV still thrills. Through the magic of television, you can be transported into millions of glowing boxes in people’s living rooms, where, for a few pinnacle moments, you will be the center of attention, the fleeting electronic gestalt of countless strangers’ existences, with the side benefit of writing home to mom to say, hey, I was on TV last night, didja see me.
Gets ‘em every time.
And so this pixie-dust made for an animated crowd, and the ‘Swings fed on the buzz. It was such a boost to look out into the room at all those smiling faces, those dancing feet— a happy thing indeed, and we cavorted through “Trailer Park Living,” “Reach Out,” “Match Not Made in Heaven” and a few covers, including “Dream On,” with cellphones waving in the air like so many handheld Tinkerbells.
At the end of the night, as Ryan and Dan were packing up their things and the ‘Swings continued to play, Mary H. picked Ryan to be that night’s “Metrosexual.” For those who’ve not yet heard it, “Metrosexual” is a song Mary H. wrote about the kind of hunky guy who dresses so well he could be a magazine model: “He’s a metro, metrosexual, he looks better than me… he’s a metro, metrosexual, oh what a man is he. . .” It’s a lot of fun for the audience, and usually fun for the pick of the night, unless the pick is terribly shy and mortified by five women singing about how gorgeous he is in front of a bunch of people, but Ryan had a trick up his sleeve – at the end of the song he tore open his shirt and revealed a Mood Swings T-shirt!!
It was a Superman kind of moment.
After that night’s shoot was done, I thought we were finished taping, but I was wrong. I’m telling you, when Texas Country Reporter does a story, they really go after it. Not only did they tape the rehearsal and the gig, they taped four more interviews with various Mood Swings at their places of work or home, AND came back to shoot even more footage at the Deep Ellum Arts Fest. Unbelieveable!
Ooh! Ooh! Remember the big fat hint I gave Bob Phillips at the rehearsal taping, about heyyy, wouldn’t it be great if the ‘Swings could play at the annual Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie in October? Well guess who’s playing at the Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in October! Shazam!! We’ll be there on Saturday, October 24!! Do you know they actually shut down downtown Waxahachie so that 50,000 people can converge for the Festival? It’s a full day of seeing everyone you’ve seen on the show that year, only in person and in festival style. I can’t wait!
Merry and the Mood Swings play on May 9 at a fundraiser for septecimia patient Delia King at Opening Bell Southside (see http://openingbellcoffee.com/calendar1 for details about the benefit or www.deliaking.org for more information about Delia King).
Then the ‘Swings open for Once in a Blue Moon at Poor David’s Pub on Saturday, May 30 – if you’ve been jonesing for a Hendrix/SR Vaughan-league guitar player (no joke), don’t miss Once in a Blue Moon – OMG. And bring your dancin’ shoes (and cellphones)!
www.merryandthemoodswings.com
Copyright 2009 Mary Guthrie
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