In part 2 we explored the concept of using video to share songs with band mates,so they could practice in comfort at home in front of their computer. The possibility of finding a good quality video of your favorite band is good and if you’re lucky with the camera angles and a good video director, you can actually see the artist performing the original chords and licks,thereby giving you an edge with learning the material. If every band member would watch these videos including drummers,bassists and vocalists you would be greatly surprised in what you can learn. Remember: Pigheaded determination while learning and practicing.

Alright, you’re in the garage and jamming together too a new song everyone has listened to at home and maybe even watched a video or two about it, when someone stops and says ” Aw man I can’t play that part like that guy plays it,we can’t do this.” Well just cool down there a minute cowboy,nobody ever said we had to cover the song the exact same way the original band did. Hey I’ve got great idea we all can agree upon…” let’s all agree to perform the song at about 80% orginal,that way it is an attainable and reachable goal for us.” If everyone agrees and the songs are not super complicated and you all are average or above players you’ve got it made. Remember to dedicate time to practice…..GOT IT?

O.K. now you’ve got the flow of the song ,the bass and drummer are in perfect time,the rhythm guitar is hitting all the right chords and your lead guitarist has all the licks down pat to about 80% and you’re saying to yourselves, this sounds really good,I think our audience would appreciate that rendition and we’re all happy with the song..except we have forgotten to address the Vocal portion of the cover tune in this article. If you guys are fortunate enough to have a “good” vocalist, then please work with them and cater to their needs such as transposing chordal structure by playing the song in a different key and being crisp and clear with your timing and breaks and tone and especially your volume. These fore mentioned items will be addressed in future articles.

For those of you whom do not have a “good or even a decent vocalist”…..TRY TO FIND ONE FAST. Just partially joking there. I offer little advice to bands that lack a decent singer other than have this person dedicate time to their own practice at home.  Be honest with them and make sure they understand the importance of at least being an adequate vocalist,then you can take it from there in any direction you want…..hopefully for the good!

Please you people, go have a band meeting next week and discuss this theory along with the direction of the group. Pick songs that you know the other band members would like and would be easy to cover without lacking some interesting parts. You can tweak parts and make minor adjustments without disturbing the overall attempt. Just agree to the 80% rule and you’ll be fine. Please visit www.newtechboomers.com for all your musicial needs.

Enjoy yourselves,

Bill

Well, I’m not going to go out and purchase a 10,000 acre farm and grow food sources to feed the world masses, but I will grow as much fruit & vegetables in my back yard as we and a few good friends & neighbors can consume. Why not? It’s easy to get started and if you’re like me you’ll get as much of what you need online. We’ve teamed up with a fantastic company that deals with All Organic products and we really wish you would visit their site and browse around for all your Gardening, Lawn Care, Soil Care and many other around the house and Do It Yourself products and Tips.

Depending on the size of the area you have to work within, you can grow Amazing fruits and vegetables and spices and herbs with minimal space. One way I grow my plants are in 5 gallon nursery pots. These 5 gallon pots are versatile and are suitable for all varieties of fruit and vegetables. Order your products and have them shipped to your door. Go outside and plant your seeds or transfer an already established plant into the pot. Follow some simple growing instructions and keep them watered then start enjoying a lifelong hobby that tastes great. Keep an eye out for special deals we offer through our service with Gardens Alive and may rays of Sunshine beam down upon your garden.

Starting an on-line business in this busy tech world can be expensive. Vista Print business cards & products are not. We have used their services on several occasions and have found the quality & service to be exemplary. This is one way to cut costs and increase your profit. I don’t understand how they do it but they deliver as promised.

Our first experience with Vista Print was an order for business cards for Bill’s garage band. They are a pretty decent band & even get paid occasionally. Mostly it’s a fun venue for a group of Baby Boomers. The business cards we received have a professional appearance and have been a novelty to our friends and family.

Our next order was for refrigerator magnets to announce our one and only daughter’s wedding. This is the coolest idea. You mail them to your invitees several months in advance & ask your guests to “Save the Date.” The size and content, in addition to the quality, exceeded my expectations. We still have ours on the refrigerator & it can be seen on filing cabinets at my work site. The sight brings tears to our eyes (is it the loss of a child or the reminder of the cost of the wedding?).

Just recently, we ordered business cards for our new web-site, newtechboomers.com and are eagerly awaiting their arrival. This is just one additional way to spread the word. They also sell window placards you can affix to your car. This helps with taxes since you are using your vehicle to advertise.

For a very small investment (tax-deductible), you can enhance the image you portray to others.

Now I find that with this new Kindle technology, I can download all manner of books, not just my favorite novels but informational books that I once “passed” on because I would rather read a mystery or a heart-wrenching relationship story. I confess that I haven’t purchased The Kindle yet but it is next up on my purchase list. The e-books you download are very reasonably priced and by my calculations, I will be able to read my favorite authors and expand my horizons into fields I’ve found interesting but haven’t yet ventured. I can also read the New York Times or my favorite magazine. Wow!!!

One feature that attracts me is that it’s lightweight. I have given myself hand cramps at night just holding that big, new hardback novel! Another is the dictionary built in to the product. How many times have I read a word and longed for my dictionary because I am such a word nerd ? My Webster’s is well worn. The final, most important asset is that it will save all those trees. In our current endeavor to become more “green” this is one large way to reduce energy.

I know, there is nothing like the smell and feel of an old book. I just think it’s time to “learn new tricks” and venture into the Brave New World. And, in these hard economic times, I search for ways to decrease my spending while still partaking of the finer things (in my case, books).

CLICK HERE TO visit our store and check out the particulars on The Kindle. I truly believe we have started another revolution with this one.

I used to play the air guitar. That line opens a song I wrote five years ago. It reflects a dream of mine, a dream I now fulfill to some extent.

When me and the boys get together on Sundays I don’t play the air guitar anymore I play a Stratocaster. An American Stratocaster for that matter. A 1979 American Stratocaster indeed. I’m 50 years old now and when I bought it five years ago I stopped playing the air guitar.

I’ve always wanted to play the guitar. I’m a baby boomer you know and being born in 1958 I was too young to enjoy a brand new Elvis Presley emerging on the scene. BUT, we had AM Radio. Ah, yes…that most basic of all automobile entertainment of the day. And, oh what musical classics came noisily out of that single dash speaker. By the time I was 10 years old the Beatles were cutting their 4th album and always in the top 25. Motown was hot coming over the AM airwaves. Heavy metal bands from Europe and the U.S. also graced AM Radio but only a few radio stations were playing their music because they were censored more closely at that time and some music was just too risky to broadcast. The fear of public outcry and having advertisers pull their spots was the rule.

Woodstock was being held just 65 miles from where I grew up but I was too young to participate. I remember it all so well, as I wore the vinyl off the album after its release. Growing up playing the “air guitar” was a pleasure. I always wanted to imitate Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers or Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, or Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, along with countless other artist (too numerous to list). I really dug those sons and now I’m blessed with the opportunity to recreate and relive some of those magical rock moments, along with their thunderous licks and tricks, with my band.

I’ve put a great many years into learning my favorite instrument, the guitar, and now I’m finally feeling a little worthy of the great rock masters abilities to play and create those great classics we all know and love.

If any of you out there share my passion for music, I want to hear from you. If any of you participate in a garage band comprised of classic rock loving baby boomers, I want to hear from you. If you’re a solo artist currently and you’re looking for a place to hang, come here and voice your needs or wants and maybe together we can help one another.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT BOOMER MUSIC STORE!!

I want to hear from all you Baby Boom Era musicians, no matter what you play or how well you sing. I want us all to revel in the past while we rock into our future.

Bill

P.S. Check out this very cool video by clicking on the link below. What a great idea and a worthy organization. Now, why didn’t I think of that?

Playing For Change | Song Around The World “Stand By Me” from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

I was taught by Francisca nuns, “We never guess, we look it up”. I still have the certificate that was “awarded” to me  for this particularly inane, mandatory course.  At that juncture in my parochial life, I could not foresee the pure ecstasy I would derive in later years from the use of words and their origins or the sheer pleasure I find in discovering a new word.

Each year, I eagerly anticipate the registry of new additions to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Last year I was delighted with one word in particular. Are you holding your collective breaths, as I was, upon discovering its existence? The word is mondegreen. Let that roll around your tongue and infest your brain. Define  mondegreen, you ask. Well here goes…

Mondegreen n fr: a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung. It was coined in reference to a Scottish ballad “Lady Mondegreen” being sung incorrectly as, “Laid him on the green.”  Personally, I am not familiar with that ballad but am familiar with other modern examples of the mondegreen. For example, have you ever belted out, “Scuse me while I kiss this guy” instead of “Scuse me while I kiss the sky” from the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze. The song lyric I still sing incorrectly and probably will continue to do is, “I get high, I get high” from The Beatles song, “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” The correct words are: I can’t hide, I can’t hide. I remain perplexed with that one. My experience was more in tune with the mondegreen; I never hid.

There are a myriad of examples of the mondegreen and I challenge you to investigate the “correct”  lyrics to songs you belt out while showering, driving or crooning to that special person.  At the very least, you will discover the joy of You Tube or, dare I hope, the power of Google. You can Google anything & find an answer. Alas, young Scot, I digress.

There were other exciting words added to the Dictionary last year.  You too can discover, hopefully with the same amount of enthusiasm I possess, the top 25 words added last year. Peruse the list by clicking here. Enjoy, learn, expand your horizons, but most importantly, remember to “dumb it down” in mixed company.

I wait, with bated breath, the upcoming additions.

I leave you with this video because we are heading from the “left” coast to the “right” coast.  We’ll be visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and my head needs to be “right”. Young Billy does it for me with this song!!

Then: Killer Weed
Now: Weed Killer

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint
Now: Getting a new hip joint

Then: Moving to California because it’s cool
Now: Moving to California because it’s warm

Then: Being called into the principal’s office
Now: Storming into the principal’s office

Then: Peace Sign
Now: Mercedes Logo

Then: Getting your head stoned
Now: Getting your headstone

Then: “Going blind”
Now: REALLY going blind

Then: Long hair
Now: Longing for hair

Then: Acid rock
Now: Acid reflux

Then: Worrying about no one coming to your party
Now: Worrying about no one coming to your funeral

Then: Fighting to get rid of the lying President
Now: Fighting to keep the lying President

Then: The perfect high
Now: The perfect high-yield mutual fund

Then: Elvis in the army
Now: Elvis in a UFO

Then: Keg
Now: EKG

Then: Swallowing acid
Now: Swallowing antacid

Then: You’re growing pot
Now: Your growing pot

Then: Watching John Glenn’s historic flight with your parents
Now: Watching John Glenn’s historic flight with your kids

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor
Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

Then: Passing the driving test
Now: Passing the vision test

Then: Seeds and stems
Now: Roughage

Then: Popping pills, smoking joints
Now: Popping joints

Then: Whatever?
Now: Depends

Then: Ommmmmm
Now: Ummmmm

Then: Our president’s struggle with Fidel
Now: Our president’s struggle with fidelity

As previously discussed in lesson 1, having a CD or Tape player available during rehearsal is an invaluable tool. The ability to listen to a piece of music as a group makes the song’s learning curve a little easier.

If your band wants to get tight, all members must practice the material of a given song at home. You can’t take the chance of leaving it up to each member to be responsible for gathering their own material and practice at home. To solve this problem a band usually designates one member who is responsible for making copies of cover songs for each member to take home and practice along with. That designated person would have to put forth a bit of effort in order to burn individual songs from CD’s or download Internet tunes from their home PC’s and burn a CD full of cover tunes for the band to listen to. Some bands even swap and share digital files such as mp3’s or flash drives full of songs. This also advances the song learning curve by allowing each member constant and easy access to current material and a resource for further reference.

Another method to advance the learning curve of a particular song through individual practice and supplying the entire band with that song in an instant is through Google and YouTube. You can use this tool to e-mail videos to each member’s personal computer.  Now, how easy is that??  Through the use of Google, band members can sit in front of their computer and watch the video while they practice the song along with the audio.

Now, assuming that each member has a computer at home, the designated “song fetcher” can e-mail each member the video.  Google has access to literally googillians of videos, some of which aren’t worthy of a distant mention and some are not worthy at all.  Some videos are homemade tutorials, a lot of which aren’t worthy of mention and others are of “the average Joe garage-band guy” video taping him/herself performing their best rendition of another artist’s song.  Once again, some of these videos are not worth the “click” and others are extremely good.

I’m telling you all this because I truly believe that by using quality videos you can sometimes watch the original band perform the song and you can pick up playing tips along the way.  Whether you are a drummer, guitarist, pianist, bassist or whatever, watch & learn, listen & learn.  Use current technology to your advantage.  Make it easy & fun for your band mates to practice at home. Then when rehearsal time arrives, everyone will have listened to or hopefully have viewed, how the song is to be played.  It really is a valuable practicing too; USE IT!

In the next lesson, we will discuss how to utilize these original recordings as song structure, then tweek the arrangements to suit your playing abilities and styles.

Be sure to visit our New Tech Boomer Music Store Here.

Rock on Boomer Brothers & Sisters!!

Bill

Check Out The Phantom “Guitar George” and try to play along.

On the Ellen show, Sheryl Crow said this is what caused her breast cancer. It has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels of dioxin in breast cancer tissue. Sheryl Crow’s oncologist told her: women should not drink water that has been left in a car. The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been  left in a car.
Pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know that just might save us! Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic!

LET EVERYONE WHO HAS A WIFE/GIRLFRIEND/  DAUGHTER KNOW PLEASE!

From Johns-Hopkins:
This information is also being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center:

• No plastic containers in microwave.

• No water bottles in freezer

• No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers…This especially applies to foods that contain fat.  He said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body…Instead, he recommends using glass, such as  Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass,   Corning  Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons…Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran wrap, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life!

Saving a dollar here and there every day can add up to thousands of dollars in savings over the months and years. Here’s how

Trim food costs

• Buy food at discount food shops rather than more expensive local grocery stores.
• Compare unit prices on shelf labels. Always select items with the lower per-unit prices.
• Clip coupons. Some stores will double or even triple the face value of your coupon up to a certain amount.
• Shop for in-store specials such as day-old breads or meats about to expire. But check closely for freshness.
• Try generic store brands rather than name brands. No-name cereals, for instance, can be just as tasty as name brands, at half the price. You may have to hunt for them — stores often place generic brands high up or near the floor.
• When an item you purchase frequently goes on sale, buy it in bulk — enough to last until the next sale.
• Don’t shop on an empty stomach. It will be less tempting to load your cart with appetizing pastries, junk food or other delicacies.
• Create desserts with basic ingredients like flour and sugar, rather than pricier pre-packaged mixes.
• Brown-bag it to work instead of eating in restaurants — this alone could save you $1,000 or more a year.

Buy clothing out of season

• You can get great bargains on warm weather clothes when they go on sale in August and September, and on cool weather clothes when stores are trying to move them out quickly in January and February.
• Shop garage sales, consignment shops and second-hand stores.

Save on furniture, appliances and other retail items.

• Buy at the end of the month, when items that haven’t sold are marked down.
• Purchase second-hand tables, dressers, desks, couches and chairs. But check carefully for cracks, wobbly legs, working hinges and the smell or look of mold. Make sure table leaves fit, drawers slide in and out and that your purchase can fit through your front door. Don’t worry about unattractive pulls or knobs — you can replace these inexpensively.
• Research the price of major appliances on the telephone or the Internet. Also, Consumer Reports publication, available in most public libraries, or online through subscription, provides objective reviews of just about every consumer item — for price, quality and performance.
• Buy reconditioned appliances. Look for ones with a 30-day guarantee that have been repaired, cleaned, and road-tested. One important caveat: some secondhand appliances can be less energy efficient than newer models, and could run up your electricity bill.
• Look for items with minor damage. Most stores will provide a discount, even if it’s just a scratch that doesn’t affect how the item works or just the package that’s damaged.

Compare gas prices

• You can save hundreds of dollars a year on gasoline by comparing gasoline prices at different stations. Or visit www.gasbuddy.com to help you find the station with the cheapest gas in your area.
• Always pump the gas yourself to get the best discount.
• Keep your engine tuned and make sure your tires are always inflated to their proper pressure to improve gas mileage.

Avoid bank service charges

• Choose a free checking account or one with no minimum balance requirement.
• Ask if you can save on service charges by arranging to have your pay or other income deposited directly, or through an ATM.
• Save by only using ATMs associated with your financial institution — you are usually charged extra for transactions made through outside institutions.
• You may be able to earn more interest by moving money from savings accounts into a low-risk certificate of deposit (CD) or U.S. Savings Bonds. Talk to a financial advisor about your situation.

Pay bills on time

• Always pay your bills and taxes on time. Interest charges and late payment fees can add literally thousands of dollars to your expenses every year. Plus, late payment fees on outstanding accounts could lower your credit score and result in your being charged higher interest rates on new accounts or loans.
• If the money you owe on credit cards and bills has grown beyond your ability to pay, you may be able to reduce your monthly service charges by taking out a debt consolidation loan.
• Check before using credit cards from retail establishments, or those that offer rebates, cash back, travel awards or other perks — they may charge higher interest or an annual fee.

Reduce your energy costs

• Arrange for your electric or gas utility to provide a home energy audit. These inspections for energy savings are offered free in most states, and can provide suggestions on how you can save hundreds of dollars a year on home heating and air conditioning.
• Enroll in savings initiatives offered by your electric utility that help you use electricity at non-peak times, such as load management programs and off-hour rate programs.
• Buy appliances that use less electricity. Many electricity companies provide rebates as encouragement for buying energy-saving refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances.
• Set the room thermostat a little lower in winter or a little higher in summer, and lower the hot water thermostat by 10 degrees. Most likely you won’t feel the difference, other than in a lower electricity bill.

Cut telephone and cell phone costs

• Check your phone bill to see if you have optional features such as call forwarding that you’re paying for but don’t need. You could save $40 or more every year for each option you drop.
• Call all the phone companies that provide service in your area to find the cheapest calling plan that meets your needs. Many companies offer bundled packages that provide savings by combining local, local toll, long distance and other services.
• Use services that provide discount phone rates by allowing you to punch in a code number before you dial long distance.
• Avoid operator charges by dialing long distance directly.
• Shop around for the best cell phone package. And make calls during off-peak hours to save hundreds of dollars every month. Many cell phone companies, for instance, offer unlimited calls during nights and weekends.

Quit smoking and gambling

• Quitting a pack-a-day habit can save you about $2,000 every year. That money could go into savings now and better health down the road.
• Likewise, lottery and gambling expenditures rarely pay off.

Plan vacations well in advance

• Before going to your travel agent, look for special deals on airline and Internet travel sites. You can then ask your agent to match the lowest possible fare or arrange it yourself online.
• Purchase airline tickets well in advance, and ask which days of the week and times of the day have the lowest possible fare. The price could drop substantially if you purchase the ticket at least two weeks in advance and/or stay over on a Saturday night.
• When renting a car, always ask if there are any special offers or membership discounts, such as those available to AAA members, which could reduce the price. And check with your insurance agent to see if you’re already covered for collision or other types of insurance before paying extra for coverage you may already have

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Learn the Prosperly way and discover for yourself the secret to make money online in amounts that you won’t believe.
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