New Music Coming Soon!

It's been a while since I've released any new music, but I'm happy to announce that I just submitted a song to my distributor and it should be available in less than a month! I'm planning on releasing a few more songs over the next couple months, so stay tuned!

Take a look at the album art for my new song "Electro Light". I'll post a preview very soon! In the mean time, be sure to check out the Captain Sea Breeze EP if you haven't already....click here to listen/download music for free on my website.

Don't Lose Your Tunes

One of the biggest frustrations for a composer is having an amazing melody in your head, and then forgetting it by the time you get to a place where you can turn it into a song. I have experienced this on many occasions, but thankfully there are a few easy ways to combat this problem.

First of all, having a music notation app on your phone is a great idea. There are plenty of different apps you can find that allow you to put notes on a staff or make a quick recording. That way, if you think of a melody you can quick put it in the app for later. If you have an iPhone you might want to download GarageBand. It’s really simple to record ideas with GarageBand and come back for them later.

Another simple way to remember your tunes while you’re on the go is to record them with your phone. Most phones today have voice recording abilities, so if inspiration strikes, pull out your phone and record yourself humming or singing the idea. This method is one I have used often.

Lastly, there’s always the option of carrying around a small notepad or piece of paper. That way you can jot down ideas easily whenever they come to you. 

These are just a few of the tricks I use to avoid losing great melodies. If you have other methods that you use, please add them in the comments below!

How to Get Over Writer's Block

As a songwriter, you will have ups and downs with your creativity. Sometimes new ideas keep popping into your head so fast you can't even record them all. Other times, you try to come up with tunes but you just get stuck. It's a frustration all composers deal with at some point. In this article I hope to give you a few ideas for how you can overcome this "musical writer's block".

1. Take a Break

This is probably one of the first steps you should consider. Unless you have a deadline coming up, just take a break from the music. It could be a few hours, or maybe even a few days. Just set the music aside and give your brain some time to reset. 

Maybe it's just one particular song you're stuck on. In that case, work on some other music and come back to it another time. Sometimes the other songs you're working on will help open up your creativity a little bit.

2. Get Inspired

Sometimes composers just need to get some new inspiration. This can be achieved in many different ways. Try watching an emotional movie. That usually gives me the inspiration I need to write a song. Another thing you can do is listen to the music of other musicians. Of course you don't want to get inspired to the point that you end up copying their music, but often times listening to other artist's music can open your mind to new ideas and styles. You want to hear more than just your own music or else you won't broaden your musical horizons. 

There are many other things you can try as well, like going for a walk, visiting a beautiful place, or reading a good book. Figure out what works best for you, because we all get inspiration from different places. 

Mac or PC for Music Production?

Just a couple days ago I purchased my first MacBook Pro. Until this point I have always been a PC user, but now I've decided to make the switch. It seems like Macs tend to be the computer of choice for musicians these days, so I'm excited to see how it works for me! I'm also curious to know which computers everyone else is using, so please leave a comment and let me know. I'll be writing a post about my experience with the MacBook Pro as soon as I actually have some experience with it. In the mean time I'd like to hear from you!

Fast Music Production- A Warning

Sometimes when I sit down in my studio, the inspiration flows freely and I can practically finish a song in one sitting. I like that a lot better than spending weeks wrestling with a song to get it to work. However, you need to be careful with how fast you're producing music.

When I'm producing tracks to sell on royalty free websites, I like to get them done and uploaded quickly so I can get on to the next project, but there's one thing I've learned that I'd like to share with you:

Don't complete a song too fast.

You may think you've created an awesome tune that will get many sales, but don't be in a hurry to get it out there. When you take time away from the song and then come back, you will usually hear something that you don't really like, or you'll find a spot that doesn't quite sound the best. This is why when I'm producing a song for the royalty free market, I always wait another day or two before I upload it to sell, even if I finish it in one day. That way I can come back to it with fresh ears and catch things that I didn't hear the first time around.

Sometimes you may be rushed to get a song done for a project and not have much of a choice, but if you're making music at your own pace, don't rush to get it out there. You will hear new things every time you review your song, so take the extra time to get it right.

Back to Blogging!

Over the past few months I have been busy with many different things. As a result, I haven't posted on my blog in a while. I'm hoping to have more consistent posts from now on, and I'll have a new blog post up tonight! I'm also planning on releasing some new music soon, so please check out my website for more information!

Need Music for YouTube?

Have you been looking for a place to find music that is safe and legal to use in your YouTube videos? The tracks in my royalty free music store can be downloaded and used in YouTube videos or any other type of production. There are always some free tracks available, and other songs can be purchased for a reasonable price. Once you purchase the song, you can use it in any of your projects without having to pay extra royalty fees or worrying about your video being blocked because of copyrighted music! Check out the royalty free music on my website by clicking here. If you can't find what you're looking for and would like me to make a song specifically for your project, visit my Project Request page. Please spread the word and let other YouTube video makers know about my site!