The Ginger Jesus

Some know him as "the ginger Jesus" or "that one singer with orange hair," but most know him as Ed Sheeran.  This talented lad is a singer/songwriter from the UK and has managed to work his way up in the music industry. 

Just to give you some facts about him, he was homeless before fame struck him. Ed wrote songs throughout high school and while he didn't have a home. In some songs, he talks about being homeless while making/performing music. For example, in his song "You Need Me, I Don't Need You," he says "I've done around about a thousand shows but, I haven't got a house plus I live on the couch." Also, at age 18, he wrote a song called "Little Things," which is now sung by One Direction on their new album "Take Me Home." It was a big hit worldwide and was played on the radio every hour. Some other songs he's written for One Direction are "Over Again" (also off of "Take Me Home") and "Moments," which is off of their debute album "Up All Night." Ed has recently collaborated with Taylor Swift on her song "Everything Has Changed" which you can find on her newest album "Red." I'd say Ed's biggest accomplishment so far is having a sold out tour in the United States, considering the U.S. tends to make artists known worldwide.

I've been listening to Ed's music now for about a year and have completely fallen in love with him and his style. Though his lyrics are what catches the attention of most girls, I became interested in his music a little differently. When coming across videos of his live performances on Youtube, I noticed he recorded himself during performances for backup vocals and other track parts you'd already have pre-recorded. I did some research and finally found what Ed used, and still uses for performances to this day. The recording technique is called a loop pedal. Just like loops you use in audio software to make music, it repeats whatever you record while pressing the pedal down. I had honestly never seen anyone use one before and was immediately impressed. 

Ed plays his guitar and sings during all of his gigs. He uses the loop pedal, and mic connected to it, for his guitar, beat boxing, background vocals, and much more. It really just amazes me how he's able to concentrate on singing while playing the guitar and recording parts for the song all at one time. Talk about multitasking. Below is a live performance of Ed singing "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" and using the loop pedal.

Besides his mad skills with the pedal, his voice is pure and as some people describe, angelic. Yeah I definitely agree. Last September, I saw Ed in concert (I waited 8 hours and got front row BLESS) and even got to meet him. Just as I thought he'd be, he was quiet but sweet and respectful. Out of all the celebrities I've met, Ed is one of the most sincere and nicest. Sure enough, during the concert, he used the loop pedal and his famous orange microphone that goes along with it. Even though his set isn't anything eye catching, which the public seems to need now a days, I'd say he's one of the best performers in the music industry today. His vocals are almost identical to his studio work and he can really get the crowd going. If you're interested in folk music with some pop incorporated into it, definitely have a listen to some of Ed's work. Just a fair warning, you might fall in love with him.

 

Goo Goo For Gaga

To be completely honest, I didn't really know what to write about this week.  Then I remembered the reason why I'm half asleep at the moment writing this.  Well, I went to Lady Gaga's concert last night. Yeah I only got two hours of sleep yesterday because I waited in line all day to be in a general admission pit that was surrounded by her stage.  Let me just say camping out over night in front of the HP Pavilion for 9.5 hours was totally worth it because I got second row.  

Anyways, she's my favorite artist and performer by far.  From the most skimpy outfits, to her classy and elegant dresses, I love it all.  Some people strongly dislike her, of whom I feel sorry for because she's one of the most talented women of our generation, and some are dedicated fans.  I love her for three reasons: her music, performance art, and involvement in putting together songs with her audio engineer.  Most artists go into the studio, record what is needed, then leave.  Gaga on the other hand writes her own music and helps produce it.  She can come up with a melody for a song in a heartbeat, which majority artists aren't able to do.  For example, soon after she was working on her third album, she was in the shower and casually sang some lyrics in catchy tune.  The lyrics she sang were randomly made up on the spot.  What was first sung in her shower is now one of the most well known songs out there today called Born This Way.  Personally, I'd love to work with Gaga because I know she has crazy song ideas that would instantly top the charts.  

While waiting in line yesterday at the arena, I saw Gaga's audio engineer, DJ White Shadow, walk by across the street from where I was.  Let's just say was I dying to go over and talk to him.  Unfortunately he went inside one of the tour buses so I couldn't meet him.  Yeah it was kind of depressing considering he's my favorite audio engineer and he's probably not going to come back to San Jose anytime soon.  My favorite remix of his is Lady Gaga's song Judas.  You can listen to it below:

The beat and modified synths are upbeat and give the song a strong dance vibe, which is strive to make.  Hopefully next time he comes around I'll be able to meet him and discuss his music.  Even though I didin't meet him, it was an amazing night.

I filmed the following videos:

Shows off her fashion:

Example of her performance art:

Team KAM

I'm not sure if many people know this but there are a great number of artists in the Bay Area waiting to make it big.  From what I've seen and heard, most are rappers. Since I listen to the radio a lot, I've come across a few whose songs are aired from time to time.

Myles      Kalin

Unlike how I usually discover Bay Area artists, I recently came across two talented boys named Kalin and Myles at a concert I attended in early August this year.  My friends and I were waiting in line to get inside the venue and all of a sudden we heard people screaming and fan girling.  Two young guys appeared and walked to the gate to enter the venue.  On the way there, they took pictures with fans and signed whatever was thrown in front of their faces.  Confused, I watched the crazy mob that was in front of me.  I overheard a few girls next to me mention the names Kalin and Myles.  Though I now knew their names, I still had no idea why they were here and why everyone was freaking out over them.

Later when everyone was inside the venue, the concert started and Kalin and Myles came on stage.  The music started and right away I was impressed and caught up in their catchy songs.  The girls around me seemed to enjoy their performance too.  This was the first time I ever saw them perform and was instantly a fan.  Let's face it, Kalin and Myles had me under their spell.

October is when I actually started listening to their music.  Intrigued, I did some research on them just for fun.  Myles is 20 and Kalin is 17.  It turns out they write and produce all their music themselves.  I'm highly influenced by how young they are and their success.  From what I've read, Myles has been making music since he was 15.  That's about the same age I really got into the idea of working in the music industry.  Myles' brother, Jake, DJs at their concerts.  Being a DJ has also been an interest to me.  I don't really understand why there aren't many female audio engineers or DJs that are successful.  We have the same skills and education to fulfill the job so I don't see why we're not out there producing music.  

By now I've seen and met Kalin & Myles twice.  I will be seeing them perform again on the 14th of this month and cannot wait to meet them for the third time.  They're both friendly and welcoming, unlike some other artists.  I wish them the best of luck in making it big because they're really talented and absolutely deserve it.  Who knows, maybe in the future they can give me some tips on making music.

Go To Work - Kalin and Myles

American Boy - Ebony Day ft. Kalin and Myles

La La Land?

Deciding where to settle down always seems to lie at the back of my mind. Most people I've talked to want to move out of state or to Southern California. I don't know if they want to move because they wish to be away from everyone here or if they are considering where the right place may be to pursue their career. With the thought of producing music in mind, I would like to move to Los Angeles (La La Land).
What would be better than moving to L.A. with the dream to work with the biggest artists in the industry today? Los Angeles is the best opportunity for me to make it big. Well-known artists fly from all over the world to work with producers on their next album. With a large variety of record companies and labels, I will have a greater chance of being signed to one. Among all the others to be discovered, I can team up with new artists to make demos to sell to labels. With this idea, I plan to have a home studio for recording sessions.
Some examples of ideal home studios:

Since sound equipment is expensive, I'll need a part time job. Ideally I'd like to be a mixologist at a club. Once I get signed to an official label, I'll get a studio that is larger and nicer than the home studio. Because I play piano, I would love a grand piano in my space so I may record a chord to synth or just record a classical piece.

Eventually after having a stable income, I plan on buying an apartment in New York. My main home will still be in Los Angeles but I will fly to New York to work on music if necessary. Although N.Y. is known for live music, there are still similar jobs within that field and production. For now I won't worry about moving to N.Y. yet, I'll just focus on L.A. One step at a time.

Why I aspire to be an audio engineer

Yeah you may ask me why in the world would you want to be an audio engineer or music producer. Well, I've been around music for pretty much my whole life. My dad played a lot of classic rock when I was little and my mom played music from the 80's. 5 is when I first remember listening to music. Because of this I was already knowledgable of two genres at a young age. Even before that, I would run around the house singing songs at the top of my lungs. I wasn't really educated in music as far as notes until I started taking piano lessons at the age of 6. There's something about music that has always interested me. Occasionally in my spare time, I put together songs or mix tracks. I've always enjoyed creative projects. I thought why not mix together my appreciation for music and creativity? Though some people think I dream too big, others completely support my goal to be a engineer or producer. In the end, I know this is what I want to do for a living.

Fernando Garibay: Up and Coming Music Producer

Fernando Garibay is a hit-making music producer signed to Interscope Records. With the skills of playing guitar, piano, bass, and drums, he produces tracks for numerous artists. Although Garibay is not famous, you have probably heard his work without knowing it's his. Britney Spears, U2, and Lady Gaga are just a few artists he works with. Garibay has worked with Gaga numerous times. He accomplished taking the role of musical director on her newest album "Born This Way," including dance hits like 'The Edge of Glory" and "Born This Way." Unlike other audio engineers and producers, Fernando has the ability to mix genres within his tracks. For example, in Lady Gaga's "Dance In The Dark," a deep beat pounds throughout the song, giving it a dark, dance vibe. Guitar and voltage-like synths also darken the track adding a metal/rock sound. Although the song may appear dark and mysterious, Garibay applies excessively held piano synths and short bell-like synths to lighten the track. This sound allows the song to still be categorized as mainstream dance music. You can most likely recognize a song produced by Fernando with his use of different genres intertwined throughout the track.