Creative Edge Music

One of the most important ways to put a value on your work is to increase your following. A following is a guarantee for the collab artist, promoter, etc. that they will have a packed house and subsequently make a profit off of you. Your following determines how big you are and can fluctuate depending on how you nurture it. This is a time to be honest with yourself. Take this time to determine your number by asking these questions: How many legit followers/ friends do you have on your social media sites? How many downloads do you get within the first day of putting new music out? How many people came to your last event (or inquire about a performance)? How many of your of friends are die-hard fans? Add these numbers up and divide it by 4. This will give you a rough number of your followers. Anytime you are involved in anything, set this as your standard. Remember, that others will hold you to this number as well. An ideal number to reach for would be 125 as it will g...

Introduction There are a ton of guitar picks out there, so it's helpful to know what you should use.  Some people are relatively easy going and can play with just about any type of pick (or even without one!), but then there are those of us who require specific, preferred picks in order to maximize our playing ability. I am one of those very pick-y people (pun very much intended), and I've been playing Dunlop's Jazz III picks now for over 10 years as my exclusive electric guitar pick.  However, I've played a wide variety of picks through the years, and when it comes to acoustic playing, I actually prefer not to use this pick -- rather I like to use soft to medium thickness picks of the normal triangular shape, either celluloid or ultex. Before I get too far into my own preferences, though, let's look at some objective facts about picks: Material, Shape, and Thickness. My favorite pick of all-time.  Dunlop Jazz III Ultex. Material The world's ver...

Kontakt  is renowned as the best sampling instrument of all time. Its versatile, professional libraries and numerous freebies, beg the question from dumbstruck producers: how does it work? This article is an attempt to approach the world's most powerful sampler with both a programmer's and an artist's mind to understand what makes Kontakt so attractive to so many people. This is not a manual, but an exploration of Kontakt as both a persistent musician, and avid programmer. For the last few months, I have scoured the internet and the wild Guitar Centers of Chicago in order to write a well informed article with the extensive knowledge I have gained from researching, using, and creating with Kontakt. I have consulted MacProVideos, Youtube, numerous forums, the manual, multiple consultants at Guitar Center, and multiple music professionals in the Chicago area in order to understand the program to its fullest extent. When the program first opens, a blank window stares back ...