STUDENT NEWSLETTER 19 February
2007 
I hope this letter finds you all happy, healthy, and warm. Spring is right around the corner.
Did you watch the Grammy's Monday night? Best music show of the year had many great moments. First time we have seen the Police live in about 20 years! Tony Bennett is 80 and still winning Grammy's! Bob Dylan won two! Anybody that was anybody in music today or in the past was there. The mixture of styles was impressive. It was an unbelievable show that was almost too much to comprehend! Texas was well represented and it was great to see the way the too miss maligned Dixie Chicks FINALLY getting what they deserve as the greatest group in modern music today and the greatest female band of all times all genres. Who else writes and performs their own music that sounds this good and shows this depth of insight? Album of the year, Song of the Year, and three other top category awards. Five Grammys in all. Keep up the good work girls. Ain't America great! I think so.
Thanks to the Internet there are MANY ways to market your music and make money having fun at the same time! Check out CDBaby.com or MP3.com . You could be selling your songs on Itunes and get a check every week for life. What is holding you back?
How do you write a song? You will need a Rhyming Dictionary, Thesauruses, or you can go to http://www.rhymezone.com . Also a book on Clichés, and a book on how to write songs to get started. Keep a note pad handy to write down ideas before they disappear. Song writing is a process that can take a while. Know your market. Get the newest edition of The Song Writers Market http://www.amazon.com/Songwriters-Market-2006/dp/1582973989 . It will show you how and where to market your songs. Also shows what is hot and what is not.
Keep in mind that one hit song and you will be rich. I think we all got one in us. Don't hide your light under a bushel basket!
Money won't buy happiness, but it can rent more than you can stand! Why not try? Even if you don't hit the huge time big time, you just might do very very well. One thing is for sure. You will never know unless you try!
Marissa Manzino is one of my past cyber students that writes and records at home and sells her songs on iTunes, BestBuy.com, and CDBaby.com She has had much success. The Indie thing is in! Independent artist bypassing the system of a record label to publish and sell their own music. The Internet is the best thing to come along for musicians that ever happened. You may not sell as many, but you get to keep the all the profit.
Music is a constant learning experience. Recording is the ultimate goal and the most defining thing possible. Challenging and rewarding at the same time. Always fun.
The search for the perfect tone never ends. But after years of consideration, trial and error this is my rig more or less. It is not easy to find the original vintage stuff anymore, so this is the new equivalent.
Every bit of my new gear comes from MusiciansFriend.com for the past seven years. Best prices, selection, and return policy there is. AND they bring it to your door! If you click thru to MUSICIANS FRIEND .com from this web site to buy something, I get an advertising credit and it does not cost you a penny extra! Musicians Friend is where I get all my new gear. Click on the bar below to go there. If the bar does not appear on your browser go here and click on the MusiciansFriend bar at bottom of that page.
Always Stay Tuned. A lot is going on around here!
Rock On,
Joe "TheGuitarman" Pacciano, C.G.P.
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