The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

The Mozart Effect: What is it about?

A few years ago there was quite a bit in the newspaper and popular magazines about “The Mozart Effect.” Many people believed that simply listening to the music of Mozart would raise their I.Q. and marketers went to work churning out CD’s of Mozart’s music for nearly every conceivable daytime and night-time task. As a professional musician and a musicologist, I had a little problem with that idea then and I still do. However, after talking with my friend Don Campbell, author of “The Mozart Effect” I believe that he did not try in any way to mislead the public into thinking that it does. His definition of “the Mozart Effect” is simply the use of any music at all for any healing purpose at all. That’s a pretty widely encompassing concept. Because I did believe in this I submitted two stories from my own music medicine practice which he did subsequently incorporate into the book. Still, confusion exists and I thought it might be helpful to elucidate a little bit on some of the original research.

It is said that Albert Einstein was a mediocre student until he began playing the violin. “Before that, he had a hard time expressing what he knew,” says Hazel Cheilek, orchestra director at Fairfax County’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a magnet school where more than a third of the students also play or sing in musical ensembles. “Einstein said he got some of his greatest inspirations while playing violin. It liberated his brain so that he could imagine.” In the early 1700s, England’s King George I also felt he would make better decisions if he listened to good music. Reportedly, Handel responded by composing his Water Music suites to be played while the king floated the Thames on his royal barge. Even Plato in ancient Greece believed studying music created a sense of order and harmony necessary for intelligent thought. Can music really make us think better?

In 1993, researchers at the University of California at Irvine discovered the so-called “Mozart Effect” - that college students who listened to ten minutes of Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D major K448 before taking an IQ test scored nine points higher than when they had sat in silence or listened to relaxation tapes. Other studies have indicated that people retain information better if they hear classical or baroque music while studying.

The most profound effects take place in young children, while their brains literally are growing. This year, the same researchers at Irvine’s Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory found that preschoolers who had received eight months of music lessons scored 80 percent higher on object-assembly tasks than did other youngsters who received no musical training. That means the music students had elevated spatial temporal reasoning–the ability to think abstractly and to visualize physical forms and their possible variations, the higher-level cognition critical to mathematics and engineering.

Music students continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT, according to the 1999 “Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers” from The College Board. Students with coursework in music study/appreciation scored 61 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 42 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. Students in music performance scored 53 points higher on the verbal portion and 39 points higher on the math portion than students with no arts participation.

Mean SAT Scores for Students with Coursework or Experience in Music - 1999

Music: Study or Appreciation
Verbal: 538
Math: 534

Music Performance
Verbal: 530
Math: 531

No Coursework or Experience
Verbal: 477
Math: 492

All of this to say “you be the judge” but listening to Mozart certainly won’t hurt you. My point always is that making music is preferable to passive listening and that listening to live music is always preferable to listening to recorded music. Mozart will not, repeat WILL NOT raise your I.Q. but it might help you organize your thoughts better before taking a standardized test. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, with whom Don Campbell and I have both studied and who has researched the healing benefits of Mozart’s music, recommends the Five Violin Concerti above all of Mozart’s other music for healing properties. Please feel free to write me with any questions you might have about Mozart or anything else related to music and healing.

Helping people to use music for Healing and Wellness, Dr. Alice Cash stresses the use of music for health, learning, motivation, relaxation, energy building, or well-being. She is known internationally for her work with music and pregnancy, surgery, addictions, and Alzheimer’s disease. A concert pianist, musicologist, and psychotherapist, she has traveled around the world teaching, entertaining and bringing hope to thousands of people with various conditions.

Dr. Cash can be reached through Healing Music Enterprises; http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com

Are Other Areas In My Life Being Affected By My Purchases?

This is probably one of the most serious questions I will be asking you, and you should ask yourself. How are other areas in your life being affected by your upgrading purchases. Are you noticing you don’t have the money to do other activities? Is your entire day more concerned with getting the latest technology offering by a camera manufacturer? Are you jealous of other friends and acquaintances because they have the latest toys? Are you correlating the quality of your photographic experience by what you own, versus what you produce? Are you noticing you have less time for your friends and family, and spend more time scouring the net for the latest gadget?

Let’s pause for a moment so you can think about this.

If you are nodding your head to at least one of those questions to the above, upgrading is probably not the issue. The issue, is why you think you need to purchase something when all the signals are going in the opposite direction.

Will Your Photographic Life Change?

If you were to get that new and improved digital camera, do you expect your current photographic situation to change? Can you honestly say that once you spend another chunk of money on the latest camera, you will suddenly be transported to the photographic world of fame and fortune? Probably not. Many of us who upgrade, have this little “Lottery Logic” in the back of our minds that we are going to be escalated to new heights and adventures if we upgrade. The only time I would agree is if you’ve owned a pinhole camera for your entire life and are upgrading to digital. But I am going to assume, and you should as well, that your life is not going to change. It will stay the same. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just the way it is, as it relates to your potential upgraded camera purchase.

Upgrade Your Skills, Not Your Camera

Don’t like your current photographic situation? Try something new. Ever went to a high school sports event and just took a few pics for the heck of it? No? Well, do it then. Ever went to a local political event that was controversial? Go there and take some pictures. When you do things like this, you will come to realize what your needs of photography are, and you will be much more qualified to make a decision on upgrading. In addition, you will begin to have CONFIDENCE in yourself. The more photographic situations you put yourself in, the more experienced you will become. In fact, you may come to realize that upgrading to a different camera is not what you need, but more accessories FOR YOUR CAMERA, which will enable you to become a more experienced photographer.

Make A Pros/Cons List

Nothing is better for clearing up fuzzy thinking, than a pen and paper. If you have doubts as to whether you should upgrade, make a list of the pros and cons. When I upgraded from my Olympus E-10 to Nikon D100, I made such a list. Include not only the mechanical advantages and disadvantages, but also include the issues and subjects we have discussed in this article. You will be surprised how the real motives and assumptions come out on paper. When you keep your justifications in your brain, out of sight from your conscious, it’s much easier to believe misinformation and be misguided with emotional buying.

©2005 by Jason Busch (http://www.digitaldingus.com)

Upgrading Digital Cameras: Should I Do It? (Part 2)

A part of The DigitalDingus Guide To Photography series.

Downloading free mp3 music from the internet are a great thing
to do. Mp3 downloads can give you thousands of free mp3 songs
and hundreds of hours of listening just by using your
fingertips. However, the common way to do download mp3 music is
illegal… but there is an other method.

Its a fact that companies and individuals are getting sued for
encouraging and downloading illegal music. The Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) and their sister
organizations in other countries have recently been passing out
large fines trying to prevent illegal mp3 downloads. A bunch of
music download networks, like Napster, Kazaa, Winmx has been
stopped, Grokster and Morpheus faces an uncertain future.

So what will the future bring ? Can I still download free mp3
music ? The answer is YES, you can still keep your mp3 players
cookin`. There are tons of websites in various sizes and shapes
that are publishing free legal mp3 music, and they are just
waiting for you to start download.

After the close down of the big file sharing networks there are
many pay sites that have licensing agreements with the
entertainment industry, such as Rhapsody, iTunes and Yahoo
Music. Unfortunately these top profile downloading sites often
charge a too big fee for their mp3 download access.

Alternatives have arisen that gives you the same amount of
content, but for free. Search the net for the free alternatives
to Rhapsody, iTunes and Yahoo Music and you will be amazed of
what you will find. The huge amount of free mp3 downloads you`ll
download will keep both your heart and your wallet happy.

A comprehensive list of websites that gives you access to free
mp3 downloads can be found at http://www.bestmp3links.com

When most people think of hip hop music, many thoughts may come to mind, Rappers, Crews, the fades of the past, the different rapping styles and maybe even Hip Hop Beats Very few people have taking not of this, but hip hop beats. can make of break a hit song.

Hip hop beats have the power to make weak lyrics and or a weak rapper a true club banger, additionally a wack hip hop beat. can do injustice to the greatest of rappers. We can see an example of hip hop beats,Power, in the recent explosion of Down south rap.

I’ve seen a 300% increase in the amount of request for Down South Hip Hop beats on alot of Hip Hop Stations.In the past Most Hip hop stations would only get two or three request a month for down south hiphop beats. . Notably most southern rappers are not know for the beat lyrics in the world, but one thing that makes down south rap king are those heavy bass line, deep slow tempo hip hop beats.http://www.wholesalehiphopbeats.com

Master P was the first southern rapper to become very popular off of the power of hip hop beats. . As many hip hop fans know Master P’s lyrics were very elementary, but his banging hip hop beats. such as the down south rap anthem “Bout it Bout it”, took the cake of addictive hip hop beats. Following the success of Master P, other southern rappers with hot hip hop beats. such as the Mannie Fresh and the Cash Money Millionaires followed suit to hip hop beat. stardom.

Traditionally, rapper producers and beat smiths sold hip hop beats just to make ends meat. But today, you have producers such as The Neptune’s, whom just sold star Rapper Nas a Hip Hop Beat for $1,000,000 dollars. The $100,000,000 dollar beat is the most expensive hip hop beat ever sold. Unfortunately not ever one can sell hip hop beats for that much. But you have to always start somewhere, and in the hip hop beat market, selling beats at low prices like $100 dollars is the true reality.

For more information on hip hop beats. and how to sell your hip hop beats. please feel free to visit my website http://www.wholesalehiphopbeats.com. My site contains a lot of very useful information for any one trying to break into the music business and or trying to sell their hip hop beats.

Pianos have entertained thousands over the last century or 2. When we think about this grand instrument, composers like Mozart and Beethoven come to mind. The piano’s got their boost in the hundred years between 1790 and 1890. Yes, during the industrial revolution. This is when stronger steel and iron was manufactured. Helping in building strong Iron frames and Steel piano wire for good instruments.

The first company in Britain that manufactured pianos was the Broadwood. They made big and excellent sounding instruments. By 1820 however, the piano had moved to Paris through the Erard. Erard also invented the double action where the piano could be played even the key was fully up allowing for rapid playing.

All manufacturers used this technique as time went on.

The first piano’s had 5 octaves but by 1810 they had become 6 and by 1890 7. In the 19th century, it was to the piano’s were tougher to operate. They required muscle power to depress the keys to produce good quality sounds. However, as time went on, softer strings were made that reduced this tension. Today, Electronic keyboards are simple to operate and give you the option of a piano with out its bulk and weight.

Today, piano’s come in 2 versions: the grand piano and the upright piano. In the grand piano, the strings go away from the keys making them large. For these piano’s, big and spacious rooms with high roofs are required. Only then can they be enjoyed to the full

The upright pianos are more compact and sleek. The strings extend up and down allowing for space conservation. The company Yamaha produces some of the best products in this line.

A modern day piano has 88 keys and miner. This key set represents all 7 octaves and the miners as well.

All modern musicians face a problem however. Due to the large evolution of the piano, the compositions of greats like Mozart and Chopin are no longer meant for these instruments. The instruments that these composers used no longer exist. So a long and arduous task of interpretation is required before they can be played on the modern pianos.

Not withstanding the above problem, pianos have still got that beautiful sense of music about them. Today musicians like Yanni control your emotions using this instrument. Some even believe that piano music can help cure health problems. Indian classical music has such measures in its music.

Pianos have always been attractive to people who like beauty and romance. They have been appealing to classical tastes as well. Producing haunting, cheerful and beautiful music, the piano can never be forgotten. That is why so many people own them in their home and why even more wish they had one of their very own to sit at and play. There are not many things as relaxing as sitting down at your piano after a long hard days work.

Tony Brings is the editor of I Pianissimo. A meeting place for piano enthusiasts.

Looking for the right salsa music is easy once you’ve been exposed to salsa beats long enough. But if you want to groove to the salsa rhythms, here are some recommended CDs that will have you dancing for days!

SALSA FRESCA – This is an excellent CD “for those who love to dance salsa, not just listen to it.” This compilation CD have you grooving salsa style all night long. Its inviting rhythmic beats are particularly good for those who love to Mambo. This CD is even a keeper for non-dancers. A must have for your CD collection!

TONY VEGA GREATEST HITS – Tony Vegas has charm and Latin gentleman appeal that can be heard in his music. His musical style appeals to everyone. It is smoothe and romantic yet energetic and upbeat This is an unmatched collection of Tony Vega hits from 1989-1994. His songs are infused with romantic tones and sensuous Cuban Mambo and Puerto Rican Salsa style beats.

Rough Guide: Salsa Dance ~ various artists – A huge selection of musical compilations put out under the Rough Series. Rough Guide: Salsa Dance is one of the hotter Latin music themed albums to be released to date.

Rough Guide: Salsa Dance vol. 2 ~ various artists – An upbeat album that will have you dancing the instant you hear it! This album is sizzling HOT. You won’t stop dancing because the music is electrifying!

Ultra Mix: The Best of Salsa – This is a must-have CD for any salsa. Some say it’s best suited for listening, while others are convinced it’s one of the best compilation discs for salsa dancing. Go to your local music store of check it out online. You’ll be glad you did.

These CD selections are a great way to begin your salsa music collections. However, some other great tips to finding great salsa CDs is by listening to local radio shows that feature Latin American, Cuban and Afro beats. Most likely you’ll also be able to hear some salsa beats you’ve never heard before. Listening to these types of radio shows exposes you to the different sounds and usually makes mention of the artists that are being played. This will make your shopping experience so much easier.

Also consider checking out your local salsa dance bar or salsa dance studio. The DJ or dance instructor would be happy to tell you what albums and / or songs they are playing.

Check out your local music store or go online to find the above mentioned CDs. I guarantee your neighbors will be banging on your door wanting to know what it is you a re playing. These salsa CDs are that good!

Happy Shopping! Oh, but don’t forget to check out www.salsadancedvd.com where you’ll hear the above mentioned artists and more. But you will also get the best salsa dance training available. Don’t forget to check it out!

A compressor is probably the most misunderstood of all tools in
the recording studio. Ironically, it’s also one of the most
powerful tools when recording or mixing. While there are many
aspects of a compressor that could be written about, I’m going
to explain how a compressor can make an audio track louder.

So you want to learn how to use a compressor? Well good luck. It
takes years to get even a decent feel for a compressor. I’m just
now getting where I feel that a compressor will tolerate me
playing with it’s settings. In the past, it was just laughing
and mocking me because I just didn’t understand how to use it to
improve my recordings.

So let’s talk about how a compressor can make an audio tracker
louder. Ironically, a compressor actually knocks the volume down
on a track, but then has a makeup gain knob that boosts it back
up. To understand how a compressor can make something louder,
you need to understand the difference between peak loudness and
average loudness (also called RMS). A peak is just what it says
it is. It’s a spike. The signal starts very low and goes very
high. A good example of peak loudness is a snare drum hit.
Average loudness is sound that occurs over time. Imagine hitting
a low E on a bass guitar and letting it sustain. This is an
almost constant sound.

One other concept is the volume ceiling. In other words, in
digital audio we have a volume limit. It’s called zero. For
whatever reason they measure volume in negative numbers with 0dB
being the absolute loudest. If a track has a peak that jumps up
to zero, we can not push the volume up on that track even if the
other portions of the track are very low in volume (without
volume automation).

Now let’s take an audio track that can be both peaky and
constant. A vocal track is a great example. A vocal can jump up
very quickly but it can also sustain. Let’s say it hits 0db at
one point, but most of the track is sitting well below that.
You’ll find that when the vocal is set at maximum gain before
clipping, the many of the words are unintelligible. This is
because they are simply too quite. Assuming there are no extreme
problems, the first thing I’ll usually do is grab a compressor.
I’m go ahead and smash those peaks down and then I’ll push the
volume back up with the make up gain on the compressor. Now the
vocal is evened up quite a bit. The vocal will sit in the track
much better and will sound fuller.

When mastering a record, compression is almost always used to
make the volume of the cd louder. Most of the time, the cd is
already hitting zero, so it’s peak volume will not increase.
However, it’s RMS or average volume can increase substantially.
When we put a compressor on stereo mix, we can smash the song
down into a smaller dynamic range. It uses up less volume. While
this can be a bad thing as the dynamics are decreased, these
days overall volume seams to be more important (I’m not sure who
decided this). After the compressor does it’s thing, the makeup
gain is used to boost the level of the track up the desired
amount.

When you are learning the audio mixing process, I recommend
using more compression than you think you need. Hit everything
very hard. If it sounds distorted, back off. I think that
compression is the opposite of reverb. While many beginning home
recording enthusiasts will use too much reverb, they often
times, do not use as much compression as the big boys.
Experiment. This is different for everyone.

In summary, a compressor is used to to knock off the top
(loudest parts) of an audio signal and then uses it’s makeup
gain to push the volume back up. It takes lots of time to master
using a compressor. Keep in mind that you can do much more with
a compressor than make things louder. As always, don’t be afraid
to experiment.

Some things just never go out of style. Blue jeans and T-shirts. They’ve changed very little over the past 50 years. Sure, they endure phases ranging between menacingly large and precariously scant, but for the most part they are a staple of modern day attire and are a pretty safe bet.

Be warned that most fashion is not this way. It is commonly known that one should never chuck yesterday’s styles in the bin. This is because the universe, extraordinarily goofy as it is, has created the mystic fashion-recycling program, known to seers as “Trend Reincarnation.” This perplexing phenomenon manifests itself in the miraculous reappearance of such cosmic foibles as platform shoes, tie-dyed shirts and (shudder) powder blue polyester bellbottom tuxedos.

The catch is you have to hold on to these garments for 20-30 years until they are supernaturally reinstated to popular acceptance.

Shucks. If only I knew this tidbit at the tender and impressionable age of six, I would have stored my Star Wars pyjamas and Scooby Doo underoos in a cryogenic vault for successful and stretched reappearance in my late twenties. Alas. I do have a few pairs of my mom’s old hip-hugger bellbottoms from the early-seventies, along with an original “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” T-shirt, circa 1967. And though those charming antiques are older than I, remarkably they are the height of current fashion!

My MTV generation, “Gen-X,” has seen fashions come and go as fast as a radio jockey can change a record. Or is that reel-to-reel? Tape? 8-track? CD? DVD? MP3? Blue-Ray? Sheesh, in my short 29 years on this planet I have gone through more than eight playback mediums!

I can unflinchingly confess to a simpler time when we’d drive our olive green leaded gas "boat-mobile" with artificial snakeskin trim to the beach listening to the fresh sounds of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Madonna, Michael Jackson and other 80’s greats. Soon enough MTV had new replacements on the top forty and we moved on.

I was driving my new non-snakeskin foreign import SUV along the other day when some familiar sounds came through the car speakers. There was my old pal, Stevie, singing about love lost with a … what’s that? Techno beat!?!

It seems a new fad is to take old 80’s tracks and spruce them up with heavy techno beats and booming bass. My goodness, anyone from ABBA to Elvis have been recycled by techno geeks! Elvis didn’t die, they just stuck him in the blue bin!

Then there are comebacks I never would have expected in a million years. Purple-haired, gum-smacking 80’s icon Cindy Lauper has recently been recycled with a new album of sultry jazz covers. On the idea of recycling music, the now-50-year-old artist said, "a song is like a dress… you try it on, you can’t wear that dress sometimes because we’re not all built the same so you have to take it in here, let it out there." Sage wisdom from the girl who just wanted to have fun back in ‘84.

My mother realised she was getting old when she heard “Stairway to Heaven” on an easy listening station. Just recently I heard a real heavy punk tune from my childhood on a tame CBC Sunday afternoon program and simultaneously my life flashed before my eyes.

In any event, I can safely say that there are some classic bands that will never go out of style. Maybe they’re not on the top-40, but they’re still tops in our collective musical consciousness. The symbolic “T-shirts” of pop music culture, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, are just as hip, groovy, and totally bitchin’ now as they were back when those words actually meant something.

What’s next, you ask? Well, it won’t be something I haven’t heard already!

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years. She currently writes columns for two Canadian publications and has been featured in Australia’s “Music Teacher Magazine.” Writing allows her to teach people that the world of music is as fun as you spin it to be! Rhiannon, age 29, has worn the hats of businesswoman, performer, events promoter, classical music radio host and school orchestra music arranger in rural British Columbia, Canada. Her business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished young entrepreneur business awards for her commitment to excellence. Her shop offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies for very reasonable prices: Visit http://www.fiddleheads.ca Rhiannon is also Founding President of the Shuswap Violin Society which promotes violin & fiddle music and helps young musicians in need: http://www.violinsociety.ca

Not every guitarist records. In fact, most guitarists will never
make a recording of themselves. However, many of the burdens
associated with the task of recording have been, in recent
years, pushed aside. In the past, it was necessary to assemble
an entire team of people to make recordings. You had to have one
or two engineers, usually a producer, several band members and
generally a few hangers-on who just wanted to get in on the
action. As technology has increased, the amount of labor
associated with recording has decreased, along with the number
of people needed to produce recordings.

For most guitarists who want to record, especially in a home
studio, the recording environment will consist of three primary
things: the guitar, the amplifier or direct device, and the
recording device. All three of these are of equal importance in
producing quality guitar recordings.

First, you must make sure that your guitar is of quality and in
good working condition. If you’re not up to the challenge
yourself, take it to a quality repairperson who will be able to
make sure that your string heights are adjusted correctly, the
action is comfortable and that your electronics are in working
order and free of buzzing and other electrical noise.

Second, the amplifier or direct interface. More and more these
days, guitar recordings are made with direct recording
interfaces, such as the Line6 POD. These types of devices can be
great time-savers in the studio and, more and more, can offer
you a tone equivalent to or better than a traditional amplified
signal. If you’re more of a purist, make sure that you have a
quality microphone to pick up the signal from your amplifier
(the standard is a Shure SM57) and that your signal is free from
interference. This means making sure that your amplifier,
microphone and microphone cables are free of buzzing and that
all fluorescent lights in the recording environment are turned
off. Fluorescent lights, although great energy-saving devices,
reflect up to sixty percent of their energy back into the
system. If an amplifier or loudspeaker is hooked up to the
system, a beautiful 60-cycle hum ensues, ensuring that whatever
recordings you make are utterly useless.

Third, the recording device. For most of us these days, our
primary recording device is a home computer. Macintosh has been
the industry standard for years, but most PC makers have revved
up their models enough (and made them crash-free enough, thank
you very much) so, although the majority of studios still use
Macs, the only real difference is your personal preference.
Whatever type of computer you decide to purchase, however, make
sure that you max it out with speed and memory.

Although many computer programs and direct recording devices
will have some pretty good-sounding presets, to get original
tones, make sure that you experiment and try to come up with
something that sounds original. Many presets are loaded with
gain and effects to make them sound impressive to first time
hearers. Remember, a whole lot of great guitar sounds have been
recorded with a minimal amount of distortion, and effects can
always be added later, so don’t risk screwing up a great take by
committing your effects to tape right away, without being sure
of the tone that you’re going for.

Good Luck!

What up Playa? By now you should be getting the big picture. There ain’t no business like show business. But here’s the problem, you keep putting on the show, but you ain’t handling the business. If you are like many of the young artist coming-up in the game, you probably don’t have a strong grasp on the Music Industries many rules and regulations. You might have read an article here or there, or even picked up a book or two about the music business, but chances are that unless you’re a lawyer you probably didn’t understand it. Relax, I got your back. Look at me as sort of your music business guardian angel, here to help you add a little business to your show. Let’s face it, the music business is a well-oiled machine designed to do one thing, and that is make money. Throughout your career you will notice that at every corner you turn there is someone who is waiting to benefit from your talent and success. Regardless to how large you may become, you will never be able to completely eliminate the middleman. Go ahead and screw up your face if you want, but if you think you can cross out the middleman then you need to close your eyes and go back to La-La-Land, ’cause homie your still dreaming. Even when you become a Hip Hop mogul like Russell Simmons or P-Diddy, you still have answer to someone else, and they are usually making more money then you are. Alright, here is where I will stop myself because I am known for going off on a tangent about the many, many economic inequalities of the music business. So with no further delay, let’s talk about getting paid…

Get Your Money Right

Now that we have established other people are going to be making money off of your talents, lets focus on how you can begin to get your beak wet too. During the week I get a million and one emails with questions about the music business. The one question that comes up the most is, “what is Publishing and what does it have to do with me?” Publishing is quite a difficult topic; so I will explain it as simple as humanly possible. Sit down class and pay attention.

Publishing is money earned from the songs that you have written. This money comes from two separates sources.

Source #1: Mechanical Royalties-This is the money that record companies pay to the publisher for songs that have been mechanically recorded(pressed-up) on record or CD.

Source #2: Public Performance Income-Better known as performing rights, this allow others to use your music in different mediums such as; radio, t.v., movies, etc.

Pump the brakes, Playa! Your not entitled to all of the money, just a portion of it. Let me explain. All money made from music publishing is simple known as Publishing Royalties. Publishing royalties are broken down into two separate shares; publishers share and writers share. Think of the shares as a pie with two halves; the publishers side represents 50% of the pie and the writers share represents 50% of the pie, and together they represent 100% of Music Publishing Income.

The publisher is the party that collects both shares and then pays the writer’s share to the writer or writers of the song. The Publisher is the one who owns or controls the copyright of the song. This means that they have the rights to do with it as they please, such as licensing(renting) it out for movies, or sheet music. Also, granting permission to other singers to re-record it. At some point, you as a songwriter are going to have to deal with a Publisher on some level, whether you decide to self-publish or not. The main advantage to self-publishing is that your are the sole controller of your copyrights, but unless you have the time, energy, and resources to do what a publisher does, you better learn to play “Let’s Make A Deal.”

What a Publisher can do for you the Songwriter

• Copyright your songs so your butt is covered around the world.

• Make sure your songs are used in every imaginable medium, such as: radio, video games, downloadable ring-tones, movies, etc.

• Hook up manufacturing and distribution deals for music books and sheet music of your songs.

• Register your songs with collections agencies like BMI, ASCAP, SEASAC, and the Harry Fox Agency.

• Protect you from copyright infringers trying to steal your material by sampling, file-sharing, and bootlegging.

• Develop and Promote you as a writer.

• Negotiating licensing deals on your behalf

Your best bet is to set-up a co-publishing agreement with a large publisher; this way you will ensure that things will be done correctly, without you losing your mind in the process. There are far too many types of publishing agreements to get into detail, but you have to always agree to the deal you can live with. Think long-term and your money will grow, think short-term and the next song you write may be one for Food Stamps.

Sahpreem A. King is a Multi-Platinum record producer, and book author of Gotta Get Signed: How to Become a Hip Hop Producer”, available on Schirmer Trade Books. For more info visit: www.becomeahiphopproducer.com