Here is a great cover of the song ‘I Saw the Light’ by Hank Williams Jr.  I hope this lifts all of your spirits today.   I used to play this song back in my ‘pickin days.  Kudos to the David Crowder Band for this incredible little cover.

Here is some light-hearted fun.  This is a guy on rollerblades playing the theme from Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 using himself and a bunch of glass bottles.  Don’t try this at home.

via YouTube – Michel Lauziere playing Mozart with rollerblades and 284 bottles.

Ok, so Star Wars is going on tour – A CONCERT TOUR, that is.  It is the wonderful music of John Williams with scenes of Star Wars playing on the screen.  Also, they will have film props and other cool things.  I think this is the coolest and geekiest thing I’ve ever seen.  What a great tribute to the amazing film composer John Williams.  I’d totally go, but so far no east coast tour dates.  Would you go or do you think this is ridiculous?

Star Wars: In Concert.

Ok, so when I saw this, I was basically like “Well that’s neat, Zoom came out with another portable digital recorder.”  Then I started reading the description, I realized that this was more than your average recorder.  Not only does it come with two incredible built-in compressor mics for recording, but it can record FOUR inputs SIMULTANEOUSLY!  It has built in phantom power, so it will allow to you plug two additional mics into it for live recording (think stereo mix).  You can also plug your guitar or bass into it direct and it has built in practice tools and amp / effects!  It also connects directly to your computer via USB for recording or transferring files.  I am totally going to buy one of these and hook it up to my laptop for some excellent on the road recording.  You should too!

Buy it today by clicking here and support ilearnmusic.com with your purchase!

Sooo I recently downloaded Aimee Allen’s single On Vacation for FREE on amazon.com and upon going to their site to look for more free mp3 songs, I found 673 of THEM!  I’m not talking totally all obscure downloads of artists such as Lapko, but more recognizable names such as Sixpence None the Richer, Death Cab for Cutie and Billie Holiday.  Check it out and download yourself some free music!

Here’s the link: Amazon.com: Free – Songs: MP3 Downloads.

A great free single available today for FREE on amazon.com.  Pick it up!

Amazon.com: On Vacation Album: MP3 Downloads: Aimee Allen.

Now available to download as very high-quality audio, the live graduate recital from Boise State seen several thousand times on youtube of pianist James Berry, founder of ilearnmusic.com.  This program includes:

The beloved Italian Concerto by Bach (All movements),
The Waldstein Sonata by Beethoven (All movements)
Three beautiful Schubert Songs including ‘Aufenthalt’, ‘Liebesbotschaft’, and the famous ‘Ständchen’ (Serenade)

Original Music – Reflections | ilearnmusic.com.

This is absolutely the coolest digital/hybrid grand piano I’ve ever seen.  How many of you would want one of these?  I don’t have $20,000 sitting around, but if there are any anonymous millionaires out there who want to do a poor musician a favor, send me an e-mail.

YouTube – Yamaha AvantGrand Piano Gets A Little Too Real At Winter NAMM Show.

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Back in 2003, ilearnmusic.com was founded with the premise of providing free music education videos and resources for anyone who came to our website.  Now Apple has caught up 6 years later by including great free piano and guitar lessons in their new ilife ‘09.  Buy it here.  Read about it below:

Basic Lessons

GarageBand ’09 introduces Basic Lessons: the easiest way to learn piano and guitar, right on your Mac. Follow along at your own pace with interactive lessons that teach you the fundamentals through HD video instruction, synchronized notation, and animated onscreen instruments.

Play your way through a series of nine piano or guitar lessons that get you ready to play an entire song. Learn by repetition. Slow things down or repeat any part to get it right. Basic Lessons give you complete control over how you learn. And when you’re more comfortable, you can practice your new skills with a complete backing band.

via Apple – GarageBand – Piano and guitar lessons: now on your Mac.

 
 

 This is probably the greatest invention since the original Moog.  Check it out!

Every shredder, from Les Paul to Jack White, has tweaked the sound of his guitar—adding echo, distortion or “wah-wah” —by manipulating the electric signal it produces. The Moog Guitar, on the other hand, manipulates the strings themselves, changing how it sounds and how it feels to play.

Below the strings on the Moog, as on any electric guitar, are electromagnet pickups. As the metal string vibrates, it disrupts their magnetic field, yielding a signal that gets converted to sound.

But the Moog’s pickups can actually change a string’s motion in three ways. In “sustain” mode, the magnetic field pulses in time with a string to hold a note indefinitely. Or it can vibrate the strings: Just press against the fretboard like pressing the keys of a synthesizer. “Mute” mode pulses out of sync with the string, cutting the note short for the “crisp” sound and feel of a banjo. “Controlled sustain” dampens only the strings you graze by mistake. There’s also a setting that resembles the Moog synth made famous by musicians like Stevie Wonder.

Rock pioneers like Lou Reed are already using the Moog to create new sounds. Expect to hear it on albums soon.

via Guitar’s New Hero | Popular Science.