Sonodyne Your Studio Monitoring
True, Clean, Compact

A new range of cost effective yet high performance studio monitors have been introduced from the thriving cinema capitol of the world, Mumbai (Bollywood). "Experienced sound engineers, upon hearing the SM 50Ak and 100Ak, remark that it is among the best small monitors," says Brad Lunde of Trans Audio Group.
The SM 50Ak is ideal for not only desktop editing but also serious audio monitoring. It provides a well articulated yet full bodied response from its compact enclosure. The highs are open, the mids well resolved, and the bass, detailed and tight. Magnetically shielded, it may be placed beside video monitors. It has facility for both console and wall mounts. The SM 100Ak has an extended LF response compared to the SM 50Ak and also a wider sweet spot. This, in conjunction with a higher SPL, readies it for the more demanding applications like multi-channel audio monitoring in larger rooms. "We have also found that many musician-engineers prefer the tonal quality and 'musicality' of these rock-solid speakers," says Lunde. Magnetically shielded the 100Ak's may be placed beside video monitors. It has facility for both console and wall mount. SLF210v2 Subwoofer is designed for use with small monitors, the SLF210 has all the features you need in a small system subwoofer. Its 200w class D amplifier is capable of delivering 112dB. Its rear controls include variable gain, phase and crossover frequency; limiter on/off switch; polarity reverse; ground lift, and on/off footswitch control (footswitch not included). It has left and right channel xlr inputs plus an xlr LFE input at +10dB, providing bass management as well as amplification.

Sonodyne founder Mr Ashoke Mukherjee made the company one of the leading domestic hi fi manufacturers (it was the advent of stereo) in the 70s and opened the country's very first research lab dedicated to audio. Today, with over 40 engineers on staff and research labs in both Mumbai and Kolkata, Sonodyne's domestic business spans all audio vertical markets, from broadcast to MI, recording studios to hi end home hi fi, commercial audio to large scale PA. "Still owned and operated by the Mukherjee family, our contact is the son of the founder, Anindya Mukherjee," says Lunde who is pleased to have launched Sonodyne in the US, bringing them to their very first US exhibition at NAMM 2011

For more information on Sonodyne contact Brad Lunde or Phone (702) 307-2700 or visit www.transaudiogroup.com

TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier US importer/distributor and/or US sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm. TAG product line includes A-Designs (USA),ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Bock Audio (USA), Chameleon Labs , Crane Song, Geoffrey Daking & Co. (USA) Drawmer (UK), George Massenburg Labs (GML USA),Lehmann Audio SABRA SOM (Brazil), SoundField Microphones (UK), Tonelux, True Systems, Tube-Tech and Sonodyne Nearfield Monitors

Marvin Etzioni
Marvin Country!

Marvin Etzioni played mandolin on the multi-Grammy-winning album Taking the Long Way by the Dixie Chicks and with T-Bone Burnett on The Larry Sanders Show.
He also appears on the Gram Parsons Tribute DVD playing mandolin with a star-studded cast that includes Keith Richards and Norah Jones. His fourth album, Marvin Country! on Nine Mile Records is a double album (Audiophile 180-Gram Vinyl) also released digitally on April 29. Writer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Marvin Etzioni's (Toad the Wet Sprocket, Counting Crows, U2, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison) has dedicated the album to his grandfather. On Marvin Country! you meet ghosts and plenty of life in songs inspired by faith, love, hope, the Great Depression, Dylan.... 19 songs that are original, traditional, tender, quirky, always emotional and wise. The album features a distinguished cast of iconic guests and includes duets with Lucinda Williams ("Lay It On The Table"), Maria McKee ("You Possess Me"), Steve Earle ("Ain't No Work In Mississippi"), Richard Thompson ("It Don't Cost Much"), Buddy Miller ("Living Like A Hobo") and John Doe ("The Grapes Of Wrath"). The Dixie Hummingbirds add their gospel harmonies to "You Are The Light," a reprise of the Etzioni original that closed the debut album by Lone Justice. Marvin co-founded Lone Justice with Maria McKee. In the '90s he released three solo albums, The Mandolin Man (1991), Bone (1992) and Weapons Of The Spirit (1994), which were lavished with praise by the press.

"We went to a studio, had it all booked and not one piece of equipment worked right! We quickly moved to House of David and I remember they showed me a trapdoor they'd made for Elvis Presley. If people showed up and he wanted to make a getaway, he could jump down to his convertible and drive away. It was a chute, like Batman. Good enough for Elvis, good enough for Marvin Country!" says Etzioni who plays mandolin, mandocello, guitar, bass, Mellotron, porchboard, casio, piano and drums. Of course, he had a little help from his friends. Lindley appears on drums, Steve Fishell on pedal steel, Gurf Morlix on bass, Tammy Rogers on fiddle, Buddy Miller, Duane on guitars. Don Heffington on drums, Greg Leisz on pedal steel and Tammy Rogers on fiddle, to name a few. Other songs were recorded in L.A. and N.Y. "My reference point for a double album is The White Album, my favorite album of all time. You can't classify that album. It was everything under the sun and everything that they had to give," says Marvin. Hot on the heels of the release of Marvin Country! Etzioni who performed on March 15th in Austin, TX at SXSW (Skinny's Ballroom) will headline the Americana series Grand Ole Echo at the infamous Echo in Echo Park on April 29. Marvin, your time has come and thanks for offering so much light!

Twin Trip released their self-titled debut on April 24th, via Flower Records. Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and vocalist Felix Penny who penned all twelve songs (five co-writes w/ Joe Scolari) teams up with Micah Van Hove on drums to create music rich in thematic melodies driven by punchy guitars and drums. Influences range from The Beatles and David Bowie to Radiohead and Muse, and soundtrack work inspired by Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone, Yann Tiersen and Ryuichi Sakamoto. "It's a uniquely conceptual album," says Penny. "Brain Dead" rocks hard and dissolves into "Supernova," a beautiful sometimes corky melody that's mysterious and romantic a la agent provocateur 007.
"Four Wise Monkeys" take the listener to a rave scene with pulsating energy sprinkled with humor. "Dream of you," is an elegant ballad that begins with voice and piano and rides on a lush big orchestral wave. Yes, this album grows on you like a good book. You find new things each time you read it and go back for more. Here, you can judge a book by its cover! The art/design is first-class minimalist-- looks and feels major! "When writing the songs I try to keep it subtle. There is an obvious overtone of outer space, but the story itself doesn't come through in an obvious way," says Felix. Meet Alexander Evan Morales, director of TRIBE, an experimental film and music video for Twin Trip. Surreal settings, exotic costumes, and experimental editing will be the backbone of this project that plans to collect donations via Kickstarter. We can't wait to see and hear more! The band is currently gearing up for a string of live dates on the West Coast, in support of Twin Trip produced by Greg Penny (KD Lang, Elton John). The album was recorded and mixed at Flower Studios in Ojai, CA and mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman.

Son Keeps The Legacy of Clare Fischer Alive

Brent Fischer gave a Master Class on Arranging at Schenectady County Community College and the distinguished Eastman School of Music in Rochester. With a new release slated for later this year and more gigs with the Clare Fischer Bands , Brent Fischer continues to carry on the legacy of his father's unique heritage.Playing to a sold out crowd on April 17, Brent Fischer was guest conductor of the prestigious Empire Jazz Orchestra in Schenectady, New York. Fischer led the band through music by himself and his father, legendary composer/arranger/keyboardist
Clare Fischer.

The Grammy-nominated Mixer / Engineer Dana Nielsen (Adele, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake) recently mixed and engineered the score and original music to Will Ferrell's "Casa di Mi Padre", including mixing the title song performed by Christina Aguilera. In 2008 Nielsen mixed Neil Diamond's #1 album Home Before Dark, as well as Diamond's 2006 "Artist Cut" edition of the album 12 Songs. Both albums were mixed at Nielsen's own Little People Studio in West Los Angeles. Nielsen who is represented by GPS also engineered Weezer's Red Album, Slayer's World Painted Blood, the Gossip's Music for Men and Alela Diane's 2011 album. For Canadian fans, Nielsen is currently mixing Chic Gamine's highly anticipated forthcoming U.S. Debut.

Over three-and-a-half decades, David Benoit with his deep jazz roots has allowed room for forays into classical, Latin, pop, and world music. On his new album, "Conversations" produced, engineered and mixed by Clark Germain, Benoit is engaged in a conversation that's consistently engaging and entertaining. He gets assistance from musicians representing a broad cross section of styles: electric guitarist Jeff Golub, acoustic guitarist Pat Kelley, guitarist David Pack, flutist Tim Weisberg, classical pianist Robert Theis and a cadre of young classical players who are fearless about taking their music to less traditional and more adventurous and exploratory places. It's set for release on May 29, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. Benoit’s ever expanding slate of orchestral music endeavors include his ongoing role as conductor of the Asia America Symphony Orchestra and leading such eminent orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the symphonies of London, Nuremberg, San Francisco, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Jose. Benoit’s notable film scores include The Stars Fell on Henrietta, produced by Clint Eastwood and starring Robert Duvall; and The Christmas Tree, produced by Sally Field, voted Best Score of 1996 by Film Score Magazine. Benoit has also been a longtime guest educator with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, winning the organization’s “excellence in music education” award in 2001.

'Spirit In The Room' showcases Tom Jones at his best. “I’m a blues singer,” he said in an interview. Jones, who turned 70 in June, was part of that Beatles-Rolling Stones generation of British musicians who were heavily influenced by American folk music and gospel. Once again producer/guitarist Ethan Johns (Brit Award Producer of the Year 2011) and Jones come together for intimate performances with a choice group of musicians - multi instrumentalist Johns, Richard Causon on vintage keyboards and piano, guitars (Ryan Adams, Kings Of Leon and Rufus Wainwright), Warpaint's Stella Mozgawa on drums, and Ian Jennings and Sam Dixon on bass. Johns was first asked to work with Jones by Louis Bloom of Island Records and Tom Jones' "son-slash-manager" (as Johns calls him), Mark Woodward. Recorded at Bath's Real World studios, 'Spirit In The Room' includes gem writers - Richard Thompson, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney amongst others. "A creative environment will outweigh a sonic environment," Johns believes. "Peter Gabriel's studio, where we recorded Tom's album is an old converted mill. It's a natural environment with a natural light; great for music." Johns used no headphones, no speakers. Of Jones, he says, "His projection is extraordinary.
11 songs simple, raw and soulful deal with sin, salvation, redemption and the unanswerable question of where we go when we die. Most of the basic tracks were cut
live in the studio, but Johns laid overdubs by Booker T (organ), Benmont Tench (piano) and Americana songwriters Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings. Tom has also graced a recent single on Jack White's Third Man label . Featuring Howlin' Wolf's 'Evil' in his own inimitable style and produced and played by White and some of his Raconteurs, the single comes backed with a reworked version of Frankie Lane's classic 'Jezebel' and has already picked up widespread praise. There will be a Deluxe Edition album which will contain the additional recordings 'Just Dropped in', 'Lone Pilgrim' and 'When The Deal Goes Down'.
Mr Jones will perform select live dates in Europe from June-August in support of his new release. Watch TJ with Johns in the studio here Bloody lovely indeed!

Francesco Cameli & Simon Bohannon
Sphere Studios, London

"As we were looking for new nearfield monitors. we tried quite a few. Then along came the SM 100AK and wow! Such details and smoothness, and in our opinion, out-performing some of the far more expensive competitors. So it was a no brainer ... yes, please!"
-- Cameli & Simon Bohannon Sphere Studios, London

The SM50AK is a 5.25" Kevlar woofer two way with 45 watt amps on both woofer and tweeter for a US list price of $1050pr. The SM100AK is a 6.5" two way, with 80watt amp on a kevlar woofer and a 40 watt amp on the tweeter with a list of $1400pr. Both units have been tested in the US by friends of TransAudio and have received high marks for their overall tonal balance, sonic footprint, image and detail and their ability to translate to other systems. The Sonodyne 100 has received great reviews in the UK by Future Music (choosing it as its Platinum Award winner and its Value Award winner) an Audio Media UK. Expect reviews in the US into the late summer and fall."

LasVegasProAudio.com LasVegasProAudio.com, a division of TransAudio Group, is the launch pad for the brands of tomorrow. The goal of LasVegasProAudio.com is to provide unique equipment, useful information and long-term support to their clients.

LVPA product line includes: Accusound Cable, Economy 50mm Shockmount,Enhanced Audio (Ireland), PAULY Superscreens (Germany)Sonodore Microphones (Holland) Liverpool-based Studiocare Professional Audio will distribute Daking Audio and Bock Audio in the United Kingdom.

Marvin Country String Quartet on Sunday, April 29 at 7:00 pm and on June 24 in NY (details here).

Flower Records, Amazon
April 24, 2012
Hear the single, "Heavy Load"

The concert coincided with the digitally remastered release of the Clare Fischer classic, "Extension", now available at Amazon and other outlets. The concert included many of the staples of the Clare Fischer Big Band under the direction of Brent Fischer: Grammy nominated "In the Beginning", and classics such as "Lennie's Pennies", "Pictures at an Exhibition" and new composition "Step Up" by Brent Fischer.

5.29.12
Concord Music

Amazon, Universal Music
5.21.12

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Matt Wallace Interviewed At his Delux Studios in LA for Record Production
L-R: Producer Matt Wallace, studioexpresso's Claris Dodge
Photo: Johnny Jaskot

Marvin Country String Quartet & Album Release Party
Sunday, April 29 at 7:00 PM and on June 24 in NY (details here).

Music Minus One Performing with the digital orchestra
Saturday, May 19 10:00am to Noon
Rodgers Organ Showroom, LA, 2295 East Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107
RSVP: (909) 599-7899

Ken Allardyce - Sarm West, UK
Lenise Bent - Village Studios. LA, CA
Niko Bolas - Watersound Studios, Studio City, CA
Pete Byrne - Glenwood Place, CA
Andre Fischer - Village Studios, Los Angels, CA
Chris Fogel - Fig, Glendale, CA
Brad Gilderman - Little Big Room, Burbank, CA
Greg Ladanyi - Maple Jam Productions, Studio City, CA
Joseph Magee - O'Henry Studios, Burbank, CA
Scott Mathews - Tiki Town Studios
Oscar Paul - Roundhouse Studios, London
Greg Penny - Sphere Studios, London
Steve Parr - Hear No Evil Studios
Michael C Ross - Royaltone Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Rafa Sardina - Abbey Road, UK
Elliot Scheiner - Presense studios, CT
Al Schmitt Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA
Toby Scott -- coming soon!
Robert Shahnazarian Jr.-- Sony Music Studios, Santa Monica
Tolbert & Sutton - Studio Atlantis, Hollywood, CA
Matt Wallace - Delux Studios, Van Nuys, CA
John Wooler - Village Studios, Los Angels, CA

Watch The studioexpresso 2011 Grammy Behind-the-Scenes Audio Report here

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Expresso Walk And Talk with...

Strictly for Coachella Baby! Tupac rapped and danced onstage in a hologram-like image at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with Dre and Dogg (sports near 8million Tweets). Zillion Tweets and over 34 million Google hits on Tupac/Dre/Dogg searches followed the unveiling of the reincarnated slain West Coast superstar Tupac Shakur. Though the buzz of the stunt continues, questions are raised about rights of the late artist. Which dead celeb to reincarnated next - Elvis Presley? Jimi Hendrix? Kurt Cobain? The estate planners and attorneys are busy looking into legalese and how best to protect the artist. "It was strictly for Coachella. Get it right. I want to get rid of all the rumors out there. This was not done for a tour," Dre said in the short video, which you can watch here. "If a tour happens, we'll see. This was done strictly for Coachella 2012. Just for you." Dre gave plugs to creators: AV Concepts projected the image and Digital Domain put the image together. The Tupac hologram was several months in the planning and took nearly four months to create in a studio and though Nick Smith, president of AV Concepts was not able to reveal the exact price tag for the illusion, he said a comparable one could cost anywhere from $100,000 to more than $400,000 to pull off. Watch how the technology works here explained by Smith

We Are Not Evil
John Buckman who has been profiled by Inc. Magazine, The Economist, Forbes, and other major publications for his innovative approach to online music distribution was keynote at 132nd AES convention in Budapest this month. Topic: Small And Beautiful: Models for Successful Independent Music Businesses He is also the founder and CEO of BookMooch, an innovative community for sharing over 1 million books each year in 91 countries via the Internet. He will present the Keynote address at the 132nd AES Convention in Budapest on April 26. Buckman has signed more than 250 recording artists across multiple genres including Classical, Electronica, World, Alt Rock, Jazz and Hard Rock. He is about to launch iLicenseMusic.com. In addition to such other internet music companies as MoodMixes.com (background music for restaurants) and ToneGnome.com (audio engineering services over the Internet,) he has also had a successful career as an audio engineer. His egalitarian business practices are distinguished by non-exclusive agreements with musicians. His pioneering Fair Trade Music Philosophy is based on equally shared profits with his artists, and allowing them to retain full rights to their own music. He founded the online record label Magnatune in 2003 as a reaction to his experiences with the music industry. Magnatune strives to be fair both to recording artists and consumers alike and is considered a solid example of a successful "sharing economy" based business model. "When my wife was signed to an Indie record label, we were really excited. In the end, she sold close to 1000 CDs, lost all rights to her music for 8 years (even though the CD had been out of print for several years), and earned a little over $100 in royalties (no one is really sure), some of which was paid to her as CD copies of her own CD which she then gave away for promotion. The record label that signed her wasn't evil: they were one of the good guys, and gave her a 70/30 split of the profits (of which there were few). The label got screwed at every turn: distributors refused to carry their CDs unless they spent thousands on useless print ads, or they didn't pay for the CD's sold, etc. In general, all forces colluded to prevent this small, progressive label from succeeding," says Buckman.
132nd AES convention -April 26-29 at the Novotel Budapest Congress & World Trade Center in Budapest, Hungary.

Marschall Awarded Márton Marschall has been named the recipient of this year's Award for his paper "Robustness Of A Mixed-Order Ambisonics Microphone Array For Sound Field Reproduction," (co-authored with Sylvain Favrot and Jörg Buchholz) at the 132nd AES Convention in Budapest on April 26. The Award was presented on Thursday, April 26 at the Opening Ceremonies at the Novotel Budapest Congress & World Trade Center. Mr. Marschall will present his paper at 10AM on Saturday, April 28. A native of Budapest, Márton Marschall, received a diploma in electrical engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 2006, and his MSc degree in engineering acoustics from the Technical University of Denmark in 2008. He then joined the Centre for Applied Hearing Research at the Technical University of Denmark, where he is currently a PhD student under the guidance of Professor Torsten Dau. As part of his PhD project, he is working on recreating realistic acoustic scenes for hearing research and for the evaluation of communication devices, such as hearing instruments and mobile phones. His research interests include virtual acoustics, spatial hearing and models of auditory signal processing and perception. The Award also makes Mr. Marschall's manuscript eligible for publication consideration in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society.

Brian Eno © Rolex/Hugo Glendinning 2011 (R), EP Panic Of Looking

Air, Trope, and Bloom...Three Apps From Eno. Ambient music pioneer Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers developed three iPhone Apps. Trope uses more drones and pads than Bloom, however, so the music you'll get it quite different and, as the developers say, darker than Bloom. You tap your finger in different areas of the screen to create sounds that then loop and change over time. The visuals have also gotten a big bump up, offering much more variation in patterns and colors than Bloom. According to an AT&T brochure, Bloom is embraced by Clair. Age 3. "She likes it because it's simple and easy," says Clair's mom, Mary. "There's an immediate reaction." Why Mom likes it: "It makes a asound when she taps the little bubbles, and she can save the recordings," Mary says. "In the end, she's kind of made something of her own." Both apps are $3.99 from AT&T or the App Store. Air lets users create a complex, gradually shifting composition using vocal and piano samples. There are three different listen modes - each one its own arrangement - and four different conduct modes you can use to make music by tapping different parts of the screen. If you can get together with some friends who also have iPhones, Air can spread a composition over multiple sets of speakers. Eno is saying that this is how he always wanted Music for Airports to be. That piece was designed as a continually looping sound installation for use in actual airports, so a version that's infinitely variable and always changing would perfectly suit the intent of the original project. It's also starting out at a lower price point than Bloom did, costing only 2 bucks. Not too bad for infinite music! Listen to Bloom here Listen to Trope here Panic Of Looking is the latest EP from Eno, a collaboration between Brian Eno and British poet Rick Holland in 2011

CREDIT IS DUE! This campaign is to get iTunes, Pandora, similar music services to finally start crediting Performers, Producers Songwriters, and Engineers 'Like' this page to show public support for this long overdue issue! Spearheaded by producer, mixer and engineer Count aka Mikael Eldridge (DJ Shadow, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, No Doubt) to get credits for Performers, Engineers, Songwriters and Producers listed on all songs in ALL music services. Users should be able to easily see who created and performed this music while listening so they can discover other music these artists have helped create. The lack of credits also affects ability of music creators to get work. That's the basis for a metadata movement where artists' digital works - just like physical formats - properly credit performers. Originally from Austin, Texas, Count Eldridge band is called inumusic. He worked through the 90's in San Francisco at various record labels [Polygram, Verve, PopMafia, and Ubiquity] and worked as an engineer, mixer, and producer at the SF's noteworthy recording studio, Toast.

Berklee College of Music in Valencia Spain and Boston, USA

Berklee Music from Boston to Valencia. Walters-Storyk Design Group reports the international expansion of the Berklee College of Music by recently completing construction on a spectacular new campus in Valencia Spain, and is currently in construction on a 16-story, $100 million complex at 160 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston (the first ground-up domestic building in Berklee's 66-year history).
"It's located in the Palau de les Arts and will we will host three, and eventually six, graduate music programs. I'm responsible for the writing programs, including film scoring, which is the first to launch," says Andy Hill (formerly of Disney), Graduate Program Director. Celebrated Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava's ultramodern Valencia Campus features a sprawling 18,000 sq. ft. East Technical Wing features a 1360 sq. ft. recording studio which includes an 850 sq. ft. live room; four project/production studios ranging in size from 135 to 200 sq. feet; and multiple classroom/tech support environments. Designed by William Rawn Associates (Boston), Berklee's new 155,000 square-foot 160 Massachusetts Ave. tower will house eight WSDG recording studios, including a live room scaled to host a 60-piece orchestra. Scheduled for completion for the fall 2013 semester, the complex encompasses technical suites, classrooms, a film dubbing theater and, a unique, three-story 4000 square foot, 400-seat, dual purpose, auditorium/dining hall with a dramatic two-story glass wall facing Massachusetts Avenue. Romina Larregina is serving as WSDG PM on both projects. "We have a long-standing relationship with WSDG, and with architect/acoustician John Storyk who designed Electric Lady Studios for Jimi Hendrix among many world-class studios all over the world," says Berklee president Roger H. Brown.

CMT Is Back. Carrie Underwood has received five nominations for her album Blown Away, including 'Female Artist of the Year' and 'Video of The Year' for 'Good Girl'. Miranda Lambert has earned four nods for 'Video of the Year' and 'Female Video of the Year' for 'Over You' as well her group Pistol Annies being recognized in the 'Group Video' and 'USA Weekend Breakthrough Video' categories. Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Thompson Square and Lady Antebellum all received three nominations. The 11th annual CMT Music Awards air live from Nashville on June 6 on CMT. The ceremony will also stream live on CMT's official website. Fans are invited to vote for this year's winners on CMT.com. Enter to win a trip to Nashville and to attend 2012 CMT Music Awards here

Sony Green Lights EMI Purchase. An unexpectedly early antitrust approval to one-half of a deal to split the independent British music group EMI came this month. EMI is being sold by Citigroup, the US bank which acquired the heavily indebted company at the start of 2011. Sony/ATV, a joint venture between Sony and the Michael Jackson estate, and several investment funds including UAE-based Mubadala Development jointly offered $2.7 billion in November for EMI Music's publishing businesses. Sony will put about $325m of equity into a new venture backed by less than $100m from David Geffen, the DreamWorks investor whose Geffen Records released John Lennon’s final album. Other backers include Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi fund; GSO, Blackstone’s leveraged loan business; and the Swiss bank UBS. EMI's publishing arm manages the rights to songs of popular artists such as Amy Winehouse and Rihanna. Universal Music Group has a pending deal to buy the rest of EMI, which is home to Coldplay and Katy Perry. To get approval for the deal from the EC, the Sony-led investor group promised to sell the publishing rights to several music catalogues as well as the works of 12 artists, including Ozzy Osbourne, Robbie Williams, and Ben Harper. The combination of Universal and EMI would create the top recorded music company by far, with about a 40 per cent market share in the US. The combined publishing assets of Sony/ATV and EMI would also be No 1 in the world. Helen Smith, of Impala, the trade association for independent music labels, said the decision was "bad news for Europe's publishers and writers, as well as for collecting societies and any label or online service which needs to be able to rely on fair terms to use music". Martin Mills, chairman of Adele's record label, Beggars Group, claims that a Universal takeover would stifle the emergence of artists who are similar to Elvis Presley and Oasis, who started as "left-field, edgy" musicians before their popularity reshaped the "mainstream". Previously, Mills called the acquisition "breath-taking arrogance" in a January press release from independent rights group Impala

l-r: Matt Harmon, President, Adam Carroll, VP of Finance, Miwa Okumura, Beggars' Sr. VP West Coast Operations and Licensing, Martin Mills, Chairman – Beggars Group, Impala (UK), Chris Lombardi, Matador founder, Adam Farrell to VP of Marketing at The Beggars Group USA and for the Group

Beggars Expand In LA. The news of the new offices in LA came before the Coachella festival started. Beggars Group Chairman Martin Mills stated: “It’s a natural step in the continuing growth of our business in the USA to open a west coast office – whereas the heart of our American operation is in New York, there’s a lot going on musically in California right now, and it makes sense to be present to connect with music people there.” The Los Angeles office is being headed up by Miwa Okumura, Beggars’ Sr. VP West Coast Operations and Licensing. “With XL’s London office as the model,” says Okumura, “I have found the right space where our artists, staff, and visitors will feel comfortable and inspired

Musician Institute Conversation Series Welcomes Maroon 5 Guitarist James Valentine May 03, 2012m 6–7:00 PM Location: MI-190. Since their debut album Songs About Jane, the GRAMMY Award-winning band has enjoyed steadily increasing success; their new album Overexposed is set for release this June. Attendance is limited to MI students and qualified alumni (RSVP to [email protected]), but the event will be streamed live for the public on MI’s Facebook page.

Marc Scibilia is published by Sony ATV and recently had his song, "How Bad We Need Each Other," featured on Fox's TV show, Bones. The song shot to number two on iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and stayed in the top ten for a week. His EP will come out on June 5th on Hickory Records/Sony ATV. He is also the BMI pick of the month and performed last night at Arlene's Grocery.

Seven young organists competed on Friday, April 27. 2012 Rodgers North American Classical Organ Competition concludes with Level 2 performances at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Prizes ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 as well as additional performance opportunities throughout the United States. Level 1 of the competition, intended for younger players, was held on March 13 in St. Louis, Missouri. First place went to Jennifer Shin, a 15-year-old organist from Newport Beach, Calif., who won a $1,000 prize and an invitation to perform as a guest artist in Kutztown. Miss Shin started playing piano at the age of five. She has studied in South Korea and the United States, and is currently a student of Dr. Jung-A Lee, with whom she began studying organ in 2009. The top three performers and Ms. Shin will play a concert at 7:30 PM in the Georgian Room, followed by the awards ceremony. Rodgers established the competition in 2011 to identify and encourage the next generation of emerging organists. It is open to organists who are 35 and younger. The competition is adjudicated by Dr. Ina Slater Grapenthin, chair; Dr. Robert Tall of Rodgers Organ Showroom, LA; and Mr. Dan Miller. All performances are on a Rodgers Masterpiece Signature 356 organ. Meet Dr Tall
Saturday, May 19 Music Minus One Performing with the digital orchestra 10:00am to Noon
Rodgers Organ Showroom, LA, Church Keyboard Center 2295 East Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107
Learn how to set up the organ to perform with digital orchestra and then hear the complete result. Dr. Tall will demonstrate his newly prepared orchestral repertoire for which music scores and the accompanying MIDI sequence and audio files are available.
RSVP: (909) 599-7899

Real Estate Expresso

Home with studio- Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2.5 Square Feet 3,071
Modern living with Pilchner Schoustal professionally designed recording studio with both exterior and in-home entrances. Views of the Hollywood sign. Custom remodeled home with an open floor plan, wood floors, custom designed dog yard and wiring for a Smart Home system. In kitchen, enjoy stainless Viking & Sub Zero appliances and granite counter tops. Built in Miele washer & dryer. Two car parking garage. List Price: $ 1,495,000

Home doubles as Zen sanctuary Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 7 Square Feet 6,000
Off Beachwood Canyon, stunning views of the Lake Hollywood on 2+ acres, this Japanese estate features private gardens, water ponds and streams. This world of serenity, charm & beauty will inspire your creativity and serve as a haven for entertaining or as a secluded refuge. Fine imported Japanese materials accent throughout. Amenities include a Tatami room, outdoor movie theater, amphitheatre and guest quarters. Two car parking garage and off street parking; Guest & Maids Quarters List Price: $6,729,000

Contact: Candace K with Coldwell Banker, Tel: 323.559.0856, Email: [email protected]

RIP

Levon Helm
May 26, 1940 - April 19, 2012

With daughter Amy

"In the same way that his great friend and sometimes-boss Bob Dylan connected the dots between Jimmy Reed, Arthur Rimbaud and Muhammad Ali, so Levon drew the second line that had Howlin’ Wolf, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marvin Gaye and Hank Williams all dancing out in front of the same New Orleans funeral parade. (They all walked liked Bo Diddley and didn’t need no crutch.) He brought soul and an open heart to the darkest corners of rock music -- in a troubled era he helped shape and define -- and a rural humility to the grandest stages."
--Joe Henry, Musician, songwriter and producer

Levon’s friends & fans were invited to pay their final respects on Thursday, April 26, 2012 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at his home/studio in Woodstock. Personal vehicles will not be permitted at the studio, however. Parking will be available at 3 locations in Woodstock: The Woodstock Playhouse 103 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock, Cucina Woodstock, 109 Mill Hill Road and Andy Lee Field, Rock City Road, Woodstock. Levon Helm Studios is nestled on twenty acres, housing a magnificent timber-framed barn/studio. Using no nails, only wooden pegs and locally quarried bluestone, the building has optimal sound quality. It is a dream retreat with a large bass-filled lake beneath Overlook mountain. Over the years, countless musicians and artists have visited the studio to enjoy the creative atmosphere and hospitality that it offers. The one-of-a-kind studio has been the catalyst to many great recordings and albums

--April 19, 2012

Greg Ham (Men At Work) was found dead in his Melbourne home at age 58. His saxophone and flute punctuated smash hits including Down Under and Who Can It Be Now? A Celebration for the life of Greg will be held at the Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier St, Fitzroy on Wednesday May 2 at 12.00 p.m. Following the Service the cortege will proceed to the Melbourne General Cemetery for a private burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of Greg’s choice. Envelopes will be available at the Service

"We played in a band and conquered the world together. I love him very much. He's a beautiful man. ... He's here forever."
-- Colin Hay, Men At Work

"For me the real country writers are Leonard Cohen and Dylan, or Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder, or Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel. To quote Merle Haggard, I wear my own kinda hat."
--Marvin Etzioni

Braden King’s multi-layered film HERE starring Ben Foster and Lubna Azabal (Gariné Torossian) opens in Los Angeles on April 27 and in San Francisco on May 11. You may know King (Dutch Harbor) for his music videos: Sonic Youth, Will Oldham, Sparklehorse and the Dirty Three. Here is a philosophical road film, a love story and a meditation on technology's effects on contemporary society. HERE was one of fifteen projects selected from around the world for the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Atelier. HERE screenplay and Director King were named the US winners of the Sundance / NHK International Filmmakers Award. The work is also partnered with a separate event, entitled HERE [ THE STORY SLEEPS ], a multi-screen ‘live installation’ showcasing visuals from the film, location shots, Gadarine’s Polaroids, and digital imagery, accompanied by live music from composer Michael Krassner and the Boxhead Ensemble (who also wrote the score). To date, the event has had performances at the MoMA, Mass MoCA, and Sundance. "I don’t think things get any more present tense than road trips like that. So the roots of this project really go back to those days between spaces on the interstates, with some piece of music that I loved on the radio, the window halfway down, and that perfect blissful feeling of being right here, right now," says King. Check updated and schedule here

“We found HERE remarkable for its cinematographic qualities and the journey-like encounter of two individuals that questions not only their personal backgrounds and identities but also geographical, political and cultural borders.”
--Berlin Film Festival Special Jury Prize: C.I.C.A.E. Art Cinema Award (2011)

Remembered for 75 Years. Grandson of a Genocide survivor, Serge Tankian (ranked 26th in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal vocalists of all time) of System Of A Down wrote "Boom" for Peace (7,745,277 views on YouTube).
April 24th marks the 75th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. A breakthrough. More than 13,000 people, mostly Turks, have signed an online petition initiated by a group of Turkish intellectuals, who issued an apology on the Internet for the massacres of Armenians by the Ottoman army. The text reads: "My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and sisters. I apologize to them."


Prehisto-rock 'n' roll! Archeologists have found part of a 2,300-year-old lyre-the oldest instrument ever discovered in western Europe-inside a Scottish cave. Older lyres dating back 5,000 years have been found in modern-day Iraq, but until now there was no physical evidence of western Europeans playing complex music in the third millennium BC. It also marks Skye-a Scottish island where the lyre was found-as a cultural gathering place.

Until next month...EXPRESS YOURSELF

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