Ready to start your own band? There are plenty of musicians out there willing to pursue a career in music with you, but how do you choose the right musician? Different musicians contribute different sounds to a band depending on their technical skills, innovations, and music diversity. For example, Metallica would not sound the way they do without James Hetfield, or Dream Theater would definitely not sound the same without the drumming talents of Mike Portnoy.

Here are some tips on how to narrow down your list of potential band members.

1. Determine their level of commitment. You want a musician that is in the same commitment level as the rest of the band. Is the band a full-time thing or are you just jamming on occasions for fun on weekends? Musicians with a high level of commitment are always good but they can discouraged if the rest of the band is lazy and only wants to play at minimal times. Figure out how often the band should get together to play and then find musicians that can commit to that schedule.

2. Technical abilities versus diversity. While technical abilities are important, there should be a good balance between music diversification as well. Anyone can pick up a guitar and shred like Yngwie Malmsteen with proper amount of practice picking the same notes over and over, but not everyone can play with such feel as Jimmi Hendrix.

3. The right musician should enjoy playing the same music style as the rest of the band members.

4. Compatibility with personality. Playing in a band is about having fun and you should be able to get along with all your band members off-stage. Generally speaking, you might get along with people within your age group better, so that might be something to consider when choosing musicians.

5. Open-minded to other music genres. While this may not apply to every band, it might be good to consider if your band ever decides to change its musical direction.

6. Band playing experience. Typically, the more band playing experience the better. There is a difference between self-taught musicians that practice at home by themselves and musicians that learn through others by playing in bands. Musicians with no band experience might have trouble with following songs since they are used to playing at home to album CD’s. In addition, if your band ever plans on performing live gigs, inexperienced musicians might have stage freight.

7. Enthusiasm. Does the musician take the band seriously enough to prioritize it? Does the musician contribute to the band musically? Enthusiasm is shown if the they contribute a lot of ideas into the songs and take some extra to practice at home as well. If the musician is always running late to practices, does not contribute and only plays what they’re told to play, then chances are he/she is not very committed to the band.

Kenny Auyoung: Webmaster @ http://www.getmeaband.com – Looking for a band? Search through our directory of musicians to find band members in your local area.

Born out of a religious devotion to one of the greatest exponents of all that was ever Metal; Metallica, Alien Ant Farm housed a quartet of cheeky, wholesome Californian nerds. Perhaps, four of the most unpredictable and unimaginable rock stars ever to grace the U.S, these ordinary looking kids off the block blazed into teenage vulnerability around 1996.

In strange and extreme arrogance, their first album was titled ?Greatest Hits,? released in the U.S in November 1999. In America, it managed to con the teens into submissiveness and an award was promptly handed out to the band the same year at the L.A Music Awards. The Brits, on the other hand, were having none of that and the LP failed to create even the slightest dent over here. After all, we invented Metal. We already knew what it was like to feel our ear drums bleed – we had Ozzy?

Thunderous, thrashy and somewhat Alice In Chains tinted, the band, visually, can only be described as The Beastie Boys meets the Myth busters, or perhaps even Adam Sandlers lost cousins, yet there is something disturbingly appealing about these guys with their shaved heads and Scooby Doo tee shirts. They reflect a certain mood within all teenagers, but perhaps mostly towards kids in the U.S. Sniggering still at their farts and whistling at girls, it is not difficult to imagine that these fellas, loaded and famous as they are, still ring old ladies door bells in the middle of the night and run away laughing.

Their contribution to the rock industry is merely down to taste. If you like your rock heavy on the bass and minus any real noticeable guitar riffs yet you prefer the lead vocal to actually sing in key, then AAF is certainly the band for you. If you ever become fortunate to see them live, then please don?t be put off by the fact that they are not famous for putting on a show. The all-American named Dryden Mitchell does nothing to promote a form of eye candy. His hunched over stance with mouth busy tonguing the microphone is almost an imitation of Grindcore Gods, Napalm Death. Despite their visual effect and their ability to perform good, and surprisingly tuneful Metal music, they have, unlike a lot of their hero?s, stayed far away from making any social comment. Choosing, I believe, to distance themselves from anything too political and topical, they have, in previous years, met only criticism from the media on how they were a bad influence on the youngsters of the Nineties generation. Although the critics were harsh, it was how the band unitedly stood their ground with great maturity that was perhaps, more shocking.

AAF gave us another shock in September of 2001 by releasing their own take on Michael Jackson?s ?Smooth Criminal.? This shaky, club classic dance number filled with all the glitz and styled glamour that was Jackson in his element, was probably one of the very last pieces of cover that any rock band would ever dare to take on, let alone endanger their already growing respect from other long haired rock giants already masterful. This daring take on such a record was tarnished with all the right amount of bass, heavy drums and chain saw styled guitars that was needed and leapt, peculiarly to number three in the singles charts in the U.K. The British kids were buying it at last. As a ?make sure? marketing ploy, the song was released again in February 2002 as the B side to the single, ?Movies,? which, again had enjoyed such huge success that it was released twice and instead of it?s humble number 55, it sat readily at number five the second time around.

For a group of four young lads, all born between 1971 and 1977, it is surprising that in the years of Alien Ant Farm being around, they have only managed to release five singles. Four of which were two songs released twice, and only two chart positioning albums to 2003. At a glance, one could argue that they are the laziest rock band in existence, failing to produce a decent single and record a fairly passable album, but a closer look shows us that these musicians (and isn?t it a blessing from God that we see a band that can actually play instruments? This is the only reason why I think Ben should win the X Factor?) we can see that apart from the obvious single, these fellas have written everything. Like their counterparts of today and the giant Metal bands of the past, they are proud to say that they have not once leaned on others for their musical contribution to teenage album collections. They are humorous, thoughtful and, most of the time, polite. They are melodic, play in time and are good to their mothers. In my book, they posses all the makings of a fairly decent heavy rock band.

Their music can?t always be described as custom built heavy metal. In fact, many of you out their will be disagreeing with their title of Metal band as it is. For example, the jolliness of the backbone of ?Glow,? from the album ?TruANT,? (2003) is more Manic Street Preachers than Anthrax. Yet, ?These Days,? taken from the same album has a more grinding feel to its theme, hanging in the air with the heaviest of cobweb guitar riffs, the density of some of their work would have even Miss Havisham reaching for the duster. They had even tried their hands at deliberately mixing Spanish guitar with a darkly forcible bass line yet keeping the vocals strained and cutting. Working these layered Latin themes, this band takes on a whole knew meaning and far from the Metal legends they are supposed to be. Although they still appear to be a bunch of guys fresh out on vacation from high school, they seem friendly, alluring, shy and very attractive to English speaking teens across the world.

However geeky and freak loving, these giggling, immature youths on a Blair Witch Project trip shouldn?t be regarded as what they appear to be. Frighteningly in 2001, the band came close to a major loss. Dryden Mitchell suffered a severe broken neck when the band?s tour bus crashed after colliding with a big truck on route from Spain to Portugal at two o?clock one morning. After the initial shock and then being shown the devastating pictures of the remains of their twisted coach, the band took the incident as a true near death experience for all of them. Their work has since taken a more serious turn. Passing fans, probably won?t notice anything different about this heavy metal band, but for Alien Ant Farm, their next album, ?TruANT,? released in August 2003, certainly lent towards a more definitive and reflective key. Though the bands style and lack of responsibility will pretty much, always shine through, it is their inner most souls that had been tarnished with the freak accident two years before. Due to extensive surgery to Mitchell following the smash, the band took time out whilst Mitchell lived for months in a halo brace around his head, holding it in place with screws and wires.

The band now take on a whole new meaning yet again, yet this time, matured, edged and introspective, we wonder where the band go from here. After the release for the long awaited ?TruANT,? they seemed to have died a death as far as the Brits are concerned. Even though it had been noted that they are one of those rare bands that genuinely appreciate their fans, nothing seems to have come from the AAF camp for quite sometime. It is a shame as I do believe that we haven?t, in many ways, not seen the best of Alien Ant Farm yet?

Dryden Mitchell – vocals
Terry Corso – guitar
Tye Zamora – bass/vocals
Mike Cosgrove – drums
DreamWorks records

Album releases;

Greatest Hits – November 1999 (cd)
ANTology – March 2001 (cd)
TruANT – August 2003 (cd)

?michelle duffy 2006 Also on ciao and dooyoo (sam1942). 2006.

Michelle is a freelance writer in the South of England and owner of the websites, www.generationsounds.co.uk, nevermindthebloggers.bravehost.com and their successful sister, ?Never Mind The Bloggers? at paperback-writer29.tripod.com. She has been writing over the last year, for five major consumer websites across the world and is one of the only two music category advisors for one website in the U.K. Her websites promote young, amateur and professional bands/artists and their fan clubs whilst also reviewing them for local and world wide promotion. She has also recently launched the blogs; ‘The Ramblings Of An Old Rocker,’ ‘Bohemian Waffle,’ ?The Rhythm Rock And Blues Machine? and ?The Moped?s Musings? and ?Generation Sound Suite.? She is currently working on two shops selling her music styled artwork and now sells on Ebay.

Hey, nobody said the music business was going to be easy. It truly is a jungle out there filled with: snakes, rats, rabid carnivores, sharks?well, you get the picture. In the course of your musical journey, there will be confrontations, arguments, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. You?ll get jerked around, screwed over, ripped off and disrespected. So, you want to be a rock star? Welcome to your nightmare.

But this is also a business of good people, who?ll give you opportunities and chances and help you out when you least expect it. That?s why it?s so important that you, as musicians and as a band, act professionally and respectfully regardless of the behavior of those you encounter. You don?t have to be a pushover and of course, you have a right to defend yourself against the questionable actions of others, but the music community can be a very small town and the behavior you exhibit will follow you throughout your musical career.

On the flipside of that, there are musicians out there who, either knowingly or unknowingly bring negativity on themselves through their own actions. Short temperedness, egocentricism, brazen entitlement, compulsive lying and just plain old psychotic behavior can brand your band as troublemakers and deprive you of important opportunities that you need to move forward in this business.

So, how can you make sure that you?re doing onto others as you wish they would do onto you? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your personality that may be causing bad blood between you and the people you run across on your way to superstardom?

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure you?re exhibiting professional behavior at all times:

1.)Be Timely And Courteous—Whether you?re playing out live or emailing booking inquiries from home, there is never a substitute for courteously or timeliness. At gigs, show up when you?re supposed to, be friendly, treat others with respect, set up quickly, end your set on time, break down quickly, be mindful of other bands on stage, compliment those around you and don?t forget simple things like, ?please? and ?thank you.? When you leave a positive impression in people?s minds, you?ll be high on their list when it comes time to fill an open booking slot, recommend a band for a review, etc.

2.)Make Sure Your Actions Match Your Words—It?s such a simple thing but you?d be surprised how many musicians seem incapable to doing what they say they?re going to. If you book a gig, show up and play. If you say you?re going to bring twenty friends and fans to your gig, do it. If you reserve an ad in a local music magazine, pay for it. If you write a check, make sure that it doesn?t bounce. If you say you?re going to send out a press package or a CD, mail it. It is true that many people in the music business are distrustful of bands that they don?t know, and with good reason in many instances. Build your good reputation in the industry by proving that you will do what you?ve promised. Start small. Once you?ve gain people?s trust, you?ll see more and more doors opening up for your band.

3.)Take The High Road—It may be tough but there?s nothing to be gained from returning someone?s improper behavior with a heap-load of your own. That doesn?t mean that you need to let every industry slime-bag from New York to LA ride roughshod all over your music project but there are ways to deal with the negative behavior in this business without branding yourself with a label equally as negative. Sending firm yet professional letters, making intelligent and informed phone inquiries and, if need be, taking legal action against those who have acted inappropriately are ways to handle unpleasant situations without drawing negative attention to yourself. Public scenes, yelling and screaming, long-winded and ranting emails, threats and accusations and spiteful actions may make you feel vindicated but it may chase away the good people as well as the bad and that just sets your band back.

4.)You Can?t Undo What You?ve Already Done—It?s much harder to undo past bad behaviors, or reverse negative reputations than it is to foster positive ones. It?s best when starting out to avoid acting rash as a rule. If you have a band member that is incapable of keeping his or her cool, perhaps it?s time to rethink his or her place in your group. The entertainment industry has a long memory and a spiteful tongue. Make sure when people speak of you, they?re speaking well.

This may all seem like such common sense that it isn?t even worth mentioning but you?d be surprised how many shows, interviews, tours, and record deals have never materialized because of burned bridges. You may have talent and great tunes, but if your attitude sucks you?ll get passed over time and again. No one wants to work with rage-aholics, egomaniacs or crazies. Don?t let anyone think that?s what your band is about. Sure it?s important to be creative geniuses but if no one likes you, you?ll be performing your masterpieces in the garage for grandma and her Pomeranian. Get smart and treat people right and you may find yourself rockin? all the way to the bank.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians? assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

For a musician, your songs are your art. They are the physical embodiment of your creative gifts. Every bit of anger, happiness, angst, joy, pain, elation, knowledge or humor goes into the story known as your song. You write and re-write it, scouring over each note and word?perfecting it for recording and live performance.

But when you play it for others, you?re not getting the reaction you expected. Your friends, fans and family seem less than enthusiastic as they dully respond, ?Yeah. That was?um?good.? How could this be? You poured your soul into this piece. This was your ?Stairway To Heaven?! This was your ?Smells Like Team Spirit?! It?s a lyrically amazing ode about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes! It flows, it breathes, and it?s seven and a half minutes of pure musical perfection!

Whoa. Stop right there, Mozart. You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you?re wondering why you?re thirteen year-old cousin fell asleep in the middle of the fourth verse? You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you?re confused as to why your drummer?s girlfriend began calling her friends on her cell phone before the song had reached its bridge?

It may be hard to believe when you?re penning an opus such as this, but the normal human brain is wired a little differently than an accomplished musician?s, like yourself. And although music is art, it?s also popular culture and the goal should be for others to enjoy your creative efforts as much as you do.

So, how can you make sure that your writing experience is as positive as your audience?s listening experience? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your songs that may alienate, confuse or just plain bore your fans?

The following are a few tips that may add success to your songwriting experience:

1.)After Four Minutes, It Becomes Background Music—Music aficionado?s aside, the average person has roughly the attention span of a young adult hummingbird. As a songwriter, you need to grab your audience?s attention and hold it until the end of the song before they flit off to something else more interesting to them. Although four minutes (or less) may seem like the blink of an eye when a songwriter is storytelling, it?s a very long time to expect your run-of-the-mill club-goer or web-surfer to stay fixated on your music.

2.)Tell Your Story As Directly As Possible—We all love allusions, allegories, vague references, and subtle metaphors but use them sparingly or become a beat poet. A little abstractness goes a long way when writing a popular song. Song lyrics fly into people?s minds as quickly as the bassist plucks out quarter notes. If you make your lyrics too complicated, then your audience may still be trying to figure out the verse when you?re already playing the chorus. This could prompt the average listener to tune out your masterpiece, order another beer and switch on their Ipod.

3.)If English Is Your First Language, Use It In Your Song—It?s great that you?re an educated, cultured, artistic intellectual sponge. But remember that most people who hear your music are not book worms or art whores. Big, involved words make for memorable song lyrics but use them occasionaly. It?s good for your fans to ponder the meaning of a particular lyric but give them too many to ponder and they?ll get so caught up in the words that they may forget your song.

4.)Obscure Musicality Can Be Confusing Too—Lyrics aren?t the only way to confuse the average listener. Obscure time signatures, discordant instrumentation and avant guard drum lines may seem like genius to your fellow musicians, but if your listeners can?t tap and/or hum along, you may find yourself only invited to perform in underground opium bars where the audience members have all had one too many hash brownie.

If you?re not sure where to begin, start simple. Write a short, but sweet, song that packs an emotional punch in a universal way. Write about something everyone is familiar with: love, politics, lifestyle issues or the sociology of being a human being on the planet. Once people have fallen in love with your music, it will be easier to get them to give the extra listen to your more complicated, artistic pieces.

Remember that just because a song is popular or easily understood, doesn?t mean that it?s not good creativity. Art is subjective, and truly in the eye of the beholder. Your least favorite song could be someone else?s favorite. You never have to stop being creative or artistic, just acknowledge that there?s an audience out there that wants to hear what you have to say?but they?ll need to be able to comprehend it first.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians? assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

Why learn to play the guitar? Well, as a youngster, I wanted fame fortune and lots of woman throwing themselves at my feet. I had this idea that if I could become a famous lead guitarist, then the world would be my oyster. Then I grew up and the fantasy looked as though it was going to remain just that. A fantasy! However, although I?m no musical guru, I did learn to play the guitar and it was probably the finest recreational activity I have ever undertaken.

The guitar, like most instruments, is best mastered if the learner starts young. It can be quite an easy instrument if the budding musician just wants to learn a few songs to entertain friends and family, but it can also be mastered as a professional instrument, and a good guitarist can really make those strings talk. In fact, for a talented and dedicated player the guitar becomes and extension to their arms.

I?ve been teaching the guitar for many years now and one of my more recent students was a 57 year old coal minor with fingers like bananas. He told me that he and a few of his buddies wanted to form a band called the Coal Minors (what else!). I just cannot believe his progress. In just 6 month starting from scratch, he has mastered bar chords, scales, and even written a couple of impressive songs with the chords G, C, D, DM, and E. It just goes to show that if you are committed, anything is possible at any age. Reg, and the Coal Minors are due to perform at their next work?s function and I can?t wait to see them.

It?s also important to note that you do not need to be able to read music to play the guitar well. If I?ve read my music history right neither the Beatles, nor Jimmy Hendrix could read a note, yet their guitar playing did them proud.

Learning the guitar is like anything we achieve in life, and that is you will only succeed with patience and persistence. Out of 100 students, I would guess that only a very small percentage continues playing this wonderful instrument throughout their life.

I play guitar because it gives me great pleasure. You can never stop learning new skills and improving your playing techniques no matter who you are. It?s also a great instrument to take traveling with you. Anyone with a guitar slung over their back will have instant friends wherever they go. And finally, a beautiful guitar is very ornamental. Sit a guitar on an upright stand and place it strategically in any room, and it will do wonders for the d?cor.

Lee Kiley is a proficient writer and webmaster for InstructHow dot com where he writes on such issues as How to Talk to Girls in the 21 st Century! and How To Make Money Fast. He also has many other ?How to? related pieces on the site.

Visual Kei appears to be frequently used in videos and grab audience?s attentions. Visual Kei followers are characterised by a rather stunning, although freak appearance of a striking make-up and elaborate costumes, causing a shock effect.

To recall, for instance, Merlyn Manson, who is among few to follow the style in the US. The trend is popular among modern bands, irrespective of rumours, suggesting that the style suffered no popularity in the USA and Europe. The Visual Kei style is peculiar of the tradition to wear relevant make-up and clothing always and everywhere.

The style is credited to have started in Japan in late 80ies through early 90ies as a result of the gothic style?s influence. The word visual originates from English; the kei word is what Japanese name for style. The X-Japan and the Buck-Tick are believed to pose as catalysts of the movement. Their followers, including Luna Sea, Melice Mizer, Glay, L?Arc~en~Ciel, Dir en grey, Pierro are engaged in encouraging boom of Visual Kei media culture.

Each band seeks to vary from a similar one through creating gorgeous and insane images. Though a vast majority of the musicians are male, bend members would often give a priority to make-up and clothing, considered as feminine, which has nothing to do with their sexual orientation, but a combination of visual gothic elements and Japanese cultural traditions. Which is why Japanese gigs often resemble fascinating theatre performances.

Notably, the ancient Japanese Kabuki theatre involved actors, among staff, to play women?s parts. Thus, a j-rocker, wearing a lovely pink dress and having his hair styled into violet locks, wrapped around with numerous fillets should cause no astonishment.

Presently, Visual Kei remains as a diverse, ever growing music culture.

Article source: Visual Kei as a music world vision. Music Babylon is a site which gives you access to huge database of music lyrics, lively music forum and some articles about different aspects of single Music.

No wonder we all seek to express ourselves in some way. To achieve success in music we need a band, as a solo career is no longer popular. And now you are between decisions how to choose the band members to share you dazzling ups.

Well, there are two ways out:
1.To involve professional musicians into the project and to divide obligations in advance. The only thing acquired is your own professional skills.
2.To surround yourself with deer friends and start following the path of studying altogether.

No matter which way you will go, just don?t haste. It may happen the guitarist will tear a strip off or the drummer will misfit a drum set. It?s no use shouting on them. We all make mistakes every now and then. First of all try studying few easy songs, like My Girl by Nirvana. But don?t jump into mastering jazz or grind core, as the Suicidal Tendencies, the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Slipknot represent.

For joint work to be fruitful enough, you should organize rehearsals into two parts, the way, one will be devoted to revising already studied songs and the other one will be used for improvisation, which is of a great value, as the band members study to predict every next step of each other. Its? you feeling every sense of music in the result. You can feel it?s aliveness by letting it through your mind. But the main thing is not to feel down in case everything is not as excellent as you have imagined. It?s much worse to loose pleasure in playing and creating music.

What concerns recommendations of experienced musicians, they are worth listen to, however, keep it in mind, it?s up to you, which of them to choose to follow.

Article source:

Art of Band Creation. Music Babylon is a site with lyrics, discographies, artists’ biographies, music forum and some articles for those who’s interested.