Over the past few issues we’ve examined the elements that make a good band great in the rehearsal room – the ability to make sacrifices and draw boundaries, as well as knowing how to crank the dial on your goals and teamwork. We’ve also defined the four basic forms of rock rehearsing: learning cover songs, songwriting, maintenance practice, and concert mode. Now, how does all of this fit into the schedule of a band with upcoming gigs and serious plans? ...more

I absolutely love working in a recording studio; everything is set up to make you sound wonderful. No screaming punters heckling, “Play us something we can root to!”, no runaway room frequencies to EQ… everything as it should be. ...more

Wellington-based performer, DJ, radio host and music producer, George Duncan (aka D:UNK) is embracing the DIY ethic with both hands. He tells me how he uses a hand-built, arcade-style MIDI controller and Monome to manipulate his idiosyncratic sounds and synthed-up beats on stage. Now a student with Victoria University’s Sonic Arts programme, he’s learnt to write specialist software that works in with his devices like futuristic instruments. ...more

British / Kenyan ex-pat Mara Simpson arrived in Wellington two and a half years ago, and quickly came to love the capital’s musical and creative scene. “I really liked NZ music already”, she says, “and I think Wellington’s such an amazing, creative hub and very unpretentious!” So, desperately wanting to become involved Mara’s Kiwi musical voyage begun. She did a couple of solo gigs, but before long it became a natural collaboration involving quite a few other people. ...more

It’s been a long wait for Miss Little. With almost five years between her ‘Miss Little’ EP, which she did in 2006, and the recent release of her very impressive Sydney-recorded debut album, ‘When Things Fall Apart And Into Place’. “The album kind of decided to take this long – I never meant for it to take so long. The initial recordings only took a week or two actually, the rest was waiting really.” Outside of Miss Little, Sarah McCallum (whose direct musical lineage includes father Mal and brother Lewis) is an accomplished composer and arranger, with a strong classical background. But the crossover between the two personas ends there. ...more

Released in September, ‘Trials’ is the debut from expandable two-piece Christchurch outfit The Tiny Lies. Not only about the trials we all face in life around “… love, loss and the infinite grey areas in-between,” it also takes into account the many trials and tribulations Charlotte Ivey and Harley Williams went through to record and release this little gem. ...more

I was extremely lucky to be recently given a NZ Film Commission ‘Professional Development Award’. This award is granted to people involved in the film industry who have a feature film credit to their name. It allows the recipients to seek out further training, to attend workshops and seminars, all with the aim of developing their respective careers. I was surprised to discover that film composers were also eligible for the scheme – having long thought musicians were at the bottom of the heap in the film world! ...more

There’s a lot more to Bernie Griffen than meets the eye. He’s a compassionate and charitable character who has had a lot of experience in the recording and distribution business. He runs his own record label, Flaming Pearl Records, and for more than a decade was in the music distribution game as CEO of the now defunct Global Routes. During this time Bernie was also the first chairperson of indie label organisation IMNZ. His passion for the music has always been the motivation that has nurtured his belief. After something of a sabbatical Bernie Griffen is back out there, with his band The Grifters, doing what he loves the most – writing meaningful songs and singing ’em live. ...more

In the last issue of NZ Musician we began a discussion of some of the general provisions (often referred to as ‘boilerplate’ provisions) that you encounter in almost all contracts, and the important roles these types of clauses play. Specifically we discussed termination, notice, assignment and amendment provisions, and what these clauses actually provide for. This time around we’ll conclude the discussion of important boilerplate provisions by looking at governing law provisions, Force Majeure clauses and entire agreement provisions. ...more

If you own Logic Pro you may have noticed that it also comes with three other programs. Soundtrack Pro for creating movie soundtracks, Waveburner Pro for mastering and Mainstage, a live performance application. With the abundance of affordable MIDI control surfaces that are available today Mainstage may be worth investigating, especially if you perform live and wish to simplify the technical aspects of your performance ...more

The first and only time I got to work with Ja-Ar (John Rowles’ moniker when he started out) was back in 2001, when the Rodger Fox Big Band accompanied him for a series of shows at Sky City in Auckland. Being a youngster back then I had no real appreciation of his formidable talent and was affronted when he told me to refrain from improvising during my sax solo. Instead, he suggested in deep basso profondo; “Just play what’s on the record, son”. ...more