Innovative In-Store Workshops Teach Musicians How To Easily Record At Home Using an Apple Computer And GarageBand

Westlake Village, CA -August 4, 2011- Guitar Center, (www.guitarcenter.com), the world's largest musical instrument retailer, is providing a new series of free recording workshops aimed at taking the complexity out of home recording.  In five accessible "Recording Made Easy" sessions, conducted on an ongoing basis, musicians can take their ideas from basic tracks to finished songs by learning how to use an Apple Computer and GarageBand.  The new program is yet another example of Guitar Center's commitment to educate and inspire musicians nationwide.

"With the 'Recording Made Easy' workshops, we're aiming to demystify home recording for musicians who don't have the time to really dig in on their own or feel that it might be too complicated," says Guitar Center's Karam Kaul. "Our goal is to empower more musicians to record their music and take some of the intimidation factor out of home recording."

"Record Made Easy" is broken down into five separate classes, with a different class taking place every Saturday at 10am local time at all 221 Guitar Center locations across the U.S. on an ongoing basis.   If participants need a refresher, they are welcome to come back and take classes as many times as they like, and each class features a question and answer session with the on-site instructor.  The week five class on online music publishing will only be available in months with five weeks.

The Introduction to Computer Recording class schedule:
Week 1: Signal Flow and Microphone Techniques, including Signal Flow Basics; Recording Basics; Recording Vocals; Recording Electric Guitar

Week 2: Virtual Instruments and Loops, including working with virtual (software) instruments; Working with Apple Loops

Week 3: Effects, including working with compression, eq, reverb and with guitar amp and pedal software

Week 4: Mixing and Publishing, including preparing a mix; Automation; Mixdown / Publishing

Week 5: Online Music Publishing (in months with 5 weeks only), including how to use TuneCore to get music digital distributed on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify

For a full list of upcoming classes, go to:
http://gc.guitarcenter.com/recording-made-easy/

Guitar Center worked diligently to ensure that the techniques used in each class were the best and most up-to-date instruction available for the beginning recording artist.  Each Guitar Center instructor is put through a rigorous training program, including in person, online, and live webinar training.

About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 220 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

[DUBUQUE, IA] Indulge in a blissful, mellow buzz with wordcure spoken word series on Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at Monk's Kaffee Pub, 373 Bluff Street in Dubuque. The summer installment of wordcure presents "The Endless Summer Showcase" featuring original work from area creatives exploring words, film, music, and performance. 

This late summer showcase features original work by Lauren Alleyne, Susan Parsons-Cain, Tim Connery, Sunil Malapati, David Morrison, Colin Muenster, and Paula Neuhaus. The artists pay homage to the message of the 1960's documentary surf-genre film The Endless Summer, which reminds us that we can chase the perfect wave by following the summer season around the globe taking craft to uncharted waters. In the film's case, classic longboard surfing, in wordcure's case, the blissful, mellow buzz of celebrating regionalism...the perfect art wave in our own back yard.

wordcure is an independent, quarterly series of free art happenings that offer the community free art and offers writers & creatives a stage to share their work. wordcure was launched by writer and arts administrator Paula Neuhaus in 2009 in an effort to celebrate regionalism mixing writers with musicians, film makers, actors, and playwrights. wordcure's mission is to provide the Dubuque community with artful live entertainment alternatives featuring the diverse creative talent who are living and working in the region. Neuhaus has been delivering free arts programming to the community since 2007 including a monthly reading series featuring regional poets and authors, an open mic session, an annual book project, and a mixed-genre creative writing workshop. Neuhaus has also brought live performances of flow poets and experimental performance artists to Dubuque through her work with the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, Dubuque Area Writers Guild, and Voices From The Warehouse District.

Create your own endless summer with wordcure on Tuesday, August 23, 7 p.m. at Monk's Kaffee Pub, 373 Bluff Street in Dubuque. It's cool in the basement. It's cooler with wordcure in it.

This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. For more information contact Paula Neuhaus at neuhaus.paula@gmail.com or call 563.564.5290.

# # #

Performance at The Redstone Room on Saturday August 27, 2011

Rising country star Johnny Henry will be bringing his Old Fashioned Girl tour to the Redstone Room in Davenport, Iowa on August 27th.  The evening will feature Johnny and his road band with a portion of the ticket sales being donated to the Ovarian CancerResearch Fund.   

An electrifying performer, St. Louis native Johnny Henry has been a favorite on the country music touring scene for years, opening for such superstars as Sara Evans, Clint Black, recently released his debut solo CD entitled "Now."   This collection of music exemplifies Johnny's personality and introduces Country music fans to his big voice and compelling story.

It's a story about perseverance and dedication, about drive and following one's passion, and about family and responsibility.   Johnny's road to success has not followed the traditional path most aspiring Countrystars take.  Now sure, he has traveled the United States playing shows, has built a large fan-base, and is always surrounded by women - but not the women you may be thinking of... Johnny is a stay-at-home Dad with four young daughters and a devoted wife.

Between the cooking and cleaning, the concerts and the chord charts... between homework and hand-holding, the harmonies and the highways... Johnny balances the ride of being an up-and-coming Country artist with the daily joys and challenges of raising his girls.  With strong family values and an overwhelming desire to succeed, Johnny is ready to share his gift of song and story with Country music fans everywhere.

Because life has been good to Johnny, he wants to do something to give back - and to show his daughters the value of community involvement.  From this desire, the Old Fashioned Girl Tour was born.  Named after the first single from his CD, the tour is an effort to raise awareness and money for charitable organizations.  The majority of the proceeds from the August 27th show will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), an organization dedicated to finding a method of early detection and eventually a cure for ovarian cancer.  Ovarian cancer affects one third as many women as breast cancer but ovarian cancer research garners only one eighth of the funds.  It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women.  Johnny has fans, friends and family who have been affected by this terrible disease and hopes this concert will help OCRF as they search for a cure.

The Redstone Room is located at 129 Main Street in Davenport, Iowa.  Tickets are available in advance via the Redstone Room's website atredstoneroom.com/calendar.php or at the door for $25.  Doors open at 7:00 pm.

###

July 2011 has been a month filled with Blues Festivals and activities everywhere around the World. It would be a remarkable happening to cover it all and share this with our followers. We invite you to contact us with your Blues News and we will make every attempt to cover it and publicize the content.

We had the privledge of covering the Lakefront Jazz and Blues Festival this July 2011. We met up with some great performing artist's, some of which are pictured on this publication. This was the 2nd Annual Lakefront Jazz and Blues Festival which draws in a crowd of 14,000 plus fans! Remarkable, considering it is only the second time this event has taken place in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The event is organized by The Prior Lake Rotary Club and sponsor's. There may be a couple reason's why this event has already been such a success.
First of all, the talent of performing artist's are some of the best! The lineup of talent this year featured Buddy Guy 2011 Blues Music Award Artist for "Blues Album Of The Year" Living Proof recording. Quinn Sullivan the youngest blues musician touring the blues circuit today performed with passion and the crowd loved him! Quinn is 12 years old and has been invited to tour with Buddy Guy this year 2011. Quinn Sullivan's latest release is "Cyclone" and is currently in the Top Ten of Billboard Charts. Jessy J, jazz sensation from the L.A. area performed with sizzling jazz and style. Check out her latest release "Hot Sauce", the rhythm will get you for sure! Lukas Nelson and his band performed with a unique rockin' blues style. Lukas is the son of Willie Nelson, who added some of the background vocals to their latest release. Lukas writes most of the bands music which is some of the most authentic and unique material I have heard this year. Lukas grew up around many legends in the music industry and has taken in many styles of music, which may account for his unique sound and style. Do yourself a favor and check out their new recording "Promise Of The Real". Steve Oliver and his band from the California area performed a show that drew in the crowd of fans with feeling and passion, as he played a variety of contemporary guitar tunes. The band has their own recording studio in California and are returning to work on a new release. Check out their current recording "Global Kiss" it is a satisfying and smooth sound. The Lamont Cranston Band is an all time favorite in the Twin Cities and Midwest region. They have early beginnings with Bruce McCabe, who performed with them on stage. Bruce has wrote many great songs, including "Lie To Me", which has reached number one on the music charts. Tim Mahoney and his band from the Twin Cities area also performed with passion at this event. Tim qualifyed as a finalist on the hit show "Vocalist" and has a voice with range and depth.
As mentioned there may be two major reasons why this event is such a success. The ticket price for all this talent was only $5.50 in advance and $10.00 at the gate! The grounds for this event are in a very nice park area with a large hill making it possible for everyone who attends to have a great seat to see the performance's.
Mark this one on your calender for next year, it is worth every penny spent and more.
Mississippi Blues Club would like to give a shoot out to Samantha Fish and The Girls With Guitars. Performing on a European and North America tour this summer. Samantha is a 22 year old singer and guitarist with a surprising sultry voice and excellent guitar style! Check out her new solo debut release "Runaway" which is getting airtime on XM radio, the blues are defintly being kept alive... thank you.

( # ) MISSISSIPPI BLUES CLUB MONTHLY
A Recap of Blues News  Edition 1

( # )   ( # ) BUSINESS PHONE: 608.687.9400 WEBSITE: www.MississippiBluesClub.com

what's
NEW
BLUES NEWS FOR YOU

Mississippi Blues Club publishes a Monthly Newsletter and recap of Blues media coverage that we have been directly involved with each month. This is original content and posted more in depth on our website.

WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREELANCE MEDIA COVERAGE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION

OUR BLUES MEDIA GOAL
The most common ground between blues fans and blues artists' are when they do what they do best, perform. We attempt to capture those moments at the source and share them with the public. Our media content is original material that may be edited by our staff for press release or use by other sources, but the original media material is kept on on the Mississippi Blues Club website to be shared with the public.

Let's Revisit Highlights Of Blues Events Covered In 2011

The 32nd Annual Blues Music Awards, organized by The Blues Foundation of Memphis, Tennesse. The formal awards presentation ceremony is to honor the blues artists' who have made the best contributions to the blues music industry. The highlight of this years 2011 event was Buddy Guy, receiving five awards including "Album Of The Year". There are many great artists' who participate in this event by nomination of The Blues Foundation members. This is a great opportunity to meet several of your favorite blues artists', enjoy a great dinner during the presentations, and show support to the artists' and The Blues Foundation that help keep the blues alive.

The Smokin' In Steele Blues And BBQ Festival, organized by The Knights Of Columbus and John "Blues Hammer" of Owatonna, Minnesota. A great three day blues music event which included qualifications for The International BBQ Competion to be held in Kansas City. Highlights of this event included performances' by Sena Ehrhardt, who is a 2011 International Blues Competition nominnee. Sena performs vocals, with her father on lead guitar and puts on a spectacular performance with amazing talent. Watch for them in the future, they are going to be heading straight towards the top from what we have seen. The Fabulous Lovehandles are a local band that have quite the following in the region, the dance floor became crowded as these guys' performed. The passion flows from  this  eight piece band with a full horn section. While performing off the stage on the dance floor, an enthusiastic crowd almost raised the roof! Bruce McCabe is a great songwriter and performer he has wrote top songs for Johnny Lang, the crowd came alive while performing songs like "Lie To Me". Becky Barksdale was the finale performance of this event and they say "save the best for last",  in this case it was true. Becky has performed on the former Michael Jackson tour as his lead guitarist. She has stayed true to her Texas Blues roots and has an incredible intimacy with her guitar and ability of playing great Texas style guitar licks.  Check out Becky Barksdale "It Hurts" recording, you won't go wrong if you appreciate great Texas Blues guitar style.

The 27th Annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, organized by The Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Another great three days of blues music, workshops for kids and elder alike, a blues photo gallery and 29 top blues performers' from around the nation. This is a spectacular annual blues event in LeClaire Park, along the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, Iowa. Highlights of this event were Eric Gales who plays guitar upside down, as he was taught by generations in his family. Reviews of Eric have called him "the next Jimi Hendrix", a label that is not thrown around loosely in the" Blues World", Eric performs with electrifying amazment. Lionel Young who plays electric violin performed with his band which includes a great horn section. Lionel is a natural with the crowd and played off stage in the audience sitting down. Taking in the sunshine, with excitment flowing from the crowd, the Lionel Young Band did not miss a beat of their unique soothing sound. The performance by Linsey Alexander "If You Ain't Got It" was great. Linsey has a full venue tour scheduled and has been receiving great air time on Sirius/XM B.B. Kings Bluesville, with his new hit song. Joe Louis Walker electrified the crowd, it was a special evening as he performed. Joe Louis Walker is one of the greatest legends still performing today, he has performed for two Presidents and has won numerous blues awards. Other highlights of this event were Smokin' Joe Kubek performing with Bnois King, belting out Texas Blues. The finale ends with Otis Clay performing and receiving an award for "Life Time Acheivement" presented by The Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Our friends Jay Sieleman, Executive Director of The Blues Foundation and his wife were present with a tent setup at this event. All the right ingredients were available, making this one of the biggest blues events in the nation organized by all volunteers.

copyright 2011 Mississippi Blues Club           http://www.mississippibluesclub.com
Our next show in at the TUG FEST in LaClaire Iowa on Friday August 12th.
Not only is Skynny Skynyrd rockin' the river at Tug Fest, but they have one of The Best Fireworks Displays in The QCs there on that night!
Definately A Family Friendly Event.   Invite your friends & bring yer family to this one.   We'll be doing a 90 minute Show before the freworks, then another 90-minute Show after the fireworks.
Bring you're lawn chairs & have a Great Summer Evening with us.
 
Also, check out our new Single Release on You Tube!...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6wegYJV7d4 .   We're getting airplay on radio stations in apx 7-states right now.   Just sign a deal with Murph Music in Nashville too.
Thanks again for your support of the band.
:)
QC's USA
 

(Davenport - Iowa) River Roots Live, the Quad-Cities' premiere music festival featuring top national bands and barbeque, is excited to announce the remainder of its 2011 band lineup. National acts Apache Relay and 500 Miles to Memphis will be joined by Quad-City natives Chrash, The Candymakers, Bacon, and The Lion in Rome. River Roots Live will continue to offer free admission and the festival will take place in downtown Davenport's LeClaire Park on the Mississippi riverfront Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20.

Apache Relay's first studio record, 1988, was hailed as the "Best of What's Next" and one of the "Eight Most Auspicious Musical Debuts of 2009" by Paste Magazine. 500 Miles to Memphis has received critical praise for their ability to satisfy the musical hunger of fans in both country and alternative/punk genres. Their song "All My Friends Are Crazy" is now part of the Rock Band video game, and 500 Miles To Memphis has also received the praise of music journalists worldwide.

Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms will headline River Roots Live in 2011 supported by a strong lineup of additional outstanding national artists including Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Nikka Costa, Cory Chisel & the Wondering Sons, Trampled Under Foot, The Giving Tree Band, Chamberlin, and the Kris Lager Band. Additional regional acts include Dan Hubbard and the Humidors, and Kevin B.F. Burt & the Instigators.

For complete details regarding band bios, barbeque rib vendors, and festival activities, please visit www.RiverRootsLive.com.

PARTNERS

Downtown Partnership, River Music Experience, and Living Lands & Waters

Presented By:
River Roots Live is presented by Rhythm City Casino and Riverboat Development Authority.

Major sponsors
U.S. Cellular, Wiebler's Harley Davidson, Mediacom, 97X, Budweiser, The Quad-City Times, WQAD Channel 8, and West Music.
Additional Sponsors
Rock 104.9, B100, Star 93.5, Iowa American Water, Pepsi, Lujack's, Zimmerman Honda, Living Lands & Waters, Ryan & Associates, MidWestOne Bank, HomeRidge Inn & Suites, Rexroat Sound, Victorystore.com, TAG Communications, One-Step Printing, RiverCenter/Adler Theatre, HyVee, John Deere, Printguru.com/Herman's Inc, City of Davenport, US Adventure RV, Electronic Engineering, Jim Hawk Truck Trailers, Aerial Platforms, Per Mar Security Services, Barkley Event Photography, Video Games Etc., Argo Moving & Storage, Molo Quint, Liftruck Service Co. Inc, and Happy Joe's.

July Cool Beanz Music

July 2nd - Mr. Bill and Lee 7-9pm

July 5th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 6th- TJ Sapp 7-9pm

July 7th- Bailey Kakert 7-9pm

July 8th- Luis Ochoa 7-9pm

July 9th- Dani Lynn Howe Band Unplugged 7-9pm

July 12th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 14th- Kevin Carton 7-9pm

July 15th- Nashville Songwriters Association 7-9pm

July 16th- Emily Jawoisz 7-9pm

July 19th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 20th- TJ Sapp 7-9pm

July 21st Toby Brown 7-9pm

July 22nd- Angela Meyer 7-9pm

July 23rd- Boylans Soda Tasting and Giveaways- Entertainment by Kieth Heinrich and friends at 7pm

July 26th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 28th- Kevin Carton 7-9pm

July 29th- Austin Villejo 7-9pm

July 30th- Bluegrass at Beanz 6:30-9:30pm

July Cool Beanz Music

July 2nd - Mr. Bill and Lee 7-9pm

July 5th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 6th- TJ Sapp 7-9pm

July 7th- Bailey Kakert 7-9pm

July 8th- Luis Ochoa 7-9pm

July 9th- Dani Lynn Howe Band Unplugged 7-9pm

July 12th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 14th- Kevin Carton 7-9pm

July 15th- Nashville Songwriters Association 7-9pm

July 16th- Emily Jawoisz 7-9pm

July 19th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 20th- TJ Sapp 7-9pm

July 21st Toby Brown 7-9pm

July 22nd- Angela Meyer 7-9pm

July 26th- Open Mic Night 7-9pm

July 28th- Kevin Carton 7-9pm

July 28th- Austin Villejo 7-9pm

July 30th- Bluegrass at Beanz 6:30-9:30pm

Pages