| Acoustics of Music - Article Series | Posted: Jul 9, 2010 | |
| Hi everybody! It's been pretty busy this summer and I hope you all had a great Fourth of July! I posted the notice of my interview with Terez Howard. I hope you all have taken a bit of time to visit her blog. Musically, I am working on two more string quartets, still in progress, and they are not named yet. I will likely do that once thy have been completed. I did complete two new solo guitar pieces. One is titled simply Acoustic Guitarand the other is titled A Guitar Piece. Not all that creative but appropriate for them. I also posted a nine part article series titled Scales in Music - A Tonal System, Acoustics of Music. The series is the first part of the total Scales in Music series covering the acoustics of music and so it is titled the Acoustics of Music. Here are the part titles within the article along with the links to each. Please feel free to review them when you get a chance. Series Introduction - This is part 1 and it is the introduction as one would guess. Audible Range of Human Hearing Part 2 of the series discusses a basis point, human hearing. Without the ability to hear sound creating music and enjoying music must be done through another modality than through hearing. We will explore the two main limiting factors that become our strengths in music composition and in our enjoyment of music. Acoustic Principals Frequencies Part 3 begins with a closer look into one of the main principals of acoustics, frequency. This principal provides a strong foundation for understanding sound and it establishes a means for the discovery of how musical scales are created. Table of Frequencies Part 4 includes a really cool chart showing all of the frequencies in each of eight octaves of sound. Within this article you will also discover the commonalities and the differences between the frequencies or notes used in music. Fast Fourier Transform Part 5 is for those not knowledgeable about this interesting technological tool, this introduction certainly will allow you to not only become familiar with it in a basic sense but it will help you to understand how sound engineers actually work with sound frequencies and their waveforms to tweak the characteristics of sound. The article demonstrates a unique comparison of frequencies. Amplitude Part 6 describes the principal of amplitude or the principal of loudness as related to sound and presents another very cool tool that assists in engineering sound. Overtones Part 7 adds more information about the overtones within the sound spectrum beyond that included in the article Characteristics of Sound. You will also discover the harmonic relationships of the sounds produced on a guitar string as well as the basic methods of producing sound on various musical instruments. Conclusion Part 8 concludes this series which focuses on acoustics of music. Includes a brief summary and additional comments. Glossary of Musical Terms Part 9 defines some of the important words used within this series to help in your understanding of the language of music and music making. I certainly do hope you will stop by and review these articles. That would be cool and I would appreciate your comments too as always. Well, that's all for now and I hope you continue to enjoy the summer months. Stay Tuned! |
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| Terez Howard Interviews Don Rath Jr - Marketing | Posted: Jun 30, 2010 | |
| Recently, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Terez Howard, a freelance writer running two separate blogs, one at Freelance Writing Mamas and one at The Write Bloggers. Terez writes about internet marketing and helping small business owners to succeed. My interview was about the same topic and from the position of my experiences as a small business owner. There is a lot of information being provided on marketing in general as well as a focus on marketing music online. I was very happy to support Terez and she has agreed to post the interview on her website in two parts. The first part is active today and the second one will be active on the 30th of this month. Please drop by to review the article. It is titled Composer Talks About the Ins and Outs of Marketing. Thank you in advance for clicking through to read the article and supporting the excellent work she is doing to promote business success! |
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| Article Series - Coming Soon | Posted: Jun 26, 2010 | |
| Hi everyone! Hope all of you are enjoying the summer. Basically, it is a mini music theory coarse with a multimedia twist. I describe a specific aspect of theory, provide an example using music notation and a short mp3 clip to demonstrate the example being explained. It is somewhat time consuming to not only write the articles but to make the sound clips, notation and in a couple of cases a short video to demonstrate the concepts. In the long run it is worth the effort. I had originally wanted to post the series on this site but there are simply too many back end limitations rendering it impossible to do so and the new StringTunes website is not quite ready yet. Consequently, I will be posting the entire series at my blog site all at once so there will be no need to wait for each one to be completed. I made that decision because I do not like to wait either for secondary posts coming at some unknown time frame, maybe not at all. So, rather than have you wait, you will get the full dose all at once when it is done. I will post a notice on this site with a direct link to part one of the series. If you are so inclined please feel to navigate to it and enjoy the presentation. Other than working on the article series, I have also continued to write more music and I have reactivated a classical guitar practice schedule too. I am excited about that since this is where my roots are as far as music composition and performance goes. Also, I spent quite a bit of time organizing the data surrounding my music as an entire collection. The intent there is to make a single file that includes all of the song details from each of my compositions including copyright information. FYI - I just received my formal copyright certificates covering all of the music written up to January of 2009. I guess there was a back log at the Copyright Office. I have not made any submissions yet this year although there will be one or more since I have many new compositions that need registering. I have been working on producing the sheet music in PDF form for all of my music as well. The intent here is to make it available for those interested in the downloadable notation files. This is a huge project and it will take me some time to complete all of the efforts in producing them. I will also post a notice on this site when this project is completed and this notice will be made prior to posting them. Lastly, and of most importance to me, I wanted to take the time to once again thank all of my friends and fans throughout the world for supporting me as a composer. You guys and gals have been super! Your feedback has helped me to improve my composition skills as well as my music production skills. So again, thank you ever so much! Until next time, take care and do what you can to help keep the muse alive in our schools! Don |
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| Notice of Upcoming Article | Posted: Jun 21, 2010 | |
| I've been working a an article series titled A Tonal System - Scales in Music for some time now. Several parts are completed and it should be pretty soon that all of them will be posted in the coming days ahead. I am planning on posting them at my blog since a lot of articles are already posted there in relation to music education. It is fitting that I maintain that focus. Please feel free to stop in anytime and I will make another announcement when I post the new article series. Until then take care and have a wonderful week! Here's the link to my blog - My Blog See you there! |
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| Special Featured Guest | Posted: Mar 18, 2010 | |
 Alex states - I want truth and nakedness in my music; I want honesty. I want the listener to feel my heart and have their own stirred by what I offer in sound.I hope you will take a moment to stop by to review the article and videos posted there. Alex Shapiro is a wonderful contemporary composer. Her work has been performed regularly throughout the world. Please feel free to stop in to preview Alex and her work. - Direct Link to the Article See you there! |
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| Special Featured Guest | Posted: Mar 5, 2010 | |
| 2010 Week #3 - Update | Posted: Jan 22, 2010 | |
| Wow, another couple of weeks of fast moving action keeping us on schedule for the release of the new StringTunes website! A lot of progress has been made and we are excited about how you will respond to the all new website. We have finished the back-end work and are now producing the main website and some initial content in further preparation for our going "live" date of March 1st. So we are still on track for meeting that schedule. Almost all of the content on this site has now been moved over to the new website plus a whole lot more for you to enjoy. Please stop in to review this new site and let us know what you think. We have added a couple of new articles titled Basic Characteristics of Sound and the The Seven Keys to Creation. Come on by if you get the chance we'd love to have you! Special announcement - We will be releasing a new single from my latest compositional efforts. As we get closer to March 1st we will be announcing the title and provide a sound clip of the song. Much work remains and our continued focus and our efforts to meet the deadline is paying off. We are excited about the new StringTunes website and we hope you will come by to preview the results of our efforts. Don |
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| 2010 - Week #1 | Posted: Jan 8, 2010 | |
| I hope the year is starting off on a good foot for you! The winter is being a bit nasty here in the Midwest USA. We've had a couple of pretty big snowfalls and everything is all covered with this blanket of beautiful snow. Of course, shoveling it has not been my favorite part:) Travel has been somewhat hindered but it seems that many people on the road are being cautious and taking their time getting to their destination. Websites Update - Off to a good start as a lot of material and information has been transferred over to my new site For the new StringTunes website - wow, there are many positive changes and pleasant surprises coming your way! We have included a Featured Artist and a Featured Composer section to the new site and I am really excited about that. A lot of details to complete for these two sections but it's coming along nicely. All hasn't gone so well as far as finding a suitable secure shopping cart yet. There's so many out there it's hard to tell which to select that will do the job well. The research has been time consuming and the selection has yet to be made. I seeking a totally secure shopping cart that provides for ease of use, one page checkout and the capabilities of handling a variety of products. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Otherwise, the rest of the site is progressing well and I am expecting to have it up and running around the first of March. I've learned that I need a sponsor to enable me to move forward on the StringTunes Foundation, intended to be a not-for-profit organization. So, I'm looking for two sponsors that are suitable to my humanitarian efforts of music in education and hospice care. If any are interested please let me know. That's about it for now. I'll post again next week for additional updates on my progress for the websites and some additional information too! Until then, take care and travel safely! |
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| Updates & Changes 3 | Posted: Nov 19, 2009 | |
| Well, where do I start? DAW and Studio - I am very happy to have completed remodeling my music workspace! It took me 9 weeks to build a 232 square foot music room, mostly by hand. Every piece of wood was cut using a hand saw, the old fashion way. I think I refashioned some of my body too while I was at it. I never realized how much work was involved in doing a total remodeling job by ones self. New CD content coming along nicely - Both new String Quartets; Play 2B and Forlorn are now finished. Ill be sending off for the copyrights soon. I am planning on finishing several other quartets I have been working on to complete another album. I have a total of nine more taking over 50 minutes of a 70 minute CD. I need one or two more to make it a full 65 minute CD of totally pleasurable music. Software - I made the decision to lay out the money for he new Kontakt 4 software. I just installed it last night and it is an excellent version of this software. The library that comes with it is over 45GB in size, immense! All I need to do now is purchase the new version of CuBase and I'll be all set. Last month I upgraded to the latest version of Sibelius. This latest version is version number 6. To me it is the best version so far and I highly recommend it to any one who is writing music digitally. All of the new features add a tremendous amount to the existing vs5 and having spent some time using it, I find it is more intuitive and a lot more professional as far as automatic or magnetic layouts as they are called. From a production standpoint it is much faster and the result is a much more professionally looking final score. Additionally, in Sibelius 6, I really like the version comparing capability too. You can save each version of your song and compare the differences directly. This is super cool in so far as if you wrote a short section or motif in one of the versions and you want to add it to another version of the same or different song, you can very easily do this. Sibelius has also added Rewire capability making it even better for syncing to CuBase, Logic, Pro Tools or Garage Band. In short, Sibelius 6 is a must have software for working digitally writing and arranging music. Oh, they didn't pay me to say that either:) I've added a couple of photos of my new DAW workspace to please feel free to check them out on my photo page. Lastly, please feel free to stop by my new blog too, as I am adding more to that site as well. Here's the link - StringTunes Blog Best Wishes to all of my Family and Friends throughout the world during this upcoming Holiday Season! Remember, it's not so much about the object(s) given as gifts rather it's about giving love to those you love that counts the most! Don P.S. - Please remember to give what you can to helping our children get an excellent musical education - help support music in our schools! |
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| Updates & Changes 2 | Posted: Sep 4, 2009 | |
| Integration is the keyword for this past month of activity. It looks like we are finished with my new logo! It will be integrated into the new website where it will have its debut to the public. The website has taken a couple of set backs but the progress in general is still moving forward. Musically, it's been a month of resolving computer problems but they are now back under control. I've been pondering a new approach to my overall music business and it is in the infancy stages of thought creating what I hope to be the new StringTunes with a somewhat different focus than it has historically been know to be. In the next few weeks I will be providing some more insight into this as my thoughts solidify on the concepts and in the presentation of them. I have completed all of the audio engineering on my two new string quartets! Also, I have started another new quartet that is shaping up nicely so far. The inclusion of the back-end office efforts has been stopped for the time being. Once the new website is fully operational then I will resume this effort again. Hope you all are doing well! I Haven't heard from many this past month and I miss that personal touch to this crazy business. Keep them discs a spinnin! |
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| Upgrades and Changes | Posted: Aug 3, 2009 | |
| Welcome! I think the world is on high speed these days! Everything is moving very fast and furious and so far it's been a good and fun ride! Work on the new Logo is moving quickly and my illustrator is doing a real fine job of bringing out my ideas with his designs! I've looked at several samples and I think once this is done I will be thrilled to be able to share this with you! I'm working on a complete overhaul of my website. Progress is picking up and I am hoping that maybe by the end of the month it will be done. I'll keep you posted on my progress. In an effort to free up more of my time, I am also working on automating a lot of the back office work. Certainly, anything that would free up some of my time especially on the business side of things will make it possible to spend more time composing!. That would be really cool! It's a good time for me and I am enjoying the forward movement and the exercising of my creative mind, the act of making new ideas come to life. It's a thrill a minute and I still say you never know what you are capable of unless and until you do it! Gotta go write some music now so have a great week and I'll talk again soon. Remember to come and visit my blog too. It keeps getting better all of the time:) Link to my Blog: My Blog |
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| The Latest | Posted: Jul 19, 2009 | |
| Hi Everyone! It’s been a while since I posted anything on this site so I thought it best to provide an update on my recent activities. So, without further adieu… Finally, after several months of struggling with learning new computer programs and tweaking my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), I am finally able to get back to music production. My new computer set-up is awesome! I now have two powerful computers linked together doing what one was doing just before this. One is a Core2 Duo (Intel) and the other is a Quad Core also Intel. Both are totally custom built. Limping along a gravel road before, now I’m screaming down a six lane Freeway! Musically, I am still working my new string quartet called Play-2B. It’s a major work and it is coming in just under 16 minutes in length. I am also working on a full orchestral arrangement, for a gentleman I met on a social website called LinkedIn. It’s sort of like MySpace or Facebook but for professional people or should I say people working in a profession. The title for that work is Would You Love Me. I am concluding the digital work on another string quartet called Forlorn. This is a rather somber piece as one would guess. Forlorn means to be sad or to have feelings of abandonment. Neither of which I am feeling but none the less I am composing to attain that mood. My new blog is developing nicely and I wish I could do the same thing I am doing there, here, on my Official Website but limitations prevent me from doing that. If you want to check it out please go to My New Blog. I have become a member of the Chamber Music America Organization. This group is highly proactive with Composers and others involved with Chamber Music. One of their prime objectives is to promote and assist American Composers with a large bit of attention paid to new Chamber Music. You can check them out at this link – Chamber Music America. I’m now on FaceBook too. Here’s my link – My Facebook Link. That all for now! Hope to hear from you and thank you again for supporting me in my transitions. Happy Creating! Don StringTunes – Music to Soothe Your Soul! |
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| Music - A Brief Commentary | Posted: Jun 6, 2009 | |
| Music is the underpinning of our culture and the heart of our love. It is the driver of our motivation that moves us to action and it is the comfort in the depths of our sorrow. It is deeply embedded in our memories, rooted in our lives and interwoven throughout our world. Diverse in nature, it provides an avenue of individualistic creative expression. It is truly, the music that soothes our soul! Don |
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| What Copyright Means to Me | Posted: Mar 14, 2009 | |
| By Don Rath Jr Without going into what one must do to secure a registered Copyright or to discuss Copyright Law, as a Composer of music, I wanted to write about what it means to me to have the rights and privileges afforded me through Copyright ownership. I made the decision to formally register my musical works at the US Copyright Office just in case of any illegal activity or copyright infringement towards any of my original creations. Officially, there is no real need to file for a Copyright Registration unless a person wants ownership to be a matter of public record, wants a Copyright Certificate or wants to file a lawsuit against someone who illegally infringes upon a copyrighted work that they own. Since I had a plan to publish my creations, I felt compelled to file for the formal registrations as an insurance policy to protect my ownership interests as granted by the Constitution of the United States. Also, I knew that by registering my music that I would be standing on solid legal ground if or when I needed to defend my property rights. That is the protection I was seeking and that is why I continue to register all of my creations. Since I made the decision to attempt to earn money from my music and knowing I have the formalized Copyright, it has freed me up to promote it as best I can with the ultimate goal of earning a fair and decent living writing original music. It’s not easy to write, produce and manufacture it into a marketable product. It’s a lot of work, hard work, for which I hope to be properly paid for my efforts in creating something that brings others pleasure. Registering a Copyright helps to ensure that. Copyright Law includes guidelines for the use of copyrighted material. I know that I have, at least initially, complete control over the use of it as well as choosing who has the right to use it. Ideally, everyone should honor Copyright Law. However, in the real world, preventing them from unlawful use is difficult and Lawmakers are trying to write enforceable revisions to prevent unlawful uses of copyrighted material. Further, and of most importance to me, is the fact that through my work as a living Composer and as an incredible benefit of Copyright Ownership, the legacy of my music can be left to my Children and Grandchildren, hopefully, enriching their lives. To me, it is not really a selfish act, composing music, but rather an act of giving even more of my self to my loved ones as well as giving to my fans and friends, in this lifetime, something they value and something real. Truly, music is a gift from my soul to theirs. |
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| Creation: A Composers Perspective | Posted: Mar 7, 2009 | |
| Creation – A Composers Perspective By Don Rath Jr Listening to music has been of great interest to me since I was a little boy in Northern Illinois. I’m not certain, even still, if it is because of the sound of the notes, the combined melody, rhythm or the unique harmonies of each piece of auditory art but, regardless of the genre of music the work fits into, I find incredible value down into the depths of my soul from listening to music. I always have. In High School, many years ago, I discovered the creative arts first in my Shop Class and then through classes aimed at drawing, painting, sculpting and other methods of producing the ideas I had in my mind. One day in between classes a friend of mine wanted me to go with him to see a friend of his play the guitar. I was amazed at what I had heard and decided right then and there that playing guitar was what I wanted to do. After several classes with an early guitar teacher, I thought I had learned enough to begin to pick out new original melodies. This act began my journey through the maze of musical education and life experiences that have caused me to develop my musical composition skills to the point they are today. Over the years of writing music, poetry and other works I have come to know through self study what it takes for me to create something. I’ll try to explain. Herein lies my thoughts about the act of creating something and my thinking as to what it is I do that enables me to write original music, poetry and other writings, about things and events I am interested in. First, I must explain that I believe the act of creation in and of its basic character lies deep within a persons psyche. It is the challenge of the person to first identify that fact but further, to be curious enough to begin the journey of tapping creativity at will and finally to control the outside sensory influences as well as the internal dialog(s) in order to focus on the act of completing the act by calling forth the creative forces of Nature. It’s actually a spiritual action for me. A way to get closer to what I believe is the nature of God and to stay in close connection with the forces of the universe. I believe it is a way to glorify Him. Further, I believe that thought can cause or have an effect on everything and it is in the character and the quality of your thought that your life is. Sorry for the philosophical input but it is essential for this writing. No, I am not asking you to believe as I do, just describing what I do and believe that supports me along my journey. So, for me, I must sit quietly for a few moments to clear my mind of the immediate things I am paying attention to, my bills, my job, my to-do list, etc. This is not to say that these things are neglected or permanently set aside, only that they are temporarily put on hold until I am ready to reactivate my thinking upon them. It’s sort of a mental game for me now, almost like taking a vacation whenever the urge strikes to begin to create anything. When writing music, sometimes the act begins with a simple cognitive idea where I use devices learned and gained through the study of music composition. These things are the basic tools of the trade such as; selecting a tempo, a key signature, a time signature, a chord progression, etc. where the creative process begins with a sketch or outline of what it is I wish to convey to the listener. At other times, without warning or advanced notice, I “hear” a series of notes or a motif that begins the process of creating. By the time I get to a pen and pad the music is already unfolding and all I need to do is simply write it down. I know that sounds odd but have you ever had an idea that you believed was unique? Did you sketch it out on a napkin or a piece of paper? Much the same I would suppose. Musical ideas and inspiration can come from an incredible array of sources if you are listening or sorting for them. Walking down the street you hear the rhythm of your walk as your feet hit the sidewalk, the birds singing in the trees, the wind, the sounds made by an automobile engine as it idles at a stop light, the voices of people around you. These sounds are not as subtle as you would think if you would take minute to listen. Somewhere in all that sound is a song. It is my job to listen long enough to find it, catch it and write it down. Another source for inspiration is my internal emotions and/or my observations of others and the emotions conjured up during normal human interactions. It is being sensitive to life in general in my thinking. From these emotions musical ideas flow. Again, it is my job to write them down. There are several key personality characteristics that help a person to create, however, if a person has no desire to create then they will not. So, the first thing that must be inside a person is to know what it is they want to create and in what media or by what method they chose to use to create the physical manifestation of the idea. I also believe that having some type of an educational foundation will improve the ability to create better products, things or ideas. The higher the education level coupled with a clear idea of what you want to create, the more superior the final product will be. Without that basic foundation there can be no serious creation arising from any effort made, except for maybe chaos or a low quality product. There is already enough of that so let’s move on quickly to the next characteristic. Do what you do the best and do it often. Secondly, a person must have the desire to create arising from their inner self to create in their chosen field, on any level. Here again, some people have this as an innate part of their character while others must develop their internal desire to do that act of creation or to move them forward through the process of creation. They must nurture and feed the small seeds of desire in order to raise it to the level needed to be able to generate something new and different, different than anything ever devised or created before. So the third characteristic would be to have the ability to generate, either by outside influences or internal drive, a higher level of desire than simply through that level of emotion created by the basic thought of simply wanting to create something out of nothing. The higher the desire the more energy there is available to complete the challenges involved in the physical side of creating something. This leads us to the fourth factor of a person’s character that is an actual requirement for anything to be created and that is to be able to take the actions necessary to make it happen. How many times have you heard of someone saying or claiming that they thought of the idea, one or two or more years ago, but never did anything to make it happen? By actions I mean such things as sitting down with a pencil and a piece of manuscript paper and writing out the musical ideas hopefully to the point of perfection. If you do not move the idea from the thought stage to the physical tangible world it remains only an idea. Have you ever said or heard someone else say, “I could have written that song”, but then they didn’t put forth the action necessary to write it. So, you must transfer your desire into action. It is from action that the idea or creation manifests itself into this third dimensional world. It is also a requirement to do this in order to qualify for a patent or a copyright as the song or product needs to be and must be in a tangible form to meet the requirements to gain these protections. Here’s the part that prevents so many people from being successful in the act of creation, they can clearly show that they can do all of the previous things detailed above but what they lack is the ability to persist until the project is completed. So, persistence is the main ingredient for completing the acts of creation. Persistence can be quite challenging and extremely difficult but you must be able to overcome any and all limitations preventing you from completing the task. If you do and you do it well you have arrived at becoming a creator of music, drawing, paintings or anything else for that matter. Failure to complete any of these step results in not being able to create at all or to create at lesser levels than perfection. You may think all of this is easy, but, I would guess that somewhere along and through the process of creation someone or something can come along and interrupt you in that process thereby preventing the completion of it. Sometimes that someone could even be your self. In conclusion, it is in my perspective, as a Composer of instrumental music, that the art of creation comes from within. By maintaining a clear and concise focus on the goal, the product, service or idea, that I wish to create. I can energize my emotional and spiritual powers and maintain putting forth the actions necessary to create something, until the idea is fully manifested. By clearing my mind of the moments' influences, clarity of the design enhances my power to create and moves me into action. In other words, I have to create something. The act of creating is and has been developed in my life over time to the point where not only is necessary but it is and becomes an extension of my self. So is my music. Once started, it needs demands completion, otherwise, I never start the project. Lastly, clearing my mind is where I personally have the most difficult time in the creative process. Both external and internal influences and thoughts impose on me slowing me down inside the process. I heard a line somewhere and I cannot remember where or when, I would really like to give proper credit for whoever said it originally as it has been instrumental in helping me to understand how to deal with these devils. It goes something like this - "The negative teachers in and about us teach us understanding." While striving to create a new musical work, I make every attempt to think through the "negative teachers" until clarity and silence once again comes to my mind. So, it is in the silence that you begin to hear! Happy creating! Don Rath Jr StringTunes – Music To Soothe Your Soul! http://www.stringtunes.com Copyright © 2009 Don Rath Jr All Rights Reserved Worldwide |
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| Guest Blog Posted on Copyright Alliance Blog | Posted: Mar 5, 2009 | |
| I hope you will take a moment to visit the Copyright Alliance blog where I have been asked to submit a post as a guest blogger. Please use the following link to reach the site. What Copyright Means to Me |
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| Stress Relief | Posted: Jan 23, 2009 | |
| You got up this morning and did your normal routine getting yourself ready to go to work at your leisure. You hopped into your car and drove through traffic heavy enough to cause anyone to feel stressed out to the max, already. You arrive at your place of employment only to find your boss not only in a bad mood but required to inform you of the added work you must do today in addition to your normal work flow. Somehow you must get it done before you can return home to your kiva, your respite away from the demands of a stressful work environment, your home. You thought yesterday was a pretty stressful day, but today tops anything you have ever imagined. I am not sure if you have experienced this but many millions of people work in highly stressful jobs, in jobs they would rather not be in, in jobs that make them feel uncomfortable throughout the day and they wonder “how am I to free myself from this situation”. If you fit this bill, my apologies to you, however, this is one of the reasons why I compose the music I do, to help you to relieve the stress of your normal day. Many people throughout the world have written me to explain how relaxing they think my music is and how much it has helped them to relieve their stress and to refocus, rebalance their mind after a long stress-filled day at the office or at their job. Beautiful flowing melodies on the violin, multiple inter-weaved melodies and soothing arrangements of the stringed instruments can help to ease the stress in your world. Gentle, easy listening music does that you know! An occasional Piccolo comes into play and it reminds you of how pleasing it is to permit yourself the room to relax and to enjoy your friends and families. The warmth of the Cello brings a special comfort to you as you listen to this incredible instrument letting the music take you to a long forgotten pleasant memory of a most enjoyable time in your life causing you to forget the stress of the day. Nobody is there to tell you what to do or how to do it. No one is telling you how to think or attempting to put even more propaganda, of any type, into your already battered and influenced mind. Just music, instrumental music, to comfort you and to help make your life a little bit more enjoyable with less stress and more clarity of mind. I have posted many songs on my website so that you can listen to the full length of each composition in your home to relieve your stress and clearing your mind of the events of the day. Also, I have provided multiple ways for you to purchase my CD’s at such locations as CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, among many others, and of course my official website, StringTunes. So, as you are driving, you can listen to the wonderful melodies and harmonies of my music compositions on your way to work and back home again helping you to relieve your stress and by the time you get home you can enjoy your family more without the potential negative influence of the stress from your job. It is possible that you could even play my music in the background as you work, to ease your stress and to comfort you as you move through your workday, if your workplace permits, making your workday more pleasant and enjoyable. Please take a moment to listen to a song or two and discover how my music can help you relieve your stress helping to make your life a little bit better, less stressful and certainly more enjoyable. Thank you in advance and while you’re at my website, I’d love to hear how you have made your life better because of my music. Please sign my Guestbook and add your comments to the many already posted there. If you are so inclined, feel free to purchase one or more of my CD’s to potentially gain a more stress-free life. Thank you for not only helping me but for helping yourself too. Don StringTunes – Music to Soothe Your Soul! |
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| 2008 UK Songwriting Contest - Finalist! | Posted: Sep 1, 2008 | |
| The results are in for the 2008 UK Songwriting Contest and I am very happy to announce that four of my compositions have been recognized in this International songwriting contest! There were over 6,000 entries in the Classical Instumental genre. Also, please join me in congratulating all of the excellent songwriters who have placed well in this highly reputable International Songwriting Contest! My Results Opus N0 8 - Cello Duet has been awarded the Finalist position in the Instrumental Catagory! Opus No 8 - Cello Duet is featured on the Colors of Cello CD. Opus N0 6 - Cello Duet has been awarded the Semi-Finalist position also in the Instrumental Catagory! Opus No 6 - Cello Duet is featured on the Colors of Cello CD. Trails of Tears has been awarded the Semi-Finalist position again in the Instrumental Catagory! Trail of Tears is featured on the Heart Strings CD. Sonata in C Major has been awarded Commended Entry position in the Instrumental Catagory! Sonata in C Major is featured on the Heart Strings CD. The UKSC is an annual contest now in its seventh year. It was formed in 2002 with The BRIT Trust (of BRIT AWARDS fame) to encourage and promote the art of songwriting. The contest is supported by some of the most highly respected names in the music industry including BBC Radio, Music Aid, the BRIT School, The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers, The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, The International Song Copyright Agency, Sibelius, Broadjam, Virtual Studio Systems, Backbeat Books and many other leading music industry professionals, organisations and companies. UK Songwriting Contest media staff provides media support for journalists who cover stories about finalists. Interested members of the music industry press or radio can reach them via e-mail media@songwritingcontest.co.uk for more details, logos and verification of these results, etc. |
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| Colors of Cello - Now on iTunes! | Posted: May 1, 2008 | |
| I am happy to announce that my new album Colors of Cello is now on iTunes - Click - here - to purchase from iTunes. All three of my CD's are posted on CDBaby - Here's the link - CDBaby. You can also purchase right here on this site by following this link - Click- here -to purchase now! |
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| Heart Strings - Now on Amazon.com! | Posted: Mar 2, 2008 | |
| Great News! My album Heart Strings is now available on Amazon.com! Amazon is carrying both the entire album and each single on this album as available for purchase and download! Here is the link - Amazon Both Heart Strings and Dawn of a New Day are available at iTunes. Here's that link - iTunes Thank you all ever so much for continuing to support me and my music. Don StringTunes - Music to Soothe Your Soul! |
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| Thank You | Posted: Feb 14, 2008 | |
| Sometimes, in the aloneness of my thoughts, I recall my moments of great despair and how you, in those same moments, Lifted me, held me in your arms, helped me to realize that without you I would be truly alone and how without your love and my loving you I would have no meaning, reason or purpose. So, I thank you, warmly, from the depths of my soul, for loving me, for being there, for allowing me to love you and for making despair a stranger to me. Thank you! Copyright (C) 1996 Don Rath Jr |
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| A Place in My Heart | Posted: Feb 14, 2008 | |
| I Thought That I Would Take The Time To Come To You This Day To Say A Few Words That Make A Rhyme For You on Valentines Day. Tis A Glass OF Sweet Wine I Wish To Toast With You Won't You Be My Dear Valentine? There's A Place In My Heart For You! Copyright (C)1999 Don Rath Jr |
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| Niagara Memorial Butterfly Release - Update 2 | Posted: Jul 21, 2007 | |
| To my friends and fans! I had an absolutely fabulous time in New York State! Travel was safe and fast. I was happy to land into fantastic weather and in a land foreign to me, New York, my first time in the state.Niagara Falls I was met at the airport by my New York Distributor, Jeff, who decided to take me on a little sight-seeing journey. I had always wanted to see the Niagara Falls and this day was the day it was to be. Thanks a million Jeff! We spent quite a bit of time there enjoying the view and basically standing in awe of the amount of water going over these falls. It is actually quite awesome! Somehow, it just wouldn’t be right to miss the local hot spot, the Hard Rock Café. There were Gold records on the wall, guitars hanging everywhere and a pretty unique wall I just had to take a photo of. The main purpose of the trip to New York was to support the Niagara Hospice Organization during their annual Memorial Butterfly Release on July 14th, 2007. Butterflies are Free! Quite a number of people came for the event to honor their loved ones by participating of the release of the butterflies. Niagara Hospice Organization holds this event annually. The release of the butterflies was a matter of the heart for the older folks attending. For the younger it was a day of fun and laughter. Maybe we all can learn something from that. We had the pleasure of meeting the Community Coordinator, Stephanie Burrows. She was very helpful arranging for us to participate in the event. Getting her to slow down a wee bit might be a real challenge. The Spiritual Leader of the Niagara Hospice Organization and the Pastor of the Lockport Wesleyan Church was available to lend a Spiritual hand and a prayer. Being a part of the Niagara Memorial Butterfly Release was a wonderful experience and again I am happy to have been involved. We met some really cool people, watched the butterflies be set free and even made a bit of cash to help support the Niagara Hospice Organization help others in need of hospice care. I wish to extend a huge thank you to both Stephanie and Tom for all that they have done to make our participation possible. In addition to the Memorial Butterfly Release, Jeff and I went on a three and a half hour canoe trip where the sun was welcomed, the water was warm and the laughter was abundant. It wasn’t exactly like the photos of the falls but it was just as much fun. Unfortunately we didn’t get any photos of the canoe trip, mostly from smart preparation, as being in the water for us was frequent. This was fun for us, but, not a good idea for cameras. Take my word on it though, it was one of those special moments in time where you get to take part in an enjoyable recreational activity, on an absolutely beautiful day, with great company and be in nature at its best. A new and excellent memory! Awesome! All in all, it was an excellent journey and a very fun time. For me, this was just the right medicine. I hope you have enjoyed the review of my recent trip to New York State. Don |
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| Niagara Hospice Press Release - Update! | Posted: Jun 20, 2007 | |
| 6/20/07 - We are extremely excited that the number of hits on our press release, for the Memorial Butterfly Release, has exceeded 110,000! Remember, donations will be accepted up to and including the event on July 14th, so please take a moment to support this fund raising effort for the Niagara Hospice organization. Real people in real need can use your help. Please Donate today! Memorial Butterfly Release | ||
| Happyday New Age Radio - Airplay! | Posted: Apr 6, 2007 | |
| I am very happy to announce that both of my CD's Heart Strings and Dawn of a New Day have been picked up by HappyDay New Age Radio in Seoul Korea! Please stop in and support me and HappyDay at - HappyDay New Age Radio. Thank you DJ Haru! It's awesome what the internet can do! |
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| Dawn of a New Day - Exclusive Launch | Posted: Mar 11, 2007 | |
| This week! On March 21st, the first day of spring 2007, Dawn of a New Day will be launched for prerelease review and purchase exclusively on this site. March 31st is the scheduled full release date for worldwide availability. Additional distribution will be open through CDBaby shortly as will general distribution at your local music store (US only). We will provide the Official Press Release in this diary in a few days. Dawn of a New Day is the next release of Don's music only three months from the release of Heart Strings! There are twelve instrumental compositions included in this excellent CD sure to soothe your soul! The arrangments and the overall sound are improvements over previously released material and they are as inspirational as the Dawn of a New Day. Thank you for your continued support of Don and his music! Let us know if you want to help us get the word out! Thanks a million! StringTunes - Music To Soothe Your Soul! |
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| Classical Guitar - Recommendations | Posted: Mar 4, 2007 | |
| 4 Mar 2007, 22:02 Classical Guitar - Recommendations From StringTunes First I would like to say that this diary entry will list some of the most incredible Composers of Music for the Classical Guitar. It is by no means complete as there are many, many others. What is before you is all I had time to do for now. I consider the following list of Composers and some of my favorite pieces by them to be noteworthy of being included here. Hopefully you will agree. Please feel free to send me an e-mail with your favorites and I will add them. With that being said; J.S. Bach Air (On the G String) from Suite No 3 for Orchestra, BWV 1068 Allemande from Suite No 1 for Lute, BWV 996 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, from Cantata No 147 Menuet in G Major, Klavierbuchlein fur Anna Magdalena Menuet in G minor, Klavierbuchlein fur Anna Magdalena Prelude for Lute, BWV 999 Prelude from Suite No 1 for Cello, BWV 1007 (arranged for Guitar) Sarabande From French Suite No 1 for Keyboard (arranged for guitar) BWV 812 Siciliana from Sonata No 1 for solo violin (arranged for guitar) BWV 1001 Matteo Carcassi Andantino in C Major from Methode complete pour la guitarre Napoleon Coste Tarantelle - from 25 Etudes de Genre, Op. 38 Manuel de Falla Pour le trombeau de Claude DeBussey John Dowland My Lady Hundson's Puffe Song and Galliard Melancholy Galliard Vincenzo Galilei Saltarello in D Major Enrique Granados Danza Espanola No. 10 ion G Tonadilla George Frideric Handel Larghetto - from Music for the Royal Fireworks Overture - from The Messiah Sonata in D minor Jan Antonin Losy Chaconne Manuel Ponce Estrellita - from Canciones Mexicanos (1914) Preambulo & Allegro vivo Jean-Phillipe Rameau Contredanse en Rondeau - from Pygmalian Gaspar Sanz Canarios - from Instruccion de Musics sobre la Guitarra Espanola Espanoletas - from Instruccion de Musics sobre la Guitarra Espanola Erik Satie Gymnopedie No 1 - from Trois Gymnopedies Alessandro Scarlatti Minuetto - from Toccata No 4 Sonata in A Major K322 Sonata in G Major K391 Fernando Sor Lecon in D Major Op 31 No 10 Lecon in E Major Op 31 No 23 Minuet in A Major Op 11 No 6 Petite Piece in E Major Op32 No 1 Variations on a Theme by Mozart Francisco Tarrega Danza Mora Capricho Arabe - Serenata Lagrima - Preludio Maria - Gavota Marieta, Mazurka Recuerdos de la Alhambra Estudio Brillante Antonio Vivaldi Allegro non molto - from The Four Seasons, Op 8 No 2 (Summer) Largo - from The Four Seasons, Op 8 No 4 (Winter) Silvius Leopold Weiss Bourree Anglais Passacaille Fantasie Minuet in G Major Op 2 No 1 Isaac Ilbeniz Sevilla Leyenda Rumores de la Caleta Luis de Milan Pavana No 1 in A minor Pavana No 6 in D Major Pavana No 4 in D Major Robert de Visee Suite in D minor Moreno Torroba Two Pieces from Castles of Spain Castelnuovo-Todesco Three Pieces from Platero and I Heitor Villa-Lobos Prelude No 1 in E minor Study in E minor Additional Works Worth Listing Afro-cuban Lullaby The Girl With the Flaxen Hair - DeBussy Romance (Romanza) Hopefully you will have found value in reviewing these incredible Composers and their works. Again, I apologize for not having enough time to include many others. I have not intentionally omitted any of the great Composers. Only the limited amount of time I have to put this together has restricted the number of included Composers, their works, or the overall size of the list. There are many others who belong here. My apologies to them. Again, feel free to e-mail me and I will add your favorites to this listing. Thanks in advance. If you are interested in learning about the music for Classical Guitar, these Composers and their works and to gain a deeper sense of appreciation for the Classical Guitar, Composers of Classical Guitar music and the techniques available for composing for guitar, please visit Naxos where an incredible amount of Classical music is available for you to listen to, purchase and to simply enjoy. Highest Regards, StringTunes - Music To Soothe Your Soul! |
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| Classical Music | Posted: Mar 4, 2007 | |
| My interest in classical music began with the introduction from my Mother to Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No 2 and Chopin's Pollanaise. These were two of her favorites and she played it on an LP Record hundreds of times. I was just a small boy in an even smaller town in upstate Illinois. From there the classics from Composers such as Vivaldi, Rossini, Dvorack, Chopin Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Sibelius, Hayden, Ravel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, Bach, Bizet, Elgar, Gershwin, Listz, Rimsky-korsakov, Grieg, Menelsohn, Strauss, Schubert and of course, Tchaikovski were always in my world growing up. I left the classics for youthful reasons and listened to the bands of the day, mostly the Beatles, Stones, Kinks and many others. It wasn't until I discovered Andres Segovia playing many of the great composers for guitar that I returned to the classical music scene. Now, after many years of listening and learning music composition I am writing for traditional classical instruments, mostly the strings. I think this was born out of my musical influences and experiences as a youth. Wouldn't have it any other way. Classical music offers a deeper sense of culture and refinement that is sustainable rather than fleeting. History has and will continue to demonstrate this point as related to the music out of the Classical periods. It is not likely that a musical Group such as Nirvana and countless other "bands" will be remembered 100 years from now. The reason is their impact on our culture at large is limited to only those relatively few people who found some value in it rather than as a total cultural influence. Music has to be great to do that. Does music have an emotional impact, music without words that is? If you took the words away from the popular radio "tunes" of today, would they move you emotionally and in a positive way if there were no words to begin with? Would they support your emotional status quo or would they bore you? Would anything stand out as highly impactful across our culture, across multiple cultures? The answers to these questions can qualify the answer, however and on a personal level, can music move you towards feeling love, awe, serenity, comfort, passion or any other emotional movement? I will leave that question up to you to answer however, I think the answer is a profound and emphatic yes! The Classical Music genre of today is gaining in popularity for many reasons. One device enabling this growth of interest is the Internet. Another reason is that the current music industry is focused on making money rather than promoting music of value. Simply turn on the radio for a couple of hours and listen to what the music industry wants you to hear. How much is unique? How much is beneficial towards moving the concept of music forward? I think a great void has been created due to the huge amount of dollars spent on the promotion of popular music. I believe is is one of the main causes for the developing and increasing need for more classical music and for new and excellent cultural music. The rise of the Indie scene appears to support that. Many people have not experienced music from the Classical periods and those that now have access to it via the Internet have the opportunity to experience the wonderful emotional movements caused by it. The Internet and it's devices are making this a mainstream possibility. This is a good thing. Rather than promoting some "ism" or fad or limited societal "happening" Classical Music reaches far beyond the whim of the moment. It teaches us about ourself, a deeper meaning, an emotional expression that truly moves us as a people in a positive way. It reaches to the emotional, the spiritual and the intellectual levels of our being, all at the same time. One of the huge impacts of classical music is that it teaches us to listen and to listen critically. Just try to listen to the Piano Sonatas of Mozart or Beethoven and then tell me there is a simularity or even an equal comparison of this music to the popular radio music of today. Classical is in a class far above popular radio music. To extend my suggestion further, let's take a quick look at the impact of just two of the Baroque composers, Bach and Handel for example. By far the most influential of the Baroque Period Composers. Bach touched to every corner of society, every music genre of his day and wrote music so far ahead of anything available at the time. Handel advanced the oratorios to levels never before experienced by man. These two composers represent the the highest level of and most fully developed music in their time. Hayden, Mozart and Beethoven did the same during their time in the Viennese or Classical Period. A careful study of the history of music will reveal all of these things and many more. Each major musical era has provided significant advances in the evolution of music. Each era brings to the table musical interests that are truly timeless and in many ways highly beneficial to the growth of society at large. I believe a new era is about to begin whereby new advances and styles of music are to become available that will requalify serious music as the norm rather than a subset of niche interests. I also believe that the Internet will be the single most important device to bring that about. In conclusion, this is an exciting time musically. We have the availability for instantaneous worldwide exposure, of rapid music production and worldwide distribution. These ideas also open the door for this new era to begin. After this initial boom where anyone anywhere can produce an album, I think the new era will begin to open up enabling serious composers and serious music to once again rise up to influence the masses while regaining our cultural pride. Sorry for the length of this commentary. I guess I had something to say. Hopefully it was of value to you. StringTunes Music To Soothe Your Soul! www.stringtunes.com |
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| Heart Strings - Now on iTunes! | Posted: Feb. 1, 2007 | |
| For Immediate Release StringTunes announces the official CD release of Heart Strings by Composer Don Rath Jr. To view the official release please follow this link http://prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb502482.htm or continue reading below. Thanks. CD and single song downloads available now on iTunes.  Rockford, Illinois – February 1, 2007: New independent Music Publisher, StringTunes, announces the debut release of Heart Strings by instrumental Composer Don Rath Jr. Heart Strings is a twelve song, instrumental compilation of original music featuring the stringed instruments. This is the first CD release for StringTunes as a music publisher and it is also the debut album for Composer Don Rath Jr. The CD and single song digital downloads are available now on Apples iTunes, one of the worlds largest, one-stop, digital download music services online today. In addition to iTunes, the CD and single song mp3 downloads are available for purchase directly through our official website at www.stringtunes.com . Full details about Composer Don Rath Jr. and the album Heart Strings are available there for your review, including, the stories behind the songs and their respective instrumentation. The compositions included on this album were written, arranged and produced entirely by Don Rath Jr. The genre for Heart Strings is new Classical Music. Similar Artists include resemblances to the Kronos Quartet, the Ahn Trio and many other popular String Orchestras and string based music ensembles. The difference is Heart Strings offers all new Classical music instead of another release of the Classical music standards. Sound Engineer, Alan Wagner of www.BigToeStudio.net out of Vancouver Washington writes; "This is a very interesting project that involved the emulation of an entire orchestra using only technology. Therefore, it features, even more, of the talent and skill of the writer and arranger, Don Rath Jr." Further, "I used some of the very latest recording technology (called "convolution reverb") to place these virtual instruments into a "real" space from an actual physical location. This served to enhance their realism and the overall listening experience." A Songwriter in Kentucky USA writes "Awesome. Beautifully orchestrated! What you have created here is what music is all about." The flowing melodies and lush string arrangements take you on an internal journey sure to soothe your soul. Heart Strings by Don Rath Jr. - Now available through Apple iTunes! All Media interests should be addressed to pr@stringtunes.com ### Tell all your friends! Click the link below. Thanks for all of your support, comments, and mostly your friendship. Don StringTunes - Music To Soothe Your Soul! |
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| Resources for Making and Selling a Cd on the Internet | Posted: Feb 4, 2007 | |
| StringTunes - Presents Resources for Making and Selling a CD using the Internet In this diary entry, I will attempt to offer the concepts that I have used to make, produce and market a music CD using the Internet. This is in no way a comprehensive collection of resources, only some, that you can use to help you get your project off the ground. It is my intention only to point out the concepts I have used to support my CD projects. I hope you find value in it. To begin, I am making the following assumptions: 1) that you are creating new music and wish to market and sell it over the Internet. 2) that you either fully own or have controlling Mechanical and/or other related Intellectual Rights to the musical content. Without these rights it is illegal to produce a music CD without expressed and written consent from the rightful copyright owner(s). If you have a question about copyrights please contact http://www.copyright.gov. For further information on Mechanical Licensing of copyrighted music please see http://www.nmpa.org. 3) that you have produced the music either by a digital means or through actual performance and recording of the music, whether in a music recording studio, recording a live performance, or through the use of sound samples to produce and/or enhance your recordings. 4) that your music is in it's raw form and that you are ready for final production and manufacturing of a music CD. 5) that it remains your full responsibility to seek out qualified legal help when pursuing a career in the music industry. 6) that you fully understand that nothing in this document should be accepted by you without question and that no action or actions should be taken by you without seeking legal guidance as related to any/all information provided. Also, no representation is made herein offering legal guidance of any kind and no gaurantees are made as to the accuracy of the information and the validity of the included information and the included links. 7) that you fully understand that every effort was made when producing this document to assure that the included links were fully operable. It is not the responsibility of StringTunes and/or it's owners and representatives to maintain working links. Given the above, we will now look at the basic steps including a brief but meaningful dialog of each of the steps. Examples will be provided if this Blogging program is capable. General Outline The "Why" you are doing this will not be covered, since, it is assumed you "have to" or "want to" for your own personal reasons. I must say that depending on the strength of your "why", if the music is good, your actual results and ensuing choices will be positively supported and empowered to enable you to attain your specific goals. 1) Mastering - This step is critically important for several reasons. mostly in order to have a final product that enables a consistent volume level, consistent sound quality level between songs, compressed and therefor more pristine of a sound and to correct any errors that remain from earlier production steps, including the removal of unwanted "noise" such as hisses and pops etc. I was fortunate enough to locate Alan "Big Al" Wagner of BigToeStudio to put the finishing touches on my Cd projects. Here is the link - http://www.bigtoestudio.net Additional resources are readily available either in your local community or through Industry related music publications. You can also simply Google this too. Note: If your raw music is digital, you may find you will need to have a File Transfer source for moving large file from your computer to a Mastering house. I have used http://www.yousendit.com for two Cd's now and I have not had any problems in any way. Consequently I personally make this recommendation. Once this step is completed and you have decided that your project warrants marketing it to the general public and that you are totally excited about getting your "CD out there" and to "be heard", you are then empowered to follow through the remaining steps of getting there, arriving at your goals. This step includes making uncompressed .wav files, mp3 files and one of your most important assets, the "Masters" of your project. 2) Manufacturing - This is pretty self-explanatory, however, there are many manufacturers available today so care must be taken when selecting one for your project. This is the "What" you are selling. Having a quality manufacturer for your CD becomes a representation of your image and the standards by which you are treated in the marketplace as well as from your buying public. What support you receive from your manufacturer is also important in your consideration to use them. So, when shopping for a manufacturer take into consideration the additional support offered within the price you are paying. Price is relevant in many ways. Consider the "costs" when looking at price. It's up to you to determine what quality your CD project will be. A couple of quality references are; http://oasiscd.com, http://www.diskmakers.com and http://www.kunaki.com. I would start at any of these manufacturers. The first two offer full service manufacturing while Kunaki offers the ability to have a quality product with no setup fees and direct ability to have your fans and customers purchase directly from you with no minimum quantity requirements. 3) Marketing - The distinction between Marketing and Promotion is being made here because Marketing is more a matter of Branding, style and identifying the market(s) for your CD project. This is the "Who" of selling and the "Who" your potential fans and buyers are. Examples here are; Your Logo, Color choices and continuity between devices used to send your message, such as your press kit, your Website and networking sites, etc. Placing your product in the right market supports your Promotional campaign better than a misplaced marketing and promotional campaign. If your music is Country you want to promote it in places where Country Music is a prime focus rather than in the Rap genre for example. The clearer you identify your potential fans the more successful your Promotional campaign can be. Marketing is tied directly into the Promotion side of your focus for selling Cd's, since through identifying your promo campaign strategy will determine a lot on how you create your Brand in the marketplace. 4) Promotion - Promotion is different than Marketing as Promotion is focused on methods used to reach your identified market with notices and Press Releases for the product being offered. This is the "Where and When" of selling as well as the act of getting your message out there for others to respond to, buying your CD. Promotion is critical to the success of your project. Concentrating your efforts in relationship to your Marketing campaign empowers both as previously stated. The use of a Public Relations firm is an excellent idea if you have the financial resources to afford one. If not, placing your Marketing and Promotional materials in places like your Official Website and other music related sites, Social Networking sites, Blogs, music industry sites, Internet Radio and Podcasts, etc. are great places to begin. Social Networks such as http://www.myspace.com, http://www.nextcat.com, http://www.facebook.com and http://www.tagworld.com are a collection of sites you will want to look into for broadening your potential marketing and promotional campaigns. Internet news wires are another place to focus your attention. http://www.emediawire.com or PR News Wire is an excellent resource for promoting your music releases for example. Another good one is http://www.Mi2N.com. You can upload your press release for free on this site. Starting and producing your own Newsletter, building, maintaining and using your contact resources such as a database for music industry contacts and one for your fans are very useful as time goes on. Street Teams and other networking efforts are also very good at helping you to reach your fans. There are many places that support the release of a new Cd. For a massive amount of resources, I would highly recommend getting a copy of the Indie Bible. Check out http://www.indiebible.com. 5) Distribution - This is the "How" of getting your CD to your customers. There are two main methods for music distribution available for the Indie Artist. They are either Digital Distribution or Physical Distribution. If your plans are to provide a "hard copy" or physical distribution of your CD you will need to have locate and secure this type of support. Some manufacturers will help in providing this service, however, you will need to locate and secure either a very large distributor or gain physical distribution through Internet outlets such as http://www.CDBaby.com, http://www.iTunes.com and http://www.amazon.com and others like them. There are a number of Internet based distribution outlets. If you Google this you will have easy access to a large number of relevant Digital Distribution outlets. For Physical Distribution you will need to locate and secure this resource to enable getting your Cd placed in "brick and mortar" music stores. The largest outlet for this offers about 2400 outlets in the US. They are SuperD Phantom Distribution. http://www.sdcd.com. You can gain the use of this organization through CDBaby. Important Points To Consider 1) UPC and EAN Barcodes - If you are planning to seriously promote and market your CD project, I would highly recommend securing a UPC Code for your Cd. In order to track your sales you will need some type of unique code for a specific product. The UPC Code offers this and it is likely that most retail outlets will not sell your Cd in their establishment without one. There are several places to get a barcode and many of the better manufacturers will supply this for you. If not, you will need to check out places that make them available. Make sure your resource is a valid one. http://www.upccode.net is a location I found on the Internet. Since I ended up using CDBaby, they supplied my UPC Code for both of my Cd's. EAN Barcodes are for International needs but the UPC Code is the standard and can be read by EAN code readers. 2) ISRC Codes - Due to all of the changes as a result of the use of the Internet for distributing music, RIAA has established a unique coding number for each Title on a CD for tracking "airplay" and other digital dissemination of your music. It is an extremely powerful tool for safegaurding your international royalty interests for music Cd's. You can learn more about this at http://www.riaa.com. 3) Soundscan - This is an essential tracking service for the sales incurred of your CD. They also report your sales to BillBoard for placement on the Music Charts so if you have this desire you will want to look into submitting your music to Neilson Soundscan at http://www.soundscan.com. 4) Performing Rights Organizations - Should your music be performed publicaly you will want to jin a Performing Rights Organization or PRO. In the US, the three largest and most well known are; http://www.bmi.com, http://www.ascap.com and http://www.sesac.com. Collectively, these contacts will aide you significantly while fighting on your behalf for some sense of security in the digital age where Intellectual Property rights are not necessarily respected. Conclusion As you can see there are a lot of support locations throughout the Internet that support the manufacture and the Indie CD release of your project. You will find all of this to be a rather daunting task to do alone. Gaining help from friends and family will only get you so far. You will find that, if you want a greater level of success for your project, using others who specialize in any given area will enhance your chances of success tenfold! Do your homework and spend some time researching companies that can support your project. I guarantee that if you do you will not only speed up the process but you will fall down less often making your journey to a successful CD release an enjoyable and rewarding experience. For more information please contact Don at http://www.stringtunes.com. |
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| Glad To Meet You | Posted: Jan 13, 2007 | |
| Glad To Meet You By: Don Rath Jr. I never knew you and your song Not dancing in the streets of life Never knowing the sun in the sky, Wind in the trees, never asked why. How was I to know you were there? To guide me and to keep me warm I never knew even in the rain That was you keeping me from pain. I find it’s you comforting me Keeping me walking within time Each step brings me closer to thee The sky more clear, better to see. Thank you from my heart deep inside And forever more so in the night I’m glad to meet you in this day I love you more than words can say. I’ve come to know you through my song My heart is warm now in the sun Awakened to you and your love Thank you, thank you my God above. Copyright 2007© Don Rath Jr. |
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| Heart Strings | Posted: Dec 19, 2006 | |
| We at StringTunes are very excited to announce the release of Dons debut album "Heart Strings"! Click here to buy the CD. Both the individual tracks and the entire CD can be purchased on this site. The CD only is available at Dons other websites - http://www.myspace.com/stringsfu, http://www.tagworld.com/stringtunes and http://www.tagworld.com/stringtunes. In the coming weeks, Heart Strings will be available through many digital music outlets including CDBaby, iTunes, and many others. Additionally, you will have over 1,200 retail outlets to special order the CD. Continue to watch this website for more information on where you can purchase the CD. We are looking forward to hearing your comments about Heart Strings. Please feel free to contact us at your convenience. Thank you in advance for all of your support and encouragement! Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! PS - Give the gift of music. Give the gift of "Heart Strings"! |
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| The Children | Posted: Oct 23, 2006 | |
| Don Rath Jr …and the children used to come here to play, sing, frollick and dance Once there was a way of life where joy and laughter filled the land. When you could find peace rafting on a river and life in a flower Where loving was the status quo and a hug the way of saying hello Terror, they say, took our freedom while we all were busy minding the store Leadership was their name and control was there game Somewhere all along the way we lost Our chance for a truly lasting peace In the arms of a soldier across the land We no longer searching for to find All of the love we once knew trying to survive Holding on to what we are and what we have Passing in the wayward wind through time Rising and falling in the sea of angry men To the thrusting of their swords into the womb The heart and soul of nations our friends Until the war took away our love and joy No longer to quietly enjoy the peace Of our children who no longer play here I am a witness to the falling of a star Of shining throughout the night in time Aquarius, Leo and of coarse Mars Lay before the fate of those that love And maybe oh yes maybe in the daylight When the sky has turned to crimson red We’ll wish for all those yesterdays gone by When the children would come here to play. Copyright © 2006 Don Rath Jr. |
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| The Composer | Posted: Sep 16, 2006 | |
| The Composer By Don Rath Jr. A lone soldier of tune Soul searching in quiescence Seeking the elusive inspirations Through the quiet sounds of silence The music of eternal longing The note of everlasting love Bringing to the world with pen in hand A message from God above An empty page of promise Lays upon the land before That single note drops from heaven Non-silent forevermore Struggling through the passages The phrases from the spheres Leading to a place of peace Those things we hold so dear Removing the self a task indeed Leaving behind the want Channeling the giants from long ago Always on the hunt Come watch me write the song And you will have surprises As the work comes home again Like the sun it always rises Listen through the years As each work blossoms to a flower Bringing hope and love forever Under the ivory tower Copyright 2006 Don Rath Jr |
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