So how do you make your samples playable on your midi keyboard?It's a question in search of an answer over here at Gene Media. I know its possible to map a drum kit to a GM sound font with different samples based on note and velocity, but how do you do it? Lets find out...step one - ask questions... What am I trying to do? well I just answered that above. Moving on How do I do it?I need to find out a couple of things,
I'll get back to you on this one. what are we doing?Behaviour is akin to your day to day actions. Why is this important? It affects everything you touch. It's the main driver of cause and effect. Actions are the movers of reality, driven by our feelings, beliefs and conditioning (internal or external) Behaviour is affected by everything you are and affects everything you will become. how are you living your life?There's no right or wrong answer. It's not even a question that needs to be answered; however, it does help to look within, or to consider your past to ask yourself this question. Pay attention to what your inner voice says about this. Did you recieve an encouraging anser from within, or a depressing one? how am i living my life?For several months now, I've been making a conscious effort to make NO complaints, to avoid phrases like "I want to" "I should" or "I need to" As a result, any depression I may have had in the past has all but vanished. I wake up feeling ready for the day that lies ahead. Now, I'm not a perfect Specimin here, I'm a human being with human vices. Sometimes I slip back into the old patterns, but paying conscious attention to my behaviour, both internally via my thoughts and externally via my actions/habits/routines/processes, has given me a certain level of awareness that I wouldn't otherwise have noticed. Am i conscious of my behaviourShort answer yes, but why? Nobody's perfect as I may have mentioned, but the behavioural awareness factor provides a good indicator of whether or not I'm on track towards the larger vision that I have for my life. How can I tell?This is the challenge isn't it? What is the best way to tell if one is conscious of ones behaviour? Perhaps it's a matter of taste, considering human personality archetypes, and each individuals own experiences/patterns/etc, there's no one-sized-fits-all approach to this. Some people meditate, others journal, others have conversations with people they trust, while the less-aware most likely avoid it entirely in favour of escapism and instant gratification. Behavioural reviewassigning the past a positive meaning This is the action of reflecting on the past as a way to improve. One might look back on a past mistake and see it as either a failure or an opportunity to learn. It's the concept of duality, which I won't get into too deeply right here, it's simply a matter of perspective and which perspective you choose to embrace. a journal of affirmationsAn affirmation is a Statement like "I'm Grateful For __" or "I am ___." Be aware of the power of the words you choose for this. In keeping with the principle of beginning with the end in mind, an affirmation is made as if you have already achieved the outcome. It's powerful because it helps you train your mind to begin to believe it through repetition, but be aware that the shift in action does not necessarily happen right away. It takes a certain level of commitment to it. Affirmations are a technique that can be used to effectively Re-wire the mind for a better result in the day-to-day. An affirmation is a Statement like "I'm Grateful For __" or "I am ___." Be aware of the power of the words you choose for this. In keeping with the principle of beginning with the end in mind, an affirmation is made as if you have already achieved the outcome. It's powerful because it helps you train your mind to begin to believe it through repetition, but be aware that the shift in action does not necessarily happen right away. It takes a certain level of commitment to it. Affirmations are a technique that can be used to effectively Re-wire the mind for a better result in the day-to-day. goalsGoals are akin to wants. They're the outcomes you want to achieve, and steadfast mindfulness and articulation of said goals can help one create the desire that is necessary to drive the behaviour necessary to achieve them. checklistsWith the goal in mind, a checklist can provide a step-by-step playbook on how to get moving. Checklists are great for repeatable daily tasks since they remove mental energy from a new routine that is being cultivated so that you can focus on more important things (like creativity.) From there it's a matter of taking the time to go through the motions. It can also provide an easy reference for when you're contemplating your day by simply asking yourself 'Did I spend time on the things, or not?' A law of cause and affectI was reading a book called What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter. He explained the concept of personal development in a very practical way - at 5 levels. It really struck a chord with me. I'm still reflecting on it, but I wanted to share it.
Basically, each level was described as being directly influenced by the next one. 1- Behaviour 2- Feelings 3- Attitudes 4- Beliefs 5- Conditioning It's interesting to conceptualize this as a way to maintain a decent mindset, Imagine yourself doing a quick self-check with these categories in mind. What do you notice? Let's start with the idea of Creating our own Reality. How might one take a pro-active approach towards a better tomorrow? One might start by considering the quality of information consumed. One might also consider the language used within the subconscious mind. Paying attention to day-to-day actions of the present moment. Or leading with the heart, from a place of love. To me, it makes more sense to present yourself in a genuine way like, if you're just being genuine, that's as original as it gets. It's not as easy as 'just do it' and learn from the experience' is it?
The whole finding your voice and presentation of it to me its a little bit scary and I just want to do it right the first time. I'll be honest, I tend to overthink it. Maybe it's easier for a guitarist to sing a few covers the first time they go on stage to get over the fear of doing it in the first place. That doesn't necessarily mean the artist is unoriginal. From that perspective, maybe imitation can act as a tool to help overcome a certain obstacle. I'm not sure. Messing around withHey, what's up everyone, Cody Gene here with a quick Graphic Design Tutorial using GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) This Technique can be adapted for Adobe Photoshop as well. I don't often make these types of tutorials, but I found a way to make Interesting Coloured text so I thought I'd share.
Song - LC Dub - Viral Dub 2020. You can download the latest Release free (LC Dub - the ever setting sun) by joining the mailing list here Don't complain, Seriously, Stop complainingPlease don't complain that your gear isn't good enough, or that you're not good enough. Seriously, Stop complaining. Recording is one part artform and one part physics. You as an artist should be learning to trust yourself. That's right, not every project is going to be perfect. Get over it, It doesn't actually matter as much as you might think. Here are 3 considerations to make your recording sound 'good'1: quality on the input This comes down to your performance, and your overall sound. It's like this, if you practice your song. You will get better results. It also ties into the quality of your gear. Is your guitar set up properly? does it stay in tune? do you need fresh strings? do you have clean pre-amps for your microphones? 2: Put things in balance When you have your tracks, lets say you took 3 guitar takes, put them together in a way that blends smoothly. Lets say you've added some soft-synths? and some midi drums. Do they blend? did you put on your engineering hat and use your mixing tricks to make space so that everything sounds good? 3 Finishing touches. Adding embelleshments, automation, Final adjustments for dynamics, keeping the song interesting from start to finish. how you get there doesn't matterHere at Gene Media, we don't care how you get there. We recognize that everyone is unique in their own approach, or as a smart author once said, "we each have our own game." The whole point is putting trust in yourself, trust in your ears, trust in your process, and trust your ability.
Today's video is another sit-down and do it style practice. I didn't really have much of a plan going in - its nice to have a structure - so it ended up being a bit of Melodic Development over one of my favorite chord structures. - Daily Gratitude - When your reality isn’t what you imagined: In fact its so much better. Be open to the possibilities and receive your blessings of unlimited potential. Get a free song download - Join Cody Gene's Music mailing ListA song can be four chords. That's not wrong, but if your chord progression is simple, then consider the Principles of contrast to make your song POP. where do you put contrast in your song?Where do you put contrast in your song? What are your song's elements?
Song Structure Have you thought about how your song is laid out while the concept is fresh? I recommend as good practice to outline a few basic song-structures for the style of music you write. it could look like one of these examples:
or
Helps with efficiency to simply put things into a place where you dont have to worry about structure. Why use this approach? because it takes the struggle out of putting the songs together because that part is already done. Just build the pieces to fit and stick them in. Songwriting En-masse, just remember your Contrast considerations. Smooth transitionshow can you switch it up without being abrasive? So now that we're fitting the pieces in, I guess you'll need pieces first. This is where creativity and imagination come into play. During your daily (and i hope it's daily) practice, noodle around until you come up with something. Some folks like to play from scales or books for inspiration. others simply jam. The point is to come up with something that sounds good to you. Remember it's music. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to this stuff. how can you switch it up without being abrasive Abrupt transitions are not always bad. To me it depends on the characteristics of the genre, some being friendlier to rule-breaking than others.
Practice vlog. I tend to not talk much. That's part of this whole experiment. Get over any nervousness around playing music on camera. At the end of the day, it's not so bad. In fact, It's a lot like those first couple times you go out to play your songs in public. It's a little nerve-wracking at first but eventually, you start to warm up to the feeling of putting yourself out there... Have courage to take the action and learn from your mistakes. Here's my Intentional vocal practice. Question. What did you notice about what and how I'm improvising? if you were practicing music in this way, what would you do differently? Comments here (or on youtube)
Thanks for being awesome. Hey everyone, Thought I'd share another video practice session of some original music, written with the help of some friends here at Gene Media Productions. These were songs created in collaboration with friends. Setlist 1- Check Engine (lyrics by Levente) Levente Is Creating some Videos too. Stay tuned because I'll definitely be sharing his music once it's ready 2- The Wind and the Whistle - (@the way out) 3- Weekend At Jerry's - (@the way out) The Way Out is a Canadian, Classic Rock / Folk Rock and domestic beer-inspired project with Ol'brother Paul. The band is on break, with no plans to reunite at this moment; however, there are two albums available for digital download (links below) 4- Today - (@Harley) Short and sweet Punk song originally written by Harley while we were teenagers in "A Band In America" ----- If you like this video content, Please show some love by hitting that like button or sharing it with someone who needs to hear it. If you Loved this video, and have the means to contribute to future projects, you can visit www.genemediacreativestudio.com/codygenemusic to find my full discography for 50% off. Would you like to work together? Gene Media is now accepting applications for independent songwriters who are looking to take their music to the next level, whether that's getting help with Your Recording and Audio Production, or getting some feedback on your launch-strategy for a more cohesive presentation for your music. Visit the website and Ask how We can help. Cheers!
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