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                             Central Arkansas Library System to host teen Battle of the Bands

The Central Arkansas Library System is expanding offerings for teens as part of the annual Summer Reading Club including a Battle of the Bands program which is slated to begin at noon on Saturday, June 27 in the Cox Creative Center.

During the Battle of the Bands contest, teen musicians will perform in a “Star Search” style competition. A panel of local judges, including Ed Johnson of Alice 107.7, Jason Priest of Little Rock Jams and Ron McAdoo of Backyard Enterprise, will choose the top two performances and those musicians will perform a second time and be judged by audience members. Dana Bradley, of Power 92 Jams will serve as emcee of the event.

To participate in the event, all band members must be ages 12-19. Bands must also have three original songs. According to event organizer D.J. Jackson, there are five performance slots and alternates will also be selected. “It is not required that bands submit a demo, but it is encouraged,” he said.

Bands that perform in the Battle of the Bands competition should be prepared to bring their own amplifiers and instruments, Jackson said. The Central Arkansas Library System will provide microphones and a soundboard. Participation in the program is free and open to the public. Interested individuals can register at any branch of the Central Arkansas Library System.

For more information, contact Jackson at (501) 663-5457 or email djackson@cals.org. The Cox Creative Center is located at 120 Commerce Street in the River Market District.

        

        

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All Bands... The night you are scheduled to perform, you should be at the studio no later than 6:45 to start sound check, relax and prepare for the performance. Family and friends should arrive starting at 7:30. The concert will start at 8:00 p.m.

Gig Bag Essentials

When you play a gig, you should have a backup for everything you use. You never know what will go wrong, so it is best to be prepared for anything.

Some items on this list are more important than others. So if you don't have everything, no big deal. Just make it a point to get it if you play/rehearse regularly. The items in BOLD are the most important.

Extra Strings
Extra Picks
Extra Instrument Cable
Extra Batteries (tuner/pedals)
Tuner
Spare Guitar Strap
Hand Towel
Duct Tape
Pencil/Pen/Sharpie
Notebook
String Winder
Surge Protector
Small Tool Kit or Multi-Tool

        

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Little Rock Jams is now offering Rock Star Birthday Parties for children and adults!

Lasers, fog machines, Guitar Hero, Karaoke, Music and More!

Check out our website party page for more information and download our party package form for all the details...

Pass the word!

        

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Here it is ... Watch it while it lasts - they pull these down quick...

        

        

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Next band to enter the ring for the local band slot on the Edgefest 2009 Little Rock ticket...

Affectus




Affectus is a band comprised of members from the Arkansas River Valley area that have been cutting their teeth in the local music scene for the better part of a decade. Founding members have been earning their stripes with several local acts since their early high school years. Each member of the band has been honing their craft since the ages of 13 to 15 years old. The name Affectus is derived from the Latin term meaning "emotion," "disposition of mind," or "to affect." That sums up the goal of the band, which is not to just simply put on a good show, but to tug at every human emotion and offer an unforgettable experience that could change the lives of those who listen. The music is a unique blend of modern rock, with passionate and beautiful vocals, innovative drums, dynamic and raging guitars, vigorous bass, and intoxicating harmonies.

Bio: Vocalist: John Warren, Guitarist: Blake Pendergrass, Bassist: Brandon Nolan, and Drummer: Kyle Southall are four best friends who share a common dream, music. Like so many struggling musicians, the road has been incredibly difficult, but after 6 years, it has only made them stronger. Members have come and gone. Friends and lovers were lost along the way. So much has happened. Yet, they are still here. Affectus has won and placed in several competitions, played coliseums in front of thousands, and played clubs in front of 30. Still, they drive for so much more. There are few more humble of places than Johnson County, but they do not claim to be from anywhere larger. It is there that they hold tight to their roots and inspirations. Affectus, as a group, made a decision years ago, to do this right. Each of the members is professionally trained and extremely talented. One will not find a harder working four than the boys of Affectus. Fame, the immortality of fame, a dream of a future, is what they all desire more than anything else in this world. Their hearts and souls are poured into each and every song they write. They have a sound, a powerful, beautiful sound, that promises to be New, to everyone's ears. They only beg, to be heard.

Please vote for Affectus to open Edgefest!!!!

Check out their musc at http://www.myspace.com/affectusall

If you dig what you hear, vote for them online at http://edgefest.edgelittlerock.com/pages/botb2009.html

        

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From time to time teachers run into students that test their abilities....

 I'm not talking about pushing the limits of their playing but rather their method of teaching.

Most teachers have an approach to teaching that they know works best for the majority of students that come into the studio. Every student is different of course ... adapting to the musical goals of the student is rarely a problem for a good teacher.

However, there are times when you have a student that has lost motivation and/or their desire to practice consistently. And as you all know, if you don't prepare for the lesson, you make little progress week over week.

On the other hand, there are  also students that  have their own idea of what they want to learn and what they are willing to practice, regardless of the material covered in the lesson or their own playing ability.

Remember the old saying ... "Mother knows best" ?

In most cases,  your teacher KNOWS what you need to work on and you should trust them to have your best interest at heart. Not only that, if you are a student then you are paying your teacher to work around what YOU think is best. Not a good idea.

Guitar doesn't come easy and their is no magic pill that will give you instant gratification. If there were, we would have already bought a bottle or two of those magic pills.

With that said, here are three tips that will help you get the most out of our music lessons:

1. Always come prepared for your lesson. Bring all materials to your lesson and be ready to discuss the material and any problems, or success stories, you had during your practice week.
2. Practice the material given to you by your instructor. Trust your instructor! They have been in your shoes and are telling you what they wish someone would have told them when they were at your level. As much as you wish you could rip like Yngwie, if you can't play a minor pentatonic scale cleanly, you're not ready to tackle shred.
3. Stay in contact with your instructor throughout the week. A good instructor would much rather you call / email them to clarify something rather than practice incorrectly, or worse, not practice at all during the week. Get your instructors email/contact number. Find out which method is best for them and do it. If your instructor tells you they don't have time to do this or tries to charge you, move on to another teacher.

Remember this ... Learning to play music is a lifelong endeavor. There is no end point. You will always grow as a musician as long as you keep pushing yourself. Work hard every day and you will become the player you want to be!