Musician Profiles: Eric McAllister

I recently had an interview with a local musician and friend, steel pannist Eric McAllister, about his life as musician. Me and Eric met while working in the same company, I always knew he was a musical guy, but it wasn't until after I invited him to my first concert, 'Music In Colour' in 2010 (which he attended) that we really hit it off. He told me after the concert that he was really impressed with the performances and also showed me some of his own work which he had recently done. I was really impressed with the work he had me listen to and we started talking music right away! So I asked if I can hae an interview with me, last Thursday and he agreed.

Eric has been playing the tenor steel pan since his teenage years and can also play all the other instruments in the steel pan family. Things really got going for Eric in his teenage years as a student of Queens Royal College in Trinidad & Tobago, where he was invited to a meeting the revive the school's jazz club. Eric said that he really was not interested in steel pan or music in general when he was invited to the meeting, but he somehow found himself at the meeting and was playing with the school band within two weeks time!

"I started playing and I never looked back" were his words and to this day he is still playing, performing all over Trinidad & Tobago with the Merry Tones Steel Band, as well as the Ice Water single pan band, the baby sister band to Merry Tones which he has been arranging for over the past three years. Without knowing a thing about music, he would "... luckily put chords together" and it would all be correct, in the interview, he recalls his first arrangement which was a song called 'I'm not in love' by the group '10 CC.' He's been performing with Merry Tones and Ice Water for quite a few years now and has been on tour with them as well, having as a result traveled to Sweden, Panama, Brooklyn, among other places to do workshops and performances. 

Despite being primarily self taught, Eric still wanted to know more about music and started studying music theory, to the point where he can now comfortably compose and arrange using the 'Finale' music notation software. He also attend the Jamey Abersold Jazz workshop in Kentucky in 2010, which he say was a "watershed of information." He also mentioned that he intends on enrolling in the Berkleemusic.com online certificate course in March 2012.

Eric encourages anyone with a desire and passion to pursue music professionally and go after their dream. Even at his age, he's still Chasing Music Life.


See the video below for the full video interview. Don't forget to subscribe to us on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ChasingMusicLife, follow us on Twitter and Facebook by clicking on the buttons at the top of this page. Stay tuned for more interviews soon.

Keep the music alive!
God Bless!

The Berklee audition

Happy 2012 everyone, and thank you God for 2011. It's been a while since I've got back home from Boston where I had my Berklee audition and interview. I'll try to give a quick breakdown of my experience and give some advice if I can at all to anyone who is thinking about applying. I applied as a guitar principle, but the process should generally be the same for all principles.

I was in Boston three days before my audition which was on December 17th, and I was staying with a friend and current student at Berklee. I really wanted to get a feel for the environment and understand a bit about life as a Berklee student and being in the Boston area before doing my audition. I got a chance to check out the three main Berklee buildings, those being 150 Massachusetts Avenue, 921 Boylston Street and 1140 Boylston Street. They seemed to be well equipped with classrooms, practice rooms, production studios, labs and recital halls (from what I was able to see while there... pretty sure there's a lot more stuff there). As an audition candidate, I got the chance to use some of the practice rooms beforehand to practice and prepare for the audition.

On the morning of my audition, I woke up pretty early and headed down to 150 Mass. Ave. to get some practice in before auditioning, so I spent about half and hour there practicing my prepared pieces and other rudiments. I should have had more time to practice, but procrastination is a hell of a thing. I made my way across to 921 Boylston Street for my audition. It may be because I was in the area for some time and got the chance to get a feel of the college, but I didn't seem very nervous when going in for my audition. When I walked in I was warmly greeted by the student ambassadors who were assisting with the auditions. I was told to go to one of the recital halls which was like the waiting area for audition candidates and their family and friends. There was a huge display on the stage back-drop which showed candidate's names and matched them to a number; these numbers were also matched to seats at the back of the room. How it worked  was that as your name appeared next to a number on the display, you were to sit on the seat matching that number and a student ambassador will then take you to your warm up and audition.

When my time came around, a student ambassador named Michael who was from Slovakia took me to the warm up room. Michael was really friendly and easy to talk to. He asked me about my audition piece and also told me what to expect during the audition. When we got in the warm-up room, he helped me connect my guitar to the amp, and gave me the sight reading material that I will have to read for the audition. The sight reading sheet had four short extracts with melodic lines as well as chord names above the staves and increased in complexity with each extract. Once everything was set, I had 15 minutes to warm up and go through the reading material. Once my 15 minutes was up, Michael came back to take me to the audition.

When I entered the audition room, there were two faculty there who were really friendly and assisted me with setting up my effects processor and guitar to the amp that was there. Once this was done, they tried to get a good balance between my guitar and the track I provided for their recording. Then they asked me to perform my prepared piece. This went generally ok, until I tried to put on my distortion effects. I was connected to a Line 6 digital amp, and something about the amp did not pick up my distortion the ways it should have, it just sounded like slight drive was added to my guitar. Looking past this, I played through the rest of the piece. Next was a short improvisation session, a standard I IV V blues was played and I had to improvise over this. Then we had the ear training session. One of the faculty got behind a piano and asked me to play back what he played on the piano using my guitar. The other faculty then did some rhythm dictation with me where he would clap a rhythm and I'd have to clap it back to him. Once that was done, it was on to the sight reading. They asked me which of the extracts I practiced and asked me to play those. I was also asked to play the chords above the staves paying particular attention to the tension notes and extensions. Once this was done, the audition was finished and it was on to my interview.

My interviewer was an assistant admissions officer named Billy Horren. Again he was really friendly and I felt very relaxed walking into the interview room. Billy asked me 4 main questions for the interview about my musical history, why I wanted to attend Berklee and my future goals in music. After these few questions, that was it; the process was over and I could head home or do what ever I wanted with the rest of my day. Decisions for early action is on January 31st and regular action, March 31st; and being a regular action applicant, I'd have to wait quite a while before I knew what their decision was. What I forgot to provide during my interview, but still submitted after was a resume/curriculum vitae; this should outline your performance history as well as academic record for the admissions officer to review.

So that was it, I returned to the recital hall where I was initially and a day long information session was being held where student ambassadors would tell you about Berklee, answer any questions you had about the college and take you on a tour of the college. 

I hope this has been helpful in making you a bit more aware of what the Berklee audition and interview process is like. Don't forget to share this with your friends and family who would be interested in applying to Berklee and following us on Facebook and twitter (see the button at the top of this page to find the relevant buttons).

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Getting that "just right" tone

Getting the right tone from your instruments cannot always be the easiest thing, it takes firstly knowing what kind of sound you're looking for, then tweaking your instrument/amp/effect to attain that tone. The tone of an instrument is a very significant factor in the performance experience for both the audience as well as the player. I often find it very difficult to play well when the tone of my instrument is not good, and on the contrary, I often surprise myself when playing with a tone that suites me very well. Attaining the right tone is an individual experience and the tone itself will vary from musician to musician.

There are a number of factors which determine how your instrument sounds; of these firstly will be what you or your audience is hearing, and that would mean your amplifier. When performing on stage, most musicians do not have direct control over the PA system which is sending the sound to the audience. In this situation, be sure to tweak your sound with the sound engineer behind the mixing board during your sound check. If you're using an amp as your onstage monitor, let the engineer set your level to a generally flat frequency (i.e. all frequencies on or near 'zero'). Poor acoustics/sound engineering can definitely take away from the ambiance of a performance and also make the overall sound very empty or sometimes overly full.

Another factor which will determine how you sound to yourself and your audience is your own amplifier or effects module. If using an amplifier as your personal onstage monitor, be sure to get the sound you want out of your amplifier before making any tweaks on the PA system. Most amplifiers have equalizer knobs to adjust the 'low' 'mid' and 'high' frequencies of the sound your amp is producing. Your amplifier is your personal PA system, and you are the sound engineer behind it, so be sure to tweak it to your liking before starting your performance.

I personally prefer a very all-rounded tone from my amp before any additional effects are applied, with a good mix of all the frequencies mentioned before; a good combination of 'low' 'mid' and 'high' that produces a very solid tone that captures all the frequencies. If you don't intend on using an amplifier but will make use of an effects module, be sure to get the engineer to give you the tone that is just right for your before ending the sound check. If using an acoustic/electric (semi-acoustic) instrument which allow you to adjust your tone directly from the instrument, try setting it to a very neutral tone so you can make any needed adjustments while playing/performing.

Once you achieve that perfect sound for you from your amplifier, it's now time to tweak your effects (if you're using any). I, at one time, thought that I needed to adjust every effect on my guitar pedal to attain a great tone, however this is not always the case. It's always nice to add some reverb to your instrument, but as mentioned before, it's totally up to you. If you've followed all the guidelines provided above, you should by this time be getting a great sound out of your personal amplifier as well as a very similar sound through the PA system.

For guitars, it's a good idea to turn on the compressor on your effects pedal as well as the noise gate if you intend on using distortion effects. The compressor, as it is called, compresses your sound, and sets a threshold for how loud your instruments can get. This can be really useful when playing very chord based rhythms in styles such as funk, blues, etc. The noise gate, decreases the level of outside noise which is picked up by your pick ups. As the name suggests, it's a gate for how much noise is allowed to be picked up and focuses attention on the sound produced by the instrument itself. When using distortion effects, this can be extremely helpful in getting rid of that noisy hum that becomes present when the effect is turned on.

This may not be a common practice, but some vocalists make use of guitar effects pedals, or dedicated voice effects pedals. With this, the vocalist can manipulate the tone of his/her voice in the same manner the pedal would have been used with a guitar. This allows the vocalists to completely control their sound, right at their feet. Effects such a 'wah' 'distortion' 'chorus' and 'delay' and amplifier simulations can help improve the vocalists' performance. Vocalists should also take heed to the guidelines provided above and get the right tone for their performances.

Getting the right tone can sometimes take very long to achieve will involve playing for days and tweaking until your tone is achieved.Tone can also improve a musician's playing ability as it is the same as a vocalist using their voice. A clean and crisp sound which produces the sound of your effects accurately can allow a musician to get more in tune with their instrument and focus more on their playing and also make the performance more enjoyable for the people listening. A poor tone can have a musician distracted while on stage, and result in them applying extra effort to get their performance to be the way they want it.

All in all, it's a smart idea to get your tone right when playing out or just jamming in your bedroom. Apply the tips provided above, and you will see a great improvement in your playing.

Peace, Love & Music

God Bless

Be a healthy musician

This may not be a topic on the mind of most musicians, but it's important to be a healthy musician. Just as with athletes, musicians engage in a physical activity every time they put their talents to work, and your body will need to be in a good condition to perform these tasks. There are some key areas of physical health that musicians should pay particular attention to, these are: the brain, the wrists, and the joints.

The Brain
Music is truly a mental stimulant, and it's one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. There's a lot of things going on in the brain when playing on your instrument and especially when improvising. Musicians are required to read scores of music, interpret it and articulate it on their or instrument, not to mention also remembering where each note/tone is placed on their instrument. When improvising, you are in a creative nutshell and must create music on you instrument on the spot; while keeping in sync with the pulse of the music. Musicians are said to use both sides of their brain more often than the average person.

Keep your brain in good shape by eating and sleeping well, and exercising regularly; among other things (See "50 ways to keep your brain in good shape") and taking nutritional supplements daily to ensure you're getting the minerals and vitamins that your brain needs to keep working efficiently.

The Wrists
The next area you should pay particular attention to is your wrists. Any musician who uses their hands to play their instrument needs to be aware of "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" and the things you can do to avoid it. Also keep in mind the signs and symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome so you can deal with this matter from the early stages if it becomes present. Pianists, guitarist and drummers have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the past which led to putting their hands "under the knife" or the end of their career in music altogether (a musician's nightmare!).

Learn about ways to prevent or treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by doing some research online and at your local library and consulting your local physician.

The Joints
Every musician uses their arms and legs to play, meaning every musician is susceptible to arthritis in it's many forms. Arthritis can literally mean the end of your musical career and can be a nightmare for most musicians. Recommended ways to keep the joints healthy are: drink water regularly, exercise regularly, regular intake of omega-3 from fish oils and vitamin C (which are know to keep bones and joints healthy), maintain a healthy body weight and don't over do it when when practicing (pain isn't always a sign of progress). Visit arthritis.webmd.com for more details on keeping your joints in good shape.

Overall, it's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a musician to ensure that you're always at the top of your game and always getting the gigs. Try to keep these tips in mind with your daily diet and also when practicing.

Live, laugh, love & music.

Our Facebook page

We've started a page on Facebook for all you music chasers out there, where you can check out posts of interesting stuff that I've come across on the web (i.e. facebook, twitter, youtube, etc). You can find us at http://www.facebook.com/ChasingMusicLife or click on the fb "like" button at the top of our posts on this page. The page is really like a resource for musicians to keep updated on what's happening with up-coming music professionals, and other musicians who are having a major impact on the music world.

It's also a place to go let your voice be heard, don't be afraid to share your thoughts on our wall or ask a question or two or post something your think other musicians would be interested in. We've always got interesting stuff coming through for you to check out and use in your musical development.

Make sure to also follow us on twitter @chasemusiclife to keep in the loop. Keep making good music for the world guys and never give up on you dream, you won't make the best of life if you don't live it doing what you love.

God bless.

Practicing your sight reading

With many musicians (or persons in general), the area of 'sight reading' and 'music theory' is always a sensitive one. Many would say that as a musician it is not absolutely necessary to learn to read music proficiently, while others will argue the opposite; that it is very much necessary to learn to sight read and become proficient at it. While I understand both points of view, I must side with the argument that sight reading is very much necessary to become a successful music professional.

I spent several years in music with only a basic understanding of music notation and theory, and a very limited ability to read sheet music. However, I was growing in many other areas such as improvisation, ear training and technique. I came to the realization that I must gain a broader understanding of music theory if I intended on taking my musicianship to another level.

I went searching on the web  for articles on this topic and read in one article the following extract:-

"Sight-reading assumes familiarity with musical notation and basic musical structure. Although physical agility is required, it is primarily a mental activity. An advanced physical facility on an instrument does not guarantee the ability to sight-read. In fact, students can learn to play difficult literature and yet often cannot sight-read music beyond the most elementary level. Some students find it necessary to labor for months on a single musical work, or a few pieces, in order to bring a performance up to an acceptable level."

I find this to be very true, as I have met musicians who are excellent sight-readers, but confess to an inability to improvise or identify melodic/harmonic qualities in music; while other musicians are outstanding improvisers and can identify many musical qualities, however, they are very limited in the area of sight-reading and understanding music theory. This imbalance however, must be overcome by any person intending on becoming a music professional. In the music industry, band leaders and music directors WILL be dropping sheets of music in front of you and you are expected to be able to articulate what's on the sheet with your instrument. There will also be other situations where you will not be required to read music notation; however, these job situations are limited and are usually under semi-professional conditions.

I started doing some basic sight-reading, taking it one step at a time. I looked all over the web for sight-reading exercises and tried a few books I had hanging around, but I knew I'd need someone to guide me and follow my progress. So I went in search of an instructor in my area.

I had heard about a young saxophonist who was studying at Berklee and lived in my area by the name Jesse Ryan. He was back home between semesters, so I thought I'd go check him for some advice about getting into Berklee. Jesse was a very friendly and open about anything I asked him; he was also a well balanced musician in the areas mentioned above and agreed to give me some lessons during his time in the country as he had also studied the guitar in the past.

During these classes we worked on some rudiments such as scales, arpeggios, chords, etc and also ventured into sight-reading. He introduced me to a book titled "Modern reading text in 4/4" by Louis Bellson and Gil Breines, which was a rhythm-reading text and was designed to get musicians familiar with syncopation and develop accuracy and speed in sight-reading. The book contained  91 pages of common time (4/4) rhythms; the only note used in the book is 'E' in the bass clef, and includes almost every possible combination of rhythms using half-notes, quarter-notes, eighth-notes, sixthteenth-notes, thirty-second notes and the triplets associated with each division mentioned before. I fell in love this book from the first lesson, and had to get a copy of my own. I continue to use it to this day. I highly recommend this text to every musician, from the beginner to the most advanced as it is a great reading tool and makes reading music very interesting. You can get a copy from Amazon.com here: "Modern reading text in 4/4" by Louis Bellson & Gil Breines

There is a follow-up text which was published titled "Odd Time Reading Text" by Louis Bellson & Gil Breines, for the more advanced reader which consists of rhythm reading exercises in irregular/odd time signatures. It includes exercises in 3/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 3/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8 and other time signatures, making use of all the note divisions mentioned before; and also exercises alternating different time signatures. I have not got a copy of this text yet; however, I'll get my hands on a copy soon when I've completely covered  "Modern reading text in 4/4". You can get a copy from Amazon.com here: "Odd Time Reading Text" by Louis Bellson & Gil Breines

While I was online on Amazon, I picked up a copy of a text for guitar sight-reading titled "Sight reading for classical guitar, Level I - III" by Robert Benedict. I've found this text very useful with developing my sight-reading on the guitar as it progressively increases in complexity as you get deeper into the book. A follow-up to this text is "Sight reading for classical guitar, Level IV - V" by Robert Benedict which would present more technical exercises for you when you've completed all in "Sight reading for classical guitar, Level I - III". To get a copy of these text, click on the following links:-

1.   "Sight reading for classical guitar, Level I - III" by Robert Benedict
2.   "Sight reading for classical guitar, Level IV - V" by Robert Benedict

Another fun tool you can use to practice your reading, which I was introduced to by Jesse are Real Books and Fake Books. These books are compilations of popular jazz music from the early 90's to preset and are usually in the form of lead sheets. There are illegal and legal versions of these books which can be found in local music stores as well as on the web. A good thing about these manuscripts is that there are also versions for transposing instruments such as the tenor saxophone which sounds a major ninth below written pitch. A good practice is to print (if using a soft-copy) a popular song from your real book every day, then learn and practice that song for that day. This way, you are practicing your reading and building your repertoire of songs at the same time, also go over songs you've already learnt to keep refreshed with your repertoire. A great tool for every musician, I would highly recommend getting your hands on a few versions and start practicing!

My lessons with Jesse were very fruitful and I can confess that I grew a lot in my musicianship while having these classes as you would have probably assumed from the above.

If you have any particular methods for practicing your sight-reading, let us know. Post your technique/method in the comments section below and remember to include your instrument and current reading-level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc).

Hope you enjoyed reading and keep your music sight-reading sharp with some of the methods mentioned in this post. Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

God Bless