Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How To: make a vintage suitcase pedal board

This post is written by guest blogger Nicole Ayers. Nicole is a multi-talented musician who works at the Cincinnati House of Prayer. Thanks, Nicole for sharing this awesome tutorial!


If you’re an aspiring musician like me, it’s impossible to remain content playing just one instrument.  Most people begin learning the acoustic guitar (if you learn it in high school, that’s instant street cred for you my friend), but after a while, you’ll find the romance with your instrument begins to fade.  It’s now time to make another instrument sing.  

A natural thought comes to mind for the acoustic player, “Why not play the electric guitar?  How hard can it really be?”  

Somehow you get your hands on an electric guitar and quickly learn it needs to be amplified.  (“Ohhh, that’s what an amp is for.” )  So you go to Guitar Center and drop some cash on an amp.  In zeal, you pick up your new solid wood friend, play some chords, and realize:

It just doesn’t sound that good.  

This is a coming of age moment for you.  The electric guitar really is a different instrument.  Not only do you need to learn new chord shapes and scales, to get the sounds you want, you have to spend EVEN MORE MONEY.

Guitar pedals.  They are a must have.  But just because you have to drop additional cash on pedals, doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot on a pedal board.

The secret: build a suitcase pedal board.

Most thrift stores will have a vintage hardshell suitcase ($2) and voila - a pedal board that is both economical and super hipster.
Read on for Nicole's full How-To after the jump!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

crazy in love with Vitamin String Quartet

The quest for the perfect music to listen to while working is one that has plagued mankind for centuries. I felt obligated to drop by and inform everyone: crisis averted! Sean came home from work this week whistling the tune to Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi". He said he'd been playing it during class all day, to which I replied, "huh?!"
No, Lady Gaga is not the answer.
However, Vitamin String Quartet, the chamber ensemble who covered her entire "Born This Way" album instrumentally, is. More on VSQ after the jump!