Do you have a lot of music files in different places?

When working with clients I get lots of questions about my large music collection.  As I have “gone digital” years ago converting all my CDs to MP3 (256-320 kilobyte files for you techies out there).  When I first started I save the music in different naming conventions and in different locations which made it hard to tell if I had already ripped a CD or if I had a different version of a song. 

The first tool  I found that was a great help was MediaMonkey.  If you purchase the gold version, which I recommend, it will automatically scan whatever folders you ask it to do and can automatically organize your files based on whatever attributes you like.  When I say attributes, they are the tags associated with the music when it is saved to your computer.  It is VERY important that all your music have the right tags, otherwise you are missing out on a lot of good information such as the album, artist(s), composer, year released and so on.

Once you have all your music organized you want to you still may have music in different places/drives and or you simply may want to back it up (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). I have found that Microsoft’s SyncToy does the trick nicely. You can download it for free from Cnet Download.com. Note, SyncToy only works on Windoes XP and Vista.

With these two tools you will be well on your way to organizing, backing up, and getting the most out of your music library.

The Sound LA * 100.3 FM KSWD

Recently a new radio station has emeged in the Los Angeles market, titled The Sound.  I have been listening to the station and have found that overall it provides a good mix of “classic rock” music.  The music that is played consists of truly classic rock to the latest releases.

I would think if you are a fan of such music you might considere having it played during a cocktail hour/reception or maybe even during dinner.  Much of this type of music is perfect for listening to.  I hope you enjoy this new discovey in radio.  Enjoy!

Courtney Chambers and the Damage Done Band

I had the opportunity to perform following Courtney Chambers and the Damage Done Band on Friday evening May 16 on the Queen Mary in the Brittania Salon.  It is not often that I get to perform with any band, let alone this terrific three piece ensemble.  I highly recommend you check out their latest album, Bigger and Brighter.  You can find out more about Courtney and the band on MySpace.

Amazon.com features MP3 files

Amazon.com features high quality mp3 files you can download and transfer with ease. Amazon also lets you preview each song which is a great resource when deciding if it is the right song or not. There are many versions of the same song you can check and see which one you like the best. I recommend Amazon.com to my clients as they like the preview feature when deciding on what songs to include for their wedding or other special event.  Check them out by clicking on the image above or here.

Mari and Mickey in a Phil Vassar’s Music Video – “Love is a Beautiful Thing”

I was fortunate to be the Master of Ceremonies and DJ for the wedding of Mari and Mickey Quillman in November 2007 at Santiago Oaks Regional Park. I received an e-mail from Mari stating that she and Mickey were in a music video, featuring a photo from their wedding day! Read on to find out more…

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From: Mari Quillman

Hi Y’all,

I just thought I would pass along something kind of fun. I entered a photo of my new husband, Mickey, and I into a contest to have our photo included in Phil Vassar’s (country artist) new music video called “Love is a Beautiful Thing.” And, out of the thousands of photos that were entered into the contest, ours was picked!!! Yeah!!! If you go to the attached link you can watch the video. Our photo is the very last still photo (a closeup of our faces) shown in the video. We are really excited. Mickey was sure our photo would get picked because it shows how happy we are together but I was skeptical because I knew there would be so many entries. Well, he was right! When you go to the webpage, it may show you a commercial first so be patient. If it doesn’t come up right away, your computer may be blocking the page and you just have to allow it to be shown.

Love IS a beautiful thing! Have a great day!

http://www.cmt.com/videos/phil-vassar/209831/love-is-a-beautiful-thing.jhtml

A New Era in Sound Quality (Bose L1)

I am excited to announce a leap forward in audio quality. I have always maintained high quality audio equipment, but recently purchase the Bose L1 system (model 1).  I do not usually promote specific equipment, however I do believe this system deserves some time devoted to it.  For one the sound quality is superb.  Secondly the ability to be very close without being blasted is also another great benefit, especially since I do a lot of weddings in which inevitably a table or two is situation close to the speaker.  Thirdly it simply looks great, is easy to set up, and does not take up a lot of room, however the sound from the L1 can FILL a large room with FULL sound.

If you are interested in listening to this amazing speakers feel free to call toll free, 866.593.2659 or send an e-mail to david@vmmdj.com.  I offer free consultations to prospective clients so please do not hesitate to contact me. For more information on the Bose L1 system you can click on the link above or the photo below.

eMusic.com

If you are looking for music in MP3 form without at digital rights management (DRM) then check out emusic.com. There are many great artists well known and unknown. The costs are competitive with iTunes and Amazon.com to name a few, PLUS you get 50 free downloads just for trying the service.