Tag: music

$10 Pre-sale of My Upcoming CD, Less Than 2 Weeks Left

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Hey Everyone,

Be A Part Of Mike's New CD!
Want your picture in the Dude label and placed on the back of the CD? Click to find out how!

Ive been burning the midnight oil getting this CD to completion. It is an amazing process to write, arrange, record and manufacture a project like this. It has been a blast!!

Your pre-purchase of the CD and other merchandise goes directly to funding the completion of the project and making it the best it can be!!

There are also other items you can purchase…Commemorative beer mugs($1 off fills), a chance to PLAY on the CD, a tax deductible sponsorship w your picture on the back of the CD in a Dude label…

Thanks to all those who’ve already contributed!!! Please share with all your #guitar and #craftbeer friends!!!

CD Pre-Sale

Don’t forget the big CD Release Party November 4 at Oceanside Ale Works!!

Thanks,

Mike

DUDE CD, Days 1 & 2

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Be A Part Of Mike's New CD!

Day one started with a trip to the Dr.  due to a pinched sciatic nerve…now I am on steroids…works for athletes we’ll see how it gets me through the CD’s completion…lol I was up until 3:30 AM working on the music so I guess I am PUMPED up! Only problem is I was up at 7:30 AM to hit the pavement.

Campaign Update:

No sooner then the campaign was released the first backer purchased the Guitar/Craftbeer Aficionado package(Includes the CD, VIP invite to CD Release Party(Nov 4, 2017) and a commemorative beer mug($1 off fills at Oceanside Ale Works for life of mug) Thanks to Risa Lin for being the first contributor and sparing me any time of looking at a $0 goose egg!! We have never met but she is part of the Slayen clan who settled in Canada probably over 100 years ago before my grandfather moved to California. Thank you Risa!!!! Of course mom and Aunt Diane were right there at the beginning too!

Special thanks to our first sponsor, as well!! Eric Schweinfurter of Apex Contracting & Restoration, came in early on day 2. The tax-deductible sponsorship package offers: your image in the DUDE label which will be prominently featured on the back of the CD, among other perks including VIP and early entrance to the CD Release Party. Just like the name says Apex can help you with all your contracting AND restoration needs!!!

And of course many of the awesome items we are offering contributors would not be possible without the agernous support of Mark Purciel and Oceanside Ale Works. If you haven’t been make sure you go, if not before, then definitely  on Nov 4 for the CD release party!

Cheers,

Mike

Best Superbowl XLVIII Commercial

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I was really looking forward to this game. The #1 Defense vs the #1 Offense of all-time. How could the matchup not provide a great sports battle?

Wow, the game was anything but! Jumped the shark at :12 into the game…it was over!

You know what else has jumped the shark? Superbowl commercials! Well, not the hype and people’s expectations…but the crazy, catch your eye, LMAO type commercials. People love to talk about the commercials the day after, but, that’s about it. Theres no WAZZUP or Bud-Wei-Ser frogs or Cindy Crawford.

Like everything, it is now a formula, of being extremely stupid, overly sentimental, over the top selling sex to sell whatever…

None of those are that bad of advertising approaches in general. But, the art of creating a Superbowl commercial has reached an all-time boring low!

My favorite? The only one that actually stood out?

T-Mobile! They used the late, great Roger Miller’s, “Whistle Stop.” When I was a little bitty Mike cutting my teeth on music this little ditty put the first music wrinkles on my brain.

Kudos to T-Mobile, except for the new studio created/edited ending to the song/commercial, they get my vote for best commercial of the day.

Here is the whole tune:

Let’s hope the game and commercials can step it up a notch for Superbowl XLIX

Music to Relax, Queensryche, “I Will Remember”

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It has been a while since I’ve done a “Music to Relax,” post. But the time has come and Happy 2014 to those of you who’ve been holding your collective breaths waiting for the next piece of music to slow your heart rate and send you into musical Nirvana.

After a 3 mile run and while walking back to the house, Queensryche’s, “I Will Remember,” shuffled through my iPod. What a great song to regulate the body and bring my heartbeat back to a resting rate.

Queensryche was once a noted heavy metal band of the 80’s, unfortunately, now known more for fighting like little babies over use of the band’s name, etc. Much like Styx and their ex-band mates have gone through.

Although they were  a metal band this is such a peaceful tune. The song employed a unique sound, a little dark with a melodic, harmonized guitar solo. Vocalist Geoff Tate’s usual over the top operatic runs gave way to some extremely controlled phrasing, without relinquishing his powerful voice. Some of his best work in my opinion.

Take a trip back to the 80’s, relax and Enjoy!

View previous ‘Music to Relax’ posts.

Here’s to a Musical 2014!

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Been a great year on many fronts. Day to day it was great, life and work, enjoyable and getting better, although, overall it was a weird year and I can’t really say I am sorry to see 2013 in the rearview mirror.

Blogging was waaaay in the backseat this year, for many reasons. To ALL my fans and followers(mom) I greatly apologize.

Still there were a few interesting trends at 12 Notes & the Truth!

-The little Michael Schenker post I wrote a couple of years ago continues to get hits all the time. Personally I am glad to know there is so much interest in one of my all time favorite guitarists!

-Folks are interested in 12×12 Sudoku, lots of continued hits there, as well

-Malaysia found its way to 12 Notes ALOT. In fact more than any other non-English speaking country. And I know my mom was not in Malaysia this year. Welcome and hope you keep visiting!

-Allegedly Google’s privacy policy has blocked  the ever valuable resource of knowing the ‘search terms’ that led visitors to websites. I am SURE they didn’t mine your information any more either…right?!

-One thing that has not changed is my lifetime love of music. Creating, performing, listening, studying and discussing the effect these 12 Notes have on our lives!

Soon this blog may split between another website http://www.guitarguys.com keep an eye out for it as the year develops and I am sure I will let ya know, as well!

Well that’s it short and sweet…

I am looking forward to many great projects and wish you all a prosperous and healthy New Year 2014!

I always teach my kids/students, major, sounds happy and, minor, sounds sad…with that in mind…

Keep life on the Major Sonority side of the street!

Peace,

Mike

Making a Halloween Music Playlist? Deviate From the Norm!

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Happy Halloween! The good news is I have been keeping a guitar in my hands…much more than my blog lately. So with not much time to write thought I would reblog last years Halloween Playlist ideas. Also type Halloween in the search bar top of my site for other previous Halloween posts. BOO! Mike

Mike Slayen ~ Guitarist

Happy Halloween Week everyone! Always one of my favorite holidays.

Are you one of those people who loves to make a playlist for your Halloween parties or to scare trick or treaters as they come hit you up for their Snickers fix?

Well if so this post is for you, and for those of you looking to treat your ears to some new music, as well.

Year after year we hear the same ol’ Halloween standards….Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” “The Monster Mash,”  “One Eyed One Horned Purple People Eater” as festive, quirky pop tunes. Then there is the sophisticated setlisters who employ classical music.  Pieces like; Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D min,” Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mtn. King” and Orff’s “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana.

Lets ‘Deviate from the Norm’ this year….to borrow a line from Rush’s Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. Here are a few ideas…

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Why Hire a Professional Wedding Musician?

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I get plenty of these type responses, as to why people don’t want to pay a professional musician to perform their ceremony…

“My nephew plays guitar,”

“My Uncle’s barber’s son plays guitar and will do our wedding for $50,”

“Our best man plays guitar,” and so on and so on.

Careful you might get this person!! That is assuming they even show up. I often book last minute weddings from those who hired their uncle’s barber’s son, who chicken out two days before the ceremony when they try to learn the music and realize they can’t play it…

Here is why you might want to have a second thought hiring family, a friend or friend of a friend.

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Happy 4th of July, 2013

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Happy 4th of July everyone! Hope you have a fun and safe holiday while celebrating the  anniversary of our Nation’s Independence!

Just wanted to post two quick versions of the Star Spangled Banner guitar style.

I recently saw Yngwie Malmsteen in San Diego and he performed a tribute to the military with a rendition of the National Anthem( bottom video)

The top video is Yngwie performing the SSB at a Miami Marlins baseball game. I could lament how I think the Anthem should be played traditionally when played for events but c’mon lets face it no one really watches Marlins baseball anyway. Musically he does a remarkable job incorporating all his guitar fireworks into the structure of the song.

Enjoy your freedoms like they mean something to you! Happy 4th!