Music & Arts:Take A Listen at the Mayville Bluegrass Festival
By Nick Corsi

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR

Nothing much in the world is more soothing then sitting in a field and listening to acoustic guitars, fiddles, mandolins, stand up basses, sweet vocals and all the other sounds come along with Bluegrass.

(more…)

Music & Arts: Edinboro takes us somewhere else…

By Nick Corsi

DOWNTOWN EDINBORO ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

We kicked off the summer season at Raven with the Edinboro Art and Music Festival. This small but packed venue really gives us a chance to get back into the swing of things. I remember someone saying if you like what you do, then you never work a day in your life, when you are working at this festival…”work” is the last thing on your mind.

DONNA THE BUFFALO

(more…)

Music & Arts:Raven Sound Utilizes Twitter
By Nick Corsi

FOLLOW @RAVENSOUND

I recently began utilizing Twitter to promote Erie, PA based sound reinforcement company Raven Sound. I knew that I wanted to include at least one social networking site into Raven’s marketing mix, and the fast and easy updating potential of Twitter while on the road and on stage doing gigs was the deciding factor in incorporating the ever growing Twitter.

THE TWITTER PLAN (more…)

Music & Arts: A Time For Rest
By Nick Corsi

SOME GREAT MUSICIANS WILL TELL YOU…

They will tell you this: A lot of times, it’s the notes that you DON’T play that truly make a composition what it is. An experienced musician knows when to hold back and let silence or resonance to fill the air. Sometimes we forget what “rest” can do for a piece of music, for a project, or for our work.

APPRECIATION AND ANTICIPATION

(more…)

Music & Arts: “Act Locally” Benefit Concert
By Nick Corsi

FINALLY – SOME OUTDOOR MUSIC!

This past Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh, our Habitat for Humanity Chapter put on a Benefit Concert. As a University chapter, we have a long term goal of eventually sponsoring the entire cost of a Habitat home. This goal will see its fruition in years to come, but the fund raising is ongoing and provides a slow but steady stream of income to the account. Each year our Benefit Concert provides for this goal and also acts as a capstone event for the year.

PLANNING (more…)

music & arts: classical music lessons

TED.COM – BENJAMIN ZANDER ON MUSIC AND SHINING EYES

Cant see it? Get FlashPlayer, or view at TED.com

DON’T BE AFRAID – CLASSICAL MUSIC IS YOUR FRIEND

(more…)

music & arts: Entry 3 of 3 in Music Festival Event Planning

MUSICAL FESTIVAL PLANNING

This post is the third and final in a series of 3. I have been exploring the planning of music festivals through the insights of one of Erie PA’s best event planners, Tammy Roche. Check out the first article “Music Festival: It’s All About Creation” and the second “Music Festival: It’s All About the Music.”

TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

So far we have talked about planning committees, music selections and event strategy…all that is left is to make it happen. The final installment of Music Festival planning focuses on some of the logistical issues that are faced when planning and implementing a music festival.

WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT? (more…)

music & arts:Entry 2 of 3 in Festival Event Planning

MUSIC FESTIVAL PLANNING

This blog post is the second in a series of 3. It is a look into musical festival planning through the insights of one of Erie PA’s best event planners, Tammy Roche. If you haven’t read the first article, “Event Planning: Its All About the Creation,” check it out here.

WHAT IS THE CORNERSTONE OF A MUSIC FESTIVAL? (more…)

music & arts: Entry 1 of 3 in Festival Event Planning

WITH WARM WEATHER COMES SWEET SOUNDS

Believe it or not, the summer is actually coming, and nice weather means one thing for music…outdoor concerts! But these concerts don’t just grow out of fields and shutdown streets, they grow from the fertile soils of hard work, teamwork and planning.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing one of Erie, PA’s premiere event planners, Tammy Roche, Director of Marketing and Development at the Erie Art Museum. Each year the Art Museum puts on a fantastic Blues and Jazz Festival at Frontier Park in Erie, PA. Tammy plans the whole thing and has been nothing but successful. Here are her insights into outdoor festival event planning.

THE BASICS

(more…)

Consciousness: inspiration

NOTHING MORE TO SAY

I can only wonder what it will take to melt our hearts…to make us realize our oneness…to make us want to participate in creating a world of love for all.

If the angelic voice of this messenger, and the words of his song do not do it…there seems to be little more to say.

Listen to the juvenile voice of Declan Galbraith from England, as he asks us all for answers to the most important question of all time…

Tell Me Why…click photo to hear his plea…

(more…)

music & arts: ode to event planners

CONCERTS: MORE THAN THE MUSIC

Have you ever gone to a concert or festival with ONLY music? You may think yes, but if music was all that you noticed, it is because some event coordinator really did his or her job. The performers on stage are not the only ones at work behind the success of an event, many more forces are at work.

WHAT KIND OF EVENT ARE YOU PLANNING?

(more…)

music & arts: inspiration of Joy Ike

DYNAMIC, DEEP, AND DIGGING IT

Attending a coffee shop gig a few weeks ago, I was told that Joy Ike was playing, and she would be a great artist to have on the bill for the Habitat For Humanity Benefit Concert I have been planning. I wasn’t disappointed, and I don’t think you will be either. If you are in Pittsburgh, check in to seeing her play and if you aren’t, check out Joy’s Myspace for a few tracks. Her sound is dynamic, thoughtful and fuses a brilliant spectrum of sound together, painting a beautiful picture.

THE LOW-DOWN

(more…)

Friday Funnies

Have you watched the hippo and dog singing and dancing to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”? More from the grandkids. This one starts to please them from age 2 on, while the folks who grew up with the song start singing along too.

Can’t see it? Get FlashPlayer, or view at YouTube.

GOT ONE TO SHARE?

(more…)

music & arts: The Ongoing History
By Nick Corsi

What is alternative rock?

I have always been a big Alternative Rock fan. What is alternative rock? Well, you could categorize it using a number of sub-genres such as grunge, punk, indie, hardcore, metal, or any off-shoot that isn’t completely mainstream. The last 40 years have provided an explosion in the amount of genres rock n roll has to offer. Classifying, categorizing, and placing different artists in the proper labels is incredibly difficult. But I know a guy who can give you a little help if this is something you want to tackle…

(more…)

music & arts: mind your music

A GREAT FIND

I had the pleasure of stumbling upon this book two years ago in my local Barnes & Noble. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but this just jumped out and said “pick me”. This book is for anyone who enjoys music, science, learning, great stories, and a pleasant change from everyday reading.

EVER WONDER WHY?…

(more…)

New fan? or Never seen an episode? Watch them for free at ABC.com’s Lost Page

music & arts: how entertainment can be a window to our lives

LOST RETURNS!

This week Lost, and all of its cryptic yet elegant glory, returned to ABC for a 3 hour Season Premiere. If you haven’t watched it before, Lost is a show about a group of people who have crash-landed on an Island in the Pacific Ocean. It doesn’t take long for the survivors to realize they are embarking on an endeavor that will provide them with a renewed sense of self. Over the course of the last 4 seasons, they experience times of happiness, hopelessness and utter confusion.

(more…)

music & arts: the realities of production

THINK ITS GLAMOROUS?

Think the entertainment industry is like the 3 hour awards shows we see four to five times a year on TV?  I sure hope not, because even though certain rockstars, moviestars, and broadway stars are constantly being taken care of, those who work in this industry are actually “working” and working, “a lot.”  And take it from me, it’s not always pretty.

WHAT IF ROADIES ACTUALLY DID RUN THE WORLD? THIS VIDEO COULDN’T BE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH.

Can’t see it? Get FlashPlayer, or view at YouTube.

(more…)

Carly sings BELIEVE
click to hear

law of attraction: responsibility

CARLY SINGS THE POWER OF BELIEVING

Remember Carly? – the most talented hair artist, actor, singer, bodybuilder – all- around woman I have met in a long time! I profiled Carly in a previous blog where I introduced you to how I attracted this special woman as my new hair stylist – and in true abundance, I found much more than a talented stylist -I found a new and amazingly talented friend.

BEING – BELIEVING – ACHIEVING

This is the tag line for my Soul Abundant site, and the essence of using our greatest powers of intuition, thoughts and emotions, to create our preferred reality. Carly took my course several months ago, and she recently sent me this email to share an exciting example of how the Law of Attraction is actually working in her life, helping her to fulfill one of her dreams.

CARLY ATTRACTS HER DREAM HOME – JUST BY BELIEVING…

(more…)

A Balanced Mind
click to enlarge

corporate mindshift: management:global trends

THINGS DON’T CHANGE: PEOPLE CHANGE THINGS

I like the quote from Andy Warhol, “They say time changes things but you actually have to change them yourself.” One of my best life lessons was coming to the realization that when I changed the way I looked at a situation – the situation itself seemed to change - when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change!

EASIER TO SAY, THAN TO DO…

(more…)

music business: performance musicians

BUILD YOUR MUSIC CAREER ONE TOWN AT A TIME

The music industry has thrived as a model of mass marketing. But it’s the personal relationships that make it grow. And as the old industry falls apart, those personal relationships, aided by the small world of the Internet, take over.

So, how do performing musicians take control of their lives, in addition to learning their craft, woodshedding (sitting in your room and practicing (in the woodshed) until you master your instrument and your ability to play music, then go out and perform), and praying?

THE PATH TO SUCCESS

(more…)