I've been working with a Finnish singer who hopes to come to the U.S. next spring. Ideally, we'd like to play some shows in the U.S., but it looks like obtaining a visa may be very challenging... [more inside]
posted by malocchio on Nov 6, 2009 - 7 answers

Celebrity Sexual Preference-filter: Does Gordon Gano, singer of the Violent Femmes, like boys, girls, or both?
posted by Jon_Evil on Oct 17, 2009 - 9 answers

My band is going on a national rock tour: what should I know? [more inside]
posted by Potomac Avenue on Aug 12, 2009 - 24 answers

How can I advance from being someone who plays the guitar to a real guitarist? I'm tired of the same old open chords and basic barres. How do I become a true musician on the instrument? Kinda long inside thingy. [more inside]
posted by Precision on Jul 28, 2009 - 22 answers

I am a borderline professional guitarist who suffers from hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) and also seems to have developed a very oil-extruding physiology. Is there anything I can do to make it so that I don't have to wash my hands between each and every song? If not, what is the most efficient way to clean up and dry off my hands every five minutes or so? [more inside]
posted by sid abotu on Jul 20, 2009 - 17 answers

Popular musicians on the absolute farthest end of the emotion scale during live performance: looking for the stiffest of the stiff. [more inside]
posted by oflinkey on Jan 30, 2009 - 66 answers

Where do the amateur classical/jazz musicians hang out online? [more inside]
posted by lemonade on Oct 28, 2008 - 4 answers

What is the 'proper' title for someone who is a graphic designer, music composer, photographer and a videographer all together.
posted by bostonhill on Sep 17, 2008 - 22 answers

Looking for a quote where a rock star(?) says that he became a musician because he couldn't do anything else. Or wasn't good at anything else. Or had no other option/choice. Or something to that effect. Help?
posted by unknowncommand on Sep 9, 2008 - 22 answers

What do I need to be doing in order to transition from being a strictly open chords style guitar player to a lead/riff oriented player? [more inside]
posted by davey_darling on Jul 7, 2008 - 10 answers

Whatever happened to Lamya? [more inside]
posted by sergeant sandwich on Jun 28, 2008 - 5 answers

Where do gainfully employed, moderately settled, experienced mid-30s musicians connect to play together casually and on occasion rawk out? [more inside]
posted by El Curioso on Jun 19, 2008 - 4 answers

Which football club does Billy Bragg support? I understand he was born in Bridport, Dorset, and grew up in Barking, a suburb of the east Greater London area. Does Billy support Bridport FC, Barking FC, or some other club? [more inside]
posted by MetaK9 on Jun 11, 2008 - 9 answers

How can I find a list of compatible audio cards for Dell Dimension 9100? I'd like to upgrade to a top of a line one for this machine since I am a home-studio musician and the C-Media mixer I currently have is full of static and sucks real bad. Thank you in advance!
posted by cheero on May 21, 2008 - 3 answers

i want to find some good music forums online. [more inside]
posted by messiahwannabe on Mar 6, 2008 - 14 answers

AskMe Musicians - I'm buying a drum set for the first time. What advice would you offer me? [more inside]
posted by Afroblanco on Feb 15, 2008 - 14 answers

Where would I look/advertise to find a improvisational keyboard player for an improv group in the Los Angeles area? [more inside]
posted by Shecky on Jan 21, 2008 - 2 answers

How can I find the right bass player for my band in the Philadelphia area? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Dec 30, 2007 - 20 answers

What kind of (black) suits, shirts, ties, shoes did sixties soul musicians wear on stage? [more inside]
posted by IZ on Dec 9, 2007 - 4 answers

Looking for a concise title / job description for the music-related service I provide. [more inside]
posted by yorick on Jul 26, 2007 - 9 answers

For the next seven weeks or so, I'm a tour widow. Yes, my boyfriend is going on tour for the first time since we've been dating. How do I stop being such a whiny baby about it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 18, 2007 - 24 answers

Where can I practise and record my music? I'm only looking for very basic demo quality, and need to do it very, very cheaply. [more inside]
posted by Ira.metafilter on Jun 14, 2007 - 6 answers

Help me expose myself! How can I get my music heard? [more inside]
posted by SampleSize on Mar 29, 2007 - 29 answers

Real music-making onscreen: Fiction movies in which actors, portraying musician characters, actually play the instruments and/or sing? [more inside]
posted by lorimer on Mar 13, 2007 - 63 answers

Help me find a good travel agent. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, and would love to find someone local, but I'm also open to other options. [more inside]
posted by purplefiber on Feb 11, 2007 - 3 answers

How can I stop listening to an annoying street musician? [more inside]
posted by pantufla on Jul 25, 2006 - 22 answers

I'm looking for music written and performed by people who are famous for something besides being musicians. [more inside]
posted by Plutor on Jul 5, 2006 - 62 answers

For theatre (and other) projects, I sometimes need music that I can't find on CD. Is there a service that lets you email sheet music to a musician, who then a musician records the song and sends it back to you as an mp3? I'm looking instrumental music -- no vocals. Just a piano/keyboard is generally fine. [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Jun 12, 2006 - 9 answers

Sometimes, but not always, when I play my acoustic guitar, I get this dark "dirt" on my fingertips... [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Mar 24, 2006 - 12 answers

Help me identify this LA based musician and find some of his recordings. Jon Brion perhaps... [more inside]
posted by sourwookie on Sep 7, 2005 - 10 answers

MusicianFilter: Why do I favour some names of notes in the chromatic scale over their other names? [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane on Jul 1, 2005 - 15 answers

Tips for a musician collaborating with a "non-musician"? [more inside]
posted by hellbient on Mar 17, 2005 - 12 answers

What is the etiquette involved in using a band name that is similar to one already in existence. [more inside]
posted by Kellydamnit on Mar 4, 2005 - 26 answers

MusicianFilter: What should I do with my recordings? [MI]
posted by ludwig_van on Nov 30, 2004 - 18 answers

Does anyone make an expandable, portable stereo digital music recorder? Several hard-disk MP3 players now support voice recording in mono. Korg has a cool little four-track recorder that unfortunately uses SmartMedia (128MB limit). This would be for a musician who likes to record every gig, but can't afford to hire a professional to mic every instrument. At the moment, he uses a consumer-grade minidisc recorder and a high quality stereo mic.
posted by b1tr0t on Nov 16, 2004 - 10 answers

KrimmixPresentFilter: My husband (who does not visit Metafilter) is a musician and I'd like to get him either a lap steel or pedal steel guitar for Christmas. Since it would be rather obvious if I just randomly asked him what brands are good, etc., I thought that maybe some of the MeFiMusicians could help. If you were going to be given a lap or pedal steel, which one would you want?
posted by stefnet on Nov 8, 2004 - 10 answers

GuitarAmeaturQuestion: I'm performing with my guitar tonight (I'm playing, someone else is singing). Now I can play the song alright, but this will be my first time playing in front of a large group since I started playing (about 6 months ago). During the auditions for this event I got nervous enough that my fingers trembled slightly making it hard for me to play (obviously).

Any tips on how to stay calm during the real thing and play okay (besides the cliched "picture them in their underwear" thing)? Advice from guitar players and non-guitar players alike is most welcome.
posted by Stauf on Nov 6, 2004 - 25 answers

Touring guitarist with Sarah McLachlan. Vic Something? I caught the pick, but not his last name when introductions rolled around. No info on her site detailing band members, a friend says they rotate depending on the tour. I'd love to know if the guy has any of his own work out. Any suggestions?
posted by yoga on Jul 31, 2004 - 6 answers

I compute and play music in the same room, and recently I've been getting nagging notions that maybe all the excess vibrations caused my amplifiers and drums and all such as that may not be the best thing to have my computer around? what do you reckon? and I also have my actual tower on my desk next to a pretty sizable audio monitor...should I be worrying about the magnet inside of the speakers?
posted by mcsweetie on Jul 2, 2004 - 5 answers

In about a week, my boyfriend and I are flying from Chicago to Boston. He plans to play with his band while he's there, and so would require his bass (electric). This is not something we would want to check, for risk of damage or theft. But I don't think that sort of thing is allowed as carry-on. What can we do? I know that a lot of locked items are forced open nowadays for security checks. Does anyone have any experience with transporting instruments via air? We're taking ATA by the way.
posted by agregoli on Mar 16, 2004 - 22 answers