New Music Life

Dinner & Jazz - Heart & Soul

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:25:00 GMT

In This Issue:
New Show Announcement
New Blog Entry

Show Announcement
Dust off your fedora and surprise your valentine with authentic jazz music as Jonathan Cummings and Friends perform at the St. Luke’s Heart and Soul Dinner and Jazz fund raising event at 6:00 PM February 11th Cove Rd. & A1A Stuart, Florida.

Jonathan Cummings and some of his friends from the Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society will be playing everything from Moonlight Serenade to Come Fly With Me. They will be performing songs from George Gershwin to Frank Sinatra.

The Dinner will be Chicken Marsalis, Italian Potatoes, Baked Ziti, Veggies and all the fixings. There will be a dessert Viennese Table with a chocolate fountain, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Tickets are $45.00
Call (772) 286-5455
Or Click - http://jonathancummings.com/fr_gettickets
all proceeds go to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Blog
After trying to juggle several projects at once over the past six months or so, I have come to the cruel conclusion that I am incapable of doing everything for everybody. Therefore after some serious soul searching and self examination, I have decided to focus exclusively on two professional musical categories: My job at St. Luke’s as the contemporary music director, and live jazz performance. I am also spending a significant portion of my time attending school to obtain a music degree.

Studio music production has become overtly time consuming and rudely expensive. Trying to keep up with the latest software and hardware just to be competitive in the marketplace is a battle best left to those who are focusing solely on that career alone.

I mentioned that this conclusion was cruel. The subsequent decision, however, has been quite healing. I can’t help but to feel a new excitement regarding this new path. I have already met several new musician friends who share a love for Jazz. And I keep asking myself why I maneuvered away from continuing my journey down Jazzes’ path so many years ago. Rehearsing for the February 11th show has rekindled my love for this American art form, and I am looking forward to many more Jazz shows in the future.

I would love to see as many of you as can make it to this show. The musicality of these musicians can not be put in words. I can tell you that I haven’t played with such expert and mature musicians since I left Los Angeles. I will be playing with a four piece ensemble (piano, drums, upright bass, and sax) the members of which have had experience playing together on several occasions, and some of them are members of the Fort Pierce Jazz and Blues Society.

Please come and join us for a great show!

Your friend,
Jonathan

Long Time No Write

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:00:00 GMT

So much has happened in my life in the last year or so and I have neglected my old friend: The Blog. For the first time in my life, I feel like my life is finally on track. I am in the process of writing my first book (and it is a daunting task), I am making a great income as a musician, and my personal life is finally coming together. There is no way to tell of everything that has happened in one blog so I will have to take it a little bit at a time. Let me start by focusing on my job at St Luke’s Episcopal Church.

I started about a year ago playing Contemporary Christian Rock music for a small group that met on Sunday mornings at 9:00. It was just me and my guitar without any amplification. And here I am a year later playing with my own back up tracks that I am producing in my studio and performing through my system. The group has grown and everyone loves my contribution to the service.

One of my new toys is the Digitech Vocalist Live 3. I love this thing! I plug my guitar directly into my Boss RC 50 loop station and then into the Vocalist Live 3 along with my mike. The Live 3 has great effects for the guitar and voice as well. The Live 3 analyzes what chord I am playing on the guitar and if I have the harmony button pressed, it detects what note I am singing, and then decides what harmonies to reproduce in my own voice. The results are incredible. I can choose one or two harmonies above or below my own voice in a number of settings: a third above and a third below, a third above and a fifth above, an octave below and a third above or any other combination. It also has great pre vocal effects, gender control, a guitar tuner, pitch correction, and many other valuable features. Without the harmony feature – which I believe is the most useful tool for me personally – it would still be a great vocal processor! If you are a single performer like me, get one of these!

Our next step is to get projector screens and project the song lyrics and other pertinent material instead of printing out the lyric sheets every week. It will be so great for everyone to be able to look up, rather than have their noses stuck in the printed song sheets. Reverend Carol and I have discussed many other ways to make the experience better as well. I am just happy to be a part of it all.

A few words about some other things that are going on:

I am a semi-finalist in the Treasure Coast’s Got Talent Contest and I will be competing on October 1st at the new StarStruck theatre (2101 South Kanner Highway Stuart, FL 34994 – get tickets here - http://www.showclix.com/events/starstruck/affiliate/) and if I come in first in my category, I will go on to sing for the title on October 8th.

I have also been invited to perform for the StarStruck Grand Opening Gala on October 22nd and one of my numbers will be “A Little Help From My Friends”. Check out this video of me doing the song at the Lyric Theatre if you want a preview. http://Jonathancummings.com

Also on November 20th, I am the featured performer for the Riverside Theatre’s Breakfast with Santa which is a part of their annual Festival of Trees.

Well that’s all for this entry. Next time I will be writing about my soul mate. That’s right, I found her! We have been together now for over a year – 15 months to be exact – and things couldn’t be better. Like I said in the beginning – so much has happened in the last year and I have neglected my old friend: The Blog. But I have had good reasons.

Live with passion!

Jonathan

The Music Plan

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:20:00 GMT

It has been a long time since I have written an entry so let me update you a bit:

It is my goal at this point to be a full time professional musician and I am documenting the process so I can maybe teach it to others in the future but let me give you a simple outline of the plan here. I am playing every Friday night at The Santa Fe Café, I am selling my CDs there and also I have another gig playing my guitar and singing at a church!

So now I am looking for one more gig on maybe a Thursday or Saturday night to be where I want to be in the live performance area. My goal, as it is written in my journal, is to make $250.00 a week from gigs, another $200.00 a week from CD sales, and somewhere around $50.00 or so in tips.

Now you may want to ask me how I am selling so many CDs and the answer is that I have a secret that enables me to sell a lot of CDs and I am not going to reveal it just yet. I need to do a bit more research and development first and more case study of my own experience from using this selling method before I am ready to let the secret out.

So all together that’s about $500.00 a week from CD sales, gigs and tips. Once I have reached that goal I am going to move onto step two which is to focus on radio and TV jingles or voice and guitar instruction.

You see, I have organized my life to a point where I can get by on about five bills a week so everything from that point is just building my business. Three gigs and my CD selling method and I don’t need a day job!

After I move on to Phase II Jingles and then Phase III Teaching, I should have a music business that I can teach to other musicians. I plan on documenting all my failures and set backs as well as breakthroughs and successes. So let me tell you where I am right now.

I am performing every Friday night at a small outside restaurant bar called The Santa Fe Café. I am trying to sell at least 5 CDs a night but I will soon be selling 10 if everything goes like I plan. I also am playing once a week at a church as music director for a service. I obviously can’t sell CDs there but I have made some great friends who come to my gigs.

So far I am bringing in about 200 dollars a week so with one more nightly gig and a few more CDs I should be able to make 500 and that is a perfect amount of singing so not to make me too hoarse.

OK! Please comment on this post you guys! Let me know where you think I am making mistakes or where I am doing the right things. Lets be successful during this recession and make all our dreams come true! We are no longer called indie musicians but now we are called musipreneurs!

Support your favorite indie musicians and live with passion!

No more Lost

Mon, 24 May 2010 03:56:58 GMT

Here I am sitting here waiting for the series finale of lost. First, there is a two hour recap show at seven, then the two and a half hour series finale. Then, after the news, Jimmy Kimmel Live will have Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. So that is about six hours of Lost!
On one hand, I hope I never find myself this addicted to a show again. But on the other hand, I hope that Lost is not the last time a group of creators and writers make something this great.
Lost was a television event the likes of which have never been experienced before, and like a lot of other fans, I am already having withdrawals even before the last episode has started.
Well, that is one hour a week I will have to be creative or practice or do something worth wile.
Until the next great show, that is.
Please keep supporting your favorite independent musicians.
Till next time,
Jonathan Cummings

American Idol - Judged by me!

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:55:00 GMT

This is the first time I have taken an interest in American Idol. I have not watched the show in the past because I think the judging sucks. I mean really sucks. I have a question: What does the word “pitchy” mean? I have been studying music for most of my life and I have never heard the word until I started watching the show. If they mean the vocalist has bad intonation, why don’t they just say it?

I judge using the following formula; I take the average of 10 different aspects of singing to make up 70% of the final score. Then I judge as if I had no music ability what-so-ever (I call this the layman’s number) and that makes up 30%.

Siobhan Magnus sang “Through The Fire” by Chaka Khan
Randy said, not her best performance.
Ellen said, went off a bit.
Kara said, not quite there but she is entitled to an off night.
Simon said, she sounded out of breath.
I say: She has been on top of my list for the past few performances but tonight she sang in a bad key. She should have raised the key another half step or whole step. The low notes at the beginning of the song weren’t bad, but when she came to the hook, the word “fire” fell right on the bridge between her real and mixed voice and she failed to execute one of the most important riffs of the song. I have a feeling she chose a key that would facilitate her hitting the “scream note” on a specific pitch. I love her high screams but I think she should have paid more attention to the key of the song itself.

Intonation  8  Control  8 Vibrato 8 Range 9 Timbre 8
Riffs & Scales 8 Song Choice 9  Congruence 9  Look 8
Confidence 7 Layman’s number  7

Siobhan gets a 78.4%

Casey James sang “Hold On, I’m Comin'” by Sam & Dave
Randy said, it was great.
Ellen said, a little generic, in his safe zone.
Kara said, he has more range, wants to see more.
Simon said, strongest so far and was impressed.
I say: OMG! Casey is one of these performers who can stand in one spot and still take up the whole stage! His stage presence is unbelievable. Also, his guitar work is top notch. I would have certainly paid to see a night of that. He looks and sounds like a pro. I was once performing back in the '80s, and Jeff Goldblum walked into the room. Everyone there felt his presence. Casey also has this “X-factor”. It is something that some people are born with.

Intonation 9 Control 9 Vibrato 9 Range 9 Timbre 9
Riffs & Scales 9  Song Choice 10   Congruence 9  Look 9
Confidence 10 Layman’s number 9

Casey gets a 91.4%

Michael Lynche sang “Ready For Love” by India Arie
Randy said, he is in the zone.
Ellen said, beautiful.
Kara said, incredible job.
Simon said, the first time I can take you serious as an artist.
I say: I love big Mike and he has gotten high scores from me every time I have heard him sing. This was spot on. Another great performance.

Intonation 9 Control 9 Vibrato 9 Range 9 Timbre 9
Riffs & Scales 9 Song Choice 7  Congruence 7  Look 8
Confidence 8  Layman’s number 8

Mike gets an 82.8%

Didi Benami sang “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted?” by Jimmy Ruffin
Randy said, it flat lined and was a little sharp.
Ellen said, too dramatic.
Kara said, overdone and don’t know who you are anymore.
Simon said, it was like swimming in jelly. (I always knew Simon was kinky.)
I say: I really don’t know what to say about Didi. I gave her 4s and 5s last week and this week she gets 6s and 7s. She is a loose cannon for me. Sometimes she does O.K. and other times her intonation is atrocious. I don’t think she deserves to win but she does have something unique about her. She has a few issues vocally. She will sometimes sing a word with an “ooo” vowel sound much too quiet rather than compensating for volume. She needs a good vocal coach to clear up a few elementary problems.

Intonation 6 Control 7 Vibrato 7 Range 7 Timbre 6
Riffs & Scales 7  Song Choice 8  Congruence 6  Look 7
Confidence 7  Layman’s number 6

Didi gets a 65.6%

Tim Urban sang “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker
Randy said, he was like a singing waiter. No swag. No vibrato on “love”.
Ellen said, he looked like he was sneaking into the bedroom.
Kara said, he sucked the soul out of the song.
Simon said, the song choice was like a mouse picking a fight with an elephant. He’s laughing because I don’t think it makes a bit of difference whatsoever what we say.
I say: The question I have been asking myself ever since I first heard Tim is: How did he make it on the show?

Intonation 5 Control 5 Vibrato 5 Range 6 Timbre 6
Riffs & Scales 6  Song Choice 5  Congruence 6  Look 6
Confidence 6  Layman’s number 5

Tim gets a 54.2%

Andrew Garcia sang ”Forever” by Chris Brown
Randy said, Andrew is back. Your best performance in a long time.
Ellen said, amazing and strong.
Kara said, one great leap in the right direction.
Simon said, miles better but boring.
I say: This is the first time that Andrew has looked and sounded like a real performer. His intonation and control over his voice was not bad for once and I actually enjoyed his performance instead of cringing like I usually do when I listen to him.

Intonation 8 Control 8 Vibrato 8 Range 7 Timbre 8
Riffs & Scales 8  Song Choice 8  Congruence 7  Look 7
Confidence 7  Layman’s number 8

Andrew gets a 77.2%

Katie Stevens sang “Chain Of Fools” by Aretha Franklin
Randy said, this was one of the best vocal performances of the night. You sure do have the pipes.
Ellen said, I thought the vocals were great but I wish the song was more current.
Kara said, you found your zone, pop and R&B.
Simon said, I thought it was pretty good, but you came over as cold in that performance.
I say: Every one is telling Katie to sound young and not so mature. Don’t do it Katie! You sound best when you listen to your own inner voice. In past performances, I have given her 4s and 5s, but she did a lot better this week.

Intonation 7 Control 7 Vibrato 8 Range 8 Timbre 8
Riffs & Scales 8  Song Choice 8  Congruence 6  Look 6
Confidence 7  Layman’s number 7

Katie gets a 72.1%

Lee Dewyze sang “Treat Her Like A Lady” by The Cornelius Brothers
Randy said, unbelievable…the bomb!
Ellen said, best performance of the night.
Kara said, amazing!
Simon said, this may have been the night your life changed forever.
I say: This was the best performance I have seen from him so far but still, this is the first time I actually thought he may belong on this show.

Intonation 7 Control 7 Vibrato 7 Range 8 Timbre 8
Riffs & Scales 7  Song Choice 8  Congruence 8  Look 8
Confidence 7  Layman’s number 7

Lee gets a 73.5%

Crystal Bowersox sang “Midnight Train To Georgia” by Gladys Knight
Randy said, another great performance.
Ellen said, another side of you.
Kara said, I’m glad you took that risk.
Simon said. it was a bit old-fashioned.
I say: Chrystal knows what she should be doing. She is a seasoned performer. This was not one of the times where she blew my sox off, (no pun intended on her last name) but she is still great. She needs to strap her guitar back on and do what she does best.

Intonation 8 Control 8 Vibrato 8 Range 8 Timbre 8
Riffs & Scales  8  Song Choice 8  Congruence 8  Look 8
Confidence 8  Layman’s number 9

Chrystal gets an 83%

Aaron Kelly sang “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
Randy said, it was just kind of all right.
Ellen said, a good song choice, good job.
Kara said, I liked it but I wasn’t in love with it.
Simon said, there’s absolutely no chance you’ll be leaving the competition.
I say: This is another singer who shouldn’t have made it on the show. I have not heard a single performance that impressed me.

Intonation 7 Control 6 Vibrato 6 Range 7 Timbre 6
Riffs & Scales 7  Song Choice 8  Congruence  8  Look 8
Confidence 7  Layman’s number 7

Aaron gets a 70%

I did not publish the scores from last week so let me sum it up. Siobhan and Michael both received a 9. Chrystal and Casey both received high 8+. Everyone else was below 6.7. I feel that the four top performers did not do as well as they usually do with the exception of Casey who was unbelievable tonight. And the crew on the bottom did a little better than they normally do.

So here is the list form best to worst this week:

1) Casey – 91.4%
2) Chrystal – 83%
3) Big Mike – 82.8%
4) Siobhan – 78.4%
5) Andrew – 77.2%
6) Lee – 73.5%
7) Katie – 72.1%
8) Aaron – 70%
9) Didi – 65.6%
10) Tim – 54.2%

"Gypsy", Live at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart Florida. (Part 3 of 3)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:30:00 GMT

What an awesome experience it was to play “Herbie” in “Gypsy”! It was truly an enjoyable experience to share the stage with so much talent and so many good people who have now become my friends.

One of the very first scenes from the play consisted of a group of young girls; Erin Carolan, Sydney Sabol, Landry Bearden, Tara Windsor, Dallas Williams, Colleen Broome and Katie Rodgers.

Erin Carolan (Magician) for being the youngest person on the set she was often times the most mature. Despite how small and meaningless something may have appeared to be, she continued to show extreme attention to everything and gave equal consideration to anything that needed to be done. Even while playing a part on stage she stood by her mom (Alice/Our thorough and detail oriented Costume Director) who we couldn’t have lived with out. They are both perfect additions to the Starstruck Productions crew with their amazing abilities.

Sydney Sabol (Balloon girl & Newsgirl) displayed a mature and professional attitude and has (as I have recently found out) what I truly believe to be some real film making talent.

I had the pleasure of working with Landry Bearden (Violin Player & Newsgirl) during the previous Starstuck production when I was in “Company”. She has grown a lot in that year and is turning out to be quite a beautiful young lady.

Tara Windsor (Drummerette, Newsgirl) for one of the scenes she was in she only needed to pretend to play a drum, yet to be sure to be in full character she illustrated the creative enthusiasm for additionally learning how to play it. She was the drum beating, news girl who gets my vote for ‘Most likely to be a Super Model.‘

Dallas Williams (Ballerina, Newsgirl, Cow) was a great addition to the group of girls with her amazing dancing skills and cute giggles. And hopefully she doesn’t have neck problems when she gets older from holding her neck down for hours at a time to be the rear-end of a cow.

Colleen Broome (Baby Louise) has the acting chops of an adult and made the perfect “Baby Louise”. She brought the younger version of the ‘Gypsy Louise’ as much quality, grace and star power as (Nori Tecosky) who player the adult version.

Katie Rodgers (Baby June) did a fabulous job as “Baby June” and I expect to see her one day become famous with her dancing and singing abilities. I was awe struck when I first heard her sing. She has an amazing vocal gift.

This group of girls will forever be etched in my mind as the young girls in the next dressing room with their secret hand shakes and giggly voices. I hope I have an opportunity to work with all these fine young actors again before they head off to Broadway.

It was an enjoyable experience to share the stage with Don Matlin (Pop) for his 98th show! It would be awesome if I got to have the honor of sharing the stage with him when he reaches his goal of doing his 100th show.

Paul Broome (Uncle Jocko, Mr. Goldstone, Bourgeron-Cochon) even while playing three different roles in the show he really kept up with his demands. He also really knows how to tell a joke!

Bob Jennings (Weber, Cigar, Strip Announcer) was absolutely splendid in the several roles he carried throughout the show and has a vast knack for perfect improve. I was able to have the opportunity to work with him during a previous improvisation course and I can’t wait to work with him again.

Our Go-To Man and Stage Manager, Laris Macario (George, Pastey) with his insatiable thirst for performing played these roles with Oscar worthy ranks. He also did a fantastic job with the big shoes he was asked to fill with his first shot in becoming our Stage Manager.

It is difficult to determine whether Tiffany Huet (June) belongs on “American Idol” or “So You Think You Can Dance”. I can see her on winning on both. She is surely on her way to Broadway and has an enormously fame filled future.

Spencer Ballantyne (Yonkers, Farmboy) a fine young man with whom I had the privilege of meeting and enjoyment of working with. He and I had a scene during the show in which he has to come to me to get some train tickets for all the guys and he came across like a strong, appropriately tough guy who was backing his boys. It would be an honor if I ever get the opportunity to share the stage with him again.

I will never forget the ‘Pump-Up-Dance’ Keith Lawson (Angie, Farmboy, Phil) preformed everyday before the show. I actually have the privilege of owning a copy of this on tape and it was an unforgettable dance and song that never failed to make me laugh. He never ceased to make everyone laugh with his humor and attitude on stage and off.

Brett Warner (L.A., Farmboy) with the addition of Spencer, Keith and Bobby they were all great guys to share a dressing room with. Nothing got too far out of hand, although things did get close on several occasions. He is such amazing young man with fantastic talent.

Bobby Johnston (Tulsa, Farmboy) Wow, what a performer! You know you have a professional on stage when you see something that needs to be moved or fixed for the scene and right in the middle of all the action someone jumps in with an improve to fix it and gets right in place just when his line has to be delivered. And Bobby did it more then once. I really enjoyed working with this young man and he is going to move on to much bigger things for sure! What a dancer!!

This was the second show I have done with Sharon Owens (Tessie Tura, Stage Mom) but it seems like more. I have enjoyed getting to know her and having the opportunity to work with her. She has years of experience and is an inspiration to work with.

Since the show has ended it has been so cute to see the messages on Facebook passed back and forth between Trinna Mariano (Mazeppa, Stage Mom) and Sydney (who played her daughter). It emphasizes the bond we all form as we become a family being together during rehearsals and on the stage for 2 months with long hours. Trinna made a amazing Mazeppa and wasn’t afraid to pull out all the stops to get into character making her part stand out.

I have to admit one of the first days I was on set for rehearsals we were practicing in full costume for one of the scenes where Patty Carreau-Souza plays (Miss Cratchitt) and she was so completely engulfed in her roll that I didn’t know for a few more rehearsals it was Patty in there…ha-ha. She also graces us with the roles of (Stage Mom, Electra). There was so much going on I never did to get my picture with her in addition to my one of Mazeppa and Tessie Tura.

Andrea Asciutto (Stage Mom, Eunice) as one of the moms and the Hollywood Blondes, she came out night after night with strong performances to make a fantastic show.

I have had the opportunity of working with Colleen Phillips (Josephine) before in the Starstuck Production of “Company”. She again was a prefect addition to our talented cast for Gypsy.

Janine Landolina (Farmgirl, Adele) is always so giving with aid to help make each show a success and this time was given the honor of wearing the Gypsy robe. She puts 100% into each show and it was a privilege to work with her.

Amanda Paul (Marjorie Mae, Farmboy) who’s talent never ceases to amaze me. She is amazingly sharp and has some gifted flair. I am excited to see where she ends up with a bright future for sure.

Lexi Savarese (Geraldine) with her valued appearance on stage making for one complete dynamic show. She is able to show quick charisma making each show a success.

I was so surprised when I heard Katrina Colletti (Helen, Maid) was as young as she is. I would have never guessed, since she just seems to be one of the ladies. With her mature dignity and displays of magnetism she is a remarkable.

Jessica Ferreira (Agnes), the daughter of the amazing Jean who played Rose. Seeing both her and her mom playing roles together on stage was fantastic. What a privilege to be there for that. She too has the gusto of her mom and the ability to take the lead if necessary. She is an incredible young lady that I was able to have had the honor of working with.

I have worked with Jennifer Shaff (Evelyn) before during the Starstruck Productions of “The Pajama Game” and “Company”. She is very easy to work with and makes for an enjoyable atmosphere backstage. She made an incredible addition to the Hollywood Blondes and I would enjoy working with her again.

And we can’t forget the lighting, sound, music, choreographer, scene attendants, artist and assistants. Without you there could be no show. Peter and Jennifer Jones, Todd Bearden, Jennifer Lauritano, Kym Davis-Sauls, Gil Carney, Kendal Simpson-Jones, Jaimee Smith, Michael Werder, Al Green, Mark Green and Michael Biggs.

What a great ride it was and in using the quote from our Director (Jennifer Jones)…..I have never worked with such an amazing talented cast.

"Gypsy", Live at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart Florida. (Part 2 of 3)

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:20:00 GMT

This is the first time I have had the privilege to work with Nori Tecosky and believe me, it is a privilege. Nori is 19 years old and one of the most mature young people I have worked with. She is very serious about her work which encompasses acting, singing, dancing and she does all of them very well. There is a good reason why Jennifer Jones selected her to play “Gypsy”. This is a character that grows from a naive child, to an independent woman before the eyes of the audience and therefore calls for an actor who can handle such a challenging role. It goes without saying that it would be very difficult to find a 19 year old actor with the chops to pull it off. Nori Tecosky has proven to be that, “one in a million.” I have had a great time playing the ‘to-be’ step-father of Nori’s character in “Gypsy”. I can’t wait to get to the Lyric Theatre and present this story to the Stuart Florida audiences from Feb. 19th to the 28th. I am sure that everyone will be mesmerized when they see Nori become “Gypsy” in this musical. They will be among the few who can say, “I knew her when…” Check out Nori here: www.noritecosky.exploretalent.com ‘Till next time, keep supporting your favorite independent musicians, and I will see you at the Lyric Theatre. Jonathan Cummings

"Gypsy", Live at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart Florida. (Part 1 of 3)

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:50:00 GMT

Hello everybody! I hope everyone is off to a great start for this new year and new decade. Let’s make the next ten years better than ever with our goals and endeavors. It seems like it was the year 2000 just yesterday and now here it is 2010. The year 2020 will be here before we know it and the time to design the next ten years of our lives, is now. It is such a pleasure to once again be acting in a Peter & Jennifer Jones production at StarStruck in downtown Stuart, FL. This time I am playing "Herbie" in the musical "Gypsy". Gypsy was on Broadway around 1960, and featured Ethel Merman, as "Rose". Jean Ferreira will be staring in the StarStuck production of "Gypsy" at the Lyric Theatre and I am thrilled to be playing opposite Jean once again. Jean and I played "‘Sarah" and "Harry" in Stephen Sondheim’s, “Company” in 2008. We actually met in 2007, when we both played roles in “The Pajama Game”. This time Jean will be playing "Mama Rose", the most controlling stage mom ever. Rose eventually drives her daughters to... Well, you'll have to come and see it for the whole story. This is a very talented cast of singers, dancers and actors. During the next few weeks I am going to give my perspective and musings on some of the cast members. I think that Jean Ferreira has been perfectly cast for this part and once again she is proving that she will go above-and-beyond the call of duty. When we got together for the first read through, Jean didn’t even need her script and that is pretty impressive being that she has more dialog on one page than most of the cast has in the whole script. Jean teaches fourth grade at J. D. Parker School of Science, Math, & Technology, in Stuart, FL. She has a Masters in Reading K-12. She also has one of the most amazing singing voices you’ll ever hear. She approaches almost everything she does with a smile on her face and a skip to her step and not one person who sees her performance in "Gypsy" will be disappointed. I encourage everyone who can, to get tickets now at http://lyrictheatre.com/show/460-gypsy or call 772-286-STAR. The show will be playing from Feb 19th - 28th, at the Lyric Theatre in historic downtown Stuart Florida. I’ll talk to you next time when I will be sharing my thoughts on Nori Tecosky, who will be playing "Gypsy". Please remember to support your favorite independent musicians. Jonathan Cummings

2010 !!! WoooooHooooo!

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:45:00 GMT

January 1st, 2010! Who’d a thunk it? I remember when I first saw “2001 A Space Odyssey", as a kid. And then the sequel “2010 The Year We Make Contact”. It all seems crazy now because I never imagined being here in this time, but here we are. I haven’t been gigging very much because writing and producing my new CD has been a full-time project. I have been doing a lot of jingle work as well. I hope to be able to balance everything out this year between jingles, CD sales, live performances and teaching. So now is the time to start setting up some quarterly goals for 2010!!! By the way, if we call the '90's “the '90's”. And if we call the '20's “the '20's”. What are we going to call the '00's? Not to mention, what are we going to call the '10's that are up and coming, for that matter? Somebody let me in on the secret if you are ‘in the know’. Sailing the Wave of Rygil is complete! I just have to get it mastered, get the IRSC codes, get it registered with ASCAP, register it with Sound Scan, get it copy written and get the artwork done. As you noticed there was a lot of “getting” in there, so I had better ‘get’ busy. If you haven’t done so already, check out my new jingle page and please sign up for my e-zine. Jonathan

Performance Season is Finally Here!!!

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:45:00 GMT

Labor Day has come and gone and here it is time for the Florida performance season to finally kick in. I have my first date set for Stuart Grill and Ale on 09-20-09 and will probably be playing at the Pelican Café soon after. My goal is to get at least three gigs a week. Back in 2005 when I was gigging five nights a week, I got a little burned out not to mention tired vocal chords as well.

I also have permission from the owner of Planet Zero to submit a possible jingle for his radio and television campaign. I would like to try to obtain a jingle job every couple of weeks or so. I am really trying to capitalize on this 'multiple streams of income’ idea.

Also, I will be submitting an audition to obtain the contract to write and produce the motion picture soundtrack for “Natalie, Queen of Scots”, a movie that I had the privilege to actually play a supporting role in. I am convinced that if the makers of this film, Brian Carroll and Ren Caldwell, hear what I am capable of, I have a really good shot at scoring this film.

Income from gigs, from jingles, and from CD sales and now you are in business. If I really can earn enough to make ends meet from multiple income streams (while decreasing my day job hours to about 15 or 20 hours a week), I may actually be able to cross that great chasm from having a day job to being a full time professional musician.

It is a brave new world out here with digital song distribution, you tube video campaigns and social networking. It sure is different from when I made my first studio recording back in 1981. The tape that was used by the engineer looked like it was about 4 inches wide. Sometimes I feel somewhat displaced being 45 and living in 2009. Well, you just have to go with (against) the flow I guess.

‘Till next time, remember to support your favorite independent musicians.
Jonathan Cummings

Les Paul dies at 94

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Les Paul is a name that I have heard and said from birth, and I am 45! What a life. What a man.

Could you imagine living at a time before multi track recording was invented? Or better yet, having a part in creating it! As a musician I admire the man but I am also a designer and engineer in the manufacturing industry, so my admiration is two fold. When you read what guitar greats such as Joe Satriani and Slash are writing and saying about him, it is clear that Les Paul will continue to influence musicians long after his passing.

Yes, Les Paul was a legend before I was born and he will be a legend long after I am gone.

A Movie Role Fell In My Lap

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:45:00 GMT

Well, there is a lot to be said about being in the right place at the right time.

After a phone call from a friend and subsequently giving said friend permission to give my contact information to a movie producer, (who just happened to be in town filming a feature film on location), I was invited to audition for a lead part. I was hired on the spot and started filming the following day!

I have a significant role in the film and although I have many lines, there is no singing at all! Let me repeat… this is not a musical. That’s right folks; I made the grade on my acting ability alone.

The movie is called “Natalie, Queen of Scots” and is being shot even as we now speak! The cast and crew is a very professional group and I feel very fortunate to have such an opportunity fall in my lap.

Check out these websites to learn more about the project...
http://www.nataliequeenofscots.com/
http://www.lobsterback.com/nqos.php
http://www.lobsterback.com/wehavetofindaway/

I will fill in more details in the future. In the meantime, please remember to support your favorite independent musicians.

Jonathan Cummings

The Knight and the Princess

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Well, many of you have given me great feed back on “The Knight and the Princess”, Thanks.

Someone said the song reminded him of “Yes meets Dan Folgleberg with a folk type presentation”. Keep the feedback coming, I am still trying to determine what this kind of music is. For my part, I am just creating it for the sake of creating it. So many years I spent trying to fit songs into the mold of what the record companies deemed “proper format”. You know, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge and then chorus out. Most of the time, when someone is listening to top 40 on the radio, they can tell when that last chorus is coming, it usually comes out of the bridge like a freight train. Man, do the record companies have the general public trained like Pavlov’s dogs or what?

Back in the '90s I wrote and produced a song that made it on Epic Records. Today, I listen to the song and laugh.

After 10 years of musical inactivity, I hope to create music that really means something to me. Maybe other people will like it too, or perhaps it will just be some family conversation piece. “Listen to this and check out what a nutcase great-grandpa was”!

At any rate, the entire project is about a love that lasts throughout time. From the dark ages to well into the future. I guess the message is, ‘love conquers all’.

I will continue to play guitar, bass, keyboards and drums myself as-well-as sing all the vocal parts. Maybe on my next project I will have enough resources to hire professional musicians so I can just concentrate of vocals.

'Till next time, please continue to support your favorite independent musicians.

Jonathan Cummings

Auto Tune pitch correction software

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

O.K. Here comes the first of many rants regarding the music business.

One thing that I will promise right now is that I will never use Auto Tune or any other pitch correction software on my voice unless I am using it to create a specific effect. As a vocalist, I find it hard to listen to top forty country anymore because of the over use of such software. Although there are still some real singers out there, over fifty percent of all country music today features a lead singer whose voice is smothered with pitch correction. I think the music industry is creating a number of problems.

For one thing the average listener thinks that vocalists are just supposed to sound like that. Usually these are the same people who come home from a concert disappointed saying “He didn’t sound as good live”.

My opinion: If you have to use such software, get out of the studio and let a real vocalist sing the song.

Now don’t get me wrong here. If you are a producer and the vocalist has performed her takes and after she has flown back to Australia you notice one or two notes that are bugging you to tears, by all means use pitch correction to fix the problem. That is what the software was intended for in the first place. But it seems every time I turn on the radio, pitch correction is smothering vocal performances to the point of sterility.

I am proud of my vocal ability and you should be too. Don’t let a perfectionist sound engineer destroy your in studio performances with pitch correction.

Please keep supporting your favorite independent musicians.
Till next time,
Jonathan Cummings

I've been busy

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:20:00 GMT

Hi everyone!

I have been very busy with personal matters lately but rest assured, the new album is coming along nicely, (even if it's only in my head at this point). By the way, I will always refer to a collection of songs as an “album” regardless of the media format; just as a collection of photos is an album if it is in a book or on a compact disc. Maybe I am showing my age here but then again, maybe not.

When I was younger, I primarily listened to concept albums by bands such as Yes, Kansas and Rush. These bands created projects that were recorded to be listened to in their entirety. For the most part, my music is the same. Granted “Six Strings One Voice” is just a collection of songs. But, my new project “Sailing the Wave of Rygil”, is a continuous story from beginning to end.

I encourage everyone to download the first track for free on my music page. This recording is not the final master but you can get the idea. Please give me some feedback as well, positive and/or negative. I will be releasing the cd sometime, hopefully by the fall and will be embarking on a local series of performances to promote it. I will also be making every attempt to write a regular blog post. Life gets pretty hectic at times but I do feel the need to document this journey. I have a lot to say about the music business and their practices and am sure I will be ranting about that soon.

'Till then, keep supporting your favorite independent musicians.

Jonathan Cummings

Thanks everybody

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:35:00 GMT

I would like to thank everyone who made tonight a great success. Cactus Jack loves me but only because all of you keep coming out to hear me sing. So thanks; Rolo, Anna, Greg, Rolando, Mary, and Mary's mom (I can't remember your name right now I am brain dead), and everyone else who came out. And thank you, to the five people who bought my CDs, I hope you enjoy the music. See you next Saturday night!