Dear DiskFaktory customers,

Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know it’s been FOREVER since I did an update of this, but the truth is we’ve been VERY busy trying to get all these new goodies up and working for our musician friends - DFJams, the MFA, the CD 2.0, the new ‘green’ packages, etc.

Now that I have a minute to breathe, let’s talk about something that pertains to EVERY single musician, amateur or pro, young or old, any genre, any instrument. We all need to remember to occasionally go back and re-learn and practice the BASICS. I have been a guitar and bass teacher at odd times in my life. It was a good way to make some cash to buy gear, but it also forced me to stay in touch with the rudimentary aspects of my instrument and performing. I don’t take students these days, but I recently decided to teach my own children to play. O…M…G. What a realization! After going back and re-visiting all those basics, you realize that you have gotten into some bad habits and cutting corners. Worse yet, you may have totally forgotten what got you motivated to play in the first place!

This goes for any discipline. Songwriters, players, producers, etc. We all need to remember what got us to where we are now. Players – dust off that metronome. Singers – you remember ‘solfege” don’t you? Engineers – “Zero-out” that mixing board and start with fresh ears. Writers - the Circle of Fifths is lurking in your music class notes somewhere.

These points are mostly for my benefit, but I’m sure you all have your own stories and references to go back to.

Is there a CD tie-in here? Well, yeah… As a musician or performer, CDs are still your very best way of capturing the imagination of your listeners. It is an essential element of your career and the most BASIC presentation of your music that says the most about you as an artist. Give ‘em away, or sell them, either way, your fans will be able to hold on to your creation long after their hard drive crashes, or their iPod dies.

Good Luck!

Yours truly,

Anthony Cardenas
President
DiskFaktory