The Power To Release
Influences: Steve Morse
Over the past 50 years, one of the hardest working guitarists in the world.
Influences: Vinnie Moore
One of the very first shred guitar heroes promoted by the Shrapnel Label in the 1980s.
Influences: Steve Vai
Vai's whammy antics, speed and 'detuned' playing is highly unusual and original.
Influences: Joe Satriani
Since "Not Of The Earth" and "Surfing With The Alien" in the '80s, there's been a lot of Joe S. playing in our studio.
Influences: Phil Collen
Who could predict in 1980 that Def Leppard would have a 40+ year career, and that the addition of Collen would make such an impact?
Influences: Edward Van Halen
"Eruption", "Atomic Punk" and a fiery cover of "You Really Got Me" blew us away in 1978.
Influences: Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page inspired a generation of guitarists.
Influences: David Gilmour
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's unique sound.
Influences: Tom Scholz
Studio wizard Tom Scholz literally altered the trajectory of my life.
The Final Word?
McAvinchey signs off on the popular series; what will the future bring.
Millennial Marketing
The past few years have seen the rise of several new ways to get your music promoted and selling, leveraging the strengths of the Internet.
Thinking Long Term
The odds of doing anything significant in the music business are long from the start, but artists who can't think beyond the short term have it thousands of times harder.
Self-Release Q&A, Chapter 2
Part two of our e-mailbag dump, answering some of the most commonly asked questions about releasing and promoting records.
Who Sells Your Record?
Don't make the mistake of thinking this is someone else's job. As an independent artist, the ball is in your court.
To "Burn" Or Not To "Burn"
CD recorders (or burners) are great in any studio. Should you consider releasing your next CD on CD-R.
Cooperation
No man is an island. No indie label is an island either. The importance of cooperation.
Managing Expectations
How to keep from destroying your confidence by setting realistic expectations for your recording projects.
Internet Marketing - Fact And Fiction
Is it really true? Will you get 30,000,000 music fans checking out your music just by creating a web page? Let's separate the hype from the reality.
Releasing Records: Patience and Persistence
If you're a typical musician, you lack one or both of these critical qualities. Let's see how important they are to your success.
Finding The Perfect Partner
Self-assessement time. Can you go it alone? You might need the synergy of two people working together to kick start your label.
Indie Release: Do's And Don'ts
Completely subjective, straightforward tips in the areas of promotion, publicity and your career.
Finishing The Job
Are you a half-finisher? Always eighty percent complete? How you can finish what ya started.
Confidence - Build It, and They Will Come
Did you ever wonder where confidence comes from? How is it possible to have confidence at times, and suddenly lose confidence at critical moments?
Self-Release Q&A, Chapter 1
We turn the electronic mailbag upside down to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about releasing and promoting records.
The Role of Inspiration
How to trigger inspiration by understanding what causes it, and more importantly, what causes it for you.
Starting a Record Label
How to start and organize your own record label. It's a lot easier than you may think.
The Importance Of Now
Don't fall into the same old trap of convincing yourself that now is not the time.
Are You Worthy?
Not quite ready to release that record yet? You may be underestimating yourself.