Good morning people!

I must start taking this blogging thing more seriously, I guess. It feels like almost everyone has their own blog now days. To be honest I’m more of a Twitter guy actually. I like short, sweet necessary & unnecessary texts, i think it is more convenient and easy to do. I don’t have to think to much about it, and I can do it from my phone.

But since we are in the new era where everything is supposed to be available on the web, archived and easy accessed, by everyone. (It is almost like it’s our human right to do so these days.) Therefore I’ll try my best!

I’m planning to make some progress with my website, it is supposed to be my media hub on the web. With news, personal stuff, my music, remixes, thoughts about why I make my music, pictures from studio sessions, maybe some from my personal life as well. In short terms – my Harmonic Agenda.

I am pretty new to be blogging in english, so please bare with me if the spelling and grammar isn’t 100% at all times.

It is amazing how many things you have to be good at today, compared to the last 50 years. I mean take the music business  for example. 30 years ago you had to be good with your instrument or (and) your voice. You could spend time learning your guitar, piano or synthesizer in and out or writing your own songs. To achieve something you would have to know someone with studio equipment (since the stuff they used where REALLY expensive), rent studio time or earn your studio time by meeting “the right people”. You would record an album over let’s say a year or six months with many people involved (artists, singers, audio engineers, mixers, audio masters , and then hope for the best or use your distribution team. And once the albums hit the shelfs you would have to sell tons of records. If you did, you could call yourself successful and then write new songs, to do the process over again.

Armin's studio - photo: Sound on Sound

Today many things have changed. First of all our equipment is SOOO much more powerful and easy to use in many ways, it is also cheeper. Wich makes it possible for any music interested person to buy enough, to build up a studio in his/her bedroom. We got computers wich are capable of doing the same things that 10-20 different people had to do manually, and the computers can make it more precise with no sweat. (You can even by a laptop & headphones, and then you got yourself a portable studio!) It is AMAZING! Though there is a catch, since your computer is handeling all the heavy things, someone has to be in charge.. YOU. First of all you would have to know how to play an instrument (note: you don’t have to, but it certainly would contribute to the musicality of your music). And then you have to learn your audio sequencer to either record or program your music. If you (like in my case) are a natural born piano player, you probably already own a MIDI keyboard & hardware synth. That is not all folks. You also have to learn all your plug-ins. (Fortunately you have access to an unlimited knowledge, such as youtube, wiki, tutorials etc). When you know what to do, you can start making your own first demos.

After a while when you have reached your comfort zone, you can start finishing up your first tracks and mixes. Then what?! Well you should start looking for some labels. It is important to do proper research, depending on your music style. Or else you can kiss that one and only response you are going to get good bye. To have a bigger shot impressing your label scouts, you should also have some knowledge about mastering. Even IF you get some tunes signed (and the labels usually make the final master) you should always send your stuff with at least some compression, EQ and limitering on the master channel. So that is one MORE thing you have to learn to handle yourself. And guess what folks.. we can not stop there. To act like a pro and to have a chance to be found it is important to “be seen”. So that means you have to know how to promote yourself. So guess what?! You have to learn how to make your own website (CSS, HTML etc), and pimp it out with pro photos, a logo, some music snippets, your social networking (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace & Soundcloud etc.)

Armin - photo: John Svartberg

Of course all of this depends on what kind of music you want to create. When I was younger in my teens I always listened to R n’ B, pop and ballads. That was the kind of music I lived for. I still like to listen to all sorts of geners. But I must be honest, the trance music has completely turned my life in the opposite direction. I feel at home, I feel more love then ever through my music. I’ll quote one of my greatest heros, Armin van Buuren

“It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life”.

You can not get more accurate about how I feel, and no one has ever explained my love for music better than that Armin, you are a huge inspiration for me, everyday.

Like I said earlier the music industry have changed. You can not earn a living on royalties today, unless your name is Lady Gaga! But there are other ways of making it happen. The combination of releasing your music and play live/dj:ing will help you get the attention you need and deserve. It is the future, at least for now. Who know’s what will happen in the next 20 years..?