Performer-Magazine

DENVER

NEWMOBILE APP

5 MINUTES WITH... Bret Saunders Host, BCO Morning Show (97.3 KBCO) COLUMNIST, DENVER POST

their own songs by dragging notes into a visual field. Sketch-a-Song is a digital instrument that, unlike any physical instrument, makes it impos sible to play a wrong note. The key is a series of harmonic templates coded into the app, each of which represents a progression of two penta tonic scales. As the song plays back, the palette of available pitches automatically adapts to fit the current chord in much the same way that a jazz soloist navigates a series of chord changes. The result ismusic that can be dynamic andmusically interesting, but still well within the grasp of the ordinary user. In addition to solo creation, Sketch-a-Song features a collaborative mode, which follows the turn-based gaming model of successful apps like Words With Friends and Draw Something, and allows users towork onmusicwith friends via the mobile web. The developers trace the genesis of their idea to the noisy found-object beat sessions they used to hold in the middle of their seventh-grade his tory class. But they have come a long way since their pencil-tapping days. Sketch-a-Song is scheduled to be released for iPhone and Android in September.

“Sketch-a-Song” to be Released Later This Month App Aims to SimplifyMusic Creation

LOCAL NEWS

By Zack Sulsky

Interview by Zack Sulsky

The idea of carrying thousands of songs in your pocket has become almost ubiquitous, but what about carrying a tool that can help youmake them? A team of seven Denver-native college students is getting set to release a new app called Sketch-a-Song, which they think can bring out the composer in everyone. With Sketch-a-Song, musicians and non musicians alike can easily and rapidly build

30 second bio. I began at my high school radio station outside of Detroit. Ten raw watts of power on the FM dial. From there I worked at an NPR affiliate in Michigan that played jazz. Not smooth jazz, either...the real stuff. What a great introduction to the music world, by the way, meeting and recording per formances by absolute geniuses who were (and still are) undervalued. After college I traveled around the U.S. before settling in Denver. I’ve been at KBCO for 15 years this week, holding down themorning drive shift. It’s the best job. Who are three local artists that you find most exciting? The Lumineers are getting a lot of peo ple excited, as far as rock goes. For jazz, I like anything that the trumpeter Ron Miles does. Eric Allen from The Apples in Stereo has a new band, The Babysitters. I’m excited about that. Be really good at what you do. I’ve heard many CDs and MP3s from people who have interesting ideas but aren’t ready for the medium time (I have no idea on how to make it in the big time.) So have your persona developed the best that you can. I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but in Denver, it seems like a better time than ever to be an independent artist. There are so many places to play. What advice would you give independent musicians looking to get noticed?

www.09linedevelopment.com

Evergroove Studio Solar-Powered Studio in the Foothills

STUDIO PROFILE

Located in the scenic foothills of Evergreen, only forty-five minutes from downtown Denver, Evergroove Studio was founded to bridge the gap between pricey high-end stu dios and low-quality amateur studios in the Denver area. The Evergroove staff aims to offer excellence in sound and customer ser vice at affordable rates, all while remaining energy-conscious with their solar-powered facility, thefirst of its kind in theFrontRange.

PRODUCTION APPROACH

EQUIPMENT LIST -Soundcraft 6000 30-ChannelMixer -AKG, AudioTechnica, Blue, Shure,

Evergroove is not a genre-specific facil ity, so their production approach varies from one project to the next, but they emphasize sensitivity to each artist’s creative spark.

SennheiserMics -TannoyMonitors -ProToolsHD2

CONTACT INFO P.O. Box 3232 - Evergreen, CO80437

PAST CLIENTS HeavyWood

(303) 674-7618 evergroove.com info@evergroove.com

Michael Aldridge FrogsGoneFishin’ MountainStandardTime

For more info, visit www.kbco.com/pages/bco-morningshow.html

SEPTEMBER 2012 PERFORMER MAGAZINE 9