Bud's Music

Amazing Amadeus

Bud Mayer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:41:42 +0000

Mozart in Verona, 1770

Today is W.A. Mozart’s birthday. Mozart remains unequaled in his output of compositions, from exquisite solo piano and chamber music to larger works including concertos, symphonies, oratorios and operas. Over six hundred pieces in just a 35 year life span. Even more amazing is that just to copy his music by hand would take an average human lifetime.

Part of the beauty and charm in his music is its lyricism and playability. However, true artistry is necessary to communicate it effectively.

Happy Birthday, Wolfie.

Daddy’s Junky Music Folds Due to Online Competition

Bud Mayer — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:35:08 +0000

Breaking News – Daddy’s Junky Music Closes. Hard to believe one of the largest and most influential music stores in New England has folded under the pressures of how the music industry now does business. Traditional brick & mortar music stores have been struggling to keep up with the pace of online marketing and sales developments. Online dealers reach more customers with less overhead so they can compete with lower margins. I think the best way for a traditional store to survive is to focus on education, i.e. lessons and training, to find and keep its customers. Unfortunately more of today’s musicians are probably hanging out online than at the music stores they once populated. Why leave home when the world is your oyster on your computer?

How Netflix Lost 800,000 Members, and Good Will – Yahoo! Finance

Bud Mayer — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:59:53 +0000

How Netflix Lost 800,000 Members, and Good Will – Yahoo! Finance.

CEO, Reed Hastings, wasn’t sure whether customer focus groups were consulted before executing the plan to split Netflix into two companies. REALLY? Not too savvy for a company that depends heavily on customer preferences online. No wonder film viewers are heading for the exits. Also he doesn’t seem to think a 60% price increase should bother anyone. Maybe he’s spending too much time in his bay area hot tub.

Fanatics Flip for Tunes on Cassette Tapes – Some Formats Won’t Die…Yet!

Bud Mayer — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:30:44 +0000

Fanatics Flip for Tunes on Cassette Tapes – WSJ.com. Some formats won’t die. To me the compact cassette was simply a convenience thing. Sound quality would never surpass an LP or larger tape formats, but in the car it sound as good as FM radio and that’s all that mattered. In fact that’s all that matters today as well. The only reason the compact cassette has all but gone is that we have much more convenient ways to deliver our music through digital electronic media. The FM radio benchmark still stands because for the most part we listen to heavily compressed MP3 files which, to the average listener equal the quality of FM radio, cassette or LP. Tape could never compete with the convenience of non-linear access to the music from CDs, DVDs and iPods. Content delivery is changing fast. By the end of the decade we will be seeing the last of the CD and DVD in favor of digital storage embedded in our devices with no motorized parts to wear out. Good luck replacing the belt on that old cassette deck. Better yet, anyone need an old 8-track cassette deck with lots of chewed-up tape inside? Meanwhile the future is SD cards and solid-state hard drives…but will MP3 and WAV files reign supreme or will it be…?

Links:

Fanatics Flip for Tunes on Cassette Tapes – WSJ.com

History of Recorded Music Timeline

Stage Fright – EXPERIENCE NIAGARA USA TRAVEL BLOG

Bud Mayer — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:07:53 +0000

Stage Fright – EXPERIENCE NIAGARA USA TRAVEL BLOG. ”A popular concert and events venue in downtown Niagara Falls may be haunted by the ghost of an actress who refuses to take her final bow. The TAPS team from the popular SY FY Channel program Ghost Hunters will investigate the rumored haunting of a former actress at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on an episode entitled ’Stage Fright’ airing 9 p.m. on October 19th”.

I wonder if the ghost of True Gravity playing “Shadows” will be present:

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera Could Change Your Point of View

Bud Mayer — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:57:44 +0000

A clever development for surround photography. All thanks to very inexpensive quality cellphone camera technology. Imagine this embedded in a football. Hmmm…maybe a golfball? No, I’d lose it, but what stories it could tell…What do you think? Check out the video:

via Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera – YouTube.

Luminaries Respond To Steve Jobs’ Death | Daily Ticker – Yahoo! Finance

Bud Mayer — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:35:25 +0000

Luminaries Respond To Steve Jobs’ Death | Daily Ticker – Yahoo! Finance. Steve Jobs was to computers what Henry Ford was to automobiles. The Apple II was the Model T in its day. His hardware and software innovations made the PC what it is today. His vision made it possible to bring us products which take advantage of today’s technologies and communications. American ingenuity at its best!

Federal retirement plans almost as costly as Social Security – USATODAY.com

Bud Mayer — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:14:11 +0000

Hey! Maybe we should START HERE: Federal retirement plans almost as costly as Social Security – USATODAY.com.

Kiss Me – New Bud Mayer Video

Bud Mayer — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:48:24 +0000

Like Bud Mayer on Facebook

Video via Kiss Me – YouTube.

Remember That Day In September

Bud Mayer — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:14:23 +0000

Its Hard to Say Goodbye – 10th Anniversary Tribute to 9/11 Victims and Families

Remember that day in September…