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The Benjammin Examminer

The Occasional Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter 

“Imagine James Taylor crossed with Steve Martin and Deepak Chopra…”

April 25, 2004

This newsletter is also on my website at http://www.bjbmusic.com/newsletter.htm.

In This Issue:  

1. PERFORMANCES
2. MY HIGHEST-PROFILE CD REVIEW YET!
3. HALF-PRICE CD SALE: 10 DAYS ONLY!
4. BENJAMMIN BY THE SONG: I’m Now Downloadable at iTunes, MusicMatch & More!
5. A NEW DUO PARTNER!
6. NEW PICTURES ONLINE!
7. MY RECORDING STUDIO: STILL JUST $25/HOUR!
8. CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: the iPod, The Week, 3 CDs & 3 books on fiction-writing
   
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PERFORMANCES

* THIS TUESDAY, APR 27   ASHEVILLE, NC - 8 pm till 10 or 11 – Pyper's Place - 233 Montford, Asheville - with harmony vocalist Spiritsong – nonsmoking restaurant - no cover - (828) 253-1100

* FRI, MAY 7   DOBSON, NC - 7-10 pm - Wolf's Lair Restaurant - 283 Vineyard Lane (off Hwy 601) – solo - no cover - (336) 374-2532

* SAT, MAY 15    WAYNESVILLE, NC - 7-9 pm – Creative Thought Center - 741 S. Haywood Street - with harmony vocalist Spiritsong - nonsmoking listening room - $10 (benefit for CTC) - (828) 456-9697 

For online maps to these venues, link to:

http://www.musi-cal.com/search?key=performers&value=Benjammin

Find the date you’re interested in, click on the white “v” in the red box, then click on the “Map” link by the venue name. 

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MY HIGHEST-PROFILE CD REVIEW YET!

Sing Out Magazine – the world’s longest-running folk music publication – gave Shining From Inside one of its coveted review slots in the Spring 2004 issue! Here’s an excerpt:

“Like an angel plucking heavenly strings…a voice low and soothing…beautiful fretless bass, hand percussion and sweet back-up vocals…an ethereal feel that’ll make you drop your shoulders…will leave you feeling good, like an uplifting church service or a dip in a hot tub.” 

Here in Asheville, The Indie said:

“Benjammin is a great musician…[with] a bright and positive outlook on life…beautifully arranged and performed…an intelligence not often found in happy songs.” 

Gosh, all this praise makes me extra-proud to offer you…

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HALF-PRICE CD SALE: 10 DAYS ONLY!

Here’s a couple of great deals for you through May 3:

1. Buy Shining From Inside or The Beauty Within for just $9.95! (normally $15 each)

or…

2.    Buy both CDs for $14.95. That’s half-price!

And, whichever special you choose…shipping is free!

Your purchase is UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED. You can return the CD(s) within 30 days for a full refund if you don’t like the music!

For CD descriptions and sound clips, follow these links to my CD Baby pages. But don’t order them at CD Baby if you want the specials – instead, follow the instructions below!

Shining From Inside: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/benjammin

The Beauty Within: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/benjaminb?cdbaby=52c489391ec28df9f9045e3642f7227f

TO PAY ONLINE: Go to www.PayPal.com, and sign up for a free account if you’re not already a member. Then just send the amount of your purchase to my email address: BJB@BJBmusic.com. Finally, email me at BJB@BJBmusic.com and tell me where to send your CD(s)!
    Nervous about using PayPal? Don’t be. PayPal is the world’s most trusted online payment system. (Millions of buyers and sellers on eBay swear by it!) Sending money through PayPal is free, and they have over 40 million accounts worldwide!

TO PAY BY MAIL: Send a check or money order to: Benjammin, PO Box 8062, Asheville NC 28814. Include a note with your order info and address. I’ll honor the special as long as your order is postmarked by May 3.

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BENJAMMIN BY THE SONG:
I’m Now Downloadable at iTunes, MusicMatch & More!

You can now buy my music at some of the web’s biggest online music stores! Most of these sites let you download single songs for 99¢, or download an entire album for $9.99. My music is now available at these sites:

     Shining From Inside

ITunes -  www.iTunes.com
Audio Lunchbox - www.AudioLunchbox.com
MusicMatch -  www.MusicMatch.com
Rhapsody -  www.listen.com
BuyMusic -  www.BuyMusic.com

     The Beauty Within

ITunes -  www.iTunes.com
MusicMatch -  www.MusicMatch.com
Rhapsody -  www.listen.com
BuyMusic -  www.BuyMusic.com
NetMusic -  www.NetMusic.com

Which songs should you buy? These descriptions should give you an idea. I have triple-asterisked (***) the songs that have received the most positive feedback from listeners.

SHINING FROM INSIDE

1. Realize Your Dreams – 4:01 – Mellow, mid-tempo ballad with Middle Eastern spicing. Inspiring and uplifting.
2. Every Single Universe – 2:48 – Upbeat, pop-rock “quantum physics love song” set in multiple universes.
3. Peaceful – 4:31 – Mellow, mid-tempo ballad – a utopian world vision in which peace finally reigns.
4. *** We Won’t Walk Here Again – 3:02 – Slow, sad song of lost love.
5. Into Your Light – 4:03 – Mid-tempo ballad – a mainstream love song that starts simply and builds to a strong, multi-layered finish.
6. *** The Devil’s Dog – 2:40 – Funny, grooving song about the next-door neighbor’s Dog From Hell.
7. *** Shining From Inside – 4:23 – Mid-tempo ballad – a heart-warming depiction of an older couple – wrinkled on the outside, full of love for each other on the inside.
8. Visitation – 4:30 – Mid-tempo story song about a man overwhelmed by an angelic visitation. Lots of cool FX!
9. *** Slaying the Dragon – 4:22 – INSTRUMENTAL – percolating guitar and tabla duet.
10. We’re All One – 3:08 – Upbeat blues rock – an all-embracing message of unity laced with hot electric guitar riffs.
11. *** Billions of Angels – 5:04 – Mid-tempo story song – this beautiful apocalyptic lullaby delivers an ecological wake-up call, as well as a memorable chorus.
12. Such Bliss – 3:07 – Slow love song – gentle, mystical and transcendently beautiful.

THE BEAUTY WITHIN

You’re better off going for the whole album. Some download services, such as iTunes, don’t let you buy individual songs longer than 10 minutes – which excludes over half of the album! Besides, The Beauty Within is designed as a complete experience: it gradually draws you deep into sonic bliss, then gently ushers you back into the real world at the end.

Remember – taking advantage of my 10-day special above gives you the same music on CD, and with all the pretty packaging. And you’ll pay the same – or less – than the cost of downloading it!

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A NEW DUO PARTNER!

Many of my upcoming performances will feature my new duo partner! Her name is Spiritsong (a/k/a Mary O’Shannon). Right now she’s singing harmony with me, and we’ve already gotten lots of compliments on how well our voices blend. We hope to eventually work her keyboard, percussion and songwriting skills into the act as well.

Spiritsong got into music early – she was singing in a traveling gospel trio at age six! She served as music minister at two Science of Mind churches, and performed at Asheville’s renowned Bele Chere Festival. She takes to harmony like a duck to water, and creates most of her own parts. Spiritsong’s vocals take my songs to a whole new level – I hope you can get out to hear us soon!

For more on Spiritsong, read her bio at http://www.bjbmusic.com/spiritsong_bio.htm.

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NEW PICTURES ONLINE!

Brand-new pictures of me (now goatee-free) and Spiritsong are now online at http://www.bjbmusic.com/photos.htm. Thanks to photographer Tim Barnwell for the usual great job!

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MY RECORDING STUDIO: STILL JUST $25/HOUR!

Know someone in the Asheville area who wants to record their music? Have them join my growing list of satisfied recording studio clients! At just $25/hour for high-quality Mac-based recording in Digital Performer, it may be the best deal in town! Testimonials and more are at http://www.bjbmusic.com/recording_services.htm. I can be contacted for more information at 828-658-9073 or BJB@BJBmusic.com.

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CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: iPod, The Week, 3 CDs & 3 books

        iPod

As a music lover, I get VERY excited about my iPod. The 40 GB drive on this tiny digital music player holds over 9000 songs, and makes it easy to find the one(s) I want to hear.
          I recently completed the months-long project of transferring all of my CDs into iTunes. (iTunes is the computer software that interfaces with the iPod. It runs on both Mac and Windows.) As a result, I now have over 16,000 songs on my hard drive! Fortunately, iTunes makes it easy to pick songs for the iPod and create customized playlists.
          One very cool iPod feature is the ability to rate songs. While listening, the iPod lets you easily give a song one to five stars. Your rating then transfers back into iTunes when you synchronize. I estimate that I’ll be spending the next two years rating all my songs so I know which ones to keep!
          There are also lots of ways to listen to the iPod besides earbuds or headphones. For starters, it can play through a home stereo just like any other component. Plus, third-party accessories allow it to play through cassette decks, and even transmit to an unused frequency on any FM radio!
          Finally, it sounds great. (I use Apple’s AAC encoding, but the iPod will play MP3 and other audio formats as well.)
          Let me say it once more: I LOVE my iPod!

          The Week Magazine

THE WEEK. It may not be “All You Need to Know About Everything That Matters.” But The Week may well live up to its other cover blurb: “The Best of the U.S. and International Media.” In its 44 weekly pages, this magazine gives a broad, unbiased overview of world events – often punctuated with a sly editorial wink. With the U.S. media becoming increasingly polarized between conservative and liberal slants, The Week lets those on all sides of the issues speak for themselves. And international events and opinion – typically underreported in the U.S. press – is given plenty of space as well.
          But it’s not all serious – the hard news is frequently leavened with humorous stories, as well as sections devoted to People, Gossip, editorial cartoons, and “reviews of reviews” of books, art, music, film and the other arts. All the writing is delightfully pithy and to-the-point.
           If you want to keep current on world affairs of every description – without being propagandized – allow me to recommend The Week! www.TheWeekMagazine.com

     CDs

DJIVAN GASPARYAN: MOON SHINES AT NIGHT. I hadn’t heard of a duduk, either. (No, it’s not a stupid aquatic mammal.) But when I first heard Djivan Gasparyan playing this Armenian reed instrument, its melancholy beauty immediately entranced me. (Gasparyan’s career really took off after he appeared on Peter Gabriel’s Passion CD in 1989.) I think of the duduk as a kind of oboe that resonates directly with your soul. Gasparyan is the world’s undisputed master of this instrument, and his music takes me to deep and profound places. Highly recommended!

BRIAN GALLAWAY: THE SOLACE/ANGST RATIO. Gallaway is a slappy/tappy instrumental guitarist along the lines of Michael Hedges, Preston Reed and Don Ross. Although his technique is formidable, it’s the wonderful musicality of his compositions and playing that make this CD a standout. Melody, sometimes neglected in this style, is given its full due here. Gallaway also keeps it fresh with a variety of moods, tunings and tempos. The CD is short, but is still a good value: Gallaway sells it for $10, shipping included, off his website. If you like Michael Hedges, you need to check out Brian Gallaway! www.BrianGallaway.com

KEVIN BRAHENY: THE WAY HOME. Kevin Braheny’s mastery of the Steiner EWI electronic woodwind gives him a unique voice among electronic New Age musicians. He uses it to create gorgeous, highly expressive tones that seem to yearn for union with the divine. Slow, spacious, and majestic, this is spacemusic of the highest order. If you seek inner peace, this music can help guide you to it!

     BOOKS ON FICTION-WRITING

Since I’m working on a novel, I’ve been reading lots of books on how to write fiction. For all you aspiring storytellers out there, here are the best three fiction-writing books I’ve found so far:

SOL STEIN: STEIN ON WRITING. The man has cred: he has edited some of the century’s greatest writers, and written a bestseller himself (The Magician). He covers all the bases on how to write great fiction, and even throws a few bones to nonfiction writers as well. His “triage” method of revision is worth the price of admission all by itself. The one fiction-writing book I recommend above all others! (His follow-up book, How To Grow a Novel, is also great!)

JOHN DUFRESNE: THE LIE THAT TELLS A TRUTH. A close second to Stein. DuFresne has cred too, having appeared on the New York Times “Notable Books” list. This is a wonderful complement to Stein, covering many different points and hitting some of the same ones from different angles. I don’t have the space here to give you all the whys, but trust me: if you use the information in this book, you will become a better writer!

ORSON SCOTT CARD: CHARACTERS & VIEWPOINT. Making characters really live and breathe on the page is one of a fiction writer’s most challenging tasks. Card thoroughly describes the techniques that make your dramatis personae jump off the page and become either lovable or loathable. He also clearly explains how to choose the most effective viewpoint for any given story. As far as cred, Card wrote the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game, as well as many other bestsellers. This book makes a strong third-place finish overall, and rates #1 for its specific subject.

IN CLOSING

Thanks so much for your ongoing support! I am…

Wishing you a wonderful EVERYTHING,

Benjammin

“In the spirit of Prince and Todd Rundgren, Benjammin has done the amazing: written, arranged, recorded, mixed and produced a fine, well-crafted, inspired and inspiring work of art. BRAVO!
    --Billy Jonas, commenting on “Shining From Inside”

"A clever songwriter, skilled guitarist, and highly entertaining solo acoustic performer."
    --Mountain Xpress

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