| How To Use The Packaged Show
Using CDs - Total Cost $100 (20 songs at $5 each)
The Public Domain Solo Piano Sing-A-Long Show consists of two CDs
with 20 songs each:
the first one is just
the piano accompaniment to the songs. Sing along with the CD until
you are comfortable with the timing of the song and your phrasing.
Try not to rush the words and try to find the meaning in the lyric.
The secret to being able to sing is not having a great voice, but
rather knowing how to tell a story.
You can use the CD with a small CD player and
perform shows - it's being done by a number of performers in the Bay
Area.
These CDs will give you the freedom to sing whenever and wherever
you'd like!
Using MIDI Files - Total cost around $1,000
If you want a more realistic sound, you can use
the midi files themselves and the following system to reproduce the
actual playing of the song. This system gives the most realistic
representation of the music, but costs about $1,000 for the
equipment.
The system that allows you to use MIDI files for these
Solo Piano Sing-A-Long Shows
consists of four basic items:
- MIDI File
- MIDI File Player (i.e. sequencer)
- Piano Sound Module (could also be an electronic
piano with MIDI)
- Amplifier (to produce sound)
It starts with a MIDI File which is what you are using
when you click on a song on this website. Once you've clicked on the
song, it has been downloaded to your computer and is either in your
Windows/Temporary Internet files directory or a directory you specified. You can move them anywhere
on your computer, or copy them to a floppy disk for use on a gig.
The MIDI File contains the information to tell the
MIDI File Player what to do. That's the part we are providing; the rest
is up to you.
The MIDI File Player (sequencer) then sends a signal
to the Piano Sound Module to tell it what notes to play.
The Piano Sound Module sends the sound to the
Amplifier.
The Amplifier plays the sound in the room.
This type of system gives you the most realistic sound
reproduction. I use a Yamaha MPF-3 (MIDI File Player) and a Roland EP-70
electric piano (with an amplifier built in) and the overall sound is
great. It sounds exactly the same as when I'm playing live.
If you need help getting started, please contact us at
robert@heart-soul-music.com and
we'll do what we can to help. The overall goal is to get more music in the
places where it's really needed and we'd like to help you, if we can. On
a personal note, I can tell you that using these MIDI files to perform a
show really works. I have a recurring problem with tendonitis. When it
hits really bad, I can barely play. I purchased the MIDI File Player
and recorded the piano part from a typical show and started using
that to perform the show while I sang. The people enjoy the show
almost as much as when I'm actually playing the music. It was when I
was watching the audience start tapping their feet and singing along
when I was using the MIDI File Player that I realized this music could help
anyone do a show who
wants to. If you can sing or play an instrument in time with these MIDI
Files, the residents will enjoy the show.
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