Presenting The Hang: Live

Presenting The Hang: Live

Presented by Mike Errico and The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment #nymusicmonth The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St., NYC June 29th, 6:30p Free / info: (212) 673-7030 Let me tell you what’s going on, here. As some of you know, I’ve been teaching songwriting for about ten years now, and early on I felt my students would benefit from a community that extended beyond the classroom. So, I created The Hang, which began as a newsletter, then gravitated online, and has since lived there, with the exception of parties in various cities around the country. The Hang has been one of the brightest spots in my musical career, and was a major inspiration for my book. Now, thanks to a generous grant from the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, I have the opportunity to introduce this community that is transforming the music industry in all arenas — songwriting, touring, A&R, mastering, AI, composing, events, and much more. The night is free, and will include two “sets” of wide-ranging conversations about music, punctuated by musical performances. There will be a short intermission to meet, talk, and exchange ideas and contact info. FAQ: Because you have questions, I get it. I’ve tried to anticipate what some of them are, and I’ve made some video explainers. If your question isn’t addressed, ask away, and maybe I’ll make a video about it, too. Q: Why did you make The Hang? Tik Tok Instagram Q: What IS The Hang? Tik Tok Q: Who’s in The Hang? Tik Tok Q: Why is The Hang at the Bitter End? Tik Tok Where can...
The Mysterious Art of the Fade Out

The Mysterious Art of the Fade Out

Excerpted from Music, Lyrics, and Life. The popular expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” has a less-celebrated corollary: You don’t get a second chance to make a last impression, either. A major songwriting challenge is how to construct those first and last impressions in order to bookend the musical universe writers have created. Unlike artists who work in other forms (novels, paintings, etc.), songwriters have a tool that takes advantage of the audio medium: the fade out. Part technological, and part metaphorical, the fade out can imply continuity—the song goes on forever—as easily as loss—the song goes on forever without you. One reason a fade is so expressive is because it reintroduces us to the universal language of silence—fade outs remind us that, as in life, silence always gets the last word. There’s just one problem: At the moment of this writing, fades are very out of fashion. I teach songwriting at several universities, and when a student of mine uses one, they get applause from classmates for the audacity. Fades are retro. They’re vintage. They’re even cinematic, which is actually true: the term “fade” is borrowed from film, which originated around the same time as recorded music. The gradual deprivation of sound in a fade out parallels the deprivation of sight when a scene “fades to black.” In order to better understand why writers and producers choose to fade, I spoke with Jim Anderson, producer and sound engineer; former president of the Audio Engineering Society; multi-Grammy Award–winner; and nominee (along with partner Ulrike Schwartz) for this year’s Grammy for Immersive Audio Album, Jane Ira Bloom’s Picturing the Invisible: Focus 1....
FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY: “Music, Lyrics, and Life”

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY: “Music, Lyrics, and Life”

January FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY Three winners will be chosen every week in January. http://errico.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MLL-ad-higher-res.mp4 Here are the rules: 1) Share this page to your socials 2) Add your favorite song quote from any artist 3) Tag me (@mikeerrico) so I can find you I’ll contact you for a mailing address, personalize your copy, add a handsome and functional bookmark, and pop it in the...
The Mike Errico Holiday Show

The Mike Errico Holiday Show

    New music, new intimate listening room (I recommend buying tickets in advance), and the Holiday Omens—curious gifts given to audience members that bear a message it is their job to decipher. THE MIKE ERRICO HOLIDAY SHOW DECEMBER 8, 8:30P ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL STAGE 3 $15 PURCHASE TICKETS HERE...