Wil Cameron
JamKazam 05/18/2021: New Software Upgrade!
JamKazam upgrade e-mail from mid May, 2021. Check it out!
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Wil Cameron
- Apr 26, 2021
- 1 min
The COVID Crew Strikes Again!
After sitting dormant throughout the entire winter, a few members of the COVID Crew decided to meet at a designated location and play our instruments. It was GREAT to play live jazz again!! We did not record our session last week but check out the COVID Band site for videos. Much more to come in the near future! Maybe we will be performing to an undisclosed area near you soon? Special thanks to the cats who came out to jam. W #wildrum_r wil@wilcamerondrums.com
Wil Cameron
- Feb 12, 2021
- 2 min
Loss of another Legendary Musician
I was saddened to hear about the loss of one of the musicians who started me listening to jazz music, Chick Corea. He was 79. By the time Chick left us he had been named as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2006, won 23 Grammys, and had been nominated a total of 67 times. I never met Chick personally, but I was fortunate to have had a brief encounter that reflected his musical greatness. I was visiting Boston a few years ago, and while riding in a t
Wil Cameron
- Dec 7, 2020
- 7 min
JamKazam -12/03/2020: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Unlike Jamkazam, this saying has roots that stretch back to the 1300s. Research tells us a gentleman, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote in his poem, Troilus and Criseyde: “But at the laste, as every thing hath ende, She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.” I don't know what all that means but I think the modern spin on it would be, "Enjoy whatever you have that is cool today, because it may not be cool tomorrow." It just seems like life itself that something that is going ok (or w
Wil Cameron
- Nov 12, 2020
- 3 min
Calling all Musicians and GOATs!
Most of us have grown tired of the constant reminders of COVID-19 and how we're no longer able to play indoors like we once did. I know... it's kinda sad and I miss those days too. I'm sharing this post as a way to say "hello" and to check in with fellow musicians who may also be blue. I want to keep this post pretty light and upbeat, but I have to acknowledge those who have experienced emotional distress, a personal loss, family issues or professional strife as a musician,
Wil Cameron
- Oct 26, 2020
- 4 min
I've finally hit the wall - NO MORE GIGs on my calendar!
For the first time since COVID-19 started in April 2020, I find myself like so many of my other musicians with NO upcoming GIGs!
Wil Cameron
- Sep 29, 2020
- 3 min
JamKazam - 09/29/2020: Enhancements and Knowledgebase
Greetings: The folks at team Jamkazam sent another e-mail message out to the user community to update everyone about their recent progress. They achieved their $100K goal with their GoFundMe page and they are moving forward with enhancements, to include a knowledge base area. The last time I visited the Jamkazam site I noticed several updates and improved (but not perfect) latency. If you don't use Jamkazam, its worth checking out. You can get an account for free. Their or
Wil Cameron
- Sep 29, 2020
- 3 min
Creating a USB Audio Shopping List
So, NOW that we're heading into the cooler months and we won't be able to play outdoors, some of you may soon be in the market for a good USB audio interface to connect your instrument (or voice) to your computer. There are numerous lists of opinions that can be found on the Internet to identify the "best" USB audio interface, and the prices normally range from about $50 to $3000. There are many options and you'll need to find the best option for your project or playing styl
Wil Cameron
- Sep 22, 2020
- 3 min
JamKazam - 08/16/2020: Update on Two Important Initiatives
I neglected to post an e-mail update from the the folks at Jamkazam sent during mid-august regarding progress they have made toward improving latency and internet connections. The original e-mail message is a bit lengthy but is noted below: Hello JamKazammers – We’re writing to provide an update on two important initiatives. This email is longer than usual, but packed with information for those of you who are interested in the details. First, we have successfully completed
Wil Cameron
- Aug 16, 2020
- 2 min
When Drums meet Cycling?
You need arms and legs for both. This is my recent encounter regarding what happens when cycling and drumming collide. Ouch!
Wil Cameron
- Jul 16, 2020
- 2 min
Playin' then Runnin' before the cops can grab us!
After all of the local gathering places were closed down in Maryland due to COVID-19 several DMV musicians started to participate in periodic video calls (Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, etc.) to "talk" about music, since we could no longer play as a group of musicians. We all missed playing music for a live audience. After a few months of not playing music a group of us, led by Bill Freed, came up with a concept for playing outdoors by ourselves with NO AUDIENCE. The plan was sim
Wil Cameron
- Jun 29, 2020
- 3 min
10 Reasons Why Bands Fail
Check out these 10 preventable reasons why bands fail.
Wil Cameron
- May 30, 2020
- 2 min
JamKazam - 05/30/2020: JamKazam online Music Festival Today (LIVE).
Today, 05/30/2020, the folks at Jamkazam hosted several live bands playing live music together online. You could clearly see the video and hear the audio from the various groups, as promised via last week's e-mail by the folks at Team JamKazam. Although the video and audio was not in sync like normal (or on television) it seemed to be working okay with only minor glitches. I did not watch the entire event because it went on for hours; however, I noticed there were 309 viewe
Wil Cameron
- May 25, 2020
- 2 min
JamKazam - 05/24/2020: Sign up for the JamKazam Music Festival.
On 05/24/2020, I received another e-mail update from the folks at Jamkazam regarding their plan/path forward to improve the performance of their site. The e-mail was sent as a weekly reminder to report progress from Team JamKazam regarding their work to address latency issues at their site. The e-mail also announces a 100% live JamKazam music festival, scheduled for 05/30/2020, @ 5:30pm, which will be featured on Facebook. More to come regarding this matter. In support of t
Wil Cameron
- May 18, 2020
- 3 min
JamKazam - 05/16/2020: GoFundMe thank-you e-mail & Virtual Music Festival
On 05/16/2020, I received yet another e-mail update from the folks at Jamkazam regarding their plan/path forward toward to improve the performance of their site. The e-mail is sent as a weekly reminder of: 1) their GoFundMe page and 2) a thank you to all who have contributed so far. The e-mail also discusses plans to move forward with "fixing" Jamkazam's latency issues, in spite of being short of their financial goals. As of 05/18/202, $72K of $100K has been donated via
Wil Cameron
- May 9, 2020
- 3 min
JamKazam - 05/09/2020: New features and GoFund Me
On 05/09/2020, I received another e-mail update from the folks at Jamkazam regarding their plan/path forward toward their new "normal" for playing music online. The e-mail speaks of the beta release of a "new and improved" JamKazam that will have several sexy new features, such as: - sharing of LIVE audio and video sessions via Facebook or YouTube, - broadcasting of free public performances, - integration with Eventbright to sell tickets to performances for ca$h! - remote
Wil Cameron
- Apr 26, 2020
- 3 min
JamKazam - 04/24/2020: E-mail update regarding tech issues
I received an e-mail from JamKazam Tech Support regarding issues they've been having recently. The entire e-mail is shared via this post.
Wil Cameron
- Apr 21, 2020
- 2 min
A Spa Day for my Old Friend
I purchased this beautiful Yamaha Maple Custom drum set over 15 years ago! Since that time it has been my go-to kit for gigging, regardless of the musical genre. After providing me with years of flawless and dependable service, countless hours of traveling all over everywhere with me, and withstanding over 100K+ drum strikes annually, my beloved circa 1990s Yamaha Maple Custom is receiving a much needed spa day (with music and everything else)! This line of drums was introdu
Wil Cameron
- Apr 14, 2020
- 4 min
SoundJack - Virtual Jam Sessions: Part 3
If you have not done so already, be sure to check out my initial and second blog posts about my foray into the world of online collaboration for musicians. This post is a continuation of that discussion that you may find helpful if you're experimenting on your own: DISCLAIMER: If we all had unlimited time, great technical chops and decent fiscal resources we could all engage in musical collaboration in our individual home studios, by using our favorite Digital Audio Worksta
Wil Cameron
- Mar 30, 2020
- 5 min
JamKazam - Setting up a Virtual Jam Sessions: Part 1
Virtual jam sessions? Really?
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