[Macworld]

Post your comments for Teen uses GarageBand, MacBook to record album here

[michaelpcard]

Jim-

Great article, I just went to iTunes and listened. You are right, he's really good! When I get home I am going to but this album. I never expected MacWorld to be a music discovery site!

-Mike

[bluenote72]

Very nice work. I've been tinkering with GB for a while and I'm still trying to figure out how to enter chord progressions. For instance, a simple blues in Am with the next chord being D Maj. These don't really belong in the same key but they're common in blues progressions. Is this possible at all in GB or will I still need something like Band in a Box to do it? Or will Logic do it as well?
Cheers!

[Bubowski]

There are a number of sites out there for people who are getting started (or re-started after a long absence) in music. They have strong communities and have lot's of music to listen to and opportunities for collaboration. Check out macjams.com or icompositions.com; they both have very strong and supportive user communities and are great for answering GarageBand or other music-related questions.

[bluenote72]

Thx Bubowski. I'll check those out.

[FrankCDN]

His story should be highlighted to greater lengths if only to inspire more kids his age.

[hillstones]

Great article! Linked over to iTunes and previewed the album. Not bad, the guy has talent!

[Macview]

Hey I did that more than a year ago. Course I'm not a teen (41) and had to do it over the span of a year while my wife and child were out of the house but Garageband was a great step to ease the process. Moved on to logic now for the next one. Search for monospark on itunes if your interested.

[alansky]

Evidently some music listeners are easily pleased. I think it's great that this kid produced his own album and got it into the iTunes Store. But to me, it sounds like exactly what it is: an unremarkable home recording. The fact that it sounds better than alot of what's on the radio doesn't say much for what's on the radio!

[rolandtrenary]

With a nod to Macview, I also recorded a whole album (my first) with Garageband (first generation version) about a year ago. No teenager either, I'm 60 and used very limited loops, but rather live recording via microphone, playing most of the instruments myself and writing all the songs. Mixing everything was particularly enjoyable in the headphones. It's not on iTunes (yet) but listenable at cdbaby or my www.rolandtrenary.com website. I highly recommend using Garageband this way, and intent to do a second album in February with the newest version of GB.

[mistergsf]

alansky said:

Evidently some music listeners are easily pleased. I think it's great that this kid produced his own album and got it into the iTunes Store. But to me, it sounds like exactly what it is: an unremarkable home recording. The fact that it sounds better than alot of what's on the radio doesn't say much for what's on the radio!

Jeez. Can you be more negative??? Yeah, we are so easily pleased we don't know good music from bad. Whatever your opinion about his music or talent, don't you have the capacity to understand the story can be inspirational to others who may not have thought it possible to do this, or have been holding back because they think they're not good enough or have the talent? Hey, why don't you share with us your "remarkable home recording"? I'd love to give it a listen and critique!

[Grapho]

[quote name='mistergsf']
>

alansky said:

> Evidently some music listeners are easily pleased. I think it's great that this kid produced his own album and got it into the iTunes Store. But to me, it sounds like exactly what it is: an unremarkable home recording. The fact that it sounds better than alot of what's on the radio doesn't say much for what's on the radio!

Jeez. Can you be more negative??? Yeah, we are so easily pleased we don't know good music from bad. Whatever your opinion about his music or talent, don't you have the capacity to understand the story can be inspirational to others who may not have thought it possible to do this, or have been holding back because they think they're not good enough or have the talent? Hey, why don't you share with us your "remarkable home recording"? I'd love to give it a listen and critique!

Sooo much easer to critic then it is to create.

[mike3k]

He's really good. I just bought the album.

[techguyss]

Using computer software to create an album is not hard, you do not eve have to have musical talent (i.e. play an instrument). I, myself do not play any instrument proficiently, yet I used a PC and GarageBand like software (Mixcraft) to create a seven track album at my age of 17. Check out imeem.com/joshuarowlan to have a listen.