Planning to book a lot of shows this year – kinda my year to come back into the music scene…last year was ‘pre-season’!

I’m meeting w/Martin Atkins today at Madison Media Institute for some career coaching for my artist career, and also to be interviewed for his next music business related book. Martin played drums w/Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, and was in PIL and Killing Joke in the 80′s…he was even in a band w/Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols guy) for 5 years. I’ve read his books and they’re good stuff. I sometimes coach folks on music business stuff, so its great to GET coached sometimes!

Lessons…Lessons are completely full!! 1 Year in Madison and I started a waiting list…Contact me to jump on and I should be able to get you in before too long. Folks have life things come up, catch a little cold, etc…and we can squeeze ya in…so far I’ve been able to get most folks in within a month, sometimes really quick.

After a year on a free lesson rampage, the Free Lesson has new limited availability – if its not available the week of your first lesson, ask me about adding one to your lesson package.

See ya,

Bradley

Hi…

I’ve been working out of my new space on Monroe Street, a block from Camp Randall in Central/Near West Madison. Super fun little space and amazing location…it was supposed to be just a temporary transition space for my business, but I’m going to keep seeing how it goes – its been fun here so far…

I have 3 boys taking guitar who are all 8 years old. One of them was asking about starting a rock band…so I’m starting my first ever all kids Rock 101 class…We’ll See Sam, Nicholas and Bruno Monday for their first jam session! (Btw I had come up with ‘Rock 101′ before the School of Rock movie ever came out! Maybe I identify a little toooo closely with Jack Black??!!)

On Saturday, Nov 26 I’ll open a show for Clyde Stubblefield w/Charlie Brooks @ the High Noon Saloon. Clyde was James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’ and he’s become the most sampled drummer in the world – using his beats for all those hip hop tunes, etc…

Just had a really fun demo gig at the Madison Media Institute. Martin Atkins was there – he was the drummer in PIL and Killing Joke, toured w/Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, and wrote some great music business books including “Welcome To the Music Industry, You’re F*cked!” It was great to get to hear his ideas…My old friend and band member Biff Blumfumgagnge was the teacher!

So, I can’t believe this, considering I’ve only been back teaching in Madison for 10 months — this week I completely filled up all 3 days of private lessons! If you want lessons, don’t worry, but do act – winter is coming and folks are bound to go on vacation, get into school, etc etc – just call me and jump on a waiting list and I will get you in ASAP. It could be as little as a week or 2 depending on how how everything flows…I have a feeling 2012 is gonna be a busy one!

Meanwhile I’m getting back into a writing phase – I want to write and release a new EP and start doing some low key Coffeeshop and club shows in the New Year with an emphasis on original music.

Also been experimenting more with vegan raw hippie food – got one of those Blendtec blenders. Wow.

Keeping it alive!

See ya!

Bradley

Mixing a track in a cofeeshop - just for fun!

Yup! Its zany around here – going just fantastic…(Emmy award winning) Sound Engineer extraordinaire Mike Sommerfeldt (a.k.a Curlymon!) and I are having a ton of fun recording my tunes and posting them online for free! Its creative, fun, giving me a much needed kick in the pants to write, and its helping us create a new workflow…we did a few records together back before I was living in Israel and just had a great time working and hanging together…the guy is such a talented mix engineer its ridiculous.

Once I move (Aug 15 – to a KILLER house looking out on the lake in very Central Madison), we plan to build a studio in the house and help singers and songwriters create their own music. We are using live looping and other cool tricks to create GREAT sounding demos, FAST!

Here’s the first one we did, “Spring”:

Here’s a couple of live acoustic comedy tunes we did – adults only, ok?
“Relapsing Rabbi”
“You’re a Lesbian (in a Man’s body)”

Teaching is going amazing. I am so thrilled to have the students I have. From 7-string guitar to dobro, to voice – I am getting challenged big time as a musician and a teacher – and I love it!

I just picked up an Ipad as a teleprompter for lyrics (hey if The Grateful Dead, Ozzy, and Bruce Springstein can have ‘em, so can we!) Turns out its also a great way to keep track of my students homework – I can write on the Ipad, and email everyone their homework and have a record of it, No more lost notebooks or asking “Wait, did we already do this one?!” Love it!

From my Ipad I can create and email Tabs, Chord Charts, etc for my students...so fun!

Hope to see all you Wisconsin folks at my upcoming gigs. July 23 in Newville, WI and July 29 in Madison

Bradley Live @ the

So, I’m on this awesome new groove…4 days in a row I’ve made that hour to come up with new music…its feels soooo great…wow…a few pushups in between and I’m feeling incredible…just improvising songs into my loop “spaceship” – I’ll go back later and write real lyrics for the tunes…

What put me over the top to feel relaxed enough to get back into writing was finding a super cool place to live and work, long term, for the fall…Aug 15, I’ll be in a 3 bedroom house w/ hardwood floors, w/a 3 season porch looking out over Monona Bay in Madison!!! It has tons of parking for my clients, a washer/dryer, dishwasher, and plenty of storage and cool spaces to record music in. I plan to do a lot of private teaching on that porch looking at the lake! A major bike path is across the street, too! Its very central/ near west – just a mile to the Capitol or Campus. I’ll be starting lots of inexpensive group classes in the fall for guitar, rock bands, etc…this is the perfect place!

So, the Argus had to cancel all music, including my upcoming gig. When I posted on facebook that I was looking for a new venue, I immediately got contacted by Theresa from the People Brothers Band. We booked 2 Free to the public shows – the Up North Pub on Sat, June 11 and the Come Back Inn on Fri, July 29. Thanks Theresa!

Its an interesting, yet common story about the Argus. Performance rights groups ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC pop up to collect money from venues and give it to the folks getting big radio airplay (i.e. Phil Collins, Madonna)…so when local, unknown bands loose gigs because the venue can’t afford the extra few thousand dollars a year to pay out to the big players – is this really helping musicians? We report, you decide…

Anyways, this is the music industry, I signed up for it, I love it, and places close all the time…so onwards…

Tonight I’ll jam with Jeff Muendel, most recently of the Motor Primitives, and formerly of Bradley Fish Electrifried Band…he’s been playing a lot of guitar lately…We are talking about re-forming the band to have some fun…will let ya all know as that progresses…

Ok, Cya all soon!

Bradley Live @ the

Psyched to be playing out again…I just spent today prepping for a wine and cheese (and Vodka!) benefit show for the Madison Jewish Community Day School…there’s a wedding coming up (Mazal Tov Nic and Kimberly!) a Bar Mitzvah (whoulda thunkit!) and this Argus gig…I love that I can play whatever I want at the Argus…No doubt there may be a jazz tune and some instrumental stuff – some influence from these more ‘upscale’ gigs I’ve been booking…still its good to go underground! Also my old friend Brota Oroian of The Art Brothas will be doing some live improv painting at the show! Dude is such a talent!! Btw – Its a block from the Capitol! FREE Show!! (SHOW HAD BEEN RESCHEDULED TO UP NORTH PUB 514 E Wilson, Madison on SAT, JUNE 11, 9pm FREE! NO COVER! w/Brota Oroian Guest Visual Artist!!)

Artwork by Brota Oroian - He'll be live improv painting at my Argus show Thurs June 9!

In other news I’m looking for a house to rent to base my operations. Teaching is getting busy to the point where I need to bust out and get a house! PLEASE let me know if you hear of a cool rental! (Hardwoods, Parking, within 4 miles of Capitol) Thanks!

I'll open for That 1 Guy on Wed Mar 30 @ The Annex in Madison, WI

On Wednesday 3/30/2011, I’ll open for “That 1 Guy” at the Annex in Madison – He is a touring loop based musician out of CA who plays an instrument straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Really cool music. Psyched to be getting on this opening gig thang again…Its put on my Tag and True Endeavors…

Now I have a few days to really work on the show. I need the pressure of shows to stay on task for practicing w/my new looping rig – This is great!

Today I bought some ‘magical’ wireless in-ear monitors so I can be free of the one cable that always was driving me nuts at shows…LOVE it!!! Some more gear is on order…won’t have it for this show but I have this crazy idea to be able to roll by whole system around the club by myself and onto the stage!

Meanwhile, thanks to new student (and killer singer/guitarist) Joe Hallum is giving me a hand roadying on this gig and has ideas for booking fests around WI for the summer…I totally appreciate the encouragement to get out there!

Also a shout out to Rokker at Maximum Ink who has been giving me a hand getting re-settled into the music scene here. Rumor has it that Maximum Ink radio is getting ready to debut. Keep an ear out for it soon!

See y’all!

Bradley

I have a little gig in the afternoon today so please try me after 3pm on Thursday, or all day Friday until around 5pm. 217-552-9047. Leave a message and I WILL call you back ASAP!

BTW, I am currently on the West side, off of University Ave (near the Perkins), probably for 11 more weeks, and meanwhile I’m looking for a more centrally located place on the Near East or Near West side with access to parking for my students. It may even have to be be 2 moves – a summer sublet and then a cool house to land in long term in August…whatever – I’ll let you know…you know how it is getting back to town…Bottom line, I’ll be close by and accessible!

In the past I’ve had folks driving in from places as far as Rockford, IL and around WI to take lessons, so hopefully this is all pretty trivial!

Once I am more centrally located, I do plan to start doing inexpensive group classes in addition to lessons, and it will be nice for college students that don’t have cars to be able to walk to me…

Well, enough with the trivia…

Here’s some basic info…

YOUR Lessons:
– ALL levels/styles; Learn what YOU want to learn, at YOUR pace!
– Record & Produce demos right to CD/mp3/YouTube.
– Families/Groups Welcome!
– Fun, Super Effective & Relaxed Style.

Bradley Fish:
– Sony Digital Pictures Recording Artist
– Endorsed by Martin Guitars, GHS Strings, Rocktron & more!
– Extensive Touring/Performing Experience
– B.A. degree in Jazz Guitar/World music
– 25 years pro teaching experience, over 1,000 students!
– Learn more at http://www.bradleyfish.com

Feel free to give a call – I’ll want to learn more about your musical interests, goals, background, and more!!

See ya!

Bradley
217-552-9407

Several students from 7+ years ago have already been re-signing up, along with folks that saw me onstage, and others who had no idea who I was until I advertised for lessons! Its been totally fun and its coming together soooo fast!

If you’re a potential new student in Madison and you’d like to come check out a FREE music lesson, on me, get in touch! If you’re an old student who wants to re-up I’ve got a special for you, too!
Call me at 217-552-9407 or e-mail your phone # and musical interests to bradleyfishmusic@gmail.com

Cya!
Bradley

P.S. I’m also teaching private lessons on the Chinese Zither, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, African Drums, and much more!

P.P.S. I’m looking for a new more Central/East Side location, but for now I’m on the West Side of Madison, just off of University Ave. If you can’t get to me, ask me about the possibility of coming to you!

guitar

Its been a whirlwind 7 month trip in the USA…

And I’ve finally decided to re-settle in my old home of Madison, WI!!!!

The FREE Guitar Lesson is in effect for new students and returning students get goodies, too!!

Also teaching voice, recording demos, and much more!!

I’m playing some experimental music w/ my new looping gear at an art opening on Friday:

See ya soon!