To Dream Perchance To Loop…

“Loopfests are today’s definitive non-genre-based celebration of creative sonic expression – and I am very honored to be included somewhere between the loop-newbies and the pioneers of loop-history…”   Rejyna

This Looptober has been packed with festivals up and down the western edge of the USA. From Colorado and Nevada to Washington and Oregon, live looping artists have presented their personal brand of loop-based music.

This week and coming weekend, California hosts the 15^th Y2K International Live Looping Festival, and the following Wednesday and Thursday, Long Beach hosts the SoCal Loopfest.

Rejyna will perform her set as part of the Y2K International Live Looping Festival on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m. at the TANNERY WORLD DANCE & CULTURAL CENTER, 1060 River Street #111, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060.

Rejyna will kick off the 2^nd night of the SoCal Loopfest on Thursday October 29^th at 7:00 p.m. at DiPIAZZA’S, 5205 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90804.

Rejyna’s Looptober Shows

Rejyna’s YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/rejyna) features several of her loop-based songs from her solo CD’s “Solo Sojourn Live” and “IDIO” which can be purchased at the shows and online at:

CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/artist/rejyna
Bandcamp: http://rejyna.bandcamp.com/releases
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Rejyna_Idio?id=Bkm3flebgdlrhazqwtqjusmy34y
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/idio/id942318560
Amazon: http://amazon.com/dp/B00PPR0VJI/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_5nSPvb0PFE6MD

Rejyna can be followed on many social and music networks, including:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/rejynamusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rejyna
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/rejyna
ReverbNation: http://reverbnation.com/rejyna
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/2VQjPIc0aCTqZwQl2YiByT
Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/rejyna/album/idio
Digitech Artists: http://digitech.com/en-US/artists/rejyna

The Y2K International Live Looping Festival is celebrating their 15^th year with performances from an impressive list of live looping artists from all over the globe:
Rick Walker (USA)
Andrew Aldridge (Canada)
ANI (USA)
Aram Shelton (USA)
Bill Walker (USA)
Cabezas De Cera (Mexico)
Cian (Mexico)
Cindy Sawprano (USA)
Daniel Thomas (USA)
DARKROOM (England)
ECNEGRU (France)
Entertainment for the Braindead (Germany)
Fabio Anile (Italy)
GAEA (USA)
Gary Regina (USA)
Giacomo Fiore (Italy)
Goh Nakamura (USA)
Henry Plotnick (USA)
Hobbs (USA)
John Connell (USA)
Josh Elliott (USA)
Jules Arindam (USA)
Lance Glover (USA)
Lucid Brain Integrative Project (France)
MandoMan (Japan)
Michael Mullen’s Trio Of One (USA)
Noah Peterson (USA)
Oa (Matt Davignon + Hugh Behm-Steinberg)
Per Boysen (Sweden)
Phil Clevenger (USA)
Philipp Zuercher (Switzerland)
Randolf Arriola (Singapore)
Rejyna (USA)
SA (Singapore)
SHORES OF LATENCY (Emmanuel Reveneau + Laurie Amat)
Steve Moyes (Wales)
Ted Killian (USA)
The Stochastics (USA)
Complete information can be found at: Y2K International Live Looping Festival

The SoCal Loopfest will present performances from:
Noah Peterson – San Antonio, TX
Josh Elliott – Tomah, WI
ecnegrU – Nanes, France
Tigr Hors – Columbus, OH
Steve Moyes – Gillingham, Medway, England
Robert Matheson – St. George, UT
Steuart Liebig – Los Angeles, CA
Cabezas de Cera – Mexico City, Mexico
Shores of Latency – Providence, RI & Paris, France
Just Alliance – Las Vegas, NV
Rejyna – Los Angeles, CA
Son Fish – Turlock, CA
Joseph Soul – Irvine, CA
Zack Walters – Long Beach, CA
Alissa Vox Raw – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Entertainment for the Braindead – Berlin, Germany
Aldo Caldo – Austin, TX
Cian – Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
The Electric Noodle – San Francisco, CA
riz orkestra – Los Angeles, CA
Complete information can be found at: SoCal Loopfest

In the following ‘how-to loop’ tutorial videos, Rejyna adds text to explain the various pedal switches she uses to create her original songs:
Common Voice

Looking For You

Jorie Green Thumb (Song For Mom)

For those interested in looping, Rejyna also published a comprehensive review of her looper-of-choice at http://www.amazon.com/review/R3OFOFY7M5IQGO

All Material is © Rejyna
℗ W.E./Citadel of Cynosure Productions
All Rights Reserved

Rejyna Pho-King Valentines Show!

Citadel’s Rejyna Pho-King Awesome Valentines Show!  

Rock-Folk-Metal-Prog via Solo Voice, Guitar and eDrums:

“Using my voice, acoustic guitar, e-drums and some fun effects with live looping, I’ll serve up some soft and loud, folkish-rockish-prog-esque songs (with sprinkles of metal garnish) while you enjoy the excellent food and beverages at Pho-King. 

Wanna be my valentine? Can I persuade you with some live loops of love? Just give me a chance to win you over.  Or, better yet, bring your valentine date, or celebrate your ‘solo freedom’ while I solo it up on stage.

Great smoothies, sandwiches and soups with vegan, tofu, and meat options.”

No Cover ~ All Ages ~ Good music, nice people, plenty of free parking, safe location!

http://www.reverbnation.com/rejyna
http://facebook.com/rejynamusic
http://rejyna.com/

“Many Struggles” by Rejyna at Treasures Roadhouse for the Y2K13 International Live Looping Festival.

Rejyna to offer Citadel songs solo sampler at McConnel Arts

Citadel band member, Rejyna, opens for Jim Volk’s Acoustic Guitar Night at 8:00 p.m. at the Peggy McConnel Arts Center’s Bronwynn Theatre in Worthington, Ohio on Friday, January 13. 

Performing songs she contributed to the band Citadel, Rejyna uses an acoustic guitar, a headset mic and various effects to present enhanced solo renditions of songs from Citadel albums and CD’s.  She presents songs that often stray from pop formula writing, citing lyric-writing influences such as; Yes, Jethro Tull, Rush, Cat Stevens, and even Gentle Giant.  The musical aspect of her compositions also draws heavily from rock-based genres that feature non-conventional song structures.  While Citadel focuses on the harder side of the rock-meter, Rejyna as a soloist strips it down to the acoustic core of the composition.

“Yes, I use a vocal harmonizer, but I turn off the autotune pitch correction.  I use the Vocalist to weave 2, 3 and 4 part harmonies around my own voice and the guitar rhythms that I record live into the looper, and I then layer in solo and harmony guitar riffs.  One of my most requested solo songs is an instrumental titled “Happy Hands” where I use the looper to lay down a rhythm guitar part, then add a lead, then a harmony lead, and then a bass line.  Creating solo-orchestrated musical pieces live in front of an audience is a different adrenalin beast from performing with other musicians.  The sweat and fervor in my live show is proof that trying to do it all correctly in ‘one-take’ in front of a live audience is the endorphin ‘buzz’ I am addicted to…and I hold DigiTech wholly responsible for my gear addiction” (Rejyna)

Rejyna recently released a CD of one of these live performances entitled, Solo Sojourn Live, which is available on CDBaby and their online affiliates like iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and Napster. 

Rejyna will be the opening act for Jim Volk’s Acoustic Guitar Night.

From:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2012/01/08/2-this08-jan-art-grqfg7u6-1.html

“Guitarist Jim Volk will headline an evening of music with warm-up sets from recent International Thumbpicking Contest winners Josh Woods and Shohei Toyoda and singer-guitarist Rejyna.”

From: http://www.mcconnellarts.org/wp/archives/7516

“Jim Volk is a high energy solo acoustic guitar player that thrills his audiences every time he plays.  His performances include a wide mixture of blues, rock, country, guitar bangin’ “modern acoustic” – and, crowd favorite medleys Jim puts together on the fly.
http://jimvolk.com 

 

Out in western Kentucky there is a International Thumb Pickin’ Contest that BOTH Josh Woods and Shohei Toyoda have won – in consecutive years.  Nobody can win that prestigious award without being able to play the guitar VERY WELL:

Josh Woods – is a self taught Kentuckian guitar player, himself.  Thousands of avid guitar players attempt the extremely complicated Atkins/Travis style of playing guitar, yet only once in a millennium does one come along that was born to do so. That would be young Josh Woods. His long fingers on his large strong hands seem to know exactly where to go on the fret board.  And, the rhythm of his accompanying “thumb” is flawless – and, will have you up out of your seat dancing as he plays.

http://www.youtube.com/user/atmahack/videos

Shohei Toyoda – came to finger style guitar from a different direction – he is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he developed a love of finger style guitar from virtuoso guitarist, Guy VanDuser – who arranged Stars & Strips for the late great Chet Atkins.  Since graduation, Shohei has traveled the world over to learn from the Masters of Guitar. He has sat at their feet to internalize their ’soulful’ music. He brings to the world a form of fingerpicking unique and energetic.

http://shoheitoyoda.com/

Rejyna – is a composer, guitarist, vocalist, performer and studio artist who has worked in all types of bands and musical genres. A great bulk of her work can be heard on the releases of the rock band Citadel, who has been releasing their own indie music for the last three decades.”

http://rejyna.com

McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, 777 Evening St.

Tickets cost $15, or $20 the day of the show

Call 614-431-0329 or visit www.mcconnellarts.org

Citadel ® – Since 1979 – The Original Citadel

http://citadelsongs.com
http://citadelband.com
http://citadelmusic.org
http://facebook.com/citadelprog

Citadel songs featured on Rejyna’s solo release!

Citadel guitarist, composer and vocalist, Rejyna, is releasing a solo live CD of a performance featuring her solo songs as well as unplugged versions of songs from the Citadel band. 

“Solo Sojourn live” will be available on CDBaby and affliated digital sites like, iTunes, eMusic and Amazon starting May 1.

Rejyna - Solo Sojourn Live CD Gatefold

The following is taken from the liner notes of the Solo Sojourn live CD:

Using the latest in musical instrument technology, the acoustic folk-rock performance you hear on this CD is created in front of a live audience ‘on-the-fly’ by one person. 

Rejyna plays the rhythm passages while simultaneously recording them live onto a phrase looper.  The looper then replays those parts while Rejyna sings and/or adds guitar leads and harmony guitar leads to those passages.  During this guitar layering process, Rejyna sings into a vocal harmonizer that creates realistic multi- part vocal harmonies based on and mixed alongside her original voice. 

The result is a full, natural sounding sonic presentation that comes across like more than one person is playing and singing.  No pre-recorded ‘backing tracks’ nor in-studio overdubs are used on this recording – all layering or overdubbing is done by Rejyna on stage with the looper and harmonizer.  You can check out Rejyna’s web videos to watch the process for yourself.

Citadel music featured on this solo CD include:
Stygian Barque, Voice Inside, On Life and Living, Another, In Wonder, Standing Alone and Are You Aware.  The CD also includes Rejyna’s solo songs, The Songwriter, Freedom Dream, In Wonder, Dreamworld, and the instrumental songs, If I Cry and Happy Hands.

Rejyna’s Comments:
“I’ve had the pleasure of performing in many venues in my hometown during an extended visit with family and friends. Since it has been such a renewing experience, I’m releasing this CD of my solo live set to memorialize the good fun I have doing these performances with my guitar, looper and vocal harmonizer. 
        I’ve chosen the songs for this CD as a focus on some of the dream phases and life processes we go through when trying to find or rediscover ourselves, i.e., Self Doubt vs. Self Direction, Departures and Escapes vs. Surrenders and Separations, Renewal vs. Retreat, Cowardice vs. Celebration…
       I am thankful for the supporters of original music, for the convivial coffee houses and taverns that give me stage time, and for the technology that enables me to put out such a big sound from one voice & two hands.

You can find out more about Rejyna by googling her name; she is on Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, ReverbNation, and she has an archive creative content portfolio site at Rejyna.com

The photographs on the CD were taken by Rejyna’s daughter, Jazmyn Whitman of AnimeJaz.com.  The compositing, retouching and package design was done by James Eves III of Digipix.Us

All content is © Rejyna Douglass-Whitman & published by W.E./Citadel of Cynosure Productions (BMI) All Rights Reserved.  www.rejyna.com

Rejyna on the Web:

 www.rejyna.com

www.cdbaby.com/artist/rejyna

www.facebook.com/rejynamusic

www.youtube.com/rejyna

www.reverbnation.com/rejyna

www.twitter.com/rejyna

The live CD was recorded using an Audio Technica ATM73a headset mic, an Ovation Balladeer, a Digitech Vocalist Live 3 and a Digitech JamMan solo.

Free Downloads Threat?

Are FREE DOWNLOADS a THREAT to the livelihood of Composers, Musicians, Bands or Producers?

IMHO, this is all a transitional phase. Getting stuff for free diminishes it’s value to the recipient (most often unconsciously) although paying the high major label prices for sub-par compositions IS insulting. The result of the paradox is where we are now. Eventually, consumers may discover that ‘free’ isn’t really ‘free’ and the hidden cost is that the quality of music will suffer and you’ll have to spend a lot of time browsing and sampling to find the nuggets worth your listening, downloading, titling, filing and burning time – amidst all the throwaway freebies.

Look back a bit before the labels took control. It was the DJ who brought in new music – and many listeners trusted specific DJ’s recommendations. Now we have internet radio (my favorite is http://www.last.fm/) and the listener makes his own playlist (i.e. radio station) without commercials and with only the music they want to hear. They seem to be the new breed of DJ’s.

All of the old models will probably die a slow death (major label dominance, radio station playlists, live ‘pay to play’ policies, etc.) and while that takes place (with wailing and gnashing of teeth), there will be this ‘free-for’all’ willy nilly middle-space where we are now.

Eventually, it should go back to listeners ‘wanting’ to support their favorites via purchase power – because by that time, everyone will be so burnt out on the getting ‘something for nothing’ fad that will have flooded the online sites and personal players with tons of garbage – they’ll not have the time in their busy lives to find those rarities worth stealing, or rather, ‘sharing’. When they find something ‘worth the money’ they will understand it is up to them to promote it and support it – or it will go away.

Give it time, it should all work itself out and I firmly believe it could level the playing field and up-the-quality of music for decades to follow. It’s hard to see, being in the midst of it, but maybe we’re on a ‘cusp’ – at the brink of true balance…

Rejyna
Citadel ®

The unabashed self-promotional blurbs follow:

Two Rockin’ Citadel ® songs are free here

If ya want, we’ve got some ‘Live’ freebies here

and more on iLike

or, for some full-length songs to add to your Last.fm playlists, go here

or, Google ‘citadelsongs’ or ‘citadelband’ and take a few hours to sift through all the sites we’re on (now counting 500+)

or, take a risk and only a few minutes (literally) to purchase our stuff at CDBaby in physical (CD) form or as a download…

or, last but not least on iTunes, Napster, PayPlay, Tradebit, GreatIndie, AudioLunchbox, Rhapsody, etc…

Our band policy is to give as much stuff away for promotion as plausible – we don’t make music to get rich and famous – but we love it when someone likes our stuff enough to buy it. It’s not the money…it’s the thought that counts…really…