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Hi All, 
Rudolph

The
holiday season is upon us. I hope all of you had a great year and 2016 will be even better!

Happy "Holidaze" to all!

Sharing Our Gift
candles_romantic.jpg
by Robin Munson

Last Sunday Art and I had a gig! We played at the annual holiday brunch at the community clubhouse.  It was the first time we had played out in a very long time. (Like, decades!) I played piano and Art played acoustic guitar.  We were joined by our neighbor, Gary, who plays violin in a local symphony and string quartet, and later (quite spontaneously) by our neighbor, Vib, on his harmonica.

There were around 50 people there of all ages, milling around the clubhouse, eating a potluck brunch, laughing, joking, and wishing each other the joy of the season. As people were streaming in we played quietly in the background, just to help create the holiday mood. Read more...
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50% Off On Any Subscription! Enter Coupon Code XMAS2015 when checking out. Don't forget to share with friends!

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Offer Expires: December 31, 2015 (no retroactive sales)
Reality Check Needed
Reader "arielblacksmith" asked and received a lot of feedback.

I'm just starting out and trying to break to some libraries, I have knocked the door on some but so far it hasnt been going that well , I was even rejected by pond5 (maybe its on their side because of some big libraries they are clearing for, but who knows) so its time for a good old reality check. Read more...
Baffles For Recording Acoustic Guitars?
Image of depressed businessman tearing his hair Reader "Gre" asked,

I recently purchased a Rhode nt2-a large diaphragm mic and am not happy with the room sound it's picking up, so I'm looking for ways to eliminate as much of that as possible. I was thinking some sort of baffling around the mic could would be sufficient. Anyone here recommend either home made or commercial options? Read more...
Hard Drive Upgrade, Cloning
Choice and decisions  businessman thinking with question marks written on adhesive notes stuck to a brick wall Reader "Alan" asked,

My "C:" and "Audio" drives are nearly maxed out. I am planning to clone and swap them. I have never done a "C:" drive and I'm a bit nervous, but I REALLY don't want to do a full reinstall of everything. I would appreciate any insight, guidance, instructions, advice, warnings. Of course I will back up all my data first. Read more...
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While it is true that there is a charge to access the music library listings there are many areas that remain free and include a wealth of knowledge.

There are also ways you can gain free access to the music library listings by helping to build MusicLibraryReport.com into a better site and a more vibrant community. Check it out here.
Composer Poll
Composer Poll: Check out the composer poll and make sure to vote! Lot's of interesting questions such as "How Many Tracks In Your Catalog?", "How Many Different Libraries Do You Currently Have Music With?". Find out what your fellow composers are experiencing. Read More
Christmas Joke Corner
Now for something a bit corny!

clay-snowman.jpg It was coming up to Christmas and Sammy asked his mum if he could have a new bike. So, she told him that the best idea would be to write to Santa Claus. But Sam, having just played a vital role in the school nativity play, said he would prefer to write to the baby Jesus. So his mum told him that would be fine.

Sam went to his room and wrote ' Dear Jesus, I have been a very good boy and would like to have a bike for Christmas.' But he wasn't very happy when he read it over. So he decided to try again and this time he wrote 'Dear Jesus, I'm a good boy most of the time and would like a bike for Christmas.' He read it back and wasn't happy with that one either. He tried a third version. 'Dear Jesus, I could be a good boy if I tried hard and especially if I had a new bike.' He read that one too, but he still wasn't satisfied. So, he decided to go out for a walk while he thought about a better approach. After a short time he passed a house with a small statue of the Virgin Mary in the front garden. He crept in, stuffed the statue under his coat, hurried home and hid it under the bed.

Then he wrote this letter.
'Dear Jesus, If you want to see your mother again, you'd better send me a new bike.'

http://www.you-can-be-funny.com/CleanChristmasJokes.html 
Robin's Good Eatin'
These granola bars are delicious, with just the right amount of chewiness and crunchiness, and they make a great gift! They call for brown rice syrup, which I didn't have.. I made mine with honey, which was delicious ­ but they might not hold together as well as they would with the rice syrup. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. rolled oats (gluten ­free, if you prefer)
1 1/4 c. rice crisp cereal
1/4 c. pepita seeds (pumpkin seeds, shelled)
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. brown rice syrup
1/4 c. roasted almond butter or peanut butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 9­ inch square cake pan with two pieces of parchment paper (one going each way).

2. Spread the pecans in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10­12 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, rice crisp cereal, pepita seeds, cranberries, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the cooled toasted pecans.

4. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown rice syrup and almond butter until well combined. Cook over medium to high heat until the mixture softens and bubbles slightly, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

5. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture, using a spatula to scrape every last bit out of the pan. Stir well until all of the oats and cereal are coated in the wet mixture.

(The resulting mixture will be very thick and difficult to stir.)

6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it out into an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press down on the mixture to even it out. Use a pastry roller to compact the mixture firmly and evenly. This helps the bars hold together better. Press down on the edges with your fingers to even out the mixture.

7. Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and chill for 10 minutes or until firm.

8. Lift the oat square out of the pan, using the parchment paper as handles, and place it on a cutting board. With a pizza roller (or a serrated knife), slice the square into 6 rows and then slice them in half to make 12 bars total.

9. Wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap or foil and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

(From the Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.)

Robin's Yoga For The Stressed-Out Composer  

Robin Munson - Yoga Twist

Let's Twist Again. . .

 

Ah, the holidays! So much fruitcake, so little time! If your digestion and (how to put this delicately?) elimination are not quite up to snuff, try this simple twist. Twists massage the internal organs and are great for "getting things going". They're also very relaxing, so, why not?

 

Lie down with your feet flat on the floor, about 2 feet apart (the width of a typical yoga mat) heels close to the body, knees bent up, arms resting comfortably at your sides. Take a slow, deep inhale, and as you exhale allow your knees to drop to the right and gaze over your left shoulder. Shoulders should relax comfortably on the floor. If your neck is uncomfortable you can gaze in the direction of your knees. If your knees don't reach the floor or you notice any discomfort in the low back place a pillow underneath your knees. Take four or five deep easy breaths, then exhaling, slowly draw your knees back to center and gently allow them to drop to the other side. Take another four or five breaths on this side before drawing your knees back to center. You may like to extend your legs and rest there for a few breaths before pressing your way back up to seated and slowly rising to standing. I recommend several of these throughout the day and before bed. Along with plenty of water, gentle exercise and fruits and veggies to offset the seasonal feasts, well, suffice it to say - things should be moving along better! ;)

Don't Forget!
MLR Jukebox
MLR Jukebox: Show off your music on MLR! Read More:

Critiques: Want some feedback on your music? Tap the wisdom of MLR's readers. Read More:

Newbie Info: Answers to the most common questions if you are just entering the music library world. Read More:
Well that's it for now. Remember: Patience and Persistence. In the music library business as well as in life!

Art and Robin 

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