OK. Sometimes words mean nothing. Just close your eyes, open your ears to the music, and in the words of Taylor Swift, “Listen to this sick beat!”
April 15, 2015
Grooving Some Snarky Puppy – Lingus
Posted by Raito in Misc, Video and tagged as lingus, snarky puppy, taylor swift, this sick beat
April 14, 2015
Busking is Not Panhandling
In some cities in Canada, busking is artfully encouraged and not considered panhandling. In some cities, for example, in parks, near transit, the music and performances can be enjoyed by many, and clearly defined by the city posting their BUSKING rules. In Toronto, buskers can fill out a permit application. In Calgary they are a little more anal, but at least they have a Busker By-Law.
In Winnipeg last week, we opted to hand out 3 tickets to local busker Eric Pyle, for singing near the arena during a Jets game. It flies in the face of common sense. Kinda of like the fact we have NO formal busking policy, other than we consider it panhandling.
Maybe its because I am a PT musician. Maybe I don’t know the Winnipeg Police Cadets side of the story (please do tell). Maybe it is because Eric isn’t exactly a clean cut, non-smoking kinda guy.
OR
MAYBE, just MAYBE busking is freaking not panhandling. The words singing, playing guitar, public performance nor the word busking or busker are anywhere to be found in the City of Winnipeg Panhandling by-law.
Pure personal opinion, but I would love to see Winnipeg have a thriving downtown, and be a progressive enough city to create the most liberal busking rules in Canada. Create a busking by-law that encourages public performance, and brings music, magic, and awe inspiring art to our citizens. But hey… thats just me!
Nuff said. Although, I would love to hear an opposing view point. That always makes my day 🙂
#supportlocalmusic
Posted by Raito in Busking, Misc, Press, Winnnipeg and tagged as #supportlocalmusic, busker by-law, busking, no winnipeg busking by-law, panhandling, winnipeg panhandling by-law
April 11, 2015
Aliens Are Listening To My Music Right Now
Dear Everyone,
I entitled this post Aliens Are Listening To My Music Right Now, because I’m a sucker for believing shit we see in the movies. I always thought that when I sang live on radio, or had my songs broadcast on the radio, that the signal traveled deep into space. So I Google’d it! Now I am super bummed, as apparently the signal degrades with in a few light years, and the nearest sun is 100% too far away to be HEARD! Oh well, it led to my epiphany for the day… so I’ll forgive Hollywood this time.
So for my epiphany, It seems like forever since I released Rock The Water. Sitting back relaxing today, thinking of aliens listening when I got to perform live on radio, I had an epiphany. I have allowed LIFE to take over, and have rarely been picking up my guitar, let alone writing songs. Sounds like a negative epiphany BUT its NOT! My epiphany, that smacked me across the face today, is that I will “Never Stop Dreaming”! Music never dies. I have created something that will live on FOREVER, even if aliens can’t hear me. #neverstopdreaming
Maybe you have something you loved doing so much… that you have stopped doing it?
Here is that radio appearance that aliens will never hear. While you watch this… I’m going to go write a few songs 🙂
Cheers,
Raito
PS. Yes I believe in aliens.
Posted by Raito in Misc, Rock The Water, Video and tagged as #aliens, #aliensarelistening, #neverstopdreaming, aliens are listening to my music, i believe in aliens, never stop dreaming
July 26, 2014
Rossland Brewery Company Jam
This one is for the Growler!!!
Ryan & Petri of Rossland Brewery ROCK! Here is some blues for ya gents…
If the FB video doesn’t work here is the YouTube video:
[tubepress video="iti0atwPwfk"]
Posted by Raito in Misc, Video and tagged as growler, rossland brewery
March 9, 2014
Random Acts of Music
Thank you to whomever anonymously dropped of the Canada guitar pics! Your random act of music was awesome and put a huge smile on my face…
[tubepress video="3qxYOke4W4Q"]
Posted by Raito in Misc, Video and tagged as random acts of music, thank you
May 19, 2013
2013 Raito is Still Alive and Kicking
Hi All,
Just wanted to first apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for 6 months… life happens I guess!
The year after debuting an album like ‘Rock The Water’, probably should have been followed up with more radio interviews, begging to play any gig I could, trying to convince Manitoba Music I’m serious about International Exposure, coercing friends and family to buy t-shirts, CD’s and ‘Raito’ little key chains, etc. Not my style, I guess, and in the mean time I certainly let life get in the way of promotion and honestly stopped music all together.
FACT … the album is still here :)! Alexander Keith could still license my single (long shot I know)! I’m still here with 8 fingers, two thumbs, and capable vocal chords. I am slowly getting back my MOJO and starting to write again. I do still believe you and I can achieve anything we set are minds too.
Stay tuned!!!
In the mean time, hope you are enjoying May Long Weekend!
Cheers,
Lee
Posted by Raito in Alexander Keith, Misc, Rock The Water, Uncategorized and tagged as alexander keith, life, raito update, rock the water
July 29, 2012
Rock The Water
The Art of Unplugging
To stay creative and in touch with reality these days… DANG, in my opinion, you just have to step away for a bit from the internet, smart phones, iPAds, Facebook and the myriad of other brain sucking tunnel vision technology that we all have been dealing with this past decade!
Tomorrow at Noon, I say goodbye to technology for a week; NO phones, NO internet…. just life!!! Other than keeping my digital camera ready to catch video or amazing still images for later digital consumption of course 🙂
DURING MY UNPLUGGED WEEK “Please, I need your help!” As I posted on Facebook yesterday, I’m having a hell of a time nailing down a name for this debut album. Any ‘name’ suggestions you can come up with are more than appreciated… they will earn you an album credit and a secret surprise I have been dreaming up.
So please post your ideas for the album name in the comments below…
Here are the song names (in NO particular order) to get your juices flowing:
Rock The Water
Three Guitars
The River Runs
Mr. Maker
One & The Same
Alexander Keith
To The Moon & Back
Pick Up The Phone
Posted by Raito in Misc and tagged as debut album, raito, unplug, unplugging
July 27, 2011
What To Eat Before Singing
Well, I’m heading back into Len Milne’s Bedside studio an hour from now, to start recording 4 songs for my pending album, and just finished devouring a quarter pounder and cheese, side salad and water (NOT a tea drinker)!
Got me to think, “What should you eat and drink before you sing?” I fear the answer may be, “Whatever you do Don’t eat McDee’s!” 🙂
Love to hear what other folks do.
Posted by Raito in Misc, Studio and tagged as bedside studio, recording, what to eat before singing
September 1, 2010
Round 2 Voting for Playlist for the Planet
(In about 20 minutes) 06:30 am PST Wednesday, September 1st Round two voting for David Suzuki’s & CBC Radio 3’s Playlist for the Planet officially gets under way. Please keep reading as I need YOUR help over the next week (explain more at the end)…
With over 750 songs entered in the contest & after all your voting in round one, ‘One & The Same’ has made the top 5 songs in Manitoba & with your help this week it could be chosen as the number one environmental anthem in Manitoba, and be put on the Universal Music album being released this October! All proceeds from the sale of this album will go to help saving our planet through the David Suzuki foundation. Our children deserve to inherit a healthy planet!
For the next seven days please vote once per day to help ‘One & The Same’ go down in history as an environmental anthem next to such great artists as Joel Plaskett, Bruce Cockburn, Broken Social Scene, k-os, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Bachman (with Sarah McLachlan and Nikki Yanofsky), DOA, Tom Jackson, Johnny Reid, Raffi, LIGHTS, Jessie Farrell, Rush, the Trews, Great Big Sea, and Tanya Tagaq.
Here is how you vote:
1. Please go here & vote once per day for ‘One & The Same’ until Wednesday, September 8th: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/polls/?pollId=73 (Login if you have already registered as a free member or take 2 seconds to signup)
2. If you want me to keep you up to date & hear how this all turns out please enter your name & email on the left side of this site or select the ‘Become a Fan’ button this page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/Raito/One-and-The-Same
3. Please share this with anyone & everyone you can..
Lastly, I can’t thank you enough as I couldn’t have come this far with out you & all my other friends!!!Now, lets go & win this thing!
Posted by Raito in Misc, playlist for the planet and tagged as Broken Social Scene, Bruce Cockburn, david suzuki, DOA, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Jessie Farrell, Joel Plaskett, Johnny Reid, k-os, LIGHTS, Nikki Yanofsky, one and the same, playlist for the planet, Raffi, raito, Randy Bachman, Rush, Sarah McLachlan, Tanya Tagaq, the Trews, Tom Jackson
August 24, 2010
One and The Same FAQ
Did you write One and The Same specifically for the Playlist for the Planet contest?
Yep. June 25th, 2010 I started writing the song while my daughter Grace was in the bathtub (It’s our semi-regular Daddy Daughter routine & where I have written many of songs)! I have no doubt that my three daughters, and thoughts of my my future grand children, are the reason this song came together so quickly. Within 5 minutes, I immediately could hear the violins, female duet & everyone singing along in my head.
I made the decision right then and there that I would do whatever it took to get the song completed for the contest. From there it took a little less than 4 weeks of part time studio work & an awesome producer engineer by the name of Len Milne (Bedside Studios, Winnipeg) to bring One and The Same to life.
Who is that amazing female singer that comes in after the first verse/chorus?
That would be the amazingly awesome Samantha Rech. She is my voice coach, who just happened to owe me about an hour & a half of back lessons. So I convinced her to sing on my song instead of rescheduling more lessons. I’m so glad she agreed!!!! You can find out more about her on her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/samantharech
Who are all the people singing along in the last half of the song?
I love the fact that almost every musician that played on the song also lent their voice for the gang vocals (truly amazing musicians & Winnipegers). The most amazing part is that I was also able to get my Mom, Dad & Mother In-Law to participate in the group sing along (more stories about that for another time:). It’s one of those small things that I can pick out in the recording that makes me smile. If we are going to save the planet, just like this song, we have to all take ownership, regardless of race, generation or gender, and come together and have fun saving ourselves! I truly believe we can do it.
What musicians play on ‘One and The Same’?
Lee Raito– male vocals & two acoustic guitar parts.
Samatha Rech– Lead Female Vocals
Len Milne– Electric Guitar, Egg Shaker, Engineer & Producer Extraordinaire
Blaine Badiuk– Violin
Todd Lesage– Drums
Travis Hauge– Bass
As more questions are asked I will be happy to answer them. I’m just so happy that people have connected with this song and want it to win Playlist for the Planet. Regardless of whether or not it wins, this song makes, and will continue to, me think every day before I make decisions that might impact our environment and planet earth. This song & our earth are part of your an my legacy! You and I really are the world, One and The Same, it is up to you I to sing along and save her.
Posted by Raito in Misc, playlist for the planet and tagged as cbc radio3, david suzuki, faq, one and the same, playlist for the planet, radio3
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