Tunin.FM

I've spent today sitting in an editing suite inputting video into Final Cut Pro. The day was frustrating to begin with but all is good now. I have round about 46 hours of concert footage to edit for promotional purposes. This is video of concerts that I have conducted and which I will use to introduce myself to orchestras that I have not yet worked with. The video is input in real time so with 46 hours to go there is really no excuse for me not to write a few entries for my blog.

So here's a question for you. Do you have an iPhone and could you possibly love yours as much as I do mine? Well, fellow iPhonies may I share with you my absolutely, favourite application; Tunin.FM

With Tunin.FM I am able to listen to any radio station, from anywhere in the world, that offers their broadcast via the internet. That's a lot of broadcasters. I'm a huge fan of the BBC and nearly all of their stations are available, unfortunately due to copyright restrictions their sports channels are not available outside the UK (but in another posting I'll let you know how to get around that, wink, wink). Anyway, the BBC Proms are in full swing at the moment and each morning I have been tuning in live via my iPhone to listen.

Now, you might be thinking that this uses up a lot of bandwidth. Well, I have yet to exceed my monthly bandwidth allowance. Tunin.Fm uses a very good compression rate that uses as little bandwidth as possible without compressing the joy out of the music. Of course when I'm at home or at a coffee shop that has open wireless I make sure to use the WiFi setting on the phone; it's only when your using the 3G network that you get dinged.

I just had a rather fun idea pop into my head. Why don't you try this application, then tell me what you think of it and even better let me know what gems you discover from the world's online radio stations.

Happy Birthday Bob

Today marks what would have been Robert Farnon's 92 birthday.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Robert Farnon was commissioned as a captain in the Canadian Army during WWII and was sent overseas as the conductor/arranger of the Canadian Band of the Allied Expeditionary Force, the Canadian equivalent of the American Band of the AEF led by Major Glenn Miller.

At the end of the war, Farnon decided to make England his home, and he later moved to Guernsey in the Channel Islands with his wife and children.

He was considered by his peers the finest arranger in the world, and his talents influenced many composer-arrangers including Quincy Jones, all of whom acknowledge his contributions to their work. Conductor Andre Previn called him "the greatest writer for strings in the world."

I've put together a small tribute to Mr. Farnon in the form of a selection from his broadcasts with the Canadian Band of the Allied Expeditionary Force. Be prepared for some serious nostalgia.

The Builders are Still In

I'm sorry that this site is still such a mess and that I keep moving stuff around. We're getting there though. I'm hoping that we will be able to remove the dust sheets and take down the construction signs by the end of the week. If you don't mind the mess please visit any time.