How To Play Violin

Hebrew Music Instruments

2009-12-30T00:19:00.000-08:00

Music is a great form of communication; it facilitates religious ceremonies, and celebrates victorious battles. Jubal was the inventor of Hebrew musical instruments. The whole Hebrew history and literature are proving that the Hebrews are really committed to cultivate music. We all remember that after the passage of the Red Sea, Moses and his people sang their song of happiness and freedom.

The time of David and Solomon is the golden age of Hebrew music; it is systematically cultivated and it is the main part of training in schools. Hebrew musical instruments are also used in their private life. Among the Hebrew musical instruments, an important place is given to stringed instruments, such as the kinnor - a kind or farp, the nebel – a lyre, the sabbeka- a lute. Among the wind instruments, we mention the ugab – a syrinx, the qeren – a horn, the shophar – a trumpet, the hafsoserah – a trumpet, the halil – a flute, the sumponyah – a bagpipe. The Hebrew musical instruments from the percussion category are the toph – a drum, the paamon – the bells, the tseltselim – cymbals, the mennan’im – cornets, the shalishim – triangles.

Old Hebrew musical instruments
The bells were very important Hebrew musical instruments; they were attached to the hem of the high priest’s ephod. The cornet is named shophar in Hebrew because of its brightness and its clear sound. Cymbals are also very popular Hebrew musical instruments; two pieces of brass, one for each hand, are clashed together to produce a really loud sound. The dulcimer is a Hebrew musical instrument; it is a kind of lute. The flute is composed of a number of pipes; it is common also among other people from Asia.

The harp (kinnor in Hebrew) is the national musical instrument of the Hebrews; the harp was invented by Jubal and is used as accompaniment to Hebrew songs such as praise to God. The horn is not only a Hebrew musical instrument; it is also used metaphorically for strength and honor, as emblems or power. The organ is a wind Hebrew musical instrument, similar to the Pan’s pipe.

The psaltery is another Hebrew musical instrument, a king of lyre, with twelve strings. The tabret is a one-sided drum, a kind of tambourine; the timbrel is also a small drum or a tambourine. Trumpets are a large variety of forms, and are made in different materials. Silver trumpets are specific Hebrew musical instruments, and are used by the highest priests to announce a war or a festival.

Reasons For Playing Musical Instruments

2009-12-27T00:10:00.000-08:00

In this article we will look at some reasons for playing musical instruments. Learning how to play violin or learning to play a musical instrument in general can offer many benefits, if you really want to learn how to do something in your lifetime, then you should think about learning to play a musical instrument.

Let’s look at some reasons why in this article:

Reasons for playing musical instruments - You can become smarter

Studies have shown that those that play a musical instrument in school, do better with their studies than those who do not. It is said that playing musical instruments has a therapeutic effect on the brain. By playing musical instruments from a young age, they develop ones reading skills, a child’s ability to learn, and they also raise the child’s IQ. Adults can benefit also because it makes one able to focus better resulting in effects such as more mental focus and improved memory.

Reasons for playing musical instruments - Learn Discipline

Many people who play music are very disciplined. You have to be disciplined in order to master the instrument you are playing. You need to set aside time each day to practice, practice, and further practice. While many people goof around watching TV and Gossiping, you have to set that time aside to practice on your chosen instrument.

Reasons for playing musical instruments - Instruments relive stress

When you hear soft soothing music, it can de stress many people. We all need days when we need to just sit and soothe our minds. Life can be hectic and stressful. Playing an instrument can relax you by calming the mind.

Reasons for playing musical instruments - A sense of achievement

If you’re new to playing a musical instrument, getting your first piece right can be very frustrating. However, once you achieve this, you can have an overwhelming feeling of achievement and satisfaction.

Playing musical instruments is fun

Playing an instrument can be very hard work, but most people who play will tell you that playing an instrument is a whole lot of fun. Once you get better playing your chosen musical instrument, you will be able to demonstrate what you have learn to families and friends.

You may even choose to go further with your skills and aim for playing musical instruments at a professional level. Playing musical instruments opens up many possibilities which can only be a positive thing. We are sure that by learning to play a musical instrument, your life can only be enriched.

Music Instruments For The Blind

2009-12-24T00:09:00.001-08:00

Are you blind but wanting to learn how to play violin? There is hope!

Blind children can learn to play a musical instrument just as well and often even better than, sighted children provided the desire and interest is there. Blind children often have a strong sense of rhythm and musical sensation since their hearing is more in tuned with the world.

Of course the assumption should not be made that just because they are blind they should play a musical instrument. However if a child or an adult who is visually impaired decides that playing a musical instrument is something they would find beneficial, then by all means, there should be every consideration made just as you would for a sighted individual.

There are instruments which are better suited for the visually impaired than others. Most string instruments are a good musical instrument for the visually impaired because the strings can be easily felt in order, especially for the violin, viola, and cello.

The piano and woodwind musical instruments can also make very good choices for the visually impaired when learning to play a musical instrument. They are considered the easiest of the musical instruments to memorize tactilely and are fairly versatile in the musical arrangements they can be applied to playing. However, there is of course no restriction to the possibilities.

It is usually not necessary to find the visually impaired musical student a specially trained music teacher. A teacher that is creative and patient (which we would hope all music teachers are) should be able to help the visually impaired student feel the musical instrument of their choice in order to learn to play it competently. Musical instruments often are able to be handled by the visually impaired simply because their design and structure is quite unique from a tactile standpoint.

Children and adults from all walks of life should learn to play at least one musical instrument. Learning to play a musical instrument teaches so many skills at once that it can be difficult to find a downfall to learning to play a musical instrument regardless of who you are, where you come from, or what type of disability you may bring to the table. It should never be assumed that simply because an individual doesn’t see the world that they can’t fully participate in it. Learning to play a musical instrument is just one way of reaching out through the world and bringing the world as we know it to life.

Musical Instruments (Buying Them)

2009-12-21T00:08:00.000-08:00

Before you consider learning how to play violin, consider this article.

If you are a professional musician looking to purchase your next instrument then it is safe to say that you know the difference between the cheapest instruments and the most expensive. However, a beginner may have a little more difficulty without guidance and advice. Just as with any sport, game, or skill it is best for beginners to start off at the lower end of the market and then advance when their skills improve. Visiting the local merchants and online shops will allow the buyer to become acquainted with what the shop has to offer in terms of reputation, pricing, servicing, and expertise. Judging the range of prices online is a great start to deciding what it is that you would like to spend on a musical instrument. Beginners and students should think very carefully before they deicide to spend large amounts of money on a musical instrument until they have advanced to at least the level of a serious amateur where moderate amounts of money spent would be sensible and musically beneficial.

The beginner buyer should listen to the sound of the instrument before buying any musical instrument. New, used, rented, borrowed, or whatever if the musical instrument does not provide a good sound then it doesn’t matter how much money is spent on the instrument, it will be worthless. Buying a good beginner musical instrument requires that the buyer do some homework. Reading reviews, talking with friends or family that already purchased instruments, and remembering to stay within the realm of your skill level will ensure that a good buying decision is made. Quality in an instrument is essential for either the professional or the beginner because a poor instrument is very difficult to play. A poor quality instrument can make evaluating skill difficult and lead to frustration and low self confidence level of the player. Quality instruments will assist with your playing ability and make you sound better. As a general rule: “Always get the very best that you can afford.”

The beginner musical instrument buyer can obtain all kinds of information from many of the local musical stores, teachers, and friends about the experience of buying a musical instrument. There are so many ways to obtain information and advice on musical instrument purchasing that the beginner buyer should feel extremely confident if they have researched the market. The experience of learning to play a musical instrument provides that “joy factor” that keeps a person playing, learning and growing. With a quality, good sounding instrument the beginner instrument buyer will get the most reward and years of musical pleasure.

Music And Your Childs Development

2009-12-18T00:07:00.000-08:00

As the mother of a two year old, I am always looking for activities that encourage learning and development. I find that most of the activities we do together that result in learning are purely by coincidence and luck – not by any skill or training I have.

As of late, my son has shown a real passion for music. He has even begun to differentiate between styles of music he likes and dislikes – his preferences are Contemporary Christian and Country, of course those both fall behind any song done by The Wiggles. But I digress. The point is, he is drawn to music and feels the need to express himself in many ways when he hears it.

For example, he has learned different dance moves from the television characters on his favorite programs, as well as from good old mom and dad. He recreates those moves into his own little dance routine whenever he hears a song he likes – even in the car. He is using his creativity and memory to express himself, which I believe is helping build his character. He also tries to sing – well, more like hum – but again, this is another form of expression and he is increasing his vocabulary by wanting to say the right words. He claps to the music and tries his best to keep a rhythm. These are all amazing skills that he is learning and using in his own individual way. This is such a breakthrough age where children begin to graduate from simply imitating to combining what they know in ways to interact with the world around them.

These activities are encouraging many facets of development: physical (clapping, stomping, other dance motions) social (a way for him to interact with those around him) cognitive (he is bridging pathways from what he’s learned to how he wants to use the information to express his own personality); emotional (a definite sense of pride accompanies all forms of learning in children).

If your child enjoys music, you can encourage them by making music readily available for them without having to spend a fortune. I would guess they already have toys that make music. A lot of books play music as well. Even just turning on the radio throughout the day and finding a station that is suitable for you both can be a very rewarding experience. Whether your child is hearing music on the television, radio, or directly from an instrument you are playing, he/she has so many opportunities for learning. Capture those moments and make the most of them!

How Does A Music Synth Work?

2009-12-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

Music isn't just all about violins. There is also music synths. A music synthesizer makes sounds by using an electrical circuit as an oscillator to create and vary the frequency of sounds in order to produce different pitches. As long as the pitch is within the range of frequency that can be heard by a human ear, it’s known as a “musical pitch” (so a dog whistle wouldn’t count) as a musical pitch. You can use a keyboard to vary these pitches at discrete intervals that correspond to the notes on the musical scale. If you put several oscillators together, you can combine several pitches to create a “chord”.

OK, we’ve got pitch down (at least in a very simple sense). How do you vary the tone of a particular pitch? That is done by playing a given pitch with waveforms of different shapes (common waveforms include sine, square, sawtooth, and triangle waveforms). Since the harmonic structure of these waveforms differ, our ears interpret them as different tones. The sound you will hear can also be modified by voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCA) and voltage-controlled filters (VCF).

Synthesizers are able to only mimic the sounds of non-synthetic instruments, but also to create sounds that absolutely cannot be played by anything but a music synthesizer. That is because a music synthesizer is well-suited to delicate manipulations of its oscillators. Nevertheless, it’s a lot easier for a synthesizer to create entirely new sounds than to mimic the sounds of acoustic instruments because the waveforms of acoustic instruments are so complex. Interestingly, once complex sound that synthesizers so far have been very bad at reproducing is the human voice (although improvements are being made in this technology).

The entire electronic music scene would be virtually impossible without the use of synthesizers (no doubt some wish it were). Nevertheless, the number of sounds that a musician has to work with has been exponentially increasing in recent decades, and we have only scratched the surface of the creative possibilities. Imagine the consequences if a machine was invented that could generate 100,000 hitherto unknown colors?

Music Industry Job Training

2009-12-12T00:05:00.000-08:00

The music industry is undoubtedly one of the 'sexiest' fields in which to work, according to a recent survey by the editors of Time magazine. There are music industry jobs that require nearly any skill set that you can bring to the job, and the training required varies with each of the music industry jobs that may interest you. This is where learning how to play violin can come in handy. Here are some general guidelines for finding work in music industry jobs.

Love Music.

It's not a prerequisite for music industry jobs, but loving music of any kind is a definite step in the right direction. While loving music may not be important in a record company accountant's position, it's practically required for anyone who works with artists or in promotion.

Check the qualifications for the job.

In general, most jobs in the music industry require at least a two year college degree - with the exception of performers who can get by without a degree if they have talent. Expect that the more involved the job, the higher your level of education and/or experience will need to be. A record promoter may need to demonstrate networking skills or developed contacts in the local music scene, for instance, and a contracts lawyer will obviously require a law degree. Music teachers working for the schools will need to have a teaching license as well as the demonstrated ability to play an instrument.

The best training is on the job training.

For positions like band manager, road work, publicists and promoters, the best training is through an internship or through your own work promoting and/or managing a band on your own. Some publicists and promoters come to the job from their own fanzines, or have developed a network of contacts in radio and advertising through their college or teen year extracurricular activities.

A degree in music is respected in many music industry jobs.

Colleges that specialize in music education like the Berklee School for the Performing Arts offer training in many different aspects of the music industry. You can study music and performance law, accounting for the music industry, and business management for music companies as well as composition, performance and other music-specific jobs.

Join the band.

One of the best training grounds for a career in orchestral music is your school or college band. If you're already beyond the school years, take advantage of county and city music societies to both train your ear and keep in the practice of playing with others.

Music ministry jobs often require special certifications.

If you have a calling to a job in music ministry, you'll find that many churches and synagogues require that their full time music minister have pastoral training as well as musical training. The American Guild of Organists and the National Council of Pastoral Musicians offer professional certifications at a number of levels.

Music therapists require a bachelor's degree in music therapy from one of the approved universities that teach music therapy.

In addition to regular studies, the bachelors in music therapy requires 1200 hours of clinical practice.

The requirements for training for music industry jobs are varied, but this is a brief overview of the training required for some of the major careers in the music industry.

Choices In Music For Your Wedding

2009-12-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

American weddings have come a long way over the years. In a society that is made up of people from so many different cultures, lifestyles, religions, and backgrounds, it is no surprise that the traditions in the wedding ceremony are as vastly different as well. Wedding music is no exception. From the ceremony itself to the party atmosphere of the reception, the wedding music sets the tone for the event.

Traditional Wedding Music:

At most weddings we can expect to hear selections that have come to be known as traditional wedding music. Titles like Ave Maria, the Minuet from Don Giovanni, and, of course, The Bridal Chorus and The Wedding March have long been the standard music for a wedding. Particularly religious ceremonies may include hymns like Amazing Grace and a Jewish wedding almost always includes a hora danced to a medley of tunes like Hava Nagila, and Siman Tov U Mazeltov.

The traditional wedding music holds a special place in our hearts and many think that a wedding ceremony is incomplete without it. The couple must decide whether or not to use traditional wedding music in the ceremony, as well as how much of it to use. If this part of the wedding tradition is important to you, then traditional wedding music is the way to go.

Modern Wedding Music:

Often couples will forgo the traditional wedding music selections and instead include modern or popular music in the wedding ceremony. This practice is so common that some titles are becoming traditional wedding song selections themselves. It is not unusual to hear When a Man Loves a Woman, Always and Forever, or I Will Always Love You sung, performed, or played at weddings today. Often more modern titles like these will appear in a ceremony along with the more traditional wedding music.

Avant-Garde Wedding Music:

As people’s attitudes change and varying forms of wedding ceremonies take place, the choice of wedding music often changes right along with them. Occasionally couples will choose music for their wedding that reflects the stark difference in their personalities and makes a unique and bold statement. While your wedding ceremony is primarily for the couple getting married, it is important to remember that it is an event attended by your family members as well. While you may wish to make an impression on your guests with your choice of music, you should still be cautious not to offend your respective grandmothers. As such, a selection by an artist like Marilyn Manson may never be appropriate for a wedding ceremony. This does not mean that your wedding music choices are restricted to traditional classics or sappy love songs. I once attended a very avant-garde wedding where three couples married in the same ceremony. It was a beautiful event and was made memorable by their choice of music. The couples strode down the aisle to the sounds of Pink Floyd’s Signs of Life, an instrumental track from the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It was a wedding ceremony that I will remember forever.

Hearing Aids

2009-12-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

Loss of hearing is perhaps as normal, if not more, as losing hair with age. Reduction of hearing can also be caused by illness, certain medicines and in a large number of cases; it could be a birth defect. It can also make it difficult to learn how to play violin.

Diminishing of hearing, however, can be helped with the use of hearing aides, which are electronic widgets that convert sound pressure waves into electricity by a microphone.

The electric impulses are increased and then reconverted to a great deal more strong sound pressure waves by a receiver. These increased waves are subsequently presented to the impaired ear. The goal of a hearing aid is to make speech available to a listener, whatever the technology being used.

How do you know you need a hearing aide? Being sensitive to your bodys need and accommodating to its deteriorating parts is a resourceful and enjoyable way of life. If you:

1. Find yourself asking people to repeat themselves too often.

2. Feel that you understand them better when you are facing them.

3. Find the need to increase the volume of television or radio when nobody else seems to need it.

Perhaps, it is time to see an audiologist and get an audiometric evaluation (AE) done. It is a pain-free method and takes a few minutes. An AE helps a certified audiologist evaluate your Diminishing of hearing and prescribe the right course of treatment.

Many hearing problems are a result of earwax and middle ear infections. Before buying a hearing aide, it is imperative to consult with a hearing aid specialist.

Which hearing aid to choose?

There are various types of hearing aids available in the market today. You need to work with your audiologist to figure out which model suits you best.

In The Ear (ITE) products have the largest custom made styles; In The Canal (ITC) units are smaller and require more dexterity; Mini Canal (MC) units are in between ITE and ITC; Completely In the Canal (CIC) products are the smallest aids produced; Behind The Ear (BTE) are the largest and hugely reliable; and Post Auricular Canal (PAC) is a new device planned to supply comfort and acoustic alternatives.

Your audiologist will be able to guide you through these opportunities as well as with the levels of technologies available in hearing aids. The best technology available is a 100 percent digital aide. This means your hearing aide is a complete computer.

These widgets are wonders of 1990s and allow the highest control over sound quality and loudness. They process sound at extraordinary speed and the output is amazing.

Lastly, if you have suffered hearing Diminishing in both ears, you will need two hearing aids to achieve normal sound balance. Two aides help your central nervous system to process sounds better and filter noise from speech. One aid, regardless how efficient, will give you flat sound!

Music And The Brain

2009-12-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

What is the connection between music and the brain? Is it possible that music can help you think better? The research says yes, and after telling you about some of it, I'll let you in on an even faster way to boost your brain power with music.

Music And The Brain - The Research

The research shows that music actually trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. Listening to, and participating in music also creates new neural pathways in your brain that stimulate creativity. An article in a Newsweek (2/19/96) reported on a study from the University of California.

In the study, researchers followed the progress of three-year-olds, split into two groups. The first group had no particular training in, or exposure to music. The second group studied piano and sang daily in chorus. After eight months the musical three-year-olds were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group.

Brain Music

A study on music and the brain, done at UC Irvine's Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory involved 36 students. They were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test.

Just before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes.

Before the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape.

Before the third, they sat in silence.

The average scores for all 36 students: 1st test: 119. 2nd test: 111. 3rd test: 110.

That's an average increase of 9 iq points from listening to Mozart. It's assumed that their intelligence didn't increase, but that the music put them in a state that gave them better access to the resources of their brains. However, other studies do show that repeated exposure to slow music can permanently increas you IQ, so play that Mozart!

Brain Wave Entrainment

Your brain wave frequencies vary according to the state you are in. For example, daydreaming and meditation usually take place in the "Alpha" range of frequencies. Alert concentration is in the "Beta" range. "Brain wave entrainment" products have beats, usually embedded in music, that your brain starts to follow.

If you listen to music containing beats at a frequency of 10 Hz (in the Alpha range) it will feel very relaxing. This is because your brain will begin to follow this frequency and reproduce the rhythm in the music. You'll generate more brain waves at a 10 Hz frequency and enter a relaxed Alpha mental state. This is the idea behind brain wave entrainment.

This may be why some types of music have certain effects, but not all brain wave entrainment Cds use music. Some use the raw "binaural beats" as they are sometimes called, embedded in white noise, or in sounds of nature. (I have used these products and find them to be pretty powerful , especially the ones for relaxation.)

Whether you use "binaural beats," or just pop a Mozart CD into the player, you can increase your brain power easily. Try it today. It is doubtful that Mozart will harm you, so why wait for more research to be done on music and the brain?

History Of The Electric Guitar

2009-11-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

In The Beginning
The guitar’s soft melodic tone made it difficult for people to hear it when being played alongside other instruments. So during the 1930’s an inventive individual decided to change that and invented the first electric guitar. Little did he know, or have imagined way back then how the invention of the electric guitar would significantly affect the course of 20th century music.

Like most new things, the electric guitar had its critics but it quickly won people over because of its ability to allow musicians to play much more creatively and express their own individual styles.

The First Pickup
In 1924 an inventive engineer working for the Gibson guitar company named Lloyd Loar, designed the first magnetic pickup. Using a magnet, he converted guitar string vibrations into electrical signals, which then were amplified through a speaker system. This first pickup was crude, but it was a great beginning.

The First Electric Guitar
In 1931 the Electro String Company was founded by Paul Barth, George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker, and developed the first electric guitars marketed to the general public. They made their guitars from cast aluminum and were played on a person’s lap using a steel slide much like today's steel guitar. Because of their unusual material, they were affectionately called “Frying Pans.”

The early success of the frying pans prompted the Gibson guitar company to build their first electric guitar, the ES-150 which is a legend today.

The First Solid-Body Electric Guitar
Electric guitars were quickly becoming popular, even though there was a major problem with their construction. Their bodies would vibrate due to the amplified sounds coming through the speakers they were played into, causing what we know as feed-back. The obvious remedy was to build a guitar made with a solid body which wouldn’t vibrate so easily.

As with most innovations, there is controversy over who invented the first solid –body electric guitar. Guitar legend Les Paul in the 1940’s developed his affectionately called “The Log” solid-body guitar by attaching a Gibson neck to a solid piece of wood…a railroad tie, hence the name “Log.”

Around this same time, guitarist Merle Travis and engineer Paul Bigsby developed a solid-body electric guitar that resembled the solid-body guitars that we’re so familiar with today.

The First Mass Produced Electric Guitar
Leo Fender in 1950 was the first to mass produce an electric guitar which was originally called the Fender Broadcaster. This guitar was quickly re-named to the infamous Telecaster because the name “Broadcaster” was already being used by another company. Leo followed this up in 1954 with the most renowned guitar of all time…the Stratocaster.

Leo’s success led other guitar manufacturers into developing their own mass-produced electric guitars. Most notable was the teaming-up of the Gibson guitar company with Les Paul to create the famous Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.

More Affordable Electric Guitars
During the 1960’s and 1970’s famous brand name electric guitars were too expensive for the average person to buy. Less pricey imitations quickly came to market but they were sub-standard in sound and playability. The Japanese, in the 1980’s started manufacturing electric guitars of similar quality to the more expensive American made models, but with much more affordable pricing. This prompted Fender and other leading guitar manufacturers into producing less expensive versions of their classic models. This resulted in electric guitars now being more affordable and accessible to more people.

Today, the Gibson and Fender guitar companies are still producing some of the most well-known and best made electric guitars on the market. But it’s getting crowded with other high quality brands such as BC Rich, ESP and Peavey. Innovative designs, shapes and materials are being incorporated with new technologies to produce better sounding electric guitars.

Modern guitars have built-in software allowing them to sound like other types of guitars. Some are even fitted with pickups that synthesize the sound of different instruments or record the notes in musical notation.

The electric guitar has come a long way with an interesting and inventive past and many in the industry say it has an even brighter future.

Starting Your Own Sheet Music Collection

2009-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

After you learn how to play violin, you shouldn't just stop your learning there. You should also consider starting a sheet music collection. Sheet music is inexpensive and relatively easy to find. You can find music at yard sales, antique shows and on the internet. Only music that is very scarce or rare is expensive. Most pieces can be found at a price between three and twenty five dollars. Extremely rare sheet music can carry a price of up to a thousand dollars, but few pieces fall into this category. You will find music in any color graphic or subject matter you are looking for.

People collect sheet music in many ways. Sometimes sheet music is collected by the genre or songs. You could put together a history of music in America with a sheet music collection. You could do this with the entire history of our country or concentrate on one time period or decade. The possibilities are endless - be creative when building your collection! Songs have been written about most important events in our history, including wars, plane crashes and natural disasters. Themes such as love or the evolution of images of women in music are popular themes for sheet music collections. Other collectors focus on one composer or cover artist.

Ragtime music from the early twentieth century is popular with collectors of vintage sheet music. This music is considered the foundation of modern jazz music. A ragtime music collection looks great displayed in a room decorated in the Early American style. And the cover art on rag time sheet music looks great displayed in picture frames on a wall or sofa table.

Music written by famous composers is popular among sheet music collectors. This music is readily available in all music genres. Other collectors focus on rare or vintage sheet music. The value of these documents depends largely on the condition of the sheets. Pieces in mint condition will be more expensive. Most sheet music isn’t found in perfect condition. The spine of the sheet was usually broken to make the score stand up in the music stand. Spills, tears and names written on the covers are common because sheet music was often used at parties.

Sheet music displayed in a family room or bar area makes a great focal point. Even people who don’t collect sheet music use it in a display of other collectibles. Collectors of beer, whisky, golf, military, cigars or trains can find sheet music to accent their collection. A few pieces of sheet music with great cover art enhance a display of other collectibles. Collectors of memorabilia from movies or Broadway productions often look for sheet music written for the production.

Any sheet music that isn’t displayed should be stored properly to preserve the condition. Store each set of sheet music in a plastic baggie like those used for comic book collections. Place those bags in a large plastic storage container to protect them from being ripped or crumpled. Store your containers in a dry place away from sunlight or moisture, which can damage the music.

Native American Flute

2009-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Native Americans are eager to share their ancestry with their families and friends. One of the ways they do this is through their music, particularly through the music of the Native American flute. They want to ensure that their children have a strong link with their ancient culture, and music is an excellent way to teach non-Native Americans about this culture as well.

Mothers of small children often find that Native American flute music is very soothing for their babies. It seems to have a tranquil and calming effect on children. Songs played on the Native American flute can be introduced during naptime and before bedtime to calm children down. The music often puts children to sleep within just a few minutes. Experts have also recommended Native American flute music to families with small babies that have a hard time getting to sleep.

This music also represents an excellent tool for calming down a baby in situations where there may be difficult transitions for such young children, such as when many visitors come to the home. It is often difficult for small babies to adjust to the confusion and noise created by a large number of people at special occasions, and playing Native American flute music can help to calm a baby down in these circumstances.

The music of the Native American flute is very soft, and it creates a wonderful, soothing background for many situations. It is just the sound for keeping babies calm when there are a lot of people in the environment. Babies seem to focus on the flute sounds instead of on the loud noises generated by crowds. Having flute music playing in a room makes it easier for them to adjust to visitors.

Of course, adults will also enjoy the music of the Native American flute. It is easy to find interesting and unique Native American flute music on the Internet, since many online stores offer selections of alternative music. It is also possible to purchase Native American flutes and sheet music. Several vendors offer musical compositions for the flute, and they sell Native American flutes as well.

Native American flute music is an excellent way to learn about and enjoy the special features of Native American culture. And since songs are often linked to memories, this music offers a good way to preserve the memory of special times.

Disclosure

2009-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.

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This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

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Songwriting Contest

2009-11-21T23:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever aspired to be a great writer or songwriter? Whether a writer of novels, songs or short stories, do you dream of writing materials to be read by others who admire your talent? Maybe you'd like to write poems to express your feelings on paper. Have you ever dreamed of being a writer of songs to be sung by famous artists?

Songwriting comes from deep within and the lyrics are usually the expression of someone's true feelings. If you have a desire and can express yourself in writing, then you have the making of a songwriter. Whether you're a happy person and can express that happiness into a song, or a romantic person with the capability of writing a beautiful love song, your unique talents can shine through in a song. You can achieve your goals with the vast opportunities available in the music industry. Now that you've learned how to play violin, get your music noticed!

Numerous Ways to Get Your Songwriting Talent Noticed

One way to get noticed is to use your talent by entering a lyrics contest. Many are available now on the Internet. One unique songwriting contest in particular allows you to enter in a lyric and compete for a spot in which an actual song is in the making to help fight the battle against cancer. The song is called "Oceans of Love" and plans are underway to have it recorded by a well-known recording artist once all the lyrics have been chosen.

Some lyrics contests might allow you to enter lyrics and music you've written while others might allow you to enter the lyrics of the song without music.

If you have lyrics and a great tune but no sheet music, there are many programs available online today that will write the sheet music to your song for you with minimal effort. You'll just enter the key notes into the songwriting software and the program actually writes the notes for the sheet music.

Also, you can ask a musician you know and trust to put music to your words. Don't give up just because you don't have the music. Your song could be a hit if you strive to get it recognized.

A Wide Variety of Music

Whether you're into country music, contemporary Christian, gospel, or pop, the music industry offers opportunities for everyone. If you prefer alternative blues, jazz and everything in between, there's a place for you among the music stars. The possibilities of entering into different types of songwriting contests are endless, especially if you have access to the Internet. This is a great way to get started. What do you have to lose?

Don't Wait. Just Go For It!!

Whatever your dreams and aspirations may be and however you decide to achieve them, there is a world out there waiting for your talent. No one will ever know you possess the talent unless you reveal it.

You can get your talent noticed. Think of all the people who have talent but are afraid to venture out for fear of being rejected. There are many very talented people who will always wonder, "What could have been?" Don't let life pass you by. Take a chance and at least explore the songwriting possibilities that are awaiting you.

Music And Personal Encrichment

2009-11-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

One of the things a lot of us enjoy is listening to music. As a musician and songwriter, a great deal of my time is spent listening to or creating music. Sitting at my synthesizer and spontaneously playing a tune is also one way I relax and unwind after a hard day. Tickling the ivory is great when you want to relax your mind, and physically energize your body. Somewhat like physical exercise, playing a musical instrument releases pent-up anger and utilizes the extra adrenaline the human body produces when under stress.

Music is also therapeutic and vital to human beings and allows us to escape from the stresses and demands of our hectic and fast-paced lifestyle. Forgetting the worries we carry around with us, music allows us to take a journey to a faraway place, without ever leaving our chair: somewhere pleasant, exciting, and at the same time, stress-free.

Recording our favorite music on CD's, iPods, or creating play lists for our computers, we can simply develop our own compilation of music-to-go and play them in cars, in the gym and while at work. With the latest popular technological invention, the iPod, the prospect of musical fulfillment is endless. The iPod can store a multitude of tunes and enables the listener to have virtually uninterrupted songs to enjoy whenever and wherever we choose.

With all the current technological advances at our disposal, musical expression has come a long way, taking recording music and sound to the next level. Whether you perform music or are an avid listening, most humans will agree: Life would not be as colorful without some form of music to enrich our lives.

Importance Of Musical Instruments

2009-11-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

Since times of yore, man has been associated with music. It is the expression of the heart. History tells us that Neanderthal man used bone flute. Evidence also exists that percussive instruments might have been used.

Defining a musical instrument: anything that produces sound can be called a musical instrument. The term usually is reserved for instruments that have a particular function in an orchestra. The academic study of musical instruments is known as organology.

Instruments can be identified by the way they are played and the tone they generate. Wind instruments, using power of the lungs, String instruments where strumming is required and electronic instruments that play automatic by touch of keys. Even the human voice can be termed an instrument as the singer generates the voice through the effort of his lungs and vocal cords acting together.

Wind instruments can be either built of wood or brass. A good example of the former could be the flute while trumpet is an excellent example of the latter. These instruments play when the musician blows into a tube. There are holes which one can open and close with the fingers to produce different kinds of sound.

String instruments are completely opposite. They are played by strumming on the cords. A good example would be the guitar. Some well known guitarist's were the Beatles and Dire straits

Percussion instruments can be played when struck. The sound is determined by the material of which the striking surface is made and the cavity that is left to produce the sound. Drums are excellent examples of such instruments. They are used by rock bands across the world.

We now come to the electronic instruments. This category includes the keyboard and electronic guitar. These instruments often follow other types of instruments. The keyboard for example. It can play virtually any instrument ever discovered. Paddles and other accessories change the sound to match the instrument they are trying to imitate.

Of all the instruments we have talked about, the human voice is the most complicated. Through tightening of muscles, drawing breath in different ways, singers can generate wide ranging voices that affect us in strange ways. In medieval times, minstrels use to sing stories to the common people making them cry and laugh. They use to have immense power over the masses. Even today if you listen to a good singer, you are moved by his or her rich voice and emotions.

Music has always been and will be a part of us. It is straight from our hearts and the purest form of our emotions. The secret to every tradition is held in its music. Classical raaga in the case of India with its charming and emotional touch and haunting melodies from Ireland give us a taste of the mystery that lies in the fogs there.

Musical Instrument

2009-11-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

Musical instruments are devices that are used to generate music. Musical instruments are generally controlled by the player or the musician to produce the desired sound effects.

Musical instruments are as old as music, and there are still some traditional instruments that date back to centuries before. Each musical instrument has its own melody, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and duration, as well as the notes and chords.

There are many kinds of musical instruments. The main categories are: chordophones (strings), aerophones (woodwinds and brasses), idiophones (percussion), and membranophones (drums). Stringed instruments produce a sound when a string is plucked or strummed. The sound depends on the mass of the string, length of the vibrating portion of the string, its tension, and the point at which the string is plucked or strummed. It also depends on the kind of resonating cavity in the instrument. Viola, violin, cello, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harp, lute, banjo, etc, are some of the string instruments. So when you are thinking about learning how to play violin, you are thinking of learning how to play a string instrument!

Woodwinds and brasses generate music when air is made to enter and vibrate within the instrument. The kind of music depends on the shape of the instrument, the length of the column of air, the method of tone production and the construction of the instrument. Flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, horn, mouth organ, saxophone, and bassoon are some of the winds instruments, while the French horn, tuba, trumpet, and trombone are brass instruments. Percussion instruments, on the other hand, are those that produce sounds when struck. The shape of the resonating cavity and the size of the instrument determine the sound created. Some percussion musical instruments include the cymbals, the snare drum, bells, gong chime, xylophone, and the timpani. Drums include the frame drum, the tambourine, the goblet drums, the barrel drum, and the friction drum.

Other kinds of musical instruments are the keyboards and electronic instruments. These include the piano, organ, harpsichord, and the Glockenspiel. Each of these musical instruments has sub-categories within them.

Musical instruments can also be categorized on the basis of their playing levels. Some are suitable for all kinds of players while some are for novices. Expert players have their own preferences for musical instruments.

There are many professional dealers of musical instruments who would be able to provide all types information about each instrument in particular. There are also online stores for musical instruments.

Mozart's Music

2009-11-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is perhaps the most well-known of any composer the world has ever seen. Almost everyone has heard of how Mozart was composing music by the age of five (some urban legends even claim it was at age two) and performing before kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, before he was seven years old. He created more than 600 compositions, from operas to sonatas to full symphonies, and died tragically, mysteriously, before his 36th birthday in 1791. Some of his more famous pieces of music include Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music, 1787) and the operas Don Giovanni (1787) and Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute, 1791).

The movie Amadeus (1984) put into popular parlance the idea of Mozart as an immature and spoiled musical prodigy, given to fast living and obnoxious, braying laughter. It also portrays him as having been tormented by a brooding, jealous rival composer named Salieri, who may or may not have killed him. History paints only a slightly less dramatic picture. Born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, Mozart was the only son of a professional musician who very early on recognized the boy’s extraordinary musical talent. Today’s critical and politically correct eyes may look with disfavor on the way that Leopold Mozart exploited his son’s musical genius, but at the time it was neither uncommon nor unacceptable to parade child prodigies through the courts of Europe. The young Mozart spent his boyhood at the feet of kings and queens, performing and composing and perfecting his unique musical vision.

He also spent his childhood suffering from various illnesses—tuberculosis, tonsillitis, and typhoid are just some of the many ailments he is said to have suffered. He was a sickly child and each bout of poor health left him reduced in vigor, more frail, and more susceptible to what would, ultimately, kill him. Legend has it that he was poisoned, but recent, more scientific explanation has it that he died of rheumatic fever, even while working to complete one of his greatest musical accomplishments, the Requiem.

Mozart’s music, like his life, defies easy classification. As a product of what historians term the Classical Era (1750-1825), he perfected the prevalent musical forms of symphony, opera, and concerto, and yet he also turned them on their heads. The upper-crust audiences for whom he played were jarred by his complex, mysterious, sometimes raucous music, accustomed as they were to lighter, more frivolous pieces. In 1782, the Emperor Joseph II even told Mozart that his German opera had “too many notes.”

Such a characterization of Mozart’s music may well seem absurd to us today, who have been conditioned to think of Mozart as an unparalleled genius. Even before birth, babies are rocked to sleep by Mozart’s music being piped into their mothers’ wombs. We relax to his music, we grow to it, we learn through it; his music enriches and inspires our lives.

Reading Guitar Music

2009-11-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

It is never too late or too early to learn how to read guitar music. Many guitarist start off by teaching themselves guitar music after studying a piece of music on the radio or on a CD. This is a great starting point and will allow you to understand different notes and cords.

Basic Elements

On a guitar, the tab staff has 6 horizontal lines. Each one of these horizontal lines represents a string on the instrument. The line on the bottom of the staff is the lowest “E” string on the guitar. The next line up from the bottom line represents the “A” string and so on. These are the basic elements when you learn how to read guitar music.

Chords

When your guitar tab displays numbers stacked vertically in a series, this is an indication to play these notes at the same time. When the guitar tab displays numbers in a series gradually on an incline, this is indicating these notes should be played one at a time. These are the first things you should know when you learn how to read guitar music.

Rhythmic notation

Rhythmic notation is how the songs rhythm should be heard when played. When you first learn how to read guitar music you should try songs you can access on a CD or radio so you can hear the rhythm before you commence learning the chords. Hearing the rhythm will make learning much easier.

A Major chord

An A major chord is the first chord you will learn to play and the first chord you will see when you learn how to read guitar music. An A major chord contains only 3 different notes. No more then 3 notes are used in an A major chord and these can generally be repeated more then once.

Discipline

The key when you learn how to read guitar music is discipline. Learning good techniques and having an excellent teacher will ensure you get the most out of your lessons. Once you have learned the basics of guitar music, you will find it easier to progress onto advanced guitar music.

Writing guitar music

When you learn how to read guitar music it is important to watch how the music is written. Take notice of the use of the chords in different sections of the music and take note of how easy the chords flow. When you become more advanced and start to write your own guitar music, these techniques will help you.

Getting Your Music Recorded For Free

2009-11-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Now that you've learned how to play violin, you might want to get your music recorded. Generally, the first thing that springs to mind when you need to record a song, is to make enquiries with local recording studios. However, studio charges are generally based on an hourly rate that is often more than your day job pays you.

Once you've saved enough money for this excursion, there are then further worries. Unless you are a regular visitor to recording studios, you may not quite know what to expect. You may not be able to communicate your ideas for your sound clearly to the engineer, who really only understands technical jargon.

As the hours tick by, you will be under the stress of wondering if you'll be able to complete your project before your money runs out. Artists under stress don't generally perform well, but you won't hear this because you'll be out there performing, instead of listening to the performance.

If you have also hired musicians in for the session, you'd also better be a good personnel manager. The longer they have to sit around waiting to be told what to play and how to play it, the more it is going to cost you!

It is in your best interest to use a studio that is the best you can afford. But have you taken the above problems into consideration? Have you planned out your time in the studio in the fullest detail? Do you know enough about the multitrack recording process to know exactly what tracks your song needs? Are you, or your band rehearsed enough to play every track on its own, and in perfect time with all the others in the arrangement? Can your drummer play to a click track? Or do you have detailed drum parts already programmed for your songs? Have you written detailed score sheets for all the session musicians? Do you know what kind of sound they need, and what style to play in? Have you already tried out various mix ideas and sound effects at home, and know how to explain these ideas to the engineer?

If not, you will most likely end up with a recording that isn't quite what you expected. And it will have cost you a small fortune! At best, you will get a good recording that sounds something like you thought it would. But does it sound original to you? Has it captured your unique sound, and conveyed the essence of what you are as an original artist? Does it convey the emotion of the song correctly to the listener?

There is another way to approach the recording process that will solve all the above problems, and could even get you a professional recording for FREE!

All the above jobs are part of the work that is generally done by a PRODUCER.

A producer is someone who has the experience to hear, not just the music, but the essence of what you are as an original artist.

A producer will know instinctively when you have made the perfect take, and will get you onto the next stage of the process without having to waste studio time playing back every take first.

A producer will have your whole sound in glorious 3D in their head before a single note is played.

A producer will have the technical knowledge to know how to translate every part of the process to something the engineer can understand.

A producer has a long list of business contacts who he can call upon at short notice to add whatever is necessary to make the sound you need ... session musicians, arrangers, writers, synth programmers, track editors, equipment rental companies.

Sounds expensive, doesn't it?

Not necessarily!

Although some producers will charge a flat rate for the job of perhaps several thousand pounds (or dollars!). Many work from their own studios, with their own "in-house" session musicians for a royalty plus expenses. Therefore, they become somewhat like a "record company". They will produce a recording for any artist they see potential in, in the hope that their recording will eventually be signed to a major label and make money. Of course, in these instances, you will still have to pay the studio and session musician costs.

Sometimes they will even do the whole job for FREE, or for a minimal flat rate to cover expenses. How can they do this? Well instead of taking a royalty from your advance or sales, they take ownership of the copyright in the sound recording they make. This is fair, because, after all, they put a lot of their own money and special skills into the making of it. So what do you get in return? Of course, you get full use of the recording for your promotional needs!

Furthermore, many producers with their own studios, now also have their own record label. Wobbly Music is one such producer. Whilst you are looking for a recording or publishing deal elsewhere, or whilst promoting your record as an independent artist, your producer will have the right to sell the recording (from which you, as the artist or composer, will be paid royalties) in order to try and recoup their losses or even profit from this mutual deal.

There are now a great number of producers doing deals similar to this. It means you can have a demo made, or release your own recordings for little or no money up front, whilst still retaining the freedom to sign with whoever you wish, or remain as an independent artist. So in effect, you will have a record deal working for you to earn extra royalties in the background, whilst you concentrate on doing what you do best, which is writing and/or performing great songs!

Since this kind of arrangement may not be costing you anything, it is worthwhile trying a few different producers to see whose ideas and style of production gel best with your own view of yourself and your sound.

All producers have their own unique style, just as you, as an original artist, have yours. This "sound" can be heard throughout all their productions with various artists. Look for a style that seems complimentary to your own. In other words, don't use a Hip-hop producer to make your records if you are a Country artist!

Many good producers have a wide range of musical skills, and may also be able to write lyrics, compose melodies, write arrangements, or even play various instruments, such as guitar, piano or drums. All these extra skills could be utilised to give your recordings an extra edge at minimal, or no extra cost.

Finally, now that you are off to find your own producer, here are some things to avoid...

Don't rely on pictures of their studio, and lists of top quality recording equipment to tell you how good they are as a producer. Any piece of specialist equipment can be hired if necessary. A good producer can produce radio-ready recordings on even the most basic equipment, whereas a poor producer, will not achieve such good results on even the best and most expensive equipment.

Don't sign with a producer who doesn't make samples of their previous work available to you. You need to know what experience they have, and get an idea of the audio quality and styles that they can produce.

Don't sign with a producer who comes solely from a DJ background. These producers specialise in remixes of existing records, or "beats". Not in the creation of a new artist's unique sound, or a recording from scratch.

Don't sign with a producer who specialises in a genre of music that is totally different to yours ... Unless you want to change your style to that new genre!

Don't sign with a producer who has no creativity or commercial flair of their own. You don't want a producer who is just going to record everything exactly as you already have it, just to please you. A good producer will see things that you have missed, and will add hooks and sounds to your songs that will attract new listeners, and interest from music industry professionals.

Don't sign with a producer who is asking you to assign publishing rights to your songs. You want to be free to sign your songs to record companies or publishers who may be able to do more for you in the marketing or promotion of them. Once you assign the copyright of your songs to someone, they have exclusive rights to them for the duration of your contract, or even for perpetuity! All a producer needs from you, is your written permission to record your songs, and perhaps sell their recordings or release them on their own label. If so, make sure you get at least the statutory mechanical royalties (currently 6.5%) from these sales!

Don't sign with a producer who only works with one set of musicians. Although many have their own preferred set of "in-house" session musicians, there will be times when your music wont be suited to the way these musicians play. Make sure that your producer has a wide range of musical contacts to draw from.

Don't sign to a producer who promises to make your song into a hit record. Even if the producer has already produced several hits, there is no guarantee that your song will be a hit. Marketing gurus and sales teams make hit records, not artists and producers!

Finally, some producers may ask you to sign an exclusive contract for a certain time period (perhaps 1-5 years). These producers must also be "song-pluggers" or "promoters" who need to protect their interest in you whilst they are working to get you a deal with a major label, using the recordings they have produced. Before signing any exclusive deal, always have the contracts looked over by a lawyer specialising in the music business. Make sure, by examining the production company's track record, that their promise of a major deal looks likely to happen within that time period. You don't want to be wasting five years of your life whilst your best songs are sitting on someone else's shelf, doing nothing!

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If you are a Country music writer, you can go to a Nashville demo studio and get amazing sounding recordings using top Country music session musicians. If you are only pitching songs to that specific market, that is great, but every recording they produce sounds like the last.

If, on the other hand, you think your music has wider appeal, or you are a performing artist yourself, you will want to be noticed in the crowd across a wider marketplace. You need to accentuate the part of your sound that is unique to YOU. A good producer will be able to recognise that which is unique to you, and will make sure that your recordings take advantage of that.

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Tracing Gospel Music Back To Its Roots

2009-10-31T23:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since some cognitive human beings have set foot on Earth, music has greatly taken part of their lives. Some people prefer to just listen to music. Others enjoy to take a more active approach, for instance, those that want to learn how to play violin. The folks belonging to the days of yore created their own musical arrangements by plucking strings and hitting things like wood, hide, or stone. The sounds of nature have also served as one pleasant musical sound for them. They undoubtedly took pleasure listening to the sound of the waterfalls, the animals, and even the weather-related reverberations.

Music has then taken a further course. Throughout the passing of time, people have invented creative means of creating music. From the schools to the churches, there is music. The music industry has also created varied genres of music for all occasions.

You will often see or hear people preaching about the word of God. The gospel of the Lord is being delivered through the means of other people who serve as His own instruments. Simply listening to His words enlightens your spirit, right? God has often reminded His people to love one another as he loves everyone. He places every creation he has made under His care. Although every person has been created in His image and likeness, still no one leads a perfect life. To put it in a much simpler term, no one is as perfect as God is.

One’s spirituality and faith can thus be manifested by several means. Reading the bible, following the ten commandments of God, praying, singing gospel music, and attending mass are among the typical ways by which one’s spirituality is nourished. They often say that those who sing praise twice. Thus, by singing the gospel music, you are praising twice!

What is gospel music?

Gospel music is a religious music that contains the word of God. Gospel music is at all times used as one medium to praise God Almighty. In varying tunes and arrangements, gospel music can always be heard during the celebration of the mass, praise and worship activities, and healing mass.

There is no limit as to the use of gospel music. You can even make it as your morning praise habit. You can listen to it while driving your car. Or you can let it resound in your house. Some gospel music singers perform the genre in nightclubs and secular settings. These days, more and more gospel music are hence becoming danceable therefore making the enlightening of the spirit more effective.

The Roots of Gospel Music

The gospel music was first popularized by the African-American churches way back in the 1930s. Two styles of the gospel music emerged in those days—that of the black people and that of the white southerners. Despite the two separate styles, gospel music still traces its roots from the Methodist hymnal. There came a time when the artists from the two separate categories sang the gospel music of each other.

The onset of gospel music has marked a phenomenon in America regardless of the distinction between the while and black churches. Indeed, gospel music has reached Australia that gave birth to the gospel choirs of Jonah and The Whalers and The Elementals plus the beginning of the Australian Gospel Music Festival. Norway also gave rise to both the Oslo Gospel Choir and the Ansgar Gospel Choir.

The Influences of Gospel

The trendy pop music had greatly influenced the gospel artists. In turn, gospel music has also influenced the rhythm and blues singers of the 1940s up to the 1950s.

Gospel music has reached the peek of its popularity. Until now, several other gospel musical artists are gaining their own fame for the genre and a lot other patrons are getting drawn on them.

Free Sheet Music - Fact Or Fiction?

2009-10-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

The search “free sheet music” (without the inverted commas) on google spews out an impressive 17,300,000 pages. Even the most inexperienced internet-user will immediately realize that the truth cannot be quite so bountiful. I click on the first hit on google (results on yahoo and msn will differ) and am promised thousands of downloadable scores. On closer inspection this turns out to be a number of Irish tunes at most, with most of the promised pieces in fact consisting of links to more so called “free sites”. Funnily enough the owner of the website at one point even points out not to send him any nasty e-mails about the lack of free scores on the site.

So let’s try the second hit. After navigating round the site promising me free scores, I always end up on a page telling me that all of these scores are free to download - for a small fee of 20 Dollars a year. As a user I am starting to feel confused - I haven’t seen a single piece of sheet music. Can I trust this site? What would the quality of the scores be if I paid the 20 Dollars?

Frustrated, I move on to the next search engine result. This site at least has the courage to tell me on the main page that the so-called free scores will cost me 30 dollars a year, yet once again, I fail to detect a single quaver or treble clef. No scores are available for preview. This is starting to remind me of the “free DVD” I get with my Sunday paper. Only that I have to purchase the Sunday paper first.

Yet another site turns out to be just like the first, the promised pieces of sheet music being links to more so-called free sheet music sites. I am starting to get bored of being re-directed. Aren’t there any sheet music sites out there?

The story of my search continues in similar fashion, until I encounter a site that does offer sheet music, albeit a limited quantity. I download a score only to find that the graphics aren’t quite where they should be, and this makes me wonder about the general quality of the scores and the arrangements that are available. Indeed. Why should anyone create a score and put any effort into the arrangement and editing, if they aren’t making any money through direct sales?

Even other hits take me to a site where I am charged $1.60 for the “privilege” of downloading a badly scanned copy of a Bach composition. Hm.

Frighteningly, I also find a site that offers extremely basic versions of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and other music that is in fact still under copyright. This website is clearly an illegal operation, and one that might find itself in the crosshairs of the Music Publishers' Association (MPA). The MPA, as highlighted in a recent article on the BBC Website (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4524086.stm) is intending to clamp down on websites selling music still under copyright, or where the arrangements are still under copyright. In a way the publishing world is doing what record labels started a few years ago by actively prosecuting those participating in illegal download of sheet music.

I eventually find a project similar to the Gutenberg Project where people contribute scores freely. The quality seems ok, but I am restricted to pieces by a handful of classical composers, and with anything relying on donations and free contributions, I doubt there are regular updates. However, as with Wikipedia, the authenticity of the product has to come into question. The standard review process that an encyclopaedia has and Wikipedia and other websites dependent on volunteers lack will have to be considered when downloading scores (or any other information for that matter) for free: does the end-user believe all the notes are accurate? When the founder of Wikipedia himself was found to manipulate information on the very site how much can these so-called democratic sites be trusted? Obviously no one would benefit from changing a note in a score, so no one would deliberately manipulate a piece of music. But what are the skill levels of those involved in the creation of these scores? It is highly unlikely that a trained musician would edit these - he would be destroying his own industry to a certain extent. Furthermore I will not be able to find simplified arrangements of a piece, as this is a time-consuming effort, and anyone engaging in such an operation would clearly charge for the service.

After many days of searching, I give up in my quest in search of good free scores.

But what is one to make of all this? Why are there so many sites that don’t actually sell anything, and what is the point of them?

The problem is created by advertising. The people who run these sites own the most obvious url titles (i.e. the web site address) that one might type in when looking for free scores. As an example: if you were looking for free glasses, one might type in www.freeglasses.com. Hence, these sites get a lot of direct traffic. Furthermore they have also done a very good job at search engine optimisation, which makes you wonder whether google and Co are actually missing a trick here. Yet as these sites have nothing to sell they try and get the frustrated user to click on one of the many adverts, and many of these are so-called google ads. Every time someone clicks on one of these ads or paid-for links, the aforementioned website earns a small amount of money (so-called click-through). What is even more disconcerting is that some of these ads lead to legitimate sheet music download sites, making it even harder for the user to distinguish between the real thing and some dodgy operation trying to make a buck on click-throughs. This clearly does not help the industry.

Well, what about those free scores then? Well, there are some out there, basically a handful to be found on the five or six legitimate sites that are out there. These sites have the highest quality in terms of the arrangements, the quality of the score both graphically and in print-out quality.

So why no free scores?

Think about it: why should anyone go through the effort of either
A) scanning hundreds and thousands of pages of music, and then offering them for free?

Or

B) creating hundreds and thousands of arrangements for free?

Exactly. If you were to upload loads of tunes, you’d want to make money out of it.

Playing Gospel Music

2009-10-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

Learning how to play gospel music is one thing many people choose to pursue when they begin playing music. This is a great way to learn how to play the piano, or other instruments, since it allows you to concentrate your efforts on the chords, notes, and harmonies specific to gospel music. And if you love gospel, knowing how to play your favourite songs on the piano this will only add to the fun.

The piano is one the most beautiful instruments in the world. The sound it emits is enchanting and melodic, while at the same time it can be played with great enthusiasm and dynamics. If you decide to start out playing gospel on the piano, you won’t be limited to just this style, as the piano is so versatile that many people play everything from classical to jazz to rock music on it.

If you are interested in purchasing a piano for your lessons, make sure you are aware of the cost. You might want to start out with an inexpensive piano or keyboard as you learn how to play. Or, there is the choice of renting a piano until you feel confident enough to go out and buy one for your home. This way you can be sure of the type of sound you are looking for.

Once you take your first lesson, you will be amazed at the sounds that come from your own fingertips. You will feel confident and proud as you play your first song, no matter how simple it is. Within a few lessons you can start mastering the chords and scales common to all types of music. Playing any gospel song will be easy once you have the right tools.

If you are interested in learning how to play gospel music, make sure you find the right courses that will teach you the basics of gospel music and music theory. An online lesson series that focuses on the chord patterns and melodies specific to gospel is the best way to familiarize yourself with playing this kind of music. A program that also specializes in helping you learn to play music by ear is also extremely important. Gospel music is often learned and shared simply through listening, which means it is important that you can easily play chords and melodies without the aid of sheet music.

Learning To Read Music - Do You Have What It Takes?

2009-10-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

You probably remember those dreaded aptitude tests in school. You know,
those tests that revealed your abilities to perform certain tasks?

Well, it's time to stop dreaming, and put your desire to learn music to the test.

The desire for music is within you, but do you really have what it takes to learn to read music? Discover your own musical capabilities below.

Musical Talent or Not - Does it Matter?

You may not be able to read music right now. You most likely cannot pick up a flute, a guitar or a violin and play a beautiful melody. Even so, everyone around you is always saying how musically talented you are.

Perhaps you can memorize musical tunes on key upon hearing them, create an original song in your mind, or maybe even play an instrument or two without really knowing how to read the music. These are all indications of having natural musical talent.

But, do you have the potential to achieve music?

Even if you have none of the musical abilities above, you can still learn to read music.

Where "natural talent" doesn't exist, learned musical skills can still be used to make beautiful music. Your love and desire for learning and achieving music is what will make the difference whether you have natural talent or not.

Think of your present career. If you pursued what you loved, you were able to
achieve the skill through learning, right? If you're a typist, you learned to type.

If you're a nurse, you went to nursing school.. If you're a mechanic, you attended
a technical school to achieve this. To read music, you must learn it as well.

Question #1: Do I love music enough to learn how to read music and play a musical instrument?

Learning to Read Music for Adults

If you missed out on music lessons as a child or simply forgot what you
learned, it's not too late to develop musical skills. Adults can learn to read
music. In truth, a person who has a real desire to learn might achieve more than a child who is being pushed to learn.

Why? As an adult, you already understand the great potential of having this skill. Having a passion for music will drive you to practice often and develop your skills quickly. Only those adults and children who have a desire to continue with music will actually achieve the skill for life!

Question #2: Are you willing to learn music and be dedicated to practice at this stage of your life?

A Goal for Your Music Skills

Another determining factor for learning to read music is your reason for
learning. There should be a goal in mind while developing this skill. Whether
it's to play an instrument in church, at special gatherings or to have a career in
music, you should have a goal in mind.

With a goal, you'll be pushed to learn even when you don't feel like taking a lesson. This is similar to taking college courses.
You attend the classes because you must if you are going to have a successful
career in that field.

Question #3: Do you have a goal or reason for learning to read music?

If you answered "Yes" to all of the above, read the questions below.

Which instrument do I want to play?
If a skilled music teacher is not available, am I willing to teach myself through online training?
When my music lessons begin, can I dedicate at least 15 to 30 minutes per day to practice?

If you answered "Yes" to all these questions, you're ready to pursue music
lessons.

Start developing your musical skills today to discover a life-long
treasure!

Violin Master Pro Review

2009-10-22T02:54:00.000-07:00

For this post, I decided I would do a review. I recently came across what looks like an exciting package called Violin Master Pro. So i'm going to go ahead and do a Violin Master Pro Review.

Learning how to play violin can be difficult for some. In addition, it can be costly attending classes or hiring an instructor. I know of a lot of people that simply want to learn violin when they get some spare time and in the comfort of their own home. So is Violin Master Pro the answer?

After looking at Violin Master Pro, in my opinion, Violin Master Pro is the answer. Violin Master Pro is basically a learning system where you can learn to play the violin right from computer. There are 11 video lessons, various exercises, scales, step by step instructions, etc. It's a very large package for learning how to play violin.

In addition, one thing I also like is that the Violin Master Pro comes with a special JamTracks collection. These basically are MP3's that you can play right along with and practice. It's a great way to practice in between lessons. I also find them a lot of fun! So I recommend you check these out. Also, you get an online membership through their website, so I think that's pretty cool as well.

In all, I think Violin Master Pro is a great package for learning how to play violin. So if you want to learn how to play violin, I highly recommend this product. In addition, it includes a money-back guarantee. So you don't have to worry about not being satisfied.

Anyway, good luck!

Download Link for Violin Master Pro.

Instrument Master Review

2009-10-20T03:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, another post, and I thought I would do another review. This time I am going to do an Instrument Master Review.

Learning the violin seems to be becoming more common these days. Because of how expensive violin lessons can be, many people turn to the internet. There are many different websites that have lessons. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to learn the violin from most of these websites. Often times the lessons are too complicated and may even have errors in them. It's also hard to try and play the violin while reading text. That is where Instrument Master comes in.

What is Instrument Master? Instrument Master is a video package to teach you how to play the violin. There are 40 separate lessons with video clips, audio clips, etc. I also noticed that there is free sheet music as well as exercises to improve your performance. It's a really nice package.

So how good are the lessons themselves? In my opinion, they are really good. I really like them. It's clear that the creators have put a lot of time into this course. And it really shows in the product.

The only downside might be that some of the bonuses included in this product aren't really needed. For instance, I'm guessing most people won't need the instruction on producing hip-hop beats. But it's still nice that they included it. And who knows, maybe you'll end up liking it.

In closing, I highly recommend Instrument Master. In fact, I'm going to add it to my list of recommended links.

Good luck!

Download Link for Instrument Master.

Music On The Rise

2009-10-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Music is being consumed in more ways than one and at a higher rate then every before. The MTV generation is use to not only hearing their music but seeing it as well. If they see a song that they like they can then buy that songs in multiple media forms from vinyl and CD to digital with DRM (digital rights management) and Mp3 without DRM. If they like the video and the song then they can go to Youtube and view it there until their hearts content. But the digitalization of music has done more. Not only is it easier to view videos but it easier to find and discover new music, acts and bands as well.

MySpace has built a multi-billion dollar network on the backs of up-and-coming acts and unsigned bands and their friends. Myspace and sites like this have exposed many people to new and unheard music and continue to do so at an astonishing rate each day. As a band or act it is now seen as a smart business move and cool to be associated with a brand or land a sync-license in a TV show or commercial. This twenty years before was a direct threat to your artistic vision and classified as “selling out”. But now these things are all used to innovatively expose music to the masses and making it easier to discover it.

Technology has created mega-channels of distribution. Peer-to-peer networks have opened the floodgates to obtaining free music. Furthermore, because digitized music takes of bytes instead of floor space you are now given a wider range of music to choose from at digital retailers. And of course copying CDs have never been easier and soon the CD will be wiped from that equation level just the transfer of bytes in order to obtain your music.

What this means is that music consumption is increasing. Production cost is lowering. Distribution is widening and more acts and bands are being heard. There is a need out there for making the discovery and sharing of music simpler and easier. Music is an identifier for many people and these people are getting larger and larger iPods that just simply need to be filled.

Classical Music

2009-10-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

Classical music, like other forms of classical art, has not as many takers as those of light music. Nonetheless, classical music has its fans too and lots more are falling to its charms. Yet, those who turn to it often find it rather beyond their understanding and real appreciation. They are charmed by it, but they cannot critically explain why it appeals them. You cannot rationalize its appeal or beauty.

Another reason why a large majority of people are not very comfortable with classical music is its complexity and a sense of distance from the artist. Light music can be easily sung by ordinary artists with whom ordinary listeners can identify easily. It expresses the feelings of ordinary persons in their own language. Classical music, on the other hand, is rather mysterious and is rendered in diverse styles and it takes years, sometimes a life long time to understand .But its study has its rewards too. The more you study it, the more you enjoy it and the more you find it wonderful and worth the effort and hard work to study it.

The study or appreciation of classical music depends upon your individual taste. A form of music that appeals to you may not appeal to another person. You may come across experts who may try to influence you by their judgments about the quality of music. You may listen to them, but you should not compel yourself to like the music that they like. Or if you come across a much-acclaimed piece of music that you cannot really appreciate, you do not have to blame yourself for not liking it. You may of course try to find out why the particular expert likes a given piece of music. May be, you find some point to learn.

The most important thing about classical music is to listen to it as much as you can. Classical music CDs are available from many sources. If you are a student, your college library may have an abundant stock of classical music CDs. You can listen to radio, watch TV, and go to concerts and recitals. You can also get free downloads from the Internet, if you do not want to spend money.

Choosing The Right Instrument For You

2009-10-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

If music is your middle name, then musical instruments are sure to adorn your room. Music is an excellent way to get rid of the blues. And if you are the creative type, then you can compose your own songs with musical instruments.

Musical instruments are mainly categorized by the way they generate sound. All musical instruments fall under one of the following - string, wind, percussion and keyboard, though there may be further divisions and sub-divisions. Examples of string instruments include guitars, violins, ukuleles and cellos. Wind instruments include pipes, sax, clarinet, flute and such other types. Drums, bongos, cymbals and bells fall under the percussions category. And keyboard instruments include pianos, harpsichords, organs and accordions. Over 1000 musical instruments are available across the world, including folk instruments.

If you want to play on your own, then it is better to start with a musical instrument you like, and then gradually master the instrument by joining music classes. Or, if you are wanting to learn how to play violin, I recommend this course. If you like music in general and are not interested in specializing in any particular type of instrument then a keyboard can be the perfect choice. Electronic keyboards nowadays can produce all sorts of sound ranging from guitar tunes to drum beats. A variety of DJ equipments are also available on the market nowadays, which provide creative sound mixing options for the wannabe DJs as well as for the experienced disc jockeys.

On the other hand, if you were thinking of organizing a band then you would need different types of musical instruments. A band normally includes a couple of string instruments, percussions and preferably a wind instrument.

You can purchase your musical instruments online. Choose your favorite instrument from the various websites that you will find on the internet. They often offer discounts if you buy their package deals, which include various types of musical instruments. This can be your best option if you are planning a band with your friends.

Musical instruments can be a costly affair, especially if you are planning to buy the best available on the market. These can set you back by anything from $100 to over $10000. A good Yamaha or Roland electronic keyboard may cost almost $2500. Used musical instruments are often a good choice, especially if you are learning to play a new instrument. For beginners it is advisable to invest in musical instruments in the lower price range.

Musical instruments can also be made at home with items of daily use. Homemade musical instruments mainly fall under the category of percussion instruments. You can make almost anything, from shakers and jingle bracelets to drums and tambourines. You can also make wind instruments such as comb harmonica or kazoo. These help your child to be creative and can keep them busy. And you can now have your own band at home.

Choosing Salsa Music

2009-10-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

Looking for the right salsa music is easy once you’ve been exposed to salsa beats long enough. But if you want to groove to the salsa rhythms, here are some recommended CDs that will have you dancing for days!

SALSA FRESCA – This is an excellent CD “for those who love to dance salsa, not just listen to it.” This compilation CD have you grooving salsa style all night long. Its inviting rhythmic beats are particularly good for those who love to Mambo. This CD is even a keeper for non-dancers. A must have for your CD collection!
TONY VEGA GREATEST HITS – Tony Vegas has charm and Latin gentleman appeal that can be heard in his music. His musical style appeals to everyone. It is smoothe and romantic yet energetic and upbeat This is an unmatched collection of Tony Vega hits from 1989-1994. His songs are infused with romantic tones and sensuous Cuban Mambo and Puerto Rican Salsa style beats.
Rough Guide: Salsa Dance ~ various artists – A huge selection of musical compilations put out under the Rough Series. Rough Guide: Salsa Dance is one of the hotter Latin music themed albums to be released to date.
Rough Guide: Salsa Dance vol. 2 ~ various artists – An upbeat album that will have you dancing the instant you hear it! This album is sizzling HOT. You won’t stop dancing because the music is electrifying!
Ultra Mix: The Best of Salsa – This is a must-have CD for any salsa. Some say it’s best suited for listening, while others are convinced it’s one of the best compilation discs for salsa dancing. Go to your local music store of check it out online. You’ll be glad you did.
These CD selections are a great way to begin your salsa music collections. However, some other great tips to finding great salsa CDs is by listening to local radio shows that feature Latin American, Cuban and Afro beats. Most likely you’ll also be able to hear some salsa beats you’ve never heard before. Listening to these types of radio shows exposes you to the different sounds and usually makes mention of the artists that are being played. This will make your shopping experience so much easier.
Also consider checking out your local salsa dance bar or salsa dance studio. The DJ or dance instructor would be happy to tell you what albums and / or songs they are playing.

Check out your local music store or go online to find the above mentioned CDs. I guarantee your neighbors will be banging on your door wanting to know what it is you a re playing. These salsa CDs are that good!

Happy Shopping!

Choosing An Instrument For Your Child

2009-10-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Many parents want to encourage their children to learn to play a musical instrument, to encourage their musical development.

The first instrument is often a music keyboard. These are reasonably priced and stimulate an interest in music even in very young children. Ask your school music teacher for advice, because some of the very low cost keyboards are very limited. The higher priced keyboards play notes softer if they are hit less hard, more like a piano.

Your child may enjoy the sound of a particluar instrument. This can be a major motivational factor, so it is a good idea to go with the child's ideas, at least initially. Many children change the instrument they play in the first few years of their music education.

Many children may find it easier to play woodwind instruments like a clarinet than brass instruments like trumpets and trombones. Woodwind instruments do not require the lip vibrations that brass players need.

Most children's choice of instrument is a matter of chance. It depends on what instrument is favored by visiting music tutors.

There are more professional violinists than players of any other instrument. This is one reason parents often encourage their children to take up the violin. Buying a violin is a tricky business.

You can buy a violin for less than 70 dollars on the Internet. Should you buy it? Never.

A violin is not just a pair of shoes. Shoes are designed to be used and thrown away when they wears out. A well-made violin will last for hundreds of years. The 70 dollar violin above should just be thrown away. Buying one for your child is a waste of 70 dollars.

If your child is taking up the violin, or any instrument, it might be an idea to rent rather than buy, until you see how your child takes to the instrument. That is the point at which you should consider buying.

Buy the best instrument you can afford. Price is definitely linked with tonal quality. Listen to a range of violins, pianos or trumpets being played by the musician in the retailers. You will notice differences between the different instruments. Always buy a musical instrument you and your child like the sound from. Musical training will attune the child's ear to any deficiency in the instrument you buy, and this will detract from the pleasure he or she gains from playing it.

The Benefits Of Music

2009-10-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

Music has been a part of existence since time immemorial. And, it is everywhere –in the rhythms of nature, the chatter of animals and birds, the babbling of babies, and in the dancing of brooks. Listen and you will hear sweet tunes all weaving a magic of their own.

It is well known that the origins of music go back at least 50,000 years. Music seems to be ingrained in our genetics and tunes are rhythms that are integral to our lives.

Music seems to play many roles in our lives:

• Research indicates the children who learn music are more likely to become doctors, engineers, and computer professionals. Music learning develops areas of the brain responsible for language as well as reasoning. Music is known to sharpen memory. A Rockefeller Foundation study reveals that those who studied music have SAT scores of 427.

• If a child in the womb of its mother listens to music it is born with highly developed intelligence.

• Music molds people—it teaches coordination, teamwork, discipline, and self-expression.

• The therapeutic values of music are well documented. It heals people with mental problems, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, brain trauma, and hypertension. That music heals has been recorded in the works of Aristotle and Plato and in the centuries that followed.

• That plants respond to music is reality not a myth. Plants are known to thrive with music and also move towards the sound.

• Children who grow up in a music filled environment are happy, fulfilled, and joyous.

• Music takes the devout closer to god and in religion congregational singing has always worked. Singing hymns lifts any heaviness from the mind and frees the soul.

• When music is played in hospital waiting rooms and so on it ebbs tensions and calms the mind.

• Music has meditative properties and can be used for healing, exercising, and training modules.

• When music plays, people function better. Many find that they enjoy work or activities like cooking and cleaning when music is playing. It erases tensions and lifts weights off the shoulder. Music actually introduces lightness into the body.

• Music reflects the culture of a society and strengthens bonds. It creates a camaraderie and oneness as seen in football matches, military training, and festivals.

• Romance and love would not have so many hues but for music. Music and song have captured feelings, passions, agony, distress, and more succinctly. Through song many a romance have been immortalized. Mating calls and songs are universal in nature.

• Scientists are using music to map behaviors and unravel the many mysteries of the human mind and consciousness.

• Music settles down anger and resentment quickly and also helps us overcome feelings of sorrow and loss. It lifts the mind and spirit out of despair and gives hope. From centuries ago a mother has always sung lullabies to her fussing child lulling it to sleep with softly whispered songs.

• Music has other uses it can raise levels of excitement and cause frenzy. It is used to call armies to war by the beating of drums, to instigate raw emotions during revolts, and to drum up frenzy at football matches and rock shows.

Did you know that while classical music soothes and opens up channels in the mind, rock music can set pulses racing, and chants can send you into a trance. Music used differently has varied effects on human beings. Music can be a panacea or hell depends on how it is used.

Ballet Music Through The Ages

2009-10-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

Right from the beginning, ballet and music have been uniquely intertwined. Without music ballet is nothing more than the empty motions of a ritual. Without the movement and rhythm of dance, music looses all vitality. And so, ballet as a doorway to human expression hinges on both music and dance.

Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), the Italian-born French composer who founded the national French opera was not just a court composer to Louis XIV, but also a choreographer who produced court ballets for Molière's plays. This probably explains why his productions never lacked an accompaniment. However, theatre productions of the eighteenth century turned composers away from ballet and toward the music of ballroom dancing.

This phase sustained its self straight through the nineteenth century with the exception of pieces by Russian classical composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) which include the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty.

In the twentieth century however, ballet came back to the spotlight. Once again considered a respectable art form, choreographers looked to the works of classical composers such as Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Chopin, Brahms, and Handel to perform the art of ballet dancing too.

Many agree that ballet owes its very existence to the likes of those who are both composers and choreographers. Because being musicians in nature, they naturally pay close attention to ballet following the rhythmic structure of its accompaniment precisely. One who does not understand music can easily create ballet that looks good that in of itself, yet at the mercy of a great classical piece the novice falls short of expressing the true nature of the piece. Instead, they turn the production into a form of movement that is devoid of both art and beauty. The experts instead know when it is appropriate to go against the grain of the accompaniment to heighten those dramatic periods which capture their audience’s attention and leaves them breathless.

As we dawn a new era of music and dance, it’s undeniable that ballet will continue to change. However, just as music and dance have always been the best of friends, ballet will continue to find its new identity in the constantly changing music of today.

Info On Sheet Music

2009-09-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sheet music is an important tool for established musicians and those who want to learn. If you do not know how to read sheet music, don’t worry. There are many online tutorials that will take you step by step on learning how to read sheet music. Sheet music can speed the time in learning new songs. Sheet music can also help you capture your own original compositions to paper which will help in publishing and copyright issues.

Finding sheet music is relatively easy given the popularity of sheet music download sites. You can find sheet music for every genre of music and to suit every instrument. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced musician, sheet music can be found for your experience level. Searching the Internet will bring up a variety of sites where you can choose the sheet music most desirable for you.

When downloading sheet music, please be aware of copyright laws. The musician or composer usually holds the copyright to their sheet music. Some copyright owners will allow the download of their sheet music only under certain conditions. Others do not allow the download of their sheet music for free or at all. Be aware of the applicable copyrights so you do not have a problem.

Many artists who compose original works will provide sheet music to get their songs out to the public. Composers will use sheet music to try to sell their song to a band that can perform it with the hopes of getting a record deal. Whatever the motivation behind allowing public access to original sheet music, it is readily available for download at a variety of sites. Downloading sheet music is a great way to learn songs and increase your play set.

Musicians who are just starting out may not have a vast repertoire of songs. Downloading sheet music to learn can increase this much faster. Having a wide variety of available songs to perform will increase the likelihood of getting paid for performances. Sheet music can also help you during a performance. Sometimes a play set is so vast that no matter how many times you practice, it’s difficult to remember all the words and chord changes. Using sheet music as a guide can help you build confidence during a performance.

Sheet music can be found for download at a number of sites. Sometimes sheet music is available for free, others a small fee is required. Please be aware of any copyright issues, especially if downloading free sheet music. Do not steal sheet music or otherwise violate copyright as it harms the artist. If you are a composer, allowing others to view or download your sheet music is a great way to expose your art to the public. Use sheet music to learn, write and perform original works and songs by your favorite artists.

7 Great Tips For Music Practice

2009-09-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

The quality of your practice is much more important than the quantity. The old saying "practice makes perfect" is only true if the practice itself is perfect. So once you start learning how to play violin, here are 7 tips to help make your violin practice more effective and efficient.

Practice motions slowly

The muscular memory of our bodies allows us to physically carry out patterns of motion with little or no conscious involvement. Examples of muscular memory include walking, riding a bicycle, typing, and of course playing a musical instrument.

In order to develop this memory, the muscles require training in the form of repeated conscious guidance from the mind. First the mind must learn the pattern. Then the mind must "teach" the pattern to the muscles.

The mind initially must control all the motions of the muscles. The more controlled and precise the motions, the more quickly the muscles will develop muscle memory.

Slow practice also allows the mind to teach "antagonistic muscles" to relax. Antagonistic muscles are those that move in opposite directions. By relaxing antagonistic muscles you can reduce tension and facilitate faster and easier performance and avoid potential injury.

Practice in small cells

A "practice cell" is simply a finite series of motions. Musical cells can correspond to anything from a few notes to an entire work. When practicing, it is important to practice small cells of just a few notes. Practicing small cells limits the amount of information the muscles have to learn at one time. It also facilitates the mind's focus and concentration.

Link the end of one cell to the beginning of the next

To help the muscles develop a sense of continuum throughout the piece of music, the last motion in a cell should be the first motion of the following cell.

Practice each cell in bursts

Once the muscles have learned a pattern, they will be capable of executing it without conscious control. Initiate the pattern through a conscious command and allow the muscles to execute it in a burst.

Don't practice mistakes

For every repetition required to learn a pattern of motion, it takes 7 times the number of repetitions to change the pattern. If in the course of your practice you make an error, stop. Review in your mind the pattern. And further reduce the speed of your motions.

Pause between repetitions

When dealing with repetitive activities, the mind is better able to focus when the repetitions are broken up by short pauses. After two or three repetitions, pause for about 30 seconds to regain focus.

Take frequent breaks and don't "over-practice"

B.F. Skinner and other experts have found that the mind's ability to learn drops significantly after prolonged intense concentration. Research shows that studying too long (i.e. more than four hours) can deplete chemicals in the brain necessary for learning. Therefore, it is best to take frequent breaks (a 5 minute break about every 20-25 minutes) and practice no more than 4 hours consecutively.

By applying these techniques, you can dramatically improve the quality of your practice. You'll be able to use your time more efficiently and increase the effectiveness of your practice.

Reasons To Learn Music Theory

2009-09-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

If you thought music theory was a waste of time and not necessary to further your musical goals, then read these following 5 reasons why this is not true.

1.Read sheet music: Being able to play from any piece of sheet music. Well it may be hard to play BUT you can read it!

2.Be able to transpose: Say you are playing a piece from the sheet music you can now read but you think it sounds too high or too low, or just not right. Well now you can move it into a new key and play at a better singing.

3.Be able to modulate: You will be able to, with a few quick moves of the fingers, move your music into a new key with a succession of notes so pleasing to the ear it will bring a smile to your listeners faces.

4.It will increase your skill in improvising: Enough said.

5.Knowing music theory will help you recreate the sounds you enjoy in your favorite songs. Those fabulous chord progressions. The parts that give a song that certain sound. Gospel, Contemporary etc.

To learn music theory you don’t have to become a scholar on the subject. Just at least learn the basics. Getting a good music theory book and spending a few minutes a day reading from it and doing any included exercises can jump start your music playing.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Music Lessons (3 Ways)

2009-09-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking of learning how to play violin, keep these pointers in mind in order to get the most out our your studies.

1. Complete and master each section before moving on to the next: As you work through your studies make sure you have each new technique or idea conquered before moving on to the next. Lessons are planned to build upon each other and trying to rush through without fully understanding one will just lead to frustration and wasted efforts.

2. Study as if you were in school. Do some homework every night. If all you have is 15 minutes then use those 15 minutes. If you don’t have time to read/watch and apply then do the application of your last lesson or drills such as scales and chords. Reading/watching and not having the opportunity to apply immediately will usually mean you have to relearn your lesson. Take notes. Especially if you’re watching a video or working with a human. Also don’t be afraid to write all over your workbooks and sheet music.

3. Apply what you’ve learned: Play for others. Your church, your family, that spare piano sitting in your favorite department store (ask first). Nothing drives a music lesson home better than a recital. It will also magnify what you need to work on.

These tips work whether your a child or an adult. Learning to play an instrument is a wonderful activity.

The Path To Self-Destruction With Music

2009-09-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

Rock Stars...we are fascinated by them as much as we idolize Hollywood celebrities. We listen to their music, buy the CDs, hang their posters on every wall of our room, watch them at MTV, and go to their concerts. We idolized them so much that we often see them as demi-gods. But beneath all that fame and fortune that the world of rock and roll had given them, many of these rock stars are on the path to self-destruction.

Often, being a rock star would also mean that they are associated with substance abuse and drug overdose such as the case of Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, among others. It is a merry-go-round of money, adulation, traveling, and being in the media. Like other human beings, these demi-gods of rock music are also susceptible to pain and depression. Drugs and alcohol --- two things that get them going, two substances that were supposed to ease their pains and worries... are the same poisons that would ruin their lives.

Perhaps, we tend to forget that they just like the rest of us --- real people with real problems. Despite having multiple sexual partners, enormous amounts of money, and popularity... deep down they all want just to be loved. Even famous people suffer from loneliness and crave for love in the truest sense of the word. They want to be loved for who they really are and not for the famous persona they have created as rock artists.

Like Joplin and Morrison, there are other music legends who have been immortalized through their songs. Kurt Cobain and Ian Curtis, both young and musically gifted, were in the peak of their careers when they decided to end their lives. Cobain and his band Nirvana were known for introducing the “grunge sound.” For his part, Curtis and the rest of Joy Division had left a legacy through the song “Love will Tear Us Apart.” Despite the appearance of “having it all”, these artists were unhappy and tortured psychologically and emotionally. Even with all their external success and public acclaim, Cobain shot himself and Curtis committed suicide by hanging.

What made them that way? Self-destructive people are aware of their faults. They can be self-critical of their work and often think that they are not good enough, creative enough, or smart enough. They can be displeased with their personality or can be burdened by their own perfectionism. In many cases, self-destruction leads to suicide or having suicidal tendencies.

Most who struggle with thoughts of suicide and other forms of self-destruction usually exhibit some or all of the following behavior:

Too much smoking
Being stress out always
Drinking a lot
Having a lot of casual sex
Not getting enough rest and sleep
Not seeing a doctor or ignoring the doctor's orders

Self-destructive people are more focused on the “outer universe and have lost sight of the need to have a sense of internal peace and self-worth. Unfortunately, for many rock stars like Cobain, their legacy will be more about their tragic end rather than about their music.

Broadway Musicals History (Early)

2009-09-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

Broadway as a symbol

Broadway is the street in New York that has come to symbolize live theater entertainment and musicals throughout the world. Today the area, known to tourists and theater-goers, stretches from W.41st Street, where the Netherlander Theater is located, up to W. 53rd Street's Broadway Theater. Only four theaters are located physically on Broadway, the Marquis at 46th Street, the Palace at 47th Street, the Winter Garden at 50th Street and the Broadway at 53rd. All the other legitimate houses are located east or west of this twelve block stretch.

Broadway Stars.

By the 1830's America was exporting stars to Europe. The first notable American actor to make a successful tour was Edwin Forrest, who at nineteen, had played Iago to Edmond Kean's Othello. Forrest's second tour of Great Britain, in the following decade didn't fare as well. He was hissed off stage. Though the disruption of his tour was a personal feud with a British actor, its results were well publicized in the American Press and his return to the American stage was received with populist fervor. This "personal feud" became an international incident and demonstration of class struggle in 1849, when the British actor in question was scheduled to perform at the Astor Place Opera House in New York. A riot ensued on the night of May 10th which was put down with troops and cannon.

Broadways first marquis.

In 1891, the first electric marquis was lit on Broadway. The theater was on Madison Square at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue at W. 23rd Street. The Flatiron Building now occupies the site. By midway through the following decade, the street blazed with electric signs as each theater announced its shows and stars in white lights. By the turn of the 20th Century the street had an entirely different look, with as many as sixteen theaters on Broadway itself and many others located on the side streets or other avenues. Broadway was much more than a mere twelve blocks. It started at 13th Street and wound its way a mile and a half up the Avenue to 45th Street, ending in the heart of Long acre Square. This first decade of the century also saw the construction of many theaters, most notably the New Amsterdam on 42nd Street in 1903, along with four others in that same year, that are still standing today.

Our Broadway.

The first decade of the 20th Century was both boring and transformational in the history of our Broadway Musicals. The seeds of that transformation go back to 1882, and the construction of The Madison Square Theater at 24th Street. The Mallory’s, who had built the theater, had employed a young actor-manager from San Francisco along with two brothers from the lower Eastside to help manage the theater. David Belasco, who had the distinction of appearing on stage with another unknown child, Maude Adams, in San Francisco in 1877, was soon to become a playwright, theater owner and builder. The two brothers from the lower Eastside were, of course, Charles and Daniel Frohman. The first sign of the transformation occurred when producer Rudolf Aronson decided to build a theatre of his own. At the time, theatres were concentrated between Union Square and 24th Street.

5 Lessons I Learned About Building a Home Based Business While Watching a Master Violinist

2009-09-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in moment where you realized that your perception of something would never be the same? Well that's exactly what happened to me when I attended BB Kings Restaurant to hang out and listen to a violinist for an upcoming CD release.

Much to my surprise I walked away with 5 lessons that I could use to take my home based business to the next level. Within moments of world renowned jazz violinist Karen Briggs (formerly with Yani) taking the stage the quote from Tony Buzan rang my head.

"Whatever your discipline, become a student of excellence in all things. Take every opportunity to observe people who manifest the qualities of mastery."

Here are lessons I walked away with that you can use to
successfully create a business you can work from home.

1. Change an idea or business by 10% and you can be a leader in what you do. Ms. Briggs is not the only violinist but she is one the first to become known as a "Jazz Violinist." She took traditional classical music and put a jazz twist on it and made it her own. She created a fortune by doing so. You can do the same thing. Find a work at home business you love, add your unique slant and become an expert.

2. Give your customers more than you can expect and you will create raving fans. We were told the concert would go 90 minutes. However, when Ms. Briggs surprised us with an additional 45 minute jam session it blew everyone away. When you under promise and over deliver you will create screaming fans that will tell others about your business. The ultimate form of flattery is a referral. (By the way, I highly recommend you see
her).

3. When you are operating in your unique gift it will appear effortless to others. Ms. Briggs was one with her instrument. As a former violinist myself, I know first hand that it is not an easy instrument to master if you don't have the aptitude or attitude. However, when the talent or gift is innate your presentation appears organic and effortless to others.

Most people spend their life looking for the "magic bullet" to create wealth. And the truth is if you were to look at the gifts and talents you have, your million dollar idea is innately a part of you. If you are not sure what it is think about what are the things you do that appear easy for you and difficult for others. Your unique talent harnessed with discipline and commitment will be unstoppable. Unleash your talents and discover how to turn it into a profitable work at home opportunity.

4. When you are a master at your craft people will pay for it and you can name your price. Being an expert in business is much like a top paid artist. When you have specialized knowledge or a skill people are willing to pay a higher price to have access to it.

5. Surround yourself with talented and supportive people and you all can go to a higher level of success. Ms. Briggs had a band around her and with their support her talents were showcased even more. No one creates success by themselves. Make sure you have people around you who support you in your business. Consider a Mastermind Group.

If you are starting or currently building a home based business
take one or all of these lessons, implement them in your business and watch it grow. I am always amazed how lessons about
being successful are always around us if our mind is open and
our ears in tune. These lessons if implemented will sound like
music to your ears.

Fitting And Care For Your Violin

2009-09-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

In order to be the best musician that you can you need to shop for the right violin and take good care of your violin and bow.

Before you can shop for your violin you need to be fitted in order to figure out what size of violin you need. Once you figure out which size you need, you can begin your shopping. If you are just beginning to play, then you might want to start out on a violin that is made for beginners. These are newer violins that are made just for beginners. Once you decide that you are going to play the violin for a long time you will want to shop for a good violin. The better the violin, the more expensive they will be.

After you have bought your violin, you will want to take proper care of it. Keep your violin out of the humidity and out of extreme heat and extreme cold temperatures. Wipe off your violin daily to get the dust and dirt off of it and to keep it clean. Monitor any cracks on your violin. If they are bad, you need to take it in for repairs. Keep an eye on the bridge, tailpiece, saddles and fingerboard. Make sure that your violin looks like it did when you bought it. If you are questioning something then you can consult a violin maker or an orchestra director.

You also need to take good care of your bow. It is not difficult to take care of a violin bow. Every time you use your bow you should loosen it before putting it back into the case. You should also have it restrung at least two times per year.

Find a violin that suits your needs, keep it and the bow clean and in good condition and your violin and bow is sure to last for a long time to come.

More Information About Violins

2009-09-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of violin family. A violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, a term originated from instrument’s use in folk music, but sometimes used regardless of the music played on it.

The person who plays the violin is called a violinist, and a person who makes or repairs them is called a luthier.

Violin strings

Strings were the first made of sheep gut, stretched, dried and twisted. Modern strings may be gut, solid steel, stranded steel and various other synthetic materials. Strings have a limited lifetime apart from obvious things such as the winding of string coming undone from wear; a player will generally change a string when it no longer plays true or when it loses the desired tone.

Violin Sheet Music

Violin sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of musical notation, like its analogs books or pamphlets. The medium of sheet music is paper earlier was parchment. The term sheet is intended to differentiate music on paper from a recording, broadcast or live performance and usually refers to the print publication of commercial music alongside the release of the film.

Sheet music can be used as a record of, a guide to, or a means to perform, a piece of music. It can be studied to create a performance and to elucidate aspects of the music that may not be obvious from mere listening.

Violin Cases

Musafia Violin cases are high quality cases made for the violin. The cases are manufactured from a high standard multi laminate wood shell and screw-attached Cordura cover with an exterior pocket. They also make viola cases and double cases, which are cases that carry two violins or violas. These cases have excellent craftsmanship, and are considered the best cases in the world.

Electric Violin

An electric violin is a violin equipped with electronic output of its sound. It can refer to standard violin fitted with an electric pickup or to an instrument made to be electrify with built in pickups. Electric violin signals usually pass through electronic processing, in the same way as an electric guitar, to achieve a desired sound. This could include delay, reverb, chorus, distortion, or other effects.

Violin Stores

Visit eWoss for a large collection of Violin Stores resources. Find Violin Stores and much more. Make eWoss your preferred search engine.

Violin Lessons

To learn how to play violin, I recommend this guide.

Free violin sheet music

If you are looking for violin sheet music to expand your repertoire without breaking your budget, you have several legal options.

The first thing you ought to know about sheet music is that most arrangements are protected by copyright. Yes, most music known by the catch-all term classical was written before 1923 and now is public domain in the United States. That means the music is owned by no one, and can be freely copied and performed without having to pay royalities to the composer or his estate.

But even though musical compositions might be public domain, many arrangements of those works were published in 1923 or later and are protected by copyright. That means you cannot legally post or download them online without permission of the copyright owner.

Here the lists for free violin sheet music:

Werner Icking Music Archive, public domain works in .pdf (not easy to search, but if you've got some time to browse, there's a lot of stuff there).

FreeScores.com, a sheet music directory of public domain works, searchable by instrument.

If you're looking for software to convert midi music to digital sheet music, try the free 30 day trial from MidiNotate at Make Your Own Sheet Music.

Introduction To Violins

2009-09-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

Wanting to learn how to play violin? Well first, let's give a bit of an introduction to the violin. The history of the violin runs for centuries as an instrument that is used in various musical genres like classical, pop, jazz and country. It is a small, hollow stringed instrument with a long neck and four strings tuned from low to high; with each note having a perfect fifth to the one below it.

The violin is made of different kinds of wood where the top is usually made of spruce while the sides and back are usually of maple. The fingerboard of the violin is usually made of ebony; however, sometimes ivory is also used. Violin strings were originally made of gut but is today made of different materials. Different kinds of violin strings give different tones and sound quality. Some violin strings also stay in tune, and last longer than others. Violin strings are today usually metal, synthetic core or gut strings.

Metal violin strings produce pure, clear and loud tones and are easy to play. Beginners and intermediate players prefer using steel core strings. The synthetic core violin strings are made of the nylon perlon and produce subtler sounds than metal strings and don’t have to be tuned often.

Today, there are also electric violins that send signals via an electrical pickup device. There are also electric violins that work only when plugged in. Electric violins have a solid body design with wiring and batteries found in its body. Being a new invention, electric violin makers today can use their imagination to decide on the shape of the electric violin.

Violins are best bought in violin stores for a better range of violins. There are some violin stores that sell violins from different manufacturers, and some that manufacture their own violins. Some violin stores also rent out violins and sell used violins. As new violins cost between two hundred to twenty thousand dollars, beginners usually rent violins or buy used ones. Whatever the case, make sure that the violin comes with a violin case to provide it protection from any damage.

Violins

2009-08-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

When we listen to a piece rendered by Yehudi Menuhin, the famous American violinist, we are transported into a different world thanks to his music. Yehudi, like many others is known to have begun playing the violin from the age of 3 and became among the leading violinists and music conductors. The way the notes flow by, and the soothing sound of the violins is enough to get a person hooked on this instrument. Violins are also string instruments, much like the viola and cello, except they are smaller in size which is made up with their high pitch ranges. Also called the fiddle, these have been around for decades now, swaying people across the globe with its gentle sounds. Originally bowed instruments are said to have originated from the Asian continents and eventually spread to other parts of the world. The kind of music that is emitted from a violin depends largely on its shape and the wood that has been used in its making. The varnish coated on top and the wood that has gone into it, are said to get better with age, which is why older violins are far more expensive than new ones.

Some of the violins are admired for their ability to produce music while others for their appearances. What was once originally used mainly in classical music has today transitioned to being a part of Rock bands and even Jazz music compositions. A good example of this is “The Corrs”, a band that relied primarily on their lead violinist to give the song its warmth and feel. For example, when we listen to “Devil’s trill” by Vanessa Mae, we feel the strength of the instrument and the way different notes are played on it. And if one watches the video, they can enjoy the beauty of the instrument and the different shapes and sizes, colours it is made in. This goes to show that different people are comfortable using different kinds of violins and words no longer matter when the instrument is powerful enough to mesmerize the listener. The violin is capable of helping a person relax or get up and dance, depending on the way it is played, for it can reach high notes without sounding harsh.

Another popular band that has made the violins famous is the Australian quartet called Bond, who use violins as the base for all their songs. Most of the violins are made using the best European woods and available in different sizes to suit one’s needs. So, if you are interested in taking lessons or are looking for a good violin, you can check out stringworks to understand the way they are made, and how each of them. If you are looking for violins that produce rich sounds and look smart, you can try out the ones in the Artist collection. These websites not only sell or rent out violins, but have forums where people can ask queries or have discussions on topics related to violins."

The Haunting Of The Violin

2009-08-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

The sad and haunting melodies of a violinist are never forgotten. They remain with you always coming back again and again. The true charm of music lies in how it can affect you and your emotions. I believe that violin has the power of captivation. It is not only sad but uplifting also. The true instrument of love and emotion, the violin truly is a wonder among all the musical instruments.

A good violin is made up of a spruce top, maple ribs and back. Two end blocks, bridge, sound post and 4 strings are other key requirements for a violin. Various other fittings can be attached and an optional chin rest.

What distinguishes a violin body is its "hourglass" shape and the arching of its top and back. The hourglass shape comprises an upper bout, a lower bout, and two concave C-bouts at the "waist," providing clearance for the bow.

The voice of the violin is solely dependent on its wood and varnish. It is also some what controlled by the graduation and thickness that of the body. As the varnish and wood improve by age, old violins are continuously sort after in the market today.

Earlier, violin strings were made of sheep gut stretched. Today however, they are made up of solid steel or stranded steel. When and how to change strings is often advised by the teacher depending how hard you play. Violinists often carry spare supply of strings in case any one string does not play true.

Violin comes in different sizes. Smaller ones are usually preferred for children learning the instrument at the beginning.

Teachers determine what size is best. A true large size violin can be of 14 inches long.

How are they tuned? Tuning is a very important issue for many instruments. The violin can be tuned by turning the pegs or fine tuners on the tail piece. These fine tuners allow for slight adjustments to the tensions of the strings.

So, how is it played? Tuning and everything is fine but how do you produce that melody? A violin is usually played using a bow consisting of a stick with a ribbon of horsehair strung between the tip and frog (or nut, or heel) at opposite ends. A typical violin bow may be 29 inches. Usually, the hair of a violin bow is got from the tail of a mail horse. Though some cheaper violins have this made up of plastics or synthetics. There is also a leather grip at one end with winding to protect the stick and provide thumb rest for the player. The winding can be made up of whale bone but today it is manufactured of fiber glass.

The violin is an instrument you can never forget. The tunes are replayed in your memory even after the instrument has stopped. It is as if the instrument can talk and has spoken words of wisdom. If there is any instrument that can reproduce the words of the heart, it is the violin.

How To Play Violin - CD Information

2009-08-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

This article is important if you plan to learn how to play violin someday.
Learning how CD-r's work is good because you can learn how to play violin
and then later record your music!People who are new to computers and duplication, will
sometimes confuse CD-R music media with CD-R data
media. While confusing them is easy to do, the
two are different indeed. Even if you have some
experience with computers, confusing them is very
easy to do.

As you may or may not know, there are differences
between music CD-R and data CD-R disks. The obvious
difference is, of course, the name. With one
named CD-R music and one named CD-R data, you
know there has to be some type of difference
between the two.

What's known is that there are indeed technical
differences in what is embedded in blank music
CDs when compared to blank data CDs. These
differences center upon bytes that are within
the sub channels of the blank music disks.

This doesn't affect the quality, as both audio
and data can be duplicated onto both music CD-R
disks and data CD-R disks. You can burn data onto
music CD-R, and music onto data CD-R media
without any problems. Keep in mind, whether or
not you get data on a music CD-R will depend
on what type of hardware you use to duplicate
the CD. This is very important when you learn how to play violin.

If you plan to use a PC to do all of your burning,
it won't matter. A PC doesn't differentiate
between music CD-R and data CD-R. PCs will see
a blank media CD and duplicate information on it
that pertains to the settings you have outlined
in the software you plan to use to burn the CD.

If you plan to use a seperate CD burner, it
may or may not let you burn data or music on
a generic blank or data CD-R. Some hardware
are funny like that, as they only want you to
use blank media with well known brand names
that they have approved of.

If you plan to do most of your CD duplication
on a computer, it really doesn't matter which
type of blank CD-R you use. They will both
work fine in most cases when you store either
music or data. When storing data, you have a
limit of 700 MB, while music will have a limit
of a little over an hour of tunes.

For your duplication needs, computers are the
ideal way to copy media. You can use equipment
outside of a computer and CD burner, although
you'll need to check the operations manual
and see what they recommend for media. If you
have a computer or access to one, it can do
wonders in the areas of music and data CD-R
duplication. Therefore, your time spent learning how to play violin can be put to good use as you record your own music!

Using Your Computer To Enjoy Digital Music

2009-08-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

Enjoying your digital music by downloading your favorite songs over your home computer system is really fun and convenient. By doing this you will have the ability to download music of all types right onto your computer, which could later be transferred onto CD's for your enjoyment. You can listen to music while you are surfing the internet or chatting with your friends online, which is always a lot of fun. Everything that you do in life is much more enjoyable whenever you are playing and listening to your favorite songs.

Digital music is everywhere and there are so many different ways that you can enjoy it. Music is a part of everyone's lives and without it I truly do not know where this crazy world would be and I do not know what in the world people would do for entertainment and enjoyment. Having all of your favorite songs downloaded onto your computer will take up a little bit of extra space, so make sure that you keep an eye on how many songs you actually do end up downloading. This is why it is important to transfer a lot of the songs onto a CD because it will prevent you from overloading your computer system.

Getting to enjoy your favorite digital music anytime that you want is truly an awesome experience and sharing that experience with friends that are hanging out with you is even more fun. Digital music is the best way to share your tunes with others by letting your friends hear the kind of stuff that you can put into your mp3 player for enjoyment later on.

Digital music downloads on your computer system is really a great way for you to think back and remember the types of songs you grew up listening to. By getting to reflect back by listening to some of your old school tunes, you will most definitely be able to grab yourself more than a few smiles as well as many wonderful laughs. Most of us grew up listening to music with our parents or our best friends and getting the opportunity to enjoy listening to songs that we have not heard in so many years is really an amazing and memorable experience.

Enjoying your digital music by listening to it on your computer at your own home is really good times and will definitely help you to remember good times throughout your life, as well as giving you some pep during your house cleaning spurts, which always makes cleaning much easier. You have many options when it comes to downloading your favorite tunes and getting to do it for free or by paying a small fee is really cool, just having it right there in front of you, it is very easy to spend hours searching to see what awesome songs you can find.

Digital music is definitely not going anywhere so make sure that you continue enjoying listening to all of your old and new songs because time is all we have anyway right?!

Digital Music With Friends

2009-08-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing is more fun than getting the opportunity to playing the violin for your friends because you learned how to play violin. Or what about when you get to go out on the town with some of your closest friends to enjoy rocking digital music and awesome dancing! Digital music has opened up a whole new world to all of us, as far as how we get to enjoy listening to our favorite songs when we do get the chance to go out with our closest buddies and not only that, it is really crystal clear!

Most of you probably love going out dancing and partying with your friends and there is definitely no doubt that without digital music none of those times would be nearly the thrilling experience. Nothing in life would be the same without the opportunity to listen to music. There is not a day that goes by that I myself do not listen to some of my favorite songs at some point throughout my day. Life would not be the same at all without the joys and thrills of having digital music, there is just no other way to put that.

This article is written in hopes that anyone of you out there that might be missing out on the digital music world will come to your senses and get with the program once and for all and start doing so right now. The experiences that you will get to have in your life because of the great way digital music makes you feel, would simply not be the same without it.

Digital music can be found anywhere that you go, whether it be from an mp3 player, computers, Ipod's and many other sources. No matter where you locate and gather your digital music from, as long as you are truly enjoying every second of your experience, then you can not be going wrong. Thanks to digital music our days can be much more enjoyable, whether we are on our way to work, school, meetings, exercising, working out or just hanging with some of our closest friends.

Music is everywhere including, church, television, computers, mp3 players, video games, commercials, dance clubs and yes, even in the lovely elevators! Without music, what would this world even be like? Can you just imagine for one moment how boring life would be without getting the chance to listen to our favorite songs at some point throughout our days? That is truly an unimaginable though is it not? Hanging out with our best friends is truly an unforgettable experience and rocking the town late at night when we have nothing else to do is really an awesome experience, without our digital music what would it be like?

Going out with our friends and enjoying digital music from one source or another is really the best way to get everybody in the most rocking mood! What would dancing be without music? What would movies be like without music? Stop and think about these things for a moment and start enjoying your digital music more now than you ever have before.

Stress Management And Digital Music

2009-08-17T04:03:00.000-07:00

Stress is something that most of us know entirely too much about unfortunately. This is one reason why I recommend learning how to play violin. Finding ways to help find the relief that we need to help us through some of this stress is really necessary. One way that many people are finding that relief that they need is simply by playing and listening to some of their favorite digital music downloads. Music has an amazing way to make anyone of us feel better, no matter what our stress levels may be.

Throughout this article I want to discuss with you all some helpful and interesting information regarding digital music and how it can truly help us through some of our most stressful times in our lives. Listening to music of all types can change your mood and different mood changes means possible improvements in your stress levels, no matter how severe they may feel at that moment.

Finding out more about stress management is something that all of you out there should think about doing anyway, for more reasons than just one. There are many terrible things that can come to an individual that is suffering from too much stress in their lives. Too much stress can cause health conditions that would sometimes mean that you would need to be medicated or even worse, you could contract life threatening illnesses from high stress constantly.

Digital music can be the answers to your prayers, relieving you from unwanted stress and providing you with certain kinds of comfort in some ways, atleast for many people that is how it helps them. My stress level can change in an instant, depending on which type of digital music that I am listening to at that particular moment, it is really unreal how music can just suddenly change things for someone.

It is very important to monitor your stress levels and if they seem to be getting completely out of hand and even your favorite digital music songs are not helping, seek professional help immediately. Too much stress is extremely unhealthy and nobody wants to live such a high stress life like that, not anyone in their right mind anyway. Listening to music is healthy, not only for your mind but even for your soul, if you are a true music fan that is.

Finding something that is healthy to help alleviate some of the terrible stress in your life is so very important and if listening to digital music is your answer, then please, whatever you do, continue listening to that music every single opportunity that you happen to get. There is no way that I personally could go through one single day without listening to some type of music, it just just really a large part of my life and will always be.

I grew up listening to music and now days it is digital music that I am totally enjoying and I absolutely love it and look forward to finding out what new type of music source will be coming out next, available to everyone from all around. But remember, live music is important too! So in addition, get out there and learn how to play violin!

Listen To Digital Music Often!

2009-08-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

Listening to digital music can create many different emotions in your mind and even in your heart at times, just like if you learn how to play violin! If you are an avid digital music fan then you will most definitely want to take the time out to read through this little article because I am quite certain there will be many different points discussed that you can truly relate to because of something you might be going through within your life.

Take time out of your busy schedule to sit back and relax, listening to some of your favorite digital music downloads because it honestly will help to get you through the rest of your day, trust me, I know from experience. Music is extremely therapeutic and it really is fascinating how that is possible but it in fact does do something to our brain waves, kind of placing us in a different type of frame of mind, or a different mood that we might not have been in before hearing that particular song.

Digital music of all kinds is more popular now than it was whenever it first came available to us all because more and more people are becoming familiar with how all of those incredible little gadgets are supposed to be being used and they are also much more affordable now than they were whenever they were first available on the market to us all.

The expenses of maintaining a good solid music collection is sometimes outrageous but with digital music downloads being free and other ways of holding on to our favorite songs, it is more possible to enjoy listening now than it ever was before and more people are able to do so, which is truly a blessing for us all who are. Digital music changes each and everyday and the ways that we can listen to these songs is changing too, so get prepared for an unbelievably fantastic and fascinating future.

It is really going to be quite thrilling to see what all they come out with next and you know yourself that you will be jumping up and down, waiting in line to get your hands on those goodies. Therapy is something that most of us could most definitely benefit from and if that comes from listening to some of your all time favorite digital music then you are quite lucky really. Listening to music can be very therapeutic indeed and I am certain that many of you reading this article know exactly what I am talking about and can relate to this in one way or another can't you.

Digital music makes it possible for us to kind of vent without speaking. We can listen to whatever songs suits our fancy or our mood and the next thing you know, you are feeling much better about your current situation and can actually move on to the next phase in your day or in your life. And who knows, it may help you learn how to play violin more effectively!

How Digital Music Is Changing

2009-08-13T04:01:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not people, even though it seems as though it could not get any better when it comes to us all enjoying listening to digital music, times are changing very quickly and yes, things are only going to continue growing and getting even better over the years, probably much sooner than most of us ever anticipate. There are many different ways that we all can enjoy listening to our most awesome digital music collection and in this article that is just what I am going to tell you a little bit more about.

We now have ipods, which are highly popular with the young and the much older because they are getting less expensive than they were when they first came out on the market. There are so many wonderful new technological advancements being made each and everyday, that all we have to look forward to is even more and more unbelievable designs and features, which will make our digital music experience even greater than it has already been for all of us who can get the opportunity to purchase one for ourselves.

There is something else where we can listen to digital music and that is through our mp3 players, which most people from all around already have gotten the opportunity to enjoy experiencing. They are incredible little devices that are much less expensive than they first were in the beginning, that is for sure and you all already know that right! You can now listen to your digital music through your mp3 player and life just seems so much more enjoyable and definitely more convenient.

We also have the opportunity to enjoy listening to our digital music through our home personal computers or at the office if you choose to do so or if it is permitted. Digital music can easily be enjoyed just about anywhere that you go throughout your days or nights, as long as you have yourself one of the new handy little devices which makes it all possible in the first place.

Listening to digital music of all types is truly an experience in itself but did you also know that it is very therapeutic as well, to many individuals who are struggling or stressing about something or another in their lives. Having the opportunity or ability to listen to your digital music recordings through some tiny little device make everything so much better doesn't it.

Even flying the skies is more fun now days since you can enjoy listening to your digital music on your ipod, mp3 player, or any other little digital music device that you have gotten your hands on. You can relax peacefully listening to music that is actually music that you love, not just what the other passengers are hearing in their ears. The convenience of having these wonderful devices makes it so worth any amount of money having to be spent to purchase any of them.

Digital Music Is Getting Better

2009-08-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sure, there is nothing like listening to music live (another reason I recommend learning how to play violin!) But Digital music is something that has really grown on me throughout my years of listening to music and to this day is still absolutely amazing to me. No matter how you listen to your digital music, you are going to enjoy every second of it and can always look forward to hearing the newer songs coming out by all of the new artists out there. Your digital music collection will indeed grow tremendously if you continue keeping up with the times, there is absolutely no little doubt about that at all because who doesn't just adore their music sometime during their day anyway?

Every person that I know personally just loves being able to enjoy listening to their digital music and if you are like everyone else then you have a great deal to be thankful for when it comes to digital music and technology and you also have a great deal of cool stuff to look forward to in your near future. Your digital music experience is really just going to explode throughout the years and you are going to constantly be blown away by the clearness and great quality of it all.

It is all only going to keep getting better and better throughout time, so be prepared for what awaits us, probably just right around the corner too. There are so many wonderful things in our lives to be looking forward to and realizing all of the changes being made with our music every time that we turn around should be something else on your mind, that is for sure because if you do not keep up with all of this you are just going to be totally and completely lost through it all.

Nobody wants to be left out in the dark, whenever it comes to listening and enjoying all that technology has to offer to us, whenever it comes to our digital music experiences, typically occurring each and everyday. It is so important to continue doing things in your life that make you happy because life is just simply way too short for anyone of you to forget what it really is that makes you smile.

If listening to your digital music each day gives you a good feeling or puts a big smile on your face, then you keep on doing what it is that you are doing to always feel better, no matter what might be going on within your life. Some people have a hard enough finding anything that really makes them feel happy inside, so for those of you who do hang on to what makes you happy, good for you, keep up the good work.

Digital music can be many different things to many different people and getting the opportunity to listen to songs that remind you of something or someone in your life is always an incredible experience itself. Being prepared for the future is always a great thing to try and do anyways and the same definitely goes for new and more advanced ways of getting to listen and enjoy some of those old songs you grew up listening to with your momma. And if you learn how to play violin, you could play them yourself!

Musicals On DVD

2009-08-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

How many of you have gone to a concert and paid well over 100 dollars for a ticket? If you like a certain group you will have to pay well over a hundred dollars to go see them in concert. I love music and can't afford to go to a concert so when I found out that I could watch a concert on a DVD I was very happy.

I caught the middle of am eagles concert on television one night. I love the eagles and I wanted to see the whole concert so I first looked on eBay for the concert on a DVD. The cheapest one I found was over 20.00 then there were shipping charges.

I know this probally doesn't seem like a lot of money to most of you but my husband and I are on disability so we don't have a lot of extra money to spend being on a fixed income. I always knew that you could go to Wal-mart and buy a movie on a DVD but I never thought they would have the eagles concert on a DVD. Well I was shopping one day and went to the musical section and found that same concert on TV on a DVD. It cost me only 11.00

I got home and was so excited to find out I could watch the eagles farewell concert on the DVD. I really liked a certain song of the Eagles and I missed the song when they were on television but now I had the DVD and it had all of the concert and extra bonus tracks on it. I don't have to worry about a commercial and I can skip through any part I want.

I have also seen a repeat of the eagles concert on television and it didn't have half as much on television as it did on the DVD. When I bought the eagles in concert I also got a booklet with the DVD that talked bout each member of the eagles band. These DVDs are absolutely wonderful. I can enjoy the comfort of my own home watching my concert rather then paying a lot of money going to the concert.

The time you have to try and get through the crowd of people and have to pay money for souvenirs and the cost of the tickets it is so much nicer to save money and feel comfortable in the privacy of your own home watching a DVD. I know a family member that spent about 500.00 for just 3 members of the family to see a concert live. I also know it was very hard to understand what they were singing because of all of the noise and the microphone.

I sure didn't have any problems with the sound or picture watching my eagles concert on my DVD. So if you like a certain group look for a concert of theirs on a DVD rather then going to a concert. It will save you a lot of money and a lot of headache. I also want to mention there are musical DVDs available and the money you spend buying the DVD goes for a good cause. I have the We are the world DVD and all the money people paid to buy the DVD went for a very good cause.

Using Your Garage For A Music Studio

2009-08-07T03:57:00.000-07:00

Music is your hobby and you want to practice with your band.
The only available place that you can think of is your garage but you
also have neighbors that must not be disturbed while you are
practicing. The only solution to use your garage as a music
studio is to soundproof it or build a small studio in one corner of
the garage. For this you need to use two existing garage walls
and build another two new walls on an angle to improve the
acoustics of the studio.

After measuring the angle you will have to anchor sole plates to
the garage floor and frame the first new wall. After finishing the
framing for the second wall and adding a door to this one you
have to insulate the garage walls to help deaden the sounds. Next
you will hang drywall on the new walls and patch the seams. The
final layer of sound-deadening material will be applied to the
walls and to the ceiling. This layer is made of some secondhand
carpeting. After applying these carpets you can cover them with
some strip boards pinned onto the wall with nails.

ABC's Of The Music Industry

2009-08-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

Those looking to learn how to play violin may be interested in this article. After all, you may become professional someday. :)

Music is an art, however, when it comes to the music industry Music is about money!

If anyone or any company feels that your music will not make them money, there will be absolutely no interest in your music. That’s it in the nut shell. Remember, to always remember this. The Music Industry is about Money!

There are a few sources of money to be made in the music industry. They include but are not limited to:

· Record sales

· Songs played on the radio

· In movies and television

· Concerts

· Song writing

· Producing

· Merchandising

· Advertising

· CD-ROMs/DVDs

If you are an artist and want to get into the music business, you need 3 very important very good people in your corner batting for you on a daily basis. They include:

· Personal Manager – The most of important of the three. They should have contacts in the music industry, keep on eye on all your affairs, advise you on things to do, help promote your music, producers to hire, who to sign with when to go on tour, etc. The personal manager will receive 15% and 20% of an artists gross earnings and have good contacts with record companies A&R, Marketing / Sales, and Promotion departments.

· Music Attorney – A good attorney specializing in the music will know how to properly negotiate and structure the deals an artist makes. They should have good contacts and be trust worthy. Expect to pay between 100 and 200 per hour for a good music attorney. If an attorney thinks you will get signed, they forego a set fee and charge a percentage of artist’s earnings. In bigger cities, you’ll pay more than in smaller cities.

· Music Agent – Book concerts and special appearances. A Personal Manager will help the artist with selecting a good agent.

If you blow up and start generating the big money, then a good Manager / Accountant will be needed to handle your tax situation, review royalty statements, financing tours, offer invest advice and how to manage your money.

Getting recognized by mailing your demo to record labels isn’t impossible, however, 99.9% of the time your material will not get listened to. Even if you have the best song on the planet, it will not be listened to. Record labels want to limit their liability, so they do not listen to unsolicited music. Record labels don’t want to listen to numerous songs and then be held liable if someone claims their material was copied.

If you do decide to mail your CD to record label, send the “solicited” material. First get a contact, preferably an individual in the Artists & Repertoire (A&R) department. Call and first speak to someone. After sending your CD follow up to determine if the targeted individual received your material and another follow up call to determine if it was listened to. Submit 3 to 6 songs and send a bio and picture of yourself. Again this isn’t the preferred way to submit your material to major record labels.

Until you have music business advisors in your corner trying to promote you and there is a “buzz” going around about you, your demo will not reach the decision makers at the record labels. Record companies on a daily basis receive thousands of unsolicited CDs. Most likely your CD will be tossed into a bin located in a remote room filled with overflowing bins of CDs.

Record labels like to deal with artists who have a history of record sales. These are artist that may have produced and sold their own CDs locally or regionally. Record labels like to deal with artists who have performed their material and there is this “buzz” going on about them. MC Hammer, before he became famous, performed his own materials and sold his own records until a major record label signed him. MC Hammer had a lot of leverage in negotiating a good contract because he already proved on a local basis he could sell records.

Record companies want to limit their liability. If you are signed, you are considered an investment that will require some money and they want to see a premium return on their money invested in you. The more you can prove that you can sell record, the better chance you can get signed.

If you get signed to a record company, you the artist will go into the studio and record songs for the record company. The record company makes copies of the master recording and ships it to a distributor. The distributor is a wholesaler who then sells the CDs to retail outlets like Best Buy, Sam Goody and Tower Records. The record company then pumps money into marketing by advertising and promoting your music with hopes of selling records, thus making you a superstar and becoming rich!

It is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of hard work by a talented group of people. Everyone has to work together to make this happen. There are usually many people behind the scenes working to make an artist a superstar.

Record companies often categorized into 4 groups: · Major label record companies - have the recording and operating resources to complete all function to sell records. Major label record companies are integrated in that they can handle the promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution to sell music. Major label record companies are Arista, Atlantic, Capital, and Sony.

· Major label affiliate labels – have special agreements with the major label record companies, where the major label may fund the smaller labels recording and operating expenses in exchange for a portion of the smaller label profits.

· Independent labels - distributes records through major labels. Independent labels have few employees. They tend to find talent, sign the talent, sees to it the music is recorded and contracts with major record labels to perform the promotion, marketing, and other functions.

· True independent labels – Has no association with a major label and distribute their music through independent distributors.

The A&R (Artists & Repertoire) Department

The A&R department is the talent scout. They are in charge of finding new talents. They are the eyes and ears of the record company. However, not because you get signed to a record label because an A&R representative likes you it doesn’t mean your CD will ever get produced and released. Executives higher in the company could cancel your deal if they feel your CD will not sell. A record company will have to invest several hundred thousands of dollars to release your CD, so they will be extremely cautious on whom they release.

The Marketing and Sales Department

This department is responsible for getting the public excited about your music and first selling to retail stores the idea of carrying your CD. They are responsible for promotional merchandise, advertising your CD, in store displays, publicity, your CD cover, etc.

The Promotions Department

This department is responsible for getting your music played on the radio. The individuals in this department will visit the various radio stations to convince them to play your material. If your material doesn’t get played, no one will now how you are. People will look at your CD in the retail store and wonder who you are. There is also a direct correlation with CD sales vs. how many times a song for that CD gets played on the radio. More air time on the radio equals more CD sales for the record companies.

Remember music is art, but to the record companies, it’s about money. Keep in mind that it’s a business. Keep in mind everyone is out to make money. The minute people believe that you will not make money for them, you will be dropped and these same people will turn to seek other new artists that they believe will make them money. Unfortunately, the record business doesn’t believe in grooming people. If your first CD isn’t a success, you are out. There are rarely second chances. There are always other talented people behind you who what their shot at fame.

Distribution

Most major retailers such as Tower records will not carry a CD unless the record has a distributor. A strong distributor ensures that your CD will be available in enough places so your CD will sell to ultimately make money. Major labels use large distributors who are better able to get record stores stocked. After years of consolidation, there are only 5 major national wholesale distributors in the US who are owned by conglomerates who also own major record labels. They are:

· BMG (distributes Arista, BMG and RCA)

· EMI (distributes Capital and Virg.)

· Sony Music (distributes Columbia, Epic and Sony)

· Universal Music Group (distributes Interscope, Island/Def Jam, and MCA)

· WEA (distributes Atlantic, Elektra and Warner Bros.)

Distribution via the Internet Record labels and artists are increasingly using the web to distribute their music. Unknown artists can also use sites like this mZeus.com, http://www.mZeus.com, to generate buzz about their music. However, unknown artists will still have to work hard to get the buzz going about their music. Ultimately, signing a contract with a major record label is the way to go. The major record labels have the financial muscle and people to give you a good shot at becoming famous.

Let’s face it. It’s all about money! Yes, the entertainment industry seems fun and exciting, but people are in it to make money. As an artist the most important contract in the music industry is the record contract. The royalty is a portion of money from record sales paid to the artist for his/her music. The record contract which is a negotiated legal agreement between the record label and artist will state how much royalty an artist is entitled to among other things.

An artist should have a good understanding of how royalties are calculated. A good music attorney will help with this process by making sure the artist is paid what he/she deserves. A 13% royalty for one artist may be a lot of money, however a 13% royalty for another maybe “chump change”.

So this is how the numbers work. An artist successfully signs a record contract. The artist goes to the studio and work diligently to create a CD that the record company fully supports. The record company via its distributor sells the CD with a suggested retail list price (SRLP) of $17.99 to a retailer for about $10.99. The distributor will take 10% - 14% of the $10.99. Therefore the record company will get about ½ the SRLP of $17.99. Independent record companies may receive less than ½ the SRLP. Major record companies will pay artist royalty as a percentage of SRLP.

Rates will vary of each artist depending on how successful their record sells. For a new artist who never had a record deal or has sold less than 100,000 albums will get a typical royalty rate of 12% to 14% of the SRLP. For an independent record label it maybe 10% to 14% of the SRLP. For established artists who have a track record of selling 200,000 to 500,000 albums the royalty rate maybe 14% to 16%. For artists who have sold over 750,000 albums the royalty rates maybe 16% to 18%. As you can see, the more successful the artist is, the higher the royalty. Additionally, royalty maybe based on how well the record sells. For instance, the record contract may state that an artist will get 12% for the first 100,000 units sold, 14% for 100,001 to 300,000 units sold, and 16% for over 300,000 units sold.

But hold your horses. If you sell 500,000 albums and have a royalty rate of 12% doesn’t mean you will get 12% of 500,000 at a SRLP of $17.98 which would equal $1,078,800. This is because as specified in the record contract, there are deductions (expenses) that have to be deducted.

To start off the bat, the record company will deduct a “packaging charge” from the SRLP which is typically 20% for cassettes and 25% for CDs.

Second, more often the artist is responsible for paying the record producer a portion of his/her royalties. Typically a producer will receive 3% to 4% of the SRLP.

Third, in the record business, the contract may state that the artist’s only generates royalties on 85% of the unit sales. For every 100 albums sold, 15 albums sold, the artist gets no royalty.

Forth, the record company will hold a portion of the royalty money because the distributor typically has an agreement with the retail outlets to take back and credit the retail stores money from unsold units. This is very important, because a good portion of your album could be returned to the record company if the album doesn’t sell! The money that’s held back is called a reserve. Reserves maybe held for 2 years before it’s paid to the artist. Typically a major record label will hold a reserve of 25% to 40% of the royalties.

Fifth, advances paid from the record company to the artist are deducted from the artist’s royalty. Advances include but are not limited to the:

· Recording studio expenses (new artists to an independent my get an advancement of $0 to $80,000, new artist to a major record label $150,000 to $400,000

· Hiring independent promoters to help sell the albums

· Cost of making a music video (promotions and an inexpensive music video can cost $150,000 to $200,000.

When money is made for the record sales, these costs are deducted from the artist’s royalties. This is called re-coupment. Therefore, if the artist’s record isn’t successful, the artist may never see a dime. If the royalties are less than the deductions, they artists may well owe the record company money by being in the red! This negative cost maybe carried over to the next album release. A good record contract will not allow a negative cost from one album to be carried over to another album (cross collateralization). If there isn’t another album the record company generally eats the loss.

There are many other costs that the record company will not charge the artists. This includes marketing and in-house promotions (free CD give away, etc.).

So how much does an artist make for a gold album (500,000 albums sold).

Check out the math:

CD (suggested retail list price SRLP) = $ 17.99 Less CD Packaging of 20% = $ -4.50 NET = $ 13.49 Times: Net artist royalty rate (12% - 3% to producer) = X 9% Gross royalty per CD (9% of $13.48) = $ 1.21 Times 500,000 albums = $ 500,000 SUB TOTAL = $ 605,00 Times: Royalty bearing % (15% o = no royalty) = X 85% Gross Royalty = $ 514,250 Less advances: Recording, promo, music video, tour = $ -350,000 TOTAL ROYALTY TO ARTIST = $ 164,250 - Reserves (35%) returned by retailer) = $ -57,487.50 (1) ACTUAL ROYALTY PAID TO ARTIST = $ 106,762.50

(1)Reserves will be paid to artist in 2 years if no CDs returned by retailer

Remember the artist still has to pay TAXES! Don’t forget Uncle Sam has to get his cut! Also, don’t forget the Personal Manger, the Attorney, the Accountant, the Agent and other numerous expenses.

However, there are many other royalties that an artist can acquire. They include, Record Clubs, Compilation CDs, Samplers (low-priced albums in which a few artists are featured), Premiums (albums sold with other products, such as cereal), Film Soundtrack Album, Music Video Sales, Greatest Hit’s Album, Foreign Royalties (song played in some foreign country radio stations pay royalties, unlike the US), Master Use License (music used in a movie, television, commercial, the Internet, CD-ROM and DVD), etc.

Of course because of the Internet, the rules royalties are changing. Many people now buy their music via the Internet. Just think, no packaging required and no distribution to traditional retail stores needed. Some websites allow customers to buy individual songs as oppose to an album. Changes are currently taking place on how royalties are calculated because of the Internet. Many attorneys are pushing to have royalties be based on each song sold as oppose to each album sold. So stay tuned! And remember, learning how to play violin can pay off!

Brief Violin Facts

2009-08-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

For those that are learning how to play violin, here are some brief facts you may be interested in.

- The Violin was developed in the early 16th century.
- A person who makes or repairs violins is a luthier.
- If you play the violin, you are considered a violinist
- One really old violin was sold for over $3.5 million once!

Source: Wikipedia

To think... you can buy a violin and get on your way to learning how to play violin for $100. Go figure... :)

Reiki Music

2009-08-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

Those interested in learning how to play violin may be interested in Reiki. Reiki which is pronounced as Ray Key is a holistic healing system that uses universal energy to heal an individual. In order for this to work, you have to be trained by a Reiki master. Since its rediscovery in the early 1900’s, various forms have evolved and some of them use Reiki music.

Reiki music is used to create calm and peaceful atmosphere in order for the healing to take place. This is available for download while some retailers sell these in CD online. One example of this is Shamballa that is often used by seasoned spiritual travelers.

For those who have never done a Reiki session with music before, it is recommended to use one with gentle tunes first before trying out something more diverse. If the site you are visiting allows you to hear a sound clip, try it out so you have an idea where the music can take you.

Do you really need to use Reiki music during a healing session? The answer is no because meditation music or any other kind may also work as long as it is designed for relaxation purposes.

As much as possible, the recording should last for about 60 to 75 minutes which is the average time it takes to feel energized after a session.

Just like a regular session without music, you can tell if it is working when you feel different sensations throughout your body. An individual who feels down will afterwards experience an emotional release or relief.

Once you have found the right Reiki music, you can put it on and then simply sit or lie down in a comfortable position. You then place your hands over your face with the palms over the eyes, touch the tongue to the roof of the mouth with the tip of your tongue just behind the teeth. Remember to inhale and let the energy flow into your body and then let it go out along your arms and out through your face.

The same slow movement should be done with the other parts of the body so you wake up feeling refreshed and recharged.

Reiki wouldn’t be around for more than a hundred years if it is not able to help those recover from emotional disturbances and addictions

In fact, various studies have been conducted and results have shown that patients are able to recover faster after surgery. This is the reason that there are more hospitals and clinics that have started to practice Reiki even before an operation to help them relax.

Those who worship Christianity have also embraced Reiki because its methods help them express compassion towards others and bring them closer to God. This is because Jesus healed with his hands and so is the hand healing technique used in Reiki that has made this very appealing.

Anyone can practice Reiki and you can do this with or without Reiki music because the tune that you hear only helps you relax when the most important thing to learn is the proper hand technique. This can only be taught by a master Reiki and when this is passed on to you, this can also be shared with others.

You just need to keep an open mind and have faith so you may also experience the positive energy that is needed to heal whatever part of the body, mind or soul that requires healing.

Violins Are So Beautiful

2009-08-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, learning how to play violin is one of the greatest things you can do. The sound of a violin is so beautiful. Listening to a song on a violin can remind you of love, it can remind you of happiness, and it can remind you of sadness. How many instruments can truly top into that emotion? Not many... That is one reason why I recommend learning how to play violin.

More Information Regarding The Advancements In Technology-Enjoying Digital Music Via The Cell Phone

2009-08-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes people ask me, "Why should I learn how to play Violin when there is so much digital music?" Well, just about everywhere that you look any individual is carrying around with them some cool little cell phone and in that cell phone is enough memory to save and store lots of digital music, as well as digital photographs. It is really unbelievable how much technology has advanced throughout the years, with so many improvements being made. It is definitely making life much more convenient because with this little invention, it prevents us from having to carry around our phone, plus some type of music source, as well as a camera.

All in one is what we are getting with all of these new cell phones coming out on the market and it only continues to get better and better throughout the years. Cell phones are being improved dramatically over time and will continue to advance throughout the years to the point where there is seriously no telling what all we will have the ability to do with our cell phones several years from now.

Digital music being stored on cell phones is definitely something that is very popular, with both the young people, as well as the older individuals. Myself, I just love downloading my favorite digital music and enjoying listening to it on my cell phone and I am quite certain that anyone of you out there that gets to do this loves it just as much as myself.

Digital music is something that many of us experience getting to listen to on a daily basis and will continue doing for so many years in the future and as I mentioned before, all of these wonderful technological advancements are only going to become more and more amazing throughout the years, so prepare yourself for a very futuristic future, a future that we never would have imagined many years ago, when we were just young children.

The new and improved cell phones are only going to continue getting more and more amazing over the years so go ahead and start researching this kind of stuff now, so that when they do come out available on the market, you will be one of the first ones in line, ready to purchase your new digital music playing toy. Digital music can be heard from a great deal of sources that have become available and it is important for anyone of you who are missing out to find out just how incredible this whole experience is.

Enjoying digital music via your cell phone is a wonderful and very convenient option and it is truly making life much easier, there is totally no doubt about that. Cell phones are being used by so many and digital music is being downloaded one way or another by millions of different individuals, especially through their dandy handy little compact cell phones.

Digital music will continue being enjoyed via our cell phones for many years to come, so keep your eyes wide open for the next great creation out on all of the store shelves. Finding a great deal of this type of merchandise over the internet is a real good place to start looking, so do not hesitate to start searching now. However keep in mind, that shouldn't stop you from learning how to play various instruments like how to play violin! Remember, digital music is amazing, but so is live music. :)

How To Play Violin - How Much Does A Violin cost?

2009-08-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

Many people are wondering how to play violin. However, some people are asking this without even first buying a violin. Logically, you first need to buy one. :)

So how much is a good price to pay for a violin? Some people think they need to spend hundreds of dollars buying a violin before they even learn how to play violin. But this isn't true! You can buy a violin for under $100 if you really look.

If you want to learn how to play violin, I recommend looking into the Cecilio CVN-200 Violin. You can get it on Amazon for $100 and its got great reviews.

So before you spend your money on an expensive violin, first take a look at the one I mentioned or some of the others on Amazon.com. There are many on there for a fair price. :) Buying a violin can be fun, and obviously the next step is to learn how to play violin. Personally for that, I recommend Violin Master Pro. I will do a review for Violin Master Pro in the future, but for now, that's what I recommend on learning how to play violin. :)

How To Read Music On The Piano

2009-07-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

Although this isn't related to how to play violin, I thought I would talk a bit about reading music on the piano. It is very important to take piano lessons in order to play the piano. You have to learn to read piano music if you plan to be a serious piano player.

If you try to look into history, you will notice that most of the great piano players learned to play the instrument on their own. The reason may be because they were born with the talents of a piano player. But did you know that not all pianists have born talents and rather they acquired their playing skills by learning from a good teacher?

Learning to play piano takes a long time. It could take years for you to master advanced piano lessons. But as a beginner, you have to take lessons one day at a time. Don’t rush yourself because if you do, you will not learn. Haste makes waste, you should always remember that. Even gifted piano students do not learn easily.

So if you just want to learn piano for fun, find another musical instrument. To learn to play piano, you must be serious about it. If you plan to get a professional piano teacher, make sure that you receive proper lessons. This way, you can learn the right playing techniques. So when looking for a teacher, you have to get only the best.

Your piano teacher is not present at all times so you need to practice. If you want additional guidance, you can get other methods of learning to play the piano like computer software, DVDs, CDs, or even piano lesson books.

Before anything else, you have to determine the lessons that the teacher focuses on. You have to learn to read piano music. Reading piano music takes place all throughout the lessons. Piano teachers usually start by teaching you the easiest musical pieces. The level of difficulty is increased gradually and he or she will give you advanced assignments.

When you’re given an assignment, you have to do it by heart. Learn all the piano music that you need to learn. Reading music takes some time so you must concentrate on the lessons and avoid distractions. You will not be able to learn sight reading if you can’t master reading piano music.

Sight reading is carried out by giving piano students with a piece that they don’t really know and they have to play it. If you can’t read piano music, then you will not be able to play the new piece. You really need to study and practice hard. Learning to play piano should be taken seriously but you should always have fun when playing so that you will be motivated to the end.

Many people give up their piano lessons because they think they’ve spent a great deal of their time in practicing and yet they are not learning fast. In today’s modern times, people are used to instant and quick learning. But when it comes to piano lessons, you can’t rush things. You can’t make it quick.

To learn to read piano music, it requires dedication, time, and effort. You must also have the right learning attitude so that you can work well with your teacher or even when working alone. Constant practice is needed so that you will not forget your previous lessons.

Good luck in learning piano music and don’t give up easily! And remember, you don't have to stop with learning how to play the piano, you can always learn how to play violin as well. :)

Using Music To Meditate

2009-07-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Clearing your mind through meditation is one of the most peaceful ways you can find to just relieve all the tension you have in your body. Once your mind and body are relaxed you can start to just enjoy some time to yourself. I know that most of us listen to the radio at some point of the day. You may enjoy music ranging from country,to easy listening,to disco,soft rock,classic country,or even blue grass.

Whatever kind of music you enjoy you can find this as a very relaxing way of meditation. For a lot of you that are in good physical shape and like to exercise in a gym at home or even by jogging you want to be able to free your mind of a lot of things that have bothered you through the day.If you are out and about doing your exercises take a Walkman with you and just put it on a station that you really like and let the music just relax all of your tension.

If you are at home exercising or even cooking or cleaning if you have a CD player get one of your favorite Cd's and play it while you are doing the things you need to do.You can also just go get some blank tapes and record your favorite music off the radio for your meditation. One of the things I find relaxing is listening to music while I am working on the computer.

I have found free sites such as lime wire and frost wire and have taken the time to download my all time favorite songs. I transfer the songs I enjoy into my windows media player and play my music everyday when I am on the computer. I just quietly sing along to my favorite music relax and just meditate about my day. I actually use my keyboard a lot and have to do a lot of typing about different subjects. I have found that if I am not completely relaxed and my mind clear I will make many mistakes in my work which I can't afford to do.

I know I need to be completely relaxed so I pull up my windows media player and play my most favorite songs that will help me to use mediation to get my work done. I have also bought some blank Cd's and burned my favorite songs and then listen to that CD while working on the computer or even going somewhere in my car. After having a busy long hard day and I know I still have to drive home and start my routine of cooking,helping kids with homework,giving the kids a bath and getting them to bed.

As soon as I get in my car and I think about all the things I will have to do I put my CD in the player clear my mind and relax and meditate. After I get all my work done I put the kids to bed and the house is very quiet I will draw me a hot bubble bath and listen to my music and just clear my mind and gather my thoughts so I then can start the next day with a clear head.

So whether you enjoy meditating by exercising,shopping,or listening to your favorite music you will find once you have released all of your tension you can then start to feel good about yourself and when you feel good about yourself you can then feel good about your life. Who knows, it also may help you with learning how to play violin!

History Of Country Music

2009-07-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

Musicians have long been playing fiddle music in the Appalachians for years, but it wasn’t until 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee that the first recording country music recording deal was signed. In this year, Victor Records signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.

Jimmie Rodgers was born in Meridian Mississippi, in 1897. Originally he worked on the railroads until his ill health got the better of him and it was only during this time that he followed his earlier love of entertaining. In 1927 he followed word that Victor Records were setting up a portable recording studio and made his way there. He was immediately signed and continued recording and playing music until he died in 1933.

In 1965 he was one of the very first musicians to be added to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 along with Hank Williams and Fred Rose. On the same day as Jimmie Rodgers signed with Victor Records, so did the Carter Family, who would become one of the most famous country music bands of all time. They remained with Victor Records until 1936. Not even divorce could separate the band though and they continued to record with Decca until 1939. Things started to hit a rough patch at this stage and despite signing for Universal and eventually Victor Records again, the band split in 1941.

It is widely acknowledged that that big day in 1927 was the introduction of country music to the rest of the country. Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family were met with huge critical acclaim and became incredibly popular helping to sell a great many records. Country music singers and bands of today will often talk about the Carter Family or Jimmie Rodgers as being their major influence and with very good reason.