Musical Instruments (Buying Them)

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 Industry Job Training

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.

Songwriting Contest

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.

Musical Instrument

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.

Getting Your Music Recorded For Free

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

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

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

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.

Choosing The Right Instrument For You

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.

How To Play Violin - CD Information

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!

Digital Music Is Getting Better

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!

ABC's Of The Music Industry

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!

Violins Are So Beautiful

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.

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

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. :)