by Joy Cagil
Grammy Awards are the Oscars of the music industry. In 2008, Grammy Awards will celebrate its fiftieth year, a milestone in the music awards business.
Grammy Awards are the Oscars of the music industry. The music industry launched its own awards thirty years after the Academy Awards were established. The Grammys, the Gramophone Awards--as originally named, were created in 1957 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The Grammys were conservative. At that time, rock and roll was not included in the nominations, since it was considered a fad. Although the committee consisted of representatives from pop, jazz, classical, R&B, country etc, most innovators never won any awards for years to come.
The first Grammy Awards were presented for the year 1958, on May 4, 1959. Although Elvis Presley’s records were half of the music sold that year, The King wasn’t even nominated.
It is said that Frank Sinatra, the chairman of the board, had a hand in this, since he did not appreciate Rock’n Roll, and in the second year, when Bobby Darin was granted the Record of The Year Award for 1959 for “Mack the Knife,” Sinatra despised the new music even more. During the later years, however, Sinatra recorded the same song.
The end of the sixties still stayed conservative, although with Woodstock and with the push for following along with the times, the middle-of-the-road choices started to take hold. In 1969, the group 5th Dimension proved to be a godsend with their soft jazzy rock music, winning two awards for the same song, “Aquarius--Let the Sunshine in.”
The traditionalist view lost its hold during the seventies when the Grammys relaxed the strict judging criteria and included the rock music artists like the Eagles and Stevie Wonder.
A slap in the face came to Grammys with their biggest scandal when the Best New Artist Award was given to Milli Vanilli. Milli Vanilli were a twosome who had three singles at the number one spot. It was later discovered that the two never sang any of their songs, but lip-synched. Their German producer said afterwards, “We made a pact with the devil.”
The Grammys were broadcast on television for the first time by ABC until CBS bought the rights of telecast in 1973. The Grammys were held in Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium for several years and then moved to the Staples Center because of the increase in the size of the audience and the categories. For years, New York and Los Angeles have competed for hosting the Grammys.
The Grammys now boast 108 categories with more than 20 genres of music and chapters in Atlanta, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Pacific Northwest, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
The 49th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony took place on February 11, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California with Dixie Chicks becoming the big winners. In 2008, Grammy Awards will celebrate its fiftieth year, a milestone in the music awards business and will be held on a date to be yet announced at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Learning Guitar Scales - 3 Powerful Tips To Stop You Feeling Totally Overwhelmed With Scales
by Craig Bassett
Is learning guitar scales frustrating you? Don't know where to start? This article can help you!
Learning guitar scales can be a very frustrating experience for many guitarists. It’s very easy to feel totally overwhelmed with just how much needs to be learnt. To learn and master every possible guitar scale out there would take many lifetimes. Because of this, many guitarists find it hard even knowing where to start!
In this article I’ll reveal three powerful tips to help you in your quest for guitar scale mastery. They are designed to help reduce any feelings of overwhelm that you may currently have. Let’s take a look at the tips now…
Tip #1: Develop a written plan for learning guitar scales.
This is really important. It is vital to introduce some structure into your scale learning process. Rather than aimlessly practicing guitar scales, you want to become laser-focused. This is achieved by writing down things such as…
-How much time each day you will devote to scale practice.
-What guitar scales you need to learn, in order to play the style of music that you love.
-What keys are the most common to the style of music that you play.
-What specific guitar scale exercises you will learn.
-What books, DVDs and other resources you will use to learn scales.
-The specific things that you don’t understand yet about guitar scales.
If you don’t know how to work out the stuff above, then I recommend booking some lessons with a professional guitar tutor. Make sure that they can play the style of music that you love. It’s not much point asking a classical guitar tutor what scales you need to learn for jazz guitar!
Tip #2: Learn one guitar scale at a time.
I can’t stress this tip enough. A major reason why many guitarists never master guitar scales is that they try to learn too many at once. This usually causes them to learn scales on a very superficial level. They may know lots of scales, but they definitely haven’t mastered any. This causes them to sound very unmusical when they improvise. They just sound like they are running up-and-down scales.
Tip #3: Don’t worry about trying to learn guitar scales in all 12 keys.
This advice goes against what a lot of guitar tutors and guitar books say. The reason why I say it is simple…
Trying to learn all scales in all 12 keys leads to a feeling of overwhelm for most guitarists! It can take months to learn a scale to mastery in one key. Especially if you want to know that scale over the entire fretboard AND be able to improvise fluently with it. For some guitarists, just thinking that they need to do this in all 12 keys is too much. They just give up! Here is a much better approach…
1. Find out what the most common keys are for the style of music that you play.
2. List the keys in order. You will put the most common key at the top, and the least common key at the bottom.
3. Master the key that is at the top of the list.
4. Master, (one at a time), the rest of the keys on your list.
There we have it! Implement these three tips and turbo-charge your ability to learn guitar scales!
Is learning guitar scales frustrating you? Don't know where to start? This article can help you!
Learning guitar scales can be a very frustrating experience for many guitarists. It’s very easy to feel totally overwhelmed with just how much needs to be learnt. To learn and master every possible guitar scale out there would take many lifetimes. Because of this, many guitarists find it hard even knowing where to start!
In this article I’ll reveal three powerful tips to help you in your quest for guitar scale mastery. They are designed to help reduce any feelings of overwhelm that you may currently have. Let’s take a look at the tips now…
Tip #1: Develop a written plan for learning guitar scales.
This is really important. It is vital to introduce some structure into your scale learning process. Rather than aimlessly practicing guitar scales, you want to become laser-focused. This is achieved by writing down things such as…
-How much time each day you will devote to scale practice.
-What guitar scales you need to learn, in order to play the style of music that you love.
-What keys are the most common to the style of music that you play.
-What specific guitar scale exercises you will learn.
-What books, DVDs and other resources you will use to learn scales.
-The specific things that you don’t understand yet about guitar scales.
If you don’t know how to work out the stuff above, then I recommend booking some lessons with a professional guitar tutor. Make sure that they can play the style of music that you love. It’s not much point asking a classical guitar tutor what scales you need to learn for jazz guitar!
Tip #2: Learn one guitar scale at a time.
I can’t stress this tip enough. A major reason why many guitarists never master guitar scales is that they try to learn too many at once. This usually causes them to learn scales on a very superficial level. They may know lots of scales, but they definitely haven’t mastered any. This causes them to sound very unmusical when they improvise. They just sound like they are running up-and-down scales.
Tip #3: Don’t worry about trying to learn guitar scales in all 12 keys.
This advice goes against what a lot of guitar tutors and guitar books say. The reason why I say it is simple…
Trying to learn all scales in all 12 keys leads to a feeling of overwhelm for most guitarists! It can take months to learn a scale to mastery in one key. Especially if you want to know that scale over the entire fretboard AND be able to improvise fluently with it. For some guitarists, just thinking that they need to do this in all 12 keys is too much. They just give up! Here is a much better approach…
1. Find out what the most common keys are for the style of music that you play.
2. List the keys in order. You will put the most common key at the top, and the least common key at the bottom.
3. Master the key that is at the top of the list.
4. Master, (one at a time), the rest of the keys on your list.
There we have it! Implement these three tips and turbo-charge your ability to learn guitar scales!
Passa The Salsa - There's An "X" In Thar!
by La Jackson
Got a taste for some flair on the dance floor and Latin music all wrapped up in a great story? Allow me to bring it to you HOT and ZESTY! Take a trip to the Caribbean and other places that folks lke Xavier Cugat and Salsa music visited. A lively re-cap of an era of great Latin music.
Another Latin music style is Salsa, which you will soon see is a popular music genre unto itself. Salsa instruments include the bass, bongo, conga, cowbell, clave, cabaca, guitar, maracas, piano, timbales, trombones, trumpets, woodwinds called ocarinas and panpipes. Salsa embodies the Latin music persona, but has since expanded to include American genres like Pop, Rock, Jazz, and R&B. You may notice that when a music style–-in this case Salsa–-gets popular, it often sub-divides and forms other styles of Salsa: Erotica, Gorda, and Romantica. There are also fusions like Charanga-Vallenata, Mereng-House, Salsa-Merengue, Songa-Salsa, TImba, and Salsa flavored Reggeaton.
As the name might imply, Reggaeton is made up of Jamaica’s popular Dancehall-Reggae music style with Spanish lyrics riding on top of it. There are various related cultures that continue to mesh, and we’ll probably see more interesting mixes of different genres. Along the way, assorted countries continue to produce Rap music in their own language. If you haven’t had a chance to hear Rap music from other countries, you owe it to yourself to take a listen to the similarities and differences of these dynamic styles. Certain college and community-based radio stations such as Atlanta’s WRFG-FM radio are leading the way to alternative programming that cannot be found in commercial radio.
A major force of the Caribbean Latin music movement was a very impressionable musician with flair. His full name is, (take a deep breath) Francisco De Asis Javier Cugat Mingall De Cru Y Deulofeo. That adds up to a name for every day of the week! The last time I heard a name that long was in a Debra ‘She’s So Fine’ Wilson skit on ‘Mad TV.’ I can’t remember all of the other names that preceded her last name – wait, it’s coming back to me: “Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson.” Without twisting up our tongue this time, Xavier Cugat brought his influence to American audiences through a rich musical heritage that began in Spain and by 1905, landed him in Cuba. His humble beginnings as a trained violinist led him to create an exciting musical sound that spread like wildfire to Latin-American dance floors. He is credited with taking popular Latin music to new heights for dances like the Cha Cha, Mambo, Rhumba, Tango, “Latin Hustle, too.” Coincidentally, the last three dances were so popular that they were mentioned in the classic Disco group Chic’s hit song, “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah).”
Hollywood was growing ever more glitzy by introducing film stars such as America’s funniest redhead–Lucille Ball–who through comedy, later claimed her share of the television broadcast market. Hit shows like “I Love Lucy” put Lucy and her musician-husband Desi Arnaz into TV’s limelight. Shows like this featured a wide variety of musicians that made contributions to Hollywood, like Desi Arnaz and Xavier Cugat.
In 1918, Cugat traveled to the United States to work in film with his superb band. It featured a young, pre-Lucille Ball Desi Arnez and other notable Cuban musicians. By 1920, Cugat moved to Los Angeles to perform his spicy shows that often featured popular singers like Rita Hayworth, who he once helped to get a starring role in a movie. Having been known as a ladies man, his third wife, Abbe Lane Cugat, starred in nine motion pictures during a fabulous Hollywood movie career that spanned from 1930 to 1959. Not even “Cuchi Cuchi” diva Charo: the international film and television star, songstress, guitarist and dancer, could not resist Cugat’s charm. She became his fourth wife in August of 1966; he was 66 years young. After Cugat discovered Charo, the fabulous Salsoul Orchestra collaborated on her first four albums. Like Xavier Cugat, Charo was born in Spain, and also has an extensive name: Maria del Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza.
Towards the completion of Cugat’s dynamic career, he moved to the east coast and conducted the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s house band. Originally just an ordinary gig, it turned into an encore that lasted more than 15 years. Xavier Cugat actually tapped into a commercial form of Latin-American music, but got criticized for crossing the unwritten borders of credible music as prescribed by his peers. He eventually left his band and passed his baton to a well-known and respected Tito Puente. After releasing dozens of tracks over the course of 75 years, Cugat’s legacy encompassed significant forays into the Hollywood movie world during the ‘40s and ‘50s. Cugat completed his ‘circle of life’ in America, and in 1970 he moved back to where it all began for him, Spain. This extraordinary musician will always be remembered for his important contributions to the world of entertainment, dance and music, which points to what I call a ‘particular modus operandi’, like the special gift called Salsa.
The newfound popularity of Salsa was taken to another level by Fania Records. This record label spearheaded a music revolution during the 1960’s, and still has a lasting effect on the world of Pop today. Fania Records was created in the early ‘60s by musician Johnny Pacheco and lawyer Jerry Masucci. Johnny Pacheco linked singer Hector LaVoe up with trombonist Willie Colon, and formed a team unlike any other in their profession. Many famous pairings of people from different professions have succeeded in business ventures. One example is the collaboration between talented musicians and savvy lawyers who came together to establish powerful organizations like ASCAP and Capitol Records.
On a side note, Capitol was the first major west-coast based label; the rest were based in New York. Around this time, the music industry was making room for new artists and music styles, like James Brown (Soul). There was also Stanley Clarke and Return To Forever (Jazz-Fusion), Jimi Hendrix & The Experience, Sly & The Family Stone (racially integrated bands), and Parliament-Funkadelic (Funk). Salsa's newest baby became the majestic Fania All-Stars. The band featured ‘heavyweights’ like Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Ray Baretto, Luis Ortiz, Bobby Valentin, and Panama’s own Ruben Blades, whose eye for Hollywood landed him in blockbuster films and popular shows. Besides making appearances in classics like Predator 2, Blades popped up in these movies:
Assassination Tango Spin Chinese Box Once Upon A Time in Mexico Fatal Beauty Critical Condition Disorganized Crime The Two Jakes Mo' Betta Blues Life with Mikey Color of Night The X Files
This is not a complete listing. So where did such an exciting music style like Salsa get its roots? That’s a great question; for that, there too is an answer. This infectious music known as Salsa was actually an amalgamation of Afro-Cuban, American, and Puerto Rican flavors of Bomba, Jazz and Merengue. Through tons of performances and recordings, Salsa took on a unique form and shaped itself into a dominant music style. As a result, Salsa was let loose on stages and dance floors wherever it went. The Fania All-Stars represented Salsa at its best.
Although Fania Records was sold in the fall of 2005, its legendary music releases won’t soon be forgotten; they may just be slightly difficult obtaining. Without important contributions from creative singers, musicians and Fania Records, Latin music may not have been as popular as it is outside of the Caribbean. To make my journey through life and music worthwhile, I rely on a Biblical verse to motivate me: “Seek and you shall find.” People should take time to search for the important values in life. Music’s a given; Salsa is a gift. I recommend getting a taste of them both from time to time; or as often as needed. “The music doctor has spoken – vamonos, mi amigos!”
A valedictorian and contributing author to Bernard Percy's books during elementary school, L.A. finished high school in Brooklyn, then went to L.A.City College. He graduated in 1987 from Georgia State University in Atlanta. An internship led to 10 years with CBS Records/Sony Music, where L.A. worked with almost every act, implemented sales/marketing campaigns, received numerous gold/platinum albums, awards, and traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to events.
As a recording studio owner, AV technician and manager for a global audiovisual company (TAVS), L.A. owns MKM Multimedia Works. In 2001 he executive-produced the Million Mom March’s Atlanta Artists Against Gun Violence compilation CD, featuring top Atlanta acts. In 2002, L.A. secured a commercial with The GAP for Arrested Development’s Baba Oje. L.A. now initiates his ‘6 books in 5 years’ plan.
Got a taste for some flair on the dance floor and Latin music all wrapped up in a great story? Allow me to bring it to you HOT and ZESTY! Take a trip to the Caribbean and other places that folks lke Xavier Cugat and Salsa music visited. A lively re-cap of an era of great Latin music.
Another Latin music style is Salsa, which you will soon see is a popular music genre unto itself. Salsa instruments include the bass, bongo, conga, cowbell, clave, cabaca, guitar, maracas, piano, timbales, trombones, trumpets, woodwinds called ocarinas and panpipes. Salsa embodies the Latin music persona, but has since expanded to include American genres like Pop, Rock, Jazz, and R&B. You may notice that when a music style–-in this case Salsa–-gets popular, it often sub-divides and forms other styles of Salsa: Erotica, Gorda, and Romantica. There are also fusions like Charanga-Vallenata, Mereng-House, Salsa-Merengue, Songa-Salsa, TImba, and Salsa flavored Reggeaton.
As the name might imply, Reggaeton is made up of Jamaica’s popular Dancehall-Reggae music style with Spanish lyrics riding on top of it. There are various related cultures that continue to mesh, and we’ll probably see more interesting mixes of different genres. Along the way, assorted countries continue to produce Rap music in their own language. If you haven’t had a chance to hear Rap music from other countries, you owe it to yourself to take a listen to the similarities and differences of these dynamic styles. Certain college and community-based radio stations such as Atlanta’s WRFG-FM radio are leading the way to alternative programming that cannot be found in commercial radio.
A major force of the Caribbean Latin music movement was a very impressionable musician with flair. His full name is, (take a deep breath) Francisco De Asis Javier Cugat Mingall De Cru Y Deulofeo. That adds up to a name for every day of the week! The last time I heard a name that long was in a Debra ‘She’s So Fine’ Wilson skit on ‘Mad TV.’ I can’t remember all of the other names that preceded her last name – wait, it’s coming back to me: “Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson.” Without twisting up our tongue this time, Xavier Cugat brought his influence to American audiences through a rich musical heritage that began in Spain and by 1905, landed him in Cuba. His humble beginnings as a trained violinist led him to create an exciting musical sound that spread like wildfire to Latin-American dance floors. He is credited with taking popular Latin music to new heights for dances like the Cha Cha, Mambo, Rhumba, Tango, “Latin Hustle, too.” Coincidentally, the last three dances were so popular that they were mentioned in the classic Disco group Chic’s hit song, “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah).”
Hollywood was growing ever more glitzy by introducing film stars such as America’s funniest redhead–Lucille Ball–who through comedy, later claimed her share of the television broadcast market. Hit shows like “I Love Lucy” put Lucy and her musician-husband Desi Arnaz into TV’s limelight. Shows like this featured a wide variety of musicians that made contributions to Hollywood, like Desi Arnaz and Xavier Cugat.
In 1918, Cugat traveled to the United States to work in film with his superb band. It featured a young, pre-Lucille Ball Desi Arnez and other notable Cuban musicians. By 1920, Cugat moved to Los Angeles to perform his spicy shows that often featured popular singers like Rita Hayworth, who he once helped to get a starring role in a movie. Having been known as a ladies man, his third wife, Abbe Lane Cugat, starred in nine motion pictures during a fabulous Hollywood movie career that spanned from 1930 to 1959. Not even “Cuchi Cuchi” diva Charo: the international film and television star, songstress, guitarist and dancer, could not resist Cugat’s charm. She became his fourth wife in August of 1966; he was 66 years young. After Cugat discovered Charo, the fabulous Salsoul Orchestra collaborated on her first four albums. Like Xavier Cugat, Charo was born in Spain, and also has an extensive name: Maria del Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza.
Towards the completion of Cugat’s dynamic career, he moved to the east coast and conducted the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s house band. Originally just an ordinary gig, it turned into an encore that lasted more than 15 years. Xavier Cugat actually tapped into a commercial form of Latin-American music, but got criticized for crossing the unwritten borders of credible music as prescribed by his peers. He eventually left his band and passed his baton to a well-known and respected Tito Puente. After releasing dozens of tracks over the course of 75 years, Cugat’s legacy encompassed significant forays into the Hollywood movie world during the ‘40s and ‘50s. Cugat completed his ‘circle of life’ in America, and in 1970 he moved back to where it all began for him, Spain. This extraordinary musician will always be remembered for his important contributions to the world of entertainment, dance and music, which points to what I call a ‘particular modus operandi’, like the special gift called Salsa.
The newfound popularity of Salsa was taken to another level by Fania Records. This record label spearheaded a music revolution during the 1960’s, and still has a lasting effect on the world of Pop today. Fania Records was created in the early ‘60s by musician Johnny Pacheco and lawyer Jerry Masucci. Johnny Pacheco linked singer Hector LaVoe up with trombonist Willie Colon, and formed a team unlike any other in their profession. Many famous pairings of people from different professions have succeeded in business ventures. One example is the collaboration between talented musicians and savvy lawyers who came together to establish powerful organizations like ASCAP and Capitol Records.
On a side note, Capitol was the first major west-coast based label; the rest were based in New York. Around this time, the music industry was making room for new artists and music styles, like James Brown (Soul). There was also Stanley Clarke and Return To Forever (Jazz-Fusion), Jimi Hendrix & The Experience, Sly & The Family Stone (racially integrated bands), and Parliament-Funkadelic (Funk). Salsa's newest baby became the majestic Fania All-Stars. The band featured ‘heavyweights’ like Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Ray Baretto, Luis Ortiz, Bobby Valentin, and Panama’s own Ruben Blades, whose eye for Hollywood landed him in blockbuster films and popular shows. Besides making appearances in classics like Predator 2, Blades popped up in these movies:
Assassination Tango Spin Chinese Box Once Upon A Time in Mexico Fatal Beauty Critical Condition Disorganized Crime The Two Jakes Mo' Betta Blues Life with Mikey Color of Night The X Files
This is not a complete listing. So where did such an exciting music style like Salsa get its roots? That’s a great question; for that, there too is an answer. This infectious music known as Salsa was actually an amalgamation of Afro-Cuban, American, and Puerto Rican flavors of Bomba, Jazz and Merengue. Through tons of performances and recordings, Salsa took on a unique form and shaped itself into a dominant music style. As a result, Salsa was let loose on stages and dance floors wherever it went. The Fania All-Stars represented Salsa at its best.
Although Fania Records was sold in the fall of 2005, its legendary music releases won’t soon be forgotten; they may just be slightly difficult obtaining. Without important contributions from creative singers, musicians and Fania Records, Latin music may not have been as popular as it is outside of the Caribbean. To make my journey through life and music worthwhile, I rely on a Biblical verse to motivate me: “Seek and you shall find.” People should take time to search for the important values in life. Music’s a given; Salsa is a gift. I recommend getting a taste of them both from time to time; or as often as needed. “The music doctor has spoken – vamonos, mi amigos!”
A valedictorian and contributing author to Bernard Percy's books during elementary school, L.A. finished high school in Brooklyn, then went to L.A.City College. He graduated in 1987 from Georgia State University in Atlanta. An internship led to 10 years with CBS Records/Sony Music, where L.A. worked with almost every act, implemented sales/marketing campaigns, received numerous gold/platinum albums, awards, and traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to events.
As a recording studio owner, AV technician and manager for a global audiovisual company (TAVS), L.A. owns MKM Multimedia Works. In 2001 he executive-produced the Million Mom March’s Atlanta Artists Against Gun Violence compilation CD, featuring top Atlanta acts. In 2002, L.A. secured a commercial with The GAP for Arrested Development’s Baba Oje. L.A. now initiates his ‘6 books in 5 years’ plan.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
How To Get Great Seats At Concerts - Backstage
by Alex Mudge
A lot of people wonder how I get such good seats at all the concerts and how I'm able to obtain backstage passes. It's really not that hard but it does involve some techniques that the average concert goer wouldn't know.
A lot of techniques that I’m going to talk about specifically refer to Ticketmaster. However, most of these techniques and secrets can be used at any other online ticketing location. If you don’t have a ticketmaster account already then you really should get on the ball and set one up, now! You’ll thank me later when you’re favorite artist goes on sale and you don’t get rejected because you time-out while filling your payment info. I’m going to assume you know how to set up a ticketmaster account on your own, if you don’t then stop reading now, your hopeless.
Still here? Ok good. One of the main things that people contact me about is how their artist went on sale and they didn’t even know about it. You can be sure your up to date with your favorite artists by using ticketmasters: Ticket Alert Performer Alert Venue Alert It’s all self-explanatory but if you’re a little slow I’ll explain it to you. Basically, once you set up your favorite artist / venue, ticketmaster will automatically alert you before your tickets go on sale.
To set up your ticket alert simply log in to your created account (you did create one right?) and specify your artists and venues. Ticketmaster now enables wireless alerts via text messaging for certain artists and venues: Sign up to receive a Wireless Alert by clicking on the link “Get a text message reminder” on an Event Page or on a Performer Alert email. If there is no link on the Event Page, the event is not eligible for Wireless Alerts or tickets are (or have been) on sale for that event. Complete the Wireless Alerts sign up page by entering your 10 digit mobile number and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.
GETTING YOUR TICKETS
All right now lets take care of your browsers. If you’re running Windows grab these three – Explorer, Firefox (www.firefox.com) and Opera. If your running MAC OSX – Safari, Firefox and Camino Why do I need three different browsers???
Simple, choices.
Lets say you’ve been notified early via Ticketmasters Ticket Alert that your favorite artist is going on sale at precisely 10 A.M. Pacific time.
Here is what you need to do
1. Open all three browsers
2. Log into your Ticketmaster account with each browser
3. Get onto the for sale page around 9:45 A.M.
4. DON’T keep refreshing your page – Ticketmaster can block you if you do this.
5. Wait until 9:58 A.M. until you start refreshing (one browser for now)
6. Once you are able to select tickets refresh all your browsers and input your data
7. Put in your amount of seats desired and select “Best Available” IN EACH BROWSER!!!
8. Get to the page where you can see your seats, if you like them BUY THEM.
TIP: If you find a pair of tickets that you like in one browser, take it to the BILLING page where you can “hold them” for a few minutes while you search on your other browser for more seats.
TIP: If you and a friend want to attend the same show, teach him this technique and wake his/her lazy butt up to help you out.
TIP: Try selecting “LOWER FLOOR” instead of “BEST AVAILABLE.” I’ve scored a couple times doing this.
Don’t worry if you get snuffed or if your seats suck. Be persistent, many times Ticketmaster releases a new batch of tickets every 15 minutes or so to deter scalpers. Just keep using the technique.
A lot of people wonder how I get such good seats at all the concerts and how I'm able to obtain backstage passes. It's really not that hard but it does involve some techniques that the average concert goer wouldn't know.
A lot of techniques that I’m going to talk about specifically refer to Ticketmaster. However, most of these techniques and secrets can be used at any other online ticketing location. If you don’t have a ticketmaster account already then you really should get on the ball and set one up, now! You’ll thank me later when you’re favorite artist goes on sale and you don’t get rejected because you time-out while filling your payment info. I’m going to assume you know how to set up a ticketmaster account on your own, if you don’t then stop reading now, your hopeless.
Still here? Ok good. One of the main things that people contact me about is how their artist went on sale and they didn’t even know about it. You can be sure your up to date with your favorite artists by using ticketmasters: Ticket Alert Performer Alert Venue Alert It’s all self-explanatory but if you’re a little slow I’ll explain it to you. Basically, once you set up your favorite artist / venue, ticketmaster will automatically alert you before your tickets go on sale.
To set up your ticket alert simply log in to your created account (you did create one right?) and specify your artists and venues. Ticketmaster now enables wireless alerts via text messaging for certain artists and venues: Sign up to receive a Wireless Alert by clicking on the link “Get a text message reminder” on an Event Page or on a Performer Alert email. If there is no link on the Event Page, the event is not eligible for Wireless Alerts or tickets are (or have been) on sale for that event. Complete the Wireless Alerts sign up page by entering your 10 digit mobile number and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.
GETTING YOUR TICKETS
All right now lets take care of your browsers. If you’re running Windows grab these three – Explorer, Firefox (www.firefox.com) and Opera. If your running MAC OSX – Safari, Firefox and Camino Why do I need three different browsers???
Simple, choices.
Lets say you’ve been notified early via Ticketmasters Ticket Alert that your favorite artist is going on sale at precisely 10 A.M. Pacific time.
Here is what you need to do
1. Open all three browsers
2. Log into your Ticketmaster account with each browser
3. Get onto the for sale page around 9:45 A.M.
4. DON’T keep refreshing your page – Ticketmaster can block you if you do this.
5. Wait until 9:58 A.M. until you start refreshing (one browser for now)
6. Once you are able to select tickets refresh all your browsers and input your data
7. Put in your amount of seats desired and select “Best Available” IN EACH BROWSER!!!
8. Get to the page where you can see your seats, if you like them BUY THEM.
TIP: If you find a pair of tickets that you like in one browser, take it to the BILLING page where you can “hold them” for a few minutes while you search on your other browser for more seats.
TIP: If you and a friend want to attend the same show, teach him this technique and wake his/her lazy butt up to help you out.
TIP: Try selecting “LOWER FLOOR” instead of “BEST AVAILABLE.” I’ve scored a couple times doing this.
Don’t worry if you get snuffed or if your seats suck. Be persistent, many times Ticketmaster releases a new batch of tickets every 15 minutes or so to deter scalpers. Just keep using the technique.
Learn to PLay Piano By Ear - Left Hand Techniques
by Matthew Stephens
Many individuals know how to play the piano by ear, but they have trouble with the left hand. Here's some techniques that will help you bring your left hand alive!
The tenth (10th) chord is an excellent technique you can use on your left hand. The 10th chord is basically following this:
Every major chord is made up of the numbers 1-3-5 of the scale played simultaneously. Basically, the 10th chord is made up of these three numbers inverted and played either simultaneously or in a "roll" form.
1-5-3 (the 3 actually becomes the 10)
For example:
C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
1 2 3 4 7 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
That means that on the left hand you would play C-G-E. Now this may be rather hard for some of you. In fact, when I started playing the 10th chord I have to "roll" it until my fingers stretched out enough to play it as a chord. (I'll focus on stretching exercises later.)
HOW DO I USE THE 10th CHORD ON SLOW TO MODERATE SONGS?
The most common way of using the 10th chord is to use it on the left hand on most "down" beats. It creates a wonderful full sound. Another common way to use the 10th chord is in a roll. This would mean the pianist would create the rhythm to the song playing the following numbers:
Moving up the keyboard: 1-5-3-5-1 (repeat)
So, if you were in the key of C and you were in the C chord change, while your right hand is playing the melody to the song, the left hand would follow the pattern above and would look like this:
Moving up the keyboard: C-G-E-G-C
When you get to the F chord change:
Moving up the keyboard: F-C-A-C-F
Wow! What a difference in the full sound it gives! Try the 10th run!
Many individuals know how to play the piano by ear, but they have trouble with the left hand. Here's some techniques that will help you bring your left hand alive!
The tenth (10th) chord is an excellent technique you can use on your left hand. The 10th chord is basically following this:
Every major chord is made up of the numbers 1-3-5 of the scale played simultaneously. Basically, the 10th chord is made up of these three numbers inverted and played either simultaneously or in a "roll" form.
1-5-3 (the 3 actually becomes the 10)
For example:
C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
1 2 3 4 7 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
That means that on the left hand you would play C-G-E. Now this may be rather hard for some of you. In fact, when I started playing the 10th chord I have to "roll" it until my fingers stretched out enough to play it as a chord. (I'll focus on stretching exercises later.)
HOW DO I USE THE 10th CHORD ON SLOW TO MODERATE SONGS?
The most common way of using the 10th chord is to use it on the left hand on most "down" beats. It creates a wonderful full sound. Another common way to use the 10th chord is in a roll. This would mean the pianist would create the rhythm to the song playing the following numbers:
Moving up the keyboard: 1-5-3-5-1 (repeat)
So, if you were in the key of C and you were in the C chord change, while your right hand is playing the melody to the song, the left hand would follow the pattern above and would look like this:
Moving up the keyboard: C-G-E-G-C
When you get to the F chord change:
Moving up the keyboard: F-C-A-C-F
Wow! What a difference in the full sound it gives! Try the 10th run!
EMG Guitar Pickups
By Louis Merz
EMG, Inc first started manufacturing guitar pickups back in 1976, known as EMG pickups. Over the years they have earned the reputation for quality, clear sounding pickups used by many professional artists. ESP guitars and Jackson guitars currently use EMG pickups as their standard pickup design. Their high output is preferred by hard rock and heavy metal guitarists because of the pickups higher gain output as opposed to most lower output pickups. Some of the bands and artists who currently endorse EMG pickups are Tom Morrello, Zakk Wylde, Stephen Carpenter, Metallica, Slayer and many others
The most common EMG pickups are the EMG 81 and 85. The EMG 81 is usually considered to be the lead pickup and is more commonly used in the bridge position, while the EMG 85 is mainly used as a rhythm pickup more used in the neck position.
Personally I have had great success with using EMG pickups in a Gibson Les Paul and 7 string ESP guitar especially if you are into heavier sounding music. The clarity, deeper tone, and added gain are what make the pickups more suitable. One negative thing about the EMG active pickups is the need for a 9 volt battery, but it's not much of a problem because the battery lasts for a long time. You just need to make sure you replace the battery at least every 6 months because of tone loss over time.
EMG, Inc first started manufacturing guitar pickups back in 1976, known as EMG pickups. Over the years they have earned the reputation for quality, clear sounding pickups used by many professional artists. ESP guitars and Jackson guitars currently use EMG pickups as their standard pickup design. Their high output is preferred by hard rock and heavy metal guitarists because of the pickups higher gain output as opposed to most lower output pickups. Some of the bands and artists who currently endorse EMG pickups are Tom Morrello, Zakk Wylde, Stephen Carpenter, Metallica, Slayer and many others
The most common EMG pickups are the EMG 81 and 85. The EMG 81 is usually considered to be the lead pickup and is more commonly used in the bridge position, while the EMG 85 is mainly used as a rhythm pickup more used in the neck position.
Personally I have had great success with using EMG pickups in a Gibson Les Paul and 7 string ESP guitar especially if you are into heavier sounding music. The clarity, deeper tone, and added gain are what make the pickups more suitable. One negative thing about the EMG active pickups is the need for a 9 volt battery, but it's not much of a problem because the battery lasts for a long time. You just need to make sure you replace the battery at least every 6 months because of tone loss over time.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Elvis the 1950s Classics History and Facts
by Gail Leino
Elvis' full name is Elvis Aaron Presley. He was born on January 8, 1935. He is the most talked about rock and roll singers to date.
Elvis’ full name is Elvis Aaron Presley. He was born on January 8, 1935. He is the most talked about rock and roll singers to date. He had a twin brother named Garon, who died and it was because of him Elvis had his middle name Aaron so that he could always feel his brother as a part of him. Elvis is also known as the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis started out his career singing rhythm and blues, gospel and country. He is known as the first singer who merged the country music with blues. He also sang ballads, pop, folk, as well as opera and jazz.
Elvis took the world with a sweep. There are millions of Elvis’ fans throughout the world, who still love him dearly. He had a musical career that ranges over the span of two decades. You might be surprised to know that Elvis Presley had a very tough childhood where his father did not want to take any responsibility of the family and Elvis’ mother was working really hard to make the ends meet. It was in 1938 that Elvis’ father was convicted of forgery and was sent to Mississippi State Penitentiary.
Elvis had been known to hang out with only a few friends and he never mingled much with his classmates. His teachers tell of him as a student who was sweet and loving and loved to read comic books. Elvis was living in a dreamland of his own. He used to hang out at theaters and listened to the local musicians and it was then he thought of expressing his emotions through music. It was in 1945, that Elvis’ mom bought him the first guitar valued at $12.75. The first two songs recorded by Elvis were “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” There is so much about Elvis that I can go on and on for days. The last words that I have to say are “He Is My Hero.”
Elvis' full name is Elvis Aaron Presley. He was born on January 8, 1935. He is the most talked about rock and roll singers to date.
Elvis’ full name is Elvis Aaron Presley. He was born on January 8, 1935. He is the most talked about rock and roll singers to date. He had a twin brother named Garon, who died and it was because of him Elvis had his middle name Aaron so that he could always feel his brother as a part of him. Elvis is also known as the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis started out his career singing rhythm and blues, gospel and country. He is known as the first singer who merged the country music with blues. He also sang ballads, pop, folk, as well as opera and jazz.
Elvis took the world with a sweep. There are millions of Elvis’ fans throughout the world, who still love him dearly. He had a musical career that ranges over the span of two decades. You might be surprised to know that Elvis Presley had a very tough childhood where his father did not want to take any responsibility of the family and Elvis’ mother was working really hard to make the ends meet. It was in 1938 that Elvis’ father was convicted of forgery and was sent to Mississippi State Penitentiary.
Elvis had been known to hang out with only a few friends and he never mingled much with his classmates. His teachers tell of him as a student who was sweet and loving and loved to read comic books. Elvis was living in a dreamland of his own. He used to hang out at theaters and listened to the local musicians and it was then he thought of expressing his emotions through music. It was in 1945, that Elvis’ mom bought him the first guitar valued at $12.75. The first two songs recorded by Elvis were “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” There is so much about Elvis that I can go on and on for days. The last words that I have to say are “He Is My Hero.”
Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park just released their second album Our Earthly Pleasures. Just like after the release of their first one A Certain Trigger Maxïmo Park will play a lot of gigs. Looks like singer Paul Smith has a suitcase with him just for his hats .
Top Ten Women That ROCK
These ladies can rock your bones and kick your ass if they wanted to. Here we have 10 of the most talented and gifted ladies of rock n´roll.
Some are smoking hot and others well they just let their voice do their talking. Who wouldn´t mind being their groupies.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Some Words on Soul Music
by Charlotte Jones
Soul is still a very popular music genre which grew out of fifties rhythm and blues. There were two very diffined record labels which dominated this era, Stax and Tamala Motown. The record label Stax started life in Memphis in 1959, founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Around the same time Berry Gordy was creating the two record labels, Tamla and Motown in Detroit. Stax and Tamla Motown became the biggest of rivals for record sales throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Their music idiom was the same, with a focus on the Black music form soul, but marketing and style differed significantly.
Soul is still a very popular music genre which grew out of fifties rhythm and blues. There were two very diffined record labels which dominated this era, Stax and Tamala Motown.
The record label Stax started life in Memphis in 1959, founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Around the same time Berry Gordy was creating the two record labels, Tamla and Motown in Detroit. Stax and Tamla Motown became the biggest of rivals for record sales throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Their music idiom was the same, with a focus on the Black music form soul, but marketing and style differed significantly.
Motown took the music market by storm at a time when white audiences were ignoring many black music forms. Their success was attributed to their light soul style with their image being aimed at the middle class market. Producing hits such as ‘Stop! In the name of love’ by the Supremes, released in 1965, and ‘Heard it through the grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye, released in 1968. Artists such as the Supremes, the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye developed a clean-cut image, appearing on record sleeves and in concerts wearing formal clothes such as tuxedos and evening dresses.
Stax records concentrated more on the original form of Black American Southern soul. For Stax records the original music form was more important than image and marketing. Artists and songs included ‘In the midnight hour’ by Wilson Pickett, released in 1965, and ‘Sittin’ on the dock of the bay’ by Otis Redding, released in 1968.
Soul is still a very popular music genre which grew out of fifties rhythm and blues. There were two very diffined record labels which dominated this era, Stax and Tamala Motown. The record label Stax started life in Memphis in 1959, founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Around the same time Berry Gordy was creating the two record labels, Tamla and Motown in Detroit. Stax and Tamla Motown became the biggest of rivals for record sales throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Their music idiom was the same, with a focus on the Black music form soul, but marketing and style differed significantly.
Soul is still a very popular music genre which grew out of fifties rhythm and blues. There were two very diffined record labels which dominated this era, Stax and Tamala Motown.
The record label Stax started life in Memphis in 1959, founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. Around the same time Berry Gordy was creating the two record labels, Tamla and Motown in Detroit. Stax and Tamla Motown became the biggest of rivals for record sales throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Their music idiom was the same, with a focus on the Black music form soul, but marketing and style differed significantly.
Motown took the music market by storm at a time when white audiences were ignoring many black music forms. Their success was attributed to their light soul style with their image being aimed at the middle class market. Producing hits such as ‘Stop! In the name of love’ by the Supremes, released in 1965, and ‘Heard it through the grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye, released in 1968. Artists such as the Supremes, the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye developed a clean-cut image, appearing on record sleeves and in concerts wearing formal clothes such as tuxedos and evening dresses.
Stax records concentrated more on the original form of Black American Southern soul. For Stax records the original music form was more important than image and marketing. Artists and songs included ‘In the midnight hour’ by Wilson Pickett, released in 1965, and ‘Sittin’ on the dock of the bay’ by Otis Redding, released in 1968.
Some Words On The Two Styles Of Music Funk And Disco
by Charlotte Jones
Funk music is a musical style which originated in America in the mid to late 1960’s. This musical genre blends together Rhythm and Blues, jazz and soul music into a trendy and danceable style. Nothing sets of a party better than a bit of disco music, the genre which blended together two favourite music genres, soul and funk. Disco music became popular in the 1970’s and took over the mainstream pop music charts.
Funk Funk music is a musical style which originated in America in the mid to late 1960’s. This musical genre blends together Rhythm and Blues, jazz and soul music into a trendy and danceable style.
Funk concentrates on a strong rhythmic groove from the rhythm section melody and harmony are de-emphasised. Back line instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ and drums are used to play interlocking grooves. Most funk songs, unlike other musical styles such as soul and R and B, comprise of very few chords sometimes as little as a vamp on one chord. A horn section (saxophones, trumpets and sometimes trombones) is often used in funk bands to provide stabs and punches to accentuate rhythms and grooves.
Performers in this genre include James Brown with songs such as ‘I feel good’, Earth, Wind and fire, Kool and the Gang who had a hit single with ‘Celebration’, and Tower of Power. Funk has had a large influence on more recent forms of music such as disco and hip hop.
Disco Nothing sets of a party better than a bit of disco music, the genre which blended together two favourite music genres, soul and funk. Disco music became popular in the 1970’s and took over the mainstream pop music charts. This music form relies heavily on a very steady four to the floor bass drum beat, a quaver or semi quaver hi-hat pattern using an open hi-hat on the off beat, and a solid, often syncopated electric bass line. The vocals are high impact and use a great deal of reverb. Electric instruments including guitars, pianos, string sounds, often played on synthasisers, play in the background and are less important than the high impact drums and vocals. Popular artists in this genre include ‘The Jackson Five’, ‘The Bee Gees’ and ‘Donna Summer’, music by these artists is bound to get any aged person tapping or too their feet! Disco music helped the creation of techno and house in the 1990’s.
Funk music is a musical style which originated in America in the mid to late 1960’s. This musical genre blends together Rhythm and Blues, jazz and soul music into a trendy and danceable style. Nothing sets of a party better than a bit of disco music, the genre which blended together two favourite music genres, soul and funk. Disco music became popular in the 1970’s and took over the mainstream pop music charts.
Funk Funk music is a musical style which originated in America in the mid to late 1960’s. This musical genre blends together Rhythm and Blues, jazz and soul music into a trendy and danceable style.
Funk concentrates on a strong rhythmic groove from the rhythm section melody and harmony are de-emphasised. Back line instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ and drums are used to play interlocking grooves. Most funk songs, unlike other musical styles such as soul and R and B, comprise of very few chords sometimes as little as a vamp on one chord. A horn section (saxophones, trumpets and sometimes trombones) is often used in funk bands to provide stabs and punches to accentuate rhythms and grooves.
Performers in this genre include James Brown with songs such as ‘I feel good’, Earth, Wind and fire, Kool and the Gang who had a hit single with ‘Celebration’, and Tower of Power. Funk has had a large influence on more recent forms of music such as disco and hip hop.
Disco Nothing sets of a party better than a bit of disco music, the genre which blended together two favourite music genres, soul and funk. Disco music became popular in the 1970’s and took over the mainstream pop music charts. This music form relies heavily on a very steady four to the floor bass drum beat, a quaver or semi quaver hi-hat pattern using an open hi-hat on the off beat, and a solid, often syncopated electric bass line. The vocals are high impact and use a great deal of reverb. Electric instruments including guitars, pianos, string sounds, often played on synthasisers, play in the background and are less important than the high impact drums and vocals. Popular artists in this genre include ‘The Jackson Five’, ‘The Bee Gees’ and ‘Donna Summer’, music by these artists is bound to get any aged person tapping or too their feet! Disco music helped the creation of techno and house in the 1990’s.
Free Songs for iPod Revealed
by Gerry Restrivera
Most people go for freebies in the internet and mostly these are file downloads they thought they could enjoy and use. Is it wrong to have those freebies available that all you have to do is click that download button and you will enjoy those freebies? It's your choice but the big question is "Are these free downloads really safe to download?" Many websites appeared in the internet with free songs for iPod to download since the launch of iPod. However, there are many considerations that you have to think like viruses, damage to your iPod and PC as a result of these free unsecured downloads. Is it worth to risk your iPod and PC for a few free songs for iPod that you could download?
Most people go for freebies in the internet and mostly these are file downloads they thought they could enjoy and use. Is it wrong to have those freebies available that all you have to do is click that download button and you will enjoy those freebies? It’s your choice but the big question is “Are these free downloads really safe to download?” Many websites appeared in the internet with free songs for iPod to download since the launch of iPod. However, there are many considerations that you have to think like viruses, damage to your iPod and PC as a result of these free unsecured downloads. Is it worth to risk your iPod and PC for a few free songs for iPod that you could download?
How about copyright laws? Are you sure these websites are legal? Sad to say but most free downloads especially free songs for iPod are not legal. Do you want to end up in court for a few free songs for iPod? If you are not aware, there are a lot of lawsuits filed by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against people downloading copyrighted songs illegally.
Possible damage to your iPod unit, PC system and a court case for just a few free songs for iPod you downloaded? That’s a lot of trouble to go through isn’t it?
Fortunately, internet and high technology offers a lot of best deals for your iPod without the hassle of legality issues and damages to your PC and iPod. You just have to be clever to analyze your benefits and minimize your risk.
You can still have your free songs for iPod, well not totally free but the best deal you could get for your iPod. There are subscription services like MyiPodownloads where you can be a member for one time payment and have unlimited access to thousands of media files like music, movies, music videos, games, TV shows, sport events and a lot more. One time payment with no extra charges and no monthly fees for unlimited access on safe, secured and legal iPod downloads. These subscription services are completely legal and you can have your free songs for Ipod anytime you want with just one time payment.
Most people go for freebies in the internet and mostly these are file downloads they thought they could enjoy and use. Is it wrong to have those freebies available that all you have to do is click that download button and you will enjoy those freebies? It's your choice but the big question is "Are these free downloads really safe to download?" Many websites appeared in the internet with free songs for iPod to download since the launch of iPod. However, there are many considerations that you have to think like viruses, damage to your iPod and PC as a result of these free unsecured downloads. Is it worth to risk your iPod and PC for a few free songs for iPod that you could download?
Most people go for freebies in the internet and mostly these are file downloads they thought they could enjoy and use. Is it wrong to have those freebies available that all you have to do is click that download button and you will enjoy those freebies? It’s your choice but the big question is “Are these free downloads really safe to download?” Many websites appeared in the internet with free songs for iPod to download since the launch of iPod. However, there are many considerations that you have to think like viruses, damage to your iPod and PC as a result of these free unsecured downloads. Is it worth to risk your iPod and PC for a few free songs for iPod that you could download?
How about copyright laws? Are you sure these websites are legal? Sad to say but most free downloads especially free songs for iPod are not legal. Do you want to end up in court for a few free songs for iPod? If you are not aware, there are a lot of lawsuits filed by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) against people downloading copyrighted songs illegally.
Possible damage to your iPod unit, PC system and a court case for just a few free songs for iPod you downloaded? That’s a lot of trouble to go through isn’t it?
Fortunately, internet and high technology offers a lot of best deals for your iPod without the hassle of legality issues and damages to your PC and iPod. You just have to be clever to analyze your benefits and minimize your risk.
You can still have your free songs for iPod, well not totally free but the best deal you could get for your iPod. There are subscription services like MyiPodownloads where you can be a member for one time payment and have unlimited access to thousands of media files like music, movies, music videos, games, TV shows, sport events and a lot more. One time payment with no extra charges and no monthly fees for unlimited access on safe, secured and legal iPod downloads. These subscription services are completely legal and you can have your free songs for Ipod anytime you want with just one time payment.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Hip-Hop Uncovered Part II - An Inside Look at Hip-Hop's Newest Regime
by Isha Edwards
In addition to hearing from key influences in Atlanta's Holy Hip-Hop movement (Part I), rap pioneers, Christopher 'Play' Martin and Curtis 'Kurtis Blow' Walker provide insight about the transition they have made and how they help progress Hip-Hop's thriving sub-genre.
In 2006, Hip-Hop's seemingly silent sub-genre, Holy Hip-Hop (Christian/Gospel/inspirational rap music), gained mainstream exposure as well as momentum. From Dr. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California and Pastor Phil Jackson's Tha House on Chicago's West Side to Pastor Tommy Kyllonen's Hip-Hop infused community outreach in Tampa, Florida and Father Timothy Holder's e-Mass (a combination of Hip-Hop and Episcopalian ritual) in South Bronx, NY, emcees who specialize in Holy Hip-Hop music became widely recognized as did Hip-Hop themed youth groups, events, performances, and music ministries.
Although the Hip-Hop industry tends to balk at spiritual emcees and DJ's remain unsure about what to do with Hip-Hop's flourishing sub-genre, the influence of Holy Hip-Hop music in churches and even gospel infused lyrics in mainstream songs continues to grow in popularity. Entertainment marketing consultant and artist manager for The Diadem Group, LLC Treiva Williams explains the disparity, "Just like any other genre or sub-genre there are doses or levels of [Hip-Hop]. You just have to keep listening until you find your style and your appropriate dosage. Each kind serves its purpose [but] because [Holy Hip-Hop] is associated with the divine it [usually] gets a one shot deal."
Two of the most influential advocates of Holy Hip-Hop are rap pioneers Curtis "Kurtis Blow" Walker and Christopher "Play" Martin. Noted for their individual achievements and contributions to rap, Walker and Martin are proactively involved in advancing Holy Hip-Hop. Although their platforms differ, their goals are the same.
Hittin' the Breaks
With more than 25 years of industry experience, Walker has 10 albums to his credit and a host of accomplishments that won him music, film, and television acclaim in the 80's. Although Walker always "knew God as a kid," at the lowest point in his life, he succumbed to drug use. It was Walker's spiritual encounter at Church on the Way (Pastor Jack Hayford) in 1992 that changed his course and added another chapter in Hip-Hop's history book. Walker has since transitioned from entertainment magnate to co-founder of the Harlem-based, Hip-Hop Church America where the former break-dancer serves as a rapper, DJ, and worship leader.
Like the Hip-Hop Church in Harlem, sanctuaries in Dallas, Los Angles, New Jersey, Philadelphia and 15 other U.S. cities duplicate efforts to bring families together through lively church services garnished with Hip-Hop themes and Holy Hip-Hop music. "That's the thing about the Hip-Hop Church--we don't target the 18 to 34 year old [demographic]. We target entire families. When the kids come to church, they come in with their parents. They are not dropped off in another room," Walker advised.
In addition to his role with Hip-Hop Church America, speaking engagements, and tours, Walker is actively involved in community initiatives. He is an advocate for social justice and speaks empathetically against racism, drugs, and alcohol. His current film credits include a two-hour documentary titled, "The History of Rap." Remaining true to his first love Walker also deejays on Backspin 43, Sirius Satellite Radio's Classic Old School Hip-Hop station.
Fully embracing the Holy Hip-Hop movement, Walker believes that Holy Hip-Hop will "get [rappers] back on track so that God can do good through [Hip-Hop]." "When Hip-Hop first began it was the voice of the people doing and saying the right thing. Teaching was important. It was fun and wholesome... There was a code of ethics and integrity," Walker said. "[Today] Hip-Hop for many is a way out of the ‘hood," Walker commented. In order for Hip-Hop to thrive, Walker says that people who like Hip-Hop must have a "different mindset about how to use it."
Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody
Like Walker, Martin has also amassed his share of music, film, and television credits. The 90's Hip-Hop icon is best known for his role in the Kid'n Play rap duo and as an actor in the House Party trilogy. Always a price to pay, the glamorous life that fueled Martin's claim to fame eventually lost its luster. What Martin worked so hard to obtain fell short of the happiness he sought. Predicated by many disappointments and later, a failed marriage, Martin attempted to commit suicide. It was hearing Ron Kenoly's single, "Use Me" that interrupted the attempt.
Describing Hip-Hop music as a language that everyone can relate to, Martin queries, "What won't God use to save somebody?"
Today, Martin serves as the executive director for Amen Films--the distribution arm of HP4 (House Party 4). As the founder and CEO of HP4, Martin helps "bring to fruition a dream or vision of an individual with an idea." Martin's first film under the Amen umbrella, Holy Hip-Hop: The Movie was released on DVD in March 2006. The film features the efforts of Holy Hip-Hop artists and their impact in communities across the nation. Martin has since completed video projects for Holy Hip-Hop artists, Platinum Souls, Infinity, and former trio, Ziklag Boyz. Simultaneously, Martin lent his musical talent to create three Holy Hip-Hop compilation CDs titled, "Taking the Gospel to the Streets (Volumes 1, 2, and 3)."
Although Martin's love for Hip-Hop remains, he prefers to be more of a fan and a producer-director. "I love Hip-Hop and am a product of Hip-Hop...I am just focused on looking at ways to keep [Hip-Hop] alive, advance it, innovate it, and develop it," he advised.
Expanding his reach to the academic arena, Martin serves as a professor at North Carolina Central University. Teaming up with 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit) formerly of the rap group Little Brother, Martin teaches the school's inaugural Hip-Hop 101 course.
Trading Spaces
Together, Martin and Walker are forging full speed ahead to impact the lives of youth and young adults in a positive way. Martin's film endeavor, "Welcome to Durham USA," is geared towards gang reform in the U.S. The documentary exposes the gang problem, qualms about gangs, and addresses the "unspoken hope" of gang members. Prior to their reunion last year, Walker also completed a documentary centered on gang activity in the California region.
Among their collaborative efforts, Martin and Walker support the Annual Holy Hip-Hop Artist Showcase and Music Awards in Atlanta. The two also joined forces with notable Hip-Hop R&P artist, Canton Jones, to create a 24-track CD. "Tha Block Iz Hot," features Holy Hip-Hop artists from each region in the U.S. Atlanta-based, Ifeanyi of Ifeanyi Music and Love International's upcoming reality show, "The Streets Need Us," carries the album's lead single.
Currently, Walker is on a nationwide tour with his group, The Trinity. Martin is scheduled to make guest appearances on selective tour dates.
Individually, the two still work to progress Holy Hip-Hop. In May, Walker will cross-promote a series of Holy Hip-Hop tracks titled, Hip-Hop Ministry in conjunction with Pastor Kyllonen's Unorthodox project, which includes a Hip-Hop themed book, CD, and DVD. In addition to championing independent film and television ventures and corresponding soundtracks, Martin is also working on a music video with Holy Hip-Hop recording artist, Blessed.
Hip-Hop Heroes
Martin and Walker are not the only mainstream rap converts to the Christian faith. Nor are they the only Hip-Hop artists to merge their passion for Hip-Hop with their faith. Cheryl "Salt" James, Fabo of D4L, and Diddy's former personal assistant, Fonzworth Bentley are among a growing list of rap personalities who embrace Hip-Hop and Christianity--a trend popularized six years ago by Bad Boy recording artist, MA$E (Mason Betha). Included in the count are mainstream artists who publicly express their faith in God: Diddy, LL Cool J, Trina, Ludacris, Marques Houston, Ciara, and Crime Mob's Diamond and Princess and rap converts to ministry.
Former Three 6 Mafia member, Mr. Del continues to rap on his Holy South label while he pastors City of Refuge in Memphis, Tennessee. Currently, Betha maintains his position as a Hip-Hop artist while pastoring S.A.N.E. Church International in Atlanta. Though he does not formally pastor a church, Reverend Run of Run DMC fame is an ordained minister whose latest album was released June 2006.
Walker, who became an ordained minister in April, attributes the spiritual revival in the Hip-Hop community to purpose. "I always knew that Hip-Hop was very spiritual--something about the rapper's popularity and their mystic. [Rappers] have the potential to become the hero of their communities. That's what they are..."
Even though the influence of Hip-Hop in the church is clear as is the viability of Holy Hip-Hop artists, less evident is if the diversity and cultural influences of Hip-Hop will be transformed by churches through Holy Hip-Hop artists or by the heroes who lead Hip-Hop today.
In addition to hearing from key influences in Atlanta's Holy Hip-Hop movement (Part I), rap pioneers, Christopher 'Play' Martin and Curtis 'Kurtis Blow' Walker provide insight about the transition they have made and how they help progress Hip-Hop's thriving sub-genre.
In 2006, Hip-Hop's seemingly silent sub-genre, Holy Hip-Hop (Christian/Gospel/inspirational rap music), gained mainstream exposure as well as momentum. From Dr. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California and Pastor Phil Jackson's Tha House on Chicago's West Side to Pastor Tommy Kyllonen's Hip-Hop infused community outreach in Tampa, Florida and Father Timothy Holder's e-Mass (a combination of Hip-Hop and Episcopalian ritual) in South Bronx, NY, emcees who specialize in Holy Hip-Hop music became widely recognized as did Hip-Hop themed youth groups, events, performances, and music ministries.
Although the Hip-Hop industry tends to balk at spiritual emcees and DJ's remain unsure about what to do with Hip-Hop's flourishing sub-genre, the influence of Holy Hip-Hop music in churches and even gospel infused lyrics in mainstream songs continues to grow in popularity. Entertainment marketing consultant and artist manager for The Diadem Group, LLC Treiva Williams explains the disparity, "Just like any other genre or sub-genre there are doses or levels of [Hip-Hop]. You just have to keep listening until you find your style and your appropriate dosage. Each kind serves its purpose [but] because [Holy Hip-Hop] is associated with the divine it [usually] gets a one shot deal."
Two of the most influential advocates of Holy Hip-Hop are rap pioneers Curtis "Kurtis Blow" Walker and Christopher "Play" Martin. Noted for their individual achievements and contributions to rap, Walker and Martin are proactively involved in advancing Holy Hip-Hop. Although their platforms differ, their goals are the same.
Hittin' the Breaks
With more than 25 years of industry experience, Walker has 10 albums to his credit and a host of accomplishments that won him music, film, and television acclaim in the 80's. Although Walker always "knew God as a kid," at the lowest point in his life, he succumbed to drug use. It was Walker's spiritual encounter at Church on the Way (Pastor Jack Hayford) in 1992 that changed his course and added another chapter in Hip-Hop's history book. Walker has since transitioned from entertainment magnate to co-founder of the Harlem-based, Hip-Hop Church America where the former break-dancer serves as a rapper, DJ, and worship leader.
Like the Hip-Hop Church in Harlem, sanctuaries in Dallas, Los Angles, New Jersey, Philadelphia and 15 other U.S. cities duplicate efforts to bring families together through lively church services garnished with Hip-Hop themes and Holy Hip-Hop music. "That's the thing about the Hip-Hop Church--we don't target the 18 to 34 year old [demographic]. We target entire families. When the kids come to church, they come in with their parents. They are not dropped off in another room," Walker advised.
In addition to his role with Hip-Hop Church America, speaking engagements, and tours, Walker is actively involved in community initiatives. He is an advocate for social justice and speaks empathetically against racism, drugs, and alcohol. His current film credits include a two-hour documentary titled, "The History of Rap." Remaining true to his first love Walker also deejays on Backspin 43, Sirius Satellite Radio's Classic Old School Hip-Hop station.
Fully embracing the Holy Hip-Hop movement, Walker believes that Holy Hip-Hop will "get [rappers] back on track so that God can do good through [Hip-Hop]." "When Hip-Hop first began it was the voice of the people doing and saying the right thing. Teaching was important. It was fun and wholesome... There was a code of ethics and integrity," Walker said. "[Today] Hip-Hop for many is a way out of the ‘hood," Walker commented. In order for Hip-Hop to thrive, Walker says that people who like Hip-Hop must have a "different mindset about how to use it."
Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody
Like Walker, Martin has also amassed his share of music, film, and television credits. The 90's Hip-Hop icon is best known for his role in the Kid'n Play rap duo and as an actor in the House Party trilogy. Always a price to pay, the glamorous life that fueled Martin's claim to fame eventually lost its luster. What Martin worked so hard to obtain fell short of the happiness he sought. Predicated by many disappointments and later, a failed marriage, Martin attempted to commit suicide. It was hearing Ron Kenoly's single, "Use Me" that interrupted the attempt.
Describing Hip-Hop music as a language that everyone can relate to, Martin queries, "What won't God use to save somebody?"
Today, Martin serves as the executive director for Amen Films--the distribution arm of HP4 (House Party 4). As the founder and CEO of HP4, Martin helps "bring to fruition a dream or vision of an individual with an idea." Martin's first film under the Amen umbrella, Holy Hip-Hop: The Movie was released on DVD in March 2006. The film features the efforts of Holy Hip-Hop artists and their impact in communities across the nation. Martin has since completed video projects for Holy Hip-Hop artists, Platinum Souls, Infinity, and former trio, Ziklag Boyz. Simultaneously, Martin lent his musical talent to create three Holy Hip-Hop compilation CDs titled, "Taking the Gospel to the Streets (Volumes 1, 2, and 3)."
Although Martin's love for Hip-Hop remains, he prefers to be more of a fan and a producer-director. "I love Hip-Hop and am a product of Hip-Hop...I am just focused on looking at ways to keep [Hip-Hop] alive, advance it, innovate it, and develop it," he advised.
Expanding his reach to the academic arena, Martin serves as a professor at North Carolina Central University. Teaming up with 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit) formerly of the rap group Little Brother, Martin teaches the school's inaugural Hip-Hop 101 course.
Trading Spaces
Together, Martin and Walker are forging full speed ahead to impact the lives of youth and young adults in a positive way. Martin's film endeavor, "Welcome to Durham USA," is geared towards gang reform in the U.S. The documentary exposes the gang problem, qualms about gangs, and addresses the "unspoken hope" of gang members. Prior to their reunion last year, Walker also completed a documentary centered on gang activity in the California region.
Among their collaborative efforts, Martin and Walker support the Annual Holy Hip-Hop Artist Showcase and Music Awards in Atlanta. The two also joined forces with notable Hip-Hop R&P artist, Canton Jones, to create a 24-track CD. "Tha Block Iz Hot," features Holy Hip-Hop artists from each region in the U.S. Atlanta-based, Ifeanyi of Ifeanyi Music and Love International's upcoming reality show, "The Streets Need Us," carries the album's lead single.
Currently, Walker is on a nationwide tour with his group, The Trinity. Martin is scheduled to make guest appearances on selective tour dates.
Individually, the two still work to progress Holy Hip-Hop. In May, Walker will cross-promote a series of Holy Hip-Hop tracks titled, Hip-Hop Ministry in conjunction with Pastor Kyllonen's Unorthodox project, which includes a Hip-Hop themed book, CD, and DVD. In addition to championing independent film and television ventures and corresponding soundtracks, Martin is also working on a music video with Holy Hip-Hop recording artist, Blessed.
Hip-Hop Heroes
Martin and Walker are not the only mainstream rap converts to the Christian faith. Nor are they the only Hip-Hop artists to merge their passion for Hip-Hop with their faith. Cheryl "Salt" James, Fabo of D4L, and Diddy's former personal assistant, Fonzworth Bentley are among a growing list of rap personalities who embrace Hip-Hop and Christianity--a trend popularized six years ago by Bad Boy recording artist, MA$E (Mason Betha). Included in the count are mainstream artists who publicly express their faith in God: Diddy, LL Cool J, Trina, Ludacris, Marques Houston, Ciara, and Crime Mob's Diamond and Princess and rap converts to ministry.
Former Three 6 Mafia member, Mr. Del continues to rap on his Holy South label while he pastors City of Refuge in Memphis, Tennessee. Currently, Betha maintains his position as a Hip-Hop artist while pastoring S.A.N.E. Church International in Atlanta. Though he does not formally pastor a church, Reverend Run of Run DMC fame is an ordained minister whose latest album was released June 2006.
Walker, who became an ordained minister in April, attributes the spiritual revival in the Hip-Hop community to purpose. "I always knew that Hip-Hop was very spiritual--something about the rapper's popularity and their mystic. [Rappers] have the potential to become the hero of their communities. That's what they are..."
Even though the influence of Hip-Hop in the church is clear as is the viability of Holy Hip-Hop artists, less evident is if the diversity and cultural influences of Hip-Hop will be transformed by churches through Holy Hip-Hop artists or by the heroes who lead Hip-Hop today.
The Amazing Singing Voice - Soar to New Singing Heights
by Bob Pardue
If you are a singer or inspire to be one you don't want to miss this report about your amazing singing voice. You will learn to increase your octave range with this vocal lesson.
Every singing voice carries these two characteristics - amazing and unique! Each person's voice has its own unique sound, some high and some low. Other singing voices fall somewhere in between. No two are exactly alike. That's what makes singing and music so remarkable. Let's take a look at the amazing singing voice and how you can reach new singing heights with your voice.
A Voice Designed for Many Octaves
Did you know that your voice was designed for many different octaves, or singing ranges? Perhaps you were under the persuasion that your voice could only reach one or two ranges. If you usually sing low, maybe you never dreamed of singing in high notes, or vice versa.
Amazingly, your voice can soar to new heights with a little training and a few exercises. With lots of practice, you might even increase your singing range from two to five octaves! You can sing high with the sopranos or low with the bass singers.
How Long to Increase Your Singing Range?
Your voice cannot be forced into a new singing range; it must be trained. You'll need to find the flow in your voice and use your mind to overcome muscular limitations. While training your voice, you'll also decrease vibrating vocal cords, or mass, until your vocal cords dampen. This will decrease the vibrating sounds of the cords. With this type of voice training, you'll train your musculature to obey your mind.
Once you've accomplished these steps, you'll notice a pleasant change in your singing voice. You'll be able to sing easier, higher, longer and with a beautiful singing tone that draws the ear.
Find the Proper Training for Your Voice
Exercises to increase your singing range are great, but you'll find singing courses to be helpful in other areas as well. There are courses that show you how to sing with certain conditions affecting the throat such as dry throat, itchy throat, soar throat, etc. On the Internet, you can easily sign on for a singing course to get the training and experience you need to become a great singer!
If you are a singer or inspire to be one you don't want to miss this report about your amazing singing voice. You will learn to increase your octave range with this vocal lesson.
Every singing voice carries these two characteristics - amazing and unique! Each person's voice has its own unique sound, some high and some low. Other singing voices fall somewhere in between. No two are exactly alike. That's what makes singing and music so remarkable. Let's take a look at the amazing singing voice and how you can reach new singing heights with your voice.
A Voice Designed for Many Octaves
Did you know that your voice was designed for many different octaves, or singing ranges? Perhaps you were under the persuasion that your voice could only reach one or two ranges. If you usually sing low, maybe you never dreamed of singing in high notes, or vice versa.
Amazingly, your voice can soar to new heights with a little training and a few exercises. With lots of practice, you might even increase your singing range from two to five octaves! You can sing high with the sopranos or low with the bass singers.
How Long to Increase Your Singing Range?
Your voice cannot be forced into a new singing range; it must be trained. You'll need to find the flow in your voice and use your mind to overcome muscular limitations. While training your voice, you'll also decrease vibrating vocal cords, or mass, until your vocal cords dampen. This will decrease the vibrating sounds of the cords. With this type of voice training, you'll train your musculature to obey your mind.
Once you've accomplished these steps, you'll notice a pleasant change in your singing voice. You'll be able to sing easier, higher, longer and with a beautiful singing tone that draws the ear.
Find the Proper Training for Your Voice
Exercises to increase your singing range are great, but you'll find singing courses to be helpful in other areas as well. There are courses that show you how to sing with certain conditions affecting the throat such as dry throat, itchy throat, soar throat, etc. On the Internet, you can easily sign on for a singing course to get the training and experience you need to become a great singer!
Free Online Piano Lesson Shows You How To Improvise Step by Step
by Edward Weiss
Want to learn how to improvise and create your own music? Read this article and discover how!
So, you want to learn how to improvise your own music on the piano. Most think this task is difficult. And it is, if you don't know what you're doing.
Fortunately, there is a way to actually improvise and create your own music at the piano without having to spend months… if not years learning how.
Take a look at the lesson "Reflections in Water" (available by clicking below.) Here we have what is basically an improvisation exercise in the Key of C Major.
You don't have to know anything about music in order to try this lesson. All you need is a keyboard or piano to practice on and the ability to stretch your hands out a little.
Step one of this lesson introduces you to something called the open position chord. This chord structure gives you the ability to play the piano with both hands right away. Plus, it's a modern sounding chord. This 6-note chord really stretches your hands and really is quite amazing.
The first thing you should do is get used to it and the best way this is accomplished is through playing it first as a solid chord, then as a broken chord.
If this chord type is new to you, you'll notice that your hands are being used to their fullest extent. In fact, you'll be stretching out over 2 octaves!
After you familiarize yourself with and play the chords you'll want to begin to improvise. And the cool thing about all this is that with this chord structure it's easy! All you have to do is create a little melody using the C Major scale.
The one thing that stops students from actually trying and succeeding at this improvisation exercise is the fear of actually doing it. It they would just take the first step and place their fingers on the keyboard they would be halfway there.
Truthfully though, music instruction has, for the most part ,dissuaded many from attempting anything like this. Most people think you have to have some extraordinary talent to improvise music. This belief has stopped many from experiencing the joy of improvisation. They think if they don't have the talent of a Mozart or Beethoven why even bother.
Want to learn how to improvise and create your own music? Read this article and discover how!
So, you want to learn how to improvise your own music on the piano. Most think this task is difficult. And it is, if you don't know what you're doing.
Fortunately, there is a way to actually improvise and create your own music at the piano without having to spend months… if not years learning how.
Take a look at the lesson "Reflections in Water" (available by clicking below.) Here we have what is basically an improvisation exercise in the Key of C Major.
You don't have to know anything about music in order to try this lesson. All you need is a keyboard or piano to practice on and the ability to stretch your hands out a little.
Step one of this lesson introduces you to something called the open position chord. This chord structure gives you the ability to play the piano with both hands right away. Plus, it's a modern sounding chord. This 6-note chord really stretches your hands and really is quite amazing.
The first thing you should do is get used to it and the best way this is accomplished is through playing it first as a solid chord, then as a broken chord.
If this chord type is new to you, you'll notice that your hands are being used to their fullest extent. In fact, you'll be stretching out over 2 octaves!
After you familiarize yourself with and play the chords you'll want to begin to improvise. And the cool thing about all this is that with this chord structure it's easy! All you have to do is create a little melody using the C Major scale.
The one thing that stops students from actually trying and succeeding at this improvisation exercise is the fear of actually doing it. It they would just take the first step and place their fingers on the keyboard they would be halfway there.
Truthfully though, music instruction has, for the most part ,dissuaded many from attempting anything like this. Most people think you have to have some extraordinary talent to improvise music. This belief has stopped many from experiencing the joy of improvisation. They think if they don't have the talent of a Mozart or Beethoven why even bother.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Avril Lavigne "Let Go" Pop Music CD Review
by Clyde Lee Dennis
Avril Lavigne has been a heavy hitter in the Pop genre for quite a while now and Let Go is an excellent illustration as to why..
can describe the latest release from Pop sensation Avril Lavigne for you with just one word… Outstanding!
Avril Lavigne has been a heavy hitter in the Pop genre for quite a while now and Let Go is an excellent illustration as to why.
Let Go is a nicely varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly gifted artist. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are her own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.
Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Avril Lavigne's voice is in top form. If you're even mildly into Pop music you'll enjoy this album.
While this entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 1, Losing Grip, track 4, I'm With You, track 9, Things I'll Never Say.
My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 8, Anything But Ordinary. Great track!
Let Go Release Notes:
Avril Lavigne originally released Let Go on Jun 04, 2002 on the Arista Records label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Losing Grip
2. Complicated
3. Sk8er Boy
4. I'm With You
5. Mobile
6. Unwanted
7. Tomorrow
8. Anything But Ordinary
9. Things I'll Never Say
10. My World
11. Nobody's Fool
12. Too Much To Ask
13. Naked
Personnel: Avril Lavigne (vocals, guitar); Evan Taubenfeld (guitar); Mark Spicoluk (bass); Matthew Brann (drums). Producers: Clif Magness, The Matrix, Curt Frasca, Peter Zizzo.
Avril Lavigne has been a heavy hitter in the Pop genre for quite a while now and Let Go is an excellent illustration as to why..
can describe the latest release from Pop sensation Avril Lavigne for you with just one word… Outstanding!
Avril Lavigne has been a heavy hitter in the Pop genre for quite a while now and Let Go is an excellent illustration as to why.
Let Go is a nicely varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly gifted artist. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are her own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.
Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Avril Lavigne's voice is in top form. If you're even mildly into Pop music you'll enjoy this album.
While this entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 1, Losing Grip, track 4, I'm With You, track 9, Things I'll Never Say.
My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 8, Anything But Ordinary. Great track!
Let Go Release Notes:
Avril Lavigne originally released Let Go on Jun 04, 2002 on the Arista Records label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Losing Grip
2. Complicated
3. Sk8er Boy
4. I'm With You
5. Mobile
6. Unwanted
7. Tomorrow
8. Anything But Ordinary
9. Things I'll Never Say
10. My World
11. Nobody's Fool
12. Too Much To Ask
13. Naked
Personnel: Avril Lavigne (vocals, guitar); Evan Taubenfeld (guitar); Mark Spicoluk (bass); Matthew Brann (drums). Producers: Clif Magness, The Matrix, Curt Frasca, Peter Zizzo.
The Blues Scale - How It Opened Up A Whole New World To Me
by Lee Griffith
In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about "the blues scale."
In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about “the blues scale.” This simple scale, the blues scale, which I learned in a day, and mastered in a week, opened up an entirely new world to me. By knowing this collection of notes which would go with a given chord, I was able to do amazing feats of improvisation in a few days!
This collection of notes can be played in any key and position on the guitar, but to begin, let’s try it in the key of A, in the fifth position (with your left hand moved up to where you are covering the 5th through the 8th frets).
Here is the Blues Scale in A…
On the 6th string (the low E string), play a note using the first finger on the behind the 5th fret, and then a note using the fourth finger (“pinky”) behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 5th string (the A string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the second finger behind the 6th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.
Then, on the 4th string (the D string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.
Then, on the 3rd string (the G string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret, then a note using the fourth finger (pinky) behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 2nd string (the B string), play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 1st string (the high E string), repeat the sequence you played on the 2nd string—that is play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.
Play this using alternating picking strokes (downstrokes and upstrokes), and go up the scale (from the 6th string to the 1st string) and then down the scale (from the 1st string to the 6th string). Then, fool around with it—play different sequences, but use only the notes on this scale. It may open up a whole new world to you too!
In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about "the blues scale."
In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about “the blues scale.” This simple scale, the blues scale, which I learned in a day, and mastered in a week, opened up an entirely new world to me. By knowing this collection of notes which would go with a given chord, I was able to do amazing feats of improvisation in a few days!
This collection of notes can be played in any key and position on the guitar, but to begin, let’s try it in the key of A, in the fifth position (with your left hand moved up to where you are covering the 5th through the 8th frets).
Here is the Blues Scale in A…
On the 6th string (the low E string), play a note using the first finger on the behind the 5th fret, and then a note using the fourth finger (“pinky”) behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 5th string (the A string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the second finger behind the 6th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.
Then, on the 4th string (the D string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret.
Then, on the 3rd string (the G string), play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the third finger behind the 7th fret, then a note using the fourth finger (pinky) behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 2nd string (the B string), play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.
Then, on the 1st string (the high E string), repeat the sequence you played on the 2nd string—that is play a note using the first finger play a note using the first finger behind the 5th fret, then a note using the fourth finger behind the 8th fret.
Play this using alternating picking strokes (downstrokes and upstrokes), and go up the scale (from the 6th string to the 1st string) and then down the scale (from the 1st string to the 6th string). Then, fool around with it—play different sequences, but use only the notes on this scale. It may open up a whole new world to you too!
Tips to Learn Guitar
by Eric Chiverton
The art of playing guitar seems to be coming back into fashion. We've had many years of electronic music, but live music means guitars to many people. So, if you are considering playing, here are some guidelines to get you started.
Get yourself a reasonable guitar
Do not make the mistake of buying a cheap guitar to learn on. There is nothing more off putting than trying something out, then finding it is really difficult. Imagine how you would feel if an experienced guitar picked it up and told you that they too found it hard to play on because of the build quality and strings. A good guitar is easier to play than a bad one. Simple as that.
Do not spend a fortune on a guitar tuner
You can obtain free tuners on the internet simply by using the search engines. It is expensive to play and learn guitar, with the cost of amplifiers, strings and all the effects pedals. Anything you can get for free to start off with, then you should do it. It is also very inexpensive to buy a set of pitch pipes that are very easy to use to tune the guitar.
Always have a spare set of strings
This sounds obvious, but nothing is more frustrating than being in the middle of guitar practice when a string breaks.
Play slowly
It is the walk before you run analogy. If you start by playing something too quickly and making mistakes, all you are doing is learning the mistake. Play slowly, then increase the speed as your fingers adapt to what you are playing. It is an odd fact, but your brain will remember the pattern without you having to actually think about it.
Repetition is the key
Play chords over and over again. Practice removing your fingers from the guitar, then return to position. Now move to a different chord and back again. If you make a mistake, repeat the exercise repeatedly until you have mastered it. It may seem daunting to begin with, but after many attempts, there will come a point when you are able to just play what you are practicing with less and less effort.
Use an appropriate pick
When you strum the guitar, you may wish to practice using your fingers. Most guitarists however, will use a plectrum(pick). Make sure you use a suitable one for the exercise you are performing. For chords, use a reasonably thin style, with a indented top, to allow for a smooth strumming action, and to also allow a good grip. For playing lead, individual notes, use a thicker pick. This will allow the string to sound better and will also stop the plectrum from bending too much and limiting speed of playing.
Finger exercises
Away from the guitar, you can strengthen your fingers by doing some simple exercises. Using a bottle, push it gently between each finger gently stretching the muscle at its base. Do not over do this. The key is to do this over a period of time to increase the capacity to stretch to the more difficult chords. Tensing your hand tightly, drum your fingers on a flat surface, backwards and forwards. This will pay dividends when you progress to fast note combinations. It will also educate your finger muscles to be able to play smoothly.
Up and down picking
Now this one may sound obvious, but many guitarists starting off will not consider it. It is quicker to play a note twice by picking downwards then upwards. Even when switching to a different string. A great exercise to learn lead guitar, is to pick the same string as fast as you can do it accurately, up then down continuously. The objective is to perform this correctly, then to increase speed. Moving on, you will then switch strings and position on the fretboard, so developing a melody.
Bar chords
Ask anybody who has learnt the guitar and they will tell you that once they master playing bar chords, a whole new dimension to their playing was opened. A good exercise is to hold your index finger vertically and push it into the wrist of your other arm. Push as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds then release. Repeat a few times every day. This will make the muscle in the finger better able to push down all six strings on the guitar, thus making the bar for this type of chord.
Music theory
You do not need to know music theory to play guitar. It helps when you get better, but to start with it is not a necessity. It is better to simply know the various chord names to allow you to play songs. There are methods to learn where the individual notes are on a guitar, but to be honest they take almost as long to master as simply learning by playing.
Happy learning..
The art of playing guitar seems to be coming back into fashion. We've had many years of electronic music, but live music means guitars to many people. So, if you are considering playing, here are some guidelines to get you started.
Get yourself a reasonable guitar
Do not make the mistake of buying a cheap guitar to learn on. There is nothing more off putting than trying something out, then finding it is really difficult. Imagine how you would feel if an experienced guitar picked it up and told you that they too found it hard to play on because of the build quality and strings. A good guitar is easier to play than a bad one. Simple as that.
Do not spend a fortune on a guitar tuner
You can obtain free tuners on the internet simply by using the search engines. It is expensive to play and learn guitar, with the cost of amplifiers, strings and all the effects pedals. Anything you can get for free to start off with, then you should do it. It is also very inexpensive to buy a set of pitch pipes that are very easy to use to tune the guitar.
Always have a spare set of strings
This sounds obvious, but nothing is more frustrating than being in the middle of guitar practice when a string breaks.
Play slowly
It is the walk before you run analogy. If you start by playing something too quickly and making mistakes, all you are doing is learning the mistake. Play slowly, then increase the speed as your fingers adapt to what you are playing. It is an odd fact, but your brain will remember the pattern without you having to actually think about it.
Repetition is the key
Play chords over and over again. Practice removing your fingers from the guitar, then return to position. Now move to a different chord and back again. If you make a mistake, repeat the exercise repeatedly until you have mastered it. It may seem daunting to begin with, but after many attempts, there will come a point when you are able to just play what you are practicing with less and less effort.
Use an appropriate pick
When you strum the guitar, you may wish to practice using your fingers. Most guitarists however, will use a plectrum(pick). Make sure you use a suitable one for the exercise you are performing. For chords, use a reasonably thin style, with a indented top, to allow for a smooth strumming action, and to also allow a good grip. For playing lead, individual notes, use a thicker pick. This will allow the string to sound better and will also stop the plectrum from bending too much and limiting speed of playing.
Finger exercises
Away from the guitar, you can strengthen your fingers by doing some simple exercises. Using a bottle, push it gently between each finger gently stretching the muscle at its base. Do not over do this. The key is to do this over a period of time to increase the capacity to stretch to the more difficult chords. Tensing your hand tightly, drum your fingers on a flat surface, backwards and forwards. This will pay dividends when you progress to fast note combinations. It will also educate your finger muscles to be able to play smoothly.
Up and down picking
Now this one may sound obvious, but many guitarists starting off will not consider it. It is quicker to play a note twice by picking downwards then upwards. Even when switching to a different string. A great exercise to learn lead guitar, is to pick the same string as fast as you can do it accurately, up then down continuously. The objective is to perform this correctly, then to increase speed. Moving on, you will then switch strings and position on the fretboard, so developing a melody.
Bar chords
Ask anybody who has learnt the guitar and they will tell you that once they master playing bar chords, a whole new dimension to their playing was opened. A good exercise is to hold your index finger vertically and push it into the wrist of your other arm. Push as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds then release. Repeat a few times every day. This will make the muscle in the finger better able to push down all six strings on the guitar, thus making the bar for this type of chord.
Music theory
You do not need to know music theory to play guitar. It helps when you get better, but to start with it is not a necessity. It is better to simply know the various chord names to allow you to play songs. There are methods to learn where the individual notes are on a guitar, but to be honest they take almost as long to master as simply learning by playing.
Happy learning..
Monday, April 16, 2007
Germy Meet-And-Greets And Partying Parents: Eli Roth's 'Hostel: Part II' Column
In exclusive MTV News column, director writes about getting too up close and personal with fans at NYC Comic-Con.
By Eli Roth
My parents drove down from Boston for the day to see the panel. They are the most supportive parents in the world and can show up whenever I'm filming the most violent, horrific scene and just smile and say, "We're so proud of you!" I saw "Hostel: Part II" stars Roger Bart and Heather Matarazzo, who I actually hadn't seen since the shoot since they both live in New York. It was great to see them again. I really had a fun time with the cast, and we were joking about shooting in Prague and how much we missed being there. We did a bunch of interviews together, and at 5 p.m. we went out to the convention center to the panel.
Walking the floor of the convention was really fun. MTV met me in the morning and was following me throughout the day, so when we got to Comic-Con, it was a bit of a zoo. It was fun to get recognized as the guy who made "Hostel" and not as "that guy from 'Heroes'?" (Honestly, I don't play Sylar, I swear.) I walked around the floor, taking photos with people and talking with fans. I love hearing different stories from people about their experiences seeing "Hostel." I can never be there with everyone seeing it, and I've seen the film so many times that for me the real enjoyment is watching the audience react. I love seeing the film come together, but eventually I get to the point where I just hide in the front of the theater and watch the audience react. People had great stories, some about vomiting, some about their date bruising their arm from squeezing it so hard and more than one person who hooked up that night because their date didn't want to go home.
The panel was a good time. I love doing Q&As with large audiences. I could do it for hours. I have never had a fear of public speaking, and actually find that I'm more comfortable speaking in front of an audience or going on TV than talking in a smaller, more intimate setting. Some questions were pretty hilarious. They ranged from, "Is there going to be a 'Hostel III'?" (not currently) to, "Dude, oh, man, um, like, I totally had this idea for 'Cabin Fever 2,' but now I forgot it, uh, I'm such an idiot! Can I have your autograph?" That was an actual question.
One guy said, "Your movies are supposed to be really violent, but they never are! You never show anything!" to which I responded, "If a girl getting her eye cut off on camera, a guy getting his leg sawed off with a chainsaw on camera, multiple gunshots to the head on camera, Achilles tendons splitting open on camera, a girl throwing herself in front of a train on camera, slashing fingers off and slitting a throat on camera and kids bashing in a skull with a rock on camera isn't gory enough for you, then I think you need help. What more can I do?"
I always try to answer questions with a sense of humor, and even if the questions from the audience are insulting or rude I never make anyone feel stupid, because that just scares off the people who have real questions from asking them. Roger and Heather did a great job, as always, and afterward we were quickly shuttled to the autograph area. One guy told me he'd give me a [sexual favor] for an autograph, and I told him that was not really necessary since we'd be signing for everyone after the Q&A, but he still insisted. Luckily he didn't make it to the front of the line, and I got off easy, so to speak.
The poster from Comic-Con has already caused a bit of a stir. It was actually a poster that Sony did of Bijou Phillips standing, stark naked, holding her own decapitated head. It's a brilliant poster. I love it. Of course, it would never make it to theaters here, but it was never intended to. Tarantino calls it "An exploitation poster by way of Diane Arbus," which I think is the perfect description.
Sony (who handles "Hostel" internationally) sent over about 200 posters, and within an hour they were all gone. Roger, Heather and I signed all the posters and took pictures with the fans. My parents were there, standing right behind me, often holding people's stuff while they took a picture, or even taking the picture for them. Everyone was really cool, and some had brought "Cabin Fever" and "Hostel" DVDs for me to sign, which I always appreciate. I remember it was not too long ago that I was that fan waiting in line for an autograph, and I know how much it means to people, so I try to make every one count.
After Comic-Con, Lionsgate threw a really, really nice dinner for everyone downtown, and we all wound up at 7B in the East Village, which was a favorite spot of mine when I was at NYU. I couldn't believe I was drinking with my parents at 7B until midnight on a Saturday night. It was pretty hilarious. It's not a typical Roth family activity. I hadn't been there for maybe 10 years, but it was fun to be back.
Sunday, I flew home (regular airlines, sadly), and then the following day I got so sick I could barely move. I lay in bed, sick as a dog, and had to watch every Umberto Lenzi cannibal movie to make myself feel better ("Man From Deep River," "Eaten Alive," "Cannibal Ferox" and even "Nightmare City"). After about a week I started to feel better and actually made it out of my house. But I unfortunately was so sick I had to miss going to Austin to the SXSW film festival, where I was going to show a new "Hostel: Part II" clip and do a panel with Robert Rodriguez for "Grindhouse."
Shawty's Story: Lloyd Says He Stole From Usher, Loves John Mayer
'Yeah, 'Get It Shawty' was probably for Usher's album,' singer admits.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Lloyd's latest single "Get It Shawty" is currently climbing the charts and will most likely be the Inc. crooner's second top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from his sophomore album, Street Love (the first was "You" featuring Lil Wayne). But it turns out shawty almost didn't get it. The song, that is.
"I was working in the studio with Jazze Pha one day and Usher's brother [James] 'J. Lack' [Lackey] came by," Lloyd explained. "[We] recorded a song called 'Hazel,' and because of our vibe, he accidentally played me another song called 'Get It Shawty.' Usher was there and he kind of waved him off, like, 'No, what are you doing? You're not supposed to play that.' I was just so in love with the song that I had Jazze kind of call them every day and tell them how much I wanted to record it. They actually invited me to the crib, Usher and J. Lack, and we recorded it at their studio. Originally, their stance was, 'I know you like it, but how about this one?' And I was like, 'No, no, no, I want that one!' [He laughs.] 'I need that one. That's the one for me.' I know Usher wants to showcase J. Lack's talent on his next project. So I would go as far as to say, yeah, 'Get It Shawty' was probably for Usher's album."
So with that nugget in mind from Lloyd, MTV News decided to find out five other things you may not have known about the Atlanta-by-way-of-New-Orleans singer.
Mom Knows Best
While most artists may be comfortable with a party-like atmosphere in the studio, the only lady crashing Lloyd's sessions is ... his mom?
"I always invite my mom to come by," Lloyd said. " 'Cause she inspires me. She reminds me why I first started. She wasn't in the studio for 'You,' but she was for most of the [other] songs on the album. She came by and kind of gave me her thumbs up. When I was a kid, she taught me how to harmonize when old-school songs came on. She would say, 'Here, Lloyd, grab this note and I'm gonna do this note.' It's just so funny, because my father ... used to make her do that kind of thing with him before he passed. She turned me on to a lot of music growing up. And I kind of just invite her down to let her know how I'm making my mark."
A Rap Role Reversal
When Lloyd and Lil Wayne collaborated on "You," Lloyd said he was surprised when Weezy told him he was a big fan. To prove his point, Wayne started belting out a tune from Lloyd's first album, which made Lloyd crack: next time you sing and I'll rap.
"Oh yeah, I can rap," Lloyd said. "Ask Akon about me. I just taped '[Nick Cannon Presents:] Wild 'N Out' a few days ago and I killed him. I'm telling you, my rhyme skills are mean. Actually, when I write my songs, I write them in the rhyme format almost as if I'm rapping. And then I go back later and put melodies to them. They used to call me DJ Sweet'N Low. Like the package of sweetener, 'cause the package had music symbols."
From Dorville to Madison Square
From singing as a young buck to joining R&B troupe N-Toon as a teen, Lloyd's been performing music about as long as Don Imus has been offending folks on the radio. But his very first time onstage as a kid — and his first time performing after joining Murder Inc. — were as different as night and day.
"My very first solo performance on a stage was at a neighborhood arts theater called the Dorville Arts Theater," Lloyd said. "We would do renditions of Broadway musicals. At the time, I was 8 years old. The music director told my mom I was too young to join, but she begged him and said, 'Let him try' ... she finally talked him into it and I ended up with my first solo. It was in a play called 'Up With Kids.' [The music director] was charmed by my ability to rock the crowd. [He laughs.] I did this song where I would say [sings], 'Moms, Dads, what do they know about kids?' I was scared, man.
"From there, I joined [N-Toon] and we did our first real performance at a showcase for Dallas Austin and some local Atlanta executives. I was really nervous back then. Now the more I perform, the more anxious I get. My very first solo performance [as a professional] was at the Ringling Bros. circus with Ashanti at Madison Square Garden. I was nervous for that, too. Know what's crazy? Those same people that booked me then invited me, just a few weeks ago, to perform again at the Ringling Bros. circus at Madison Square. But by myself this time."
Secret Admirer?
Lloyd has had the chance to work with Wayne and Ashanti, and has upcoming collabos in the can with Fabolous, DJ Khaled and DJ Drama, but one person you might not expect him to work with is John Mayer. Lloyd professes to be a huge fan.
"The most-played song on my iPod right now would probably by 'Vultures' by John Mayer," Lloyd explained. "I kind of turned myself onto John Mayer [a few years ago]. I loved his first songs, and then he came out with 'Your Body Is a Wonderland.' I just think it's really cool the way he composes his music. I'm just really drawn into it. He's very advanced [even though he's] so young. ... He keeps getting better and better. He's smooth, man. He's one person I would collaborate with if I could."
Body Language
Like most rappers, Lloyd is covered in tattoos. So far, he has a tat for every year he's lived: 21. But the first time he got marked was a family affair. After his grandmother passed, he and everyone from uncles to cousins decided to pay tribute to her in ink.
"My grandmother had such a huge influence on us, like Big Momma," Lloyd said. "So the whole family — maybe like 11 or 12 of us — were in the tattoo shop and we all got something in memory of her. So from my older uncle at like 50-something years old to one of my younger cousins at like 16, and everyone in between, got tattoos.
"I was 17 at the time. Mine is a cross — I got it done over, but it has these big rosary beads wrapped around my shoulders. I got this big tribal sign going up my shoulder. And I've got the cross, there's a sun made of roses and it says, 'May peace be with you.' And it has her name on there: Rosemary. The fact that I could be creative and express individualism is what attracted me to tattoos. ... I'll keep getting one every year."
Hip-Hop On The Defensive After Imus Incident; Sharpton Calls For 'Dialogue' With MCs
'I want to meet with people like Snoop Dogg,' reverend says; Russell Simmons calls comparing rap lyrics with radio host's comments 'misguided.'
By Shaheem Reid
With radio personality Don Imus officially off the air and out of work following a racist and sexist rant, hip-hop now finds itself on the defensive as some activists and commentators try to draw comparisons between Imus' comments and hip-hop lyrics.
Many activists, community leaders and organizations — the Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People among them — have publicly said they will continue to scrutinize and speak out against others who have a public forum and choose to perpetuate what they call sexist and racist stereotypes. Exactly what will fall under that scrutiny and whether hip-hop will be a target remains to be seen, but many in the hip-hop community aren't waiting for a bull's-eye to be painted on their chest.
"Hip-hop is a worldwide cultural phenomena that transcends race and doesn't engage in racial slurs," Russell Simmons said Friday (April 13) through his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. "Don Imus' racially motivated diatribe toward the Rutgers women's basketball team was in no way connected to hip-hop culture. ... Don Imus is not a hip-hop artist or a poet. Hip-hop artists rap about what they see, hear and feel around them, their experience of the world. Like the artists throughout history, their messages are a mirror of what is right and wrong with society. Sometimes their observations or the way in which they choose to express their art may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression. Our job is to be an inclusive voice for the hip-hop community and to help create an environment that encourages the positive growth of hip-hop."
Imus, of course, was let go from his position due to off-the-cuff racist and sexist comments aimed at the Rutgers University women's basketball team. And while Imus' comments fall far from the artistic expression found in hip-hop, the widening scope of the scrutiny they inspired looks like it will soon include music as well.
"The bad news is that we have to revisit these issues as late as 2007," Sharpton said at a press conference in New York on Thursday. "We will not stop until we make it clear that no one should denigrate women. ... No one, even in the name of creativity, should enjoy a large consumer base when they denigrate people based on race and based on sex."
He also went on to say, "airwaves should not be used to commercialize sexism and racism."
On Friday, Sharpton clarified his position to MTV News. He said he's not trying to bash rap on the whole, but at the same time, he's going to keep both ears on the music and try to dialogue more with hip-hop artists.
"We have for a while said to the hip-hop community that we believe in free speech, but at the same time, we also have the right to say this whole sexist, racist overuse of the word 'n---a' and 'ho' we need to deal with in our community," Sharpton explained. "We need to deal with how there are many artists that are conscious and progressive that can't get a [recording] contract. So this is nothing new. Two years ago at the National Action Network Convention, we had that conversation. This Saturday at the National Action Network Convention, we will have the conversation about what we do about the violence and the [racist], sexist language in hip-hop. At one of the first Hip-Hop Summits in 2000, we talked about this. I think a lot of the elements in hip-hop are positive and for us. I think some are bad."
So far, calls for hip-hop to check itself with regards to its lyrical content aren't just coming from Sharpton — a call to action from bloggers and commentators also seems to be gathering steam. Reverend DeForest Soaries announced on Friday that within the next 30 days he plans to have a "community-based town-hall meeting" on the Rutgers University campus, where media moguls and entertainers will be invited to find "constructive solutions."
Others in the hip-hop community are adamant that rap lyrics should not be compared to Imus' comments.
"Language can be a powerful tool," Simmons said. "That is why one's intention, when using the power of language, should be made clear. Comparing Don Imus' language with hip-hop artists' poetic expression is misguided and inaccurate and feeds into a mindset that can be a catalyst for unwarranted, rampant censorship."
"It's a completely different scenario," Snoop Dogg — whose music, along with Tupac Shakur and other artists', was protested by activists such as C. DeLores Tucker and singer Dionne Warwick over a decade ago — told MTV News earlier this week (see "Snoop Says Rappers And Imus Are 'Two Separate Things'; Talks New Comp"). "[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. ... We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them mutha----as say we in the same league as him."
"We need to have that dialogue," Sharpton added. "That's why I want to meet with people like Snoop Dogg and other artists that want to have that dialogue and see where we can come to common ground. Some guys are just exploiters and don't care. I do think some guys just disagree with me but wanna sit down and see where we can go, 'cause something must be done so that we can't be distorted against each other. Those that are sincere, I wanna sit down with. Those that just don't care and are exploiters and wanna call people whatever and don't care about the consequences, those are the guys we are going after."
For the record, though, Sharpton said he and his people will not just be taking a closer look at rap, but all mediums — movies and television included.
If hip-hop does become a target, history suggests that it will have little or no effect in stopping or hindering the art form. People have literally smashed CDs in the streets and complained to the U.S. government, but with each round of protesting, hip-hop only seems to gain a larger following.
Last week, Imus brought a media hailstorm upon himself after he and people who work on his syndicated radio program, "Imus in the Morning," referred to black women on the Scarlet Knights basketball team as "nappy-headed ho's." He also used words such as "jiggaboos" and "wannabes," comparing them to fictional characters in Spike Lee's film "School Daze." On Thursday night, Imus met with the team as well as its coach, C. Vivian Stringer.
On Friday, Stringer held a press conference that was broadcast live on CNN, during which she said the team had accepted his apology. She too mentioned that society needs to take a closer look at some of the images in Hollywood and the music industry. "I personally look forward to joining forces with other people who want to bring about change," she said.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Bullet For My Valentine Recording New Album
The Welsh band recorded 11 songs for the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's "The Poison" in January and February with producer Colin Richardson at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas.
Lalah Hathaway "Outrun The Sky" Jazz Music CD Review
by Clyde Lee Dennis
If you're a Lalah Hathaway fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don't even have to be a fan of Hathaway, or even Jazz to know is good...
Lalah Hathaway, very talented Jazz artist has released her latest CD titled Outrun The Sky and Wow! It’s really a good one.
This one grabs your attention right out of the gate with How Many Times and doesn't let go until the very last note of the very last song Boston, which by the way is another great track.
One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Lalah Hathaway’s most impressive releases ever.
If you’re a Lalah Hathaway fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don’t even have to be a fan of Hathaway, or even Jazz to know is good. It’s just good music. Period.
While the entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are How Many Times [track 1], Forever, For Always, For Love [track 4], and Outrun The Sky [track 6].
My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 3, Your Favorite Song. It’s a great track!
Outrun The Sky Release Notes:
Lalah Hathaway originally released Outrun The Sky on Sep 28, 2004 on the ARK 21 label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. How Many Times
2. Back Then
3. Your Favorite Song
4. Forever, For Always, For Love
5. Better And Better
6. Outrun The Sky
7. If U Ever
8. In The End
9. Admit It
10. Stronger
11. We Were 2
12. More
13. Boston
Personnel include: Lalah Hathaway (vocals); Mike City (various instruments); David Delhomme (guitar, keyboards); Chris Parks (guitar, bass guitar); John "Jubu" Smith (guitar); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Tim Carmon (Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Michael White, Poogie Bell (drums); Ricky Rodriguez (percussion).
If you're a Lalah Hathaway fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don't even have to be a fan of Hathaway, or even Jazz to know is good...
Lalah Hathaway, very talented Jazz artist has released her latest CD titled Outrun The Sky and Wow! It’s really a good one.
This one grabs your attention right out of the gate with How Many Times and doesn't let go until the very last note of the very last song Boston, which by the way is another great track.
One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Lalah Hathaway’s most impressive releases ever.
If you’re a Lalah Hathaway fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don’t even have to be a fan of Hathaway, or even Jazz to know is good. It’s just good music. Period.
While the entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are How Many Times [track 1], Forever, For Always, For Love [track 4], and Outrun The Sky [track 6].
My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 3, Your Favorite Song. It’s a great track!
Outrun The Sky Release Notes:
Lalah Hathaway originally released Outrun The Sky on Sep 28, 2004 on the ARK 21 label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. How Many Times
2. Back Then
3. Your Favorite Song
4. Forever, For Always, For Love
5. Better And Better
6. Outrun The Sky
7. If U Ever
8. In The End
9. Admit It
10. Stronger
11. We Were 2
12. More
13. Boston
Personnel include: Lalah Hathaway (vocals); Mike City (various instruments); David Delhomme (guitar, keyboards); Chris Parks (guitar, bass guitar); John "Jubu" Smith (guitar); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Tim Carmon (Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Michael White, Poogie Bell (drums); Ricky Rodriguez (percussion).
MP3 Players - Do You Know The 3 Types
by Jeff Schuman
You may have probably heard of mp3 players, but are not sure how they work. MP3 players are used to download music from the internet. They are smaller than a personal CD player and you need a computer to download songs.
Shopping for a new MP3 Player can be difficult if you do not know what you are looking for. It is to your benefit to do a little comparison online before you go to a store. Things like price, storage capacity, and size all come in to play. You also want to make sure it is going to work with the computer you have..
Another term for mp3 player is digital audio player. A DAP can actually perform more tasks than simply playing mp3 files. It can arrange and store digital audio files as well as play them.
Another universal audio format DAP's can play are WMA files. These are a a compressed audio file format developed by Microsoft. WMA is a popular format that is supported by many devices.
Mp3 players are very portable and range in size. Some are so small they can fit on a key chain while others can be held in two hands (typically, these devices play video as well).
In addition to mp3 player, you may have also heard of the terms flash players or flash mp3 players. This is simply a type of digital audio player.
Here are 3 different types of digital audio players:
-Mp3 CD Players
- Flash mp3 players
- Hard-drive mp3 players
Mp3 CD players can play both CDs and digital audio. Some users prefer to create their own CD from a collection of audio files they've downloaded or grabbed from another CD.
Flash mp3 players are better than their hard-drive counterparts because they contain no moving parts and are great for use with exercise and outdoor acitivies like bike riding. Flash memory is a type of electronic memory media card that retains stored information even when not powered
One downside is they are limited in storage space compared to a hard-drive players which has a max of 8 GB.
Hard-drive players are great for those that would like to store their entire music library on their mp3 player. As this technology matures these devices include more video and image support. You can watch full feature-length movies and TV shows on some devices.
Hard-drive mp3 players range in size from fitting in the palm of your hand to needing both hands. They have larger capacity whichallows for storage of entire music collections on a single mp3 player. A downside is they contain moving parts so are not as good for outdoor activity.
Flash and hard disk mp3 players are becoming the more popular choice today. The best type for you will be determined by knowing how you will use it and what you want it for.
You may have probably heard of mp3 players, but are not sure how they work. MP3 players are used to download music from the internet. They are smaller than a personal CD player and you need a computer to download songs.
Shopping for a new MP3 Player can be difficult if you do not know what you are looking for. It is to your benefit to do a little comparison online before you go to a store. Things like price, storage capacity, and size all come in to play. You also want to make sure it is going to work with the computer you have..
Another term for mp3 player is digital audio player. A DAP can actually perform more tasks than simply playing mp3 files. It can arrange and store digital audio files as well as play them.
Another universal audio format DAP's can play are WMA files. These are a a compressed audio file format developed by Microsoft. WMA is a popular format that is supported by many devices.
Mp3 players are very portable and range in size. Some are so small they can fit on a key chain while others can be held in two hands (typically, these devices play video as well).
In addition to mp3 player, you may have also heard of the terms flash players or flash mp3 players. This is simply a type of digital audio player.
Here are 3 different types of digital audio players:
-Mp3 CD Players
- Flash mp3 players
- Hard-drive mp3 players
Mp3 CD players can play both CDs and digital audio. Some users prefer to create their own CD from a collection of audio files they've downloaded or grabbed from another CD.
Flash mp3 players are better than their hard-drive counterparts because they contain no moving parts and are great for use with exercise and outdoor acitivies like bike riding. Flash memory is a type of electronic memory media card that retains stored information even when not powered
One downside is they are limited in storage space compared to a hard-drive players which has a max of 8 GB.
Hard-drive players are great for those that would like to store their entire music library on their mp3 player. As this technology matures these devices include more video and image support. You can watch full feature-length movies and TV shows on some devices.
Hard-drive mp3 players range in size from fitting in the palm of your hand to needing both hands. They have larger capacity whichallows for storage of entire music collections on a single mp3 player. A downside is they contain moving parts so are not as good for outdoor activity.
Flash and hard disk mp3 players are becoming the more popular choice today. The best type for you will be determined by knowing how you will use it and what you want it for.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
What I’ve Done - Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight Lyrics
What I’ve Done Lyrics - Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
What I’ve Done
In this farewell, There is no blood
There is no alibi
So while i stand, above the crowd
Nothing is Left behind
All I’ve been, until this moment
Has been washed from my hands
And the court, will judge our movement
but i’m sure that you’ll understand
(everythings turning, memories of me in the mirror slowly disapear)
What I’ve Done
I’ll phaze myself
To cross out what i’ve become
Erase My cell
to let go of what i’ve done
And to you plead, There is no lies
just truth surfacing
So while i tear, this empty skin
Nothing is Left behind
All I’ve been, until this moment
Has been washed from my hands
And the court, will judge our movement
but i’m sure that you’ll understand
(everythings turning, memories of me in the mirror slowly disapear)
What I’ve Done
I’ll phaze myself
Let go of what i’ve become
Erase My cell
to let go of what i’ve done
Watch me now
Forgiving What I’ve Done
What I’ve Done
What I’ve Done
(Unconfirmed Lyrics )
What I’ve Done
In this farewell, There is no blood
There is no alibi
So while i stand, above the crowd
Nothing is Left behind
All I’ve been, until this moment
Has been washed from my hands
And the court, will judge our movement
but i’m sure that you’ll understand
(everythings turning, memories of me in the mirror slowly disapear)
What I’ve Done
I’ll phaze myself
To cross out what i’ve become
Erase My cell
to let go of what i’ve done
And to you plead, There is no lies
just truth surfacing
So while i tear, this empty skin
Nothing is Left behind
All I’ve been, until this moment
Has been washed from my hands
And the court, will judge our movement
but i’m sure that you’ll understand
(everythings turning, memories of me in the mirror slowly disapear)
What I’ve Done
I’ll phaze myself
Let go of what i’ve become
Erase My cell
to let go of what i’ve done
Watch me now
Forgiving What I’ve Done
What I’ve Done
What I’ve Done
(Unconfirmed Lyrics )
Music Education - What's In It For Your Kids?
by Marcia Covey
Can studying music make kids smarter? Recent research shows that studying music contributes to brain development. Students who study music tend to have higher grades and SAT scores, and receive more academic honors and awards than non-music students. Participating in music provides many other long-term benefits, as well - emotional, physical and social.
For young children, music helps build language skills and coordination, and boosts self-confidence. For older kids and teenagers, participation in a chorus, band or orchestra provides an emotional outlet, and enhances creativity and social skills. Participating in music provides a lot of the same benefits as sports: being part of a team, improved discipline and self-esteem, and better health.
Kids who study music tend to be high achievers who stay out of trouble--the kind of peer group most parents hope their children will have. Educators notice that high school students in band, chorus or orchestra tend to choose their friends from those groups--a trend that continues through college.
Singing is a great way for kids to get started in music. Singing:
Improves lung development, posture, muscle control and oxygen flow to the brain
Develops a better speaking voice, improved vocabulary and grammar, and clearer articulation and presence when speaking in public
Releases endorphins that relieve depression and anxiety, replacing them with feelings of energy and happiness
Can start at any age.
When should a child start music lessons? It's never too early to start singing. Second grade is a good time to start piano or a string instrument. Most students aren't physically ready to take on a brass or woodwind instrument until fourth or fifth grade. Talk to the prospective music teacher to help determine if your child is ready for lessons. If your school has a band, orchestra or chorus, encourage your kids to participate. And be sure to attend every concert!
Whether or not your kids grow up to be professional musicians, music is a social and artistic activity that they can continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives.
Can studying music make kids smarter? Recent research shows that studying music contributes to brain development. Students who study music tend to have higher grades and SAT scores, and receive more academic honors and awards than non-music students. Participating in music provides many other long-term benefits, as well - emotional, physical and social.
For young children, music helps build language skills and coordination, and boosts self-confidence. For older kids and teenagers, participation in a chorus, band or orchestra provides an emotional outlet, and enhances creativity and social skills. Participating in music provides a lot of the same benefits as sports: being part of a team, improved discipline and self-esteem, and better health.
Kids who study music tend to be high achievers who stay out of trouble--the kind of peer group most parents hope their children will have. Educators notice that high school students in band, chorus or orchestra tend to choose their friends from those groups--a trend that continues through college.
Singing is a great way for kids to get started in music. Singing:
Improves lung development, posture, muscle control and oxygen flow to the brain
Develops a better speaking voice, improved vocabulary and grammar, and clearer articulation and presence when speaking in public
Releases endorphins that relieve depression and anxiety, replacing them with feelings of energy and happiness
Can start at any age.
When should a child start music lessons? It's never too early to start singing. Second grade is a good time to start piano or a string instrument. Most students aren't physically ready to take on a brass or woodwind instrument until fourth or fifth grade. Talk to the prospective music teacher to help determine if your child is ready for lessons. If your school has a band, orchestra or chorus, encourage your kids to participate. And be sure to attend every concert!
Whether or not your kids grow up to be professional musicians, music is a social and artistic activity that they can continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives.
Music Box Repair Is Best Left To The Experts
by Michelle Bery
The unique song of a music box is often something that is passed down from one generation to another. At other times, that song may be one of great sentimental value that transports us back to a special time or place. Music boxes have an unmistakable sound that is produced by the tiniest of parts that move in unison in order to perform their magic for us. But like all mechanical things, music boxes can and will break over time, and when they do you must find someone who is competent in music box repair to bring your precious heirloom back to life.
It may be tempting to open up your music box and attempt to repair it yourself. But as tempting as that may be, music box repair is something that is best left to the experts. The parts in music boxes are very small, and in many cases they are very rare as well. Antique music boxes may contain parts that haven’t been produced in decades, or even centuries, so replacement parts may need to be built by hand, and that task is almost impossible for someone who is not trained in music box repair.
An expert is music box repair is competent in all aspects of the job. They are familiar with the small, spring wound movements that power the music box, as well as the myriad cabinets that house the musical mechanisms themselves. Music box repair specialists have experience with all the styles of music boxes, especially the two primary styles: cylinder and disk. Both cylinder and disk music boxes function in similar ways, but the exciting thing about disk music boxes is that the disk can often be interchanged with other disks allowing your music box to play different songs.
Music box repair does not have to be reserved for music boxes that no longer function. In fact, with regular cleaning and preventative maintenance performed by an expert in music box repair your music box may never stop making sweet music.
Finding a shop that specializes in music box repair may be simple if you are lucky enough to live near one. For those who are less fortunate, experts in music box repair are but a click away on the Internet. Reputable music box repair websites will gladly provide price estimates upon receipt so you will be able to make an informed decision before proceeding with any work.
The unique song of a music box is often something that is passed down from one generation to another. At other times, that song may be one of great sentimental value that transports us back to a special time or place. Music boxes have an unmistakable sound that is produced by the tiniest of parts that move in unison in order to perform their magic for us. But like all mechanical things, music boxes can and will break over time, and when they do you must find someone who is competent in music box repair to bring your precious heirloom back to life.
It may be tempting to open up your music box and attempt to repair it yourself. But as tempting as that may be, music box repair is something that is best left to the experts. The parts in music boxes are very small, and in many cases they are very rare as well. Antique music boxes may contain parts that haven’t been produced in decades, or even centuries, so replacement parts may need to be built by hand, and that task is almost impossible for someone who is not trained in music box repair.
An expert is music box repair is competent in all aspects of the job. They are familiar with the small, spring wound movements that power the music box, as well as the myriad cabinets that house the musical mechanisms themselves. Music box repair specialists have experience with all the styles of music boxes, especially the two primary styles: cylinder and disk. Both cylinder and disk music boxes function in similar ways, but the exciting thing about disk music boxes is that the disk can often be interchanged with other disks allowing your music box to play different songs.
Music box repair does not have to be reserved for music boxes that no longer function. In fact, with regular cleaning and preventative maintenance performed by an expert in music box repair your music box may never stop making sweet music.
Finding a shop that specializes in music box repair may be simple if you are lucky enough to live near one. For those who are less fortunate, experts in music box repair are but a click away on the Internet. Reputable music box repair websites will gladly provide price estimates upon receipt so you will be able to make an informed decision before proceeding with any work.
Getting Free Music - Legally
by Gabriel J. Adams
When the Internet was young, many people that used it did not totally understand that the file sharing of copyrighted material, be it pictures or music, was illegal and immoral. Websites allowed for free downloading of copyrighted music without even trying to hide their actions from legal action, because they may have not thought it was a big deal.
When the Internet was young, many people that used it did not totally understand that the file sharing of copyrighted material, be it pictures or music, was illegal and immoral. Websites allowed for free downloading of copyrighted music without even trying to hide their actions from legal action, because they may have not thought it was a big deal. However, once legal action was taken by the RIAA, these websites either went under or started going legal. File sharing programs tend to avoid legal action because there is a legal precedent that technology that allows for the production and duplication of copyrighted material is not inherently illegal. However, the illegal file sharing itself is still illegal and many stories have hit the news about people getting arrested and sued for sharing copyrighted material.
So how you can avoid breaking the law and doing something immoral? Do not download music that is copyrighted unless you are legally allowed to. If you have to pay a fee to legally download the music you can be sure you are not breaking the law. But what if you want to download legal music for free? Well, it actually isn’t that uncommon for free music to be available officially and legally, you just have to be able to tell the difference between free legal music and free illegal music.
The first sign is obvious; if they do not say the free download is legal, it probably is not. Look for websites that proclaim that their free downloads are free. How can this be? How do they make money? There are many ways. Sites and services that allow you to download legal music for free have some way of making money of their visitors. Sometimes they pay the RIAA for the music, provide it for free, and then make their money off of ad revenue for the ads on their site. Another way they can make money off of the downloads is to have the visitors fill out a questionnaire and then sell the results to other companies for collecting data on the public's opinions and preferences. Don't worry, this doesn't mean they are going to steal your identity. You may just have to fill out a form answer questions about music, television, movies, or other subjects and then companies pay for the results so they can produce products inline with the public's preferences.
Many bands and companies also release music for free to generate a buzz for their album or product. Some television shows provide free downloads of music related to the show as a service to fans. Some bands release legal free downloads to help get their music to more people to help sell more copies of the full album. Free legal music is out there, you just need to know what to avoid.
When the Internet was young, many people that used it did not totally understand that the file sharing of copyrighted material, be it pictures or music, was illegal and immoral. Websites allowed for free downloading of copyrighted music without even trying to hide their actions from legal action, because they may have not thought it was a big deal.
When the Internet was young, many people that used it did not totally understand that the file sharing of copyrighted material, be it pictures or music, was illegal and immoral. Websites allowed for free downloading of copyrighted music without even trying to hide their actions from legal action, because they may have not thought it was a big deal. However, once legal action was taken by the RIAA, these websites either went under or started going legal. File sharing programs tend to avoid legal action because there is a legal precedent that technology that allows for the production and duplication of copyrighted material is not inherently illegal. However, the illegal file sharing itself is still illegal and many stories have hit the news about people getting arrested and sued for sharing copyrighted material.
So how you can avoid breaking the law and doing something immoral? Do not download music that is copyrighted unless you are legally allowed to. If you have to pay a fee to legally download the music you can be sure you are not breaking the law. But what if you want to download legal music for free? Well, it actually isn’t that uncommon for free music to be available officially and legally, you just have to be able to tell the difference between free legal music and free illegal music.
The first sign is obvious; if they do not say the free download is legal, it probably is not. Look for websites that proclaim that their free downloads are free. How can this be? How do they make money? There are many ways. Sites and services that allow you to download legal music for free have some way of making money of their visitors. Sometimes they pay the RIAA for the music, provide it for free, and then make their money off of ad revenue for the ads on their site. Another way they can make money off of the downloads is to have the visitors fill out a questionnaire and then sell the results to other companies for collecting data on the public's opinions and preferences. Don't worry, this doesn't mean they are going to steal your identity. You may just have to fill out a form answer questions about music, television, movies, or other subjects and then companies pay for the results so they can produce products inline with the public's preferences.
Many bands and companies also release music for free to generate a buzz for their album or product. Some television shows provide free downloads of music related to the show as a service to fans. Some bands release legal free downloads to help get their music to more people to help sell more copies of the full album. Free legal music is out there, you just need to know what to avoid.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Judge dismisses Beach Boys case
A US judge has thrown out a court case brought by the Beach Boys, who claimed their recordings and memorabilia had been stolen from a warehouse.
It was ruled that the band failed to prove that Roy Sciacca and Allan Gaba stole or illegally acquired the items.
The group sued for $20m (£10.1m) last year after they discovered up to 25 boxes of material were missing.
Mr Sciacca counter-sued the Beach Boys, contending he bought the items at a warehouse auction in the 1980s.
"This has really been a difficult time for him," said Mr Sciacca's lawyer after the case was thrown out.
"He's a big collector of memorabilia, and to have the Beach Boys making these kinds of allegations against him has just really, really interfered with his ability to do business."
The group's lawyer was not available for comment.
Auction cancelled
Snoop Dogg facing drugs charges
Rap star Snoop Dogg is to appear in court in California after being charged with drugs and gun offences.
The 35-year-old could face up to four years in prison for being a convicted criminal in possession of a gun and the transportation of marijuana.
The musician was arrested in October after a gun and drugs were found in his car at Burbank Airport.
In March he was forced to cancel a UK tour with P Diddy after authorities refused him an entry visa.
He was also held by police in Sweden last month on suspicion of using illegal drugs, but was later released after questioning.
Probation
In January, Snoop Dogg - real name Calvin Broadus - denied a charge of possessing a deadly weapon after a collapsible baton was found in his luggage as he boarded a flight to New York.
At the time of his arrest at a California airport, he claimed the baton was a film prop.
He was arrested for a third time after police allegedly found marijuana, cocaine and a firearm in his vehicle.
The rapper's lawyer Donald Etra said the latest charges were "fully expected" and would be "resolved" in court.
In 1990, the performer was convicted of possessing cocaine and charged with gun possession three years later.
His guilty plea came in exchange for probation and a pledge to speak publicly against violence.
Sheet Music Key Signatures
by Mike Shaw
A key signature will appear at the beginning of a piece of sheet music. This will tell you if sharps and flats will be played in the piece or if no sharps and flats will be played. If you don't see any sharps or flats at the beginning of the piece then this is normally referred to as open key or C major.
A key signature will appear at the beginning of a piece of sheet music. This will tell you if sharps and flats will be played in the piece or if no sharps and flats will be played. If you don’t see any sharps or flats at the beginning of the piece then this is normally referred to as open key or C major. Sharps and flats can be written in various bars throughout the piece and these are known as accidentals and will last for the bars duration only.
Sharps and flats at the beginning of a piece can also indicate which key the piece is written in although there are other elements of the piece that also determine this because major and minor keys can share the same key signature, for example C major and A minor share the same key signature, that is, no sharps or flats, also G major and E minor share the same key signature of one sharp, (F Sharp). These similarities are known as relatives. So C majors relative minor is A minor. They are relatives because they share the same key signature.
Since most people start to learn in major keys, we will use examples in major keys only. At the beginning of a piece of music, to the right of the treble clef and the bass clef is where you will see sharps and flats.
One sharp means all occurrences of F are sharp and the key is G major Two sharps = F sharp and C sharp and the key is D major Three sharps = F sharp, C sharp and G sharp and the key is A major Four sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp and the key is E major Five sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp and A sharp and the key is B major Six sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp and E sharp and the key is F sharp major Seven sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp, E sharp and B sharp and the key is C sharp major
One flat means all occurrences of B are flat and the key is F major Two flats = B flat and E flat and the key is B flat major Three flats = B flat, E flat and A flat and the key is E flat major Four flats = B flat, E flat, A flat and D flat and the key is A flat major Five flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat and G flat and the key is D flat major Six flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat and C flat and the key is G flat major Seven flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, C flat and F flat and the key is C flat major
No flats or sharps indicates the key of C major
A good way to learn all these keys is to use a method, which I call the rule of seven. By adding the amount of sharps a key has to the amount of flats a key has, you should always end up with seven. That means if you memorise either the sharps keys or the flat keys you can work out the other by creating a relationship. We create the relationship using the letters, for example, B major and B flat major. B major has five sharps B flat major has two flats 5+2=7. Lets try E major and E flat, once you know that E flat has three flats you can work out how many sharps are in E major. So if E flat has three flats then E major must have four sharps 3+4=7
The exception to this rule is C flat major and C sharp major, make sure to relate both these keys with C major.
A key signature will appear at the beginning of a piece of sheet music. This will tell you if sharps and flats will be played in the piece or if no sharps and flats will be played. If you don't see any sharps or flats at the beginning of the piece then this is normally referred to as open key or C major.
A key signature will appear at the beginning of a piece of sheet music. This will tell you if sharps and flats will be played in the piece or if no sharps and flats will be played. If you don’t see any sharps or flats at the beginning of the piece then this is normally referred to as open key or C major. Sharps and flats can be written in various bars throughout the piece and these are known as accidentals and will last for the bars duration only.
Sharps and flats at the beginning of a piece can also indicate which key the piece is written in although there are other elements of the piece that also determine this because major and minor keys can share the same key signature, for example C major and A minor share the same key signature, that is, no sharps or flats, also G major and E minor share the same key signature of one sharp, (F Sharp). These similarities are known as relatives. So C majors relative minor is A minor. They are relatives because they share the same key signature.
Since most people start to learn in major keys, we will use examples in major keys only. At the beginning of a piece of music, to the right of the treble clef and the bass clef is where you will see sharps and flats.
One sharp means all occurrences of F are sharp and the key is G major Two sharps = F sharp and C sharp and the key is D major Three sharps = F sharp, C sharp and G sharp and the key is A major Four sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp and the key is E major Five sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp and A sharp and the key is B major Six sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp and E sharp and the key is F sharp major Seven sharps = F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp, E sharp and B sharp and the key is C sharp major
One flat means all occurrences of B are flat and the key is F major Two flats = B flat and E flat and the key is B flat major Three flats = B flat, E flat and A flat and the key is E flat major Four flats = B flat, E flat, A flat and D flat and the key is A flat major Five flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat and G flat and the key is D flat major Six flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat and C flat and the key is G flat major Seven flats = B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, C flat and F flat and the key is C flat major
No flats or sharps indicates the key of C major
A good way to learn all these keys is to use a method, which I call the rule of seven. By adding the amount of sharps a key has to the amount of flats a key has, you should always end up with seven. That means if you memorise either the sharps keys or the flat keys you can work out the other by creating a relationship. We create the relationship using the letters, for example, B major and B flat major. B major has five sharps B flat major has two flats 5+2=7. Lets try E major and E flat, once you know that E flat has three flats you can work out how many sharps are in E major. So if E flat has three flats then E major must have four sharps 3+4=7
The exception to this rule is C flat major and C sharp major, make sure to relate both these keys with C major.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Zune Download - Free Or Membersip Sites
by Robert Frost
Tips on choosing various zune download sites.
Are you looking for the latest in zune downloads? Before you start on your venture to search for the best download sites, there a few pointers I would like to raise.
Firstly, if you are looking for free zune download sites-there is a word of caution. Most of these sites though offering free stuff, do not guarantee them to be free of any trojan viruses or spyware. This may lead to major problems with your zune and may even cause to go defunct. Also the links these sites offer are mostly outdated and do not work, this eventually leads to a lot of frustration and waste of time.
An alternative for these free websites are-membership sites, which usually offer a guarantee on your satisfaction and will promptly return your money if you are not satisfied. These sites also offer an excellent support system which will help you get through any problems you may be having with your zune downloads.
Secondly there are various types of 'zune download' membership sites,ranging from pay-per-download to unlimited downloads. The latter ones are usually more feasible than the pay-per-variety in terms of cost, and help you in saving a lot of money if you do a lot of downloads. Also the variety on the unlimited download websites is a lot, some of them having over 300 million downloads.
Lastly if you decide on getting a membership site, it is advisable to do a through research on them before purchasing there offer. Always read through there terms and FAQ for more information before buying there membership, so you know exactly what you are getting into.Some of them also offer free trials, so you always have the option of canceling them if you are not fully satisfied.
Tips on choosing various zune download sites.
Are you looking for the latest in zune downloads? Before you start on your venture to search for the best download sites, there a few pointers I would like to raise.
Firstly, if you are looking for free zune download sites-there is a word of caution. Most of these sites though offering free stuff, do not guarantee them to be free of any trojan viruses or spyware. This may lead to major problems with your zune and may even cause to go defunct. Also the links these sites offer are mostly outdated and do not work, this eventually leads to a lot of frustration and waste of time.
An alternative for these free websites are-membership sites, which usually offer a guarantee on your satisfaction and will promptly return your money if you are not satisfied. These sites also offer an excellent support system which will help you get through any problems you may be having with your zune downloads.
Secondly there are various types of 'zune download' membership sites,ranging from pay-per-download to unlimited downloads. The latter ones are usually more feasible than the pay-per-variety in terms of cost, and help you in saving a lot of money if you do a lot of downloads. Also the variety on the unlimited download websites is a lot, some of them having over 300 million downloads.
Lastly if you decide on getting a membership site, it is advisable to do a through research on them before purchasing there offer. Always read through there terms and FAQ for more information before buying there membership, so you know exactly what you are getting into.Some of them also offer free trials, so you always have the option of canceling them if you are not fully satisfied.
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