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Choosing a Music TeacherWriten by Sam Salmon

Although it is quite possible to teach yourself how to play an instrument, the advances that you can make with a good music teacher and following a course of structured lessons can not be overvalued. Dont be afraid to make that call to a teacher and discuss your needs. As adults it can be hard to take that first step, but playing music is undeniably good for the soul, and you shouldnt allow yourself to miss out on the opportunity to feel happier and learn something new.

Before you make that call it helps to know what style of music you would like to learn so you can discuss this with a prospective music teacher. Learning a style you enjoy helps you to stay motivated and make you want to keep practicing. It will also help your teacher to tailor the lessons to suit you.

Music teachers can be found in the local papers, Yellow Pages and Thompson Local as well as on the internet. Go to Google and type in music teachers in and add your town and county. Another good source is your local music shop. They usually know the local teachers personally, or know of the good ones from word of mouth from their customers.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a music teacher, and price should really NOT be one of them. Four lessons a month with an adequate teacher who is cheap may not be as beneficial to you as twice a month with a superior but more expensive teacher. Its true that more expensive is not always better, but an excellent teacher will have no problem finding students prepared to pay a higher rate.

You can expect to pay anywhere from 12 to 30 an hour, though many teachers offer half hour lessons which may well be better for people early into their instrument playing. Ask if there is the possibility of group lessons, if this suits you. This can seriously help reduce the costs for those on tight budget. Those who have family constraints or transport problems might want to consider having a teacher come to their home.

Any good teacher will be happy to talk to you about the possibility of teaching you and should be happy to answer your questions.

* Ask if you can sit in on a lesson. This is especially good if youre thinking of taking group lessons.

* Avoid teachers who are not fun. Playing an instrument should be fun not a chore. If you dont find learning with a particular teacher fun, move on. It should not be work, otherwise youd work an instrument not play it

* Ask if you can tape record any lessons you have. A teacher who is confident in their teaching methods will have no problem with this, and you will have a source of reference to help you in your practice.

* Never be afraid to ask what their professional and educational experience is. While qualifications may not be everything you should expect a music teacher to have taken their music exams in the instrument or instruments they teach. Also find out how long theyve been teaching and the kind of people they teach. For example do they teach adults and children? References can be asked for, but none come higher than personal recommendation from a happy student.

* Ask how much practice is expected of you, and find out if there will be opportunities to perform in the future, especially if you are learning an instrument that plays as part of large band or orchestra.

Which ever path you go down, the bottom line is practice practice practice. Little and often is always better than spending 4 hours the day before your next lesson trying to practice what you were shown last lesson! It never fools the teacher and all you do is waste your own money and time. Things sink in better if practiced a little everyday anyway. To spend 10 minutes several times a day working on something you find particularly difficult can often achieve better results than 2 hours in one sitting.

Sam Salmon runs http://www.iwantedtobeapopstar.co.uk helping amateur musicians find others to play with.

Is The Ipod Ruining Music?Writen by Brandon Drury

Effects of The Ipod

Just a week ago, I was headed up to a concert about two hours away from home. We sort of consider these concerts to be miniature road trips. In the past, we'd pop in a cd, crank it up for a while, and then we hop into a discussion about chicks, politics, potatoes, etc. The music being played kind of took a back seat until we ran out of things to talk about.

Well, this trip was a little different. The difference was no one brought any cds. Instead two of the group brought Ipods which played through the radio with an FM modulator. In the past, we'd flip through cd case after cd case looking for that one certain cd, but once we had found that one cd we were committed to it. On long trips, it was rare to take a cd out without listening all the way through it.

Well, enter the age of the Ipod. The Ipod has done to music what cable has done to television. You now have the magical curse called choice. Of course, all choice does is lead to indecision. I'm not sure if watching another person flip through 200 satellite channels on TV drives you crazy, but it certainly does me. For two hours, I watched two people do nothing but flip through song after song. It was VERY rare if we made it through one minute of a song. In fact, I doubt if we made it through an entire song at all.

While it does seem great being able to carry 41 days of constant music in your pocket, I have to say that the average Ipod user may be missing out. There was something to listening to an entire cd on a trip that helped define the great albums. We all have those 5 or so records that we'll never get bored with that we can always listen to all the way through. How would you know what a great record was if you had never had to listen to it all the way through? Sure, sometimes it seamed like a curse having to listen through a crappy song, but cds took care of that pretty easily. You just hit the skip button.

The real tragedy is there really wasn't that much music listening going on. It seams that a device that is designed to make it easier to listen to more music has a drastic downside. If people do little more than flip through song after song with their Ipod, then the Ipod is taking away from people's musical experience.

Yet, people still try to buy bigger and bigger Ipods. I remember thinking that 10GB of Mp3s was an enormous amount of music. Now 60GB versions are very common. I couldn't imagine who really needs 41 continuous days of music without repeating a single song. If you turn the Ipod off for sleeping, you are sitting at right at 60 days of music without repeating a single song.

Where Are All Of These Songs Coming From?

So how are people filling up their Ipods? Are they buying songs at $1 per song from Itunes? I've got a gut feeling that most of them are not. Assuming a one minute MP3 uses 1 MB and the average song is 4 minutes long, it would cost $15,000 to fill up a 60GB Ipod. Ouch! I don't know too many people who have spent $15,000 on purchasing music. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT $15,000 ON MUSIC!!

It seams pretty clear that if the average college kid were paying $1 per song, they would probably wouldn't need an Ipod much larger than 1 or 2GB. Yes, I'm aware that you can store other data on an Ipod, but I don't know too many people who plan to haul around RAW video data on their Ipods.

So Who Is Getting Paid?

The labels still seam to be afloat even if they are signing a smaller quantity of artists. They certainly don't seam to be as excited about their profits as they may have been ten years ago. It's no secret that if the labels aren't getting paid, the artists definitely aren't getting paid either.

Music Is Expendable!

I remember just a little over 10 years ago. My family was low on cash. I decided that I wanted a rare Nirvana import called Outcesticide 3. The cd cost $30 and had to be ordered from Japan. I decided that the only way to buy the cd was to not each lunch at school for a month. (I was too young to get a job). So, I did without a meal each day for an entire month so that I could save $1 per day and order my Nirvana import. You could imagine how I felt the day the cd finally came in. I had put myself through torture for an entire month to get that cd.

I was at an uncle's house recently. My cousin was on his computer. He decided he wanted to listen to some rare Nirvana songs. He opened up his favorite peer to peer download software and typed in Nirvana or whatever. In about 10 minutes, he had almost the entire cd that I had starved for a month for.

While it is exciting that technology exists that makes it faster to download a song than it is to take the cd out of it's case and place it in the player, it seams that this somehow makes the music worth less to the individual. When a listener has to sacrifice for an album, the album is a little more memorable.

I mean I can remember the exact day I purchased many of my favorite cds. For example, I remember being 16 and buying Goo Goo Dolls, A Boy Named Goo. Me and my buddy were driving 90 mph on the way home like a bunch of immature idiots. It turned out that we had passed my mom without realizing it. When I got home, I was doomed. (That one didn't end on a happy note).

Uhh, good luck having any stories about how fast you downloaded an mp3. Good luck even remembering the day you downloaded a given mp3.

So who is winning with the Ipod?

Is the music listener winning? They now have a portable music machine that can hold 2 million zillion songs. Of course, the mp3 player costs about 3 times as much as a portable cd player did 10 years ago. With the luxury of having so many musical options, some people spend a lot more time flipping through songs than they used to. Ipods can hold an enormous amount of data, but this just leads to people blindly downloading every song under the planet. It's cool being able to hear a song, but having a free library of every song under the sun can make music expendable. Of course, the labels and artists don't seam to be winning.

In fact, I can only think of one guy who has really won from the Ipod...Steve Jobs, founder of Macintosh.

Brandon Drury runs an active music forum on his site at http://www.recordingreview.com which covers everything from songwriting to recording to cd replication to music marketing.

Roslyn Ridgeway: Bridging the Gap between Music & TV and FilmWriten by Isha Edwards

Can a musician revive their music career through film or television? For entertainment consultant, Roslyn Ridgeway, the answer is yes.

President and CEO of De Roz Productions, Inc., Roslyns proof-in-the-pudding is recording artist, TV and film star, Irene Cara. Cara is among a select group of mega-talented performers who have successfully transitioned from theater to television then records and feature films. The award-winning performer is best noted for her film roles in Sparkle, Fame, City Heat and the TV mini series, Roots. Although Ms. Cara has spent much of her energy developing music, with Roslyns help, Cara leveraged the reality television craze to gain visibility for herself and her female band, Hot Caramel. With Irenes talent and accomplishments on the screen, it was a hard task to re-introduce her to the public as a musician. We went back to her roots to do this. We did it through the power of television, Roslyn said.

Since reality television captivates most American audiences, the transition for Cara was seamless. After a twenty-year hiatus from TV and film, in 2005, Cara debuted on NBCs hit reality television show Hit Me Baby One More Time. Winning out over music legends Wang Chung, Cameo, Howard Jones, and Sophie B. Hawkins, Roslyn saw the power of television at work. Millions tuned in to watch Cara beat her competition. Reality television put Cara back in the limelight reminding fans of her talent and peaking interest in Hot Caramel.

Roslyns hard work continues to payoff. Currently, the Atlanta native is working with twin brothers and accomplished musicians, Darrell and Pharell Floyd. The twins career made a turn towards film after appearing in 20th Century Foxs Drumline.

The newly minted president of Business Women Professionals-USA, Roslyns resume reflects success in a myriad of industries, including entertainment, non-profit, and small business. As music artists continue to expand their careers into film and television, Roslyn works diligently to make her mark by bridging the gap between music, television and film.

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Music Over TimeWriten by Barbara Brinson

Music is the art of combining vocal and/or instrumental tones in a structured manner.

Music has been around almost as long as the earth is old. We can designate medieval music as a beginning, although a precise time is impossible because the knowledge of that time period is too vague.

However, in the 1100s large volumes of written, notated polyphony and non-liturgical Latin songs began emerging before two major changes began to take place.

a) The use of the interval of a third as a stable harmony.
b) Humanistic orientation to text with music.

These changes took several decades, putting the beginning of the Renaissance somewhere between the 1420s (harmonies of Dufay) and the 1500s (humanistic texts of Josquin), which brings us to the beginning of opera in the 1600s. The Renaissance style ended around 1750 and is also among the clearest divisions of Western music.

Sometime in the early 1700s through the late 1800s, the best known pieces of European Classical music were written.

The 1800s was the beginning of a new era, because of a brilliant man by the name of Thomas Edison. This man was an exceptional inventor, on 12-6-1877 he finished one of his best inventions...The phonograph and had it patent on 2-19-1878. Now mind you it was a fairly complicated machine, using a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it. The machine had two diaphragm-and-needle units, one for recording, and one for playback. When he spoke into a mouthpiece, the sound vibrations would be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle in a vertical groove pattern. Edison gave a sketch of the machine to his mechanic, John Kreusi, to build, which Kreusi supposedly did within about 30 hours. Edison immediately tested the machine by speaking the nursery rhyme Mary had a little lamb into the mouthpiece, and to his amazement, the machine played his words back to him.

Now, we are going to get a little closer to the twentieth century of music in time in the 1900s. Starting in the beginning of the 1900s, there were disks (no, not CD's yet) used by recording studios to record music. These discs called records were then sold in stores for consumers to purchase and take home to play on their (phonograph) record player. The last of the records to come out was the 45 made for single songs.

It took the music industry decades to advance from the 45 record to new formats, such as 8-tracks and audio/cassette tapes. Once they were created it seemed as if the industry took off and overnight the CD (molded plastic disk scanned by a laser beam for digital data) was orn. These, like the record were, and still are, sold in stores for customers to purchase and take home to play on their CD players. Following shortly behind is the Mp3 player(standard technology and format for compressing audio signals into very small computer files. Sound data from a CD is compressed to 1/12 the original size) and ipod (portable Mp3 player).

Now, the pace has picked up even faster and we can download music right off the internet. In the beginning though, a company (I'm not going to mention any names) was allowing people to download as many songs as they chose for free. But, there was a problem..It was not exactly legal. A computer company names Apple made the process legitimate by allowing the artists to get paid for their work. The music industry now has the opportunity to license and sell it's content over the internet. The idea that people would pay for downloading music seemed a bit far fetched in the beginning. But, music sales have gone down by one-fifth since the millennium and downloads increased to over 500 million by July of 2005.

A revolution in the music industry was changed dramatically on February 23, 2006 when a 16 year old, Alex Ostrovsky came home and downloaded a song from the Coldplay concert he left just minutes before. Alex down loaded one of the songs for 99 cents from the iTunes Music store (which the Apple computer company started less than 3 years ago). Shortly after that an Apple employee called to let him know he has just downloaded the ONE BILLIONTH song. For being the lucky downloader, Apple Computer Company is sending him a $10,000.00 gift card for the iTunes Music Store, a 20-inch iMac, 10 ipods, and a scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York.

The one billionth download should go to show you how much this industry has taken over the music world over time!

RESOURCE BOX:

About the Author: Barbara Brinson Website: http://music-down-loads-for-you.blogspot.com

Barbara Brinson has a lot of experience downloading music and has dealt with plenty of download companies. So, go take a look at music-down-loads-for-you.blogspot.com now, and see why downloaders from all over are going to her site.

See Piano Learning Info Here > http://www.learntomasterpiano.com/

Jazz SaxophonesWriten by Kristy Annely

Saxophones are musical instruments belonging to the woodwind category. Saxophones were generally used in the military and in big orchestras, but are now found in smaller bands as well. They are generally used for big band music, pop music and jazz. A saxophone is as complex as a classical instrument and as unconventional as a non-classical instrument. People who play saxophones are called saxophonists.

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian, in the 1840s. Later, many people made their own alterations to the instrument. There are many kinds of saxophones but the most commonly used are: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone saxophones. The smaller alto saxophones are ideal for first-time players. The tenor saxophones are generally preferred by jazz musicians, especially soloists. The alto is the next preferred model. There are also vintage saxophones available.

Saxophones are generally associated with jazz music, but they are also suitable for classical music. The saxophone often complements the French horn since both of them have a similar range and timbre. Jazz saxophones use high-baffled mouthpieces. Their configuration allows the baffle, or ceiling, to be closer to the reed for a brighter sound. The sound should be bright enough to cut through the other big instruments in a band or an orchestra. The baffle and the tone depend on the shape of the mouthpiece. Those with larger tip openings allow for greater flexibility in the pitch for bending notes. This is very useful in jazz and pop music. Lower baffles and smaller tip openings make the pitch more stable and give a darker sound. This is more suitable to classical music.

The local music store, mail-order service, a private party or the Internet are popular sources for buying saxophones. The main aspects to be considered are the quality, service, price and the model. The Internet is a good place to find information about jazz saxophones, but it is wise to test a few of them before buying.

Saxophones provides detailed information about saxophones, jazz saxophones, soprano saxophones, alto saxophones and more. Saxophones is the sister site of Violins Web.

See Online Music Lessons at > http://www.entertainbox.com/

The Language of Music is One that All Arts Aspire toWriten by Bronwen Roberts

It was Schopenhauer who first said that all arts aspire to the condition of music. What he was referring to was the abstract qualities of music. The path between music and audience is a direct one, without the intervention of a medium of communication that is used for other everyday purposes, which is unlike many other art forms! The architect expresses himself in buildings, which have some utilitarian purpose. The poet uses words, which we use on a daily basis in conversation. The painter usually expresses himself by representing what he sees i.e. the visible world. Only the composer of music is perfectly free to create a work of art out of his own consciousness, which performs no function, other than to please.

A testimony to the mystical nature of music is the unknown Polish classical composer whos Symphony of Sorrowful Songs sold more than pop icon, Madonna, in the year it was released and more than any other classical composer in the entire history of the world! However, this remarkable achievement only occurred 17-years after he composed it.

Polish Composer in Translation

The composers name is Henryk Gorecki and his success is nothing short of a miracle. When he wrote the symphony (his 3rd) in 1976, he and his wife were declared non-persons under the communist regime and their passports were confiscated. His name was unknown, and according to records in Poland, he did not even exist. Gorecki had been born in Czernica, in the coal-mining belt of Silesia on The Czechoslovakian border. It is 20-minutes from the town Oswiecim, which the Germans would later name Auschwitz. This piece of music was so inspired, as to be a warning to future generations and to bear witness to what had occurred there. Corecki commented: The fact that 17 years later, it seems young people all over the world have heard what I said, and understood: that my warning will not go forgotten into the world.

Beauty and hope are firmly embedded in this piece of music that is played by taxi drivers and royalty alike. 300 000 copies were sold worldwide when it was released, unheard of for a classical piece which would hopefully sell 10 to 20.000 copies in a lifetime, and thats about it.

A Symphony of International Value

The road to fame of the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs is an interesting one. 1976, the year it was composed saw the first performance in a Paris concert hall. After the performance a music critic whispered Merde! into Gorecks ear. The first recorded version appeared in Britain in 1987, and was basically ignored by the classical music magazines. In 1989, the piece reappeared; this time in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, after the London Sinfonietta decided to champion Goreckis work.

Bob Hurwitz, head of Warners Elektra Nonesuch label decided to attain the symphony for his label. In 1990, Hurwitz recorded it with the London Sinfonietta using young American conductor David Zinmaan and the soprano Dawn Upshaw. In September 1992, classic FM, Britains first commercial classical music station was launched and picked Goreckis symphony as the stations first classic sure thing. In October that year a sudden demand caused chart sponsors W H Smith to stock the symphony. In November BBC Radios 3 and 4 followed, then Radio 2, and finally, DJ Simon Bates on Radio 1.

A Multicultural Moment

January 1993 was a watershed moment for 'Symphony of Sorrows' as the album jumped from 71 to 27 in the Music Week pop charts. In February that year Gorecki received a gold disc for sales of 100,000.

Fascinating to think that a symphony, 54-minutes long, scored for a large string orchestra, would climb so high up the charts and sell more than a contemporary musical legend. It is a true testament to the universal language of music, the genius that lies in certain compositions and the infinite power of music to move people.

The language of music is the most common denominator between different cultures and nations. The Bilinguagroup team are all multilingual and from various international backgrounds - they have a true understanding of different cultures and languages. As an international recruitment agency they know what is required of their candidates to live and work abroad and as a translation company they have the capabilities of translating anything from Polish to Punjabi - which is what helps them stay at the forefront of the rich pageant of multicultural life.

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Eric Bachman - Music ReviewWriten by Eric Nielsen

Eric Bachman played the Casbah Thursday to an emptier house than he is accustomed to. He was traveling solo this time. He played a handful of new songs and some of his classic Crooked Fingers pieces. It was very interesting to see him play solo.

He started the night off playing electric guitar with his pod effect pedal that allowed him to get a loop going that he played over. I was hoping to hear more of that.

You know, more layers of sound. Playing solo and listening to soloists can be terribly difficult and boring. We've all seen our share of guitars and singers. But, Eric's voice is what warms your heart. He sings songs of love and horror. Mature lyrics coupled with his experience of being on the road forever.

He picked up his nylon string guitar and played a handful of new songs that were both great and difficult. In the full band of Crooked Fingers you can get this amazing drone of sound, loud sound. With the nylon string guitar he would approach these driving songs and sometimes hit and sometimes miss. The fragility itself was riveting. The out of key notes added flavor.

This man knows what it means to play live and soloing for anyone is a challenge. I had an interesting night of thinking listening to his songs.

Blog San Diego is an online resource for live music reviews, cd reviews, music news & features.

See Online Music Lessons at > http://www.entertainbox.com/

"Among the Living" by Sons of Maxwell: A Music ReviewWriten by Cheryl Lynne Bradley

On August 23, 2006, I had the privilege of hearing the Sons of Maxwell at the Festival of Lights in Peterborough, Ontario. It was a drizzly evening but a large crowd was in attendance to enjoy this excellent band. My feet were happy as soon as I hit the concert field. The band was playing So Confusing from the Among the Living album, a lively, very danceable tune with lyrics that could have been written for a star-crossed seeker/ broken-hearted dreamer like me.

The Sons of Maxwell are billed as a Celtic band, they have a strong East Coast sound reminiscent of The Rankins meeting The Gin Blossoms, a very appealing, catchy, Celtic Country Rock. They won an ECMA award this year for their eighth full length recording, Sunday Morning, as the Country Recording of the Year. Originally from Timmins, Ontario, the band relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia and have carved a place for themselves in the outstanding East Coast music scene in Canada ,building up a loyal fan base.

Among the Living was recorded in the year 2000 and is the first recording in which all the songwriting was done by Dave Carroll. He also produced Mile A Minute with the rest of the production credits, and some of the musicianship, being shared by Tim Feswick and Jon Park Wheeler. Dave and his brother, Don, combine their considerable vocal talent in the Sons of Maxwell so we enjoy the benefit of harmonies that only brothers can create. They are backed by an excellent band and, from what I can gather, these musicians have managed to stay together for a while. The Carroll brothers named the band in honour of their Father, Maxwell. The strong love of family is expressed often in the music on this CD and in their live performance.

The touching and beautiful tribute to Abigail, Hold On, was written for their grandparents (I think I have the story right) when their Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. This song was recognized by the Canadian Alzheimer's Society for its profound message. Mile a Minute is the most sensitive and articulate love song I have ever heard. This song is written from a man's perspective and it makes me wonder if men really can feel that kind of love for a woman. It gives me hope that such love is a possibility. Easy Come, Easy, Go is a song that etches the range of emotions one goes through after we have failed at a relationship. Working Man is a tribute to a hardworking Father ( the men I know identify with this song very strongly). Lady for L.A. is a story of the unattainable woman that men are always seeking. The 5:07 is a song of leaving someone behind but hoping that they will ask you stay even if you know you can't. It seems like he is leaving because of misplaced loyalty and obligation knowing that he is going to feel regret for his choice.

'Burning Bridges is a powerful song about not following the pack or the road most travelled. It reminds us how easily people get caught up in following in other people's footprints, worrying about what hey think, or doing what others think we should do instead of embracing our individuality. The title track, Among the Living, is a beautiful anthem telling us that life is a journey, full of ups and downs but reminds us to always take our place among the living, When the Circus Comes to Town is an exuberant tale of a family reunion, Get It Jumping is a very upbeat, just get up and party song. Mrs. Stanley is a tribute song as well, I am inclined to think it must be an old neighbour or a teacher, someone who was kind in the past.

The night of the concert they had all of their recording on sale but, as usual, I was poor so I chose Among the Living. Other Sons of Maxwell CD's available are Bold Frontier from 1994; Live at Tim's House 1998; The Neighbourhood 1998; Sailor's Story 2000; Instant Christmas 2001 and Sunday Morning 2004. You can order past and current albums as well as a DVD from their online webstore and you can also listen to samples of their music by visiting their website at Sons of Maxwell. Booking information, appearance schedules and biographical information is also available here.

The whole feeling I get from this album is that you can't stand looking at the past with your back to the future, life goes on and we owe it to ourselves to be the best that we can be, come what may Dave Carroll is an extraordinary songwriter, carefully sculpting his songs to express the deep, universal themes that we will all experience as we navigate life. My favourite tracks are So Confusing, Mile A Minute and Burning Bridges but the whole album flows together beautifully. The sound is rich, comforting and full of grace and insight. The Sons of Maxwell are going to go far. I look forward to seeing them again the next time they play in my area.

Cheryl Lynne Bradley is a mother, photographer, writer, internationally respected Tarot reader and author and the President of Tarot Canada. She writes extensively on Tarot from a very original point of view, as well as Divination, Omens, Superstitions and Reviews.

Article (c) Cheryl Lynne Bradley 2006

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Christian Rap MusicWriten by Elizabeth Morgan

Rap music is equally and popularly known as hip-hop music. It is a music genre that had its beginnings in New York during the mid-70s. It was popular among the performers in the City, particularly among the African-Americans and Hispanic musicians.

Christian rap music is likewise known by its other names like Christian hip-hop, holy hip-hop and gospel rap. Having attached the word 'Christian' to distinguish this type of music, Christian rap utilizes lyrics that express the message of Christian faith by the composer or songwriter. However, there are some artists who make their Christian faith known, but the themes of their songs do not contain such religious belief.

From its inception, Christian churches have considered Christian rap or hip-hop music blasphemous. Given its marked difference in sounds and beat from the traditional gospel music, it is also referred to as the 'devil's' music. With changing times, however, Christian rap or hip-hop artists have found their way to mainstream music and have found acceptance from the public.

Similar to Christian music, the purpose of Christian rap or hip-hop music is to reach not only there desired audience of Christians, but to reach out to non-believers who listen to the music. Most of the performers are self-proclaimed Christians who use their music to teach their religion. Christian rap or hip-hop music can be likened to an art that is a form of expression. Over the years, this art has been accepted by several communities that has adopted rap- themed songs in their places of worship.

At present, there are a number of Christian rap artists that have gained prominence through their music. Christian rap or hip-hop music is an effective way of reaching out and touching the lives of people who are into this kind of music.

Christian Music provides detailed information on Christian Music, Christian Music Lyrics, Download Christian Music, Christian Sheet Music and more. Christian Music is affiliated with Southern Gospel Music.

Keith Urban Be Here Country Music CD ReviewWriten by Clyde Dennis

Up from down under the Australian born Keith Urban continues to cement himself as a solid up and coming star with the release of his CD Be Here.

Throughout Be Here Urban distinguishes himself by easily transitioning between country, rock, pop and tinges of bluegrass, creating his own signature style. As has become his trademark, the depth and passion that he brings to his songs through the lyrics can have you in tears.

Be Here has such a great mix of songs. Everything from upbeat fun songs like Days Go By, and Better Life, to sweet romantic songs like Making Memories of Us, and the the ones that will really tug at your heart like Tonight I Wanna Cry, and Nobody Drinks Alone.

These days it's a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs. I love every song on it and recommend it to anyone who not only enjoys country music but music in general. Urban, through his unique style, has a way of making the listener feel the lyrics.

It should be noted that Urban's guitar playing is top notch as well. Providing stirring solo's like that on She's Gotta Be. Making him a really well rounded young musician.

The CD launches with a great track, Days Go By, that will definitely be heard on country music radio stations everywhere, and deservedly so. From there Urban proceeds to display why he is quickly becoming one the best in the business as he mixes his signature style throughout the collection.

Overall Be Here is an outstanding release. Definitely must have music. I give it two thumbs up.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are Better Life [track 2, You're My Better Half [track 6, and These Are The Days [track 13. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in Stuck On REpeat is track 10, Nobody Drinks Alone. Very nice!

Release Notes:

Keith Urban originally released Be Here on September 21, 2004 on the Capitol record label.

CD track list follows:

1. Days Go By
2. Better Life
3. Making Memories Of Us
4. God's Been Good To Me
5. The Hard Way
6. You're My Better Half
7. I Could Fly
8. Tonight I Wanna Cry
9. She's Gotta Be
10. Nobody Drinks Alone
11. Country Comfort
12. Live To Love Another Day
13. These Are The Days

To listen to samples of each song on Be Here by Keith Urban go to: Keith Urban CD - Be Here MP3 Samples [ http://www.smoothlee.com/keith-Urban-be-here.html

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is a life long music fanatic. In addition to writing CD Reviews like this one for several music related websites he also hosts an internet radio show, and invites you to join him daily for some of the best soul soothing smooth jazz you'll ever hear at http://www.SmoothJazz247.com

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Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Don't Tell Me To Stop!)Writen by Linda Dessau

This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an expert perspective, I interviewed Dr. Sarah Mickeler, B.Mus., D.C. Dr. Mickeler is a former professional musician and a chiropractor who concentrates on musicians' injuries in her practice.

1) What led you to specialize in musicians' injuries?

I have a very personal connection to musician's injuries. I had trained as a classical clarinet player and it was during my undergrad that I started to have all sorts of problems from playing too much and with poor posture. Unfortunately, I was told, as many others are, that I should just play through the pain and that maybe it would get better! Of course, it didn't, and it eventually led to the demise of my career as a clarinetist, because I was totally unable to hold up my instrument. So, I decided to pick a new career that would help others musicians - and hopefully before they got to the point that I was at! Chiropractic appealed to me because of the whole health care paradigm that it embodies - as chiropractors, we diagnose and fix the cause, rather than masking the symptoms.

2) What is different about treating musicians than treating the general population?

Often, what I tell people who don't understand the specifics of musicians' injuries, is that it takes one to know one. As a musician, it can be very difficult to explain to a physician or physiotherapist or even another chiropractor what the mechanics look like when you are playing your instrument. But when someone comes into my office and says that they play flute, or guitar, or tuba, or whatever, I know exactly what the physical component of playing their instrument involves. That is a very important first step.

Secondly, not only do you have to be able to have a good understanding of what playing that instrument involves, but you have to be able to see that person play. Even if someone tells me they play violin (I automatically think: ok, so they will be leaning their head to the left and have right shoulder problems, etc...), I am often shocked to see how over the years of playing they have contorted themselves into a little pretzel while they play!

So, on the first or second visit, all of my musicians bring in their instruments and I do a thorough playing analysis to see what it is that they're doing right and wrong. It could be that their posture is contributing to their injury. Or maybe there's something about the instrument that we could change; it might just need a minor adjustment in the thumb rest or a key positioning.

For instance, I have very small hands and found it difficult to reach some of the alternate fingering keys on my clarinet - so I had them sawed off and re-soldered on in a different direction so I could reach them.

Thirdly, it is important to recognize that there are some really common reasons for performance injuries. The most common ones are a change in repertoire, a change in the instrument (such as a new mouthpiece or something similar), a change in practice time or an upcoming recital. If we can pinpoint what it is that the performer has been doing differently lately to contribute to their injury, that helps immensely.

And lastly, it is so important to realize, especially for freelance artists, that you can't just tell them to take a muscle relaxant, and take a few weeks off. If these people took a few weeks off, they wouldn't have a roof over their head or food on the table. While it's occasionally absolutely imperative that a break be taken, most of the time I take a holistic approach to treating performers and change and fix what we can, within the obvious limitations of current gigs and upcoming events.

3) What's the most common injury that you see in your office?

In my office, there is a tie for the most common injury. The first is upper back/shoulder/neck pain - I lump these together because those terms can mean the same thing to a lot of people - often someone will come in and say that their shoulder hurts and point to the pain, but to me what they're pointing to is actually their upper back or lower neck. This one is often a function of poor posture or poor practice ergonomics. If we can figure out how to improve the overall posture and ergonomic situation then this tends to resolve quickly.

And the second most common injury is hand and arm pain. You would not believe how many people walk into my office with numb and tingly hands and fingers - which can be very scary if you're the one to experience it - to find out that the problem isn't actually their hands and fingers at all, but it's a little further up the arm and can be quite easily treated once properly diagnosed. Or they come in with tennis elbow - but they have never held a tennis racket in their life! In my office, I call tennis and golfer's elbow musician's elbow because it is a repetitive strain injury. It is really, really common and surprisingly easy to treat.

4) What can musicians do to prevent injury?

First of all, don't be a hero! There is just no reason to practice for hours on end without a break. Always remember to take a little break for every 30 minutes that you are playing. Secondly, don't play through pain. The pain signal is there to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Playing through it is not going to get you anywhere - other than in more pain and in worse shape down the road. Thirdly, be aware of your ergonomics. If you sit to play, does your chair fit you properly? In rehearsal, do you have to strain at all to see both the stand and the conductor? Are your arms contorted oddly in order to be able to play properly? This is not good. And lastly, seek the help of a professional who can not only help you with the injuries that you are currently dealing with, but can help you avoid future injury and optimize your overall performance.

You can find out more about Dr. Sarah Mickeler and her Toronto-based chiropractic practice concentrating on musicians' injuries at http://www.drsarah.ca.

To echo Sarah's advice, please pay attention to any pain signals your body is sending you! Admitting you're having a physical problem doesn't make you any less of a musician it means you're a very smart musician with years of playing ahead of you!!

This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter's Resource website (February 2005) http://www.musesmuse.com.

(c) Copyright Linda Dessau, 2005.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, Everyday Artist, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

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How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click?Writen by Jeff Schuman II

Interested in making money while youre asleep, or making money while youre not even on the computer? Well here is a way that you can do that, clicks!! Once you have gone through godaddy.com and purchased your domain name for a cheap $9.20 per year, and found a hosting company such as GoDaddy.com for $3.95 per month, you are set to begin building your website and making money.

It is possible to make money by joining affiliate programs and selling companies products as mentioned in my previous article, How to Make Money on a Music Website through Affiliate Programs found at:

http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com/articles/article13.html

Now how exactly do you make money through people clicking on your website and links on your website? The first step is to get a FREE affiliate account with 7search at 7search.com. What this will allow you to do is place 7search ads and other websites dealing with your topic, in this case music, on your website.

On the 7search affiliate page you will be able to manage your account viewing how many clicks a day you are getting and how much money you are making. How you make money is by placing pay-per-text links on your website. Through 7search you will want to go to:

http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com/7searchkeyword.html

This will allow you to look at the price you will make for different keywords that you use. The difference between music and free music for example, results in a change of cost that websites are paying to get their website higher on the search engine.

When creating your pay-per-text once you have come up with a keyword that you want to use, come up with a short sentence or phrase to let people know what they are clicking on. For example, use Top 10 music websites or Best free music websites, to reel them in to see what the top 10 music websites are. You will also be able to choose how many sites you want to come up on your list, from 1 to all that are available. You will want to keep it at 10 or under as the lower down the list the site is, the less you get paid each time a surfer clicks on the link.

As you create this pay-per-text, 7search will give you a code that you place in your web panel creating a link. The great thing about 7search is that there is NO limit to how many pay-per-text links you place on your website, so you can have one on each page of your website or more. It is recommended however, that you dont place more then a couple per page as it will begin to appear cluttered with pay-per-texts. Once you place the pay-per-text links on your website, you are set to begin making money 24/7.

Now that you have a way to make money by people clicking on links on your website, how do you get people to come to your website? You want to get your website out on the internet and get it known. You can run ads through other peoples websites or on various companies websites, but this will cost you money varying from website to website. If you want to make money without spending too much money, the way is by exchanging links with other people.

Exchanging links with other people allows you to get your website out on other peoples website so that when surfers go on to their website, they may see your website and be intrigued. By exchanging links, you are giving your website to someone else to have them place it on their website and in return, you place their website on your website.

The two link exchange companies that I use are infowizards.com and linkmarket.net. Infowizards is free to join and allows you to trade multiple links with people in all categories with no limit. You will want to keep your link exchanges as close to your topic as possible. For example, dont trade links with someone that has a website based on relationships if you have a music website.

The other link exchange company that I use, linkmarket.net, is free to a limit. You may only request 5 links per day for free, or you may request unlimited links per day at the cost of $18.85 a year, which is highly recommended. The linkmarket.net website offers far more links than the infowizards website, and is much easier to maintain and keep track.

Another good way to get traffic to your website is by writing articles on various topics relating to your topic in some way. You then submit your article to as many places as possible such as goarticles.com, article-emporium.com, or ideamarketers.com. If you can submit your articles to 30-50 places, you will create traffic to your website in a hurry. Now you know what to do and the places to join to get money flowing if off of your music website while you arent even working on it.

Jeff Schuman II

Jeff Schuman is the creator of Best-MP3-Music-Downloads.com where you can buy CDs and find all of the best free music downloads: http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com.

Are Free Music Download Programs-FREEWriten by John Rivers

Before you use one of those free music download programs you may want to compare them with the legal file-sharing programs to help you make a decision.

There are many free music download software programs available to download free music online. It seems like there are new Ares download, free music download web sites entering the Web everyday. Getting a free KaZaA music download is all I here my students talk about in class. Asking each other where to download free music or download and burn free music. They talk about sites to find Inuyasha music downloads, Final Fantasy music downloads, even cell phone music downloads.

Are free music download programs...FREE?

It all depends on what you want. Some offer Pro versions which have no ads or pop-ups. But do be cautious with most of the free music download software, they will have adware, spyware and pop-ups.

KaZaA music download-KaZa Lite music download
Limewire music download
Ares music download
Shareaza music download
WinMX music download
Imesh music download
Free Grokster Download
Poisoned

These programs are free... but they have some problems. Basically, the difference between free file-sharing programs and file-sharing programs that you pay for is as follows. With the pay programs such as Mp3 Advance, MP3 Music Subscription and DownloadShield, you get technical support, no pop ups, no adware or spyware, most offer privacy protection, and your money back if you're not happy with the program.

With the totally free music download programs, unless you buy their Pro version, which some of them are more expensive than the pay programs mentioned above, you're pretty much on your own along with the ads and pop ups and don't forget the spyware. It's your choice.

John Rivers has been involved with music for over 30 years as a student, performer and teacher. His site The-NetGuide-for-MusicDownloads.com helps individuals to find safe and legal Music and Movie download sites. Subscribe to NetMusic News and receive Free music downloads each month.

Jazz Shrinks Complex World - Jazz HistoryWriten by Lindsey Williams

When I've had a belly full of the complexities of current events I find a jazz band in some out of the way place and retreat for awhile into melody with a big beat.

For those of you who are turned on by horns, I recommend a small watering place in Cleveland called the Lake Shore Club.

There, Ted Witt and his Forest City Jazz Band hold forth on Saturday nights with the best music this side of New Orleans.

Located through the courtyard of an old motel, it is not the kind of joint you would wander into cold turkey. But, take my word, the surroundings are pleasant, the drinks unadulterated, the prices average, the food good and the clientele well dressed without ostentation.

I was introduced to jazz while stationed at the U.S. Naval base in Key West during World War II. The best honky-tonk in town had a small jazz combo of venerable black players, but the soul jerking notes poured out on those Sunday afternoons after church when the colored folks (their term) conducted a funeral.

No matter what day of the week a black person might happen to meet his Maker, the funeral was held on Sunday. Then the fishermen would be home, no one would lose wages, and the mood of religious contemplation would be deepest.

After regular morning services, lengthened by a substantial eulogy to the deceased, the march to the grave yard began. The coffin rode in one mule-drawn wagon and an assembly of horn players in another. The mourners marched behind in swallow-tail suits, high hats and formal dresses.

The parade to the cemetery was somber and featured plaintive hymns such as Just A Closer Walk With Thee, Old Rugged Cross, Amazing Grace, and Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Now, 30 years later, these tunes nearly break me up as bittersweet memories flood back.

The return from the cemetery, however, was jubilant as the marchers asserted their faith that their departed companion was well on his way to a just reward in heaven. Of course there was When The Saints Come Marching In, Washed In The Blood of Jesus, and Down By The Riverside. But there was also a lot of high stepping to Georgia Cakewalk, High Society and Muskrat Ramble.

It was a meaningful blend of sorrow, reverence, and Christian faith in a better life here after.

Since those days - now gone I am told by travelers to the southern-most Florida Key - I have pursued the blue and golden notes in New Orleans, Nashville, St. Louis, Memphis, and Chicago. For there, in the Mississippi Valley, is the true home of American jazz.

Strangely however, I have found the most creative practitioners of this unique American music in Key West, Cleveland, New York, and San Francisco. One of the characteristics that has made jazz great is its ability to be exported, and to be assimilated by diverse cultural communities.

Where did it all start?

Stephen Longstreet, the jazz historian, says it is best to begin in New Orleans, where the black man became in time a little lighter, and the white man often a little darker.

The French and the Spanish, the African tribesmen often with royal chief's blood under their heavy muscles - and even the Indian peering in - the long boats from Kentucky, and the Yankee mountain men in buckskin fringes - in for a big bust and swallowing of untaxed whiskey - all wanted music, and helped make it, said Longstreet.

New Orleans mixed it all up, and churned it around, and made it a part of a new nation - that was part of a New World where anything could happen.

Today we call it history. But then it was simple people, wild people, pioneers and men on their way up in a hurry. All sang a lot and stomped around to music.

Whether it was in the Congo jungle of Africa or in the tromped-down grass of Congo Square in New Orleans, it was rhythm that started it all.

Music and dancing, said the white slave masters, made the Negroes too tired to work hard, so the wild people from Africa just clapped their hands at first.

Then they made a drum on the sly and brought it out - when the Master was off somewhere else subduing the passions of his own wild country - to remind them of their native jungles.

An old horn was snitched from some white man's junk heap, or maybe a rusty old banjo was given by a keel boatman from Ohio who didn't give a damn about plantations and cotton anyway.

At last the Negro had become part of musical America. He was ready to add a sense of freedom and lusty beat that created a new musical art form peculiar to the United States.

In time, jazz evolved through a variety of forms - spirituals, marches, cake walks, ragtime, blues and swing. But the basic foundation was always twelve 4-4 bars of singable notes.

Louis Satchmo Armstrong was the last of the Golden Generation of jazz musicians. Today we rely on the artistry of Pete Fountain, Turk Murphy, Al Hirt and Ted Witt to carry on the glorious tradition of authentic jazz.

Ted Witt is great on the licorice stick and still belts out a few numbers on the fish horn soprano sax made famous by Sidney Bechet. Ted's other front men, Emmett Wiley on the slip horn and Dick Petscher on trumpet, are ably supported by John Bittance on bass, Bert Smith at the piano, Al Gutheim on the skins, and Bill Morehead on banjo.

Somehow, when those guys cut loose, such things as the economy, Watergate, and Mideast wars don't seem all that important.

September 18, 1974 .

Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams's website

.

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book Boldly Onward, that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)

See Online Music Lessons at > http://www.entertainbox.com/

RAP Music and Brain Washing IssuesWriten by Lance Winslow

I am not sure if anyone has been watching out there, about the types of music that we are listening to. Let us look at them for a minute. Our grandparents listen to music like; Happy Days are Here Again, the Skies Above Are Clear Again. Kids today listen to RAP, which actually starts with a 'C' except the 'C' is silent in this new spelling and pronunciation. Its really, CRAP. A radio station in TX is actually called K-RAP. Perfect.

It is not that the music is so bad; actually it is good, because its rhythm and cadence puts people in a convergence state of mind. In other words it puts them into theta state of mind and that is where it is easier to suggest a new thought or to brainwash in sleep state. The initiation of such brainwaves is powerful indeed. These tactics are also used in certain churches and Sales and motivational seminars. Also during commercials and government uses them to some degree for important endeavors, for instance cadence in military marching. The gangster rap is not good in that it suggests killing, drugs, other gang activities while putting its listener into the convergence state of mind. This is a negative thing, and may cause these individuals to dwell on certain thoughts and give them ideas that they may with proper gang mentality attempt one or more of the activities talked about in the songs. It would be much better to have songs with that type of cadence, which promoted good deeds and love. Perhaps there are many of these types of songs yet they do not sell very well and I do not here positive rap songs as much as I should. Mostly the Gangster Rap.

Many Techno type songs are also negative in nature. But these songs do not have the proper beats per minute to put a person into a trance like state, where suggestive behavior is introduced that is a throw back to before the human change in society. Is it possible to disallow this type of music? Music is an escape for many people to the fast paced life, and being in a trace state is probably a good state to be in, if one wanted to escape from the world for a while. A strong Bass in a song and certain beats per minute introduce this convergence state, then the subject is 100 percent ready for fresh new input. Theta States of mind are induced and a waken dream state provides for easy subconscious input.

But what are we allowing to be put into these minds of altered state? Songs of this nature are better than drugs, yet the drugs would effect the singular and not the victims of the deed that are done once the behavior of an individual are altered through this convergence. There is freedom of expression in this country yet the listeners are not realizing the effect of the changes as they occur. They are being brain washed while listening to their favorite music. Which become more favored because it puts them in a trace state allowing them to escape from problems of life. Hey no one said life was easy, right? I believe Rappers should be thrown in the trash cans, not littering the minds of our youth. It costs businesses money for graffiti cleaning and tax payers money in police. The cost to society is too great to calculate as a whole, but it is real. Rather than eliminate a cultural phenomena.

Let us instead make each record label and artist (I use this loosely as I do not approve of the RAP, but without passing judgment) produce 10 songs with positive lyrics for every one song of negative lyrics. That solves that problem. People can still escape in their trance state, record companies still make money, the constitution is still upheld, but there will be less negative and more positive thought going on when trance like state is producing more of one chemical in the brain than another. A person in this state is easy to recognize, their eyes are glossy and remain so for while afterwards.

Lance Winslow

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Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records?Writen by Charles Essmeier

In the late 1940s, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM record. The 45 was smaller, less breakable and could be made and sold more cheaply. Despite these advantages, it took ten years before the 78 became obsolete, and in the meantime, record companies sold their product in both formats. In 1982, the major record companies introduced the compact disc, which offered a smaller size, perfect sound, and less likelihood of damage in day to day use. As the compact disc offered a much larger profit margin than did the long-play record album (LP) the record companies were eager to rid store shelves of records once and for all. Given that the 78 lasted ten years after the introduction of the 45, it seemed likely that the LP would be gone from the market by 1990. The expected disappearance of the LP never happened. Despite the efforts of the music industry, music fans and collectors not only continue to buy records today, but sales of records and record-playing equipment are on the rise.

Each year in January, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held in Las Vegas. At this event, audio and video manufacturers show off the latest and greatest in their product lines. An unusual sight this year was not the large number of cutting-edge compact disc players, but the largest number of record turntables that had been seen at the event in years! Sales of both new and used records are hot, and equipment manufacturers are eager to reintroduce the turntables they quit making years ago. Why are record sales increasing when compact discs are supposed to provide perfect sound in an unbreakable format? There are several reasons:

Price. Price is always a factor when consumers buy anything and the prices of new and used record albums are less than the prices of new and used compact discs, respectively. Used CDs may sell for $5-8; used record albums sell for $3-5

Physical size. A lot of people prefer the larger size of record albums. They dont store as easily as compact discs, but the covers and lyrics are easier to read, and the product feels more substantial. Buyers feel like theyre getting more for their money, even if its just extra weight.

Sound. The digital sound of compact discs has a certain cleanness and purity to it, but many listeners find the sound of compact discs to be artificial or metallic, lacking the warmth of the sound of a record. Arguments have been going on for years, and fans of compact discs claim that there really is no difference in sound, but millions of record fans would probably disagree.

Nostalgia. A lot of Baby Boomers grew up listening to records, and records have a fond familiarity to them that listeners like.

New record albums continue to be released every day. Aided by artists who are still recording who demand that their albums be released as both records and compact discs, such as Diana Krall, Pink Floyd, and Metallica, record album sales continue to thrive. Despite industry efforts to kill the format back in the 1980s, It appears that the record album will continue to live on, well into the twenty-first century, and music fans couldnt be happier about it.

Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm that operates several retail Websites, including AluminumChristmasTrees.net, a site devoted to vintage

Music Industry Secrets Revealed - How To Become Succesful The Music Industry Without A Record DealWriten by Fisnik Imeraj

Before the internet, unsigned music artists couldnt make a living, off the thing they love and enjoy the most: Their music! They would have to send in demos to major record companys, hoping that the CEO's would love their music and actually call them up on the phone offering them a recorddeal! But what they dont know is that the CEO's dont give a f*#% about music!! They ONLY offer recordeals to artists who they know will become succesfull!

To say it in another way: They NEVER risk millions of dollars on bands that they dont see any future with!

Today there's thousands, maybe millions of music artists looking for a way to make a living off their music. Those artists may now have a chance!

Former A&R Agent - Interscope Records, Fisnik Imeraj has written an eBook explaining just what the unsigned music artists should do! Publish their own music! Thats right! Since the internet is already invented, then why not take advantage of it?

In his new book Fisnik Imeraj explains to the ambitious artists how they can publish their own music on the internet, and keep 100% of their profits themselfs! He explains every part of music publishing on the internet! From creating a website to marketing their music! And the best part is that any artist can start with virtually NO money!!

If you ever dreamed of becoming a successful music artist, you should definately purchase this book! It might change your life! The book can be downloaded instantly after payment on http://www.deluxepass.dk

Fisnik Imeraj has worked along with THE biggest names in the music industry! He now reveals everything about music publishing on his new book Music Industry Secrets Revealed! How to become successful in the music industry without a recorddeal!

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Musical Instruments for your ChildrenWriten by Olivia Andrews

Music is the essence of life and I think that no one is untouched with this beautiful gift given to mankind. Even children also love to play music and enjoy it when they get a chance to do so. For this, you require various expensive musical instruments but what if you make your own music instruments at your home with little efforts? It is a fun and inexpensive idea to make Gongs, xylophones, hummers and triangles for children to play.

1. To make a Gong you need an old pie tin or a lid of a large metal popcorn tin, a metal table knife or spoon for a mallet, a hammer and nail, a string. You have to pound two nail holes on the edge of the pie tin or on the side of the popcorn lid two or three inches apart. Thread the string through the holes and tie a knot. The string should be about 1 to 2 feet long enough so that you can easily hold it without touching the pan or tin. Hit the pan with the spoon or knife and you have a loud sound. To soften the sound, you need to wrap the knife or spoon with a piece of cloth and then use a child socks to cover the knife or spoon.

2. To make a Xylophone you require glass pop bottles of same size and then shape work best for a homemade xylophone and for this purpose, water glasses shall also work. Fill the glasses with different amount of water whereby one bottle should be almost filled to the top and the other one with very little water. The other bottles should vary somewhere in between the two. You can use as many or less bottles as you like. A knife or spoon would wok well as a mallet. Hit the side of the bottle or glass gently as each one shall make a different sound. You can even experiment with different levels of water to decide which note pitch you would like most. If you have a piano or other musical instrument that shall make various pitches then you can tune your bottles or glasses to the instrument.

3. Making a hummer is also very easy where you need to have an empty cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tube, a rubber band and a wax paper. Cut a round piece of wax paper that is larger than the ends of the tube. Cover one end with the wax paper and hold in place with the rubber band and make sounds into the opposite end of the tube.

4. You can also make a triangle with the help of a horseshoe or 4 to 8 inches of metal pipe, string and a knife or spoon. Loop the string at the curve of the horse shoe or thread it through the pipe. Tie a knot at the top and hit the horse shoe or pipe with the knife as soon as it dangles from the sting. Make sure that the string is strong enough to hold the pipe.

Olivia Andrews, writing for Music Future is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

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The Music of 1960sWriten by Sharon White

The threat of communism and atomic war inadvertently effected the development of American youth culture for some time, and it brought fourth this constant paranoia in American society. As for many Americans this struggle against communism was seen as a fight between good and evil, which brought censorship as the older generation of Americans believed that this new form of artistic expression being introduced to the popular culture at the time would erode the values of young people. Rock proved to be a formidable force that moved American youth into a totally new existence. This new form of music ran opposed to everything that the television had deemed acceptable. Weirdness was embraced through such people as Little Richard, and its black origins in words; style and implications threatened white parental society. Through the Beatles and Rock and Roll, the rebellion against suburbia was started.

The 1960s also enabled folk to be recognised in musical mainstream of America. The acceptance of this sometimes sparse and almost always politically potent music was a complete turn around from the previous decades sound, style and content. American folk of the 60s championed the causes of the left, thus promoting change, justice and equality. Many of the days popular folk artists, were black listed, because of their so-called threat to national security. These songs would put the establishment on trial, and articulate the feelings of millions. Many of the people who helped elevate folk in the 60s have become names of immense prominence in music history. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman) became the single most important figure that embodied the 60s folk music. By 1965, Dylans music resembled the loud rock and roll that was being produced at the time. This may have been because of traditional folks decline, and the need for commercial exceptance. This transition for Dylan proved costly as through out contemporary music history he was confronted with the label of sell out, as he deviated and abandoned the purist form of folk, which undoubtedly created his prolific career. But perhaps in the larger unnoticeable sense this could have been a part on Dylans behalf for the continuation of folk as a music and social force. With his sometimes-psychedelic sound, many more people were in tune to his sound and messages.

The guitar driven by electric rock provided a respite from thoughts of the worlds ills. It was music that allowed, promoted and produced dancing. It was seen as a different sort of energy and it appealed to the young to move.

In the 60s performers like Dylan started to use music as a form of protest. The coffee house culture was born, with white students beginning to interact with black students, new values were created, and prejudices disassembled.

Deep questions began to form in American society and institutions of control began to be questioned. There was a feeling that there was something radically wrong with the country. Vietnam was beginning to divide the nation, combined with the civil rights struggle, which pushed the counter culture revolution in to effect. Folk and the messages it conveyed were reflective of society ills and as a voice it alienated many within the country and in a smaller scale the counter culture. The 60s were seen as an emotionally draining time. There were very real problems, and folk reminded its listeners of everyday evils could only move so far forward. This inevitably led to the need for an infusion of disposable culture that can be seen as the go ahead for change and experimentation in society, especially in regard to popular music and youth culture.

The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com. Sharon White is a 5-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of dissertation writing services support team. Contact her to get custom term paper tips and learn how to write Term Papers.

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Devil Music: Red Laughter [a poemWriten by Dennis Siluk

White demons, with red laughter
Dreams lost to demonic masters
Souls in the drifting years
Footsteps during proud halls of Belshazzar

Flee far the phantasms of the fire
Swift and sudden they appear
Seizing all by hand and mans desire
White demons, with red laughter

They weave their thoughts through ours
With goblets filled with charm and wine
Then roar and shake the earth
With their strange enigmatic minds

go back to sleep! a dark night
I tell my weary, unwell wife
Afar I hear red laughter:
Devil Music, demonic Masters!

Note: Written at my Casa [home, in Lima, Peru, 11:40 PM, 5/11/2006, I was on the third stanza, second line, of the poem Devil Music: Red Laughter, and the earthquake came, shook the house, like a roaring train the earth murmured under me, the foundation of the house trembled, and my wife was in another room, came to the library where I was, and I told her (she was ill) to go back to sleep,all would be all right, shortly, and she did, and it was. #1347

This poem is dedicated to the Carmel Group of writers of the 1900s, at the turn of the century: George Sterling, Clark A. Smith, Robert Howard, Jack London, Ambrose Bierce, Nora May French, H.P. Lovecraft. There will never be another group like it.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

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Music Times FourWriten by Kenneth C. Hoffman

Listening

I gather the harmony which floats on the air

And thrill to the meaning that waits for me there.

From the depths of my heart to the chords of my soul

Finding the sum of four parts can be greater than the whole.

Only one in a million can be a singer like Perry Como or possess the perfect warm voice of a Bing Crosby. There are thousands of singers out there with good voices that stay on pitch who, for some reason of another, never got to sing for an audience other than the occasional stint with the church choir.

Enter the Society For the Preservation and Encouragement of Quartet singing in America, Inc. Quite a mouthful, but it means what it says. Picture yourself, not in front of an audience of thousands, but in the living room of an older couple. Dressed in snappy tuxedos, you mingle with the guests at the lady's birthday party. As a surprise, her husband has hired a Barbershop Quartet to sing to his wife some of her favorite songs in four part harmony.

A brief introduction is immediately followed by three songs, each of which is avidly accompanied by nodding heads, reminiscent smiles and mouthed words. The chords reverberate wonderfully off the walls with feet tapping while knowing looks from the husband ricochet back and forth, the audience suddenly bursting into wild applause.

The four gentlemen are from totally different walks of life. One owns a computer service company and another is a retired business man. The third member still takes a picture or two as a professional photographer and the fourth member has just started his own consulting company. Each one sings the part most suited to his vocal range. The lead sings the melody since his voice contains the most character. The low range is well covered by (surprise, surprise) by the largest male of the group. Amazingly, the tenor can also sing bass! There is one note left in the four part chord and that is gladly given to the baritone. Once a week they attend a chorus meeting, leaning new songs and furthering their singing techniques. Their efforts at quartet singing require an additional two hours of practice if they are to succeed in front of an audience.

There are not too many hobbies that provide fun and a social night out with some great people. Add to this the instant satisfaction of four part harmony for a great time.Once a year the chorus and quartets present a Barbershop Show to perform for their friends, relatives and the general public. Their non-profit status provide much needed funds for worthy causes around the world. The old songs bring back many wonderful memories and these new performers are creating many more!

Music lovers seem to fall into one class of people - nice.

See Piano Learning Info Here > http://www.learntomasterpiano.com/

Does Reading Make Music?Writen by Ron Worthy

When you read music you are deciphering the printed page and transferring the information to the keyboard. You might say that you are decoding what the composer or arranger put on the page . The symbols put on the paper by the composer are the only means he or she has to convey his/her musical ideas to the performer, hence to the listener.

But! Is decoding a page of printed music and transferring those symbols to sound really making music?

Not necessarily. That is only one step. We might say that reading the notes with our eyes and playing them with our fingers is putting the mechanics to work. If we stop studying the piece as soon as we are fairly fluent in playing the notes we have read, we may be good keyboard mechanics, but we may not be considered musicians.

No doubt you have listened to a pianist and come away saying, That performance really carried me away. On the other hand you have also probably heard much so-called music that left you coldthat did nothing for you. Perhaps one reason we enjoy listening to ear players is the fact that they are listening to what they play and are not distracted by the printed page.

Ear players MUST listen to themselves or they would have no idea of what comes next. The music is really speaking to them. Always remember that until music speaks to the player it cannot communicate anything to the listener.

What has all this got to do with reading music? You ask:Is it wrong to try to learn to read? Since I can't play by ear, should I just forget about learning to play?

The first question will take a bit of detail to take us from the printed page to good listening. Don't forget that the performer must be a good listener, if not the most critical of all listeners. If, as you perform, you become so engrossed in the printed notes, their pitch, their time, the touch, the dynamicsthat you forget that all those things must fit together as a whole to make a good tone story, then you are a note reader, not a musician. But you must learn to read fluently if you can't play by ear.

There are comparatively few people who can play from memory or by ear everything that is on the page, fully and accurately. But, you don't hear them falter and fumble over the spots that are rough because they have learned how to fake, how to cover their mistakes so the average listener is not aware of their bloopers.

So go aheadlearn to be a good reader. Not just a good letter reader, be a phrase-wise reader. Be aware of everything printed on the page, but read between the lines. Like a good actor, put yourself in the role and project your feelings to your listeners . Don't let your development stop with just reading pitch and time. Include those little nuances: the delicate shadings of volume, the elasticity of tempo�the phrases that punctuate your musical story. Those are the things that make music from the printed page.

Now you know your answer. It is not wrong to learn to read fluently. Reading, as well as good technique, is a vital part of a musician's craft. And the more automatic your reading and technique become, the easier it will be to learn new music. That, of course, is the one big advantage the fluent reader has over the ear playerthe player who reads can learn new music he or she has never heard.

Perhaps your second question is also answered. Of course, you can enjoy music even if you have to dig out every note phrase by phrase. A few hints may help you decide how to choose your music and how to go about learning it. First:

Choose music that is well within your present level of playing so you won't have to work forever on once piece.

Don't worry about challenging yourself.

Don't dub yourself lazy just because you play easy pieces. Who cares what grade level your music is? Just play the melody so beautifully that everyone wants to hum along.

Keep the beat moving smoothly and with the proper accent so everyone will want to tap their toes.

Put in enough subtle changes of volume to make the phrases speak.

Deviate from the established beat just enough to enhance the natural flow of rhythm to make the music come alive.

Copyright 2005 RAW Productions

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer. His Web Site, Play Piano Like a PRO, offers Proven Tips, Tool, and Strategies (that anyone can learn) to Play Rock, Pop, Blues and Smooth Jazz Piano. http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm

See Online Music Lessons at > http://www.entertainbox.com/

The Minutemen - "We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen" - Music ReviewWriten by Kiva Boyd

The Minutemen said it best, Our band could be your life. Indeed! Back in 1982 they certainly changed mine. I first heard their music blasting out of the sound system of Pier Records in Newport Beach. Every so often Id jump on my bike and pedal out to my pal Rodneys house. Wed take the bus and make a pilgrimage out to Newport to soak up the scene. Pier had all of the good stuff.

They had English imports of The Damned, Sham 69 and The Jam as well as the latest from our California heroes like Black Flag and The Circle Jerks. It was on one of these trips that I heard Tension from the album The Punchline. I was hooked at an instant. Id never heard anything like it. Jerky brittle blasts of guitar, thumping funk bass strings and the wild kaleidoscope drumming. I dont know if it was the individual parts or the overall impact they created but some how I knew exactly what they sounded like. They sounded like freedom.

In a couple of years it was all over. D.boon had died in an utterly tragic car accident and The Minutemen were no more. I suppose that its not really the amount of years in a life that counts but more the amount of life in ones years but losing D.boon was an enormous tragedy. just before the end, The Minutemen released the album that would become the soundtrack to my college years, Double Nickels on the Dime. This huge album is simply greatness personified. So, of course, it is with pleasure that I sat down to watch the recently released DVD, We Jam Econo:The Story of The Minutemen (Plexifilm).

This 2 disc set does an amazing job of conveying just why this band was so special. The frame-device is Mike Watt driving around San Pedro talking about the band and their lives. Along the way we are treated to impressions by most of the people who moved through their circle, including Dez Cadena, Fleas, John Dee, Henry Rollins, Spot, Keith Morris, Thurston Moore and too many others to mention. Interview segments are alternated with clips of the band playing at all of the classic 1980s punk venues. The second disc is all performances. THere are 62 songs played at The Starwood, The 9:30 Club and most amazing of all, an entire acoustic gig. There is so much rich material here to enjoy. This documentary conjures up a time when it seemed as though a fissure had opened up in reality. If one had some conviction it was possible, even in Reagan era America, to jump into that fissure and conjure up something truly original.

To me The Minutemen are untouchable. D.boon is not dead. His legacy casts a large shadow still. It was the light of ideas that came to me through their music that helped lead me on my way to the Peace Corps in Africa. It was their commitment to music that led my pal Rodney to continue pursuing music and eventually form the band Sugar Ray. We Jam Econo is an amazing film. The concert footage alone makes it vital. I think it should be required viewing for anyone forming a band, or anyone who simply loves music.

Blog San Diego is an online resource for live music reviews, cd reviews, music news & features.

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So - What Music: Whatever Happened to the Album Concept?Writen by Darryl Gregory

Hey honey, can you go to the store and pick up a few songs? My iPod needs filling!

That sounds a bit silly, but it seems to me that that is whats happening to the popular song these days. People buy single songs for .99 or rip one or two tracks from a CD to load up their iPods. Then they categorize them so that they have songs for sunny days, rainy days, break-up days, and laundry days. The songs become a commodity and random fodder for our daily soundtrack. And dont even get me started on ring tones!

Its not all the fault of the consumer either. Songwriters are lured by the possible exposure and money they can earn from a commercial endorsement or the placement of one of their songs on a WB network show. And like these shows, the music is getting predictable and boring; they say the same things in the same ways with the same musical approach. I listen to these songs and I just say - So What? -

Thus Ive come to create a whole new category of pop music called, in my book, So What Music. The songs are well played, the singers, for the most part are ok, and there is nothing really wrong with the songs except that Ive heard them before in some guise or another. Im an XM Satellite radio subscriber and as I bounce around the twenty or so channels that offer popular songs of some style or another I realize that there really are not a lot of signed artists that offer something new. Perhaps thats why they are signed - oooh Im being cynical - maybe, but it does seem that the bigger acts are the ones that appeal to the middle. And, I guess theres nothing wrong with that, its been happening since pop music became pop music, but So What?

When I was a kid I went to the Kresges dime store and bought 45s for 75 and traded those around with my friends, but I also bought albums (when I had the cash). The albums I bought usually had an arc to them and I would listen to the first side and then want to turn over to the other side to hear how the thing ended. Born To Run is a prime example and I cant listen to just the song Born To Run without humming Shes the One right after it. Its the next chapter in the story. These albums had songs that had depth and imagery and the albums themselves had an arc to them that demanded that I listen to the entire CD.

So who is doing this these days? If you take a listen to this weeks podcast I feel that the three artists that are spotlighted do and I can name a few signed artists like Elvis Costello, Springsteen, and an up and coming favorite of mine Ryan Adams. We as discriminating listeners have to wade through a lot of mish-mash to get to the real good stuff. But its well worth the search and hopefully this podcast is a good place to jump off.

Darryl

Darryl Gregory is the host of Unsigned Underground, a monthly podcast that is all about the independent musician. Darryl also reviews unsigned CDs on his blog Unsigned Music Reviews. Darryl is a freelance musician, teacher and owner of Blue Cave Studios in Connecticut.

Related Music Sites : http://www.entertainbox.com > http://www.guitarready.com > http://www.learntomasterpiano.com

Going Underground: Free Music DownloadsWriten by Dimitris Stacosta

The popularity of online music downloads has soared in recent years thanks to devices such as the iPod and cell phones which can now play music everywhere you go. Unfortunately as many avid music listeners know the costs of subscription music services can add up quick. Thanks to underground music sites which offer free downloads of independent artists and bands there are alternatives to taking a bite out costs.

These sites offer downloads of free music at no cost with no gimmicks or strings attached. Many artists just getting started view the Internet as the best way to promote their music and setup sites or join existing ones to help spread their bands unique style or message. Even popular artists you may already know have jumped aboard and offered selections of their music for free in order to thank fans and promote upcoming new releases.

Many people are concerned about legal implications of music downloads because of recently news reports about illegal downloads. However with underground sites the songs are perfectly legal and made available to all. In fact the term underground refers to using alternative methods, such as the Internet, to distribute the music and has nothing to do at all with illegal downloading.

The best feature of all is that some of these underground artists will be tomorrow's biggest stars and you can enjoy their early music and help spread their songs to friends and others. So fire up those iPods, crank up the media players and head to the underground for some of the best music available online at absolutely no charge.

Dimitris Stacosta is a musician and internet publisher who likes to provide readers with Free Music Download Reviews and Articles as well as musical issues in general. Check out his news and in depth information portal 1000-free-music-downloads.com

Canonizing the Musical Expression with Video-jockeying!Writen by Lopa Bhattacharya

The enigma of interweaving visual aesthetics to the tunes of a sonic ambience has reached pinnacles of success through Video Jockeying over the last decade. This new genre of culmination of art and technology, planning and spontaneity, imagination and visualization, found its roots in 1966 when Andy Warhol hosted a Happening in New Yorks New Cinematheque. On that day, for the first time, Warhol projected silent excerpts of his own films to live music played by The Velvet Underground. The trend snowballed with improvisations by Pink Floyd and integration of laser lights by Jean-Michel Jarre. Live music shows were now becoming a scintillating experience with computer graphics and psychedelic affects, juxtaposing frames from different modes of media (films, newspaper, documentaries and magazines). By the early-mid 1980s, every pop album had to be accompanied with a music video to make it to the charts! MTV was born due to the overwhelming number of music videos produced. The term VJ was coined to tag the MTV host, a metamorphosis from a DJ. Over the years, with the wide popularity of this transposition, VJ no longer meant the MTV announcer, but a visual affect choreographer, remixer, producer and performer!

In addition to the creative acumen of the new genre of VJs, technology provided a host of devices/tools to popularize this imaginative form of art. Hallucinogenic experiences were created with the advent of digital imagery, audio-visualizer software and analogue/digital video mixers. Other popular hardware in the VJs arsenal include the Edirol V4, Pansonic MX & AVE series mixers and Korg's Entrancer effects unit. The Edirol V4 is a 4-channel Video Mixer made for portable or fixed installation use. It is ideal for use in nightclubs, places of worship, theatres, and other live performances. With an enhanced V-LINK feature coupled for the multimedia geeks, the user can trigger clips, and perform real-time video effects and transitions. The Korg PAD entrancer is a completely new type of video effect processor with a touch panel for fingertip control over images and sounds. A wide new range of intuitive visual effects may be created by different motions of the finger over the pad. It can even record the movement of your finger allowing the facility to reproduce complex authentic visual effects very easily. The Chromascope video synthesizer creates abstract 2-dimensional automated colored patterns in full PAL resolution. The Pioneer DVJ-X1 is one of the latest inclusions in a VJs kit, empowering him to synchronize digital audio and video simultaneously to create an elite musical expression. This device made its debut in spring 2004.

Vjamm, Motiondive, Arkaos, Touch and Smode are some of the trendiest software tools available to create the mesmerizing video affects, where the VJs creativity has no limits! VJamm, the audio-visual VJ software is a realtime sample player featuring extremely fast response times with MIDI support and 16 simultaneous channels of AV with live effects. Clips can be dragged real-time with the clicks of a mouse for imaginative compositions. The tool also allows creation of personal effects and is compatible with any video cards, limited only by the graphic cards performance. Smode Studio is another complete performance solution for an excellent VJ performance allowing real-time visual composition with 3D objects, pictures and videos with exquisite detail.

With the proliferation of MTV-genre of music channels and its growing popularity, the young-generation in India has found a new avenue to explore their creativity. As per Aditya Dev Sood, CEO CKS, a user research and interaction design firm, Veejaying is in fact the new avatar of technology, music and video, a jugalbandi of DJ and VJ.

Lopa Bhattacharya is a content writer/developer working on websites for overseas/Indian clientele. Has worked for various corporate website projects, CD-Rom presentations, brochures, flyers and other communication materials on varied themes ranging from travel, hotel industry, photography, web design and software development to US-based clubs and network communities. Was previously an editorial associate for a news, culture and entertainment portal based on the life and times of Kolkata.

Where is The Live Music in The North Costa Blanca?Writen by Vince Barnes

Live Music - we all love it in one form or another whether a classical orchestral concert or a Rock concert in a football stadium or somewhere in between, nothing quite gets the juices flowing than hearing your favourite song played live. If you live in South Costa Blanca or the Costa Del Sol, there is an abundance of venues and musicians.

But where is it in North Costa Blanca?

Go to Javea or Benidorm on any night of the week you will find a bar playing live music, but try finding anything in Oliva, Ontinyent or roundabouts and youd be lucky to find the odd publican playing a banjo.

So where is all the talent? It does exist and there are some very good musicians around, with excellent repertoire and great personalities. Each has a different musical style entertain the crowds differently and all are crowd pleasers. So the problem is not lack of talent - the problem is where to play.

Up until very recently it was difficult to find anywhere to host live music, in part because of the local council attitude who frown upon live music yet are happy to allow loud fireworks at 2AM. However its also due to the apathy of the listening public. When a venue organises live music the owner has to pay the artists. If only ten people turn up then he has lost money. Most of these venues dont charge a cover or add to the drinks prices, they hope enough people turn up to make it worth their while.

But imagine going for four weeks and managing to get 10 people in. Wouldnt you be disheartened? Im sure I would. They may be nice people but theyre also business people who make a living.

In some venues the owners put on live music and the turnout is indifferent. These places need a regular following to keep going and only by doing so will we get to see more acts, because the acts will only come if there is a crowd to play to and that means you need to do something.

So how do you find out about whats going on. Well there are a number of sources. The Inland Trader for one, has a whats on guide to keep you informed. There is also a great website www.spanishbrolly.com where you can find information about whos playing where, and www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk has many articles about live music and reviews of artists. But these sources also need the input from both the venues and artists.

So we have a responsibility for helping to make a success of live music. If you know a venue organising live music go and visit you may enjoy yourself. Invite your friends, tell their friends, word of mouth is great advertising. The musicians need venues to play and crowds to play to, the venues need our support to keep providing us with live music, so we need to get behind the venues that put on live music - not next week, next month but NOW its for our benefit after all and what better than sitting outdoors with a nice cold drink, listening to a great band playing your favourite music. . Where else can you get free live music?

The listening public need to get behind our venues and support them they do a thankless task of providing music, dealing with artists egos and getting paid nothing for it, so the least we can do is support them. Go do something different today and visit a live concert. See you there!!

Written by Vince Barnes, owner of Spanish property website http://www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk dedicated to informing potential buyers about buying in Spain. Vince also writes a regular feature on live music in the Inland Trader (http://www.inlandtrader.net) with regular artist reviews.

Related Music Sites : http://www.entertainbox.com > http://www.guitarready.com > http://www.learntomasterpiano.com

Colorado Creative Music Case Study Part 2Writen by Anastasia Kurdina

STEP Analysis

The STEP analysis of the Colorado Creative Music aims at analyzing macro-environmental factors of the music business the company is engaged into. These factors fall into political, economical, social and technological groups (Pearce, Robinson, 2000).

Political factors affecting music business in whole and CCM in particular: strong political stability in the United States; regulatory and legal issues concerning music business including copyright laws for copyright protection of both music writing and recording, copyright-related legislation touching upon the issue of virtual internet promotion and distribution, such as The Audio Home Recording Act (1992), No Electronic Theft (NET) Act (1997), The Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act (DPRSRA) 1995, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Pending legislation: Music Online Competition Act and the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Protection Act (CBDTPA) and others. Environmental regulations and employment requirement do not affect business CCM is engaged into. As for the tax policy, in 2000, from total income of $216,614.05 the company had to pay $4,744,97 of taxes, which is not high rate and amounts to nearly 2 percent from the total income. In whole, it should be noticed that political factors are favorable for music recording industry and for CCM particularly.

Economic factors include indexes in the macro economy that can affect music recording industry. Here also, macroeconomic factors, such as economic growth, interest rates and inflation rate are favorable for CCM. Thus, the U.S economy kept growing steadily since 1995. CPI falls down in 1997, 1998. Unemployment rate decreased gradually from 1995 to 2000.

Social factors, covering demographical and cultural aspects of the environment external to music recording industry are rate of population growth, age distribution and carrier attitudes. The population growth in the United States is steady and age distribution also favors the music recording industry. It should be noted that for music industry in whole, teenagers and 20-years-olds are primary customer segment, but CCM aims at attracting people of 40-60 age range. Thus, the considerable share of American population fits this target market.

Technological advancements in music recording, promotion and distribution have several effects on the recording industry. One aspect of the issue is that musicians are no longer dependent on major recording labels to create or distribute their products. (Viljoen & Dann, 2000) The MP3 software alternative to the CD becomes more popular since 1998. In the space traditional audio can fit 12 to 15 audio tracks; MP3 software can store approximately 150 music tracks. The move towards MP3 as the new format to replace CD just as the CD replaced vinyl albums have been accelerated by the rush of new portable MP3 players on the market - some for less than conventional Sony Discmans. (Viljoen & Dann 2000, p. 173). On the other hand, new digital technologies which appeared in late 20 century not only facilitate the process of music recording, but make it considerably cheaper, providing the possibility for multiple firms with limited resources to enter the market. Thus, if in 1980s, professional recording studio with all recording equipment, working on vinyl or tape carriers, cost several million dollars and therefore was a domain of 5 or 6 major recording companies, in 2000, assembling professional recording studio could be carried out at cost of only $5,000. All the equipment and hardware, due to the global advancements in technology, are much more affordable for an average artist or businessman.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

* Cost advantages with new technology arising from the digital revolution. Not only assembly of studio with all necessary equipment and hardware is cheaper, but duplication of CDs, storage and shipping are less expensive as well. Low cost of production, duplication (duplication of 500 CDs ranges from $1.90 to $3.63, duplication of 2000 CDs costs about one dollar per CD), shipping and storage makes the final product less expensive and more affordable for the customers, thus widening the range and scope of the target market.

* Positioning of CCM in a distinctive market niche. CCM is microlabel recording company which specializes on classic and traditional instrumental music.

* Growing customer base and customer loyalty within target group. Customer base growth due to expansion of product lines (4 already, each year 2 new product lines emerge), and geographical coverage of listeners.

* Good customer service shown through the direct contact between Darren and his fans.

Weaknesses

* No clear strategic vision: CCM needs a long term vision which includes all areas of the business, from marketing and management to distribution and human resources. At the moment the company faces a dilemma of further strategic development, which will be focused on either enhancing or developing the recording company or more active promotion and distribution of the products through the possibilities of other companies (the company is currently regarded by its management as potential object of acquisition or investment)

* Competitive disadvantages: CCM are not able to enter the retail market due to its current level of sales. Competitors such as major labels have advantage because they have major market power and influence. Such firms can specify when their music should be played on radio and negotiate large contracts with distributors and retail outlets, hence giving themselves broader appeal.

* Limited channels of distribution: at present moment the company heavily relies on such distribution sources as direct sales, which include sales at the gig, shopping mall distribution and sales in the back end (800 number order, website order processing and mail orders). These channels are major sources of profit for the company. Nevertheless, to expand its consumer base, the company needs to acquire formal distribution channels, such as sales through traditional music distribution networks and others.

* CCM is short in financial resources to pursue new opportunities. Profits are thin, meaning new opportunities may be unobtainable and long term improvements may not be afforded due to initial costs. To conclude a contract with major labels, which would provide the company with the access to traditional product distribution, the firm needs to sale at least 15,000 copies of its products per year. From the other hand, high sales numbers are impossible to obtain without good traditional distribution channels.

* CCM is losing ground to larger firms because of limited exposure. CCM at present does not reach global or national audience like independents and major labels. CCM needs to broaden its reach and widen its customer base.

Opportunities

* Serving additional customer groups by expanding co-operation with other artists and enlarging the Acoustictherapy and other product lines with new marketing strategies.

* Internet through expanding e-commerce and releasing MP3s.

* Expanding sales nation wide.

* Acquiring channels of traditional distribution to reach wider customer base exposure

* Developing new technologies to cope with the driving forces of the industry.

* Releasing compilations with other artists has proven popular. One strategy could be to assembly the songs (such as Accoustictherapy) at the studio, and sell the completed disks at a discounted rate back to the performing artists in their hometowns. This method would cover the costs up front and give the players a financial incentive to push the product.

* Pushing sales into non-traditional areas such as weddings, shopping center music etc.

Threats

* High number of new entrants and growth of other smaller labels due to the digital revolution. In addition, major labels or independent labels could decide to enter into CCM's domestic markets and try to drive the smaller labels out of the market.

* Lose sales to substitute products like mp3s or internet downloads

* Vulnerability to industry's driving forces because of CCM's weak position in its industry, taking into consideration the fact that the company occupies microlabel segment of the market and is profitable primarily due to the low costs of digital recording.

Five Forces Model of Competition

Michael Porter's model of competition (Porter, 1980), if applied to music recoding industry, comprises the following components: Rivalry among sellers of recorded music (competition for better market position and competitive advantage); artists and other suppliers of music to producers or sellers of recorded music; distributors, retailers and individual customers of the music; competitive pressure coming from substitutes of recorded music towards winning customers; and threat of new entrants to the industry of recorded music.

Perhaps, the strongest competitive force belongs to such factor as Rivalry among producers and sellers of music products. The music recording industry has 4 clearly identifiable segments: major recording studios, independent labels, microlabels and vanity labels.

Major, or first-tier, companies have large quantities of artists under contracts, reaching the number of 100, specialize on multiple types of music - rock, country, jazz, classical, traditional and other, and have formal and reliable national and international channels of distribution. The examples of such companies are Columbia, Sony Music, EMI, GMG, Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records and some others. As the mater of fact, such companies are not numerous and their recording equipment is rather expensive, amounting to no less that couple million dollars, since these studios record music with analogue and not digital equipment, thus receiving three-dimensional, saturated, rich sound, instead of correct but plain digital sound.

Independent labels have 10-100 artists under contract, focus on recording of one or two major music styles and have either national or most often regional distribution channels. Examples of independents are: Higher Octave, Metal Blade Records, Rhino Records, WAR, Windhan Hill, Soundings of the Planet. Such companies are more numerous than first-rank companies and can use analogue equipment as well as digital. Generally, independent labels strive to grow into major ones, but for that they need to invest large amount of money into amelioration of their equipment.

Microlabels have less then 10 artists under contract and are tightly focused on definite style of music. They are characterized by small staff and manager performing as the leading artist of the studio. Microlabels have rarely formal distribution system and heavily rely on direct sales to fans and wholesale to clubs and specialty retailers. On American market, microlabels are presented with Etherian, Evol Egg Nart, Cuneiform Records, CCM and a large number of others. Generally, such companies survive competition due to low cost of digital recording.

Vanity labels are the fourth, the last and the most specialized segment of the music recording industry. They are founded by independent artists for recording and selling their products. Examples of vanity labels are Bob Culbertson, Watson and Company, Lao Tizer, Esteban Ramirez and many others. (Darren & Winn , 2003). At present, CCM is the microlabel that strives to convert into independent label.

In the first place, the competition among rivals is carried out on the basis of popularity of the performer and songs recorded by their companies. Recording studios intensively compete to attract popular of promising artists to sign contracts with them. If the songs or artists are highly popular, price is secondary factor which may influence the competition. However, if the artist is lesser-known or songs recorded are not very popular, price does play role as the competition and strategy factor. In the distribution process of the rivals, the particular importance is attached to getting access to traditional channels of music distribution, such as retail musical stores, major chain record stores, independent record stores and Internet distributors such as Amazon.com. These means are very important for selling CDs of the artists apart from direct sales on their performances. Also, another factor that greatly influences CD sales is advertising of songs and radio promotion and transmission.

For CCM, rivalry is by far the most important competitive pressure source. The strong competition from rival producers and sellers of music can be explained by the fact that the performers of CCM are not known to the wide public in comparison with the artists of the first-tier and independent labels.

The competitive threat of new entry, is, to the opposite, by far the weakest competitive force, ranked between weak and moderate. Barriers for entry are not high for the new producers of recorded music, especially those targeting limited segment of the market and employing cheap digital technology of recording. CCM can serve the brightest example of such entry. Such cheap digital recording technology can be assembled nowadays for no more than $5,000. Still, expensive analogue technologies keep costing hundreds thousand or even millions. The technology employed by the firm automatically determines its resources and rank in the music recording industry. Besides cost of the equipment, the main subject of the competition for new entrants will be distinct market share and sales volume. Considerable sales volume, in its turn, depends on the ability of new entrants to attract famous, popular or widely known performers and singers whose songs are able to get to the top of the popularity charts. Given the fact that virtually all popular artists have already signed contracts with major recording studios, this is significant barrier for new entrants. Another important barrier is gaining considerable channel of distribution. Generally, large distribution centers and music CD retailers are interested in selling the music of famous performers and unwilling to accept the products of relatively unknown artists. For the CCM, the threat of new entry is not very strong, since the company targets rather narrow market segment. Though, if the new entrant uses the same recording technologies, distribution channels and targets the same niche in the market, the fact may become an issue of major importance.

Competition from substitute products can be considered moderate competitive force in the music industry. Such substitute products are be presented in the form of providing consumers with possibility to listen music with other that CD means such as radio, cable TV music channels, live concerts, local bars or night clubs with live performances or recorded music, and internet. Internet has become by far the most important and strong substitute to traditional buying CD, since music provided on the web is most often cheaper or completely free and is not much inferior in quality than .wma format of CDs. Therefore, for certain amount of people these means serve as effective substitutes, but for music fan, buying official CD is obligatory. In the case of Colorado Creative Music, people can enjoy the performance on live concerts of these artists and decide not to buy their CD. Therefore, from CCM's viewpoint, this may be regarded as fairly significant competitive force.

The forces left are bargaining power of suppliers and bargaining power of buyers and collaborative buyer seller relations, which are both strong competitive force.

The first, bargaining power of suppliers depends on the popularity and reputation of artists. Those who are popular and whose recordings sell well, have strong bargaining power, they can chose among numerous recording studios. CCM specializes on recordings of infamous artists, and therefore it enjoys weak bargaining power, since artists involved with CCM do not have many alternatives for studio record and CD distribution.

Bargaining power of buyers and collaborative buyer-seller relations is very strong competitive force. The major distributors of recorded music supply CDs to the leading music stores and other retailers of music, these leading distributors stock about 40,000 copies of a CD and work on 60-90 working schedule retaining the privilege of full return of investments for the unsold copies. So called one-stops are distributors which provide products for the independent music stores in smaller quantities and very often with limited range of music types. Generally such distributors prefer to handle stock CDs of the very popular artists or at least well-known artists and often they are not interested in going into distribution of CDs of unknown performers. Therefore, CCM faces great difficulty in acquiring decent and formal distribution, especially in getting its products sold by such music stores as Sam Goody, Tower Records, Borders Books and Music, and Barnes and Noble.

Also, a great role in the distribution process is played by getting the music heard by people so that they would be more willing to buy the CDs. This includes playing the music on the radio stations, on TV music channels and including soundtracks into movies. Until the performers and artists of CCM become so famous that they are asked for in retail music stores, the company has little chances to receive considerable representation by major CD distributors. The manager of the company, Darren Skanson, has contacted some retailers on his own and found out that it is very time-consuming and onerous task to get his CDs distributed by retailers in his own local area. The people he hired to tackle the problem had little luck either. CCM has had some experience of selling the CDs through one-stop distributor, but it was not very successful due to high markup imposed by the distributor on the CDs of CCM. In the long run, Darren plans to make his product lines such as Darren Curtis Skanson, Music for Candles and other artists, popular enough to have their CD distributed through major music stores. But at the present moment, predominant part of CCM sales volume stems from direct sales such as sales at the gig, shopping mall distribution and internet, mail and telephone orders of the musicians' CDs.

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