A Huge Concern Over Web: Music Download

Internet has come to change everything that once relations used to be lied on. Since Internet had invaded homes, the daily life has never been the same again. Internet changed the family’s habits, the culture and the way someone sees the world. Music is just a part of this change.
Regarding to music, this issue is even more complicated. People now can prepare their own CDs by downloading music from the Internet. And this has become another problematic thing that has contributed to increase the piracy.
The music download problem lies on two issues:
- If people can have access to the most varied types of music, they can have a better idea of a particular artist’s material, they can find out singers they had never heard of and get their CDs even this. These actions may be a little bit illegal and sometimes reduce the profits of the big music companies, but, however, it increases the range where a singer is known. When this happens, both singer and his/her music records win a special recognition, which may lead to the hire of them for shows and (guess what?) profits.
- But if it is true that music download can be beneficial for an artist, sometimes it can also be harmful, speaking about profits of course. And this loss of money in general happens to already famous artists. People download their songs from the Internet because they already know that singer and because they like him/her.
The big music industry complex has a tough battle to face. Profits or recognition!? Profits and recognition depends on each other: you only have profits when you achieve recognition, but your recognition can be measured by your profits. How to solve the problem?
Well, even if this matter seems to be far from a solution, some measures are being taken by the companies. Some laws have been created and other demands are being done. Even if it is hard to supervise all the websites on the Internet that offer music download, some people have been being charged of piracy and arrested.
Janis Ian on her article states that the music download increases the profit of the music industries, instead of what these industries allege. According to Janis, when people downloads a music form he Internet and get to know that song, they buy the CD because they already liked it and have no way to regret buying that CD. She also states that this happens because most of people cannot pay for a CD just to “give it a try”.
Music download is a reality – no matter what.
www.music-download.leisure-tip.info

How to Write a Chorus

A song without a chorus can hardly be called a song. This rather bad statement is my personal opinion so if you don’t agree, that’s okay. But I would like to start this lesson with this statement, not only to wake you up, but rather because it’s one of the key-statements of this lesson. So if you don’t like songs without a chorus and never intend to write one, than probably you won’t feel at home in this class this month. I must say I never felt at home when I was at
school but that’s another story... But if you do stick around, even if you don’t like to write choruses, maybe you will change your mind about them.

A chorus is more or less the heart of a song, at least if it’s a good one of course. Why this is true is not as obvious as it seems. People always tend to remember the chorus of a song, while it may not even be the most interesting part of the song at all. The easiest explanation of course
is the fact that the chorus is usually played a couple of times during a song. But if this was the only reason why a chorus is the heart of most songs, how come then that lots of choruses are easily forgotten, even if they are played seemingly endless in the
fadeout of a song? So there must be more to it.

In this lesson we will see it’s hard to reveal the secrets of a good chorus. Writing a good chorus may be more a matter of the heart (something called talent?) than the mind. But since this counts for songwriting in general, don’t be afraid; there are always some tricks to learn to help those who have to struggle a little more then the lucky, more talented ones. And believe me, most of us belong to the first group, to put it stronger, even the most talented ones often join the struggling crowd when they’re not inspired...
In lesson 5, we already saw some elements a good chorus should have. Now we will take a closer look at these elements, by discussing some rules you should follow if you want to write a good chorus. These rules are:

It should be catchy
It should contain elements of the rest of the song

It shouldn’t be an anti-climax
Following these rules, you obey to the most important rules of writing a good chorus. We will take a look at these rules in the next paragraph. You can also click on the links to go directly to the discussion of each of these rules.
 
Rule 1: a chorus should be catchy
What makes a chorus catchy? The easiest answer (for me at least) is: listen to all those golden oldies. Almost all the classics from the sixties and the seventies have catchy choruses. Of course The Beatles were real masters at this, but it seems all the bands that became famous in those days were able to write catchy choruses which seem to stick in your mind forever. Who doesn’t know the chorus of Honky Tonk Women for example...
Listening to examples is a great way to teach yourself, and that counts for songwriting too! But there's something more to say about this issue too.

Keep it simple
One of the main rules in writing a good chorus is to keep it simple. Try to avoid to make the chorus sound complicated.
This doesn’t mean that as long as you keep it simple technically spoken the chorus will sound simple! A chorus built around a difficult, but well written musical part will be easier to listen to than a technically simple chorus which is written in an unlogical manner.

How to Make Money on a Music Website through Affiliate Programs?

Do you find yourself looking for a way to make some extra money? How about creating a website on something that everyone includes in their life, Music? The opportunities are endless and what’s great about it is that you can make money on it while you’re eating, sleeping, or just sitting around watching TV.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of work in the beginning to get everything started. Once you get your website built the way you want it though, all that is left is maintaining it to keep it at tip top shape. From there you’ll be making money off of it 24/7. So, how do you get started and how do you make money off of it you may be wondering?

To start off you need to purchase a domain name, which is your website URL. You can do this at GoDaddy.com for a cheap price of $9.20 per year. Now you have your website name, the next
step is to pick a host for your website. This is where you will build your website. You can do this at GoDaddy.com starting at $3.95 per month, or choose to go to another hosting company as there are many out there.

From there you are set to build your website, now how do you begin making money off of it?

There are many ways to make money off of your website. One way is to join affiliate programs through companies around the world. How an affiliate program works is you join under that company and refer people through your website to their website. Then, as people go to the companies website through yours,
whatever the person buy’s you get a certain amount of money off of their purchase.

The amount made varies from company to company and it even varies among the different products sold. The big name companies you’ll often make less money off of, such as Best Buy and Circuit City you’ll make approximately 3-7% on all sales. Smaller companies some times offer more through their affiliate programs, but people sometimes will opt to go to the well known companies instead.

For a music website you’ll obviously want to join affiliate programs dealing with entertainment of some sort. Bestbuy.com and CircuitCity.com are good ones to join, but can be difficult to get into when you’re just starting out. One good one can be found at:

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

How to improve your employment prospects as a musician.

http://freedownload-kuncigitar.blogspot.com/

by: Mantius Cazaubon

How do you expand your opportunities to work in the music business? How do you improve your employment prospects? The key to doing that is developing your versatility. There are many ways of expanding what you already know how to do as a musician. It's all about using the skills that you already possess and channeling them towards related fields.

Ask yourself what your most basic skill is. Let's say you play the guitar. You will find that there are several related instruments that you can easily adapt your skill to. Instead of limiting yourself to the guitar or one kind of guitar, why not expand your employment opportunities? Why not learn to play related instruments?

There are so many guitar related instruments. How about the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, twelve-string guitar, five-string banjo, tenor banjo, ukulele, mandolin, pedal steel guitar, and so on?

You can even learn different styles of playing. Learn to use finger picks. Learn to play both pick style and finger style. Electric guitarists should probably own both jazz and rock guitars. By doing this you increase your musical scope and you will be able to take on new projects easily. There will be more variety in the music that you play. Your arrangements will not all sound the same.

You can apply the examples mentioned above to all instruments and musical skills. Let's look at a few others.

Another example is bass players. The same can be said of them. Instead of limiting themselves to the electric bass, they can learn to use a bow, play related instruments like the upright acoustic bass, learn to play both fretted and fretless basses, and use effects pedals.

Keyboard players should own more than one synthesizer. How about learning to play related instruments like organ, harpsichord and piano? Why not learn about MIDI and hook various keyboards together, along with a PC?

I could go on and on mentioning various instruments and skills and how a musician can become more versatile. Musicians must simply start with their most basic skill and expand it. This is an excellent way of ensuring that you excel in the music business.

The world is a very competitive one and you must continue to be competitive. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Add some variety and you may be surprised at how far you can reach; and how much more money you can be making.

About the author:
Mantius Cazaubon offers lots of valuable songwriting tips, techniques, suggestions and advice on his site www.ultimatesongwriting.comVisit www.ultimatesongwriting.comfor the ultimate truth about lyric writing and songwriting.

How to Find and Download Your Favorite Music Videos

http://freedownload-kuncigitar.blogspot.com/chord guitar 

 by: Jeff Schuman

With all of the latest technology of downloading songs to burn onto CD’s, iPod’s, and more, the simple thought of music video downloads often passes peoples minds anymore. With burning songs onto CD’s, and listening to songs on your iPod, you’re only retaining the audio portion of music and completely overlooking the visual aspect of music.

Sure you can tune into MTV and VH1 and all of the other music channels. However, anymore there are more TV and reality shows on the music channels then there are actual music videos.

With music video downloads on your personal computer, you can download a video of your favorite artist or favorite song in a matter of minutes depending on your internet connection speed. Once downloaded you can save it to a file or if you download from one site, most contain a library in which all of your favorite music videos will be saved to.

In this day and age nothing is legally free, so one might ask themselves how much it will cost to actually watch music videos? Is it really worth it to pay for music videos when you can watch them on TV? Depending on the site you download from, it is very much worth it to pay the low cost and have a much larger selection than on TV and be able to watch them whenever you want.

There are millions of sites that offer music video downloads for free, so what’s the catch. For a majority of the sites you can only view 30 seconds of the song such as at music.lycos.com. Other sites such as music.yahoo.com allow you to view one music video, kind of like a teaser to see the quality of video. After
viewing the video if you attempt to watch another one, it takes you to the sign in page where you can either log-in if already a member, or you can learn the prices and register to get unlimited access to millions of videos.

How to Become a Filthy Rich Record Label Mogul

by: D.Herren

Let me guess, you love music and would do anything to be able to enter into the fabulous life of the music business? Better yet, you would love to become the next record mogul like P.Diddy or Clive Davis.

Well, guess what? You can start a record a label and enter into the fast paced and competitive world of music labels. And yes, there is a chance you could become a filthy rich record label mogul living the life
of luxury. It CAN happen! But...it WON'T happen if you don't take action. Just think, many of the famous record moguls today started their own record label either in debt or with little to no resources.

But why did they succeed? And how can you succeed?

Let's take a look at the "how and why" you can become a filthy rich record label mogul.

First of all, you need to learn how to start a record label. You will be very surprised
that it doesn't take much money at all to get started. Basically, you need to come up with a name for your record label company first. Use a name that is unique and easy to memorize...and most of all, catchy. While
you are at it, get a business line and a P.O. Box. To make things really official, get a business license for your new label.

The next step, and this is a biggie, is to find the right talent. The record label moguls who have hit pay dirt are the ones who took time out and became dedicated to the artists they took under their wings. They were able to see the unique talent and potential in their artist choices and make them
bloom. http://freedownload-kuncigitar.blogspot.com/


Just think, it only takes ONE great artist or band and one big song to shoot your label into the stratosphere of success. And the good thing is, you can start a record label right out of your own home. Of course, it can get a bit more detailed when it comes to contracts, publishing, and marketing your label.

But if you really want to know all the good stuff on starting a record label so you can take your chance at become a big record label mogul, get a copy of The Ultimate Record Label Handbook (http://www.ultimate-record-label.com). It will cover all the basics you need to get going and it is easy to read.

Why not start a record label of your own and take a shot? If you love music, then you might just hit the jackpot. And better yet, you will finally be able to do work that you enjoy and have fun at.

What more could you ask for?

So in a nutshell, if you want to live the good life as a filthy rich record label
mogul, you have to first start your label and secondly...find good talent. There
is always loads of good talent out there to sign, you just have to have to know how to find the good stuff and market it to the masses!




About the author:
Want to start your VERY own record label? Now YOU can at...
http://www.ultimate-record-label.com

D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!

guitar case

Chord guitar, Pop, rock, jazz, guitar case from http://freedownload-kuncigitar.blogspot.com/

acoustic guitar

 

guardian hardshell

 

gator deluxe

drummer boy ornament

Chord guitar, music, music article


drummer boy ornament little boy

How Has Eminem Risen to the Top?

How is it that a little white boy from Kansas City has becomethe most well known rapper in the world? Starting from nothingand eventually moving up to a multi-millionaire, Eminem over thepast seven years has been in the eye of the public everywhereyou look. He has essentially entered a black man’s business and gone to the top over the course of a few years, but how?

On October 17, 1972 Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St.Joseph, MO by his 15 year old mother Debbie. Six months later his father was gone and this began the struggle for Marshall and his mother; one that was just the beginning. Throughout the course of his childhood Marshall and his mother moved numerous
times into different houses from Kansas City to Detroit. The maximum time spent in one house was only 3 months, which caused Marshall to attend many different schools making it difficult to cope to the different surroundings and make friends. Every new school he attended he was bullied as he was the new kid. This was something that he could not change as he was never stationed in one school for a long period of time. At the age of 12 he and his mother finally settled in a house in Detroit. He would later use the bullying to his advantage fueling him to get back
at all his bullies through songs.

How Do You Write Songs?

There was an interesting post today on a message board that I go to. It was about a guy that just started a new band and he wanted to know if anyone could give him some songwriting tips.

First off, there isn't a wrong way to write songs. But after you've done it for a while, you'll find out that some ways to go about it are easier than others.



This is how I do it.

1. Music and Melody Come First

I never fit a melody to pre-existing lyrics. It’s forced and it doesn’t sound good to me. When you write the words before the melody, you’re trying to force the melody to fit your lyrics. The result is it doesn’t sound natural.

A lot of songwriters start with an idea. It's just easier for me to know what angle I'm coming from. Usually how it happens with me is the music comes first and the melody comes right after that.

Why do I write the melody first before my lyrics?

If I don't know how many notes are in the melody, how do I know how many syllables need to be in my lines? I don’t.

If there’s 8 notes in the first part of the melody and 6 notes in the second part , you’ll have to have 8 syllables in the first line and 6 in the second.

Let’s say you want to put 4 lines in each of your verses, You’ll have 8 syllables in the first and third lines and six in the second and fourth.

Here’s an example:

In the song "I want you to want me" the lead singer for Cheap Trick wrote a four line melody that had six notes in the first three lines and seven in the last line. He knew that there had to be six syllables in the first three lines and seven syllables in the fourth.

I Want You To Want Me

I want you to want me =six syllables

I need you to need me =six syllables

I’d love you to love me =six syllables

I’m begging’ you to beg me =seven syllables

2. Figure Out An Idea To Work From

Ideas are everywhere. You can write about what a friend of yours is going through. You can write about what you're going through.

I keep a journal just for this and make daily installments. I write down everything that I can think of that happened that day. And after a few months of that, I'll go through the journal harvest my ideas.

I treat my journal like the garden it is. Most every song I write comes directly from my journals.

3. Put the idea into one to two sentences

The best way to show you this is to give you an example. Keeping with "I Want You To Want Me", here’s the basic idea:

"I want you to want me as bad as I want you."

You only want one idea for each song. If you have any more, your song is going to last too long. And you're listeners won't be able to keep up.

Believe me, nobody but you will understand them. I know from very bad experience.

4. Write The Lyrics To Fit The Melody

Once you have the idea, you start to explain the idea in the verses with the number of syllables you have in the melody. The chorus is just the overall idea in a summed up fashion.

That’s how I write songs. Music and melody come first. The idea comes after that. Write the idea in a statement form. And then, write the lyrics to fit the melody.

About the author:
Larry Ford runs a weblog giving beginner guitarist's quick and easy tips to help them build their skills. His weblog can be found at http://www.larrysjournal.com

Hollywood’s Underbelly Comes to the Surface in Michael Mangia’s The Invisible Wall CD

by: Michael Mangia
September 16, 2005--Los Angeles, CA-- Michael Mangia is not your typical artist. And The Invisible Wall is not your typical CD. Set for release October 4, 2005 on Loft Box Records, the latest album from Hollywood-based singer-songwriter-pianist Mangia, while filled with compellingly beautiful melodies on the surface, actually buries some deep dark themes. In many ways, Michael Mangia is the David Lynch of pop music.



The Invisible Wall is the story of a painter, taking listeners through his canvas, which is filled with the lives of addicted porn stars and their admirers, children’s sci-fi fantasy books, an Italian mobster/father’s death, the façade-filled world of Hollywood and the effects of television on society. The album is all tied together through the haunting themes that lurk beneath the beauty of Mangia’s piano-driven melodies.

The new album was produced and mixed by Mangia over a 2½-year period in his own high-tech loft studio in downtown Los Angeles (which was featured in an article in Keyboard Magazine). “Having my home also be my workspace allowed me to play around with sound techniques, in a Beatles-esque way, with whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. As I continued to write, the songs pieced themselves together into what would become The Invisible Wall.” Mangia has employed the talents of guest musicians on this remarkably eclectic CD – veterans who have played with a wide range of artists, including Jimmy Paxson (Stevie Nicks), Zac Rae (Alanis Morissette) and Ed Maxwell (Gary Jules, Devics).

But Mangia’s favorite song on the album is actually not even officially listed. There is a new hidden bonus track at the end of the CD entitled “Life Support on Xmas” that – for Mangia – sums up all the themes on this album. “It really captures the meaning and the feel of this record more than any other single song. I wanted it to be like a special gift for listeners. I placed it on the CD nearly four minutes after the album has supposedly ended, because it’s a song that is very much about the peace that follows the silence.”

Influenced by artists as diverse as Tori Amos, Ben Folds, Portishead, Travis and Rufus Wainwright, Michael Mangia is unique. And now, with the release of The Invisible Wall, Mangia is preparing to bring his hauntingly gorgeous melodies and deeply moving, sometimes disturbing, sonic paintings to the world. What is “The Invisible Wall?” For Mangia, “It’s the barrier that separates the good from the sordid, light from dark, even reality from fantasy.” Get ready – Michael Mangia is about to take you on an unforgettable musical trip through The Invisible Wall.

The Invisible Wall Release Party is set for October 4th, 7:30pm at Tangier 2138 Hillhurst Ave. in Los Angeles, CA 90027.

Publicity contact: Versa Manos / Tom Mureika

Email: versa@gorgeouspr.com / tom@gorgeouspr.com www.michaelmangia.com


PR Created By Versa Manos / Tom Mureika and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com


About the author:
Gorgeous PR

Here is the best sourced advice concerning latin music.

by: Tom

Sometimes when you're trying to find superior information on latin music, it will be easier said than done sorting out quality information from misguided latin music suggestions or help so it is important to know how to qualify the advice you are presented with.

Buy 1 Get 5 Free at MSN Music
Download six of your favorite songs for only 99 cents at MSN Music. Choose from millions of tracks, burn downloads to a CD, transfer to your portable player and much more.



Here's a few guidelines that we believe you should consider using when you're seeking information about latin music. Understand that any recommendation we present to you is only pertinent to internet based information concerning latin music. We do not give you any assistance or guidance when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.

Buy 1 Get 5 Free at MSN Music
Download six of your favorite songs for only 99 cents at MSN Music. Choose from millions of tracks, burn downloads to a CD, transfer to your portable player and much more.



A great tip to follow when you're presented with help and advice regarding a latin music web page would be to confirm the sites ownership. This may show you who owns the site latin music identifications The quickest way to work out who owns the latin music website is to look on the 'about' page or 'contact' page.

Any worthwhile website providing information on latin music, will always have contact information which will record the site owner's contact details. The fine points should detail some key points regarding the owner's proficency and credentials. You can then decide for yourself about the vendor's insight and appreciation, to offer help regarding latin music.
About the author:

Heath Macanally is the webmaster for http://www.latin-music-review.info

How Do You Find Sheet Music Downloads Today?

by: Jeff Schuman
Music is a piece of entertainment that is in society’s daily
life consistently. It doesn’t matter whether it is Rock and
Roll, Gospel and Christian music, or jazz, people listen to
music for a variety of reasons. However, today there are more
and more people learning to play instruments and create music
pieces themselves as oppose to simply listening to music. On
the internet you can find sheet music downloads for songs to
sing and play with the piano, guitar, Christian music and more.



When trying to find a certain song or certain kind of sheet
music over the internet, it can get frustrating. There are
millions of sites to look, but in a way that can be discouraging
having to look through millions of sites to find a couple songs.
With this article I’ll lead you towards a few of the more
popular sites that contain many songs, and attempt to help you
in finding sheet music over the internet.

To start, notationmachine is a site where you can find sheet
music to over thousands of songs narrowed down to the decades.
It also has it broken down into author and song title when you
go through the specific decades.

Through this site they also offer a membership that you can
download certain software to help you find the thousands of
different kinds of sheet music on the internet today from
classical to gospel to piano music. With downloading the
software it will help you find all kinds of new sheet music and
give you access to downloading them and printing them out as
oppose to just viewing them. This and much more can be found
here:

http://www.notationmachine.com/

If you are looking for a list of just classical sheet music,
then virtual sheet music is the place for you. Here you will
find a list of the top composers sold, links to specific
composers and instruments, free sheet music, or a list of all of
the sheet music available. The price on this site varies from
$2-$9 for individual pieces of sheet music, but is well worth
the buy as you can play the best classical music made.

This is not a site of just classical music, but a list of the
best composers known today. You can find sheet music from Bach,
Beethoven, Mozart and more. With a few dollars you too can be
playing the greatest classical music made. Find all of the
CD’s, sheet music, links and more here:

http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com

If you’re looking for a broad site that will show you sheet
music to all kinds of music, then check out 8notes.com. Here
you can find sheet music and lessons for numerous instruments
including the guitar, piano, cello, voice and more. Also on the
home page is a music genres section where you can find pieces
and riffs of classical, rock and pop, occasions such as
Christmas, and much more.

To check out all of these categories and find many of your
favorite songs that you too can play simply go here:

http://www.8notes.com/default.asp

In order to print off the sheet music so that you can take it
with you everywhere, there is a $20 per year subscription that
is necessary. However, in order to just observe the sheet music
on the computer it is free. So check out the site where you can
take lessons to improve your skills, and then begin playing all
of the best music of all different kinds of genres.

As you can see there are sites containing all different kinds of
sheet music out there just waiting for you. Now it’s your turn
to find which site suites you best and begin your sheet music
downloading.



About the author:
Best MP3 Music Downloads is a site that contains information, articles, and resources on all genres and styles of music. You can download music and videos, and find links to the best places to download music here:
http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com

guitar

by: Tamara Williams
are music instruments that are very versatile; most musicians around the entire world use them because they find a guitar to be very easy to play.

They are also the most commonly chosen instrument for a student to start playing their way into music, mostly because it takes very little time to learn how to play it, and of course because it is not rare to be able to find a decent guitar for a very convenient price (unlike other instruments as pianos, for instance).

Today, all music shops offer a very wide variety of guitars, suitable for almost any musician, from beginners to masters. The most popular, however, are these two kinds of guitars: Acoustic guitars and electric 6-strings guitars.

Some very specialized vendors have started selling other classes of guitars; usually adaptations of the classical guitar made by different cultures all around the world. In these vendors’ shops, regular customers (mostly collectors) are able to buy guitars such as the Mexican “guitarron”, a huge guitar used by “Mariachis”, or as the “guitarra criolla”, an Argentinean adaptation of the 6-strigs classical guitar, used by Tango orchestras and also by the famous “gauchos” (the south-american version of cowboys).

Another advantage of guitars is that, once you learned the basics of music composition, you will find it easer to move into more complex instruments, such as violins, and keyboard instruments; which are more difficult to use as the first contact with music practicing.

Beyond all that, the key to guitar’s success (they are the most used musical instrument worldwide, and has been for a very long time) is what matters the most: its sound. The beautiful sound a guitar produces can be compared to the sound produced by instruments that are much more expensive, rare and hard to learn. That is what keeps a good guitar above the rest.

About the author:
Tamara Williams is a successful author and contributor to Guitars which is dedicated to providing useful guitar help, tips, information on products and services for guitar players.

Guitar Players...Get a Balanced Guitar Practice

by: Craig Bassett
How's your practice diet?

Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know...the type of player who practices sweep picking for a kazillion hours a day but only know three chords)!

Having a balanced practice routine is essential if you want to become a versatile guitarist. If you just practice one or two things, sure you'll get great at those things...but you'll be weak in other key areas.


In this lesson you'll learn how to create a practice routine that is well-balanced and will help you work towards your ultimate vision of how you would like to play.

I generally categorise what I practice into one of seven areas:
1. Technique.
2. Repertoire (Covers).
3. Composition.
4. Improvisation.
5. Ear Training.
6. Theory.
7. Music Reading.

Everything that you practice will fit into one or more of the above areas. For example,if you are learning a very challenging cover tune by transcribing it off the CD you are essentially working on your technique, repertoire and ear training at the same time. If you also write down the song in standard notation, you will also be developing your
music reading skills.

Now…do you have to practice things in all seven areas? I believe that you don't have
to if your vision doesn't require it. For example, if someone wants to become an
awesome classical guitarist and has no desire to improvise, then I believe that they don't need to practice things relating to improvisation. We all have limited time available for practice, so it's a waste of time working on things that don't specifically help you reach your goals.


Let's go through a few exercises…

Exercise One:

Think about the vision that you have for your playing for a few minutes.How would you like to play in ten years time. Make it exact!

Once you've done that, brainstorm as many things that you need to practice in order to play like your vision. What specific things do you need to learn, develop and practice? Write them down now.


Exercise Two:

Next to each of the things written down for Exercise One, write down a category next to it. For
example, if you wrote "I need to be able to play faster" then write technique next to it. If you feel that something you wrote belongs to more than one category, then write down all the categories it could belong to.


Exercise Three:

Look at your answers for the previous two exercises. Once you've done that prioritise
the categories shown below. For example, if you feel that technique is the most
important thing you need to work on to reach your vision then put a 1 next to it.

**Practice Area Priority Level (1-7)** [Note: 1 is the highest priority].

Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading

Now here's the important point. You should spend the most time practising your number one priority. I know it's pretty obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't do this! I know a few guitar players who would like to be able to play incredibly fast, yet they don't do a lot of technical practice. Talk about setting yourself up to fail!


Exercise Four:

Decide how much time every day you will spend on each category. Write it down below.


**Practice Area Time Invested Daily**

Technique
Repertoire (covers)
Composition
Improvisation
Ear Training
Theory
Music Reading


All done? Great!

So what’s the next step?


The next step is to decide on a specific activity for each practice area.Make sure to write them down.

Here are a couple of examples of what someone might put down...

Technique: I will invest 10 minutes a day on alternate picking exercise one. I will
start with the metronome at 80 beats per minute (bpm) and increase it by 4 bpm daily
(as long as I can play it perfectly).

Ear Training: I will invest 10 minutes daily a day on A minor pentatonic ear training exercise one.

Got the idea? You would have one specific activity for every practice area. If you
have a lot of time to practice you could set more than one activity per practice area.


Give this method a try. I'll think you'll be more than happy with the results!

About the author:
Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert) is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author who lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
To get a free high-quality guitar lesson e-mailed to you once a month, please go to: http://www.pentatonic-guitar-lessons.com

Guitarists...are you a victim and a loser?

by: Craig Bassett
I was thinking today about THE most dangerous enemy of musical progress…the
victim mentality. What do I mean by this?

Often we can let our personal circumstances dictate our progress. For example, someone may let their guitar practice slide because they were really busy at work. This person may start making excuses such as "I didn't have time". This is victim mentality. It is believing that your musical progress is only possible when external circumstances allow it.

What they are really saying to themselves is that their musical dreams and goals are
not as important as paying a few lousy bills.They are letting their boss's goals get in the way of their own.

Now…I can't point fingers at anyone. I've been guilty of having a victim mentality
plenty of times! Especially when it comes to things like going to the gym :)But I don't have a victim mentality when it comes to guitar practice. There is virtually nothing that I will allow to get in the way of my musical progress.

So…how can you stop yourself from becoming a victim and a loser…

1.Stop making excuses. I can guarantee that for every excuse you can make there is someone out there who has overcome that obstacle. Don't allow yourself to make
excuses. They are the death of your musical dreams.

2. Watch your language. For example, rather than saying "I couldn't find the time" say "I am acting like a complete and absolute loser and if I continue acting like this I will NEVER achieve my musical goals". Because that statement is pretty painful to say, you'll soon stop making excuses!

3. Think of solutions. For excuses that you normally make, think of ways of overcoming those obstacles. For example, if you are constantly using your work as a reason why you can't practice, ask yourself questions like…

"How can I get paid more but work less hours?".
"How can I get paid while I sleep?".
"How can I stay home all day and practice?".

If you ask enough questions like this on a daily basis, you'll find a solution
eventually.

4. Think of your "Why". These are the reasons why you want to achieve your musical goals. If your why is strong enough, You will NEVER want to stop practicing for any reason.

5. Think of your role models. Use your role models to motivate and inspire you to
keep on practicing.Every time you start to make an excuse, ask yourself "Would__________make this excuse?" For example, one of my favourite guitarists is Steve Vai. I could NEVER imagine making him excuses for not practicing!

To finish off here's a quote that you may want to memorize...

"You can either become a great guitarist, or you can make excuses, but you can't do both".

Guide to DVD Audio

by: Kenny Hemphill
DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music. In order to play back DVD Audio discs, players have to be specially designed to support the format. So far, consumer electronics manufacturers have announced a range of DVD Audio players, including home decks, portable players and devies for cars.

DVD Audio has a sampling rate of up to 192kHz compared to a maximum of 44.1kHz for CD. It also supports resolutions of up to 24 bits, compared to 16bits on CD.

The idea behind DVD Audio is that it alllows peoducesr to give listeners a playback experience that is much more faithful to the original master recording that has been possible previously.

DVD Audio discs have a much higher capacity than CDs. This extra space can be used to provide audio at the highest possible quality or for longer recordings, or to provide additional material, such as infromation on the artist, photos and even video, all of which can be displaye don a television screen. Alternatively, DVD Audio discs currently on the market from the likes of the Warner group of labels have the audio content in both DVD Audio format and as Dolby Digital surround so that they can be played back on regular DVD players.

DVD Audio discs are navigable in the same way as DVD Video when polayed back on a player connected to a TV set. Users can select the required track from an on-screen menu and with an internet connection, can click on links to go to websites.

These dual format discs are a good way to kick-start the market while DVD Audio players are still relativley rare. The market will also be helped by combined DVD Video and Audio players.


About the author:
Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of Master DVD (http://www.masterdvd.com), a website which provides information, articles, and tutorials on issues and products related to recordable DVD.

Getting On the Music Industry Radar Screen

by: Ty Cohen
How to Get Noticed By Those
Who Can REALLY Help Your Music Career!


As you or your band performs, be it from club to club around town or nationally, there is usually one thing lingering in the back of your mind...

How do you go about getting that one big break that will push you ahead toward greater recognition and success artistically?

You know it happens to artist and bands all the time. That time could come soon for your group to break out of the local scene and land that recording contract or national tour that will get you on your way to greater success.

You know there are tried and true methods. Having a great demo or being interviewed on the local radio shows at once seemed like a good idea. But times have changed in the music industry. In this article, we will discuss some up-to-date information and inside tips on how to get noticed in this tough business, in short I�ll give you some info that will literally place on the music industry radar screen. The knowledge that I�m about to share with you will work for any and everyone: Songwriters, Singers, Musicians, Rappers and for all genres of music: Pop, Rock, Rap, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Grunge, Country and everything in between!


Where are the Scouts?

You have had the thought run through your mind as you perform for an enthusiastic crowd in a club or bar. Are there music industry scouts in this crowd? Maybe you just laugh it off but you have heard that they are out there watching bands like yours and signing the talented ones to develop into stars.

What you have heard is true. Industry insiders tell us that now more than ever, scouts are everywhere. You may worry that you are not living in one of the big �music industry towns� like New York, Chicago, L.A. and Nashville but that isn�t important. Remember, Seattle wasn�t on the map before grunge hit and they found Sir Mix A-Lot and for you Rock Heads, Kurt and Eddie.

But what if you don�t always have the biggest audience in town. Well, some of the biggest acts in the music business were �discovered� playing to a small and intimate crowd. If your performance is strong and you are getting good word of mouth, the music industry scouts will find you and check you out. So perform every night like they are out there because there is no reason to believe that they are not.


Go Get Them

But you don�t have to sit around and wait for them to come to you. The new �hunting grounds� for bands and talent are well known to the insiders. Once you know who it is that is feeding the information to music industry scouts and agents, you can learn the tricks of the trade to feed information about you or your band into that system. Here are a few of the newest methods and venues you can use to get yourself noticed:

* Perform, Perform, Perform. These days the local club scene is the most important way to get noticed. Don�t wear yourself out chasing agents or scouts. If your performances are strong, that will create a buzz and the word of mouth will get you noticed. Then the scouts will come to see you rather than you having to go and chase them.

* Build your relationship with your audience. Insiders tell us that scouts will come to a show for a musical venue they don�t even understand. If you are doing something bold and new that they are not able to evaluate musically, they will go by the crowd. If your audience responds with excitement and enthusiasm, that is what gets the eyes and ears of music executives. So pour yourself into the people for whom you are performing. That�s what you love to do anyway so it�s an easy way to get noticed and the right way too.

* Build your local network. Industry agents know club owners and booking agents for local events very well. If you have a strong reputation with them, they will pass that information along to the scouts who are looking for new talent.

* Indie (independent) labels are also a rich source of information for the larger recording houses to find out about up and coming bands. You may have indie labels near by so get to know them and get them to your shows so when they have a chance to connect you to a scout, your band is on their list of hot new acts.

* Never miss a chance to network but look for innovative ways to advertise yourself as well. The internet has lots of new and interesting sites that scouts are starting to watch for new talent. If you have the resources, get a web page up and get some MP3 samples of your performances out there. You can easily set up a website using a service like http://www.MyWebSiteMyMusic.com and you can also easily put your music on your site or anywhere else online, even in emails in MP3 format using a service like the one offered at http://www.ListenToMyMusicOnline.com .

The services offered by these two websites are extremely inexpensive and so simple to use, a 5 year old could do it, yet they will have you looking like a music industry professional in no time at all.


Is the Demo Dead?

From what we have learned so far, you would think the demo is ready to go into the hall of fame as an out-of-date tool. But the demo tape still has some real value to you. The best demo is one that showcases not only your musical skill but the personality and the performance skill of you or your band. If you can have someone put a demo together from one of your performances, that gives an agent or scout a bit of a feel for what to expect from you when he comes to see you.

So treat the demo as part of your bag of tricks but it isn�t the thing that is going to seal the deal. If a scout likes what he hears or at least his curiosity is peaked, he will then seek out ways to see you live. Then we are back to the club atmosphere, your relationship with your crowd and your performance. Those are the things that will get you noticed in a way that will lead to bigger breaks. Look at the demo as just the hook with a little bit of bait on it. You can also use your demo on your web page along with some video footage of your live performance to showcase the excitement of your shows. Remember both http://www.ListenToMyMusicOnline.com and http://www.MyWebSiteMyMusic.com offer some of the best services in the industry for doing this.


Video Didn�t Kill the Radio Star

Radio used to be the primary medium for distributing information about new acts and for getting your music played and noticed. But changes in ownership of radio stations and in how they are programmed have changed that too. The radio station is no longer a significant communication channel for you to use to get on the music industry radar screen.

A lot of factors have dropped radio off the radar screen for getting noticed. Airplay is not as much of a factor as it used to be when there was a lot of diversity in radio. Radio is nearly a monopoly with all of the play list decisions made by one central national firm. So if you think that any one individual at your area radio stations makes airplay decisions, you should revise that opinion because they do not. This little insider tip alone can save you huge amounts of wasted energy and frustration when trying to get noticed.

But don�t worry, scouts and music industry agents know they will not find the new, the innovative and the creative music on radio. They have turned from it to use local networking and club performances as their radar screen for new talent.

You do the same. Do not concern yourself a great deal with local radio coverage. Even college radio is virtually a dead venue for getting noticed in this new market. Focus on where the real contacts are being made today, through local contacts, word of mouth and above all club and local festival performances. Other good habits include using music industry contact directories like the one found at http://www.MusicBizPhoneBook.com which list contact information to over 20,000 important people in the music industry.

It�s all in your network and what is happening on the street that will make the difference between you getting noticed or not. In a way, that�s the way it always should have been, having the focus placed on your band talent, performance skill and live shows. That is where your strength is anyway. Be a savvy marketer and use this knowledge to raise the awareness of your band, your talent, your songs and your performances.
About the author:

This article was written by Ty Cohen, the music industry's most recognizable voice! Ty is the C.E.O of Platinum Millennium Publishing and Platinum Millennium Records as well as owner of: http://www.MusicContractsOnline.comand http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.com

To find out more about Ty Cohen, his services, products and how he may be able to help you succeed in the music industry go to: http://www.MusicBusinesSuccess.comand sign up for his free limited edition music industry success 10-part "Mini-Course", it will work wonders for you and best of all, it's FREE, but EXTREMELY VALUABLE!

Gary Husband's All-Star Force Majeure New Live DVD Release

by: Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Featuring: Gary Husband (Drums/Piano/Composer & Leader) Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Jerry Goodman (Violin), Elliot Mason (Trombone/Bass Trumpet), Jim Beard (Keyboards), Matthew Garrison (Bass), and Arto Tuncboyaciyan (Percussion)

Gary Husband c/o
RSJ Groove Productions
PO Box 240
Ashford, Kent TN27 9ZB, United Kingdom
Phone: (+44) 01233 840612
e-mail: rsjgroove@btopenworld.com
Website: http://www.garyhusband.com
Phone & Fax: (+44) 20 7286 0821
Contact Gary: Garyhusband@aol.com

United Kingdom--July 25, 2005--Gary Husband is a musician with no boundaries and his music clearly follows that direction every time he steps on stage to perform or in the studio to record.

What better example of that free form style and attitude than the new ambitious two DVD set with his hand picked Force Majeure ensemble entitled Live At The Queen Elizabeth Hall-London. With the exquisite talents of such veterans as Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Jerry Goodman (Violin), Elliot Mason (Trombone/Bass Trumpet), Jim Beard (Keyboards), Matthew Garrison (Bass), and Arto Tuncboyaciyan (Percussion), Husband plays the drums, piano, and conducts his way through several outstanding jazz-rock-fusion-world compositions. His performances are electrifying as he jumps from the drums to the piano then to center stage to conduct the brass section of Brecker and newfound talent Elliot Mason.

With a myriad of talents at his disposal and some of the finest musicians in the world to assist, Husband makes his incredibly diverse talents look so fluid and natural that he defies categorization. The rest of the band smartly takes his lead and the result is some of the most absorbing music you will ever hear or enjoy watching.

Born into a highly musical family in Yorkshire in 1960, Gary Husband laid the fundamentals of his career in music through the study of classical piano and theory. By the age of 10, he was already increasing his musical capacity by taking up the drums and, before he was 16, he had established himself as an exceptionally gifted talent on both instruments. The time spent honing his skills in his early years has paid off as he is one of the most sought after musicians in the world today.

This new DVD release from RSJ Groove not only magnificently captures the event in London (mixed in 5.1 Surround) but also features exclusive interviews and photographs as well as an extensive Husband-produced bonus audio selection of enthralling highlights from the bands other concert dates. The DVD is available directly from RSJ Groove Records-http://www.rsjgroove.co.uk or at http://www.abstractlogix.com and http://www.audiophileimports.com.

"A musician whom I have known and admired for many years, not only for his wizardry at the piano, but for his artistry at the drums! Immense musical talent." -John McLaughlin

"Gary's pretty much of an improvisational genius to me ... One of the most talented and original musicians I have ever had the pleasure of making music with."-Allan Holdsworth

"I first heard him on an Allan Holdsworth recording in the early '80s. My impression was that this is where I'd like to be, in terms of my overall musical presentation through the drumset. You should also hear the tunes Gary writes, plus the way he plays. The guy's a genius. "- Billy Cobham
For More Information Contact: rsjgroove@btopenworld.com

###

PR Created and Submitted By MuzikReviews.com-http://www.muzikreviews.com

About the author:
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck conducts interviews, writes reviews, biographies, press releases and articles for Independent and Major artists Worldwide. Articles are dispersed on a vast network of websites. Links to sites with great music content are provided on my Homepage and Links Page.

Free Music Video Downloads

Listening to all of your favorite songs whenever you want isalways exciting. No more having to wait for it to be played onthe radio or have to go out and buy the whole CD for just oneparticular song. When you can download all of your favorite
songs for free it just makes it that much better. What if youcould download the music videos to all of your favorite songsfor free and add to the excitement every time you listen to thesong? In this article I’ll discuss some of the best places tofind free music video downloads and why some free music video download sites are better than others.

As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Music Video Downloads, not all sites are going to be capable of good quality free music video downloads. Some are going to allow you to preview the first 30 seconds of a song, while other sites allow
you to watch only one song, then you must become a member to view more. However, there are sites out there that allow you to download good quality videos for free.

One of the bigger downsides to free video downloads, though, is that most places only allow you to watch the video and not save it to a file to view later. Yes, you can view it anytime you want by simply clicking on the video and having it load in about 15 seconds. However, if there is a certain list of songs you would like to observe, then you’ll have to search through the site to find them as oppose to having them all saved in a library.

Another downside to free music video downloads is the fact that most sites contain only popular artists and songs, so the unknown bands may be harder to find videos for. This is not to say that the selection is small, but it is limited to more of
the current hot hits.

One of the better sites that I have found for downloading music videos for free is www.artistdirect.com. Once you get to the home page at the top is a button for movies and videos, this is where you will find all of the free music video downloads. On this page you will find the top music videos for various categories such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and so on. Plus they have the top 5 music videos currently, with a button away from getting the top 600 music videos. I have found this site to be very quick and efficient with downloading videos, but as mentioned earlier you are only capable of viewing the videos and can not save them to a library or folder.

One of the more common and well known sites to find free music
video downloads is at www.mtv.com. For this site they have it
set up with six different categories that you can click on. As
you click on one of the categories it brings up the top six
videos under that category currently, then you are able to
browse all the videos for that category if you please. Or to
make things easier, they have a place where you can simply
search for a specific video.

I have listed two of the more popular sites to find free music
video downloads, and two of the easier sites to search through.
If you were to conduct a search for free music video download
sites on google, there are about 131 million different sites or
pages connected to this phrase. So as you can see there are
several different places to look for the videos, it’s just up to
you to find them. The two I have provided would be good ones to
start at, but feel free to broaden your horizon and begin
searching for the sites to find your favorite music videos for
free.



About the author:
Best MP3 Music Downloads is a site that contains information, articles, and resources on all genres and styles of music. You can download music and videos, and find links to the best places to download music here:
http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com

Free, Legal Music Online

Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on Internet music piracy that has been occurring over the past few years. Napster was taken down (although it has now returned as a pay service), other file sharing programs now require users to pay for a license and the RIAA and other similar organizations are doing their best to hunt down copyright offenders and put an end to their crime sprees. The consumers on the other hand argue that their actions hurt nobody, that there is no damage done to anyone by their not buying an album. Furthermore, they claim, MP3s allow them to sample a CD before purchasing it, thus actually helping sales.

I'm not here to argue the pros and cons. Basically it's not worth it, as neither side of the argument will ever see the opposition's point of view. What I'd like to do is take a look at the completely free and legal alternative to 'stealing' music. Those wonderfully talented musicians who are willing to put their creations online to download for free, solely for the joy of spreading their creations to the masses.

Free music is surprisingly easy to come by, even music by famous bands. Sometimes it needs to be 'streamed' from the Internet, meaning that you can only listen to a song while you're online, but with the ever-growing popularity of broadband Internet this is really no longer a problem. Sites such as MP3.com and purevolume.com provide free music by almost any band you can think of, although there is a large amount of it that has to be streamed and not downloaded. A search for 'free legal MP3 downloads' will reveal a huge number of pages to visit.

For something specific, try visiting the artist's website, or the site of their record label. These will often offer a few sample tracks to download for free. It's not quite as convenient as having access to every song that you want, but it's not a bad alternative.

But how about we forget about the mainstream for just a while and move towards the alternative? Towards the hopefuls, the talented bands that have yet been 'noticed'. There are a huge number of these smaller bands out there that are sticking their stuff online for any and all to listen to, just so that they can be heard. These can be easier to find, because most MP3 sites will be filled with these smaller acts. A great place to start is http://www.garageband.com/ or the aforementioned http://purevolume.com

The great thing about smaller bands is that you can often find bands that come from your local area and then go and see them play live. Being able to see a favourite band live more than once a year (or lifetime) without expending huge amounts of money and time is pretty cool. Many music search engines will let you search for bands of a particular genre in a particular area, which makes it all quite easy.

A fairly major contributor to the online music scene is the remixer. These people take other tunes and redo them, usually in a techno style because one person can do this competently. Chief among the tunes selected to be remixed are those old ditties that used to play through the simplest of sound chips on aging consoles: the video game theme songs. People now go and grab the main tune line from an old favourite and fill it out, making real the work our imaginations used to do for us to turn the single tone melodies into orchestral masterpieces. A few good places to start are http://remix.kwed.org and http://remix.overclocked.org as well as a personal favourite band http://machinaesupremacy.com

I hope this has given you something to think about. It's not hard to come across illegal MP3 rips, in fact it's often hard to avoid them, but if you give the free music scene a look you may find something completely different and new that will really do it for you. With web hosts already being penalized hugely for illegal content being stored on their servers (having an entire server taken down because of one inconsiderate user is damaging and irritating beyond belief) and moves being made to charge ISPs for the content being accessed by their users, it makes more sense than ever to get out there and grab yourself an awesomely original and completely legal music collection.

Dyann Woody Releases Debut Solo Album My Softer Side

Nashville, TN--November 11, 2010--Who knew that this country singer was really a closet chanteuse? Dyann Woody makes a seamless transition from ‘Yee Haw’ to ‘Ooh La La’. She not only has the voice of an angelic siren, but what will amaze you even more is just how easy and pleasing her music is to listen to. She reaches across many genres and meshes elements of ‘70’s singer/songwriter style, jazz, blues and pop with the art of a well-crafted lyric.

Although this is Dyann’s first solo album, she has shared musical success with her husband as part of the Country Music Group, The Woodys. Their debut album on Rounder Records went #1 on the Americana charts; they were voted the Top County Vocal Duo at the International Music News Awards and have received worldwide critical acclaim for all three of their albums. However, there was still a part of Dyann that was musically unfulfilled. She wanted to write songs that expressed all of the emotions and experiences that she and other women have had in their lives in relationship to men. Dyann also wanted to use the full range of her voice bringing into play the years that she studied voice, classical music and jazz.
So, inspired by Norah Jones record, Come Fly Away, Dyann felt her time had come. She began writing songs for her own album drawing from earlier musical influences of the artists she loved like Billy Holliday and Bonnie Raitt. My Softer Side is a soulful and heartfelt musical offering that not only highlights great songwriting but her sweet & sultry vocals along with the stellar talents of Rick Vito (Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac), Barry Walsh (Shania Twain), Dave Pomeroy (Trisha Yearwood) and Steve Turner (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton). Dyann’s very talented husband, Michael Woody, not only co-produced the album but played trumpet on it as well. He oversaw the entire project and brought to bear his expertise in songwriting (he is a #1 ASCAP songwriter) and encouraged Dyann’s Softer Side to be expressed through her singing. Pat Hutchinson of Warner Chappell Studios put the final icing on the cake as associate producer and engineer.

“I have to admit, I loved this album, every single song. Now how often do you hear someone say that? I would be willing to bet, not nearly enough. This CD is the most down to earth and real expression of artistry you will ever find in recorded music.” - Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikReviews.com

CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dyannwoody

Do you like 80s music?

=================================
Do you like 80s music?
by: Silent One
=================================

Many people out there are nuts about 80's music. The sad reality of loving the music of the 1980's is that line-ups change, bands disband or the traditional press ignores their new output. That's what we're here to fix. Wondering what the latest news is on your favorite music artists?

Here are the number one songs from 1981:
01/31/81 "The Tide Is High" - Blondie (1 week)
Even though it only spent one week at the top of the chart, this was Blondie's longest lasting single, staying on the charts for 26 weeks.

02/07/81 "Celebration" - Kool And The Gang (2 weeks)
From 1973 to 1987 the band had a string of hits. This was their only number one, although 1983's "Joanna" and 1985's "Cherish" both made it to number two.

02/21/81 "9 To 5" - Dolly Parton (2 weeks)
Her first number one song, from the movie of the same name, in which she also starred.

02/28/81 "I Love A Rainy Night" - Eddie Rabbitt (2 weeks)
Back to back country artists had number one hits in February of 1981. This was Rabbitt's only number one along with three other songs that made the top 10.

03/21/81 "Keep On Loving You" - REO Speedwagon (1 week)
Their first song to hit the Top 40 chart, and the first of two number ones for the quintet from Champaign, Illinois that was named after a type of fire truck.

03/28/81 "Rapture" - Blondie (2 weeks)
The 4th and final number one song Blondie had in the '80s, and their second of 1981.

04/11/81 "Kiss On My List" - Hall and Oates (3 weeks)
The first number one of the '80s for the duo from Philadelphia. They previously hit the top of the charts with 1977's "Sara Smile," and would have several hits throughout the '80s.

05/02/81 "Morning Train (Nine To Five)" - Sheena Easton (2 weeks)
The sexy Scot's first single went all the way to number one and would be her only chart topper. She did have 6 other top 10 hits in the '80s.

05/16/81 "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes (9 weeks)
The number two song of 1981 was written by the legendary Jackie DeShannon. Carnes was a former member of the New Christy Minstrels in the late '60s. Her only other top 10 song was 1980's duet with Kenny Rogers, "Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer."

06/20/81 "Medley" - Stars On 45 (1 week)
This novelty song had Dutch session singers redo classic songs from the '60s. They released three other Medley singles, but none even cracked the Top 40.

07/25/81 "The One That You Love" - Air Supply (1 week)
The only number one song for the Australian balladeers. They had seven consecutive top 5 singles from 1980 to 1982.

08/01/81 "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield (2 weeks)
1981 was a great year for Australians, with 3 different artists reaching number one. Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake on the hit soap opera General Hospital in the early '80s. This would be his only number one song, but he also had 4 other singles hit the top 10.

08/15/81 "Endless Love" - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9 weeks)
The title song for the movie starring Brooke Shields became a wedding staple and was Ross' final number one. It was Richie's first.

10/17/81 "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" - Christopher Cross (3 weeks)
The second movie theme in a row to top the charts in '81, it was Cross' second and final number one.

11/07/81 "Private Eyes" - Hall and Oates (2 weeks)
Another one of their 6 number one singles.

11/21/81 "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John (10 weeks)
The number one song of the year, and the song spending the most weeks at number one in the decade of the '80s. In addition to 10 weeks at number one, it spent a total of 21 weeks in the Top 40.
About the author:

http://www.a1-80s-music-4u.info/

Download Mp3 Music Safely

=================================
Download Mp3 Music Safely
by: Anne
=================================

DON'T Download JUNK! Make sure your download mp3 music is a quality mp3 and that your music download doesn't have hidden downloads that will not only ruin your search for great music but will annoy you and invade your privacy.

Here are the four hidden downloads most free music sites install on your computer when you download mp3‘s.

1.Spyware is almost always contained in mp3 freeware and shareware downloads. The spyware gathers information and monitors the activities you perform, unbeknown to you.
2.Adware is also contained in these mp3 download networks. Your computer can and probably will be stuffed with a huge amount of intrusive advertising.
3.Pornography is very prevalent on the Internet. Be very aware that porn peddlers disguise their software as the latest free mp3 download or game demo to redirect your modem to porn sites.
4.Spoofing is when download mp3 networks are filled with fake files. For example, if you download what you think is a popular mp3 song, you will get the same ten seconds of the song over and over again.
So in your hunt to download mp3 ‘s and create your own library of music, be selective of which music download site you use. There are many to choose from but few that offer privacy protection, online service, tech help, spyware-free and adware-free downloads, as well as a large library of quality mp3’s.

Things have come a long way with regards of how we listen to our favorite music. It's as easy as a push of a button with digital music.

Knowing where to start, how you want to listen to your music and what you want to do with it, is the first step. When you download mp3 files from online music services, you need to know what they allow you to do. Some songs are just for listening to, some can be downloaded, and some can be burned to a CD or a portable music player.

A few owners of certain artists publishing rights will not grant the license rights, which means some mp3's are not available for downloading.

The majority of the time, you'll find what you're looking for because the larger download MP3 subscription music web sites have access to the catalog of the Five Big Labels – Sony, Warner, Universal, EMI, and BMG, which account for about 80% of recorded music.

So now that you have the facts on how to download mp3 ‘s, do some research for quality music download sites, take advantage of any Free Trials, download lot’s of music, turn up the volume and don’t forget to Sing Along!


About the author:

By Anne Spencer, editor of Music Download Review
http://www.music-download-review.com
To find a Top Music Download Site read:
http://www.music-download-review.com/download-music.html

Downloading Music

=======================
Downloading Music!
=======================
MP3 technology was the catalyst to one of the biggest revolutions in the media business in nearly 30 years.
When cassette tapes became popular in the late 1970's and early 1980's,the music industry did the now-familiar Chicken Little dance about its way of life being destroyed. The industry quickly co-opted that threat,turning albums on cassettes into a very lucrative business. In the mid-80's, CDs promised superior quality at lower prices, but we wound up only getting the better quality. Consumers never got the promised price break—album prices continued to climb. Those chickens would come home to roost soon enough.

It's taken the music industry the better part of ten years to finally devise some legal alternatives to the P2P file-sharing networks, and now there are well over a dozen online music services legally offering a wide range of genres to satisfy most musical palettes. Aside from one service's downloads being three cents cheaper than the next, what sets them apart? Which one gives you most flexibility about how you enjoy your music? And which one really gives you the most of what you want for your money?

Downloading MP3's made easy

===============================
Downloading MP3's made easy
===============================
The MP3 movement started out with a huge audience of music enthusiasts on the internet. The MP3 digital music format has had, and will continue to have, a huge impart on how people, gather, listen to and share music.

The MP3 format is a compression system for digital music that helps reduce the size of a digitized song without disturbing the sound quality. Digital music is converted to MP3 format and made available for use, usually via the web. MP3 files can be downloaded onto your computer from the internet and special software, either commercial or freeware. Using your computer and software you can convert digital music from a CD into MP3 format.

MP3 files can be played in three different ways:
1. They can be played directly onto your computer.
2. They can be decompressed and recorded onto a CD.
3. These files can be played on a portable MP3 player.

The advantage of MP3 players is that they are small, lightweight and rugged. They are a great way to carry your MP3 files with you!
With a portable MP3 player, a personal computer, and the appropriate software, you can do the following:
1. Obtain free or low-cost music from the web.
2. Create your own mix of music by downloading MP3 files from the web and converting the tracks from CDs.
3. Listen to near-CD quality music wherever you go.
4. Listen to more music (up to 10 hours' worth).
If you want to convert your songs from your CDs into MP3 files, you can use ripper and encoder software. A ripper copies a song's file from the CD onto your hard disk. The encoder compresses the song into the MP3 format. By encoding songs, you can play them on your computer or take them with you on your MP3 player. The ripper and encoder software may come with your MP3 player.
The specific instructions will vary with the individual software programs, but the following steps will definitely take place:
1. Place the CD from which you want to convert songs into your drive.
2. Select the track(s) that you want to convert to MP3 format.
3. Convert the selected track(s).
4. Copy the new MP3 files on to your computer's hard disk.
Now you are ready to download these MP3 files into your portable MP3 player.
Once you have MP3 files on your computer, you can use the software that came with your MP3 player to download the files into your MP3 player. Again, the specific instructions will vary depending upon your software program and player, but you will:

1. Create a playlist from your MP3 files.
2. Plug the player into your computer's parallel of USB port.
3. Transfer the MP3 files according to the instructions.
Once you have downloaded the MP3 files into your portable MP3 player, you are ready to take your music anywhere. Most MP3 players are small, lightweight, and solid-state. Because most players are solid-state, there are no moving parts to break down or skip, so the sound quality is uninterrupted regardless of your physical activity. MP3 players are equipped with various types of headphones or earpieces.

Portable MP3 players can play music longer than a portable CD player. The length of play for a CD player is about 74 minutes, the length of one CD. However, the length of play for an MP3 player depends upon its memory capacity, which can be upgraded on some models. A standard MP3 player can play for about half an hour (32 MB) to a few weeks (40 GB)! Some models can be upgraded with additional memory devices.

Darrel Andrews Releases New Album Spider Soul

===============================================
Darrel Andrews Releases New Album Spider Soul
===============================================
During the 70's, the late great Ray Charles sponsored a recording session of seven of Andrews' tunes, and two tunes were recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland. There would be many more defining moments in the career of Darrel Andrews and fast forwarding to present day brings us to his latest achievement Spider Soul.

A tune titled “Spider Soul,” originally released in 1971, garnered tremendous interest recently, and inspired Andrews to re-record the tune along with many others he had composed in the 60s and 70s. Now there is a wonderful album with the same title available, which brings all of those songs to life again. The CD offers 14 tracks filled with home cooked rhythm & blues and soul, reminiscent of Isaac Hayes and the like. Andrews’ musicality and sensibilities drive each track while his past shines brightly through the instruments and his contagious vocal exercises.

Ironically, the one tune that got all the attention and spurred this project on was the title track, an instrumental gem. Booker T & The MGs and Jimmy Smith (one of the pioneers of the Hammond Organ sound) come to mind while getting your groove on listening to the track. The rest of the album is pure sweet pop, soul, and R & B vocals. There are times in life when bringing up the past can be a good thing and it was a blessing for this artist and everyone that will be listening to the CD.

Andrews also found Stretch The Skies, a full service independent musician’s resource to help bring him into the present day to market his CD. Their Music Button technology, now everywhere in the U.S. with Trans World Entertainment via their music stores Coconuts-Music and Movies (LocalEyez), Planet Music, Strawberries, F.Y.E.- For Your Entertainment, and Wherehouse, is part of selling and tracking the release as it gains momentum for the artist. The marriage of new technologies and music are no longer strange bedfellows, they are necessary for the success of an independent artist. It looks like Mr. Andrews is off to a great start.

Dance Music!

==============================
Dance Music!
by: Silent One
=============================

Dance music comes in many different forms, from disco to hip-hop. Though there have been various dance crazes throughout the history of popular music, dance music became its own genre in the mid-'70s, as soul mutated into disco and whole clubs were devoted to dancing. In the late '70s, dance clubs played disco, but by the end of the decade, disco was mutating into a number of different genres.

All of the genres were collected under the catch-all term "dance," though there were distinct differences between dance pop, hip-hop, house, and techno, among other subgenres. What tied them all together was their emphasis on rhythm -- in each dance subgenre, the beat remains all-important foundation.

Whatever the music, if you feel the beat you can dance to it.
About the author:

http://www.a1-80s-music-4u.info/