Archive for November, 2009
As with any business, finding the specific targeted key is always the adventure when trying to climb to the top. Many fail and fall by the wayside in their attempts to climb the mountain. And many, quite honestly, just stall out without the right talent and management to back up the endeavor. The same holds true in the music business with singers and songwriters. The countless hours that A&R spend trying to find that key song for that new “baby” act is sometimes a relentless task. Oftentimes, the success or ultimate failure of an artist, isn’t the talent or in fact having the unique talent, but the songs that will carry their success down radio airplay lane. Without the right ingredients in the CD mixing bowl, you can almost guarantee failure. What makes for a good song? What songs do up and coming acts look for and how do you obtain these songs that almost create magic in the hearts of the listener when even the intro is played? These are great questions, and many have tried to answer them. I will give you some advice as to what holds true for many of your potential listeners.
If you’ve ever tried to get inside the mindset of a potential fan or one that will purchase your CD, you will notice some distinct differences in their thinking than what is popular or in vogue within the music business culture. To begin with, songs and artists that are currently selling are not the only thing that will sell. You say da, but most get on the current bandwagon with the same old tired sound and song structure and then wonder why they can’t get a record deal or get their songs cut or wonder why people aren’t buying their music. You will have to learn to think outside the box. Think back through the music era as of late and look at all of the styles and how music has progressed from big band, to the Beatles to the many 70’s rock bands to Boston, to the new Chicago (David Foster) albums to the slicker pop artists of the nineties with the barrage of improved keyboard sounds to today. Now I know that we could list hundreds to thousands of bands here, but for the sake of time I think you get the idea.
Are you really thinking about the next layer of the musical cake? What will that sound like? What are you currently doing to write not just off the wall music and productions to sound different, but music that will be the next level of the music era that people will look back at as a turning point in music history? As a singer looking to obtain A side songs for you’re your next CD, you will want to think about how and where you will obtain them. As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I know how difficult it can be for artists and writers not only to break into the industry as a whole, but to maintain a credible ongoing writing career writing fresh and new creative lyrics and melodies. Yet the gotta have it today and write it from a fresh perspective is still king. At ReelMusician.com we are always looking at new and fresh production ideas for writers who obtain song production services from our company, and I can tell you that it’s a challenge. We pride ourselves in writing incredible productions and we do, but the art of making it a little different to the point where it stands out, really takes time and effort. Anybody can throw a song production together on the computer with a keyboard and a mic, but to create a unique, yet with musical integrity to the artist’s or writer’s original intent, and within the marketing bounds of today’s music buying crowd, isn’t always easy – It’s an art.
Even within the jingle production side to ReelMusician.com, we are always looking for new and creative ways to really showcase singers trying to break into the jingle singing market. The marketing behind the singer’s jingle demo reel is key. So again, when individuals think they can record their own jingle demo reel with a computer, keyboard and mic, they are most likely mistaken and I would guess most end in failure. Same thing holds for writers and singers trying to obtain top A sided tunes that will be a hit on radio lane. You have got to be writing and recording with individuals who have a proven track record, who think outside the box, utilizing their players ideas even when they overturn your original production idea, because it’s plain a better idea. And seeing that the overall production is the end goal, there is no attitude and hopefully A sided album cuts are produced and recorded.
There are numerous outlets on the web that most everyone is familiar with where up and coming acts can review and contact the writers or artists to obtain permission to record their music. The flood of sites available is astounding. As a writer or singer, comb through these sites and listen for not only valid recording material, but for ideas and ways to steer your next production close enough to mainstream marketable music, but close enough to the edge where your music and production sound fresh and new. See, it’s not that easy. It’s easy to write it here as a valid idea, but significantly harder to put into practice.
As we close, I will offer a few suggestions, and I am well aware that many claim to have the “answers,” but I will just remain confident that you are building your career, making career corrections as needed along the way and are practicing your craft, not merely as an art, but as a way to get a recording contract or plain get your songs cut by a major recording artist. You’ve heard it before, but writers do get significantly better with their writing and productions over time – keep doing it. Don’t be afraid to admit it when either your music or production isn’t working, but keep looking up, because there is hope in your admitting it and moving forward and learning how to better you productions. Don’t have an attitude about your music or the ability to change it, but don’t necessarily change it at every beckoning, because someone else “claims” to always have the superior idea. Lastly, just hang in there, keep at it and don’t be afraid to contact us should you have further questions about song production or jingle singing. Look forward to hearing from you.
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Music education classes can enrich the life of an adult or child in many ways. Children who learn a musical instrument or sing usually perform better on test scores at school.
Here are a few reasons why music education is beneficial to both adults and children
1) Build self-confidence while having fun.
For those who have music education classes in school, learning an instrument and playing in a band can be lots of fun. Children as young as eight or nine can be taught how to play a variety of instruments. Bands usually have concerts on a regular basis where the children can play for their parents and others in the school. Adults with music background can form their own bands and perform in public places. Performing to a public audience is a great way to build self-confidence for both adults and children alike.
2) Team work and friendship
Learning about the value of notes, time signatures, and exits and entrances will help them to be a member of a team. Each member of a band or ensemble must work together to produce a well-coordinated piece of music. Besides teamwork, they can make friends very easily. This is especially beneficial for children and other adults who want to be more sociable. Together, they can explore many different types of music and learn to play different musical instruments.
3) Better analytical skill
A good music education can help improve the analytical skills of adults and children. For children and students, music plays a significant role in improving their math and thinking skills in many cases. For most people, they use only the left side of the brain to analyze and solve problems. However, a music education can help develop the right side of the brain. The effect is that children or adult are able to solve problems in a shorter time and using better solution.
4) Stress Reduction
Music has widely been regarded as an effective mean to reduce stress. In fact, this is one of the reasons that make music education so popular. Many people actually feel calmer and cheerful when playing music, including children. However, heavy metal or rock music tends to have a reverse effect on many people and it is generally not suitable as a mean for stress reduction.
5) Turn music into a career
For those who have an immense love of music, they can turn it into a full time career. There are many types of jobs that are related to music. They include music teachers, professional singers or bands, conductors and many others.
Today, more and more parents are also encouraging their young children to take up music lessons. If there is no music education program offered at school, they will send their children for private lessons. This can be beneficial but in a different way. Instead of being part of a band, music students will have to learn to rely on themselves when playing their instruments. Many children tend to take piano lessons or guitar lessons because these are instruments that can be played alone or with a group. In fact, these instruments are also very popular with adults. Regardless of the instruments, a good music education will leave a positive effect on both children and adults for many years to come.
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Rock Band $169
Stamina Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike $189
Losing weight playing a video game PRICELESS
It all started for me in February. I realized that springtime was coming fast and I had a few pounds to lose. Fifteen pounds to be exact. I found that I have little time in my day to to make time for a workout. I ordered a Stamina Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike from Amazon. I chose this model because it is magnetic and thus almost silent. Also the price is very reasonable for what you get. My original idea was to modify it so that I could use my laptop why working out. The problem was that could not keep my knees low enough to use the laptop effectively. I pretty much decided just to ride the bike while watching television. The problem I ran into was that I could not ignore the pain no matter what I watched on tv. One night my daughter was playing Rock Band on our Playstation 3.When she was done with her song I asked to borrow her guitar. Because the PS3 guitar is wireless it was no problem holding the guitar while riding the bike. I was extremely pleased to find that the concentration necessary to play the game made me forget out the pain involved in working out. Plus the songs are great so you get pretty pumped up just playing the game. I found that I had to download every song available from the Playstation network in order to keep it fresh. I have found that with this system I can work out every night and actually look forward to it. This system will work with the Guitar Hero games too. I am going to try some other games like Call of Duty 4 and Halo on the XBox 360. So if you are looking to lose weight and love video games, give this system a try. I think you will find that it works quite well. The more intense the gaming experience the better.
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Every child enjoys listening to music and at present there are so many kid songs created by wonderful talented artists, it can be difficult to choose a favorite. Music is not only a great way to help children learn and interact with one another but also a wonderful way to have some good fun. Kid songs differ by style and artist so your little tot has a wide selection of options for his musical tastes.
Among all the hottest bands that make up the wide collection of kids songs is the Laurie Berkner Band; a hot favorite among little ones across the United States. Laurie Berkner works jointly with her husband and her trusted friend to write and produce a huge number of kid songs for your little one to enjoy. For sure, this band offers a varied portfolio of musical styles to meet any music lover’s tastes.
The kid songs are appealing to both kids and adults alike and the different kinds of musical styles the band makes use of are simply brilliant. This offers a unique opportunity for children to be introduced to a number of different types of music. Say for instance, the Laurie Berkner Band has created a few songs that appeal to the blues. Several of my daughter’s favorite kid songs are written in the classic blues style. Of which, the band produced a lovely tune called “I know a Chicken” that helps children learn more about animals and its sounds. Besides, it also introduces them to the rhythmic blues tempo found in music from that genre. In fact the song almost reminds me of a song performed by the Muddy Waters Blues Band.
In addition, the Laurie Berkner Band also offers kid songs that have an island appeal to kids. Another song with a cool reggae beat is the song “Under a Shady Tree” that is easily recognized by any Bob Marley fan. This helps children gain a feeling for various types of music and it helps them understand that a place can be captured by a tune.
Though none can match up with the Laurie Berkner Band, there are lots of other bands that offer great kid sings. The popular kid’s channel, Noggin features this band in a number of shows and specials. These specials and shows are on the top of our household’s family viewing listing.
As for my daughter, she simply looks forward to seeing what this exciting children’s band has to offer next. Yes, sometimes I have to admit I do, too. Who would ever think that kid sings could be so educational and entertaining.
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Lyrics or the words of a song are one of the most important parts of a song. The words of a song form the most recognizable part of a song and they can be considered as the meat of the song. Background beats, voice of the lead singer, sound of guitar are some of the important parts of a song but the lyrics are the most recognizable part of a song. They are an integral part of any music tune and they turn a song into an appealing song.
It takes good amount of time to come up with appealing and meaningful words for a song and it would be a mistake for any artist to take lyrics lightly. Lyrics have a significant importance and so, it’s very important to take them seriously. When someone listen a song on radio, he’s likely to remember some key lines of the song instead of the background beats and other sounds. It’s much easier to recognize a song with the help of its words instead of using the drum beats to recognize it.
However, the background music is equally important and it should not be neglected. A good song is a song with appealing lyrics and background beats. People usually relate their own life with lyrics of the song, and some people enjoy songs that convey some message or have some meaning. So, it’s very important for an artist to take lyrics seriously. An artist should spend quality time to make sure that the song has appealing lyrics.
It’s very important to understand the words of a song in order to understand the meaning of the song. Some people find it tough to remember the lyrics completely and this is the reason why most of the artists publish the lyrics. Some artists usually giveaway lyrics with the CD, and some artists publish lyrics on their web sites. Also, there are a number of web sites that maintain a collection of lyrics. Some web sites charge a small fee for providing the music lyrics whereas some web sites provide lyrics for free. So, if you’re looking for lyrics of a particular song then you should use the Internet to find the lyrics.
However, you should make sure that you use a legitimate web site for finding and downloading lyrics as there are a number of web sites which provide lyrics without the artist’s permission. Also, a number of web sites use different kinds of spyware to infect an end-user’s system. They try to infect the user’s system so as to collect the personal information of the user. So, an individual should use reputed web sites for finding and downloading lyrics.
An individual should use web sites which provide legal and licensed music lyrics. It is also safe to use web sites which provide licensed music lyrics. A simple web search can get you hundreds of web sites which provide music lyrics and you can also use the reviews to find a reputable site. It is also very easy to search lyrics on a web site as a search box is usually available on a web site. An end-user needs to fill-in the required details in the search box in order to search the lyrics of a particular song.
At the end, the words of a song are very important as people remember songs by the words, and you can use the Internet to find the music lyrics.