Posts Tagged ‘Music’
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Outlaw country music was started in response to a style of country music called the Nashville sound, which was a bit softer than country had ever been. Such country music artists as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash were the originators of outlaw country and really made it what it was.
One of the interesting things about outlaw country music is that there was a women’s movement during that period that featured such performers as Jessi Colter and Sammi Smith.
The outlaw country music movement also spawned a new movement in country music called Texas country music, which has already established legions of loyal followers. Hank Williams III is one of the more notable musicians from that movement.
Jennings was the king of outlaw country music for me. He had a number of songs that exemplified the style, including Lonesome, On’ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes.
One of my best friends asked me one time if I thought that outlaw country was better than other types of country music, because he liked more of the pop country style of modern artists. He said that it just seemed to be more listener-friendly style and that it appealed to a much larger listening audience than some of the outlaw country artists.
I told him that was precisely the reason that I prefer outlaw country music. To me, it had more of an authentic feel to it, and when I listened to it, I knew that I was listening to real country music and not a pop song.
Posted in General, Music | Tags: country, Music | No Comments »
Sunday, June 13th, 2010
I have often marveled at the relationship between music and the mind and how certain situations in life seem to call for different types of music. I sat down one day to think about all of the different styles of music that I like and occasions in life when they are appropriate or even seem to help me, and what I found was very interesting. My friend Paul said he used to like to listen to classical music to get to sleep at night, and almost always found that it did the trick for him.
I am not sure what the relationship between music and the mind is in this case, but I think it has something to do with the hard-driving, aggressive nature of both styles that really gets your adrenaline pumping and helps you to push through. I don’t think I could ever listen to classical music during a weight-lifting workout, or heavy metal while trying to study or absorb something.
Another type of music that I really like is country, and I have found that when I am working out in my yard, I like to listen to that. I am not sure if other people have that type of feeling, because I have never known anyone that did, but for me, I like the feeling of being out in the fresh air, working hard, and listening to country music.
I had once read an article that talked about music and the mind and how classical music can actually help you prepare for a test. I can’t remember exactly what the correlation was, but I tried it myself while studying and found that it did seem to help me to concentrate better. Even to this day, when I am working on a big project, I will put on some Mozart or Grieg and get to work.
Posted in General, Music | Tags: mind, Music, Relationship | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2010
I never will forget that the first of the many metal CDs I ever bought was Metallica’s And Justice for All. I loved that album, and I would listen to it over and over again, as I did when I had first bought the album on cassette.
The beautiful part about having it on a compact disc was that I never had to worry about it wearing out.
When I was a youngster, my family and I would got to a place called Trader’s Village about once a month and shop for a variety of things: house decorations, appliances and pretty much everything else under the sun. I began talking to them and asking them about heavy metal and whether they liked it, and they said they did and most of their friends were into it, as well. I started mentioning some of my metal CDs, and while they said they respected those bands for getting things started, they were a bit too old school for their taste.
I went on to purchase several more metal CDs by Metallica, along with Guns n’ Roses, Pantera, Anthrax and several other bands, but as time went by and tastes in music changed, it appeared that heavy metal seemed to lose some steam in popularity.
I would hear about the hottest new pop sensation or hip hop artist, but rarely about heavy metal, unless of course, it was one of those bands I had listened to, especially Metallica.
Posted in General, Music, Shopping | Tags: buy, cd, cds, metal, Music | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2010
Rock music has their fair share of these types of artists but this inability to write a good original song sometimes baffles the mind. Some of the worst instrumentalists of all time have written original rock songs that have made millions of dollars so it is bewildering to think that the best have trouble creating original tunes. I compare the great instrumentalists to these technicians and scientists. They get so caught up in the minutiae and detail in the world of music theory that they can’t step back and write an original song. Writing an original song that is any good has to come from a wellspring of emotion and a profound depth of feeling.
Original tunes are not created using a formula. That being said, there are some guidelines for writing popular and rock tunes and that formula has worked brilliantly for many years and for many of the top selling artists of all time. The formula has to do with the structure of an original song, especially for pop, funk, or rock music. The chorus is also called the hook and may be repeated at the end while the recording fades. These are just general guidelines that songwriting experts over the years have established as being the most common to use.
You still need to use your imagination and have lots of feeling. Most of the time a hit original song comes from a person’s life experience or something painful that happened to them. Song hits from the past 50 years are full of dramatic and life-changing themes and lyrics. There are structured classes where one can go and learn how to write songs, but no way can any of these classes guarantee that you will write a hit original song.
Posted in General, Misc, Music | Tags: Music, original, rock, song, write, writer | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2010
As a young teenager, my favorite kind of music was heavy metal, and I used to love it when MTV would play metal videos, because it seemed like it was so rare for that happen.
I think the video itself really showed what could be done with metal videos and opened the door for others. It seemed that shortly after its release, MTV gradually started playing more and more such videos. One that always stands out to me was the video for Paradise City by Guns n’ Roses. I guess the reason for that is the simplicity of the concept, and the white jacket and pants that Axl Rose is wearing. The video pans around an empty stadium and shows all of the band members standing around and cutting up, and then the music starts and the stadium is filled. Today, I will often find myself looking up metal videos online to sort of take me back to a time when life was a lot simpler. It’s a blast from the past that sometimes you just need.
When the MTV show Headbangers Ball was first introduced, I was absolutely thrilled, because it was a show devoted entirely to metal videos that I would literally watch one after another. The only problem there was that the show was on late at night when it first came out, and my parents would not always let me stay up and watch it.
Then it gets into the heavier part of the song when the band starts ripping those hard chords and Axl starts head banging, and even though it was probably 20 years ago that I saw the video, I still think about it from time to time.
One of the other metal videos I liked was Anti-Social by Anthrax, mainly because I liked the song, and I felt like they did not try to do to much in the video, which for me would have taken away from the whole feel of the song. It would have been harder to concentrate on the song if they tried to make the video to flashy.
Posted in Entertainment, General, Music, Shopping | Tags: metal, Music, video, videos | No Comments »
Friday, June 4th, 2010
We are lovers of the great 80s Music Hits! We tend to think of the 70s as the disco era and the 60s as the time when rock music developed. The 60s were the days of Beatles, Who, Rolling Stones, and a host of other great bands that we now think of as the seminal groups in rock history. But the 80s were a different fact and do not get the respect that many experts think it should.
Tears for Fears and their fantastic international number one hit Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Shout. Pop groups too like Pet Shop Boys and their huge 80s music hit East End Boys and West End Girls or the digital Depeche Mode with Strange Love, Policy of Truth, Personal Jesus and Route 66. Simple Minds and Don’t You Forget About Me! A lot of great groups making 80s music hits that just don’t get the credit they deserve.
The 80s were also the time of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna, three giants of the industry who continued to churn out hit after hit for many years. Prince Purple Rain was just the right blend of rock and soul and the big hit from the album was Let’s Go Crazy. U2 began in the 80s and their songs With or Without You and Pride.
Posted in General, Music, TV | Tags: 80s, hits, Music | No Comments »
Monday, May 31st, 2010
In musical styles like rock n’ roll and country-western, the singers have nice voices, and that is certainly part of what makes them appealing, but their recorded voices sound much sharper and cleaner than their voices sound live. I am not sure why opera music produces the best singers, but I have a few ideas. First, with country and rock artists, they are usually writing their own songs. I am a fan of most kinds of music, but with our local opera festival drawing closer and the thought of Don Giovanni on my brain, I have been thinking a lot more about opera music lately and how talented opera singers truly are.
I started to think about opera music compared to other types of music at that point, and realized that opera singers are far and away the best singers in the world. The way that I was able to figure this out was by comparing my experiences at the opera with recordings of opera, and comparing opera to other genres of music that I have heard live and recorded.
Opera singers certainly enjoy what they are doing, but I think they go into it knowing that a career in opera is what they want, whereas a rock artist or country singer would probably love to make a living as a musician in a band, but their happiness does not necessarily depend on that happening. Whatever the reason, I do still believe that opera music produces the best singers.
Posted in Entertainment, Music, Television | Tags: don giovanni, Music, opera | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
The Internet has really changed a lot of how things are done. And this does not exclude the way things are being manged when it comes to a music career. Record labels are starting to disappear as more and more talented singers are popping out.
How people produce, manage, promote and distribute their music has totally changed, and it’s not as easy as is it done in the old days. Learn how you can possibly get yourself on track and eve get tips in managing your music career at http://howtosing.org
Posted in Business, Entertainment | Tags: Career, Music, music career | No Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
Are you a fan of the Rolling Stones?
With worldwide album sales estimated at more than 200 million over a 40 year period, The Rolling Stones have amassed a huge fan base, and their merchandise is keenly sought after. A Rolling Stones T Shirt would not look out of place on a teenager, or a 90 year old grandmother.
Come visit my site where you will find a great range of T Shirts and Rolling Stones Merchandise, as well as lots of interesting stories, news and videos.
Posted in Celebrities, Clothing, Entertainment, Music | Tags: Merchandise, Music, Rolling Stones, T Shirt | No Comments »
Friday, August 28th, 2009
Overtone singing is another term for throat singing, which involves some manipulation of resonances as air is built while passing through the lungs, up the throat, and out the lips, as it makes a melody. If you want to learn how to throat sing, you must first know what are the body parts involve when doing this method of singing.
Knowing how to shape your mouth and the correct positioning of your tongue is important in throat singing. Find out why and how to do it right in this great article. You can find more tips on how to sing at http://howtosing.org.
Posted in Music | Tags: how to throat sing, learn how to throat singing, Music, Overtone singing, Resonance, Singing, throat singing, Vocal | No Comments »
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
A passion for music is a good start and there are many rewards. Different routes lead to this exciting world and it’s important to decide which type of job is best suited to your particular skills.
For example you can work as a Studio Engineer. The engineer is in charge of sound quality and works the sound desk when recording and mixing takes place. What about Artist Managers or Tour Manager. Even Journalism. Journalismis another strand of activity and Music Journalists enjoy going to gigs, reviewing records and interviewing artists. This career in the music industry brings a front row seat. Getting experience on a student paper or a regional newspaper can result in a job on a national music magazine.
Posted in Career | Tags: Music | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
If there’s one thing that’s a cornerstone of magnificence… that would be music industry. Musicians, singers and band vocalists were idolized by many because of their talent and because of something they represent or fight for.
So, you’re an aspiring singer, you’ve got rhythm… the style… and the “it,” to make it big someday. The question is… for how long? Many were born to be a singer, some probably haven’t discovered their talent yet. When you got the talent, you got to show it…. but before you do so.. you need to enhance it. How? By attending voice singing lessons. Learn how to sing with Grammy award-winning singers and musicians at http://howtosing.org.
Posted in Music | Tags: Arts and Entertainment, how to sing, Music, music industry, Singing, singing lessons, vocal-lessons, voice-singing-lessons | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Today, more and more singing artists are coming out. Everybody simply loves singing, and most even have undergone trainings at a very young age to be able to achieve such great singing voice. And because they are so many, we identify all of then by their singing voice.
Knowing how and when should you find your singing voice is important. Some start at a very young age, others had to wait much longer years. Either, there are ways to find your singing voice. Learn more about finding your own singing voice at http://howtosing.org.
Posted in Career, Music | Tags: Courses and Lessons, Music, Singing, singing voice, singing voices | No Comments »
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
In 1967, English musician Dave Mason first found fame with the renowned rock group Traffic, the band with which he penned his classic hit Feelin Alright. Rock and Roll hall of Fame inductee in 2004. Critically acclaimed musicians to date and a co-founder of rock super-group Traffic, singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Mason has finalized his most personal effort in years with the just announced release of a solo album, 26 Letters and 12 Notes. Dave Mason’s new album features rock and blues influences, the album contains 12 tracks containing Mason’s singing and trademark guitar handiwork.
Posted in Entertainment, Music | Tags: dave mason, fan clubs, lyrics, Music | No Comments »
Saturday, November 8th, 2008
Jazz music made its mark in the hearts of Americans ever since the 20th century when people embraced the musicians of the time. However, when the singers came on the scene strong with skills in the art of scatting that is a vocal form of Jazz improvisation, the ability to articulate music expressively, and have that pizzazz to swing to the rhythms effectively makes a Jazz virtuoso. Jazz music bore another gift on the American public to spread to the world during the 1940’s when singers came together to form groups. The sound of acapella harmony of many voices like in a church choir using a juxtaposition of Jazz harmony is ethereal and divine.
In fact, due to the success of such groups as the Mills Brothers, Boswell Sisters, Andrews sisters, and Modernaires during the 1930’s 1940’s made Jazz fans of vocal Jazz music seek more. As a result, record stores stocked up on the music of vocal Jazz music, and it became a tremendous success that made quartets like Manhattan Transfer a household name today.
In addition, America has the largest selection of vocal Jazz music even though there are vocal Jazz ensembles all over the world. These new vocal Jazz groups do not all sing a capella style music that is common to barber shop. Vocal Jazz groups commonly use a Jazz band to accompany them as they perform. Jazz music may not be as strict as classical music, but it is in a class all it’s own. It takes great skill to sing Vocal Jazz as it does with Classical, and many other styles of music. Meaning, everyone cannot be a good jazz soloist, but it doesn’t mean that they cannot sing in the vocal jazz ensemble. Each singer must match in volume, resonance, and key in order to be a worthy member in the vocal Jazz ensemble. Ever singer must be able to sing their parts, and be heard as well as blended into the group. There are times when different people in the vocal Jazz group will be asked to scat to the music, and take the challenges that some complex Jazz music holds with great skill.
For more information, Read Full Article.
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Misc, Music, Musical Instruments, People | Tags: Jazz, Jazz Music, Jazz Musicians, Music | No Comments »
Saturday, November 8th, 2008
In the turn of the century around 1920, many artists made their mark by playing in the discreet underground nightclubs known as “Speakeasies” which are high class , “Blind pig” lower class or “Smokeasy” for smokers. The United States once prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages and smoking tobacco in clubs as a constitutional amendment. One could usually find an underground nightclub by the doors without a sign to indicate that there was such as establishment inside. Those dives also had a secret door that lead out to a passageway or alley in case the police came to investigate. The police had the power to arrest everyone in the place due to the fact that they were broke the law by being there.
However, thing were beginning to look up for Jazz Music once the invention of the record player or phonograph was made to play jazz albums. In addition, radio stations helped promote Jazz music, and made it popular among the public. Jazz Music became a music of class that earned the era a nick name known as the “Jazz age”. The band leaders who became famous as Jazz musicians were Paul Whiteman, Ted Lewis, Harry Reser, Leo Reisman, Abe Lyman, Nat Shilkret, Earl Burnett, Ben Bernie, George Olson, Bob Haring, Vincent Lopez, Ben Salvin and many more. Paul Whiteman claimed to be the king of Jazz music due to his popularity. He earned the title when he hired some white Jazz musicians with Bix Beiderbecke included to combine jazz with larger orchestrations.
For more Information, Read Full Article.
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Misc, Music | Tags: Jazz, Jazz Music, Jazz Musicians, Music | No Comments »
Saturday, November 8th, 2008
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was born on August 15, 1925 in Montreal, Canada. His father, Daniel Peterson moved to Canada in 1917 where he met and married Kathleen Olivia John, Oscar’s mother.
Oscar’s father, Daniel Peterson, was an avid musician and insisted that his children studied music. At first, Oscar musical career started at the age of five. At that time, he played the trumpet. However, he contracted Tuberculosis the next year and spent the next 14 months in the hospital. Tuberculosis badly damaged is lungs and he could no longer play the trumpet. Therefore, he centered his energy on playing the piano.
Oscar was a quick learner and it became obvious that he had enormous talent. He practiced daily up to 14 hours. Throughout his childhood, he was mostly influenced by classical music. Additionally, all of his teachers were all of classical music background. His father wanted Oscar to become a great classical pianist, but Oscar’s desire was in Jazz. His sister, Daisy was supportive of Oscar and helped him get onto a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation competition. Oscar was the winner of the competition and earned himself a spot on a radio show playing piano weekly.
For more information, please Read Full Article.
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Music, Musical Instruments, People | Tags: Jazz, Jazz Music, Jazz Musicians, Music | No Comments »
Saturday, November 8th, 2008
Born in East St. Louis, IL, Miles Davis was one of the greatest visionaries and most important figures in jazz history. His family was financially secure. He became a local phenomenon and toured with the Billy Eckstein band while attending high school.
He moved to New York under the guise of attending the Julliard School of Music. However, his true intentions were to join musically with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He very quickly soared to high ranks while learning from Bird (Charlie Parker) and Diz (Dizzy Gillespie. He became the trumpet player for Charlie Parker for nearly 3 years. In 1949, his first attempt at leading a group occurred. It was the first of many occurrences in which he would take jazz in a very new direction. With the help of arranger Gil Evans, he orchestrated a nonet (9 members) that played non-traditional instruments in a jazz setting– French Horns and a Tuba.
For more information, Read Full Article.
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, General, Misc, Music, Musical Instruments, People | Tags: Jazz, Jazz Artist, Jazz Music, Music | No Comments »