music is essential to working out: anything that distracts you from the burn in your legs or that cramp in your side surely benefits your inner gym rat. Only music – without having to concentrate like you do watching television or reading a book - has the rare ability to make working out seem a little less like work. However , some music is better to take to the gym than others.
Take the story of my sister, for instance. When she got her Ipod she was determined to fill it up with fist pumping, leg running workout music. Instead, she made an error and realized, once she arrived at 24 hour fitness, that the only song she had programmed was by Bette Midler. For some reason, she just didn’t seem to really strain and sweat to the powerhouse song that is “The Rose. ”
This brings me to my point, some songs belong in the gym and some songs, such as “The Rose” belong as far away from anything physical as possible (Dear Bette Mrs. Midler, please don’t kick my butt for saying so , even though I know you could).
The following is our list of the best work out songs, songs that are sure to help you get up and run, get up and bike, get up and go, or get up and row.
Eye of the Tiger: Yes, you all saw this coming. “Eye of the Tiger” is the epitome of a good workout song, one that can make you try just a bit harder without even realizing it. Released in 1982, this song has become the anthem of sports teams and organizations everywhere. It is also routinely played in gyms and athletic training areas. Putting it on your Ipod will make Rocky proud.
St . Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion): A song that is perhaps best known as being the theme of the similarly titled 1985 film “St. Elmo’s Fire” was originally written for Rick Hansen, a wheelchair bound Canadian athlete touring around the world to raise spinal cord injury awareness. Performed by John Parr and adapted for film, “St. Elmo’s Fire” became an instant hit, earning a Grammy nomination along the way.
Under Pressure: Who knew David Bowie and Queen would make such a nice combo? “Under Pressure, ” released in 1981, climbed the charts in several countries. Remembered for its baseline (no you youngsters, that wasn’t written by Vanilla Ice), “Under Pressure” is the epitome of a great pop song. It’s also one you can identify with as you work out, feeling that you are under pressure to run one more mile or lift one more weight.
Almost Anything by Van Halen: One of the Patriarchs of Hard Rock, Van Halen routinely releases songs that are sure to help you bust a move. A band with a sound like no other, each Van Halen song is uniquely livening. Try listening to “Jump” as you workout with a speed rope. You might be surprised the difference it makes.
You Shook Me All Night Long: Arguably AC/DC’s greatest hit, “You Shook me All Night Long” is regarded as one of the best songs of its decade. Released in 1980 and still great today, “You Shook Me All Night Long” is impossible to listen to without feeling a little more pumped…and ready to shake a little something yourself.
Jason Mraz - I Won\'t Give Up [Official Music Video]
There are programs out there that help with fixing your tags so they feature the correct information. One of the more complete programs is TuneUp due to its interface with iTunes as well as the extras that come with it, which allows users to have an experience similar to the one they would have if they had all of the album artwork and liner notes. It is one of those rare add-ons that truly enhances the iTunes experience.
For starters, TuneUp will automatically fill your iTunes ID3 tags by actively "listening" to the music through the individual acoustics of each song. From there, TuneUp matches its database of over 90 million songs to distinguish the exact artist and album. Of course , the exact artist and album may not be in the database. TuneUp gives users the option of declining what the database finds if the match is incorrect.
Cover art tends to be an issue, even with iTunes. Often times, such prolific artists like Bob Dylan have mislabeled album covers on iTunes due to there being special sets on iTunes that do not match up with the original artwork. TuneUp looks through its database of album covers and gives the user various options to match up with the respective album.
TuneUp goes further than just the basic tagging by providing links to extra content by the artist. Whether it be an artist bio or links to music videos, TuneUp brings an experience similar to what enhanced CD's would bring in the late 90's. Often , purchasing MP3's is a cold business, leaving some of the warmth and artistry that music was known for behind. This make an attempt to bridge that gap and it succeeds in allowing the user to learn a bit more about the people behind the music. There is also an option to find similar or related artists for those who wish to branch out in their listening habits.
Perhaps the best feature on the TuneUp program is the concert option, which brings live, personalized updates on local concerts featuring your favorite artists. All concerts feature links to StubHub and give a better picture of when bands are playing, something that often gets lost in the shuffle before too late.
Whether it be manually or through a program like TuneUp, fixing your tags on iTunes can be frustrating, yet ultimately can lead to a better iTunes experience.
Metallica - Nothing Else Matters [Official Music Video]
Sometimes finding the right songs for the biggest moments of your wedding can be a daunting task. After all, there’s much you need to consider (like you don’t have enough stuff to stress out about already! ).
Have no fear; it doesn’t have to be a stressful situation. Here are some things to consider when choosing those special songs for your big day.
Bridal Dance – This is THE most important song of the night. Next to seeing you kiss at the altar at the end of the ceremony, this is the one of your most romantic events; your big moment alone on the dance floor. So the song has to be special.
There are three very important things to remember when choosing songs. These may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised. Plus these “rules” apply to any song chosen for any of the ceremonial dances.
1 . Make sure the song you choose is one that the two of you can actually dance to! You may be able to tear up a dance floor, but your groom may have two left feet. Picking a song with an odd tempo may make him feel awkward, especially out on a dance floor in front of his friends and family. Try to keep it simple.
2 . Make sure both of you actually LIKE the song. For example , you may really like Lonestar’s “Amazed”, but if country music makes your groom’s teeth itch, you need to choose another song. Or, he may really like that “one” Metallica ballad, but you hate it. Next, please.
3. Is the song appropriate for a bridal dance? Let’s face it…you may both really like the song, but “Love Bites” by Def Leppard does NOT make a good bridal song. Don’t laugh…it’s happened! (And there were many rather confused wedding guests that night).
Still, sometimes you may think that you don’t have a song that is “yours”. What was the first song the two of you danced to? Is there a ballad by an artist that the two of you are big fans of? Was there a song playing in the background the night he proposed to you? These are things to think about.
If that doesn’t seem to work, start listening to songs on the radio a bit closer. Listen to the lyrics. Eventually you will find a song that will express what you want to say to each other on your wedding day…and that’s your song!
Another thing you may want to consider is the length of the song. “In Your Eyes” may be the perfect song for you, but the track is nearly 6 minutes long. That’s a long time to be out there - the two of you…alone with everyone’s eyes upon you…feeling paranoid yet? Don’t be afraid to ask your DJ to fade the song out early.
The main thing to remember - this is your big moment. Make it special not only for you, but for your guests as well.
After following the trend of users coming on to the internet to download music, many resources started to come out offering you the latests downloads. At the very beggining this was great for most users.
After a while, people started to take advantage of this. They started adding pop ups, illegal spy software, among many other things to their sites. You downloaded an mp3 file and you got the file, but with it you had a shiny new browser window that told you to buy viagra everytime you surfed the web.
Fortunately, other resources came out. Legal Resources. Places were you can come inside and download music in a safe way, in a way you can trust.
These are cost effective, and if you compare it to the damage that could be caused by downloading the files from an illegal source, then the legal sources will outweight their value by tenfold.
When you're downloading for and Mp3 music file online, there are a few things you will want to look for:
1) The quality of the Mp3. File quality can range anywhere from 20 kbps which is blurry quality to 320 kbps which is basically CD quality. You should aim for downloading music files that are above 128 kbps. Anything below that will have a trashy background that will not sound great when you burn it onto a CD.
2) You internet speed must be in a good shape. Sometimes it's necessary to restart your computer to get it back to optimum speed before attempting to download any mp3 file. You'll want anything over 3 kb/s to get the song in under 10 minutes.
3) Check you computer to make sure you have enough space on the drive you're downloading your file. There's nothing more annoying than getting to 75 percent of the download only to find out that you didn't have enough room in your C: Drive. Nowadays with our hard drive's spaces growing this is more unsual but it's best to make sure before you start.
4) Make sure you don't make illegal copies of the music you're downloading. The best way to download music is to use them as samples for a music album. You download a music file, see if you like it, and if you do, you go ahead and buy the record. If you don't then sample on to the next band. This way we keep the music industry going and it's an all round win win situation.
All and all, downloading music is a great experience and you can even learn about new bands that you'll want to go to the concert or buy the album later. Just make sure you do it from a legal source and keep your copies to yourself.
There are many folks that hate both Apple and Microsoft portable media products. Apple makes iPod and Microsoft makes Zune. Fortunately for the consumer, there are other good portable media players out there now but do not have the same visibility as Apple and Microsoft products. Discussion about these other portable media players like SanDisk’s Sansa series and Creative’s Zen series devices are beyond the scope of this article. This article is about basic iPod and Zune similarities and differences. In addition , sources for purchasing music online for iPod and Zune will be briefly discussed.
The iPod is a portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and released to the public in 2001. Currently, as a digital audio player, the iPod is the best-selling music player in history. Zune is Microsoft's digital audio player, released in 2006, directly competing with Apple’s iPod. Each of these portable media players deliver what it was intended to do which is to play music or audio, display images, and play video. Each has their pros and cons.
There are many Zune and IPod similarities and I will list major ones. They each have the same starting price of around $249, disk storage, picture capacity, screen resolution, and aspect ratio. They play audio, pictures, and video. They have USB connection (to another device, typically a computer), battery, and similar battery life.
Both devices support MP3, MP4, M4A, M4B (for audio), and MOV (for video) file formats. The Zune favors Windows Media Audio (WMA) while iPod has its protected AAC format. When it comes to exchanging files, you will need software tools to convert your iTunes files to MP3 or convert Zune WMA files to MP3. Both systems support JPGs (for still images) and MPGs (for video).
There are advantages that Zune has over iPod. Approximately 60 hours more video can be stored in the 30GB version. Zune has a larger screen size and is capable of portrait mode display. Zune has wallpaper, FM radio, wireless connectivity, and faster battery charge. Zune Plays WMA audio formats and WMV video formats. It has one more standard case color: brown!
There are advantages that iPod has over Zune. iPod plays games, is compatible with the Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats. It plays H. 264, M4V, MP4, MOV, MPEG-4 video formats. It is slightly smaller and lighter than Zune. The iPod software works on PC and Mac. Zune only works with PCs.
The primary websites for music downloads are iTunes Store for iPod and Zune Marketplace for Zune. Both sites offer music downloads of 0. 99 cents per song. With Zune Marketplace, you can buy a monthly subscription for $14. 99 a month for unlimited downloads as long as you have a subscription.
But there are other online music stores out there so you are not limited to Apple and Microsoft. Do an online search for “online music stores” and determine what works for you.
The stores that I recommend are offered here and have one time fees:
Well guys, I’ve decided to write a short article on how to make music with your computer. When I started out, I couldn’t find anything to help me. I didn't know what to buy, or where to start. Hopefully this short article will help you in your quest to making music a fun and productive hobby or future profession.
Loops and SONY ACID Software
When I first started to create music I used SONIC FOUNDRY'S ACID MUSIC 3. 0. It's a piece of software that enables you to create music with loops. Loops are small pieces of music, like a drum line or synth line. These loops are only a few seconds long, but , obviously, they loop. This means that you can draw the loop in for 30 seconds, 60 seconds, whatever length you’d like with no distortion or other strange noises when the loop starts over at the beginning. There are many websites and companies that create loops for production use. A lot of them are Royalty Free; this means that you can use them in commercial (for-profit) songs. Each of the companies that create these loops has their own license, which you’ll want to read if you’re going to release an album. The license is usually just a set of rules or terms that say what you can and can’t do with a loop. Most the time you can use these Royalty Free loops in commercial recordings, but you can’t, for example , resell the loops by themselves. You have to abide by the license.
As far as I know SONIC FOUNDRY was bought out by SONY, so if you’re looking for this software….
- Do a search for ACID PRO, or visit the link at the bottom of the article
- There are different versions of the software; one of the versions is absolutely FREE
The Reason to create
The piece of software I’d like to talk about in this section is PROPELLERHEADS REASON. This piece of software is much different than ACID. REASON is focused less on loops, and more on programming. When I say programming, I mean using individual sounds, for example , a kick drum, snare, or piano sound. You then use the awesome devices to create patterns. REASON includes a powerful list of devices. Some of the more important are the ReDrum Drum Machine, Synthesizers, and all new in 2 . 5, the mastering devices. I’m not going to get into this too much, because there’s just too much to tell in this article. If you’re interested in using REASON, I recommend that you get the tutorial CD-ROM from M-AUDIO. It will give you a good idea of how to get started with REASON, and if you think that it will be good for you.
Putting it all together
The great thing about the two pieces of software that I talked about in the previous two paragraphs is this:
- You can use ACID for all your loops
- You can use ACID to record vocals and/or guitars if you have the equipment
- You can use ACID to render your final recording to mp3, wav, aiff, and more
- You can use REASON to program patterns for drums, synths, etc .
(Keep in mind that these two programs can do way more than what’s displayed above)
The coolest part of this whole thing is that you can connect these two programs. Using a technology named “REWIRE”, created by PROPELLERHEADS you can have both of these applications synchronized. Add a loop in ACID, make a pattern in REASON, and have them play back together. When you’re done, you can render in ACID to have the synchronized music as one file, or track.
Wait! I have no sound
Okay, so now you have the software to start creating some awesome music. So the thing you’re missing is sound, speakers, headphones, etc . I use an external sound card by M-AUDIO, called OMISTUDIO USB. This thing connects to my pc with the USB port. It has two headphone connections and two instrument/mic connections with preamp power. It also contains several speaker connections, as well as other connections for mixers, etc .
There are several different types of these external sound machines. Most of them are either USB or FireWire. Most have headphone, speaker, and mic connections and come with the necessary drivers for your computer.
It’s all over
I hope that this short article gave you some ideas to start making music. I plan on writing more articles as time permits. See ya soon!
Here are some tips and useful features that will help you get the most out of LimeWire 4. 9.
1. LimeWire is written in Java programming language and will run on any computer with the ability to run Java version 1 . 1 . 8 that is connected to the Internet.
2. It’s best to use different P2P programs to get certain files. LimeWire is best suited for songs and video files, especially recent ones. For CD images and programs, I use BitTorrent/Azureus. I only use WinMX if I can’t find the files I want on those first two, and I don’t even have Kazaa installed (too many viruses and trojans! ).
3. When searching for files, first do a general search and find the specific file you want. Then do a more targeted search on that file, and you will get more results, and thus, a faster download.
4. If you’re like me and fetch download speeds from 30 kb/s up to 200 kb/s per file, downloading more than 4 files at once may put a strain on your computer. If this happens, your computer will get extremely sluggish, and it will become difficult to do anything else on it. Because of this, I recommend choosing your downloads in the morning or at night, and leaving the computer to do its hard work while you sleep or away during the day.
5. LimeWire has a cool “Recently Added” button that lets you search for new files. Also, there’s a place that lets you see what other users are typing in their search boxes. Both of these features help when you are bored but you don’t know what to download.
6. When you remove a download from the transfer list, it isn’t deleted; it’s actually in a folder called “Incomplete”. If you are tight on hard drive space, it’s a good idea to check this folder (found in the library screen) and delete its contents every so often. Make sure you empty the trash bin too!
Ever dreamed of playing a guitar? But having second thoughts because you don’t know how to start as a beginner? Don’t fret because today there are numerous obtainable guitar lessons for beginners to help you. In starting your guitar lessons, it is crucial to learn the primary guitar techniques to achieve success in guitar playing.
The two primary ways of right hand techniques are, by using a pick (commonly known as the plectrum) or perhaps fingers. Plectrum is used in country, rock and pop music, in which it is useful with regards to strumming and also even louder guitar sound.
Making use of fingers is most often encountered amongst flamenco guitarists and classical guitar players, as mixture of guitar strings is way better performed with the right hand fingers, and often has softer sound when compared with the pick.
Aside from the classical guitarists and flamenco players, the use of the pick or fingers is usually a matter of individual taste.
Finger picking is known as a style of playing the guitar in which you use your thumb and a at least one other finger to pick or perhaps pluck notes, with the help of the fingernails, finger picks or maybe the tips of your fingers.
Talented players can make use of almost all five fingers on their picking hand; although some players only use four fingers and use the pinky finger as a support to the guitar. Most classical guitar players modify their fingernails with the goal of making a desired sound, even so this isn't crucial in non-classical songs; it’s possible to buy finger picks to suit the hand.
Generally finger picking involves picking through chords organized within a melody. Finger picking may be used extensively in classical guitar and folk guitar; yet it's likewise common in other genres.
Finger picking can be interestingly very easy for electric guitars, of which is unusual due to the fact that finger picking is usually regarded as a traditional acoustic style. The player may have his or her picking hand’s fourth finger up against the right edge (left edge on a left-handed guitar), and once it is held steady and straight, this method lets you support the hand.
This method is known as anchoring. This method is frowned upon by many players. It’s possible on acoustic guitars by using the bridge in the same manner; however this isn’t as effective because it will deaden the sound. Classical guitar players do not ever anchor while playing.
Whenever strumming using individual fingers, the overall rule is to move your wrist only when the thumb is used, whilst if all the other finger is used, only the said finger should be used.
Once you start learning to play guitar chords, your finger control will probably be unpleasant which can quickly make you disappointed.
It will take several weeks to allow your muscles develop, however , should you train and practice using all of your fingers together your general dexterity will increase much quicker. Learning the guitar can be very hard; however it may also be fun and also rewarding when you finally get the hang of it. It just takes patience.
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.
At music. yahoo. com they offer a deal where you can get unlimited downloads of music videos and music in general to save to your computer for just $4. 99/mo. At music. yahoo. com there are over 1 million songs to choose from allowing you to never be left unsatisfied. There are system requirements in order to download the program that can be viewed at http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/, but with music that cheap it’s hard to pass up.
Another site worth checking out is www.imusicshare.com. At this site you can purchase a 2 year membership for $1/mo. or a single year membership for $1. 57/mo. With a membership to this site you receive unlimited access to billions of songs, no software is required to download, and you can burn unlimited songs as well. With this site you also are not limited to just music video downloads, but you are also capable of downloading mp3s, movies, TV and Radio shows, and much more.
Now that you have knowledge of how to download music videos and why to download music videos, get out there and begin building up a large library videos for a low cost.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California [Official Music Video]
P2P legal downloads or illegal bootleg movies? Which of these describes the majority of free on line movies downloaded today? Ametican copyright law is extremely complex, and hasn't been helped by the Sony Bono Law designed to protect originators of music and movies, but has made it next to impossible for the ordinary person to interpret.
Let's establish one or two things first, so that we are starting from the same place here. file sharing, peer-to-peer, P2P or networking, whetever you feel like calling it, is not in itself illegal.
Kazaa is illegal in Australia, but not in Holland where the Supreme Court ruled that it was not the software itself that was responsible for illegal downloads, but those that used it illegally. A Los Angeles fedaral court judge gave a similar judgment on appeal by P2p companies Grokster and Morpheus, ruling that they weer not responsible for the use to which others put the software, and that infringement of copyright was not the responsibility of the sofwtare providers but of the users.
Thus, you can use P2P legal software to download free on line movies and music, as long as what you download is free of any copyright protection, i. e. in the public domain. Some have pointed to Napster's demise in their original form as evidence that software is illegal, but those that do have missed the point entirely. Napster differes fubdamentally from other forms of P2P software. Napster was closed down, and eventually came back in a revised form, because it usewd a central server.
To understand that, it is necessray to know the ay in which P2P software operates, and what the differences are between P2P legal downloads and bootleg movies. When P2P site members download movies they are copying the file from another member's hard disk. If you are searching for a particular movie, you will be given a list of those available and normally how many online computers have that movie on their hard disk.
When downloading, you can be simultaneously downloading from the hard disk of several online members of the site. Napster porvided a hub in the form of a central server, through which all downloads were passed between the provider ansd receiver of the files. Due to that way of working, Napster was found responsible for downloads made using their site since they were, in effect, acting as an intermediary to the crime by passing the illegal downloads from one person to the other.
Modern free on line movies pass through no central hub, but are downloaded by means of a direct comnection to the provider's hard drive. You are downloading directly from the hard drive of the computer providing the file - the link is one to one. Because it is software driven, no liability for the way people use it can be laid at the door of those that sell it.
That is why the music and movie moguls were so annoyed and upset: the believed the problem to have been dealt with when Napster had been successfully convicted. However , they got it wrong and found that instead of targeting just a few software firms, they faced the task of chasing the many millions of ordinary people that were downloading copyrighted material every day.
So when is downloading illegal and when is it legal? What is the differenbce between a bootleg movie and a PSP legal download? Very simple to answer, but very difficult to understand. Fundamentally, no work that is copyright-protected can be downloaded or copied with the express permission of the owner of the work. You can be sure that all of the online music, games and movies are copyright-protected unles the owners have licensed them for downloading without permission.
Many do allow it. Particularly new artists or amateur movie-makers wanting to get their name known and their work publicized free of charge, or professionals testing the water for a new album or film idea. Most don't, and if you try to understand the copyright law, particularly in the USA, it is very murky indeed. In the UK, the law with regard to movies is fairly easy to understand: movies are copyrighted ro 70 years after the death of the last main director, composer or writer and music for 50 years after it was released.
The situation has been made even more complex in America by the Sony Bono Law, and it looks like no music at is free of copyright restrictions any more, and that movies are going to be covered as well for many years to come unless, possibly, they were made before 1923. As I said - complicated.
Here are some tips, then on how to avoid downloading bootleg movies and ensuring that you stay legal:
1 . Avoid downloading any files using P2P software unless your are certain it is not copyright-protected.
2 . If you have a specific need for a particular movie, then rent it using an online rental service such as Love Films or Blockbuster.
3. On the other hand, if you download movies a lot, then you will likely be better with a membership with a legal download site. Some sites online permit legally licensed movies to be downloaded for a membership fee. One site is offering unlimited downloads for a 2-year membership fee. This is a very attractive deal, since you are comparing a $40 spend with a potential fine of $150, 000 for illegally downloading movies? That's less than $1. 70 a month!
4. If a movie is given away free, you can be sure it was obtained illegally and hence a bootleg movie. No site is able to profit by providing legal movies free of charge, unless they have some other means of make money from the website. The same is true of music. That is because those that have these tracks or files to offer had to pay for them, unless they also got them illegally, so would be highly unlikely to give them away free? They must be illegal!
Summing up, you can get free on line movies if you pay a membership fee in return for unlimited downloads. Agreed, that is not free, but nevertheless if you downloaded only two movies each week that would equate to only 19 cents each movie. Is that cheap? The same price will be charged for bootleg movies, only you can get caught with these and face a hefty fine. Given the number of people that use P2P sites, this is not likely, but why take the risk if you don't have to?
Anyone who has ever attended a Michael Jackson tribute show in Las Vegas will testify to the excitement and exhilaration that penetrates the performance venue. These shows are a true effort to get the true essence of the King of Pop, and best represent the Michael Jackson legacy. In keeping with Michael Jackson’s own energized and charismatic performances, an MJ tribute show is guaranteed to be energetic and very physical.
A lot goes into carrying off the perfect act which wows the audience and brings it to its feet screaming with adulation. Michael Jackson a great singer. It was the full package of music, appearance, performance and personal magnetism that carried millions of people under his spell for 20 years. Retaking all this and more, in front of a critical audience, requires a special effort.
The real challenge of the Michael Jackson Impersonator starts when he enters the stage. The artist has to make all the thousands of nuances that make up Michael Jackson, just right. The performer put their best into each move, and trademark moonwalk. The bright costumes, trademark white glove, fedora hat and particular body stance have to be perfected down to the T. Lip synching doesn’t cause as much of an impact. So the performer has to work on his voice, tone and modulation to sound just like Michael Jackson. Audiences don't care if the Michael Jackson impersonators Lip synch. Sometimes its about the dance moves.
The show itself is full of energy. The audience is overawed by the remarkable resemblance that the Michael Jackson impersonator bears to the King. And then the artist begins his note- perfect rendition of Michael Jackson’s million selling hits like Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Heal the World, Scream, Black or White and the crowd goes wild dancing to the foot tapping music. Reactions are strong and have to be experienced to be believed. A few members of the crowd look thunderstruck, while quite a few are even drawn to tears.
It’s amazing that the King of Pops’s legacy lives on even after his death. The popularity of the Michael Jackson Impersonator, that has sustained this line of work, is beyond understanding. Each performer puts his all into every performance. A few people may say that a tribute performer has no identity of his own and is recognized only by his Michael Jackson impersonation. But what keeps him coming back to it year after year, show after show, is seeing the reaction on people’s faces. He does it because he loves the devotion and adulation he sees on people’s faces. What could be a better tribute to the Michael Jackson?
Around the globe, the record industry has gone on the offensive and who can blame them? Faced with numerous peer-to-peer networks and bit torrent clients, it has never been easier for individuals to obtain music for free.
Having given birth to the term “illegal downloading”, the record industry claims the activity seriously threatens the development of music and artists. But does this argument have any validity or is it a clever corporate spin?
Whilst the record industry have not published any factual information to support this claim, there is certainly information to show that, those “illegally downloading” music actually spend, on average, some 27% more on music than those who exclusively confine their activity to the ‘legal’ download sites and pay for every track in advance.
Recent research by the UK software house, Remlap Software, themselves a publisher of a music download application, suggests that, “illegal” downloaders are anything but the thieves the record industry labels them as.
The term ‘illegal download’ is in itself an interesting phrase. While most people would define ‘illegal’ as an activity which is outlawed under Criminal Law, the Oxford Dictionary merely states, ‘contrary to law’. The difference between public perception of the definition and the officially recognised version may only be a subtle, but it is powerful enough for the record industry to exploit.
Certainly they would have you believe that, ‘illegal’ downloading of music is ‘theft’. In doing this, the record industry further re-enforces the public perception that such activities are in contrary to CRIMINAL law; with all the serious consequences such an offence implies. The truth of the matter is, there is no criminal offence in either the EU or USA of downloading music without paying for it.
At best, the record industry could claim that, ‘illegal downloads’ are in violation of Civil Law, but even this would be spurious. Indeed if such a legal prospect were a reality, every YouTube visitor who has watched (and in doing so , downloaded) a video which violates someone’s copyright could be prosecuted. And so the whole notion of ‘illegal downloads’ is a total nonsense.
In desperation, the record industry has scraped the bottom of the barrel, several times and now resorts to suing its own customers. But to date they have not been able to prosecute one case of ‘illegal downloading’. In every case they have sued on the allegation that the defendant has ‘distributed’ music in violation of copyright. They have been able to do this, because the whole basis of peer-to-peer networks is that each user shares their music collection with the rest of the network. It is the act of ‘sharing’ or distribution which is the offence, not what they have downloaded.
Their eternal effort to force the world to only use pay-for music download sites, the record industry has already ‘persuaded’ a number of universities and ISP’s to turn-off Bit Torrent and Peer-to-Peer traffic. So could this be the end of downloading music for free?
In response to this situation UK software developers, Remlap Software considered that there were probably more mp3 files sitting on web servers, than there are on all the peer-to-peer networks put together…and they were right.
Their freeware application Clickster gives access to over 25 million individual tracks; all found on Internet web servers and available for download. With no ‘sharing’ of the end-users own mp3 collection, Clickster is being hailed as the first legal mp3 downloader.
One of the great things about Clickster is that, because mp3’s are being downloaded from a web-server and not from some guy on a dial-up connection 6000 miles away, the download speeds are much quicker. With an integral media player, tracks can be previewed/played without having to first download the file.
With Clickster clearly navigating around the latest attempts of the record industry to stamp out what they call ‘illegal downloading’, the future remains bright. And to paraphrase the Eighties rock-band, Dire Straits…’get your music for nothing and your tracks for free’.
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Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal?
Questions like these ones have been popping up all over the place in the past few years, and not just in scientific journals either.
In recent times the media has been fascinated by the research surrounding brain development and music, eagerly reporting on the latest studies to the delight of the music-loving parents of young children.
But all this information - and some misinformation too - has led to generalized confusion about the role of music and music training in the development of the human brain. The bottom line is this: if you're confused by all you read about music study and brain development, you're certainly not alone.
In part, this is due to the manner in which the phrase "the Mozart Effect" has been popularized by the media and bandied about to describe any situation in which music has a positive effect on cognition or behavior.
In fact the Mozart Effect refers specifically to a 1993 research finding by Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and published in the prestigious journal Nature. The scientists found that 36 college students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata performed higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal task than after they listened to relaxation instructions or silence.
An enchanted media reported this interesting research as "Mozart makes you smarter" - a huge over-simplification of the original results.
As Rauscher explains in a later paper, the Mozart Effect was studied only in adults, lasted only for a few minutes and was found only for spatial temporal reasoning. Nevertheless, the finding has since launched an industry that includes books, CDs and websites claiming that listening to classical music can make children more intelligent.
The scientific controversy - not to mention the popular confusion - surrounding the Mozart Effect, has given rise to a corresponding perplexity for parents. They wonder: "Should my kids even bother with music education? "
In fact the answer to this question is still a resounding yes, since numerous research studies do prove that studying music contributes unequivocally to the positive development of the human brain. Other researchers have since replicated the original 1993 finding that listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning. And further research by Rauscher and her colleagues in 1994 showed that after eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers demonstrated a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ, a skill important for certain types of mathematical reasoning.
In particular, it is early music training that appears to most strengthen the connections between brain neurons and perhaps even leads to the establishment of new pathways. But research shows music training has more than a casual relationship to the long-term development of specific parts of the brain too.
In 1994 Discover magazine published an article which discussed research by Gottfried Schlaug, Herman Steinmetz and their colleagues at the University of Dusseldorf. The group compared magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brains of 27 classically trained right-handed male piano or string players, with those of 27 right-handed male non-musicians.
Intriguingly, they found that in the musicians' planum temporale - a brain structure associated with auditory processing - was bigger in the left hemisphere and smaller in the right than in the non-musicians. The musicians also had a thicker nerve-fiber tract between the hemisphere. The differences were especially striking among musicians who began training before the age of seven.
According to Shlaug, music study also promotes growth of the corpus callosum, a sort of bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain. He found that among musicians who started their training before the age of seven, the corpus callosum is 10-15% thicker than in non-musicians.
At the time, Schlaug and other researchers speculated that a larger corpus callosum might improve motor control by speeding up communication between the hemispheres.
Since then, a study by Dartmouth music psychologist Petr Janata published by Science in 2002, has confirmed that music prompts greater connectivity between the brains left and right hemisphere and between the areas responsible for emotion and memory, than does almost any other stimulus.
Janata led a team of scientists who reported some areas of the brain are 5% larger in expert musicians than they are in people with little or no musical training, and that the auditory cortex in professional musicians is 130% denser than in non-musicians. In fact , among musicians who began their musical studies in early childhood, the corpus callosum, a four-inch bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right sides of the brain, can be up to 15% larger.
While it is now clear from research studies that brain region connectivity and some types of spatial reasoning functionality is improved by music training, there is growing evidence that detailed and skilled motor movements are also enhanced.
Apparently the corpus callosum in musicians is essential for tasks such as finger coordination. Like a weight-lifter's biceps, this portion of the brain enlarges to accommodate the increased labour assigned to it.
In a study conducted by Dr . Timo Krings and reported in Neuroscience Letters in 2000, pianists and non-musicians of the same age and sex were required to perform complex sequences of finger movements. The non-musicians were able to make the movements as correctly as the pianists, but less activity was detected in the pianists' brains. The scientists concluded that compared to non-musicians, the brains of pianists are more efficient at making skilled movements.
The study of music definitely affects the human brain and its development, in a staggering number of ways. But what to make of all the research, especially in terms of deciding the best course of music study or appreciation for yourself or your offspring?
A 2000 article by N M Weinberger in MuSICA Research Notes makes the following excellent point: Although the Mozart Effect may not list up to the unjustified hopes of the public, it has brought widespread interest in music research to the public. And listening to ten minutes of Mozart could get someone interested in listening to more unfamiliar music, opening up new vistas.
Irregardless of the hype surrounding the Mozart Effect, the overall academic evidence for music study as a tool to aid brain development, is compelling.
At the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, Dr . Frank Wilson says his research shows instrumental practice enhances coordination, concentration and memory and also brings about the improvement of eyesight and hearing. His studies have shown that involvement in music connects and develops the motor systems of the brain, refining the entire neurological system in ways that cannot be done by any other activity. Dr . Wilson goes so far as to say he believes music instruction is actually 'necessary' for the total development of the brain.
So the bottom line is this: Music study and practice probably does aid in the development of the brain in various important ways. And after all, if you enjoy music, there is nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain!
Downloadable, top quality music is a really appealing concept to many people, but many of us want to stay the right side of the law. There are some compelling reasons to download music: it is a great way to check out a track or two from an unknown artist before splashing out on the CD; it offers the downloader unrivaled ease - a few moments after deciding on a track, it is yours. And streaming songs are sometimes available for instant listening.
So what is the deal with the law? Many people will remember Napster being taken to court for encouraging file-sharing for free among peers. This court case judged that people sharing files in this way are breaking the law - the fact that money isn't changing hands and no- one is profiting from it does not matter. Of course file sharing still goes on over peer to peer (P2P) networks (though not via Napster). Interestingly, recent research has shown that P2P is increasingly being used for legitimate file sharing - photos, files and so on - and not just for swapping copyrighted material.
If you want to stay the right side of the law, you should not download copyrighted material from the Internet. But the fact that this practice continues shows how many people think downloading their tunes is the best way to go. So if you want the convenience and ease without transgressing, how do you do it?
There are a variety of ways you can do it. With a decent connection such as broadband you will be able to get access to lots of great music from Internet Radio or from other web sites that play newly released albums - it often happens that the artist and record company has approved the streaming of their recently released albums. Streaming offers you the chance to listen to the album when it is playing but without getting your own copy downloaded. Closer to going to the store and listening to it on the headphones, but in the comfort of your home. Some useful sites to visit are MP3. com, Launch. com (a Yahoo site), search for Internet Radio via Google, or go to http://www.ytube.com. On these sites you can see and listen to music videos too.
So much for streaming, but lots of us want the files on our PC so we can copy it down to our MP3 devices. It is time to look at those sites where you pay to own the tracks you want. Macintosh's iTunes site, designed to get the best from the iPod, is at www.itunes.com - it is the top site at the moment. You are charged ninety nine cents for each song you download, but the quality is excellent and the track is yours to keep.
Other sites are always fighting for this lucrative market, each offering similar but slightly different services. There are many that work on a monthly-fee basis rather than billing by track. And a new and slightly different concept is mercora ( www.mercora.com). Here you pay a small monthly fee and share tracks - you broadcast your tracks (you can make like a DJ if you want) whilst you record the tracks broadcast by others. Mercora pays a fee for broadcast rights which makes it within the law.
Most of these sites offer a free trial, so why not give a few a go, pick up some free tracks and decide which service you like best.
So you are planning your Wedding Day and its going to be perfect. You have the flowers, cake, invitations, your dress, his outfit, and favors sorted. Your own fair hand has written your Wedding Vows, funny or otherwise, so you are ready to get underway, but what about your Wedding music?
Your Wedding music will be the audio background for the entire day so it’s important to have Wedding music that you really like. There’s the prelude to think about first. What kind of Wedding music should be playing for your guests as they assemble in the venue for the ceremony? Many people will choose a restful, classical piece for this part of their wedding such as,
These are gentle pieces that provide a soothing backdrop and excellent start to you Wedding music choices.
The next choice to make is what Wedding music do I walk down the aisle to? Goodness this is a big choice. These days you do not have to have the traditional Wedding March by either Wagner or Mendelssohn although these are still very popular. Listen to Harry Conick, JR singing Ave Maria, Canon in D by Pachelbel or Arioso by Bach before deciding on your entrance Wedding music!
When the moment comes that bride and groom are joined together as one the Wedding music can be “their song”, something more uplifting like the Beatles and Let It Be or something spiritual and heavenly like, my personal favorite, From This Moment by Shania Twain and Bryan White.
During every ceremony there are pauses and its nice to fill those pauses with Wedding music especially chosen. Sometimes a soloist will fit the bill and Ave Maria or the Lords Prayer can do justice to the moment. Maybe you would like just music and Spring from Four Seasons by Vivaldi or O Mio Babbino Caro by Piccini are both excellent choices.
Now as husband and wife you are about to step out into the world and what is the right Wedding music for you to do that to? Still very popular is the Wedding March by Mendelssohn but you by no means have to choose that. Ode to Joy by Beethoven or Inseparable by Natalie Cole can express the feeling of that moment.
Just because the ceremony is over and you are actually married don’t think the picking of Wedding music ends there. Oh no…you still have the reception to deal with!
You have a cake to be cut and smushed into your other half mouth and a popular Wedding music choice is…Bride Cuts the Cake by Average White Band. How Sweet It Is by James Taylor, I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher and Love and Marriage by Frank Sinatra are all understandably popular. As a choice of cake cutting Wedding music I was surprized to discover that the Theme Song from “Jaws” by Ronnie Neuman is also well used!
Right moving along we now need first dance wedding music and again Shania Twain and Bryan White are very popular with From This Moment. Amazed by Lonestar and Breathe by Faith Hill are also in the top ten as is Truly, Madly, Deeply from Savage Garden. This is a song that becomes a cherished memory, so handle with care. My first dance was to Three Times a Lady although in later years my husband will tell you it was The Lady in Red!
First dance as man and wife is over so we can move on to the wedding music for the rest of the evening. Maybe a mix of romantic numbers like Always by Bon Jovi, Every Breath You Take by Police or My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion and some party style wedding music such as the ever popular YMCA by Village People, We Are Family by Sister Sledge and Celebration by Kool and The Gang. These are bound to get the party started!
We can start to get a little soppy with some Mother/Son and Father/Daughter wedding music choices like Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Middler or Unforgettable by Nat King Cole. Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Elton John is another music choice I think works well for the occasion.
Now the evening is drawing to a close, bride and groom are about to take to the floor for their last dance so what wedding music is appropriate? My personal thought is something undeniably romantic like I’ve Had The Time Of My Life by Bill Medly and Jennifer Warnes or Wonderful Tonight by David Kersh. Or there’s always Last Dance by Donna Summers or Time of Your Life by Green Day.
That’s is then, you now know how much wedding music you have to decide on. You may find that the DJ or band that you have organized for your reception will have a fabulous selection and you just pick out a particular few pieces of personal wedding music to be played a key moments or you may want to decide on everything. Before making a decision on your wedding music, listen to as wide a variety of music, tunes or songs as you can and whatever you pick may your wedding music be the perfect soundtrack for your perfect day!
