christmas volunteer musician syndrome

Christmas Volunteer Musician Syndrome!Writen by Rhiannon Schmitt

Left fingers twitching sickly to the proverbial pulse of Jingle Bells, eyes watering from the fog of pine scent and lips stained from countless coats of cherry red lipstick, I demonstrate flawlessly the symptoms of carolitis, commonly known as Christmas Volunteer Musician Syndrome, CVMS.

This ailment, widespread among music teachers and performers late each western calendar year, first attacks the nervous system (enter twitching hands) then progresses into a brief state of anxiety and consistent lateness to all gigs and lessons (double-booking is common).

Once this passes, the afflicted enters the denial phase, (No, I didnt take on too much this year!) but then finally accepts this condition as his/her destiny as a musician and finds ways to cope, such as playing Silent Night in all twelve keys, one after another, for a bit of variety.

Extreme cases cause even the bitterest musicians to become giddy and frivolous, gleefully depositing Decembers hard-earned rent money into the little red kettle because the bells just sounded so pretty.

We see these people wandering through malls playing guitar until their arms are stiff and fingers raw, or strolling on icy streets singing until their voices are frozen, but the puzzling thing is that they are wearing a smile of true contentment. Why do these people sacrifice their time and sanity to play us the same music again and again? They play their carols because they know it will touch someone and make a difference in the world.

These people exhibit the true meaning of Christmas giving through their music. Though they may just be strumming out the silly little tune of All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth, their listener can be magically transported back to the 1949 when dad bought a new radio for the family. The musician is rewarded with approving smiles and nods and knows he has done a good job.

Several years ago a mall in Nelson, BC had inadvertently booked me to play violin when the mall was closed, excepting the grocery store and a Walmart. Playing for nobody isnt gratifying in the first place and I had just gone through a breakup, so I was quite depressed playing jolly carols in the empty space.

I was scraping though my set halfheartedly when a middle-aged woman with a worn face and tired eyes timidly handed me a single red rose. She had been listening to me from behind a cart at the far end of the mall and said my music affected her tremendously and said, you have no idea what this has done for me.

She held back tears as she thanked me several times for changing her life, and then scooted off. I have never had a better audience than I did that quiet December night and am reminded of her each year when I play for the shoppers.

With a three-year-old son and over forty students I cannot volunteer as much of my time as I did in years past. I volunteer when I can and have my student groups perform, but I hope to help by encouraging other musicians and their families to give their music to the community.

Play your flute for your grandmother in the retirement home, but make sure to leave her door open so other residents can hear. Bring your accordion to work on Christmas Eve and serenade your customers and fellow employees with Christmas songs from your home country.

Not a musician? Pick up a kazoo and hum your own unique arrangement of O Come, O Come Emmanuel for the lady down the hall who needs a laugh to cheer her spirits.

Once you have done this, you will also know what its like to have played for the best audience in the world. Be warned that you may love playing so much that you could come down with a merry little strain of hobby musician carolitis. Just keep playing and let it run its course. The world could always use more music!

Merry Christmas!

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is an award-winning classical violinist/fiddler and music teacher who operates Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop. Fiddleheads has won several distinguished business awards and offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies with exceptional personal service: http://www.fiddleheads.ca

chris young country music cd review

Chris Young Country Music CD ReviewWriten by Clyde Dennis

It has been a long time since I have been so excited about a CD. This CD is a great mix of music. From the emotionally drenched message song Flowers to a couple of tunes that make you laugh out loud like White Lightening Hit The Family and I'm Headed Your Way, Jose.

Ballad or up tempo, bottomline is this guy has a great country voice and can flat out sing like a mother!

It's a rare day that I get a CD, much less a debut CD, from an artist that I can honestly say there's not a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to say thats exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

The song choices are excellent, the production is outstanding and the only thing that can be said about Young's Tennesee baritone voice is that it's excellent.

This CD grabs your attention right out of the gate with Beer Or Gasoline and doesn't let go until the very last note of the very last song Who's Gonna Take Me Home, which by the way is another great track.

If you're even mildly into country music you'll enjoy this CD and newcomer Chris Young.

This is a first rate CD, delivering a little something for everyone. I give it my highest recommendation. Great listening. A must buy.

Let's hope this is only the beginning for the supremely talented, and swiftly rising Chris Young.

Track List

1. Beer Or Gasoline
2. You're Gonna Love Me
3. Drinkin' Me Lonely
4. White Lightning Hit The Family
5. Lay It On Me
6. Burn
7. Small Town Big Time
8. Flowers
9. Center Of The World
10. I'm Headed Your Way, Jose
11. Who's Gonna Take Me Home

Record Label - RCA Nashville

Trade CDs you dont want for those you do at http://www.CDLOOP.com . Its safe, its legal, and there are thousands of titles to choose from. And since every trade is backed by the CDLOOP 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, you can be sure you will receive an original CD in perfect working condition, or your money back. Take advantage of free membership and start trading for the music you want today at http://www.CDLOOP.com

rap music and brain washing issues

RAP Music and Brain Washing IssuesWriten by Lance Winslow

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

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

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

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

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

Lance Winslow

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

sheet music violin and other string instruments

Sheet Music - Violin and Other String InstrumentsWriten by Helen Baxter

The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the highest pitched member of the violin family. It sits along side its cousins the other members of the violin family - the viola, cello, and double bass. The bow of the violin is a narrow, slightly incurved stick of Pernambuco about 75 cm long, with a band of horsehair stretched from end to end of the bowstick. The violin has four strings tuned a fifth apart, to the notes g, d, a, e: On early violins the strings were of pure gut. Today they may be of gut, gut wound with aluminum or silver, steel, or perlon.

Sheet music - violin is often provided to students by the conductors of their orchestras or their private teachers who wish to learn to play this fine instrument. For players who aren't officially students anywhere, however, there are a wide variety of sources from which to obtain sheet music. Very recently, the Internet may actually have surpassed music stores as the best place to find new pieces to play.

An enormous variety of violin sheet music is available for free download from the Internet. Violin players of any skill level should be able to locate the sheet music they want online, and in some cases, even for free. Sheet music can be free to share online if two qualifications are met. First, it must be seventy years or more since the piece was composed; after this amount of time, creative works enter the public domain. Specific editions of a work can still be protected by copyright, however, as editors and arrangers maintain their own copyrights over versions they have created.

Digital sheet music is available for a wide variety of genres, so if you're playing on your own, you won't have any restrictions on the type of music you work on. There is certainly a great deal of classical sheet music - violin and other stringed instruments similarly, available online, and you might want to try some of the pieces that are considered great classics. If they are really not your preferred style, however, you can find anything from pop to jazz to bluegrass fiddle parts.

Some of the most popular selections of sheet music - violin are, in fact, for pop and rock songs. Take, for example, the Dave Matthews Band, who gave a global fan base for their unique sound which prominently features the violin. If you want to learn Boyd Tinsley's parts, you can search the Internet for legitimate copies of the sheet music to purchase.

Another time when it can be great to have the option to find sheet music violin online is if you are listening to a piece and you want to be able to refer to the score. Even someone who can't play the Sibelius violin concerto himself may be able to read or understand a musical score well enough to benefit from looking at the music while listening to the piece. This can enrich the listening experience of anyone with a musical background, as well as helping you build your own reading ability in ways that ultimately benefit your playing.

Looking for information about the violin? Go to: http://www.mrviolin.com 'Mr Violin' is published by Helen Baxter - The Complete A to Z Of Violin Resources! Check out more violin articles at: http://www.mrviolin.com/archive

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

earthling society plastic jesus and the third eye blind nasoni records music review

Earthling Society - Plastic Jesus and the Third Eye Blind - Nasoni Records - Music ReviewWriten by Kiva Boyd

Prog is not a four-letter word. OK, I guess it is a four-letter word, but its not a dirty one. I think the average music fan's aversion to progressive rock comes from the perception that it means endless wanking guitar solos, half-hour drum performance pieces, and high-pitched operatic vocals dealing in science fiction or vaguely New Age issues. Let's face it, some of the biggest practitioners of the form didn't help matters. Think of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Think of Yes with their "Tales from the Topographical Ocean". Even think of Rush with some of their concept pieces.

It does get to be a bit much. I mean, after side-long songs, you reach a certain point where you just want the clarity of, say, Under the Boardwalk, or, heaven forbid, Rockin' Robin.

Anyway, putting those notions aside, and taking a look at some of the modern purveyors of progressive rock, we find something truly remarkable. They've imbibed the lessons of their Prog progenitors, but have filtered through twenty-five years of underground music and they've come up with something wonderful.

One of the best bands mining these fields is England's own Earthling Society. They've left behind the lighter side of Prog and instead take inspiration from such complex noise-mongers as Magma, Van Der Graff Generator, and King Crimson. Their previous album, "Albion", was heralded by rock outsider, Julian Cope, on his Head Heritage website. The album was a true powerhouse. On their new album, "Plastic Jesus and the Third Eye Blind", they've dug in even deeper and have come up with a winner. Musically, they are dead on. This is not your father's Prog.

Noisy, dense, and at times a bit "dubby", this is head music, meant to be played loud and long. The two extended pieces, Kosmik Suite No. 1, and No. 2 have a bit of something for everyone, both musically and lyrically.

Speaking of lyrics, this album is packed with them. Appropriately though, vocalist Fred Laird, uses his voice more musically than didactically, and the messages are lost in a very interesting, but blurry, tonality. The album does, however, come with a lyric booklet and it seems that the lads of Earthling Society have a fair bit to say. From an outright rejection of organized religion (Plastic Jesus) to blistering condemnation of the governmental/corporate destruction of nature (Kosmik Suite No. 2), Earthling Society aren't afraid of drawing lines in the sand and taking sides. One of the more powerful elements of these declarations is how they seem to come from a mystical or mythological zone. Earthling Society has drunk deeply from the pagan heritage of their native Britain, and by doing so, their complaints take on added authority and visionary truth.

"Plastic Jesus and the Third Eye Blind" is an unusual and challenging listen. The depth of the themes and lyrical content are a welcome departure from the typical and everyday. The excellent musicianship and creative song structures reveal a layered and complex work that rewards repeated listenings. A truly unique band and an incendiary piece of art.

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

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

hip hop music

Hip Hop MusicWriten by Kevin Stith

Hip-hop music is the vehicle of hip-hop culture and contains apping (superimposed with vocals) by emcees. Owing to this, hip-hop music is sometimes referred to as ap music, However, those who dismiss hip-hop as rap music do not comprehend its rich history and the influence this genre of music has on youth culture.

Hip-hop music is a vehicle used by the singers to address racism, oppression, and poverty issues. It narrates tales of inner city African-Americans living the American dream (through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity) from the bottom up, and bitterly touches upon racial discrimination, broken homes, and overcoming adversity.

Invented by Jamaican migrant DJ Kool Herc in the early 70s in New York City, it has since then spread its tentacles across the world. Herc shifted from reggae records to funk, rock and disco. Owing to the short percussive breaks, he began extending them using an audio mixer and two records. As the unique style of music became a hit, performers (emcees) began superimposing the music with vocals; initially, they introduced themselves and others in the audience. Later, the rapping became more diverse, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or violent theme, in an attempt to entertain the audience.

In the mid-1970s, hip-hop split into two groups. One focused on getting the crowd dancing, another highlighted rapid-fire rhymes. The 1980s witnessed further diversification in hip-hop; highly metaphoric lyrics rapping over multi-layered beats replaced simple vocals. In the 90s, gangsta rap (glorified outlaw lifestyle) became mainstream. Hip-hop was soon an integral part of mainstream music, and nearly all the pop songs featured an underlying element of hip-hop.

In the 90s and into the following decade, elements of hip-hop were integrated into diverse genres of music: hip-hop soul combined hip-hop and soul music; in the Dominican Republic, a recording by Santi Y Sus Duendes and Lisa M was coined Meren-rap, a fusion of hip-hop and meringue. In Europe, Africa, and Asia, hip-hop has undergone a transition from an underground occurrence to the mainstream market.

Hip Hop provides detailed information on Hip Hop, Hip Hop And Rap, Hip Hop Music, R&B Hip Hop and more. Hip Hop is affiliated with Karaoke Music.

music career success 5 ways to thrive as a musician today

Music Career Success: 5 Ways to Thrive as a Musician TodayWriten by Peter Spellman

Music is too big a world for a one-size-fits-all model of music career success. Musicians career paths are as unique as their individual finger prints. Nevertheless, there are a few guidelines that I believe apply to anyone trying to make a living career out of their love of music. Here are five:

1. Hone your talent and realize there is a place for you. Not everyone is a Quincy Jones, a Beatles, or a Bruce Springsteen, but if an artist like Tom Waits is a vocalist, then there is definitely room for you too. Do the work necessary to excel in your niche, whether its writing a chart, engineering a session, providing backup vocals, or teaching kids the basics of music.

Your goal, to use marketing lingo, is to position yourself in your market as the go-to person for that particular skill or talent. Dont worry too much about industry rejection. Every record label in Britain initially passed on the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The key is believing in yourself and persevering beyond others opinions (even those of the industry).

2. Connect with as many people as you can because relationships drive music careers more that anything else, even talent. Music is a who-you-know/who-knows-you kind of business. The quality and quantity of your relationships will be the primary engines of your progress. Try developing creative projects with fellow-musicians. Perhaps you can combine your live show with two other acts and present the package to a local promoter. There is strength in numbers. Finding the right combinations takes experimentation.

If youre interested in working in the business side of music, then interning at a music company is the best way to both learn how the biz works and connect with those who can help move your career along.

3. Accept the new powers in your corner and take responsibility for creating your own success.The last twenty years has given you the means to both produce and distribute your own music on a global scale. New models of business are emerging in the world of music. A record deal is not necessarily the goal any longer. The Internet has clearly become your open mic to the world, and desktop technologies provide you with ways to have the look, reach and efficiency of larger companies. Dare to be different.

Remember, new power also means new responsibilities. Global reach means a potentially far-flung audience. You need to be ready for the incoming messages and questions from this new market. Have you created the best business structures to hold and express your work? Are you setting up effective systems to communicate with your audience? Its up to you to create your own success and not merely rely on a record company or agent to do the work of making you visible in the marketplace.

4. Understand that every business is becoming a music business and so musical opportunities are multiplying. It took a coffee company and a computer manufacturer to teach the music industry how to sell music in the digital age! Non-music businesses everywhere are seeking creative ways to add music-related services to their mix. This means that you neednt be dependent on the traditional music industrial complex for music career success.

Think of companies you already resonate with and try brainstorming ways you can link up. Start on a local scale. It might be a gift shop, bookstore or arts organization. It may even evolve into a full-fledged sponsorship for a tour or recording project. Finds ways to add value to what these businesses are doing with what you have to offer. Forging creative alliances is key to building a multi-dimensional music career.

5. Prepare to be versatile and to wear several hats initially, until your brand is established. Most musicians I know have had to cobble together several revenue streams in the early stages of their careers in order to make enough money to support themselves. Many have also had to take on a non-music lifeline careers just to make ends meet, pay down debt, or supplement what they earn from music.

I tell musicians to not so much look for a job, but to seek out the work that needs to be done. It might be arranging a song, playing a wedding gig, helping organize a concert series, doing a jingle session, offering private music instruction, or writing a review of your favorite bands new CD. Eventually, all the different experiences merge together into the roaring river that will be your music career. At that point youll be visible, in demand and able to name your price. And thats career success.

Peter Spellman is Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and author of the new book, Indie Marketing Power: The Guide for Maximizing Your Music Marketing

More Guitar Learning Site : http://www.guitarready.com/