Concert List

Indie Music Industry – Believe in Yourself-I have been doing this music caper for twenty years.

However, I have only believed in myself for the past five years and in that time I have achieved much more than the fifteen years preceding it.

I don’t remember that moment when I finally climbed up the top of the mountain and put my flag of belief into the summit but I remember the feeling of knowing that it was okay to be doing what I am doing and it was also okay to be ME.

I can’t tell you how to believe in yourself, only you can do that but I can tell you that if you are lacking in belief then you are not alone.

We live in a world that is not overly tolerant to artistic endeavours. I mean just the other day I had someone ask me at a party the most boring question.

Q – “What do you do for a living?”

A – “I am a musician”

Q – “Oh, that’s nice. So what is it that you really do?”

That really threw me back. I was initially insulted but I proudly answered that being a musician was my ‘real job’.

We as musicians are always being told that we:

1. Can never make a living out of a hobby

2. Need something to fall back on (just incase this ‘music thing’ doesn’t work out)

3. Should go and get a real job.

If you do have a day job, I am certainly not telling you to give it up.

All I am saying is that when you have belief in yourself and what you do any decision that you make is made for you only, not to appease well meaning friends or family.

Be proud of what you do but don’t be too proud to not take advice from people that have trodden the path that you are about to take. Use this channel for instance to ask any question that you want. I will only give you encouragement because I have been there myself.

Always remember, no matter how many articles you read, how many courses you take, how many bands you play in or how many gigs you do, you can’t get others to believe in you unless you start believing in yourself.

Starting tomorrow, go and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you deserve to be a musician and that you are not going to feel guilty about it.

After that its time to go forth and ROCK (or country or punk or whatever you do)!!!

Rock Music – Thrilling and Entertaining-Rock is an exciting and highly admired genre of popular music which mainly appeals to the young generation. This extremely famous form has attained great recognition and adulation amongst the music lovers for several decades. The most admirable aspect of this genre is its variety and unique style. This form uses several high tech instruments which give an attractive and interesting appeal to it. The instruments like synthesizers, mouth organ and piano etc are used while playing the melodies. Rock is the modern and advanced form of music that is comparatively faster and louder than the conventional genres like classic and folk. It gives the artists a liberty to experiment with variety of styles and express themselves with freedom. The soul of rock is the rock band or the group of musicians and singers who collectively play the songs.

The youth is simply crazy for this form of music; they are ardent fans of the various rock stars. The rock albums take you through the various aspects and emotions of life. The words of the songs simply enthrall the senses and thrill the listeners. In this kind of music the prominent vocal melody is accompanied with hard instruments like drums, brass and guitar etc, along with the mellotrans and other keyboard instruments.

Some rock bands also use the conventional instruments like harmonica, melodica, banjo etc. Some highly creative artists have experimented a lot with the less known instruments like sitar and mandolin. This gave their songs a completely different appeal.

Rock music evolved around 1940’s and 1950’s. This genre is highly influenced by the country music and blues which were very popular around that time. This style was basically a blue-based song with fast and peppy dance tracks. One can find the classic albums on various online music stores. You can search top rock music albums on the internet.

The rock reached great heights with several amazing rock stars that awed the audiences with amazing performances. Elvis Presley is the most admired and popular artist in the world of rock; his astounding style, classic dance movements and incredible songs entertained the music lovers. The Beetles is the most famous and highly applauded rock band. They had the most numbers of the chart topping hits.

Eventually by the late 1960’s the various rock bands emerged which were famous amongst the music lovers at that time. The bands from United States and Britain gained immense popularity. Some of the most famous bands were Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Queen and Judas Priest.

By the 1980 the glam metal genre made waves in the rock music world. Bon Jovi, New York Dolls, Sweet, Guns and Roses, Twisted Sister and Kiss were the several most popular artistes of the 1980’s. In the 1990’s Rock soared new heights with emergence of some highly commendable forms like Grunge. This popular genre was associated with the fusion of various elements like hardcore punk and heavy metal sound to give amazingly enthralling melodies. The lyrics of the songs focused on the themes of social concern like entrapment and alienation. The Grudge had heavy and loud tunes with extensive use of guitar and fuzz. Several famous bands like Alice in Chains, Candlebox and Soundgarden, gained a wide audience applause and appreciation.

The Britpop and Indie Pop were few forms that gained immense adulation in the 1990’s. In the 2000 several new styles of pop gained recognition and flourished with great adulation. Garage rock, Emo and Metal core are the most admired sub genres of rock. Various rock bands like the White Stripes, The Vines and The Strokes came with some thrilling and happening albums. These are very famous CD rock music hits.

With the emergence of MTV rock gained immense hype and recognition. Internet further enhanced the growth of this unique genre. The highly popular rock music CDs are available on the internet, you can easily find your favourite DVD for rock music on various websites.

Live Music – The Power of Passion-Music is said to be the food of the soul. There is nothing more persuasive and pleasing than good music. Soothing music heals the mind. No entertainment is complete without music. Playing of your favorite music and songs instantly changes your tension filled mind to a more relaxed and serene state of mind.

Though people can listen to songs and music on stereo systems and walkmans, however, they do not think twice before lining up for live music concerts the reason – passion. It is the power of passion that attracts them to see the stars perform in person and live. Nothing beats it.

Live music is also preferred at parties and events. Live music entertainment consists of classical music, Jazz, Swing, World music, period music of 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and the 90’s and performed by artists who haven’t made it big. Classical music consists of quintet, quartet, trio, duo and solo. Performances of live music can be given on any instrument as a piano, guitar, keyboard, cello, harpoon, flute, trumpet, saxophone and the jazz set.

Whether it is a birthday party, wedding reception, a private party or a corporate party, live music is a must if you are not hiring a DJ to mix songs for you. Even if there is a DJ, live music is not a bad idea. Almost every city and town in the US has bands that perform live music. The choice of songs and music may be limited with a live music performance, but it is the limited selected songs and music, which makes the band endearing to people. DJs would charge 25% – 50% of what a live music performing band charges. However, the allure of live music is something that is irresistible if one can afford it. Some live music performing bands capture and reproduce the tone of music that were not recorded properly by the unsophisticated recording machines of the 50‘s and the 60’s.

A DJ can mix songs to provide you the ultimate music entertainment. What needs to be done though is that you should give the DJ a list of your preferred song long before the event. That gives the DJ time to arrange the CDs for you. The variety of music becomes enhanced when a DJ plays CDs. A sudden request from the guest also may be honored by the DJ and the song may be played. Most DJs come prepared with a number of CDs to meet immediate requests.

The success of any event depends on the music entertainment. If the guests hear the music they enjoy your party will be a success.

Relaxation Music – Loosen Up And Let Go!-Relaxation Music can comfort the soul if you let it in. Relaxation Music can only be thoroughly enjoyed if you loosen up and let go. Although relaxation music will help you relax, you need to really enjoy the moment to appreciate the experience.

When you loosen up and let go you are able to breathe and have the time to experience the longevity and vibrancy of life.

Let me explain.

You may want to loosen up and let go but something stops you.

Working as a volunteer, I teach relaxation by the bedside to heart, stroke and cancer patients in hospitals.

I noticed that there was a myth that was stopping people from loosening up and letting go. The myth is that relaxation music is from the outside.

Here is an example of what I mean.

One older gentleman who had had a stroke told me that in the past (when he was much younger) he had found relaxation by pleasing his dad. This desire made him forsake his own family because to please his dad, he was always attempting to change the world. Changing the world meant that he got his dad’s approval.

When his dad finally acknowledged his effort (giving him a pat on the back) he felt relaxed. Now after having a stroke at the age of 67 he has decided it was time to spend some time with his own family.

It took a stroke for this gentleman to become aware that his relaxation music was within him. He is now more aware of the need to breathe and have time to experience the longevity and vibrancy of life.

Relaxation Music is part of your environment (Classical music, the many sounds of nature and your favorite music). It is a part of you.

One exercise you may consider would be to decide to allow relaxation music in on a daily basis. When you decide to loosen up and let go so that relaxation music can come into you, you will also provide the music within you a chance to play with music of a similar resonance. This resonance will now allow you to breathe and have time to experience the longevity and vibrancy of life.

In conclusion:

Relaxation music is always available. However, your busy lifestyle, combined with the myth that relaxation music is from the outside, make it near impossible to loosen up and let go.

If you were to consider letting in relaxation music wherever you notice the feeling of the sounds on a daily basis, then you will find it easier to loosen up, let go, breathe and have time to experience the longevity and vibrancy of life.

Live Music Is Not Dead-Around the pubs and clubs in the UK there are still many bands playing for only a few pounds to demanding audiences who simultaneously request Chuck Berry and the Arctic Monkeys. Keeping all these different people in the audience happy is never easy, but not impossible either. With good stage craft and clever of songs at a particular venue, a good band can make everyone happy.

The organisation of these bands is extraordinary. They must find like minded musicians that are committed. Then they must find somewhere to practice. This is not easy as most cannot do this at home. If you are fortunate to have a house big enough, it is unlikely you can get round the neighbours, as it is so loud! It cannot be turned down as everything must be as loud as the drums. A band usually hires a room to practice, at great cost to themselves.

A band must also spend literally thousands on equipment. PA, lighting, guitars, drums etc.

The next hurdle is transport. For some reason most drummers cannot drive! Cars are usually inadequate as you would need a fleet of about 5 for your gig, very expensive on the fuel, and impractical. Most bands have to hire or buy a van, again at great cost to themselves.
When they have finally rehearsed all there material over weeks or months, they are ready to play live. It is an exciting day, one of wonder, excitement and slight fear. You turn up to the venue to find one man and his dog. And that man is very drunk, wants to be your manager, and giving you all the benefit of his ‘wisdom’ in the music game! The landlord is also drunk, and you cannot work out if he likes you or not.

You get poorly paid, if you get paid at all, and return home usually out of pocket.

However the real rock heroes come back for more. They find the best venues, gain a reputation, and play at some great places. Sure they still have bad gigs, but the good ones make up for it. They make it look so easy, but it is not. One such band can be seen at http://www.thehalfmonty.tk

The Half Monty have had there share of ups and downs. They have been ripped of at gigs, played in the most dodgy venues, and heckled to death. But they are still here, bigger and better than ever having learnt from their early days.

So remember, when you see a local band advertised at a pub or club, go see them and support them. It is not easy for the lads and lasses. Perhaps buy them a beer after the performance if you really enjoyed it. , for these are the true heroes of rock.

Rap Music For Youngster-The history of rap music would not be complete without a look at the performers who make it all possible – the rap artists. Most rap music typically includes one or more rappers who often rap about their own personal life stories, important events in their lives, or social problems they wish to make a public statement about. Rap songs can also represent romanticized or fictional themes. The sky is the limit. Musically, rap songs usually have a strong rhythmic aspect with the spoken lyrics emulating the intense rhythm of the beat. Rap songs are known to make use of many poetic techniques including simple word rhymes and alliteration.

The history of rap music also shows that the instrumental track or beat performed by the DJ often includes the rhythms and beat “samplings” from popular and/or well-known funk, rock, or soul songs. These sampled sounds and rhythms are synthesized, integrated, and reinvented with original twists by the performers.

Two other highly popular aspects of rap music that saw their rapid growth into the American mainstream are break dancing and tagging (graffiti). Break dancers and taggers are now stars in their own right with loyal followers and fans throughout the world. Annual break dancing competitions are now very popular even in countries throughout Europe and Asia. The history of rap music can be considered relatively new, yet it is clearly a powerful influence in today’s music world. Indeed, the musical influence of New York City African American and Latino culture is now as pervasive worldwide as fast food hamburger chains.

Music For The Stars!-Alan Cohen author of, ” Chicken Soup For The Soul,” and other inspirational books said that in his work, “Lifestyles Of The Rich In Spirit.”

A prominent political figure from a Muslin nation visited one our University recently to speak and answer questions, and I watched the president of that institution challenge him and attack him verbally. There was no peace in the words he used to describe his guest, he had his mind made up that this man represented the enemy and a war of words was in order. It was obvious to everyone that this man and his country were works of the devil and it was our duty to eliminate him first by dehumanizing him, and then by threats of war.

The guest answered the questions as best he could; he knew that the majority of the audience would not accept his words, but he tried to explain his country’s position on several topics that struck fear in the hearts of Americans; but our thoughts had already established that this man was someone to hate. He on the other hand, stood his ground firmly and explained his position as clearly as he could given the atmosphere of emotions that surrounded him. He did not claim to hate or want to destroy us, he said he wanted to be our friend; he said that his religion was a peaceful one and that his country wanted to live by their beliefs without interference from other nations. He saw the conflict in Iraq as a senseless attempt to control something that was not under our control; it had been in existence for centuries before we were born as a country and always found a way to resolve its own issues. In the mist of all the anger and resentment he found himself in, he maintain his composure and expressed his feelings about how we had created the situations we found ourselves involved in, and that we were the ones that are forcing other nations to conform unconditionally.

The real issue is not about this man and his country; it is about each one of us. As Alan said, we must find the peace in our hearts in order to heal our separation. If we are motivated by fear, anger, and hatred, that is what we will manifest; the face of this man was that manifestation.

We do not practice what we preach in church each Sunday, we do not follow the teachings of Christ if we attack and fight in order to control. Destroying never brings healing, but forgiveness does. Through all the years of fighting we still do not get the concept of unity; we still put ourselves up on a higher plane of existence; we are disconnected from our source and do nothing but fight in order to reconnect; years of conditioning has made us what we are, a group of wanderers looking for redemption in all the wrong ways. It is us against everything else, when in fact there is nothing else; what we see is a mirror, there for us to remember who we really are.

Alan said something else in his book, ” The most significant contribution you and I can make toward world peace is to be peaceful ourselves, to give peacefulness to those whose lives we touch daily, and to forgive ourselves for our errors, to the point at which we love ourselves no matter what we have ever done.”

Now is the time for that forgiveness; now is the time to reunite within myself, to be the spirit that expresses the love that fills my heart. I can change and will change in order to be at peace; I ask for help from my source and it is given; I ask for love to fill my body and it is given; I ask to share that love with all life and it is given.

Music – An Important Source of Entertainment-Music has been one of the key features of the entertainment industry. People have become so addicted to music that they can’t imagine their lives without it. Listening to music reduces the stress level and helps to calm an individual. It also rejuvenates and soothes one’s mind. Truly, music refreshes an individual and acts as a stress buster for the people whose lives have become monotonous due to the hectic schedule.

These days, music systems come with a variety of features and enhancements and are well equipped with proper bass, vibe and treble. They have a better sonic resolution. One can arrange their music tracks in their order of preference while listening. One can also take it as a disc jockey when arranging for a party. The karaoke is another important feature introduced in these systems. This feature shows a listener, lyrics of the song being played which increases the interest of a listener even more. Moreover, a listener can sing the song along with the same beats and rhythm.

Music industry is aware of the demands of listeners and so keeps on updating the music systems with new software. Sonos is the foremost digital music system that enables an individual to play music in all the rooms of the house.

Internet is another medium that makes music accessible to the people around the world. No matter if it is an old song that one wants to hear or a latest track all can be downloaded from the Internet. Computers are equipped with memory, software, sound card, processors, record and play features that can play the same track infinitely. One such software is named file-sharing program. This enables the internet user to browse a site and download the music in a digital format. Moreover, all the songs can be downloaded free of cost with best quality voice.

DVD players are another source of music. These players make use of digital video discs to store data and movies. Though priced quite reasonably, they have features that are parallel to high-valued models. They are portable and also have a video screen. It can be used for listening all different types of music like jazz, rock, soft and many others.

Thus, music is an important source of entertainment and can be listened anywhere through various sources available. The means of music systems vary and are distinctive in range, whether it is music system, Internet music or DVD players.

Internet Music – Blessing or Curse?-I just learned that April 19, 2008 was Record Store Day, an opportunity to celebrate independent record stores. As record stores slowly vanish across the country, it is revealing that April 19 came and went with little fanfare. Perhaps, like me, the event was invisible to you, too. And I’m sorry I missed it, because I value the place of music stores in our culture. But it got me thinking about how music is accessed and sold these days.

I’m not fond of vinyl — I don’t miss the pops and clicks, or the way that dust balls would build up in front of the needle and cause the sound to crackle — but those large album sleeves allowed for some wonderfully inventive packaging back in the day that can’t be done with CDs. I remember the surprise of opening Alice Cooper’s School’s Out. The cover was the surface of one of those old grammar school desks and lifted up like the lid of the desk to reveal the interior. The record was nested inside a slinky pair of pink girl’s paper panties, which you had to slip off to play the record. Then there was Jethro Tull’s Thick As A Brick, packaged with a fictional small town paper, “The St. Cleve Chronicle.” It was a crafty satire of a provincial newspaper replete with articles, TV listings, advertisements, a crossword — even a lascivious connect-the-dots puzzle — all oozing with irony. It read like a novel, with the same characters reappearing in different sections.

The Internet offers a wonderful way to discover, sample and purchase music, no doubt about it. It’s a great improvement over the experience most of us have had of buying a new CD and finding out you only like two of the ten songs. And the Internet has really expanded the opportunity for independent artists to reach a wider audience than ever before. But in making snap judgments after listening to a snippet of music online, we also lose the ability of songs to grow on us. We’re like kids dazzled by neon crayons, and we risk passing over subtler but richer hues. There is the danger that music becomes less about artistry and more about commodity.

Another problem is the reduced audio quality of MP3s, a digital format whereby much of the original audio signal is discarded in order to compress the file size and facilitate digital storage, downloading and other transfers. We’ve sacrificed quality for convenience. I confess, though, I love being able to shuffle songs on my iPod. The unpredictability keeps the music fresh for me. But it’s not without a price.

As we increasingly rely on downloadable music, I worry about what we lose. I still like the experience of going to record stores: the physicality of the merchandise, the role of chance and being exposed to something accidentally. Erykah Badu has a marvelous music video of the song “Honey” from her recently released album. An anonymous customer (actually Erykah, but her face is never shown) browses vinyl in a record store, and different classic album covers come alive with images of Erykah. It’s a witty video that captures the magic of the experience. The video ends with a message scrolling across the bottom of the screen: “Support your local record store!!!!!” I couldn’t have said it better.

The Growth of Country Music-Country music originated from the old folk music that the pioneers sang and played as they settled across the country. They used wagon trains. That is where a group of people drive their wagons across the country is a single file trying to go further west. At night they would get together and the ones that could play fiddles, banjo, and guitars, would play and make up songs about their experiences on the trail.

Then came along people like the Carter family and Jimmy Rodgers (the singing brakeman) and they came up with a newer style of country songs. Still everything was acoustical, no electrical instruments. When wannabe singers heard Jimmy Rodgers, they all wanted to sing like him. His singing had confidence and you could hear it.

The Grand ole Opry started broadcasting in 1925. This let millions of people hear folk and country music all across the country. The Louisiana Hayride started in 1948 and a lot of singers got their start there. These radio shows made a lot of young kids want to sing, and a lot of them did come on and make stars, each bringing a new style to country music. Recording companies then didn’t want you to sound like somebody else, they want your sound. If they liked it you got a contract.

When Hank Williams was on the hayride, I had a good friend playing for the hayride. He was playing when Hank had seven encores for lovesick blues. Then everybody wanted to sound like Hank Williams. Hank was top dog, then came Elvis to knock him off the mountain. Of course Hank had died before Elvis made it. Still Hank was on top after his death.

Every year country progresses to something new. Still there’s a lot of people that don’t progress with it. A lot still prefer the old traditional kind of country. That’s what makes the world go around.