Concert List

Every music listerner has divergent needs. What are yours?

There are Internet music services – from the casual pop lover to the audiobook listener. Which one would you choose?

Some quick Tips -

Mac user or computer user?

Any products by Apple, including the iPod line, are oftentimes solely compatible with the iTunes Music Store, which is available on both Macs and PC s.

Other devices with the “Plays for Sure” logo work well with Windows Media Player – based download services and are computer -only. Check your favorite devices for compatibility before you buy. like Apple, Sony players will only work with the Sony Connect music service.

iTunes Music Store -  Home of the 99-cent download, the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) features over 1 million tunes. Entire albums are available for download but the ITMS only aids iPod devices. The system allows you to burn your tracks to compact disc  for low-tech consumption. Many major labels are represented and ITMS tends to get newer music even before some of the other major players. A partnership with Audible.com additionally allows you to download audiobooks, allowing you to while away the road miles with a nice book.

MusicMatch -  MusicMatch’s On Demand subscription service makes this system stand out. Instead of buying individual songs, you pay $5.95 to listen to a selection of songs for a certain period of time. Once you cancel your subscription, however, the music disappears. MusicMatch also offers 99-cent tracks. A special music suggestion engine makes short work of figuring out what you’d like to listen to next.

eMusic - eMusic is a pioneering MP3 service that provides a number of downloads for a session price. The the majority expensive provide, for example, expenses $19.99 and entitles you to 90 song downloads per month. The tracks will performance on any MP3 player in the world and are completely unprotected by any digital rights management. The music is skewed towards the alternative and unknowns but there are thousands of gems in eMusic’s extensive library, from the Pixies to Bloc gathering.

Napster -  The original music service has gone legit. Individual tracks are 99 cents and Napster to Go offers unlimited downloads to any MP3 player for $14.95. The to Go service, like MusicMatch’s service, expires once your subscription lapses. You can only burn purchased tracks to compact disc s, but the catalog is wide  and Napster features all of the latest from performers in all genre s.

Rhapsody -  Rhapsody provides free downloadable music in trial mode as well as a $9.95 all-you-can eat subscription with 99-cent downloads and Rhapsody to Go which allows you to download content to your MP3 player. prefer other Microsoft DRM -based services, music you did not pay for is erased when your subscription lapses.

Sony Connect -  Similar to the iTunes Music Store, Sony’s retailer will only work with Sony players, which use the proprietary ATRAC format for music files. But one of those players is the  profoundly hot play Station Portable game, video and music device. Sony’s retailer includes music from all the major labels, not just the Sony catalog. prefer other music stores you may furthermore burn downloaded music to CD s.

MSN -  A latecomer to the get together, the MSN Music Store guides Microsoft’s Janus Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, which is bundled with most copies of Windows. Tracks are 99 cents and the service is compatible with most non-Apple MP3 players. Major labels are well represented, but the featured music skews towards less alternative acts.

I enjoy downloading music to my computer and portable digital music player. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was at a music store. I’m a convert. I like listening to music samples on the Internet and purchasing only the tunes that I want and not wanting to buy an entire disc where I can prefer only several song tracks. This is the reason why iPods from Apple computer Inc. (AAPL) have grown exponentially in popularity to the current cult status. A companion of mine received a 30GB iPod for Christmas and trust me you’ve never seen a person so excited.

A 30GB iPod can hold up to 7,500 compact disc  quality tunes. That’s impressive. Apple is a trendsetter in my estimation. From its MAC to the iPod, CEO Steve Jobs has a keen knack for trends. The portable music devices have so much memory because he probably expects a massive shift to compact disc  burning and downloadable music. Apple’s iTunes Music Store is booming.

Just final week, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released its research into the digital music business and the solutions weren’t a surprise. Just prefer how On-line DVD movies have dominated the video rental market, dominated by Netflix Inc. (NFLX), and pushing incumbent Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) to the sidelines, the exponential growth of the On-line music business has been on an explosive upward path.

According to the research, sales of digital music world wide increased by over 300  percent in 2005 to $1.1 billion. The research said digital music accounts for about 6  percent of total music sales, up from eminently little two years back.

The competition in the industry is fierce and expected to ramp up going forward. This may guide to consolidation in the industry down the road and result in reduce prices. all of us may see the bigger and more established players taking out the smaller up and comers.

Besides Apple, there are a slew of Online music web site s. Probably the the majority well known is Napster Inc. (NAPS). Napster reported it has over 500,000 subscribers but has yet to turn a profit and is not expected for the time being. But the company has minimal debt and a whopping $128 million or $2.91 per share in cash. Given that the current share price is 3.08, this implies you’re paying a mere $0.17 for the company’s asset and potential. This is pretty wonderful and enticing for speculators, but then Napster must deliver profits. Napster could be the dark horse in the digital music business.

In addition to Apple and Napster, there is additionally the increasing Rhapsody music service from RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK) and Yahoo Music from Yahoo Inc. (YHOO).

Shakespeare said “ He who hath no music in him is fit for treasons and spoils.” True indeed, many generations have passed since the great writer wrote these words, but its passing influence hasn’t seem to fade away till now, even at the threshold of the 21st century. The present music industry is thriving and is making progress in leaps and bounds. There are a number of type ofs of music today, which would be alien to the great Shakespeare himself. Nevertheless, the music has outshone all the other passions and people from all the generations are going gaga over it.

The Online music too has made it presence felt in the contemporary times. A plethora of Online music web sites are catering to the needs of the users by giving them free Online music downloads, or their favorite music compact disc  at the compact disc  store. So the consumer might directly go to any of the music web sites and get the music of their choice.

Apart from the increase in the music business, there are various other advantages of the Online music that have furthermore been observed. like ‘not so popular’ songs are furthermore revived by these web sites and they furthermore become popular with this medium. a lot of the time, there are various songs that all of us have hardly seen on TV but all of us love it just by mere listening it from the Web. In this way, the music is advertised and made popular with the netizens. This ends up in the increase in the sale of the music.

additionally, Internet has additionally made the lyrics of the various tunes available to the masses, that makes them more drawn to their favorite tunes, with the knowledge of their accurate lyrics. additionally, there are some websites that solely deal with playing your favorite song and no downloading it. And there are certain softwares that allow you to transfer your choice st numbers into your MP3 player or mobile telephone, giving a mobility to your music.

Thus, Web music has indeed paved the way to the popularity of music.

All true music lovers will know that access to music is not a luxury but a necessity. When you travel, the availability of your favorite tunes become even more necessary. like food and water, music becomes a need. Regardless of the way in which you travel, music always adds value and pleasure to your trip. You may be traveling by bus, train, car or motorbike in your own country – with the right music, it is always better.

On a foreign visit, the presence of music enriches your travels even more. Listening to familiar music while discovering exciting new places transform the experience into something magical. tunes that you might have listened to hundreds of times before add beauty and unique memories to a vacation. They become the soundtrack of your trip. After the holiday, you listen to the same tunes again. Immediately it carries you back to the scene where you had listened to the music while traveling. You experience the place again and recall what you had seen, whom you had met, what you were talking about and how you felt. The music gave your journey meaning.

One of the biggest mistakes I made during my 1st trip abroad was not to take music with me. Even in those days, at the end of ‘92, flights from South Africa to Europe weren’t cheap. I borrowed an old backpack from a companion. might be ‘ancient’ is a better word to use, since the pack still had a frame on the outside. Still, budget limitations did not allow me to buy a fancy and light new rucksack. My flight was scheduled to leave Johannesburg International Airport on 25 November. It meant that I would arrive in England at the same time the season would finally don the cold coat of late autumn. That knowledge motivated me to buy a new sleeping bag. I decided to use my old hiking boots since the little bit of money I had left I wanted to keep for surviving the European winter. Knowing that my trip would only be for three months I reasoned that I wouldn’t need music. If only I had listened to my heart and not my mind. Still, once again, the shortage of money did not allow me the luxury of buying a new Walkman.

Not long after the start of my trip, I realized what a mistake I had made to leave my music at home. I coped in the absence of music for six weeks. How I last ed that long still remains a mystery to me. Then, in Gdansk in Poland, I can no longer ignore the need for music. I bought a small portable radio and tape player. Tapes were cheap. I stocked up on a dozen tapes, from U2 and Marillion to the Doors and the Rolling Stones. Even though the quality of the radio’s one speaker was poor, it sounded like the perfect hi-fidelity sound I had heard up to that point in my life.

I did learn my lesson during that trip. Since then I have never traveled without music. I have likewise promised myself that I never will. Furthermore, now, as opposed to those days, you do not need much space to take music with you whenever you go. With mp3 players, you could take all your preferred albums along. You could even make your own compilations and have your personal soundtrack ready for the journey. So,do not wait, just go.

Have you ever thought about the power of music and the influential role it has had in the world? It seems that ever since the beginning of time, human beings have been expressing themselves, in one way or another, with musical instruments, dance and song. This medium has additionally been one of the primary ways for many cultures to preserve their history for the next generation.

It is simple to recognize that feelings are an vital part of the whole picture. individuals make music when they’re happy, angry, sad, hungry, in love, at war, at peace, searching… just about every emotion or experience could create a creative spark! And the power of music could have either a positive or negative influence in our lives. It could motivate us to take action, whether it be for good or bad.

In 2005, my husband, James, and I had the occasion to have two of our songs used in a film documentary about Hurricane Katrina. This is just one small example of how the power of music may be used as a force for good. As songwriters, we consider this unique experience to be one of the highlights we have shared together as a married couple.

Lately I have been thinking about other ways to use the power of music for nice. Recently I met with a man who had just returned from Myanmar (Burma). As some of you might know, the individuals in this area have been suffering extreme loss and hardship since the cyclone hit last might and there is a great need for food, clothing and medical supplies. Some predictions have indicated that there might be as many as 60,000-80,000 orphans as a result of the storm.

James and I are currently making travel arrangements to visit Myranmar next January. Until then, I’m hoping that the power of this music article will draw some attention to the situation.

Music is a meaningful subject. Good music has a hardwired direct line to our souls. Music may bypass the analytical facets of our humanity and dig deep right into the emotional core of our  surprisingly being. Live music is even more compelling. Live music is the creative expression of the soul made manifest. This is a precious luxury that makes individuals feel worth d and valuable. It makes us feel human. additionally, it is fun to dance to.

Here are some really wonderful reasons for booking live acts when you next organize a social get together such as a marriage or get together.

Live acts are more inspiring than recorded music. The truth is that no matter how good a musical recording may be, every time you play it you’ll hear exactly the same thing. Music is so complex and subtle, that only ever hearing the same version of a song is limiting to the listener. But when a live band play a song, they play it slightly disparate ly each time they perform. The result is tension, excitement and the frisson that the ‘unknown’ produces for the listener. These are more versatile. While these days deejays carry thousands of tunes on digital discs, only live artists might alter the mood in the room, second by second, in response to the audiences reaction.

Live music is more inclusive. people may feel much more a part of a live music party than is possible when listening to recorded music. The interactions betwixt band members and fans are far more versatile and inclusive. It’s generally better for the economy. Yes, it is. When all of us buy a CD  the money goes to multinational record companies who take their cut. When you hire a Regional band, the money all of us invest on them is far more prefer ly to stay in the community.

Occasionally you may find you get what you need sang Mick Jagger and while you may want to hear a specific song RIGHT NOW, the band may not know it. This is true, but the band are experienced at finding the right song to performance depending on the listeners mood and reaction. So let the band lead you from the safe and pedestrian to new pastures of pleasure.

Whether it is your marriage, get together, corporate get together or special chance, After Dark Entertainments have the entertainment for you.

What is ‘pop music?’ Where did this distinction arise and what is it is purpose? If it has a purpose, who does it serve?

On close examination, you see that it is the way society absorbs a thing; the way the tiger is defanged. It is another useful illusion from society’s toolbox of illusions. All through my school years, I’d to put up with this prattle about ‘ significant music,’ and ‘pop music.’ Oh sure, I bought into it a bit, at first. But one only has to question the status quo.

1st of all, all of us all know what it means, this business of ‘pop music’ and ‘ significant music.’ It depends a lot on what side of the fence you’re sitting on, of course. If you’re a ‘ significant performer,’ ‘ significant music’ is ‘ wonderful,’ and ‘pop’ music is ‘bad.’ Of course all of us all know that ‘ significant music’ will make you no resources. Why? Because it is ‘ wonderful,’ of course, and the majority of people do not know about ‘ wonderful.’ They only pay for music that is ‘bad.’

Now to be fair, if you’re on the other side of this specific fence, ‘ serious music’ is ‘boring,’ ( that’s bad) and pop music is ‘cool.’ ( That is ‘ wonderful ‘). Also, this historically speaking, has tended to be ‘radical’ and ‘revolutionary.’

‘Serious music?’ Part of the establishment.

It is necessary to reflect on the political demographics implied by these distinctions in music. They are fairly undeniable, when you avoid to think about it, but it is exhilarating that the majority individuals toss these distinctions about in the absence of a second thought. From these two easy musical types, you may easily build up profiles of the listener’s politics, religion, average income and so on and so on. individuals do plot these demographics. Not the listeners, but the individuals who are in the business of sales and marketing.

Nonetheless, as you might suspect, all these demographics are bound and held in place by belief systems that are spun on half truths, exaggeration and out right fantasy.

Even ‘ significant ‘ artists have allowed themselves to be saddled with ridiculous myths and caricature profiles of past composers, much to their personal detriment and decline of the tradition. Many of these folks, who should know better, have been content with whatever historical spin has been handed down.

This kind of thinking has drained the vital ity out of the tradition. Take just the idea that composers prefer Beethoven and Mozart were not actually popular until after their death. Th is not ion has bred a mentality that has said whatever it creates is too wonderful for present day listenerss and it must never ending ly establish for some, undefined, superior future listeners. This likewise conveniently isolates it from any criticism of what’s going on.

In point of fact, Beethoven was acknowledged as the greatest living composer in his own lifetime. The city of Vienna, an historically vital center of culture in Europe, paid the man to live there. As far as being ‘radical’ or ‘revolutionary,’ well, let’s see; we have Beethoven dedicating his third symphony to the leader of the French Revolution. we have Hector Berlioz composing an enduring masterpiece while stoned on opium.

We have premiers of famous classical works prefer Bolero and the Rite of Spring that were either banned or caused a riot. This list goes on and on.

And what of this hoary chestnut that states pop music is a lesser discipline? Anyone with a musical ear might tell you that there’s been plenty of exceptional ‘pop music.’ And why not? many of these artists, like Elton John, went to music school. They’re ‘ serious artists.’ So why this exceptional deceit? The most obvious suspect is the music business, but it is obvious by now, that they have no idea what they’re doing either.

No, the deeper reality is that, as long as there has been a culture in the western hemisphere, there has been a counter culture. All this business of counter culture, that supposedly began in the sixties, didn’t.

How far back does it go? Well. Richard Wagner, in his early days, was part of a free love movement in Ger many and his 1st opera was called ‘Forbidden Love,’ and it has hardly anything to do with rings of power or Teutonic nymphs.

It’s an opera that Wagner, later in his life, professed that he’d like to forget about, and, well, we’re just not going to let him. I will deal with culture and its twin, counter culture in subsequent articles.

I know some individuals like to write while their favorite music is playing, and others like silence. I am a silence person myself but there are special cases.

For example, Assuming that the children are home and making a racket, music through headsets is a amazing way to isolate myself for an hour or two. I do not mean I wander round the house 24/7 in a musical daze, but if I need a couple of quiet hours of writing time to finish off my word count this is the way to get it.

Second, if I am writing an vital scene I find the right music may really endorse to  set my own mood, and as a result the mood of the piece I am writing.

And that’s really the reason for this blog post.

You see, although you might listen to music while writing, how carefully do you select the pieces? I use my own yPlay software which allows 100 named playlists, but anything else with similar features should do. And here’s what you need -  a playlist for each mood and style of writing. Have a Romance playlist with gentle love songs, an Action playlist with heavy drumming and wild electric guitars, perhaps a Classical playlist for a bit of culture – something to listen to while you are writing about a visit to a posh hotel or restaurant, forexample.

What you don’t want to do is have one playlist with all your faves mixed up. It’s unusually hard to write a touching romantic scene when heavy metal is hammering your ears one minute and Cliff Richard is going on about his walking talking doll the next.

Live music. That common saying may contain some truth, but these days the word “live” is having less and less to do with music. For many people, a disc jockey is their form of live music. Despite what disc jockey’s would prefer to have you believe, musicians make great entertainment.

In the first place, individuals find pleasure in human performance.  Many performers prefer great athletes are multi- talent ed. They will croon on the tenor saxophone right to your soul, then turn around and chunk out a funky rhythm on a Fender Stratocaster. can a disc jockey performance a turntable behind his head or with his teeth? Professional performers love to sing and groove on just about any style of music from a Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They just find pleasure in playing when the listeners is responding to their performance.

In the second place, artists are students of the arts. Musicians do not merely “push buttons.” They’ve had years of practice in their homes, and they do their thing on stage. Un like disc jockey’s artists do not try to sing over or add other loud or strange noises to program music. Once a song starts it flows to the end and in the unfortunate gathering of a power shortage artists could continue to entertain acoustically until power is restored. Even non-professional artists generally understand “the show must go on” concept.

Lastly, one of the the majority attractive features of bands as entertainment is the affinity among them and their fans. Watching a wonderful drummer is never boring because they’re unending ly moving…feeling. an animated solo violinist playing an old wooden Stradivarius violin has a much greater chance of reaching into your soul and stirring your feelings than a disc jockey with an array of magnetic speakers and digital amplifiers no matter how wonderful his system sounds. It is an apple trying to be an orange. It is the difference among human blood and electricity.

Contrary to popular opinion, performers can be affordable. Just like with a disc jockey, locating a performer well in advance and securing them with a low down payment, the price can be negotiated to avoid costly or inadequate entertainment. Bands will even throw in a free cocktail hour or an extra half hour at the end to gain a date! many performers are now offer ing ” disc jockey time.” This is when the musician hat comes off and the disc jockey hat is put on to performance the Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc…Genres of today. individuals who have small get togethers ought to appreciate these characteristics of bands. Nonetheless, many individuals who have large get togethers opt to have performers because they love the musician personal ity. In many ways, musicians are the ideal entertainers.

Pop music is a genre of popular music distinguished from classical or art music and from folk music . The term indicates specific stylistic traits, but the type of also includes musicians working in many styles such as rock, hip hop, rhythm and blues ( Rythm and Blues (R&B) ), and country, making it a flexible category. The expression “pop music” could also be used to refer to specific sub type ofs (within the pop music type of ) that are in some cases referred to as soft rock and pop/rock.

Characteristics as a sub genre

Pop “is designed to appeal to everyone” and ” does not come from any particular place or mark off any particular taste.” In musical terms, it is essentially “conservative” in that it attempts to resonate with a large segment of its target demographic rather than pushing artistic boundaries. It is ” offer d from on high (by record organizations, radio programmers and performance  promoters) rather than being made from below…” (Frith 2001, p.95-96). But over time, pop has gone from “popular in general” to “a genre ” described as sounding musically similar to rap, but with singing. This is due to radio stations labeling themselves as “pop stations” taking heavy like ence over certain sounds, tossing other popular performers who don’t fit into the sound or other categories like rock into the “alternative” label.

frequently used to describe the current popular type ofs of music of any given time, the term “pop” can’t be used describe any one specific style.

History of pop music

1930s and 1940s

Styles influencing the later development of pop include the Blues (Chicago), and Country (Tennessee)

1950s

Early Pop music artists include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Peggy Lee, but other artists prefer Bill Haley and his Comets, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley become popular with the young generation.

1960s

The decade starts out with such Teen Idols such as, Johnny Tillotson, Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, Tommy Roe, Gene Pitney, and Frankie Avalon. It explodes midway with Carole King, Neil Diamond, Burt Bacharach, Aretha Franklin, Isley Brothers, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, and Simon and Garfunkel. It can be said that The Beatles led the British Invasion in this decade.

1970s

A proliferation of new sounds from the disco of the BeeGees, the piano sounds of Billy Joel and Elton John, the country of the Eagles, the rock-influenced pop of performers like Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, and Fleetwood Mac. ABBA has been a swedish performer who grew to fame after winning Eurovision Song Contest and starting a whole new revolution of pop music.

1980s

Notable highlights for pop music in the 1980s are Michael Jackson’s second Epic label release, Thriller, which went on to become the perfect -selling album of all time, and Madonna albums ” prefer a Virgin”, “True Blue”, ” prefer a Prayer” . Michael Jackson has been at times referred to as “The King of Pop” and Madonna has been named “The Queen of Pop”. Other artists included Michael Bolton, Prince, Janet Jackson, Duran Duran, The Police, ABBA, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Kylie Minogue and Culture Club.

1990s and 21st century

The 1990s and 21st century were marked by a resurgence of boy performer and girl group trends. From the United Kingdom (UK) came the prefers of Take That, Blue, the Spice Girls, a highly successful formula. Irish boy artists of the time include Boyzone and Westlife. The United States had New Edition, New children On The Block followed by the Backstreet Boys, Hanson, girl trio Destiny’s Child and then ‘N Sync and Pop Princesses Willa Ford, Mandy Moore, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera. Canadian Avril Lavigne became popular with her album Let Go. Australia had Boys from Oz. 1999 saw the rise of the Latin explosion with Ricky Martin at the forefront with his globally smash hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. Other latin artists to follow were Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Marc Anthony. In 2002, Justin Timberlake had critical and commercial acclaim with his “Justified” album, emerging as the new “Prince of Pop”, Jesse McCartney has emerged from Dream Street as a high-rating singer with tunes prefer She’s No You, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff has become popular in the 2000s. artists prefer Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Kylie Minogue, Celine Dion, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain and Madonna have likewise been highly successful. Reality TV shows, such as American Idol, begin producing multi-platinum artists prefer Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken. British pop rock groups such as McFly emerge.

Sound and themes

Pop music, in whatever musical influence form it derives from, may be produced by a more basic songwriting approach and arrangement. The emphasis is oftentimes on a easy r melody, which makes the tunes more memorable, and could use stripped-down rhythms. The mixture of the melody and the rhythm allows for harmony to be a driving force of the song. Themes range from personal tunes to vivacious gathering jams. Still, the the majority common theme deals with the expansive  range of feelings which stem from physical or emotional love.

Music videos and live shows are again and again used for exposure in the media, and artists could have extravagant stage shows and use choreographed dancing.  A lot of pop tunes are used in both Dance clubs and Sport club s.