Yo Is Rap Just Another Four Letter Word?
Flaunting any excessive or anti-social behavior is considered brazen. When it is no longer considered brazen it is proof that it has become embedded as part of our culture. Not to say this is a good thing, after all headhunting was considered a cultural norm in some societies. The question to ask here may be, was rap ever truly a part of our culture? Will it eventually run out of steam and go the way of things like doing the twist, afro haircuts or break dancing? I for one would argue that it is not truly a part of the American cultural scene, but is a forced, twisted and contrived money machine that appeals to only the basest passions of the youth in our country.
Long before the gangsta element slid over to hip hop the reasoning for the whole genre and style was generally purported to be, to show what life in the hood was like. That worked for a while and it even drew more sympathy from the otherwise estranged. But as lower passions would have it, the style and language of rap began more and more to take on a life and purpose of its own, namelysex. If by some magic stroke sex were temporarily extricated from every rappers thoughts and vocabulary, the entire industry would collapse quicker than the stock market in 1929. Now thats brazen!
Referring to rappers as artist and giving them full press doesnt guarantee that it is really an art form, all it says is that its here. But was it here before? Does it really have anything to do with the African American background, culture or heritage? I propose that it does not. Very few whites have succeeded in rap but even that does not prove that it is necessarily a black cultural thing. Growing up as a boy there were only two black families in our town. One of the boys from those families was my best friend. But to say that gave me even a basic knowledge of the African American culture would be an exaggeration. Later I arrived in the city of New Orleans just after the civil rights laws were passed. My exposure to the black culture increased exponentially. Finally I attended two seminaries the last of which was part of the National Baptist Convention a purely African American denomination. What I discovered about the African American culture will always be one of the greatest excursions of my entire life.
Our entire class would sit before some of the most dignified black gentlemen, professors and wait for the streams of their thoughts, opinion and knowledge to flow down to us. Most exciting was when they shifted their emphasis away from the curriculum and began to divulge elements of their private lives and their past. Life in New Orleans as a black man or women was no easy thing. Stories of their upbringing and their struggles would leave anyone with their heart in their throat. These old gentlemen for me were living examples of courage dignity and the best human qualities. What I learned about black culture in short is this. African Americans have a deep and ancient past; they are people with a lasting heritage.
I am sure that the blatant indulgence of sexual descriptive and four letter words that is raps most prevalent aspect, is not part of their ancient culture and history. It does not accurately depict their culture, their history or any other part of their experience. I dont think my protesting is such a big deal. But Id guess that if my old seminary professors could see and hear todays rap, you would hear the roar raising up from their graves and billowing down many an American avenue.
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote, Hook Line and Sinker or What has Your Church Been Teaching You, published by PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book recently released by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. Rev Bresciani has his own website at http://americanprophet.org
WalMart Music Downloads
Wal-Mart music downloads site is one of the easiest services available. Every song on the Wal-mart music downloads site has the same Always Low Price of .88 cents.
This easy to use site offers new releases, top songs, and classic favorites all priced the same. Album pricing varies depending on the number of songs available for download. In almost all cases, buying an album will be less expensive than buying the individual songs that make up an album.
Before I go on any further, sorry Mac users this program is only available for PCs and Windows operating systems.
OK, back to the good stuff.. Each title has a 30 second clip so that you can preview the song (just to make sure its the right one). It also comes with a free song storage program that helps you list your new songs in playlists ready for listening or burning to CD.
Bottom line.just as their ad says .88 cents Every Song. Every Day.
There is no monthly subscription fee with Wal-mart music downloads or any other additional charges. You pay for only the price of the songs or albums you want and (of course) any applicable sales tax, with no other fees. And its all legal, licensed, and free of viruses. A great program especially if you are a diehard Wal-mart fan.
Oh, I almost forgot they also offer a Wal-mart Music Downloads Gift Card. Perfect for those special people who love music, but you really dont know what they like. You can purchase any amount between $10 and $2,500.(guaranteed they wont return this gift).
John Rivers has been involved with music for over 30 years as a student, performer and teacher. His site The-NetGuide-for-MusicDownloads.com helps individuals to find safe and legal Music and Movie download sites. Subscribe to NetMusic News and receive Free music downloads each month.
3 Tips To Marketing Your Music On The Internet
The internet has revolutionized the way we do business. You can start an online business for less than $100.00 and start earning a decent amount of income off of it. Because of this, there has been an explosion in the ‘Internet Marketing’ world. I don’t consider myself an internet marketer, but I’ve studied many of them and have learned some ‘out of the box’ techniques that you can easily apply towards bands. Here are just a few of the many tips I can give you:
- Give First
One way to get something from other is to give to them first. In music, one way to build a fan base is to play at venues that do not charge a cover and invite people to come as your guest. You definately don’t want to play a lot of venues for free, so you need to somehow communicate that you are doing this for your audience without saying it outright. You could say, Hey guys, just to show you are appreciation, Flaming Onions would like to personally invite you to this special concert just for you! It’s totally free, so bring your friends and we’ll see you there! They will come, because they believe that this is a gift from you and the won’t want to miss out!Another way to give first is through our products. Giving away products has gotten a lot easier since the development of the internet. Digital music is HUGE! Better yet, it costs nothing to duplicate. Have you thought about giving away one or two songs from your new album? What do you think would happen if you did, and left your fan’s favorites available only if they purchased it? First of all, they’re going to love the fact that you gave them part of your album for free! It’s almost like a free trial that they get to keep. Because you were willing to do this for them, they will be more likely to buy it from you. Give first, and they will give back to you!
- Cross-selling/Up-selling
Have you ever gone to McDonalds, ordered a burger and received the question, Would you like fries with that? Have you ever ordered one of their value meals and received the question Would you like to Super-Size that? What you heard, while innocent enough, was an amazing marketing concept that has been used by online merchants everywhere!
It is a way to increase sales to the same customer (who has bought a product) by introducing other products in your product range. If customers buy a Flaming Onions CD, you can ask if they want to buy a Flaming Onions t-shirt as well. Seems simple enough, but let’s think a little more out of the box. Let’s say the Flaming Onions’ CD sells for $15 and brings in a profit of $10 per album. Let’s also assume that their t-shirts sell for $10 and bring in a profit of $6 per shirt. What if the Flaming Onions Value Pack (consisting of 1 autographed CD, 1 tshirt, and the album emailed to them in MP3 format with bonus track for their iPod and a desktop background pic for their computer) sells for $25? I’m willing to bet that this approach sells more. The digital products, as I mentioned above, cost nothing to duplicate. You profit would be the same, but I guarantee you would sell more! - Email List
This is probably the most important tool that is used by online businesses. Internet Marketers swear by email lists and base many, if not all, of their systems around them. The concept is simple, you offer a list for fans to keep track of your band and all they have to do is give you their Name and email address. You now have a way to directly communicate to them, and better yet, they wanted it! You can promote upcoming shows and album releases. You can create contests and drawings for those that are signed up. You can give those who are signed up a special discount on merchandise. The possibilities are endless. One thing to remember is to only send them things they would want to know. They signed up to hear more about you, so they don’t want to receive any forwards stating that if they sign up for this offer, they can receive a free laptop, blah, blah, blah! Don’t abuse your list. Take care of them. This is an elite group of people who wanted to be a part of your success, so treat them that way.
Like I said these are just a few things you can do to market your music online (and even a little offline). Be creative and have fun with it. To help you out, here are a few resources to check out:
- GigMinder: MySpace Edition - a free, automated mailing list for MySpace bands
- Music Marketing Cheat Sheet Deluxe Package - discover the secret formulas that the most successful Internet marketers have used to make vast fortunes online applied to musicians!
- The Professional Musician’s Internet Guide - The bible for musicians wishing to take advantage of all of the opportunities the Internet offers for promotion, sale and distribution of music
FullTimeBand.com is a company that was started in June, 2006 with a simple automated mailing list program called GigMinder. GigMinder was created for a musician friend and was used to remind fans of upcoming gigs for the coming week. FullTimeBand.com has made this tool available for all bands and fans to use for free. FullTimeBand.com is planning on creating many more tools to assist bands in aiding in their everyday promotional and management chores. You may vist their site at http://www.fulltimeband.com. You can sign up fot eh GigMinder - MySpace Edition for FREE at http://www.fulltimeband.com/msgigminder.
3 Secrets To Understanding What Makes Music Tick
Its no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some form or other. After all, music is the universal language. In one way or another we all participate in it from our cradle song to our wedding song to our funeral song, with thousands of other s stops along the way.
The country-western fan may not like jazz, but he or she sure loves the sound of pickin & grinnin.
And thats as it should be. If we all liked the same kind of music, there just wouldnt be the variety that is available to us now. We can choose from musical styles ranging from heavy classical and opera to rock to childrens songs to Broadway musicals to gospel music to the blues.
Each has its place, and each seems on the surface to be drastically different than another form of music. The key word is on the surface. But beneath the surface of all music is a commonality that is organic to all forms and styles of music.
So what does all music have in common? What makes music tick?
At least 3 things sometimes more, but never less:
1.Melody
2.Rhythm
3.Harmony
The melody is the part of a song or composition that you whistle or hum in other words, the tune of the song. In one sense, it is the most visible of the 3 elements, because melody is what identifies a song. Without melody, it would be difficult to even conceive of a song or piece.
In musical notation, the melody is almost always written in the treble clef also known as the treble staff. It consists of a horizontal line of notes that move up and down on the clef as the tune moves higher or lower.
Rhythm is the beat the swing the throb of the music. It happens in repeating patterns, depending upon the type of music. It is like a horizontal line of beats which occur at regular or semi-regular intervals. A waltz, for example, basically consists of a heavy beat followed by two lighter beats. So we say that a waltz is in triple meter one strong beat followed by two weak beats, then repeated.
A march, on the other hand, generally consists of a heavy beat followed by a light beat, then another heavy beat followed by another light beat. (Im simplifying, of course there are many varieties) So a march is in duple meter as you might expect since we have two feet and we march in left-right-left-right patterns.
All rhythms are some combination of triple meter and/or duple meter, and the possibilities are endless from boogie to R&B to mambos and sambas and bossa novas and.on and on.
Harmony, the 3rd aspect of music, is the musical background of a song the chords, or intervals behind the melody. Without harmony, a song sounds empty like a vocalist singing without an accompanist or accapella. Music doesnt HAVE to have harmony to function, but in actual practice it almost always does, even if it is just the interplay of two melodies, as in counterpoint.
You could spend a lifetime learning all the nuances of music, but it its most basic form, it is these 3 elements combined together; melody, rhythm, and harmony that comprise music.
Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for both children & adults. His book & DVD course titled How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano! is used by adults around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions with over 59,700 current subscribers.
Music Aids In Studying Concentration Retention And Retrieval Of Information
Research has shown that music aids in absorption, retention and retrieval of information.
Try playing classical music as background music while your child when he is studying or doing home work. It helps him to concentrate, focus and memorize facts easier.
At home, we play smoothing music in the background when our daughter (41/2 year old at point of writing) when she is doing mental work like maths and puzzles. She perform a lot better as compared to the time when no music is played.
Also, I played music for our 8-month-old son when he cried or get irritated for no reason. The moment when the music is played, he calmed down immediately and even tapped his hands and feet. Music really has a powerful effect on human brain.
Below is a list of music that I highly recommend to parents:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart for Your Mind - this CD contains the Piano Concerto in D used in the University of California, Irvine, study to enhance spatial-temporary reasoning
Concerto for Piano No. 18 in B-flat Major
Concerto for Piano No. 23 in A Major
Concerto for Violin No. 5 in A Major
Symphony in A Major
Symphony No 40 in G Minor
Symphony No 35 in D Major, Haffner
Symphony No D Major, Prague
Johannes Brahms
Concerto for Violin, D Major, Op 77
Arcangelo Corelli
Concerti Grossi, Op 2,4,5,8,10,11,12
Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concertos
Fantasy for Organ in G Major
Fantasy in C Minor
Perlude and Fugue in G Major
Organ Fugue in E Flat Major
Ludwig Wan Beethoven
Emperor Concerto for Piano, No 5
Violin Cncerto in D
George Frideric Handel
Water Music
Concerto for Organ B-flat Major, Op.7,6
Joespeh Haydn
Concerto No 1 for Violin
Concerto No. 2 for Violin
Symphony No. 101, The Clock
Symphony No.94 in G Major
Peter Ilyich Thaikovsk
Concerto for Violin, Op 35
Concerto for Piano, No.1
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons, No. 8 (my personal favorite)
Article by Alvin Poh, founder of Learning Champ, a parenting wesbite that provides information and resources to parents, who want to help their children develop the important skills and mind set for a brighter future -> http://www.alvinkh.per.sg/learningchamp
3 Reasons To Buy Guitar Lessons EBook
In this clandestine world of the Internet, people have come to realize the wonders of the new technology. It has brought them many advantages and has changed their lives quite remarkably.
One of the best things that the Internet was able to reveal to humanity was the remarkable uses of the ebooks or the electronic form of books. These virtual replicas of books have gained considerable recognition because they are able to provide the convenience, information, and the feasibility that every consumer is looking for.
For instance, when people started to demand information about learning to play the guitar, many experts found the idea appealing, and thus, created guitar lesson ebooks. This particular type of ebooks were specially made for people who wish to learn how to play the guitar but do not have time to go to the shops or bookstores to search for regular books.
Best of all, guitar lesson ebooks provide additional features that ordinary guitar lessons cannot supply. These ebooks provide interactive features that serve as added benefits for the beginner.
Many ebooks about guitar lessons contain songs that a beginner can use to learn how to play the guitar as easily and as fast as possible. Experts contend that learning to play the guitar with songs playing in the background is a much easier process than reading guitar song tabs.
For people who wish to know why guitar lesson ebooks are consistently gaining recognition, here is a list of some of their benefits:
1. Convenience
One of the best things about this kind of ebook is that you can instantly download them to your computer once they are paid for. This shows that you can instantly start learning the mechanics of playing the guitar.
2. Affordable
Guitar lesson ebooks are available on the Net at very affordable prices and even if some guitar books are cheaper, the additional money that you will spend when you go to the mall or store for books could cost you more.
3. Variety of features
The best thing about a guitar lesson ebook is that it does not just contain the lessons that the learner has to know but also has some added features making the learning process easier and more fun.
For instance, there are ebooks that provide lyrics, chords, transitions, strumming patterns, and songs.
Indeed, guitar lesson ebooks are not just merely new technology but they are especially made to meet the growing demands of the consumers.
Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and Guitar Playing Techniques. Both sites offer free lesson, ebboks product sales.
Yo Is Rap Just Another Four Letter Word?
Flaunting any excessive or anti-social behavior is considered brazen. When it is no longer considered brazen it is proof that it has become embedded as part of our culture. Not to say this is a good thing, after all headhunting was considered a cultural norm in some societies. The question to ask here may be, was rap ever truly a part of our culture? Will it eventually run out of steam and go the way of things like doing the twist, afro haircuts or break dancing? I for one would argue that it is not truly a part of the American cultural scene, but is a forced, twisted and contrived money machine that appeals to only the basest passions of the youth in our country.
Long before the gangsta element slid over to hip hop the reasoning for the whole genre and style was generally purported to be, to show what life in the hood was like. That worked for a while and it even drew more sympathy from the otherwise estranged. But as lower passions would have it, the style and language of rap began more and more to take on a life and purpose of its own, namelysex. If by some magic stroke sex were temporarily extricated from every rappers thoughts and vocabulary, the entire industry would collapse quicker than the stock market in 1929. Now thats brazen!
Referring to rappers as artist and giving them full press doesnt guarantee that it is really an art form, all it says is that its here. But was it here before? Does it really have anything to do with the African American background, culture or heritage? I propose that it does not. Very few whites have succeeded in rap but even that does not prove that it is necessarily a black cultural thing. Growing up as a boy there were only two black families in our town. One of the boys from those families was my best friend. But to say that gave me even a basic knowledge of the African American culture would be an exaggeration. Later I arrived in the city of New Orleans just after the civil rights laws were passed. My exposure to the black culture increased exponentially. Finally I attended two seminaries the last of which was part of the National Baptist Convention a purely African American denomination. What I discovered about the African American culture will always be one of the greatest excursions of my entire life.
Our entire class would sit before some of the most dignified black gentlemen, professors and wait for the streams of their thoughts, opinion and knowledge to flow down to us. Most exciting was when they shifted their emphasis away from the curriculum and began to divulge elements of their private lives and their past. Life in New Orleans as a black man or women was no easy thing. Stories of their upbringing and their struggles would leave anyone with their heart in their throat. These old gentlemen for me were living examples of courage dignity and the best human qualities. What I learned about black culture in short is this. African Americans have a deep and ancient past; they are people with a lasting heritage.
I am sure that the blatant indulgence of sexual descriptive and four letter words that is raps most prevalent aspect, is not part of their ancient culture and history. It does not accurately depict their culture, their history or any other part of their experience. I dont think my protesting is such a big deal. But Id guess that if my old seminary professors could see and hear todays rap, you would hear the roar raising up from their graves and billowing down many an American avenue.
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote, Hook Line and Sinker or What has Your Church Been Teaching You, published by PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book recently released by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. Rev Bresciani has his own website at http://americanprophet.org
Vintage Violins
Vintage violins are used and old violins from specific time periods. Older the violin the costlier it gets. Vintage violins cost lot more than new ones. There are many shops around the world which repair and sell vintage violins. Each and every year a number of old violins are discovered and are brought in to the open market. Some famous instruments of the 17th and 18th century are now sold for millions.
Vintage violins are beautifully designed and are usually made of high quality materials. They acquire historic value over their product value. All Vintage violins are usually found to be in very good playing condition. Many violinists believe that vintage violins are better than the new ones. Most famous vintage violins are old German, French or Bohemian.
Many companies offer vintage violins through their online sites. They provide pictures of each violin they have. You can choose through age, country, model or price. Many let you bargain. You can pay through credit card, Pay Pal or through money order. The instruments are shipped usually within 2 days. Most companies provide 2 to 10 days approval period. You can return the instrument if it does not meet your expectations.
Selecting of a vintage violin needs much more attention than playing it. Always look for violins in good playing condition, never buy one with lots of cracks and repairs and easily breakable parts. Good vintage violins are available from $200. Some famous affordable instruments are 1700s Tyrolean violins (around $2500), 1920s Nippon violins (around $350) and Old American fiddles (around $275).
Vintage violins need much more attention than new ones. They are more sensitive to changes in weather, bumps, and humidity. Most vintage violins need frequent replacing of worn-out parts. Well maintained Violins always provide excellent value for money, and time never diminishes their market value.
Violins provides detailed information on Violins, Electric Violins, Violin Music, How to Play the Violin and more. Violins is affiliated with Soprano Saxophones.
Hip Hop Music
Hip Hop music is popular with today’s youth. The Hip Hop audience ranges in age from the very young to the seasoned at heart. The messages in the music are clear and often depict life in the real world. Most artist use their own life experiences to tell stories that reflect what their world is like. Hip Hop music is a venue that gives the artist an opportunity to tell it like it is. Many of today’s youth find that through the sounds and messages of Hip Hop they are able to see reflections of themselves and the world around them.
Although some of the messages conveyed by Hip Hop are viewed as negative, it must be understood that the lyrics in these songs are someone’s reality. Hip Hop artist sing about what they have seen and many of their personal experiences. Unfortunately, many of their experiences are not so pretty. Other Hip Hop songs carry a positive message and force the listener to think and dream beyond their current situation. Hip Hop music has taken America by a storm and it will continue to influence our youth. We must all these free expression and the growth of Hip Hop music because what we hear is relative to what’s going on in the world today.
GMP Records, Inc. http://www.godmadeitpossible4me.com also check out http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deepcover
Yo Is Rap Just Another Four Letter Word?
Flaunting any excessive or anti-social behavior is considered brazen. When it is no longer considered brazen it is proof that it has become embedded as part of our culture. Not to say this is a good thing, after all headhunting was considered a cultural norm in some societies. The question to ask here may be, was rap ever truly a part of our culture? Will it eventually run out of steam and go the way of things like doing the twist, afro haircuts or break dancing? I for one would argue that it is not truly a part of the American cultural scene, but is a forced, twisted and contrived money machine that appeals to only the basest passions of the youth in our country.
Long before the gangsta element slid over to hip hop the reasoning for the whole genre and style was generally purported to be, to show what life in the hood was like. That worked for a while and it even drew more sympathy from the otherwise estranged. But as lower passions would have it, the style and language of rap began more and more to take on a life and purpose of its own, namelysex. If by some magic stroke sex were temporarily extricated from every rappers thoughts and vocabulary, the entire industry would collapse quicker than the stock market in 1929. Now thats brazen!
Referring to rappers as artist and giving them full press doesnt guarantee that it is really an art form, all it says is that its here. But was it here before? Does it really have anything to do with the African American background, culture or heritage? I propose that it does not. Very few whites have succeeded in rap but even that does not prove that it is necessarily a black cultural thing. Growing up as a boy there were only two black families in our town. One of the boys from those families was my best friend. But to say that gave me even a basic knowledge of the African American culture would be an exaggeration. Later I arrived in the city of New Orleans just after the civil rights laws were passed. My exposure to the black culture increased exponentially. Finally I attended two seminaries the last of which was part of the National Baptist Convention a purely African American denomination. What I discovered about the African American culture will always be one of the greatest excursions of my entire life.
Our entire class would sit before some of the most dignified black gentlemen, professors and wait for the streams of their thoughts, opinion and knowledge to flow down to us. Most exciting was when they shifted their emphasis away from the curriculum and began to divulge elements of their private lives and their past. Life in New Orleans as a black man or women was no easy thing. Stories of their upbringing and their struggles would leave anyone with their heart in their throat. These old gentlemen for me were living examples of courage dignity and the best human qualities. What I learned about black culture in short is this. African Americans have a deep and ancient past; they are people with a lasting heritage.
I am sure that the blatant indulgence of sexual descriptive and four letter words that is raps most prevalent aspect, is not part of their ancient culture and history. It does not accurately depict their culture, their history or any other part of their experience. I dont think my protesting is such a big deal. But Id guess that if my old seminary professors could see and hear todays rap, you would hear the roar raising up from their graves and billowing down many an American avenue.
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote, Hook Line and Sinker or What has Your Church Been Teaching You, published by PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book recently released by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. Rev Bresciani has his own website at http://americanprophet.org