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Greatest Underrated Guitar Players October 1, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : General , add a comment Tag:, , , , ,

Ask anybody who the greatest guitar players in the history of rock music are, and you’ll likely get the standard answers. The big three, Clapton, Beck and Page; certainly Eddie Van Halen; maybe Stevie Ray Vaughn. The metal-heads will cite Randy Rhodes and George Lynch. These are all valid answers, but if you would put forth names like Elliot Easton and Andy Summers, you might be likely to get a blank stare in return. Too often great guitarists are overlooked simply because they lack the flash of a star like Eddie Van Halen or because they are part of a group that simply has an overabundance of talent and they tend to be moved to the background. Take Andy Summers, guitarist for the Police. Everybody knows who Sting is, and there is no doubt that he is tremendously talented, as is drummer Stewart Copeland. As part of that unit, however, Summers was often overlooked. What is so amazing about Andy Summers is not only his command of the instrument, but his overwhelming versatility. From ska to punk to reggae to straight ahead rock and roll, nothing is outside of his ability. His style has been described as minimalist, but that minimalism is a plus, and he is to be credited for not falling prey to his critics and trying to overplay to compensate for a lack of complex layers of sound. Below, in no particular order, I’ve listed some of my favorite underappreciated players, and the reasons why I consider them to be great.

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Guitar Players…Get a Balanced Guitar Practice Diet September 28, 2006

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Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know…the type of player who practices sweep picking for a kazillion hours a day but only know three chords)!

Having a balanced practice routine is essential if you want to become a versatile guitarist. If you just practice one or two things, sure you’ll get great at those things…but you’ll be weak in other key areas.

In this lesson you’ll learn how to create a practice routine that is well-balanced and will help you work towards your ultimate vision of how you would like to play.

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Trusting a Music Site to Download and Burn Free Music September 16, 2006

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Trusting a Music Site to Download and Burn Free Music
By John Rivers

File-sharing programs are the most controversial way to download and burn free music on the Internet, but file sharing has never been more popular. Programs like KaZaA, Limewire, Ares, Shareaza, WinMX, iMesh seem to be the most popular for gathering totally free music to download. Lawsuits by the music industry have slowed some of the illegal sharing of pirated music, but there are new file-sharing programs that use methods to allow users to be anonymous.

These file-sharing programs are also called P2P, or peer-to-peer programs. Unlike the old Napster network that ran all exchanges through a central server, this totally free music download software, using P2P networks connects users directly to each other allowing them to download and burn free music.

It should be mentioned that file-sharing programs are not illegal in themselves, and their creators like to point out their many legitimate uses. Some unsigned bands use the file-sharing networks to distribute their music through free music downloads and many organizations use them to exchange documents.

Many people are confused about what is legal.

* Are there places to download and burn free music on the net?
* Can downloading music put you at risk for legal action?
* Is file-sharing legal?

It’s no wonder people are confused, because the Net is full of legal music download sites advertised as “napster replacements” which are 100% legal. Sites like Mp3 Advance, DownloadShield and MP3 Music Subscription are just a few that offer much more than just music downloads. The vast majority of totally free music download programs shared on P2P (peer-to-peer) networks like KaZaA, Limewire, Ares, Shareaza, WinMX and iMesh violate copyright laws because the music was posted without permission of the artist or label.

Since it’s impossible to determine which free music downloads may be legitimate, the only sure way to stay legal is to avoid these type file-sharing programs altogether.

What is clearly illegal is unauthorized copying of commercial music. These totally free music downloads usually means songs that are made from CD’s and then put on the Net by individuals who haven’t sought permission from the artist or music company. What do copyright laws allow? To put it simply, you may make a copy of your own CD for your personal use. That means you may record it to a cassette tape or rip it to MP3 files. You may not, however, give this copy to another person. Many people believe that if no money is involved, then no law has been broken. This is false. Whether you give the copy away or sell it, this is still a violation of copyright law.

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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rivers

Master Quality Demos That Sizzle! September 14, 2006

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Master Quality Demos That Sizzle!
By Tom Gauger

As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and founder of ReelMusician.com, I can tell you that reviewing demos can be both a curse and a blessing. Even as demos pile up on the desks in A&R offices and music industry professional’s office floors as well, I can almost guarantee that the vast majority of demos 1) won’t have a chance, 2) don’t get listened to, at least by the major A&R folks and not through a pres-screening process utilizing college interns, and 3) it might not even be the music itself, but the packaging and marketing colors, etc that are used for the artist press kit that result in the artist contract denial. What makes for a master quality demo? What makes for a master quality demo that will get listened to? These are great questions and I can tell you that a host of folks will have all kinds of ideas and suggestions; I will consider some gut level thinking and ideas that I have mentally compiled through the years that I’ve always felt would be an asset not only musically, but from a marketing perspective as well. Hopefully there will be some nugget of truth that you can capitalize on to further your music career and song demos

As we begin to look at master quality demos and what makes them up, what are your goals and ambitions? The reason I am asking this is because not only does it help to mentally prepare you and help you set goals for your career, but it also helps set the blueprint for where and what your demo ought to be sounding and looking like. There is a big difference in submitting your demo to A&R folks and to the club owner trying to gain playing gigs. But regardless of where you are submitting your demo, you have to exude a professionalism and character of not only your music, but in the credibility of the act as well. That last statement is critical. If your act is perceived as credible with the ball rolling and with some key elements in place, you are much more likely to be 1) reviewed by the actual A&R director and 2) any enthusiasm might snowball down the halls of the record company ultimately landing you a record deal.

But let’s get back to your demo. At ReelMusician.com we compile demos for songwriters and for jingle singers trying to break into the jingle singing market and I can tell you from experience, that it’s difficult to create a master quality demo when the song itself is not master quality song demo material. So be honest about any material you are recording. Is this top 10 if given the chance, or is this a filler, b side song? Yes, you can take a fair song and make it “listenable” to with a great production, but it still reasons that a fair or b side song cut is still a fair or b side song. You look back through the years at songs that held your attention and were almost mesmerizing and this is before the onslaught of incredible and affordable recording gear. These songs were just plain great songs even without the slickest of today’s recording abilities.

As you record, don’t rely on a bunch of “recording tricks” or padding type effects that detract and try to uphold an otherwise fair song. Many individuals with a lot more authority can speak about effects, etc than I, but I will say that less is more, and you ought to be concerned about the quality of the song and production utilizing all effects that are needed and not just effects thrown in there without reason or cause.

Who are using for players on your demos? Obviously if you are a band you are recording your whole group, but if you are a solo act or a writer creating master demos, then consider a couple of options. If money is not an object, then go for the whole rhythm section and keyboard pads, etc. One thing that you need to know and understand is that it is better to use fewer players who are just incredible, than to have the full rhythm section with less experienced players or players that just can’t support your song. I remember years back when I was first starting out before all of our TV and radio credits, that for the sake of having a full sound I compromised the overall production for players, while more affordable, not as seasoned and consequently my productions were not as strong until I learned that valuable lesson. And even today, I will choose to use a first string guitar or piano player in lieu of a full rhythm section on projects if that’s what the song and production call for. Always get the best musicians – It always pays. These players oftentimes have ideas and broaden your production and bring incredible artistical elements that you wouldn’t have thought of - Which leads me to my next point.

Keyboards are incredible and there is a vast array of sounds and pads that can be used to create all kinds of emotional tones in your music, but don’t get caught in the, “I have a keyboard, mic and computer syndrome. Your music will suffer. You want the creativity of other players. They bring the musical magic that most of us, quite honestly, aren’t creative enough to capture, but with their experience, and talent, they are able to deliver not only incredible rips, but a professionalism your demo might not never otherwise of had. Utilize the best players possible whenever you can. I can tell you that our demos at ReelMusician.com sound incredible because of our effort in obtaining the best players – Get the best!

With a few moments left, let’s look at some important final notes and ideas. Don’t get discouraged after recording a song you thought would turn out differently. You know, without sounding cliché, productions and songs do getter with time and practice. Always look at money spent on demos as schooling. Where would you go to learn the lessons you just learned? – From a textbook, of course not. Keep at it; be honest about your writing and productions. Continue to learn from great writers and producers. Listen to great classical writers as well and broaden your next pop ballad string arrangement. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas. Get the best players in an affordable, yet quality studio, and hopefully you’ll start recording the next top ten hit!

Mr Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and founder of http://www.ReelMusician.com You may contact the author at tgauger@reelmusician.com Free e-books “The Jingle Singer’s Guide,” and “Secrets To Great Song Demos,” may be downloaded at http://www.ReelMusician.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Gauger

Music - Expression of Emotions! September 12, 2006

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Music - Expression of Emotions!
By Sean Carter

We smile, we love, we cry. We, the human beings experience a wide spectrum of emotions in our life. Some of them are expressed while others die in our own mind. But from time immemorial, our emotions have been voiced through music. Music, which is composed of seven distinct tunes, is actually an expression of human emotions.

Music is characterized by certain qualities like, pitch, melody, rhythm, and frequency. And each type of music is again characteristic by certain degrees of these above mentioned qualities. A rhythmic music characterizes joy while a melody expresses romance. Again, a melody also expresses sorrows. For instance, Latin music is mostly featured by rhythm and certain genre of tune. Latin music is an expression of Bohemian lifestyle which very much complements Latin culture. Variation in melodies and rhythm leads to expression of varieties of emotions. If we look back to Western Classical, It connects us to something universal about human emotions. It makes us reach a transcendental stage of mind. However some composers opine that emotions conveyed through music is something quite abstract and varies according to the different perception of different individuals. One of the notable composers of Western Classical music was, Ludwig Van Beethoven, who gifted the world with musical masterpieces despite of being paralyzed with deafness at very young age (twenty eight). He can be regarded as the profounder of Romantic era of Western classical. Eastern Classical or specifically Indian Classical music has a number of sections and categories. However the two major sections are Hindustani Music from North India and the Carnatic Music from South India.

Each of the songs are known as “Ragas”. The melodies contained in each of these “ragas” reflects various moods according to different times during the day. The Indian Classical music is mainly monophonic, that is, it is based on a single line of melody and has to be sung at a specific rhythm. Any deviation from the above rule is considered as a mistake. Even Folk music conveys something about the culture and lifestyle of a particular region. To be more specific, it generally narrates some popular folk tales of that region. When lyrics are put in a tune, it becomes a song. However, music can also be purely instrumental where one derives pleasure from the tune only. Beautiful notes of pianos, violin, guitars, expresses emotions without any words. Music can express most of human emotions. It expresses joy, ecstasy, romance, and also sorrows, pathos, and agony. In the words of P.B Shelly “Our sweetest songs are those which tells us our saddest thoughts”. Surprisingly, a simple song which is sung from the heart gives us more pleasure than a complex one which is often influenced by human artifacts. Maybe this is a reason why pop songs and rocks are also quite popular today. It is also quite true that likings for particular kind of music largely depends upon the temperaments of individuals. This is the reason why some prefer soft melodies while some like hard rocks. It can be reasonably argued that music is not only an expression of emotions, it is emotion itself. Music without an emotional message is like vacuum. It is like a flower without essence.

The impression of music in human mind is beautifully depicted by William Wordsworth in his poetry “The Solitary Reaper”. The poet is mesmerized by the touching song sung by a lass while the latter was reaping in a field. Though the language of the song was completely unknown to him, he was deeply moved by the emotions conveyed through the notes of her song. The music had left an indelible impression in his mind and in the later years of his life, he sadly reminisces “The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more”. There are lots of sites on the net from where you can send Music Ecards to your friends, colleagues and loved ones like 123greetings.com

Sean Carter writes on holidays, music emotions, Music. He also writes on family, relationships, women’s issues birthdays, inspiration, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry. He writes for 123greetings.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Carter

Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails September 9, 2006

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Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails
By Peter Edvinsson

Is it possible to play classical guitar without nails? I guess so as I often do it myself. Many guitarists today and in the past have also done the same. Let me tell you the advantages of no nails playing and give you some tips!

Sharon Isbin in her Classical Guitar Answer Book wrote…

“Classical guitarists can play without nails, but they should be aware that in doing so they are sacrificing certain possibilities of tone color and projection - all of which affect interpretation and musical presentation.”

I have played classical guitar and also improvisational jazz and blues guitar for many years and have been teaching others professionally. I have played with long nails, shorter nails and no nails at all.

I have seen guitar students struggling with their tone on the guitar. Guitarists with problem nails, guitarists not taking care of their nails and subsequently with a terrible tone and some guitarists with perfect nails and still not a good tone because of faltering technique.

I have also met guitarists that were playing without nails and I have seen electric guitarists finger playing without nails like Mark Knopfler and others.

As with nearly everything there are pros and cons with the different approaches. I like playing without nails for these reasons:

1. It’s a challenge to find the tone and get the most out of the guitar playing without nails. You have to play with more force to find the upper harmonics and you have to work even more with the guitar technique. No sloppiness is allowed!

2. I like the sweet sound of my fingers touching the strings. The sound created is mellow but the volume will still be satisfying if you play with force and with calousses developed by practising.

3. There is a special feeling involved in letting living flesh touch the strings on a guitar. You will come nearer the instrument somehow.

4. Of course you’ll have the advantage of not risking to have your nails broken as you don’t depend on them anymore.

5. You will be able to play piano with correct finger posture.

6. You can play electric guitar with your fingers without risking to destroy your nails.

I will now give you some of my own advice and experiences from playing without nails.

You might find some more information on the net as there are many other classical guitarists and lute players who want to play without nails. Here are my personal hints:

1. It will take a week or so to build callouses on your fingertips after having filed down your nails. This will improve your guitar playing and tone but until then you have to be careful not to play so intensely as to get blisters.

2. A way to build callouses is to play finger picking on electric guitar or steel string guitar. I have experienced that my blues guitar playing is much more musical and more dynamic as I play with my fingers instead of with a pick on my electric guitar. Sometimes I use to alternate between my thumb and index finger when playing scales and licks and other times my index finger and middle finger or in another classical guitar playing way.

3. You will get a softer and in many ways a more beautiful tone if you cultivate your playing without nails. However you might miss some of the higher frequencies. To compensate for this you can see to it that you always play with fresh new strings and if you are a rich man you might purchase a classical guitar with more treble and less bass.

4. When you use your nail sharpener (you should instead of just clipping the nails off!) to keep your nails short you might as well give your fingertips some grooming with the nail sharpener. This will improve your tone and stimulate your finger tips to become harder.

5. As you practice exercises on your guitar you need to play slowly and with a little more force to get a good tone. It is important that you don’t build tensions as you play. All musicians benefit from learning relaxation techniques and stretching to prevent injuries.

6. Practice especially playing apoyando (support strokes) with all your fingers and listen to the tone and try to improve it as part of your playing.

If you feel that playing completely without nails is to hard for you, you might after this test period let them grow but you can keep them a lot shorter as your technique has improved. They will then work as the claws of a cat. Mostly not used but still affecting your tone and supporting your playing. As with long nails you will have to polish them and take care of them.

There are many more things to say about playing guitar without nails but personally this technique gives me a tone I like and an exciting and rewarding challenge.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free printable sheet music and guitar tablature at http://www.capotastomusic.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson

Why Is Music So Bad Today? September 7, 2006

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Why Is Music So Bad Today?
By Jason OConnor

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” ~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899.

“Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers.” ~ Socrates

Why is popular music so bad today? I mean, I’m not that old, but jeez, the music of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks. Some would say that when New Year’s Eve 1979 ended, we were ushered into an era of lame music that we still haven’t escaped from today.

I grew up in the 80’s and remember listening to the Beatles, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie, to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. I remember seeing album covers strewn about my brother’s bedroom. Albums, not CD’s. (If you’re a really young reader, albums are like CD’s in that they’re flat and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The get scratched and don’t work just like CD’s though).

Some say that the 60’s were a turbulent time in the U.S. and the world and thus created a perfect environment and culture for innovative and creative music. But let’s face it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where’s the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to sing about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paul Simon of today to protest the government’s stance on stem cell research? All we’ve gotten recently is the new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn’t she just famous for being famous? And her new CD actually got some good reviews.

Before anyone accuses me of painting a broad brush stroke condemning all music after the 70’s, let me say that in more recent times there has been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite, and even politically-minded music such as U2, but no where near the creative amount of earlier times.

I remember when the Dixi Chicks came out against President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band, they’re hardly going to achieve iconic status. And they paid dearly at the hands of big business for their outspoken views. That’s a far cry from the politically-charged days of Woodstock where many artists were speaking out, and changing things.

If you think about it, there are only a select few artists or bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today. These are the icons. And the vast majority of those artists are bands from before the 80’s! Between last summer and this summer, here are some of the really big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.

I recently read an article that suggested that music and tour promoters, large venue owners and ticket companies are all worried about concert sales taking a plunge after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it’s going to be hard to sell out big arenas after the dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists of today who will reach that status tomorrow?

In a recent interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe said there is not nearly as much improvisational rock anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands he thought were decent these days, he couldn’t think of any for a while, and then finally said he thought the Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.

Maybe I’m some kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not as good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline really talented? I just found out recently that his nickname is K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tina (Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to get together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, just an FYI.

Here are the top 5 songs right now in the Summer of 2006:

- Fergie - London Bridge

- Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

- Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous

- The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons

- Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies

And here were the top 5 albums of 2005:

- Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi

- 50 Cent - The Massacre

- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

- Green Day - American Idiot

- The Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business

Here are the top 5 albums of 1976:

- Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

- Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac

- Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound

- Eagles - Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975

- Chicago - Chicago IX Greatest Hits

And here are the top 5 albums of 1966

- Original Soundtrack The Sound Of Music

- The Beatles - Revolver

- The Beatles - Rubber Soul

- The Rolling Stones - Aftermath

- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Is it just me, or is there a glaring difference between the two 21st Century lists and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, I actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Green Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn’t the best Paul McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and Chicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But overall, the lists just don’t compare.

The music industry itself has changed so drastically that I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a chasm between today’s music and the creations of yesteryear. Like sports and medicine, music in another industry that has been a casualty of big business and American capitalism.

No longer does the actual music quality drive the industry. Instead, the people with the money and power at the record companies notice some bad music selling well to young people for example, and therefore decide that from then on they’re only going to find and promote that type of bad music since it made a few bucks. They’ve totally stopped listening to the music and instead only listen to the dollars.

No longer does the music they create determine the success of a band. Instead, entertainment conglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that determines the success. They do this because they have such a strangle hold on the media. We only have the illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun where the whole industry is inexorably spinning down, unable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy corporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into the abyss of painfully bad music.

Some bands occasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact, sidestepping the almost institutionalized process of “making it” set in place by music executives. Phish is a great example of this. They became hugely successful in spite of the music industry. Because they were so good and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of eventual fans Phish had gave them a power that most artists today can’t have. Most other artists have to do what the people with the purse strings tell them to do. And that often makes for bad music. Unfortunately, Phish isn’t even together any more. But they’re a rare exception in that they came after the 70’s and were highly creative and improvisational.

Another thing that contributes to the poor music of today is technology. These days, Hollywood actors who can’t sing can have singing careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use every digital sound technique there is to make an average product sellable, just like the magazines airbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off to complete the illusion. There are many ways in which the music engineers can do this in the studio and even for artists on tour.

Ashlee Simpson is a good example of this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live getting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent interview where Joe Walsh’s daughter, Lucy Walsh, admitted that as Ashlee’s keyboard player, she always doubled Ashlee’s voice while on tour.

I know that in any era there’s going to be silly music acts like Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that during Bob Dylan’s time there were lots of feeble yet famous music artists then too. My complaint is that it seems like in any other era there was at least enough really fantastic and original music being created to balance things out.

Let’s go backwards. We’ve looked at the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the lists above and I don’t see any really original music in there at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of the 90’s produced some great and original music. I argue that almost all of that music was so heavily influenced by the rock of the 60’s and 70’s that it really wasn’t that original at all.

The music of the 80’s matched the hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer was new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70’s and 60’s. Those are the decades that last held any hope for people like me who long for fresh, original, creative and improvisational music.

In 1899 the Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Alright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way, everything that seems new is really just new combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I’m hoping that we return to the days when the combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and melodies become as creative as they were in the 60’s and 70’s.

But maybe things haven’t changed much since even Socrates’ times. He thought kids were tyrants, as if his generation was the last of a dying breed of angelic children. Maybe he just didn’t understand the kids of his era, and maybe I’m the same way.

Jason OConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A great place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across North America. http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_OConnor

Another video for you shredders! September 4, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : General , 1 comment so far Tag:, ,

Good stuff here!

Blues Shred Guitar Jam Thing

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Anyone interested in rock/blues shredding?

Here’s a video clip.. check it out!

Social Networking and Music: MySpace September 3, 2006

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Social Networking and Music: MySpace Puts It All Together in a Virtual Community
By Scott G

Today’s music fan interacts with a “community” that is far larger than anyone ever dreamed possible before the widespread personal use of the Internet. This social networking is changing the way people market and sell music and it’s doing so on a global scale.

Here’s How:

One fan hears a song and “tells” a dozen others online. Each, in turn, sends the information (and sometimes the entire song file) to another dozen people, and so on. If the song’s hook is catchy and universal enough, the artist can reach thousands of fans in a matter of seconds. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s free, and it’s global.

Does this viral communication bring any income for that artist (or songwriter, or publisher, or manager, or agent, or distributor, or record label)? No. But does it provide vital publicity that has the potential of selling singles, albums, concert tickets and merchandise? Absolutely.

The New Means of Marketing:

This is a quantum shift in marketing. It holds out the possibility of bypassing brick-and-mortar distribution, while severely curtailing the barely-legal forms of radio “promotion” that many in the industry openly refer to as payola or commercial station extortion.

All this is possible thanks to an ever-growing variety of online forms of communication, including music sites, web portals, blogs (weblogs), music forums, and more. A new site called MySpace.com has put all of these elements together in one place. And because of their vision, MySpace is becoming an information destination for bands, fans, filmmakers, writers, artists, record industry professionals, and more.

The MySpace Nation: “Where do you live?” used to be a question that was spoken out loud; it’s now typed. The answer to that question used to simply signify which part of a city you were from, with an accompanying suggestion of your socio-economic status, and a hint about which mall might be your usual hangout; it now refers not only to your city, but also your state, region or country.

Your virtual “scene” may involve people anywhere on the globe. My virtual community begins in Los Angeles and extends to Moscow, Big Bear, Amsterdam, San Francisco, London, New York, Miami, and several places I have not yet learned to spell correctly. In fact, thanks to social networks like MySpace, one can interact with several scenes. The people who like my goth songs overlap slightly with the rave-trance songs on my remix album, but they are not interested in the music I create for radio and television commercials (they can be quite disdainful of it, in fact). But each social network welcomes news of new music in their own favorite styles.

MySpace: The Future is Now

With two million members (and growing), MySpace.com offers a multi-level entertainment opportunity involving blogs, instant messaging, classifieds, peer voting, special interest groups, user forums and user-created content. Is it popular? You bet: they have statistics that show the site receiving 35 million impressions per day at an average of one hour online per visit. So far, all MySpace services are free, with the site supported entirely by advertisers who are eager to reach exactly the young, web-savvy and web-social music fan that MySpace.com attracts.

Created by Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, MySpace is already successful on a level that caught many industry onlookers by surprise. While the main MySpace site leads to pure social networking, the section of the site called MySpace Music is a revolutionary way to reach their built-in web audience of two million networked users, and has the potential of rapidly expanding beyond that already impressive figure. As a means of launching unsigned and emerging recording artists, MySpace Music is a formidible tool.

Inside the Minds of the MySpace Creators:

“MySpace Music is what MP3.com should have been, but never was,” Anderson said. “Very few people go to a website looking for bands they’ve never heard of. MySpace Music lets people find music online in the same way they find out about music in person: through their friends. Millions of friends come to MySpace to socialize, and through that process — word of mouth and recommendations of friends — bands get exposure to new fans and fans to new music.” DeWolfe continues, “The most exciting use of MySpace Music is the way it’s changing the band-to-fan dynamic. A band can go on MySpace and find potential fans all over the country just by sending an e-mail and saying ‘Hello.’ Bands are developing followings and finding street teams online.” Offering downloads, band web pages, and the ability to connect directly with artists is just part of the attraction of MySpace Music. Each visitor to the site also can participate via user testimonials and ratings. The artists are also able to access a wide variety of music business contacts.

Details from DeWolfe:

G-Man: What’s the history of MySpace?

Chris DeWolfe: We launched the general MySpace site in September of 2003. Our vision was to create a portal where our users could mobilize and connect around shared interests — whether those interests be music, television, dating, nightlife, politics, religion or anything else.

G-Man: How does music fit into the MySpace network?

Chris DeWolfe: Almost from the day we launched, music became one of the primary interests of MySpace users. We believe that most people hear and sample new music based on recommendations from friends. The network affect of our site (friends telling friends), allows new trends and music to spread very quickly. At the same time, bands began flocking to MySpace as a mechanism to promote themselves, find new fans, book shows, and even secure label deals.

G-Man: What are the revenue streams for MySpace?

Chris DeWolfe: MySpace is currently supported by online advertising and sponsorship. We may add premium services later, but any service we currently offer for free will stay that way. We’ve been lucky to secure top tier advertisers such as Sony Music, Interscope, Warner Music, Dreamworks, Napster and others. The promotion works for these types of advertisers because most of our users are hip 18-34 year-old influencers who love music and frequently go to movies during the opening weekend.

G-Man: What are the advantages for artists using MySpace?

Chris DeWolfe: Artists may sell their CDs on our site. The primary use so far has been for bands to mobilize new fans who they ordinarily wouldn’t have met. A band from Iowa can quickly develop a following in New York or Los Angeles. Additionally, bands use the site to book tours and fill venues. The MySpace social network is international. Because MySpace is an online network, it makes geographical boundaries less relevant.

G-Man: Can you compare the MySpace entity with other networking sites?

Chris DeWolfe: Most sites are narrowly focused on business networking, classifieds, or dating. MySpace is a portal that uses a social networking infrastructure. MySpace includes, games, blogs, music, classifieds, forums, mail, instant messaging, and user rankings. Our model has lead to an incredibly sticky site where the average user spends over an hour per session on the site. We have also served more page views than our largest competitor in each of the last three months.

MySpace is just extending functionality around existing mass behavior. Most if not all of those other sites didn’t or don’t have that luxury — they were counting on behavior to develop around functionality. To put it another way, we’re not building it, hoping people will come. People are already on the site sharing information about bands; bands are already recruiting fans and local help; users are already clamoring to download music; they’re already ranking and rating music; they’re already showing up at our parties to hear music they learned about on MySpace. MySpace music works because two million people are already doing what we’re now making it easier for them to do.

G-Man: What marketing arenas are involved (or planned to be involved) with MySpace?

Chris DeWolfe: Two of our bigger marketing partners are the Warped Tour and Rock The Vote. The Warped Tour, in particular, is a great fit for us. We are sponsoring the Uproar Stage and bands from MySpace will be playing at Warped Tour venues. This partnership offers great exposure for MySpace Music and participating MySpace Music bands.

Rock the Vote is also a great partner as it fits in with our mission of allowing our users to mobilize around shared interests. MySpace users can register to vote directly from our home page. We will also be participating in several of their music shows.

MySpace Phenomenon On-the-Grow: Strategic partnerships are developing almost as fast as bands are meeting fans on the site. The Los Angeles Music Network (www.lamn.com) will bring its membership base and marketing strength into a partnership arrangement with MySpace.

Linking listeners, reaching behind borders, and uniting musicians with fans and industry professionals, the MySpace nation is a phenomenon. Since a passport is free, everyone in music marketing had better pay a visit. It’s at http://www.myspace.com. See you there.

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Scott G is president of G-Man Music & Radical Radio. His music is on commercials for Verizon Wireless, Goodrich, Monaco Motor Coaches, BAE Systems and more. A creative director of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP) and a member of The Recording Academy (NARAS), he writes about music for MusicDish.com and the Immedia Wire Service. The G-Man’s albums are released by Delvian Records and are on Apple’s iTunes. He can be reached via http://www.gmanmusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/thegman.

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