Priority Music

Archive for June, 2010

The Positive Effects of Music on Health and Happiness

Not only a popular pass-time, music has qualities that have positive effects on the mental health and emotional well-being of musicians and listeners alike. They say that math is the universal language, and while that may be true, music has traits to it that even the casual listener should (but may not always) recognize as universal, literally and figuratively. Moreover, music is beneficial to the musician’s and the listener’s health and well-being.

Music is everywhere, and it can be made and enjoyed by anyone, any animal, and any living thing, in its own way. The universe itself has a sense of rhythm, melody and music. Everyday speech has a lilt that can be called some kind of music. In nature, without the white noise of civilization in the background, the sounds of the trees, the water, and the air can all be called music. And animals, birds in particular, have their own sense of melody in the sounds that they make and use to communicate with each other.

Music comes in so many various forms that it reflects, in a way, the diversity of the languages spoken and written on the planet. Whether it be classical music, pop, gospel music, country music or whatever pleases the ear, there will always be a kind of music for everyone and it can come in any language.

They say that learning and listening to music makes one smarter. As studies show, music makes the musician use his mind in a way that develops and maintains good mental health. Music is an art and a science. Anyone who learns any bit of musical theory will know that music has a particular structure, while still allowing for creative freedom. Reading music and playing an instrument causes the musician to use both sides of his brain at once – the mathematical side, and the artistic side.

Learning to understand a staff of music and the symbols written on it is akin to learning a scientific or mathematical formula. Applying the formula to the instrument at hand takes plenty of practise to do well, but once it is learned, it does not easily fade away. Developing and maintaining musicality, on the other hand, is partly talent and partly practise, much like other art forms like drawing, dancing and singing.

Music is a great well for emotions. The same art form that puts babies to sleep can release anger and sadness, encourage joy, and sooth stress. To the Romantics, music was the purest of art forms because it connects directly with emotions (The New Penguin Book of Romantic Poetry, 47), during a time period that produced composers that are still well known today. David wrote many psalms while he watched sheep. And even though he was not always a favourite of King Saul, David’s playing would comfort the king (1 Samuel 16).

Music brings people together. It is understood that before modern technology, live music was a natural form of entertainment, and people were considered accomplished when they learned to play instruments. Music can create a good atmosphere and encourage a good mood that relaxes people whether they are actively listening to it or not. That is part of the reason why it is ideal for parties, weddings, funerals, and other such gatherings.

I can describe the latest release from Pop sensation Mariah Carey for you with just one word… Outstanding!

This one grabs your attention right out of the gate with Heartbreaker and doesn’t let go until the very last note of the very last song Thank God I Found You, which by the way is another great track.

Pop music fans will recognize some of the well known contributors on the project including Dean Parks and David Foster plus a few other notables as well.

I give Rainbow my highest recommendation. It just plain belongs in any serious music collectors collection regardless of genre preference.

While this entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 2 – Can’t Take That Away, track 9 – Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now), and track 14 – Thank God I Found You

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Heartbreaker. Good stuff!

Rainbow Release Notes:

Mariah Carey originally released Rainbow on November 2, 1999 on the Columbia label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Heartbreaker – (featuring Jay-Z) 2. Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme) 3. Bliss 4. How Much – (featuring Usher) 5. After Tonight 6. Ex-Girlfriend 7. Heartbreaker – (remix, featuring Da Brat/Missy Elliott) 8. Vulnerability (Interlude) 9. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) 10. Crybaby – (featuring Snoop Dogg) 11. Did I Do That? 12. Petals 13. Rainbow (Interlude) 14. Thank God I Found You – (featuring Joe/98 Degrees)

Personnel includes: Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Missy Elliot, Usher, Master P, Da Brat, Joe, Mystikal, 98 Degrees (vocals); She’kespere, DJ Clue, Fingaz, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupree, Damizza, Howie Kersh (various instruments); Mike Scott, Dean Parks (guitar); James “Big Jim” Wright, David Foster (keyboards); Ronnie King (Moog synthesizer); John Robinson, Shockley (drums); Xavier Smith, Alex Richbourg (programming); Nikki Richards, Trey Lorenz, Melonie Daniels (background vocals); strings.

Producers include: Mariah Carey, DJ Clue, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Damizza.

Enginees include: Dana Jon Chappelle, Ken “Duro” Ifill, Steve Hodge.

Are you ready to experience the exciting lifestyle of being a Mobile DJ working Weddings, corporate events, parties and more?  Well, in this article, let’s lay down some rules for you and your mobile DJ business. The following Do’s & Don’ts of Mobile Deejaying are designed to help save you time and money as you go out and grow your business.

Mobile DJ Don’ts

Let’s focus on the “don’t” first. When you are on the event, DON’T show up unless you are prepared for the music playlist that you are going to play for them. All parties were not created equal (and neither were their guests!)  so it would be a great alternative to you ask the client for a specific list of music that they want to be played on their gatherings.  You must PREPARE before showing up.  If the host doesn’t give you must to work worth and you are left to decide yourself, ask some follow-up questions like what type of party is it, or what are the age ranges of the guests.   It’s a heck of a lot easier to choose what genre of music you are going to play when you know the ages of participants.

DON’T interrupt people when they are on the dance floor. Be professional when you are going to have an announcement. Never voice ruin the flow or momentum of the event.  You can easily follow the flow of music and turn the volume slowly. That’s your chance to start talking. Also, don’t talk in that cheazy DJ voice from the 1980′s!  Everyone hates that!

DON’T Show up Late or Leave early!  The last thing a client ever wants is the added stress that her party may be ruined because the DJ hasn’t arrived.  ALWAYS arrive early and never thing of sneaking out before the night is done.

Mobile DJ Do’s

Now, the “DO’s” of Mobile DJing.  You must DO a necessary double-check of all of your equipment and tools before leaving for your event.  There is no excuse if you arrive at an event unprepared without the proper accessories.  In fact, have extra cables, power cords and speakers for emergencies.

DO organize and categorize your music.  When requests (or inspiration) arise, you need to be able to easily grab what you need without thinking.  Create a system for easily organizing all of your music.

DO be on time always!  I can’t stress this enough!  In fact, be early!   Never be late and be sure to arrive first than the people who are going to attend. You know you much thing to do when you arrive at the venue right? So being early is a wise choice to prepare for more. When you are early, you don’t have to rush getting ready.

DO ask you clients a feedback of your services.   Not only will this feedback help you to improve your skills and services immensely, these positive reviews will serve as testimonials for your website!  This is very effective marketing!  Just don’t be afraid of a little constructive criticism.

And finally, DO thank your client for choosing you to DJ their special party.  You are working in a large sea of competitors, you need to show your appreciation for their business.  And don’t forget to kindly ask for some referrals!

For most players, the realm of classical guitars is one that they’d just as soon avoid. The scale length is different, the neck is wider, and they’re harder to play, so why bother?

Why? Because the world of the classical guitar is definitely one worth exploring and one that will reap incredible rewards the more you explore it. A well-executed classical passage within a rock song can give an air of class and distinction to the music, not to mention adding a great break in the middle of the song. Playing classical guitar, even if you use it traditionally (playing simple fingerpicker parts, strumming and single-note lines) can help your playing take a giant leap

forward.

Classical guitars are very, very similar in their construction to traditional acoustic guitars. The body is smaller, but the bracing methods and wood types are similar. The necks are wider to accommodate your fingers, the nylon strings give the classical guitar its distinctive tone, but most players with average-size hands find that this transition isn’t as difficult as they first may have pictured it.

What can a Classical guitar do for you?

Well, give it a try and you’ll find out a whole new world.

It is difficult to pinpoint what Asian music is because this musical genre is so diverse in nature. The music of the Asian continent is subdivided into regions and furthermore, into specific countries. Each region’s culture followed by the individual country’s culture has created a vast number of musical types within Asia.

Asia is divided into five main regions: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. Each one of these regions is home to several countries which all feature distinct, unique musical trends. Throughout the centuries, history has shaped the formation of music in each Asian country. Instead of referring to Asian music as a whole today, we now refer more specifically to each country: i.e. Thai music, Chinese Music, or Mongolian music.

Central Asian countries include Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. Modern Afghan music spreads from religious Muslim songs to classical tunes and lyrical music sung in Persian. The music of Afghanistan tends to very similar to what one might find in other dominantly Muslim countries. Mongolia is known for having music be a core-part of the country. In fact, the Mongolians are known for their long songs and horse-headed fiddles. Kazakhstan has been very much influenced by the former Soviet Union and current Russia. Hence, the music of this country leans heavily towards classical expertise. Finally, Uzbekistan is a mix of classical and pop rock, folk songs and traditional music from the west of the country.

East Asia is home to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Although much of the East Asian music is similar in style, these four countries cannot be grouped together in the musical world. Chinese cultural music is divided into many regions to the point that it would be difficult to explain them all. Traditional Japanese music is calm and follows no specific beat. The music of Korea follows both the folk and court styles and is typically based on Buddhist beliefs. Taiwan is a melting pot of cultures and therefore is home to many different types of music. All four of these countries have been greatly influenced by Western culture in recent years and are now known for pop and rock music as well as the traditional cultural music.

South Asian music is typically based on Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism as these are the main religions in the countries of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. India has been influenced quite a bit by Western culture and is also known for its pop and rock music. Overall, however, the music in South Asia is religious and very traditional in beat and form.

Southeast Asian music spans over ten countries and is again quite diverse in nature. With such cultural diversity within this region, there are literally hundreds of different types of music. The same goes for the music is Western Asia, although these musical types tend to be much more Arabic and African in form.

Asian music is so culturally diverse that a comprehensive study of the hundreds of types of music, beats used, instruments played, and composers known would take a lifetime to complete.

There are very few people who can honestly say they don’t like to listen to music. No matter what type of music you like, the availability of the internet means you can buy or listen to the music that fits your style. There are so many web sites that have music links or musical downloads that you can listen to.

Those people who like cultural selections from Brazil, for example can type in the word Brazil dance or Brazil music in the YouTube search field and watch many pieces that fit that category. You can choose Indian music if you prefer or music from almost any culture in the world, you can find examples on the internet. It’s interesting to see how dance and music sequences are treated in various cultures.

Some pieces of music you listen to are hard to enjoy without wanting to dance. Some of the joyous Irish pieces for example would be hard to listen to and remain in a melancholy mood. Still one wonders how there can be so much energy during the music and dance known as Celtic or Irish.

Straight instrumental music is popular in many cultures. You can listen to everything from symphonies to classical guitar music. On the lighter side, there are music pieces that feature one man bands or novelty instruments such as the kazoo. At the other end of the spectrum is the big bands and rock and roll groups.

Music is used not only for entertainment, but has been shown to have physical and psychological impact on a person as well. Music in a minor key, for example will often sound sad or mournful, while some chords are almost a signature sound for various rock groups. Because different musical scales are used by different cultures, you can often feel a different atmosphere or personality reflected when you listen to music from China as compared to music from Ireland.

Whatever your country of origin or whatever type of music you prefer to listen to, you can now find examples in recordings. Everything from drum solos to full symphonic orchestra now can be found and purchased. What’s more there are many ways in which you can listen. Radio and music videos are obvious choices, but you can also listen to your favorite pieces with an MP3 player. Many mobile phones today allow you to download and play your favorite music pieces.

Probably the most complete experience in music enjoyment no matter what your favorite music type is, is to attend a concert. You can sit back in a comfortable seat in a concert hall and enjoy the full sound of a top symphonic orchestra where the sounds of the various instruments are carefully tuned and balanced so that you can pick up the emotion of the music.

Alternatively, you can attend a soul thumping rock concert where you feel the bass reverberating in your back teeth. The lights and energy of the audience adds to the total experience so that more than one sense is involved than hearing.