The beautiful melody, Simple Gifts, is from a book of songs published in the 1840s by the Shakers, a religious group who settled in areas from New England to Kentucky. The melody for Simple Gifts was used in American composer, Aaron Copland's ballet, Appalachian Spring. It's theme of simplicity, freedom, and humility are appropriate for a ballet, but for celebrating the spirit of our National Thanksgiving Holiday.
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,And when we find ourselves in the place just right,'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.When true simplicity is gained,To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,To turn, turn will be our delight,'Till by turning, turning we come round right.
This year at your family's Thanksgiving table take a moment to count the simplest of your blessings and feel the peace. We can spend so much time focused on the future and forget to celebrate each day and to make the most of every moment with our loved ones. Achievements are important, but without the people, we love the most to share them with, they mean little to us. Relaxing piano music is a lovely way to bring a little extra peace into your home during the busy holiday season. Make your first purchase a piano CD of this musical part of our Thanksgiving heritage - Simple Gifts. Who knows, it might turn out to be one of your family's favorite traditions at Thanksgiving.
To learn the best way to share the gift of music with children visit Amazon.com for my Piano Bears Musical Stories for Children The exciting Piano Bears Musical Stories for children ages 5 to 11 feature the loveable characters, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Children love following along with Albeart to Mrs. Treble Beary's piano studio in Musical Acres Forest. Here they learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand and appreciate! Piano students laugh and giggle while reading "Little Bear's Musical Garden" and "Little Bear's Piano Goals."
Around the globe, couples celebrate their unions with a wedding dance of some sort. Most religions, with the exception of those who still frown upon dancing, have some sort of wedding dance that is a part of this joyous event or the celebration of this event. This is much more than a simple dance. It is the dance that will begin your life as husband and wife. For this reason alone, many couples spend a great deal of time and effort choosing the perfect song to symbolize their love for each. Once decided, this is the song that is to be played for their wedding dance.
American bride wearing a Contemporary Western Wedding Dress (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Your wedding dance is one of the few memories of your wedding that you will have forever. Most of your wedding day will go by in such a blur of faces that there will be few moments that stand out above the rest. Your wedding dance, however, is the one time during your wedding reception that you and your spouse are truly alone within the crowd. All eyes may be on you both but this is your moment together and no one else in the room should matter at this moment. This is the reason that most people will remember their wedding dance long after they've forgotten other details about their wedding.
Some couples actually take wedding dance lessons in order to make sure that nothing goes wrong during their wedding dance. Many instructors often suggest that you use the shoes you will be wearing for your wedding as well as a skirt that is very similar to your wedding dress in order to actually get an honest feel for how you will be dancing on your wedding day. It is amazing how much of a difference the height of your shoes and the length of your skirt or train can make when it comes to dancing. These classes are very important for couples that truly want to have the fairy tale wedding experience though not necessarily practical for couples that are already working at the end of their budget constraints.
Ballroom dance lessons will often suffice for wedding dance lessons and in many cases are much less expensive if you can take them at a local community center rather than taking private lessons. Group lessons are almost always more economical and can be a great way for you and your future spouse to learn to dance together in time for your big night and your wedding dance.
If budgets won't even allow for this indulgence to make your wedding dance a little easier to handle you can always opt to purchase an instructional video or DVD. It would be great fun to practice your wedding dance together before the big night and it is a great way to have fun together as a couple even after the big night. You can find videos and DVDs that teach all manner of dance steps that you may find appealing.
Otherwise, you can always wing it. Pick a song you love, a dance you like and have fun without worrying about getting it perfect. You are beginning your new life together as a couple and who really needs the pressure of dancing perfect, right? It is also your day and that is one thing that far too few brides really realize when getting caught up in the pressure of creating the perfect wedding within a limited budget.
The thing to remember when planning your wedding and your wedding dance is that you and your spouse to be are the most important people in the process. Do not allow yourself to feel pressured into something that you don't want in order to appease others. Make your wedding day and your wedding dance completely your own if you are not interested in or comfortable with the idea of taking lessons from someone else. You and your partner will be glad that you did what was right for you when all is said and done.
So you've decided to play the flute. Terrific decision!
Now you need an instrument. If you're completely new to the flute world, this may be a hard decision, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.
First, develop a budget. Just like any major purchase, your wallet should guide you. The more money you have to spend, the higher quality instrument you can acquire.
The biggest factor in determining the price is the metal your flute is made from.
Student flutes are made from plated silver, where higher end flutes are built out of solid silver.
It is also possible to "split the difference" and get a flute with a plated silver body and a solid silver head joint. This is a good option for those on a limited budget because the head joint contributes more to the tone quality of the flute.
If money is no object, you can buy flutes made from gold, yellow gold, rose gold, and even platinum.
There are a number of features that can drive up the price of a flute.
The traditional flute extends down to a low C, or middle C. With a B-foot joint, you can play the B below that C.
Is this a necessary option?
No, not at all. It's kind of a status symbol among flutists and some argue that the increased length of tubing improves the tone. This is highly subjective, however, and that low B is hardly ever played! You can do just fine without the low B-foot joint.
Another popular flute upgrade is the "open hole" flute. On this type of flute, the keys look like little donuts; that is, there are holes in the middle of the keys.
The benefit of this? Proper finger placement is one. The fingers must cover these holes in order for the notes to sound, so sloppy fingering can't be tolerated.
Improved tone quality is also a purported benefit.
For those flutists that are into "extended techniques," lots of cool effects can be obtained with open-hole keys, such as sliding the fingers off the keys for "smeary" sounds, playing half tones, or even playing Irish-style or penny-whistle style music.
Are open holes necessary? Not at all.
The lip plate on head joints can be engraved with a floral or scroll pattern. This not only makes the flute more beautiful but prevents slippage of the flute against the chin. Necessary? No. Fun? Of course! I have this option on my flute and I really love it.
So where to buy your flute?
A music store is the obvious answer. In addition to purchasing outright, stores usually have a very reasonable rental program available to students who aren't sure if they will stick with the band program. Ask the store if this is available to adults as well.
Flutes that come back from the rental program can be a good deal for purchase. The store's repairman will overhaul the flute and then it is offered at a reduced price from new.
You can also find a flute for sale in the classified ads in the newspaper or just by asking around. Stop over at a local university and you will probably find notices of flutes for sale on bulletin boards in the music department.
In these instances, have a professional look at the flute first and give you an opinion.
You can find flutes for sale on eBay, too. Be sure that you have the option of trying the flute out first and sending it back if you aren't happy with it.
There are many instrument sellers online, probably the largest is The Woodwind and Brasswind, http://www.wwbw.com. You can get a great deal from this company and they will send the instrument out to you to try first, even more than one at a time.
Take your time, decide carefully, and get lots of opinions. Your flute will become a friend to you and if you buy it right the first time, it will last a lifetime.
Kathy Ferneau has been a passionate flutist for 40 years! Her web site contains the most extensive collection of flute figurines on the Internet. Check them out! http://www.cyberflute.com/
Klezmer is the traditional instrumental music of the Yiddish-speaking Jewish community that lived in Eastern and Central Europe since the Middle-Age. It was played by the Klezmorim, who were professional itinerant musicians traveling from town to town, from village to village playing for various celebrations, secular or religious, especially weddings.
They played the Jewish traditional repertoire but as very skilled musicians they were able also to play the folk tunes of the local population, as well as the classic repertoire that was popular at this time.
Klezmer is a Yiddish word which is the contraction of two Hebrew words, kli which mean vessel or instrument and zemer which means voice or song. So the klezmer is the instrument of the song, the vessel of the voice. It is a very appealing and charming music which encompass all the human emotions, from laughter to tears, from joy to sorrow, from despair to hope.
It reflects the daily life, the culture and the spirit of the Jewish people of the diaspora who were wandering since the Temple destruction. The roots of the Jewish music can be traced back to the Old Testament, (The Psalms of David). Since then the Jewish music tradition has spread all over the European continent and has been influenced by the cultural surroundings of the Jewish communities, from Andalusia to Moldova.
In the ghettos, the Jewish people were subjugated by a lot of strange and compelling laws and regulations, among them was the banning of playing loud instruments like brass and drums. Therefore the violin which can be played softly and can be carried easily was the instrument of choice of the early klezmorim bands.
The fiddler was generally accompanied by a cimbalom (dulcimer). In the second half of the 19th century the clarinet shares the lead with the violin in most of the Klezmer orchestras, nowadays, the clarinet is the essential lead instrument in most of the klezmer ensembles.
From 1880 to the early twenties of the 20th century, there was a massive immigration of Jews from Central and Eastern Europe to the United States. A lot of talented musicians were among them, and they brought their music with them. It was the time of greatest success for klezmer music in America.
After a period of dormancy there was a rebirth of klezmer in the late seventies, in Europe thanks to Giora Feidman, and in America, Andy Statman and "The Klezmorim" were some of the initiators of the klezmer revival.
In conclusion, the Klezmer may be assimilated to an ethnic music or a Jewish music, but in fact, it carries a universal message, a global language. Klezmer is one of the most popular world music which is played by thousands of musicians bands, groups, and listened by thousands of fans, around the world, mostly not Jewish.
By Arik Nitsan Arik Nitsan is a clarinet klezmer musician whose aim is to share his passion for klezmer via his Web site, Clarinet Klezmer. Article Source: EzineArticles
Your drums are not just instruments that you set on a stage and play, and then take home again for practice without ever touching them for maintenance or cleaning. The truth is, if you don't want to take the time to clean them and keep them properly tuned, you are not true to your trade. Depending on the type of drums that you have, there way be variations on the maintenance that the manufacturer recommends. How you care for your set depends also on the material from which it is made.
Dave Weckl's drum kit @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, 8th Dec. 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So, if there isn't a rule regarding drum care, what do you do? As with your clothing, you follow the recommendations of the manufacturer. When you buy a new outfit, you check the label for laundering instructions – or you should – and the same is true of your drum set. Cymbals for the most part can be cleaned with a window cleaner, but how you clean your drums needs to be depends upon a variety of factors including material of the skins and of the outside. Steel is not recommended, though sometimes used, and there will be a different method than other material, which is usually simply soap and water or even glass cleaner for a shine.
As a drummer, you should be proud of your skins and want to keep them clean in between performances. It doesn't take more than perhaps a half hour a day to keep your set looking in top condition, but you want to make sure that you know exactly what you need to do before you even take the set home. If you order your drum set online, be sure you read all of the instructions regarding care and maintenance before you ever set up the kit, because some kits require oiling before you ever use the drums for the first time. Failing to do that when required can result in your drums sounding out of tune or not blending in with the rest of the musical instruments in the band.
Bear in mind that your drums are a major investment, and if you want them to last you for years to come, you have to take the time to take care of them from the day you first own them. You do not simply leave them to collect dust when you are not using them nor do you only take them in for maintenance when they don't sound as good as they did when they were new. Regular cleaning and routine maintenance will be your drum kit looking and sounding new for many years to come. It is unnecessary to buy a new set every few years if you take care of what you have from the start.
Your choice of clarinet mouthpiece will largely affect the quality and type of sound that you will produce. After all, the mouthpiece is where sound starts and clarinet players have to use the right mouthpiece according to their level of expertise. Choosing a clarinet mouthpiece according to your specific needs and expertise is important to avoid problems while playing.
The mouthpiece has several purposes. First of all, it allows the user to get air vibrating through the clarinet in order to produce sound. And second, the mouthpiece works to hold the reed in place. A lot of things go into the decision on the type of mouthpiece that you should use. These include the material, interior and exterior design and the mouthpiece facing.
In a clarinet, facing on a mouthpiece is also referred to as the lay. This is the part where the reed sits in the mouthpiece. The size and length of the facing can affect the timbre of sound that the clarinet produces but it's not a focus of concern when choosing a clarinet mouthpiece.
Mouthpieces can be made of various materials. Most are made of plastic. Pieces made of wood or glass are rare. Even the material can affect the quality of the tone produced although many beginners cannot even tell the difference. As such, it's better to base your decision on your budget. You want to assess the practicality of purchasing a mouthpiece that is made from a specialty material in relation to the sound that it produces at your particular stage of expertise.
When choosing a clarinet mouthpiece it's also a good idea to look at the mouthpiece bore. If you want to produce a focused and compact tone, opt for a clarinet mouthpiece that has a small bore. A larger one is required if you want to create a dark and mellow tone.
Dance is an art which gives a chance to the individuals to
express their self expressions and emotions. Dance is the best way to reduce
stress and boost your mood. Today individuals of all age groups prefer to opt
for dance instead of exercises and jogging. This is because dance not only
helps in toning their body but it also helps in socializing and relaxing. Since
ancient times there are dancers who have contributed in the development of
different dance forms.
Some world famous dancers who are still remembered for their
valuable contribution in dance are:
•
Anna Pavlova:
She was known for her classical ballet. Even
today she is remembered for her performance in ‘The Dying Swan’.
• Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail
was a director in American Ballet Theater. He had also worked as the male
dancer in ballet for some plays.
•
Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav
was a ballet dancer who was famous in 1950’s for his excellent athletic body
and ability to perform with perfection and confidence in theater plays.
Astaire with Eleanor Powel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
•
Jack Cole
‘Jack Cole’ is considered to be
the father of jazz dance techniques that are used by many jazz dancers today.
Cole’s dance techniques emphasized more on angled placements, isolations and
change of directions.
•
Katherine Dunham
Katherine was the first African-
American women who found great success as a choreographer in the 19th
century. She even came up with her own dance troupe and gained popularity in
the world for her jazz steps.
• Fred Astaire
Fred
is well remembered for his flawless dance styles. Apart from a good dancer Fred
was also a singer, choreographer, actor and a leading entertainer in Broadway.
•
Michael Jackson
Well
known as the king of loping and popping Michael Jackson was one the famous
dancers in the world in 20th century. He revolutionized the world of dance with
his excellent dance moves.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was born in Thuringia as being the son and grand-son of a musical family. He died in Leipzig.
A selection of vital composers of the pre-classical age were his sons: Carl Philip, Wilhelm Friedman, Johann Christian.
Johann Sebastian received at Eisenach a colossal education and learning which included traditional Greek as well as Latin
Soon after his father's death his musical education and learning continued at Ohrdruf. He has been already proficient at the violin, the organ and the "clavicembalo". He studied musical composition with Herder and occasionally with Boehm at Luneburg.
Buxtehude, Vivaldi, Couperin, Frescobaldi were among the list of several composers he analyzed greatly the creations.
He individually knew quite a few important organists of his time and he had been named organist to the "Neue Kirsche" of Arnstadt in 1703. He soon began composing actively and building a fine status of skilled performer and church organ restorer.
Following a short time spent at Mulhausen, Bach is officially hired as first organist and artist, then "konzertmeister", at 1714, at the Court of Weimar. He composes there lots of cantatas and additionally wide range of his grandest harpsichord and organ compositions.
Johann Sebastian is "Kappelmeister" at the Court of Coethen in 1717. A Calvinist and reformist court at which Bach is asked to keep distant from the majority of church music he had been composing until then. He authored there his most important instrumental works which contain the Suites (English and French), the Well-Tempered Klavier - first book - the Inventions.
Dissents force him to leave Coethen for the work of Cantor at Leipzig, Saint-Thomas Church in 1723. That is where he will stay all the remaining of his existence.
As being the Cantor, Johann Sebastian Bach has to provide for the musical training, compose brand-new music for all special days at the church, the city and the University, this included the requirement for a new cantata each Sunday.
The requirements of the work and the meticulosity of his employers have been the source for quite a few disputes between Bach and his "bosses".
Apart from the Cantatas he authored here his masterworks of sacred music: his two Oratorios and his Passions.
Traveling generally, irrespective of the imposed restrictions, Bach created the Goldberg Variations at Dresden for the Count Keyserlingk and the Musical Offering for the King Frederic II of Prussia.
A bad cataract surgical procedure makes the composer almost totally blind at 1749. Nevertheless, the reason for his passing away is assumed to be a strike and the subsequent temperature in 1750.
The compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach are really the culmination and "the marvelous conclusion" of virtually all music which happens to be composed before.
The polyphonic style which has preceded him, come about, with Johann Sebastian Bach, to a degree unheard previously. He was not an innovator, that is not to mention the amazing harmonic situations that take place in a little bit of his fugues.
Glenn Gould mentions "early Schoenberg" when talking concerning the handling of the thema (notes: B-flat, A, C, B-natural) B-A-C-H within the last number, the unfinished fugue of the "Art of Fugue" BWV 1080. Furthermore, his instrumental advancements, particularly in the Goldberg Variations and his Toccatas are fantastic. Nonetheless his sons, predominantly Carl Philip Emmanuel, modeled the "new style" to come. Johann Sebastian Bach's music, inside his own last days, was thought to be "old-fashioned".
The Toccatas BWV 910-916 are musical works from the young Bach. In fact one can not date them correctly, still the style prevailing in all of them verifies that generally approved idea.
The Toccatas G major, G minor and E minor were actually the works of a 23 or 25 years old Bach, then organist at the service of the Prince of Saxe-Weimar. The ones in D major and D minor might be written by an even younger Bach, possibly around 1705-1708. 1709-1712 might be the dates for the Toccatas in F-sharp minor and C minor.
The Toccatas, as commonly with Bach, are not published within his life time. Merely one, in D minor has been revealed as late as early nineteenth century.
"To touch" ("toccare" in Italian) is the root of the musical style "Toccata". It refers to a piece for a keyboard instrument with, ordinarily, a maximum of virtuosity showing and of a free form.
Gabrieli, Andrea (c.1520-1586) and/or Merulo, Claudio (1533-1604) are generally cited as being the authors of the primary "Toccatas". Frescobaldi (1583-1643) prior to Bach, lifted the "Toccata" to a high level, sophisticated musical genre.
In fact, no musical instrument had been specified by Johann Sebastian Bach for the playing of his Toccatas. As being an incredibly good pipe organ and "clavicembalo" artist, J. S. Bach has been, at the same time, performing the Clavichord: a gentle and intimate music instrument we know he appreciated a whole lot. Even though, the radiance and the splendor of all those Toccatas require the "clavicembalo".
"Bach-Extravaganza" might possibly contain been a flashy title for J.S. Bach's Toccatas (BWV 910-916), if such things appeared to be existing then. This really is "unleashed" Bach.
Excellent keyboard works, free from almost any type of didactic, formal, stylistically codified church-related or court-related constraints. Those musical works can merely be compared with the composer's "Fantasias" and such an assessment will be towards the benefit of the Toccatas.
Toccatas BWV 910-916 seem transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach's famous improvisations.
All pieces stick to a nearly identical structural planning: "free-virtuoso-improvisatory" beginning ("a la Chromatic Fantasy"), then an alternation of lively fugatos and strikingly fine looking slow sections.
Those slow parts come each time with audacious harmonic progressions. They usually surprise us with the scope of the musical mind hiding behind them. Even when they seem to extend "too much" in length, they must be considered as "transcriptions" of the endless musical creativeness and proficiency of Johann Sebastian Bach improvising.
This Toccata N.1 in D min. BWV 913 was the first one published in the early nineteenth century. It has two fugues. Its introduction part is less cadenza-like as compared to others but it still has the general aspect of a "rhapsody". A beautifully expressive slow part, with four voices, comes before the first lively fugue. The second slow part is even more expressive than the first. A single short motive is processed with an unending flow of modulations which displays it in every lighting and shadowing imaginable. The brilliant last fugue concludes the work.
The Toccata N.2 in E min. BWV 914 is possibly composed around 1707-1710, this is the shortest Toccata. The short introduction in a free-prelude design precedes the first light "fugato". The Adagio is presented like a recitative with short instrumental proceedings in a very improvisatory design. The virtuoso fugue which follows is thought by some scholars as being originally conceived for the organ.
From probably between 1079-1712 this Toccata N.3 in F-sharp min. BWV 910 is a large piece, comprised of five movements with two fugues. The "usual" free-form introduction leads directly to one of the most sublime pages among all Toccatas. The large section in 3/2 time is intense and beautiful. It's chromatically descending thema sustains this melancholic movement. This theme is actually a Passacaglia or "basso continuo" thema which is made the main melody here. The first fugue: "Presto e staccato" displays an incredible imitative polyphony work and craftsmanship. The moderate tempo section in between the two fugues emerges as a meditative interlude. It connects with the final fugue of an exuberant character and the Toccata ends with arpeggios, not unlike the introduction.
We meet here in the Toccata N.4 in G min. BWV 915 with some "piano" and "forte" indications on the manuscript. This introduction in 24/16 time makes the frame for the entire piece to come. Another slow movement in 3/2 time, grave and majestic brings the first fugue in B-flat major which simultaneously presents two themes one with disjoint motions and the other proceeding by close steps. A few measures long, recitative-like movement separates the two fugues. The ultimate fugue is in "Gigue" form. Either edited as 12/8 or "C" time (with dotted values to be read as a ternary time).
It is customary to date this Toccata N.5 in D maj. BWV 912 1705-1708, before Bach coming at the Court of Saxe-Weimar. The piece opens with rapid scales and arpeggios. The first "Allegro" which follows is at the same time jokingly and pompous. A dozen bars of transition brings a slow double "fugato" and is followed by a movement: "Con discrezione", a very "rubato" section. The last part is a double fugue in 6/16 time. Again the "Gigue" idea is present all through this fast peaced fugue.
A "Chromatic Fantasy"-like, typical beginning opens this vast Toccata N.6 in C min. BWV 911 which presents, in my opinion, one of the most extraordinary fugues in the collection. The Adagio is grand and noble, almost religious in character. The comes to the very difficult but exuberant fugue.
The opening of the Toccata N.7 in G maj. BWV 916 is less improvisatory but more like a Concerto first movement. The instrument and the virtuosity of the performer are shining all through the section. A charming melodious section follows. Even though it is not as elaborated (polyphonically speaking) as the other slow movements of the series, this E minor section is indeed beautiful. The closing fugue is less elaborated than the previous ones in the series, but again, incredibly charming as well.
By Mehmet Okonsar, pianist, composer, conductor and musicologist is the First Prize Winner at the International Young Virtuosos Competition, Antwerp, Belgium, 1982 and laureate of other prestigious international piano competitions such as the Gina Bachauer, Sixth Prize, Salt Lake City-UT, 1991 and J. S. Bach, Second Prize, Paris, France 1989. He is graduated from the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music. His extensive discography includes a series of works by J. S. Bach, Liszt, and Schumann. As a musicologist, writer and lecturer, Okonsar's writings are published in several music periods. His essays and analyses are released in English and French, he is a lecturer in music, composing and technology.
Even though George Gershwin's life was sadly cut short by a brain tumor when he was only 38 years old, his music still lives on in the hearts and minds of the world today. Some of his most famous works included "Rhapsody in Blue" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." His storied career includes many other notable highlights and achievements over the course of his brief life.
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants on September 26, 1898. He was named Jacob Gershowitz at birth. The family name was later Americanized by George to facilitate his show business career. Many of his other family members followed suit and changed their names accordingly. Gershwin had three siblings in his family.
George Gershwin revealed his talent for music at an early age. At the tender age of 10, Gershwin attended his friend Max Rosen's violin recital. He was absolutely fascinated by the passion behind the performance. He loved the sound of the instrument and the skilled nuance with which Rosen performed.
The Gershwin parents had bought a piano for George's older brother, Ira. George came home from the violin recital and was determined to learn to play an instrument, so he began tinkering around with Ira's piano at home. He learned the instrument quickly, so his parents were happy to help him find a suitable professional for a piano teacher.
The search for a piano teacher for young George Gershwin took nearly two years. He finally settled on Charles Hambitzer, who influenced Gershwin's musical life immensely. He taught Gershwin formal techniques and formal European music. Gershwin would attend classical music performances with Hambitzer, and he was often able to reproduce the melodies on the piano when he would return home. Hambitzer acted as Gershwin's mentor until the time of his death in 1918.
At 15, Gershwin dropped out of school to become a song plugger for Jerome H. Remick and Company, a firm from New York City's famed Tin Pan Alley. The position earned him $15 a week, but more importantly, it positioned him well in the music industry.
By 1916, Gershwin published his first song, entitled, "When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em, When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want Em." He was 17 years old.
He followed up his release in 1916 with a 1917 release of "Rialto Ripples," which was a commercial success. In 1918, he released "Swanee." In 1924, Gershwin began his foray into musicals, a pursuit that would make him forever famous. He penned "Lady Be Good" and "Fascinating Rhythm" that year.
Follow-up musicals in subsequent years included "Oh Kay," "Funny Face," "Strike Up the Band," "Show Girl," "Girl Crazy," "I Got Rhythm," "Porgy and Bess" and "Of Thee I Sing." The latter of the group won the esteemed Pulitzer Prize.
Gershwin's success on Broadway eventually led to calls from Hollywood movie studios. He moved out to California to do some film work. While out in Hollywood, he began complaining of headaches in early 1937. Sadly, during his work on a film entitled "The Goldwyn Follies," George Gershwin collapsed due to a malignant brain tumor. He later died following a surgery to remove the tumor on July 11, 1937.
Although his life was tragically cut short, George Gershwin's legacy will always live on through his music. From timeless hits to musicals, his melodies still resonate in popular culture. His influence will be felt for decades to come.
Mary Poppins on Broadway today is only an inspired version from the book written by P. L. Travers which was illustrated by Mary Shepard. That book talks about the strange and magical English nanny named Mary Poppins. She came to Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London in the family of Banks. She takes care of their children. The kids experience different adventures with chimney sweeps and shopkeepers until Mary Poppins suddenly pops out.
The adventure does not only take place in one book but up until to the eight book. Mary Poppins can only be seen arriving and leaving in the first three books. It is explained by P. L. Travers that "She cannot forever arrive and depart" in that next five books.
It was then brought to musical Disney film in 1964 which starred by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Then there was a stage musical adaptation in the West End theatre during the year 2004. By the year 2006, it was transferred to Broadway. Till now it is still running and more people are coming to watch the show. It is as successful as the classic 1964 film.
In fact, by the year 1938, there was already an attempt to purchase the film rights to Mary Poppins from P. L. Travers. Unluckily, Travers rejected the offer due to his belief that the film is not capable of giving justice to her work and she did not want an animated cartoon based on it. Fortunately, in the year 1961 Walt Disney succeeded but Travers demanded script approval rights.
It consumed two years of planning the film and composing the songs. Sherman Brothers created the songs in the film. The casts were played by Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke as supporting the role of Bert, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber as the Banks children and David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns as Mr. and Mrs. Banks. The film is rated G by the MPAA. It was observed that Mary was kinder than in her character in Traver's novels.
You can see all the adventures from the book in the films. You will witness additional adventures added by Walt Disney and his associates.
Six years ago a musical version of Mary Poppins opened at the Prince Theatre, London which is inspired by the Disney film and the books. It was praised by many viewers and luckily recommended for nine 2005 Olivier Awards. They won awards for Best Actress in a Musical for Laura Michelle and Best Theatre Choreography for Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear. The original music and lyrics by Sherman brothers was use and was added with new songs and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
By the year 2006, a Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre, New York. It was a box office success and even nominated for Tony Awards for seven times. In fact, they won Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Bob Crowley. There are tour productions to many places among are National UK tour and National US tour.
Mary Poppins continue being friendly and helpful from the Disney film. She became vainer than her film portrayal following the books.
Sebastian Mayer has watched some great shows of Broadway. - Article Source: GoArticles
Fender Stratocaster history begins with the man some people call the king of surf music. Dick Dale is the man who some believe invented surf music as early as the 1950's. No, it wasn't the Beach Boys. It was Dick Dale.
He had the musical assistance of Leo Fender, inventor of the Fender Stratocaster. Part of early Fender Stratocaster history includes the story of Leo Fender's gift to Dick Dale of a Fender Stratocaster to use in his live performances. He wanted Dick to try the Fender Stratocaster - and the rest is history, as the saying goes.
Did he try that guitar! The Fender Stratocaster history at that point was one of taking abuse and living through it, as Dale beat that guitar, hurling loud raucous music into the night, and destroying forty-nine different amps until one actually caught on fire. Stratocaster history that night including the entertaining Dick Dale using the right handed guitar for left-handed play, playing upside down and created all new sounds.
Leo, Freddy Fender and Dale joined forces to find new, more tolerable speakers and this was the beginning of heavy metal Fender Stratocaster. They approached a company that made speakers and asked that they design a fifteen-inch Fender Stratocaster speaker. This made Fender Stratocaster speaker history.
Fender history included the fact that Dick Dale became the first person to take the quiet guitar player image and transform her or him into a loud heavy metal entertainer.
Included in this portion of Fender history was Guitar Player Magazine, who as a result now referred to Dick Dale as the father of heavy metal. Stratocaster history, then, is about the transition from quiet soothing sing along surf music to the heavy metal sound of the sixties.
Johann van Beethoven (Father of Ludwig) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Beethoven was among the most famous classical and romantic music composers. He was born in December 1770, in a place known as Bonn, the capital of Electorate of Cologne and a part of Roman Empire. Ludwig was born in a family deeply involved in classical music. His first music teacher was his father Johan Van Beethoven.
By the age of 14, he started to work as an assistant organist in a court. While he was working for Christian Gottlob Neefe who was a member of Order of the Illuminati, Beethoven got influenced by the ideas of Freemasonry. A secret society criticized for working for devils and worshipping occults.
In 1787 Ludwig's mother got sick and then died, following which his father went deep into alcoholism. Having no one to care for his younger siblings he had to stay in Bonn for next five years. In 1792, Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna where he learned playing music from Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart.
In Vienna, Beethoven had to strive hard to conceive notable reputation in the musical industry. For the premiere of his first symphony, he hired the Burgtheater and presented his Septet, the First Symphony and Piano Concertos, along with some works of Haydn and Mozart. Soon after these achievements, Beethoven started to gain fame and eminence.
In 1799, when Beethoven was teaching music lessons to Hungarian Countess's daughters, he started an affair with the youngest daughter, Josephine. But as soon as the Countess Anna Brunswick discerned this, she married her daughter Josephine with Josef Deym. The love between them didn't diminish and was accentuated again after the sudden death of Deym.
Picture representing Ludwig van Beethoven in 1823 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Beethoven's hearing ability started to deteriorate by the age of 26, it is said that he suffered from a severe form of tinnitus, typhus or some sort of auto immune disorder. He was used to writing letters to his friends and doctors, in which he wrote about the pain and agony he was facing but nothing would help. His ability to hear gradually decreased until 1814 when he completely became deaf.
Although Beethoven had lost his hearing ability, he didn't quit playing music. One of the famous incidents is when he blatantly started to cry before the audience due to his inability to hear the applause after his ninth symphony. He continued to have public concerts until the 24th of May 1824 when the concert was attended by few and nothing went well.
Josephine had already married another commoner and Beethoven was left alone. After a long sickness and bed rest of two months, he died in March 1827. The autopsy revealed that he died of liver damage and auditory dilation due to excessive intake of alcohol. His name as one of the best classical music composers will never be forgotten in the world of classical music.
If your drum tone sounds flat and dull then it needs tuning, before we go into the "How to Tune" part, let's discuss factors that affect rawhide. Rawhide by its nature shrinks or expands depending on certain conditions. In cold, moist and humid weather or these types of environments rawhide expands. In hot and dry weather or when exposed to a heat source rawhide shrinks.
Now, armed with this knowledge about rawhide we can use it to our advantage to tune our drum to that perfect tone we want. When your drum tone is flat and dull and the rawhide appears to be loose then you need to get the rawhide to tighten. We now know that exposing our drum to a heat source shrinks the rawhide.
Warning! Over exposing your drum to heat can lead to permanent damage. Please re-read that again, because whatever heat source you use it's important to know this. So don't place your drum in front or next to a heat source and walk away and forget about it. Ok, now that we have got that out of the way let us look at some different methods we can use to heat our drum which causes the rawhide to shrink and gives us a better tune/tone from our drum.
Methods to tune your Drum
Hair dryer - the quickest and easiest way to tune a drum. Start in the centre of the drum and work your way towards the edges. Should only take a few minutes.
Heat lamp - Place the drum in front of the heat lamp, once again should only take a few minutes. Periodically play your drum to test the tone.
Heater or fire place- Using this method it's important not to place the drum too close to the heat. If it's too hot for your hand then you need to move the drum further away.
Campfire - The preferred method of Native Indians to tune their drums. Most of us have seen the image of Native Indians dancing around the fire beating on their drums. Just make sure you do not place your drum too close to the naked flames.
Each of the above methods works well, just make sure you do not over do it. By that I mean, leave the drum in front or too close to the heat source for too long. If you do, over time the rawhide will become over stretched and eventually lose its natural elastic quality.
Also, if you over do it the rawhide can shrink too much and damage the timber frame of the drum. Regardless of the method you use, test the tune of the drum as you go through the process by playing the drum until you are happy with the tone. Providing it's done correctly you can repeatedly use these methods without affecting the life span of the drum.
So far we have talked about ways to tune your drum if it sounds flat and dull. What if you have the opposite problem? On a hot dry day the drum may sound very high pitched; in this case, the best way to get the rawhide to loosen is by spraying or sprinkling small amounts of water on the rawhide.
Start from the edges of the drum and work your way to the middle. Let it rest for a few minutes then test the tone of the drum. Keep repeating until you have the desired tone. Avoid wetting the timber frame of the drum and just like the heating method don't over do it. In fact, use this method if you do over heat your drum to loosen the rawhide.
Besides environmental conditions, there are other factors that affect the tone and pitch of Native Indian drums. They are:
Size of the drum. Generally the larger the drum size, that includes the rawhide surface area, timber frame width and depth, the deeper the tone and more the tone resonates. Small drums tend to have a more sharp higher pitch. Although other factors come into effect which can affect the tune, tone and pitch, regardless of the size.
Rawhide thickness. In my experience rawhide thickness has the biggest effect on the tone of drums, particularly "Hoop Drums". The thicker the hide the deeper the tone and pitch. Thinner hides have a higher sharp pitch. So you can have a large drum with a thin hide which produces a high sharp pitch tune or a smaller drum with a thick hide that producers a deep long tune.
These are all important factors you need to take into consideration when selecting your drum.
Southwest Trading Post is the direct importers of authentic Native Drums into Australia. All our drums go through the appropriate quarantine procedures when entering the country.
is the traditional instrumental music of the Yiddish-speaking Jewish community that lived in Eastern and Central Europe since the Middle-Age. It was played by the Klezmorim, who were professional itinerant musicians traveling from town to town, from village to village playing for various celebrations, secular or religious, especially weddings.
can be made of various materials. Most are made of plastic. Pieces made of wood or glass are rare. Even the material can affect the quality of the tone produced although many beginners cannot even tell the difference. As such, it's better to base your decision on your budget. You want to assess the practicality of purchasing a mouthpiece that is made from a specialty material in relation to the sound that it produces at your particular stage of expertise.
was born in Brooklyn, New York to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants on September 26, 1898. He was named Jacob Gershowitz at birth. The family name was later Americanized by George to facilitate his show business career. Many of his other family members followed suit and changed their names accordingly. Gershwin had three siblings in his family.
" and "Fascinating Rhythm" that year.
on Broadway today is only an inspired version from the book written by P. L. Travers which was illustrated by Mary Shepard. That book talks about the strange and magical English nanny named Mary Poppins. She came to Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London in the family of Banks. She takes care of their children. The kids experience different adventures with chimney sweeps and shopkeepers until Mary Poppins suddenly pops out.
opened at the Prince Theatre, London which is inspired by the Disney film and the books. It was praised by many viewers and luckily recommended for nine 2005 Olivier Awards. They won awards for Best Actress in a Musical for Laura Michelle and Best Theatre Choreography for Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear. The original music and lyrics by Sherman brothers was use and was added with new songs and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
history begins with the man some people call the king of surf music. Dick Dale is the man who some believe invented surf music as early as the 1950's. No, it wasn't the Beach Boys. It was Dick Dale.
speaker. This made Fender Stratocaster speaker history.
was among the most famous classical and romantic music composers. He was born in December 1770, in a place known as Bonn, the capital of Electorate of Cologne and a part of Roman Empire. Ludwig was born in a family deeply involved in classical music. His first music teacher was his father Johan Van Beethoven.
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