A Special Note to Band Directors About OBOE REEDS

Drawing of a double-reed mouthpiece for an oboe. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let it be known that I like band directors and that without mine long ago I would not be sitting here writing about what I know about the oboe.

He was (and probably still is) a wonderful man who encouraged me, taught me what he knew but then was humble enough to say that he could take me no further. He recommended a professional oboist in town so I could continue learning the things he could not teach me, and I am forever grateful.

So, you could say I have a great deal of respect for band directors.

I know they are teaching a lot of kids a lot of different instruments, and there is no way anybody can be an expert on all of them. I give them credit for trying!

But there's something that has been coming up a lot in my teaching and even when fielding reed questions that has been bothering me. And although I am sure band directors aren't the only ones to "blame," that's where I am starting to work towards a solution.

The problem seems to be in advising the young band oboists in the selection of oboe reeds. Now, many a band director has bought handmade oboe reeds from me, so there are exceptions.

But to the majority out there, do you know how much easier teaching the oboe would be if you handed out handmade oboe reeds instead of fibercane or even those awful profiled music-store reeds?

The reason is plain and simple.

These reeds do not encourage good habits and make the oboe difficult to play, more difficult than it ever needs to be.

The idea I keep hearing is that somehow, good reeds are reserved for good students... but that is completely wrong. A good, handmade oboe reed should be provided for every beginning oboist on their very first day of playing the oboe.

Talk to a professional oboist and see if they can work with you in making reeds that young students can handle, or consult a professional reedmaking company (yes, like MKL Reeds) that can work with these requests.

Although we need "labels" on reeds so that we all know what we are talking about, these labels are perhaps the least helpful part of all of this. Find a place that can make reeds for beginning students, and that should be pretty much all you need to say.

I am on my soapbox lately about all this "hard, medium hard, soft" stuff!! There is also this very large misconception out there that once a student has been playing for more than a year they need to "graduate" to a "harder" reed... and by the time they have been playing a while they are being handed these "hard" reeds they can't even play!

I just don't understand where this all came from, thinking that increased ability on the oboe somehow means you should make it harder for someone to actually play.

Now, it's not entirely the fault of a band director. And the situation is not exactly helped by machine-made reed manufacturers that are labeling their reeds in this way either.

Here's my take on it:

An oboist needs a reed he can play, NO EXCEPTIONS!!

Buy oboe reeds for your students that are handmade and are not classified in this way, unless you can talk to someone and explain what you need.

What a more advanced student needs in a reed is resistance, which is much different that hardness. So, stop handing them hard reeds once they pass the year mark, and especially when they seem like they are struggling.

Unless you can scrape these reeds down for them, they should not be encouraged. Better yet, get reeds from a professional oboist because these will make your job easier and it will make your students improve faster and probably enjoy playing a lot more.

I can't imagine how hard a job it is to be in your shoes, but think of the amazing start you can help give to each and every kid that chooses to play the oboe.

By Maryn Leister Oboist and entrepreneur Maryn Leister helps beginner, intermediate and professional oboists become happier oboe players. She is an owner of the oboe learning company MKL Reeds and publisher of the Reed Report and Oboe Success Tips Newsletters. Each newsletter is full of straightforward tips on becoming a better oboe player and on taking control of your oboe reeds. Get your free subscription to the Reed Report newsletter and start your own journey towards a more rewarding oboe future right away. Sign-Up now and get your FREE Oboe Reed Tips ! Article Source: EzineArticles

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Why Practice Drums With a METRONOME?

A Metronome, made in West Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Practicing with a metronome will improve your time keeping dramatically! What... you say you can already keep time? Try to keep time with a metronome for about twenty seconds. It will show you how good you really can keep time. If you have never tried it...try it! You will see there is room for improvement.

In order to be an outstanding drummer you'll need to keep good time, and practicing with a metronome can help you do that. A metronome can improve your time keeping almost by magic. And, we know how important timekeeping is, particularly for a drummer.

You may wonder what the big deal is and think, "No one is gonna be able to distinguish any small changes in tempo in the middle of a song." Well, that may be true, but the major importance of keeping good time is at three different places in a song...

1) The times when you break away for a fill and come back to the original rhythm.
2) If the song contains pauses and later returns to the original rhythm.
3) If the song contains different tempos and returns to the original rhythm.

A metronome is such a vital tool in music education that most teachers of guitar, piano, and violin all utilize the power of metronomes within their lessons. How then, even more, important for the timekeeper of a band to practice with a metronome.

I can't stress enough the importance of practicing with a metronome. Once you go out and invest in one, start out by setting it at 80 beats per minute and play along with a standard 4/4 disco beat. This is a good place to begin. It will give you enough time between beats to concentrate and land your beat in sync with the beat of the metronome.

You will see that when you first start practicing with a metronome it can become very discouraging, but then you will eventually get the hang of it and keep pretty good time. Then it may become a little boring. It's at that point where you must challenging yourself a little bit more.

Adjust your metronome to a few more beats and increase your speed. Not so much where you will sacrifice your form, though. You don't want to become sloppy. Once you feel like you are really getting good at staying in sync with the metronome using a 4/4 beat and at various speeds you should begin to practice a variety of different rhythms, also at various speeds.

Practicing with a metronome will improve your drumming dramatically, so if you don't have one, get one. You will be amazed at how much it will increase your level of playing.

Copyright 2006 Daniel N Brown

The Author Dan Brown - ArticleSource: ArticleCity

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MARIMBA - Music-Instruments of the World

Marimba - Music-Instruments of the World

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Make A Marimba Comprehensive Plans To Build Your Own Xylophones, Marimbas, Vibraphones, And Other Commercial Quality Percussion Instruments. For more information click here

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Is JAMORAMA Any Good?

Every day we listen to music. There are various music genres available on the market starting from pop, rock, jazz, folk and ending with classical music and hip-hop. Many of the songs are made with the help of an incredible musical instrument, meaning the guitar. The results are spectacular and this instrument is considered a truly great invention.

We all would like to learn to play guitar. But, there are few people who succeed, as this instrument demands tons of concentration and hard work. This is why there are some websites out there, provided by specialists, trying to make the learning process a little less difficult. They present the fundamentals in order to help one find out how to play guitar.

Their purpose is to prove to the world that to learn to play guitar can really be obtained after a serious time of practice. The guidelines are proper for beginners and advanced users as well, not to mention that some of them offer audio samples and many other helping steps. Information is available in a wonderful style online and there are lots of Internet users who become interested in learning how to play guitar.

Rhythm and timing are perhaps two of the most important parts of the process helping one to learn to play guitar. Absolute learning comes after some time and there are many things that need to be understood. For example, the basic guitar chords are significant for anyone wanting to learn how to play guitar. There are three major types: major, minor and dominant. All of them are important in the creative procedure of making a song and they help one get to the basics of discovering how to play guitar.

Besides guitar chords, there are many other crucial elements in order to learn to play guitar. There is a wealth of information about how to tune a guitar, major and minor scales, electric guitars and guitar effects. Moreover, you can check out the piece of info on popular topics such as guitar positions, fretting the guitar and fingerstyle guitar.

Also, you get to understand the need to use a pick and the various shapes that exist. It is vital to grasp that the pick can severely influence the musical performance in different ways, plus the thickness that can totally transform the sounds. Online there is a wide range of picks available, for anyone interested in learning how to play guitar.

There are many important aspects to the process of learning how to play guitar. Still, the simplest way to get beyond all that and learn for real is to keep on playing until you tire and then start again. Practice makes perfect, an old saying used to say and the idea continues to be perfect for any beginner. Musical instruments do not necessarily require an amazing technique but the mastering of the basic skills.

The Internet is the perfect place to locate all possible information about guitar playing and guides. The heaps of available data can be overwhelming and this is why it is for the best to select some useful resources. Choose the one that has the information clearly presented and that highlights the importance of everyday practice.

Jamorama - The Ultimate Guitar Learning Guide The Dominating Force In Online Guitar Lessons For Over 10 Years, Offering Step-by-step Lessons From Youtube's Most Successful Guitar Tutor. Best Customer Success Rate And Testimonials In The Business. For more information click here

Aside from learning guides, one can also find online other interesting information about guitars. There are guitar buying tips, leads on used instruments and famous guitarists. These are many but few of the names worth mentioning include Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Julian Bream, and Andres Segovia. All of them are famous guitarists in the world and they have managed to succeed by constant work. It is up to you how you use your talents and your skills.

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How To Get VIBRATO When SINGING

Edith Piaf - Photo: Wikipedia

"How can I develop a vibrato singing voice?" This is a question often asked by aspiring singers. But firstly, what is actually singing in vibrato? 

A vibrato is a slight variation of pitch tone caused by the free oscillation of the vocal folds from an open pharynx (open throat) along with the healthy closure of the vocal cords with the use of good singing muscle support system. 

However, there are many singers singing with wrong vibratos resulting in awful pitching and tones. This is usually the results of the oscillations being too slow, which is called a wobble and when it is too fast, called a tremolo. 

We often hear singers who have a wide and slow vibrato which is actually a wobble. This phenomenon is usually caused by a lack of correct resistance of the breath pressure or a lack of focus in the singing tone. A wobble can also be caused by a lack of proper adduction of the vocal folds. 

On the other hand, some singers developed an overly fast vibrato that sounds just as awful as the wobble. This overly fast vibrato is called a tremolo and neither the wobble nor the tremolo is the desired vocal tone for good singing. 

A tremolo can be caused by a pressure built up at the root of the tongue. This pressure can have its origin at inhalation or onset of sound production. It can also be the result of a lack of vocal cord approximation. 

Many singers do not know that the vocal folds must close after inhalation. This lack of proper adduction of the cords can result in a faster vibrato speed and therefore, the creation of a tremolo. The improper use of the singing muscle support system is another cause for producing a tremolo voice. 

A good vibrato is when the singing voice is vibrating at an even rate. An uneven vibrato may be the result of sudden changes in the sub-glottis breath pressure. These sudden changes in the air pressure are a result of even "body resistance" from the singing support system. The vocal cords then begin to separate and vibrate unhealthily. 

Most singers started off having a straight singing tone (no vibrato) before developing the vibrato through good vocal exercises. Some straight tone singers have even sung in choirs where their choir masters insisted that they sing in a straight tone. 

Singing this way can be damaging to the singing voice as it put too much stress on the vocal cords and nodules can develop from singing in a straight tone over a period of time. 

A good choral vocal blend can be developed through vowel and acoustical alignment but not squeezing the singing voice into a straight tone. Most straight tone singers have problems with vocal cord closure because too much pressure has been held at the vocal folds over a period of time. 

A good vibrato gets woven into the voice when the singer achieves a proper balance in the support muscles and when the feeling of the "oo" vowel is sustained in the pharynx. The feeling of the "oo" vowel allows a healthy adduction of the vocal cords without too much pressure at the glottis. 

A diaphragmatic vibrato is the when the diaphragm pulsates during a sustained tone to create a false vibrato. Many theatre singers develop this bad vocal habit so as to have some sort of vibrato when no vibrato is actually present. A diaphragmatic vibrato is difficult to reverse because the abdominal muscles memorize the pulsating sensation and develop a muscle memory. However, it can be corrected through time with proper vocal exercises. 

A healthy vibrato can be developed in a rather short period of time with the right vocal exercises. How long does it take for a singer to develop a good and healthy vibrato voice is usually dependent on the singer's mind/body coordination? 

So if you want to develop a good vibrato singing voice, then go look for a good singing teacher or get the right vocal exercises and start practicing.

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Classification Of MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

All people enjoy one or the other kind of music. Music has a soothing effect on the body and the mind. It also has some healing capabilities which medicine and science have been trying to decipher for years. Music can be enjoyed and learned by people of all age groups. A large number of music schools have come up in the recent years which teach interested persons how to play different types of instruments.

Before you set to buy a musical instrument or even learn one, you need to know about the different types of musical instruments that exist.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

a) Wind instruments:

Sound is produced in these instruments when a column of air is made to vibrate inside them. These instruments are further divided into brass and woodwind instruments. The length of the column of air and the shape of the instrument play a major role in determining the frequency of the wave generated. Different tones are produced depending on the construction of the instrument and method of tone production.

b) Percussion instruments:

Sound is produced in these instruments by simply striking them. The sound produced in this case may or may not be of high pitch. The cavity of the instrument surrounding the area where it is struck vibrates and sound is produced. The shape and material of the instrument also decide the type of sound produced form this instrument.

c) String instruments:

These instruments produce sound when the string is disturbed from its original position by the application of force. The length of the vibrating string, the mass, tension and the point at which the string is excited determine the frequency of the sound produced. The tone of sound produced by these instruments can vary depending on the shape and resonating cavity construction of each instrument.

d) Electronic instruments:

Sound is produced in these instruments through electronic means by imitating the sounds produced by other instruments. They resemble keyboards in appearance.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

e) Brass instruments:

Sound is produced in these instruments when air is blown into a tube with different length or thickness to generate a wide range of sounds.

f) Keyboard instruments:

These instruments can use any of the above methods to generate musical sounds. Each key in the keyboard can produce one sound or the other. Keyboards are famous for producing a combination of different sounds and can also imitate the sound produced by other musical instruments.

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Babies: MUSIC FOR BABIES

8 weeks old baby (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You’ve probably seen videos and CDs for babies. There are some theories that classical music can make your baby smarter, and exposing your baby to music is part of what we do to introduce them to all the sights and sounds of their world.

Music can definitely help calm your baby down and put him in a restful state at bedtime or nap time. What are some good choices for a baby?

Almost anything you love or use for relaxation is good for a baby too. There are good collections of Mozart or Bach for bedtime. The music of Enya can be very soothing as well. Georgia Kelly’s harp music is also relaxing and peaceful.

When your baby’s awake, there are lots of nursery rhymes or music from kids’ movies that can stimulate his senses. We’ve known kids who respond to minimalist Phillip Glass’s music; it’s simple and rhythmic and when they get older, they’ll dance with it. Spirituals and soft gospel music are also good choices to help the baby get to sleep.

White noise, in the form of a fan (not directed right at the baby), or from sound machines that simulate the sound of an ocean or rain can be restful as well and can block out noise from the home. You don’t need to create an artificially silent environment for the baby, however, since that can make it harder for them to get to sleep when the home’s rhythms and noises get back to normal.

This is a great time for you to explore classical music as well if it’s not already part of your life. The same music that’s helping your baby get to sleep can help soothe your own nerves and provide a wonderful time of bonding and restfulness for you and your baby together.

Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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All About JAZZ DANCE

Jerome Robbins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Art of Jazz dance is an amalgamation of different styles of dance that began between the 1800's, and the middle of the 1900's rooted in African American movement.  One man known for this type of dance was the star of vaudeville Joe Frisco around 1910 who danced in an unrestrained fashion in close vicinity to the ground while tossing his cigar, and Derby in a juggling manner. The Jazz dance style up to the middle of 1950's was Tap dance which was always performed with Jazz music such as the Jitterbug, Swing, Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop,  and the Charleston.  Katherine Dunham is renowned choreographer and dancer studied the cultural dances of Caribbean in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, Martinique and Shango making this African American dance a modern work of pure art.

She took this style to Hollywood and Broadway who embraced a more refined Jazz dance.  Modern Jazz Dance is a smooth style of dance roots from Tap, Ballet and Jazz music which is performed in many musicals from the Pajama Game to Cabaret to Chicago to music videos and the Las Vegas showgirl performances. The usual technique for Jazz dance is that of a ballet dancer for balance and strength from doing slow movements. In contrast, the typical Jazz dance has sharp movements, but the skills of ballet smooth it down into a refined style.

Moreover, Jazz dance is such a versatile style that it can be combined with other dances from lyrical, contemporary and hip-hop. Jazz dance like Jazz music can be combined with other dance styles to enhance the dance to another level. For instance,  The United Kingdom witnessed a new movement of dancers in the 1980's who danced when the Jazz and Funk music clubs was becoming unpopular known as Street  Fusion Jazz Dance. Due to the new modern music scene, new groups who longed to keep the tradition of Jazz dance, and still leave room for the new styles.

There are two groups known for street fusion jazz dance known as IDJ ( I Dance Jazz), Brother in Jazz and Jazz Cotech.  Famous people of the world of Jazz dance is Fred Astaire, Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, and Bob Fosse. In the world of Jazz Dance, there are terms people use to describe various dance moves.

Jazz Dance Terms:

Adlib, Axel Turn, Ball Change, Barrel Jump, Barrel Turn, Bounce, Cake Walk, Catwalk, Catch Step, Chasse`, Coffee Grinder, Contract, Curve Or Arch, Dolphin, Drop and Recover, Fall, Fall Over The Log, Fan Kick, Figure 8, Flick, Flick Kick, Freeze, Funk, Head-Roll, Hinge, Hip Walk,  Hip-Fall, Hip-Roll, Hitch Kick, Hop, Jazz Drag, Jazz Run, Jazz Split, Jazz Square, Jazz Walk, Jump Over The Log, Kick, Knee Fall, Knee Slide, Knee Turn, Lay Out, Limbo, Mess Around, Moonwalk, Pencil Turn, Pitch, Pivot Step, Primitive Squat, Release, Ripple, Shimmie, Shiver, Shoulder Fall, Shoulder Roll, Sissonne Fall, Skate, Snake, Snap, Spins, Spiral, Stag Leap, Step, Switch, Table Top, Tilt, Touch, Tripplettes, Turns, Twists, and the Worm.

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BASS GUITAR PLAYERS Who Changed The World

Suzi Quatro (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some people think that if you want to change the world you don't become a bass player, but go into something more challenging and stimulating like the Post Office. But does this myth portray how bass players really are? Let's step back from our habitual way of seeing bass guitar players as necessary but boring members of the group. Like accountants. 

Sure we acknowledge the fine contribution they make to their bands by supplying the bass lines and paying for the beer, but do they actually do anything really creative? This brief listing of some prominent men (and woman) of bass will allow you to see that this apparently self-effacing member of a musical group could be the creative powerhouse.

Let's start with the leather-jacketed but overpoweringly feminine Suzi Quatro. A vocalist and bass player who had a bunch of hits in Australia and Europe in the early seventies, her popularity in the USA stemmed from her role as Leather Tuscadero in Happy Days.

John Entwistle pioneered the use of the electric bass guitar as an instrument for soloists. His aggressive approach to the bass guitar influenced many other bassists.

Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers impressed a lot of musicians with his popping and slapping technique which was originally invented by Larry Graham of Sly And The Family Stone. Flea's innovative use of effects pedals has also influenced many bass players.

Jack Bruce wrote most of supergroup Cream's hit songs. Among his other achievements are fighting constantly with Cream's drummer, Ginger Baker and surviving a liver transplant.

Greg Lake is another artist of the early seventies who played with a number of innovators from the glam rock era. Lake is best known for his vocals, bass and guitar work with Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

Rob Bailey is a bassist who plays loud and aggressive. His bass playing is an important element in the music of AC/DC.

Benny Rietveld, a Dutch musician who went to college in Hawaii, is admired for his musical and individualistic style of play. He worked with Barney Kessell, Sheila E, Huey Lewis, and Miles Davis. He has also made an album featuring Carlos Santana. Talk about diverse.

Paul McCartney  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul McCartney played bass with The Beatles. Many bass players say he's quite good, but he changed the world with his romantic song lyrics.

Considered by some to be the king of bass players, Stanley Clarke employs a variation of the pop and slap technique to produce some truly innovative bass guitar music. His 1976 album, School Days, is acclaimed by many critics as one of the greatest bass albums ever.

A true bass lead guitar player, Billy Sheehan has won Guitar Player Magazine's "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll five times. Why a "bass lead guitar player"? Because Billy plays bass as if he were playing the lead.

So if you are not familiar with bass guitar players I hope this article has whetted your appetite. Why not spend your next rainy Sunday watching some of their work on YouTube?

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How to Create the Perfect Structure for Your SONGS

Change (Taylor Swift song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some people have a knack for song structure.  Taylor Swift, for example, began by writing poetry as a child. After teaching herself to play the guitar she began putting her poems to music, structuring them as songs. Of course, not everyone has Taylor’s innate musical skills. At the same time, you don’t need to attend college and earn a music degree or take years of lessons to learn the basics of how to create the perfect structure for your songs.

What does song structure actually mean?  Structure refers to the way the sections of the song are arranged. Structure gives the song its form and optimizes the emotional or musical impact. Different genres of music have a different structure. For example, a symphony has a different structure than a pop song. An R&B ballad has a different structure than a rap. So the type of genre you write in will affect the ultimate structure of your song.

Typically, songs employ repetition to make them catchy and to emphasize the song’s emotional point. A structure is also used to enhance the storytelling element of a song, making the listener want to hear what’s coming next.

Before you can decide on the structure of your song, you need to know the components to use:

The Introduction: Usually instrumental using chords from the verse or chorus but famous lyricists like George Gershwin regularly started his compositions with a sung intro.

Verse: Usually contains four to 8 chords. In songwriting terms, the story of the song is told through the verses.

Chorus: Also called the refrain, the chorus is also usually four to eight chords and has a primary musical phrase which is repeated. In Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Dani California,” the refrain is:

California rest in peace

Simultaneous release

California show your teeth

She’s my priestess, I’m your priest

The chorus as a distinctly different musical dynamic that the verses. In songwriting terms, this is the emotional center of the song. Typically, a phrase from the chorus is what people remember.

Bridge: a musical connection between a verse and chorus or between a chorus and verse. This is especially useful when you have a key change from one to the other, or the transition from verse to chorus or vice versa isn’t particularly smooth.

Middle 8: A musical or lyrical interlude that can prevent a song from seeming monotonous or to add a different emotional element.

Outro: The “bow out” of a song. Often it’s just a reiteration of the verse or chorus but can be totally unique.  The elements of the structure are just a guideline. How you use them is based on your talent and artistic vision

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Playing Duets With NATIVE AMERICAN and ANASAZI FLUTES

Duet playing between Native American flute players is a fairly simple task. The players usually select the key in which they choose to perform, and take turns in listening and playing. As long as the flutes are tuned to the same pitch, the compatibility of the instruments will be pleasing. Pairing an Anasazi-style flute with a Native American flute (NAF) presents a different problem due to the way keys are designated for each kind of flute. The root note designation for Anasazi-style flutes denotes the beginning of a major pentatonic scale. Common keys for Anasazi flutes are A, G# (or Ab), and some higher pitched versions in C and D.

Unlike almost any other Western key-tuned flute, the NAF is named by a minor key rather than the major, because of the pentatonic minor scale structure of the NAF. Flute players fill in their collections by acquiring instruments in various root notes (F#, G, A, etc.), and that root note designation refers to the minor key of that note. For example, the NAF in A is really A minor, no sharps or flats. The major key with no sharps or flats is C, and with the right fingering the NAF in A minor can also play the major C scale (also called mode 2 for the NAF).

The Anasazi scale is based on a pentatonic major scale based on the lowest note of the flute. This distinction is important because a NAF flute in A (minor), no sharps or flats, is not compatible with an Anasazi flute in A (major), 3 sharps. And while it's worth noting that the Anasazi flute can play in a minor mode, a greater number of compatible notes between the two kinds of flutes are available if you use flutes with the same number of sharps or flats in their scale structure.

In music theory, each set of sharps and/or flats in a major key have its minor key complement (called a relative minor). The musical distance is a minor 3rd apart. If you pair a NAF with an Anasazi flute, use this as a guide:

Anasazi A with NAF F#m (3 sharps)

Anasazi G# (Ab) NAF Fm (4 flats)

Anasazi C with NAF Am (no sharps or flats)

Anasazi D with NAF Bm (2 sharps)

Take a listen to Welcome Dance and Two Hearts in the September 18 post at http://www.anasazidream.com. The overdubbed recording is played with an F#m NAF with an A Anasazi Dream flute. Because both instruments share the same key signature, the pieces hold together musically.

Mark Purtill is an educator, artist, composer, performer, and author and maker of Anasazi flute replicas as well as other rim blew flutes. http://www.anasazidream.com Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Famous DRUMMERS - Carter Beauford

Carter BeaufordRio de Janeiro (30/09/2008). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Carter Beauford is widely known for being the drummer, percussionist, and one of the founding members of the legendary Dave Matthews Band.

Carter Anthony Beauford was born on November 2, 1957, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was raised in a household where everything from jazz, rock, gospel, to pop, was played.

At an early age of three, he was already exposed to the world of drums and percussion, when his father had no choice but to bring him to a Buddy Rich concert because there was nobody around to take care of his son. From then on, Carter became enthralled and awestruck with Buddy Rich.

Because he showed so much interest in learning the drums, his father bought him a Roy Rogers tin drum set with paper heads, his first ever drum set. During this period, Carter's musical influences included Tony Williams, Papa Jo Jones, and, certainly, Buddy Rich. He started doing professional gigs at nine years old with a jazz-fusion band led by local celebrity Big Nick Nicholas. He graduated with a degree in music at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.

Carter has played with many bands with different styles, as he thought it important to stay open to improving oneself through exposure to the music of its various forms. He joined a Richmond-based jazz fusion band, Secrets, which featured saxophonist LeRoi Moore, trumpeter John Dearth, vocalist Dawn Thompson, keyboardist Butch Taylor, and guitarist Tim Reynolds. The band performed frequently at a bar in Charlottesville called Miller's, where he met Dave Matthews, who used to be the bartender.

When the band fell apart, Carter went to California to try out for the Arsenio Hall show but was not accepted, so he moved back to Virginia. Aside from Secrets, Carter also became a part of the jazz/R&B band Blue Indigo, along with LeRoi Moore, Sal Soghoian, and George Melvin, and they played both at Millers and Tokyo Rose. The band was fortunate enough to have been featured at the Delaware Water Gap Jazz Festival. After some time, Carter and Moore were approached by Dave Matthews regarding some material he had been working on that he wanted to record, and Carter agreed after listening to it. It was then that he became a Dave Matthews Band drummer.

Recognized for his assortment of percussion styles and ambidexterity when playing, Carter has done a lot of collaborations in the past, some of which were with artists Vertical Horizon, Carlos Santana, John Popper (Blues Traveler), Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones), and Robin Andre (AKA Boy Wonder).

Carter got married twice. He has two daughters, Breana and Nadja Angelique, and one son, Marcus Carrington.

Carter currently uses Yamaha Drums, Dunnett Classic Titanium and Stainless Steel snare drums, Zildjian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Yamaha and Drum Workshop hardware, Promark sticks and mallets, and various other percussion equipment.

Drew Mers is a consultant to Empire Rehearsal Studios. The company rents bands, musicians and drummers music rehearsal studios in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Article Directory: EzineArticles

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BALLET DANCING – The Ideal Physique

Ballet Dancer - Edgar Degas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you a ballet dancer, thinking about taking ballet dancing to the next level?

First, let me say that I truly believe that whatever you put your mind to, and become completely focused on that goal, you can achieve...

This article is just highlighting some of the centuries-old beliefs as to what constitutes an ideal physique for a ballet dancer...

It is well recognized that a ballet dancer MUST possess a physique that can be trained to the finest degree of coordination, combined with complete flexibility, endurance, and great strength from head to toes. In spite of this all-important fact, some students train till well on into their teens before being defeated by some physical characteristic which undoubtedly existed at ten years old but overlooked or ignored by their trainers at that time...

So what is the ideal physique, you ask?

Well, most experts agree that your body’s proportions are critical to having an ideal physique. Apart from aesthetic considerations, a well proportioned body will weather the stresses and strains of the exciting work required of it with greater ease than one in which there is some disparity in the relative length for instance, of limbs to torso, of width to length of the body, or of the relative size of shoulders to hips and so on...

Unlike the musician, the ballet dancer cannot tune their instrument by lengthening or shortening their strings, increasing or decreasing the tension until the exact pitch is achieved. In the world of ballet dancing, your body is your instrument, infinitely complicated and it becomes your servant only after many years of desperately hard training...

At best it becomes an instrument of great beauty, but it will fall short of this if it is endowed with that extra inch here or too short a length there to fall into that perfection of line and form that the art demands. In the well-informed, well-proportioned physique there is less likelihood of muscles thickening in unwanted places, and less proneness to the minor and sometimes major mishaps caused by the effort to overcome obstacles which are inherent in the build of the body...

The neckline is important, rather more on aesthetic grounds than from the anatomical point of view. To conform to the ideal physique the neck should not be too square, and above all not too short; the head should not be disproportionately large nor too small...

The ideal ballet physique embodies a perfect balance between the upper and lower halves of the body. A good guide for the best proportions may be taken from ancient Greece where the length from the crown of the head to the pubic arch or fork is equal to that from the fork to the ground. Following the same pattern, the length from the fork to the lower border of the kneecap should be equal to that from the lower border of the kneecap to the ground...

According to the classical tradition, the shoulders of the man are broader than the hips, in the woman they are somewhat narrower. Here we diverge somewhat, for it has been found by experience that the ideal ballet figure is the better for some slight extra width across the shoulders, whether male or female...

Limbs are next on the list. Pretty arms and hands are naturally an asset; extra arm length or lack of it is not a really a problem, but for the lower limbs the standard of beauty is set high. The ideal leg will, of course, be straight and shapely, showing little or not muscular development when standing, with a smooth line from the back view, and knees which do not protrude too much from the front...

There will be a straight line down the center of the thigh, through the center of the knee, down the front of the leg to about the middle of the foot. The foot will be flexible, showing at least a potential arch. With toes of medium length only and preferably with the first two or three approximating the same length...

Finally, the perfect candidate will have an upright carriage and well-poised head.

Hopefully, this gives you a little insight into some age-old views on the physique of ballet dancers and the art of ballet dancing.

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The SITAR - Its Influence on Popular Music

SITAR RAVI SHANKAR STYLE AT-www.sathyadeepmusicals.com
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Legend says that the sitar was invented by Amir Khusro himself an Indian poet, scholar, and musician.

Mainly used in Hindustani classical music, the sitar has been around for over 700 years. Made with a gourd body (often carved out of a pumpkin), the sitar comprises of the basic elements of a stringed instrument. It has a neck, pegs, strings and a body. A sitar can have 18/19 or 20 strings, it also has 11, 12 or 13 sympathetic strings of which 3 or 4 provide the drone and these are located underneath the frets.

Up until the 1960s, the sitar had never been used in popular music. George Harrison was to change all that.

During a break filming Help, Harrison picked up a sitar (being used as a prop) and attempted to play it. After this encounter, he began getting lessons from the legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar. Soon after in 1965, the Beatles produced the first released Western pop song to include the sitar - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), in which George played the Indian instrument.

The Beatles would go on to further display their influence from the sitar, writing songs such as Tomorrow Never Knows, Across The Universe and many more. Following their success with blending the sitar and popular music, other Indian instruments were introduced in their compositions, such as the tabla and tamboura.

Creating a very psychedelic effect on the music, many artists followed The Beatles use of the sitar and Indian instruments. Musicians such as The Rolling Stones (Paint It Black), The Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine), Donovan (Hurdy Gurdy Man) all found inspiration through the sitar.

Even to this day, popular musicians are using the sitar to enhance their creations. Newton Faulkner is one of the more recent artists to include sitar on his tracks.

Undeniably, the sitar has had a profound effect on popular music as we know it. Fusing the Indian instrument with Western instruments have worked wonders and produced some mind-blowing classic songs.

By Michelle Lawrie Michelle Lawrie is a guitar and singing teacher based in Scotland. Article Source: EzineArticles

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CLARINET MOUTHPIECE Guide - A Look at The Clarinet Mouthpiece

Selmer C85 120 Mouthpiece, Vandoren V12 Strength 3 Reed, Vandoren Optimum Ligature.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every clarinet player understands just how crucial it is to have a proper mouthpiece. The clarinet mouthpiece is that part that creates the overall pitch and timbre of the sound coming from this musical instrument. Here is a clarinet mouthpiece guide to give you an idea about this particular device and how it works.

The right material

Any clarinet mouthpiece guide will tell you that when it comes to mouthpieces, the rule of the thumb states that softer materials can make darker sounds that are also less projecting. Conversely, harder materials for mouthpieces will create brighter sounds.

Plastic

Most students' mouthpieces - or those that are used by novices are made of plastic because this material is more affordable and relatively more durable. The only setback is that the sound tends to be brighter than normal, making it difficult to focus.

Ebonite

If you want better-focused sound, you want to use a clarinet mouthpiece made of ebonite or hard rubber. This is the preferred material by jazz musicians and those who play classical music. An ebonite clarinet mouthpiece will not require a lot of projection and edge.

Crystal

Crystal clarinet mouthpieces are mainly used for outdoor playing. They can create sounds that are bright and better projected so they are also popular choices for jazz players.

Wood

This material is rarely used for clarinet mouthpieces because it can create the warmest sound and the least projecting at that. This material is also less durable than plastic or rubber.

Buying tips

Another important point that a clarinet mouthpiece guide will tell you is that the sound quality that you want to produce depends on the type of bore that your mouthpiece has. A compact and more focused tone comes from a smaller bore while one that is dark and mellow can be produced by a larger one.

Important buying tips

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Theater Arts – ITALIAN OPERA

Italian opera is the earliest known opera form. Although the Greek and Roman Theater had inspired it, it inspired many countries around the world, including most of Europe. Some say that the word opera has been derived from the Italian words “Opera in Musica” which means work in music. The evidence of the very first opera performed in Italy was at the wedding of Marie de Medici and Henry IV of France. The Italian opera had three stages namely the baroque, the romantic and the modern.

Baroque period is the name of that period of Italian opera that originated in Italy at the beginning of the 17th century. The voice used was very high pitched along with the instrumental music. This style was known as monody and was developed by Giulio Caccini and Jacopo Peri. It was reflected in the opera Euridice that was based on the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. When there were no dialogues during the performance, there were songs with music. This type of opera inspired many other writes, one of them was Claudio Monteverdi who wrote La Favola D’Orfeo that had the monody style. It was his first play and it still is famous with the audience today. Monteverdi worked hard on synchronizing instrumental music with the words and showed this effort in Mantua, with large choruses with nearly forty instruments that created a really good effect.  He was named as the Maestro Da Cappella in Venice in the year 1613.

The first opera house for the public was opened in the year 1637. Monteverdi wrote many compositions for this theater and his works L’Incoronazione di Poppae and I Ritomo d’Ullise in Patria were prominent out of the many. He even brought the Bel Canto and Buffa styles into Italian opera. Bel canto had a more even tone and eased the singing stress. Buffa had more comic touch with amusing and mocking elements. All these acted as the stepping-stone for many other later composers. At the end of the century, there were three hundred and fifty opera created for the theaters in Venice alone. Many young artists were inspired to work in these theaters and bring out their talents. People came from outside Italy too.

In the 19th century, romantic opera began to rise and Gioacchino Rossini was responsible for it. The romantic opera involved lots of emotions and imagination along with lots of music and arias. This music was so fine that it overshadowed the blunders in the stories. His composures such as La Cenerentola and Barber of Seville are famous till today. Many others such as Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Gaetano Donizetti followed him.

Giuseppe Verdi changed the way opera was written at that time. Nabucco was his first work and it was a very big success because of the great choruses along with enormous liveliness in the music. He even wrote Va Pensiero, a chorus presentation to inspire the warriors at the time of Italian independence struggle. The works, which followed this had a more patriotic theme and were also based on older romantic works. He began to venture into different musical forms and finally his creation Otello replaced Rossini’s opera. His last work Falstaff finally changed the conventional form of theater and made music and words more free-flowing.

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