MODERN JAZZ and its Restless Identity

Miles Davis 1984 in Bad Segeberg
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is an illusion brought about by the record store racks that discrete stylistic barriers separate the music we love into camps of the genre. Every music is a bastard at heart. While the contemporary apparatus for the consumption of music reinforces the notion of the genre (notable exception: the internet), with Top 40 radio stations, hip-hop magazines, and the segmented organization of the Grammys, listeners realize deep down that all this division is a lot of baloney. Music is music.

Yet, despite the intuitive understanding that the theory of genre doesn't stand up under scrutiny, it remains a powerful principle in our culture (or more accurately, our culture industry). Not only do genres define the radio station to which you tune in and instruct you what clubs to avoid on a Friday night, the genre is deeply interwoven with people's identities. High schools are the perfect laboratory for music-based social identity. The goths all seance together to the accompaniment of Manson and Ministry; Preppy kids rock the Dave Matthews while driving around in their parents' Hummers; skaters thrash to punk rock; and the weirdos gather around old jazz records, analyzing the theoretical arcana of the style and deciphering the liner notes as if they are gnomic texts. In short, the idea of genre, as much as we like to hate it, is a potent social and musical force in our culture.

But just as every individual understands that genre is a fluid concept, musicians are even more acutely aware of this fact. With very few exceptions globally, there isn't music out there that hasn't stolen ideas from other musical cultures around it. Purity simply doesn't exist, since every style is the result of a long and often contentious dialog between people, places, times, and cultures. Every genre, therefore, is the document of some deep dialectic process that continues to morph even as you look at it; every music is a Proteus of possibilities.

This is all a long-winded way of winding up to the topic at hand, the state of modern jazz. Like everything else, jazz came about through a very American sort of mixture: Delta blues met with Sousa marching bands; Debussy encountered Negro spirituals; hymn tunes and Creole culture collided. Perhaps it is no surprise then that a slew of modern jazz musicians is turning to another genre, rock, to find inspiration. Jazz, since its humble inception and by its very nature, borrows.

This is not the first time jazz has succumbed to the Siren's lure of electric guitar feedback and throbbing backbeats. Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, and a huge cast of early 1970s musicians incorporated these new sounds into their music, and the purists, predictably enough, wailed that "jazz is dead." Those guys were grabbing new sounds that they heard around them in an attempt to inject a little body and soul into a music that had gone a bit limp creatively at the time. The rock music entering jazz today, though, is of a different origin. To young jazzers today, the distorted guitar is not a fresh new sound at all - it is the sound they grew up listening to. I don't know a soul who spent their formative years of 13 to 18 listening to Miles and Shorter to the exclusion of Mudhoney and Soundgarden. To young Americans, rock (and hip-hop) is in our blood, and jazz is a transfusion we got later in life.

Brad Mehldau  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another point to mention: just as the erudite narrator in Kazantzakis's masterpiece envies Zorba's earthy, intuitive ways, so do the scholarly pursuits look upon the non-scholarly as a sort of pre-lapsarian Utopia of unmediated reality. The narrator questions his library of books just as a jazzer questions his arsenal of dense music theory. What is it about the intellectual character that looks longingly at the illiterate? I have a hunch that the ideal notion of purity has something to do with it, but more on this idea in another post perhaps; for now, let's return to the topic.

The generational shift and its mark on jazz aesthetics are becoming plain as day. Three recent records exemplify this shifting, more rocking self-identification. I don't want to labor them too extensively, so here's a brief description of a few rocking jazz picks from the last couple years:

The Bad Plus, Prog (2006)

This is piano trio music that strives for the sound of a power trio. I admit that I was a little skeptical when I heard that a "jazz" group covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but the Bad Plus's approach to hallowed standards of the rock world, from Queen to Black Sabbath to Bjork, is incredibly fresh. The pianist Ethan Iverson is classically trained and didn't start playing jazz until comparatively recently, and it shows (for the better): rather than playing all the standard jazz piano vocabulary, Iverson takes a neotonal, melodic approach to improvisation. It's as if Rachmaninoff sat down with a rhythm section. Stand-out songs on this most-recent collection include a crashing take on Rush's anthemic "Tom Sawyer," complete with Neil Peart's machine gun drum solo replicated in perfect detail. The original tune "Physical Cities" features a two minute long stop-and-go rhythmic interlude with completely irregular hits. It is probably the most baroque, complex passage I've heard on a jazz record in years.

Brad Mehldau Trio, Day is Done (2005)

Another piano trio album by the indefatigable Brad Mehldau, Day is Done is much more of a traditional jazz album than Prog; heads lead to solos and all the formal architecture of the style is there. However, the material is all over the map, from the Beatles to Nick Drake and Radiohead. The opening cut says it all: with a rattling menace in the drums and thick, gloopy double-stops on the bass, Radiohead's "Knives Out" signifies from the get-go that this isn't cocktail jazz. Mehldau has cultivated a uniquely idiosyncratic voice on the piano and has mastered the technique of playing counterpoint to himself. On Day is Done, one hand is playing jazz while the other is pounding power chords and flipping off the establishment. It's a tour de force of the nascent jazz aesthetic, at once fiercely urgent and sublimely graceful.

Ben Allison, Little Things Run the World (2008)

One of the young leaders of the downtown NY scene, bassist and composer Ben Allison has never been a slave to the genre. His previous albums blend psychedelia, avant-garde, and even Malian griot to create a totally idiosyncratic sound. On his most recent record from two weeks ago (with the band "Man-Sized Safe," named after Dick Cheney's sinister office safe that can fit a man in it), Allison dives into more rocking territory with a 4-piece ensemble complete with an overdriven electric guitar. The grooves are austere and stripped to the bare essentials of pulse, and the melodies are broach and spacious. It's a beautiful record, complete with Allison's signature Avant-jazz weirdness but toned down and kept simple.

These are just a few records that spring to mind that define this newly developing identity of jazz (and of jazz musicians). The Ben Darwish Trio similarly occupies the space between rock and jazz, free-style improv and tight song forms, hip-hop groove, and esoteric textures. From the perspective of a musician who has been playing and listening to the new jazz for years now, therefore, I can say that this sort of thing comes much more naturally than "Autumn Leaves" and "Solar." Rock is what young Americans grew up listening to, and the fact that jazz has been borrowing from it so heavily lately is a testament to the resilience and relevance of the style in 2008. 

For a great counter-example, see Sascha Frere-Jones's recent piece in the New Yorker, "A Paler Shade of White." Frere-Jones contends that contemporary indie rock ignores what earlier rock valued so much: musical miscegenation. Not borrowing from black music has created a sterile, rhythmically bland, "white" genre that appeals to - surprise! - white youth. It's a fascinating warning of what can become of music if it gets too pure. Of course, great jazz artists have always known this.

By Zach Wallmark - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Playing BASS GUITAR Solos

A Rickenbacker 4001 bass.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1965 British rock group, The Who released a song called My Generation. Apart from its claim to fame as a rock anthem it also contains the most instantly recognizable bass guitar solo in rock and roll. This iconic solo by John Entwistle is typical of the bass solo modeled on similar solo breaks played on double bass and bass guitar in jazz music. This type of bass guitar solo is in the form of a question and answer sequence often found in blues music. The Who's solo also imitates jazz bass solos in that it is played without other instruments behind it. In jazz, such solos are played unaccompanied because other instruments tend to drown out the bass.

There have been many bass solos included in rock, funk, and jazz but only in pop music has the bass guitar solo stood alone as a piece of music. The first pop musician in England to own and play an electric bass guitar was Jet Harris. He found fame and fortune with The Shadows, Cliff Richard's backing group who were trying to make their own way in pop music as a vocal and instrumental group. Harris played on the band's early instrumental hits featuring the lead guitar of Hank Marvin but decided to try to make it as a soloist like America's Duane Eddy. 

Jet Harris' first big hit as a solo guitarist was in 1962 with his rendition of the 1940 song Besame Mucho. The throbbing notes of the six-string bass turned a poignant love song into an instrumental work full of menace. Probably inspired by their former band member's success, The Shadows released another six-string bass solo called Stingray as a single in 1965.

Meanwhile in America in 1963 a young composer and arranger named Jack Nitzsche made a lush orchestral single called The Lonely Surfer. The orchestra was merely the backdrop for a simple melody played on the bass guitar. The Lonely Surfer never climbed higher than number thirty-nine on the charts, but that is pretty good for a bass guitar solo! 

These days the bass guitar is an important part of any band. It was actually born in the nineteen-thirties but met with very little success until it was adopted by the early rock and roll groups of the nineteen fifties. The bass guitar is of course descended from the double bass which has always been a solo instrument in orchestral music and was often used for solo work in jazz.

If you want to play bass guitar, you might want to consider learning to play a regular guitar first. It is not absolutely necessary to become a lead or rhythm guitarist before playing bass but it seems to be the way that bass guitar players come into the world. To begin your career as a bass guitarist you can try playing through the bass tabs available on the internet. There are also some lessons available for free plus you can view heaps of bass solos and bass guitar lessons on the various video sites.

Once you have some practice on the bass guitar under your belt there is a blinding variety of bass guitar techniques to try before you begin seriously to play solos. You can employ a wide range of plectrums or choose from the many techniques which involve plucking, popping and slapping the bass with the fingers. To some people, this might sound like hard work but hopefully, you will regard it as a labor of love.

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MUSICAL ACTIVITIES for Guaranteed Fun

Music has the power to calm, soothe, energize, and make everyone have fun! Try these ideas at your child's next playdate or sleepover for a guaranteed good time. 

1. Jamming Art: Turn on some music-upbeat or mellow-you decide. Without looking directly at the paper, draw pictures and designs to the beat of the music. Make several drawings from different types of music.
2. Animal Walk Parade: Play your favorite tunes on the radio and dance and walk the way your favorite animal would. Remember, the more friends you invite to play, the more fun your parade will be!
3. Music Maker Box: Fill a small trunk, box, or dresser drawer with musical instruments for when inspiration strikes. Purchase inexpensive instruments at garage sales, or make your own including tambourines, strands of jingle bells, and film canister maracas.
4. Dance Party: Invite your friends over for a dance party! Ask each guest to bring along a cassette tape or CD with his or her favorite music. Play a song or two from each CD and dance the night away. For super cool invitations, use a permanent marker to write the details of the party on those free Internet CDs that come in the mail.

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GUITAR Greats

Jimi Hendrix  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No two guitar aficionados will be able to agree on the list of guitar greats, but like so many lists, it can be fun to try to make. What each considers greatness will vary too - is it technical ability or some hard-to-define quality like 'soul'?

The blues guitarist Robert Johnson features on many lists. He has the added attraction of a shadowy legend all his own. The story goes that he was a pretty average, even bad guitarist, but in just one year he became phenomenal... Where had this new talent come from? Nobody wanted to believe it was just practice and hard work, so the tale started that Johnson had made a pact with the Devil. 

The deal had been done, so the story goes, at a crossroads somewhere in the Deep South. Johnson himself immortalized the meetings, probably ironically, in songs like Crossroad Blues and Me And The Devil Blues. These were some of the few tracks he was able to record before his death in 1938 at the tender age of 27. To this day no one knows if he was stabbed or poisoned or if the devil himself came to claim what he was owed. 

Tragically young death isn't essential to become a guitar great, but another man who makes most lists also died aged only 28. Jimi Hendrix took guitar playing to an entirely new level of showmanship. But sometimes people remember the antics - playing solos behind his back or with his teeth, setting his guitar on fire (an idea which owes a lot to Jerry Lee Lewis) - and forget how fantastic he was as a musician. 

Hendrix was an all-round musician, equally adept at blues, rock, and jazz. Believe it or not, he only had a bassist and drummer in his live concerts. He was a great exponent of playing guitar and very innovative as well. Being left-handed, he restrung his guitar upside down. 

All legends have lots of controversies associated with them and Hendrix was no exception. He has been blamed for covering other band's songs in concert and on record. Once he did the Beatles 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club It is believed that he could play a song after listening to it for just once. He is also a credit to have pleased the stubborn Miles Davis with his music. 

Guitar players rule the roost in many forms of music. People do not view them only as rock or bluesman. That is why Django Rheinhardt, John Williams, and Paco de Lucia are considered universally great. No doubt complete agreement on guitar legends cannot be achieved.

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Great Classical Composers - Franz SCHUBERT

Franz Schubert Lithograph (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of all the great classical composers Schubert is probably the most humble. During the course of his short life he really had no idea of his importance or of his future place in the archives of great composers. He did not try to impress you with his composition but rather it tells you a story in a simple way. Along with Mozart, we have here a completely natural musical genius.

Schubert lived in Vienna in the same period as Beethoven, in fact, Schubert knew of the great master and would see him in the local taverns but never had the courage to introduce himself, such was his shyness and humility. He was lucky enough to be born into a musical family and received a musical education from early childhood.

The great musical facility Schubert possessed was for melody and in particular for songs for which he wrote a great deal, actually, he composed music every day of his life usually all morning until 2 in the afternoon. Frequently in the afternoons he would take walks in the woods or spend time with his friends, an activity he enjoyed immensely.

Schubert's music was perfect for a small and intimate audience and often his cultured friends would organise musical evenings in which he would sit at the piano and entertain the small group with his compositions. Schubert was never able to secure employment in music and relied instead on the support of this friends and from his music lessons to pupils. It was really only his close circle of friends which appreciated him and his musical abilities.

He died at the early age of 31 having composed a great amount of musical beauty, many of them now considered masterpieces.

By Payo W Perry - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Learn to Play the FLUTE While Not Playing the FLUTE

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Flute listening can help you become a fine flautist nearly as much as the practising you do on the flute yourself.

Why?

Flute listening helps you...

1. Learn the flute repertoire.  The more familiar you are with what has been composed for the flute, the broader your flute knowledge becomes.
2. Learn pieces faster. Knowing how a piece sound should make the learning process go faster. Get those rhythms correct the first time, play ornaments correctly, and incorporate dynamics from the beginning.
3. Incorporate flute techniques into your own playing, including developing a good tone, vibrato, breathing, and phrasing.
4. Learn to play various styles appropriately.  Mozart is played differently than Prokofiev, and sometimes just listening is easier to absorb the style than having a teacher talk to you about it for an hour.

Flute listening is inspirational! Just imagine yourself playing that fabulous piece you've fallen in love with and you're halfway toward being able to actually play it! Even if you never play anywhere but your living room, it makes it much more fun!

There is so much wasted time in our days that we could turn into valuable listening time...

• Driving
• Standing in a line
• Waiting in the doctor's office or for other appointments

Using an iPod or other MP3 player allows you to listen to flute music anywhere, anytime.  Every flautist needs to have one of these devices as part of their equipment, along with a metronome, digital tuner, and music stand.  An iPod is so compact that you can easily pack it in a flute bag or purse. It's even more convenient than a small CD player.

Start listening and become a better flautist!

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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How to Play VIOLIN QUARTET Music

Wilma Norman-Neruda as a first violin of the string quartet at The Monday Popular Concerts in St James’s Hall, London; also pictured Louis Ries (violin 2), Ludwig Straus (viola) and Alfredo Piatti (cello).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While violin quartet music can sometimes be a daunting task, especially for beginners who are looking to improve their skills, there are a number of simple, fast tips and strategies that can make your life a lot easier when it comes to improving your violin quartet abilities. The key is to understand the violin's role in the quartet, which depending on which violin you are playing, can vary. Sometimes a violin is used for melody whereas other times you play the role of harmony or rhythm. Here are three simple tips you can use to make figuring out your role in violin quartet music easier and more enjoyable.

First off, treat each voice in the quartet as though it were an orchestra. The structure of a quartet imitates that of a chamber string orchestra with two violins, a viola and a cello, so you should approach anything you play with the same mindset as in a chamber string orchestra. Violin quartet music usually involves a duet between two violins alternating a melody against each other while the viola and cello are used as rhythm and harmony, but know your role accordingly just as you would in a chamber orchestra.

Next, understand whether you are playing harmony or melody. Melodic lines are clear and open and should be played with intensity, whereas harmony should see itself as a support for the structure of the melody. If you are the first violin, you will primarily want to focus on being the singer of the group, whereas a second violin playing violin quartet music functions more as a backup singer most of the time. Know which role you have and how it changes your function in the violin quartet music.

Finally, tune it up and keep the rhythm tight when playing violin quartet music. When you practice on your own, you work with the technique of fingering and hand position to refine your own sound, but in a rehearsal or performance, you need to listen to your intonation and rhythm with relation to the other players. This is a key difference and cannot be overlooked. You cannot play an instrument effectively without listening to the sounds around you, and if you play violin quartet music without hearing your relative tempo, rhythm and intonation with the other players, you are overlooking the purpose of a rehearsal and treating it more like your own practice room. Keep rehearsals productive by focusing on group intonation and rhythm when playing in a group.

If you are still struggling to learn proper violin technique for violin quartet music or any other kind of music, I highly recommend visiting my website at howtoplayviolinforbeginners.net. You will find a ton of free information, articles and products for those struggling with simple problems such as intonation, scales, rhythm and posture as well as an amazing system that allows you to be taught by a syndicated violinist and member of the Manhattan String Quartet. To visit my site and see for yourself, click the resource box link below.

Eric Conklin - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Inuit DRUM DANCING Of The Arctic

Dancer at Drum Dance Festival, Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like many other aboriginal cultures around the world, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic have made use of drums in some of their traditional music for centuries.  Inuit drum dancing played a part in many special occasions such as births, marriages, an Inuit boy's first hunt, changing of seasons, greetings for visitors, or to honor someone who had passed away.  News of these special events was spread by word of mouth and many Inuit traveled great distances to attend.  

The Inuit drum called a qilaut was traditionally made from caribou skin with seal or walrus skin around the handle. Before, Inuit drum dancing was most commonly done by men but eventually, both men and women performed it.  There were various Inuit songs called ajaaja that were sung while drum dancing.  In the past, many individuals had their own ajaaja songs that were unique to them and about their own personal life experiences. There were also many songs that were passed down through many generations of Inuit.  

Like Inuit throat singing, the practice of Inuit drum dancing was banned by Christian missionaries for many years.  Eventually, the Inuit regained their right to perform their drum dances.  However, Inuit drum dancing is not as important today to Inuit life as it once was since western lifestyles have become such a big part of the northern Arctic.  

Inuit drum dancing is still sometimes performed at symbolic celebrations such as opening ceremonies for conferences, festivals, graduations, and shows for tourists.  Watching an Inuit drum dancer perform his or her music can be almost hypnotic and is one of the special treats from Inuit culture to be enjoyed by all.  Inuit drum dancers are a common subject for Inuit art carvings and drawings.  Inuit artists have even outfitted some of their animal subjects with Inuit drums.

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STICK CONTROL - The Book Every Beginner Drummer Needs to Have!

A snare drum.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The book "Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" is one of the best books anyone can by for a beginner drummer to start out drumming with. This is the one book above everything else that I recommend to all of my students, friends, everybody! Without stick control and technique, a person can never learn to properly play any kind of percussion instrument, especially when they are playing on a snare drum or a complete drum kit. If left uncorrected, the poor stick technique can seriously injure a person and cause him to be able to play drums any longer!

"Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" will teach you proper stick technique so you can become a faster and more controlled drummer. The only way to eventually play as fast as Travis Barker is to master your technique and control.

You will also learn drum rudiments, paradiddles, and other stick variations to increase your control far beyond what many beginner drummers ever come close to reaching!

This book does not just help drummers with their hand technique, but it also can be adapted to help improve your foot technique as well! Double-bass rhythms will become much easier to play and you will improve at a much faster rate than someone who is not using this book in their daily routine.

Overall, if you want to become a better drummer faster than other beginner drummers, "Stick Control: For the Snare Drummer" is where you start. Once you have it, you will use it until the day you die to warm-up before gigs, concerts, recitals, anytime you play. This book is a must!

Brent Hagy - Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Album Cover Art - Part Two

Album cover art software allows you to explore this pop phenomenon

The Rolling Stones' "Tongue and Lip Design"
logo designed by John Pasche in 1971
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the last article, we discussed some of the elements of album cover art and I would like to continue the discussion with some more details and an album cover finder that is a must for any fan of album cover art.

As I stated previously, many famous artists have been commissioned to design and produce album covers. For example, the Rolling Stones and pop artist Andy Warhol are famous for the cover art on the Stones’ album “Sticky Fingers.” As the story goes, at a party in 1969, Andy Warhol casually mentioned to Mick Jagger that it would be amusing to have a real zipper on an album cover. A year later, Jagger proposed the idea for “Sticky Fingers.” But, there was a flaw in the shipping process, the zipper would press onto the album stacked on top of it, causing damage to the vinyl record. The solution? The zipper had to be pulled down before the album was shipped, then it would only dent the album covers. However, they never figured out how to keep the zipper from scratching the other album covers. Additionally, some department stores refused to display the album, feeling it was risque and not family-oriented because of the model’s snug jeans and the zipper display. But this album is historic because it broke new ground and also saw the debut of the now-famous Stones logo: a caricature of Jagger’s lips and tongue.

The Very Best of The Doors
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are a Janis Joplin fan, then you would probably know that the famed cartoonist Robert Crumb designed the cover for Joplin’s album “Cheap Thrills.” This revered, yet misunderstood artist, drew the cover as a favor to Joplin, who he befriended in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where they both resided. He was paid $600 for his work by Columbia Records, which later sold the artwork. Crumb was asked to do a cover for the Rolling Stones but refused because he did not like their music. Crumb is also the artist for the “Keep On Truckin’” poster and “Fritz The Cat,” and has more than seventy covers to his credit.

The Internet is full of sites related to album cover art and is just too numerous to list. There are sites devoted to fan favorites, the weird and unusual, particular decades, and so on. Many users have turned to ebay to find lost art treasures from their childhood. But I want to share a website and album cover artwork finder that is not only convenient but a must-have for any art lover.

I recently spoke with Richard Nicol, the program designer, and owner of “Album Cover Finder.” (http://www.albumcoverfinder.com) The program has been available for more than two years and is a godsend for anyone interested in album cover art.

Jj n° 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Album Cover Finder” allows the user to not only find specific searches for interesting album cover art but also allows the user to download selected songs from the release. I asked Richard about his fascination with album cover art.

“I’ve always been interested and loved album cover art and wanted to create a database where the users could not only look at album cover art but experience it as well. The program allows the user to browse through the cover art of a particular band and also lets the user download particular songs through iTunes as well. The main feature is convenience, you can utilize iTunes and not only get more of an experience for the music, but the great artwork involved with the music and artists.”

But “Album Cover Finder” is more than just iTunes and album cover art. The program allows users to look at different artwork from different countries as well. Some of the artwork involved in a US release may be different from that of a UK release or German release, only adding to the experience. The program also allows users to review artist biographies, read reviews of a particular release, and add the artwork to their iTunes library and an iPod. “Album Cover Finder” also allows users to find additional cover art from a particular artist or band, copy the artwork to a clipboard, and have artist videos and applicable tour information. “Album Cover Finder” is a fully functional way to search for album artwork and includes free updates for registered users and is available at http://www.albumcoverfinder.com.

Now, I have only had the program about a week, but I have to admit spending literally many, many hours looking at historic artwork and listening to the songs associated with the acts. This software gets a hardy “thumbs-up” and is a “must-have,” affordable program for album cover art connoisseurs and anyone with a fascination with art and music.

Needless to say, there can be a lot more written about album cover art and the impact it has had on music and pop culture and cannot be summarized in a couple of articles. There are countless books, (I actually own one that talks about and illustrates naked vinyl and the images used to try and sell albums!) that detail album covers and the impact upon pop culture and music.

Additionally, there are so many web sites and blogs associated with album cover art, they are too numerous to list. Why there are even web sites devoted to preserving this treasured art and frame it for display.

Furthermore, did you know that June 1, 2007, marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ “Sgt? Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?” Not only is the release one of the most influential albums of all time musically, but the cover art itself is also iconic as well.

Cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I spoke with Gary Freiberg, owner, and operator of http://www.rockartpictureshow.com about “Sgt. Pepper” who related to me that the album “broke new ground and challenged the industry.” Gary and I talked about album cover art and the influences it has had on our culture. He also told me of a recent poll conducted by http://www.vinylrecordday.org that voted the “Sgt. Pepper” album cover the favorite album cover of all time. Gary is world-renowned for his work in the album cover art industry with his patented record album frame and his work has been cited and used by the Smithsonian, Home & Garden TV, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and thousands of satisfied Internet customers. And if you interested in getting your great album art framed, you may visit http://www.rockartpictureshow.com and tell Gary you heard about him from an article posted at http://www.isnare.com

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Album Cover Art - Part One

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1939, Alex Steinweiss was employed at Columbia Records as the first art director for the company and decided to spruce up and repackage vinyl records. We all know the result, album cover art has become an important part of music and pop culture. (Prior to Steinweiss’s creative influences, records were generally stored in plain, undecorated packaging).

For collectors, album cover art can sometimes be as valuable as the vinyl record it holds. For instance, one of the most famous album covers of all time, the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” cover was one of the most inventive at the time and included cut out inserts and lyrics. The price one would pay for a copy of this album is influenced by whether or not it has the original contents and they are intact. There are many album covers that included posters of the band as well and other “perks” for the buyer and all these elements factor into the resale price and collectibility.

There have been many dynamic and world-famous album covers. Consider the Beatles’ album “Yesterday...and Today” (1966), also called the “butcher block album” because the Beatles were pictured on the front cover wearing white butcher coats surrounded by bloody meat and cut up dolls. The album was quickly pulled by Capitol Records after the company received numerous complaints from reviewers and DJ’s. The company recalled the issue and ordered a new cover but did not want to waste the several hundred thousand that had already been printed. Capitol then hired part-time helpers to remove that photo from the cover and paste on the new photo for the cover. But, it seems that there were many lazy employees and to save time, they just pasted the new cover on top of the old cover and the one that was supposed to be removed. The result is three different versions of that particular album and a collector’s dream, the different versions of the album are worth several thousand dollars (prices vary-check a record price guide to ascertain exactly what album you may have to get the exact price).

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Album cover art has also spawned numerous web sites in which to view famous covers and designs, readers’ favourites and top ten lists. One such site, www.superseventies.com offers a comprehensive look at some of the most famous covers from the 1970s including the Sex Pistols “Never Mind The Bollocks,” the Eagles “Hotel California,” Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sticky Fingers” among others.  Additionally, www.superseventies.com offers their reader’s favourite seventies album covers (more than 300) with detailed descriptions and reviews of each specific release. This is a great way to spend a rainy day, as you discover some of the best album cover art of the '70s.

Album cover design is an art form and allows the musicians greater control over the content and another important avenue in which to express themselves. In my humble opinion (and I share this opinion with countless others), with the advent of the CD, the music-buying public lost a national treasure, album cover art. It is part of pop culture and recorded music in general. Sure, Cd’s offer you a “stripped down” version of the original cover art, but it certainly pales in comparison to the real thing. I am sure Mr Steinweiss would totally agree with me.

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Beginning CLARINET: The Very Start

Clarinet with a Boehm System. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like starting with any instrument, beginning clarinet is a process of learning that involves both great achievement and the occasional setback. However, if the beginning clarinetist follows a few tips relating to clarinet care and clarinet playing, the success is sure to outweigh the setbacks.

The first thing that a new clarinet player should learn is to put together their instrument properly, and how to hold it. One of the important things when putting a clarinet together is not to force any part into another, and that the side lever is up when the lower and upper parts are put together, otherwise bent keys could be the result.

This type of care should be extended to all parts of the clarinet - while it is inevitable that reeds will eventually split, they will last longer with careful care. The clarinet itself will last longer and have less need for repair if it is looked after properly, which includes cleaning after each time it is played and being put in its case properly.

One of the most difficult things for the beginning clarinetist is getting the embouchure correct. The embouchure is how the lips are shaped to hold the mouthpiece and create the correct vibration of the reed. Make sure that the bottom teeth are covered by the bottom lip and that the top teeth are touching the mouthpiece, but not clamping down too tight. It is normal for beginner clarinet players to have a lot of squeaking! As you continue to learn and practice, this annoying part of beginner clarinet playing should disappear.

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BREAKDANCING: The Roots of The Street Dance

Breakdance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Breakdancing is street dancing which began around 1969. Most people will agree that superstar James Brown began the whole thing with a dance called the "Good Foot". James Brown was a real innovator and his dancing was something to behold. He did things with his feet that would give most of us a couple of broken legs!

Simultaneously in the ghetto, what is known as the "dance battle" became very popular and in many cases replaced gangster warfare as a method to end disputes. Breakdancing lent itself very well to the dance battle and the Good Foot was a perfect base for breakdancing.

Street dancers adopted the Good Foot which, for a short period, became known as the B-Boy and then breakdancing. Back then the dance moves were a lot different from the kind of breaking we see today. There were no popular, documented moves such as the headspin or the windmill. The dancers simply used their feet and nothing else. Some would argue that this "old style breaking" is more complicated than the kind of dancing we see these days.

Some of the floor work improvised back then was fantastically complex. If you go to a modern breakdancing competition you won't see many of the old school moves but you will see a lot of gymnastics. Impressive though this is, there are those that think breakdancing has lost its roots a little. On the other side of the coin, you have people saying that it's just an evolution.

As a way to solve street battles and gang violence, it was inspired. You were finding that amazingly, the gangs were using breakdancing instead of fighting. The breakdancing "battle" took on a world of its own. Of course, there were still fights and inevitably sometimes a sore loser in a breaking battle would resort to violence.

Out of all this, breakdancing crews were formed. The members of a crew would practice and dance together. This is when the first very basic breakdancing choreography came about. One crew would invent a move that would inspire an opposing crew to go one better. For some of these guys breakdancing was literally the difference between life and death. They were very dedicated to what they were doing.

Just as all these new breakdancing crews were bursting onto the scene a guy called Afrika Bambaataa embraced the genre. Afrika Bambaataa is a legendary figure in the hip hop world. He was largely responsible for bringing breakdancing into the general public's consciousness. He got to know all the crews and encouraged them to develop what they were doing. Bambaataa's "Zulu Kings" breakdancing crew became a force to be reckoned with, winning many battles.

Since then breakdancing has continually progressed and more and more very talented dancers were bringing their skills into the arena. There were new moves being invented by the week and it wasn't long before we had headspins, windmills, backspin, and all the other high energy, acrobatic moves we see these days.

The "Rock Steady Crew" was one of the groups to pioneer this new school breaking. These guys along with Charles Ahearn who made the seminal hip hop movie "Wild Style" were to bring breakdancing fully up to date and the dancing phenomenon became much more popular. There was no stopping the onward march of the breakdance.

Nowadays breakdancing influences a lot of the choreographed dance routines which are an integral part of a modern pop record release. You have young kids coming up who are really into it and the genre is experiencing something of a renaissance. There's no doubt about it, breakdancing is here to stay and if you want more info a quick search on the Internet will turn up thousands of references to this modern art form.

Author: Fabio Marcell

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NICCOLO PAGANINI - A Short Biography

 Paganini (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paganini's name is one that burns with lustre peculiarly of its own in the record of musical art in the nineteenth century. He represents the climax and the highest triumph of the virtuoso. Soon after the beginning of the nineteenth century came about what Dr Hanslick calls a "new birth of the wandering musician," in the travelling virtuoso. Thalberg, Liszt, Chopin, Henselt, Clara Schumann, Döhler, Dreyshock, the pianists, and the violinists Spohr, Paganini, Vieuxtemps, Ole Bull, Lipinski, de Beriot, the cellist Servais, and still others, all appeared within a very few years of each other, contesting for the palm. 

Of all these, the most potent in his spell upon the public, the most mystifying in the magic of his wonderful technical powers, was Niccolo Paganini. With only one other of his kind was the comparable - Franz Liszt. But unlike him, Paganini lacked a high and truly musical gift. His powers were chiefly comprised in his marvellous mastery of the violin, and in the effects, he obtained upon it, before him unheard of and unimagined. His composition has certain originality and charm and many of them still appeal to violinists of the virtuoso style, and through them to the public; they exploit, naturally, the brilliancy and novelty of the technical devices that he introduced and that have become famous.

Paganini was born at Genoa, Italy, February 18, 1784. His father was a petty shopkeeper, uneducated, but fond of music, and a performer on the mandolin.

The young Niccolo, like most who have made a great mark in music, early showed evidence of his genius, and his father took steps to develop it, forcing his talent, in fact, with the greatest roughness and severity. He studied at first under local teachers. He had made much progress by the time he was six years old, and when he was eight he wrote a sonata. His master made him play a new concerto in church every Sunday, and at the age of nine years, he made his first appearance at a concert. Then he was sent to Ghiretti and Alexander Rolla, of Parma. He even then began to experiment with a veritable frenzy. He made his first concert tour in the neighbouring Lombardy cities when he was thirteen years old, and laid there the foundation of a reputation that never ceased growing during his lifetime.

He speedily entered upon a checkered and adventurous career, in which his artistic successes were mingled with dissipations of all sorts, especially with a passion for gambling. For some years he experienced the strangest vicissitudes of mood, sometimes giving up the violin for the guitar for months at a time, sometimes devoting himself exclusively to amateur agriculture.

But he finally began his concert tours again, which he kept up in Italy with constantly increasing success, to the admiration and bewilderment of the public. In 1828 he left Italy for the first time and appeared in Vienna. The contemporary accounts exhaust the resources of language to describe the delirium of excitement and wonder into which his performances threw the whole city. During his long stay in the Austrian capital, he was honoured in every possible way, official and unofficial. His progress through the cities of Germany was similar in kind. He reached Paris in 1831, where his success was quite as great.

Only in England was he received somewhat coldly, and his business methods aroused opposition: but his pecuniary gains were enormous.

The winter of 1833 he spent in Paris; one fruit of his sojourn was the symphony with viola obbligato, "Harold in Italy", which Berlioz wrote for him at his suggestion. In 1834 he returned to Italy, where he had invested his great earnings in landed estates. The final chapter of his life was a miserable end to his brilliant career; it was unfolded in France between 1836 and 1840. He joined with a firm of speculators in the building of a clubhouse, called the Casino Paganini, in Paris, nominally for musical entertainments, really for gambling. The government refused it a license: the concerts failed to pay. He hurried to Paris to save the venture by performing at them himself, but he was too ill to play. The company collapsed; he was sued for 50,000 francs, which he had to pay under pain of arrest. As the sentence was about to be executed upon him, he died of laryngeal consumption, on May 27, 1840, being at that time in Nice, in search of health.

Much has been written about the characteristics of Paganini's playing, which must have been much more than the mere trickery of a virtuoso. He seems to have had a fine though not very large tone, and an expressive cantilena; his intonation was unfailing, his rapidity on the fingerboard lightning-like, his bowing of the highest dexterity. He had such a command of double stops, harmonics, and double harmonics, as none other ever possessed. He introduced or revived a number of novel effects that long puzzled violinists, notably by tuning his instrument in unusual ways.

His violent staccato, his frequent use of left-hand pizzicato passages, were peculiarities of his playing. One of his most noted feats was to play solos upon the G-string, which he tuned higher, and upon which, by the use of harmonics, he attained a compass if three octaves.

Paganini's influence upon the modern technique of his instrument and the development of its style was very great, comparable only with that of Liszt upon pianoforte playing. His compositions are not numerous. Paganini's sheet music includes twenty-four caprices for violin solo, twelve sonatas, two concertos, in E flat and B minor, a "Moto Perpetuo", several sets of variations and three quartets for violin, viola, guitar and violoncello.

By Alex Kashevnikof - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Most Commonly Played Musical Instruments in MARCHING BANDS

The Boy Scouts Marching Band. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are numerous and variety of musical instruments played by the members of a marching band. Most commonly played musical instruments in a marching band include brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.

These instruments can be easily carried and simultaneously played by marching band members while marching.

Brass instruments of a marching band include Cornet, Trumpet, Tuba and French horn.

• Cornet is similar to a trumpet which is usually pitched in the B flat. Cornet is a transposing instrument that features valves and it is extensively used in brass bands.
• The trumpet is also a transposing musical instrument that has undergone numerous changes with the passage of time. The trumpet was initially used for the military purposes to declare danger and today it's used band members of Jazz bands.
• Tuba is a deep sound-producing musical instrument and regarded as the largest instrument in brass-wind family.
• The main feature of the French horn is that it produces a unique musical effect with bell point backwards.

Woodwind instruments in a marching band comprise clarinet, flute, oboe and saxophone.

• The Clarinet has undergone numerous innovation and changes since its inception. As a result of unique sound, it is extensively used in band performances.
• The flute is a man-made musical instrument and initially, the flutes were made up of wood.
• Oboe is one of the musical instruments and has only two keys. This instrument is used in orchestras and military band performances.
• The saxophone is available in a variety of types and sizes. Baritone sax, alto sax and tenor sax are the most commonly used saxophone varieties in musical bands.
• Bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, timpani and xylophone are the percussion instruments used in a marching band.
• Bass drum is a percussion instrument regarded as the largest members in the drum family.
• Cymbals are shaken, scraped or struck percussion instrument with or without a pitch.
• Glockenspiel is the best example of a tuned musical instrument
• Timpani is a kind of musical instrument that emerged from the kettledrums.
• The xylophone is a variety of percussion instruments that has resonating metal tubes and supported extensively by the frames.

Most of these instruments can be practised by enrolling in your school's music class. Most teachers allow students to practice these instruments during class. Try practising each instrument before choosing which one you will be using full time. It's important to know the ins and outs of each instrument, which will help with your decision. Visit your local music class for more information.

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Your SINGING Career

Yung Singer

As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I know the struggles and the emotional whirlwinds that often face young singers attempting to find their niche in the music industry.   Satisfying the desire to become successful in the music industry is not easily achieved or obtained, but those who make it, are well aware of the rewards.

In an effort to increase your odds and to obtain any “real” recognition in the music industry, whether as an artist, jingle singer, or just plain session singing, let’s take a closer look at a few factors that might increase your odds.  Notice, I didn’t say do this or that and it’s a done deal.  If you’re familiar at all with the music industry you are well too familiar that some make it with virtually no talent at all and others, with incredible style, look and drive, never even get the slightest nod from music industry executives.

To begin with – What’s your career blueprint look like?  What are you doing from a pre-determined game plan right now?  Have you actually taken the time over a cup of coffee and sat down with a pad and pencil and jotted down 1) your goals, short term and long term 2) your overall game plan and 3) how you are going to implement yours to-do list to get to your end goal?

I’m surprised to learn how few really get this far.  Sure, many sit in the car or on the couch “thinking about life and their career” and have a general idea, but until you put it down on paper and follow through with a course of action, you might as well forget it.  Start by writing down your goals with a course of action and break it down with what you can do this month, this week and what I can get done today -  This will help you to not only stay focused but give you the boost when you feel like giving up.

Next, now that you’ve figured out what you want to do and how you’re going to go about doing it with a set blueprint, what does your demo sound like?  It can’t just sound pretty good – And yes, this does take time and money - $75 demos won’t get the job done.  Good and pretty good won’t get it – It has to knock their socks off and turn the heads of the listeners.  Yes, as I mentioned earlier, some with virtually little talent get in, but what I’m talking about here is reflected in an overall picture of what’s being sent to the A&R director, producer, etc.  

Not only does this demo sound great, but “Should we use it as the final mix in the CD, because it’s already in the pocket and we won’t have to spend any more production money re-cutting any of these songs.”   That’s how good your demo’s should be – And as an aspiring jingle singer, don’t settle for a “mom and pop” or car commercially sounding demo reel.  Your jingles ought to sound like they’re national TV and radio spots like you’ve already arrived.

The next important element, almost as important as the music itself, is your press kit and how you present yourself to industry professionals.  I will break this up into 2 segments the first on the artist press kit and secondly phone calls and interviews.  Anything that you send out in print or on your CD, has got to look like you’re established and you’ve already made it.  Make sure that your CD covers are printed on gloss paper with high-quality photographs of you or the band.  Managers, producers, and A&R directors alike, are more inclined to pick up an act that looks together.  They don’t have time to figure out if this poorly imaged act has what it takes or not – And they very well might – But they don’t have the presentation.  In here lies what I consider to be your greatest ally.  If you will spend time and money to have your artist press kit not only look professional but with an edge, you can convey 1) your image, 2) your marketability, 3) and your dedication and sincerity – This is not a fleeting moment or idea for you.  You’re in this for the long haul and your presentation states that.  Make anything in print that you send out, shine.

The next part of your presentation is in the phone calls, meetings, and grin and grip events, whether concerts, showcases or otherwise.  If you don’t have a natural ability to interact with individuals, you are going to have to practice.  And furthermore, there’s nothing wrong, and I would suggest, writing down on paper anything that you want to come to mind before a phone conversation even begins.  If you’re bad with names, as many of us are, have those names written down, easily obtained in the middle of a call.  Prepare as much as you can before the conversation and be honest.  Honesty goes a long way with people.  Most in the industry have “heard it all” and it’s so refreshing to hear somebody state, “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out.”  Speak with sincerity, honesty, but with confidence as well.  After all, you’ve got something unique and it’s your vocal career.  You need to sell them, but they also need to recognize the obvious, and that is that they’ve just discovered the next…

So as you begin or at least start looking at your singing career, look at these simple to implement principals that we have just looked at and know ahead of time that you are going to be specific, analytic, and purposeful in your singing career strategies.  Take a look at your strengths and weaknesses and be honest.  Ask others.  Don’t be afraid to change course or look at other singing alternatives as well.  We know that short articles are difficult to present every point of the equation, so don’t hesitate to contact us should you have further questions.

Author: Tom Gauger - Source: ArticleCity

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