Fleetwood Mac Biography and Top 10 Songs

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I probably started listening to Fleetwood Mac when I was about 10, 11 or something like that because I remember getting their Greatest Hits album and it had only just been released and at the time I didn't really know who they were. However, because I always listen to all sorts of music, people just used to buy me music instead of toys. When I listened to it I knew most of the tracks and I now think of it as one of my top 20 albums of all time.

Fleetwood Mac are an English/American cross breed who formed in 1967 in London. The group have gone through far too many changes in members to list them all but the most notable members are, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.

Fleetwood Mac are probably one of the most hard working bands of all time and have released many albums (sometimes three or four in a year). 1968 saw the releases of Carousel Ballroom, Mr Wonderful and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. In 1969 there were four albums, English Rose, Live In Amsterdam, The Pious Bird Of Good Omen and Then Play On.

Only one album was released in 1970 which was Kiln House, one in 1971, Future Games and one in 1972, Bare Tree. Mystery To Me and Penguin were released in 1973. Heroes are Hard to Find in 1974 and another two released in 1975, Fleetwood Mac which contained the hits Rhiannon, Say You Love Me and Landslide and In Chicago which again was a great album and a compilation. In 1977 they released the collaboration album Fleetwood Mac And Christine Perfect - Albatross which contained the massive hit Albatross and they also released another of their most successful albums the same year which was Rumors and is another of my favourite albums of all time and contains the songs You Can Go Your Own Way and You Make Loving Fun.

In 1979 Fleetwood Mac released Tusk and the song of the same name became another huge success along with the songs Sara and Think About Me and the album has sold over 4 million copies and they went on a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Belgium, Germany (where they toured with bob Marley), Netherlands, and the UK. During the tour they recorded the music for the Live album which was released in 1980.

Mirage was released in 1982 and contained the hits Wish You Were Here, Gypsy and Oh Diane. After this release they went on tour again and released the Boston Live album. 1987 was the release of Tango In The Night which went to #1 in the UK charts three times in one year and after this album Lindsey Buckingham left the group. In the following Decade they released several more albums (Greatest Hits, The Blues Collection, Behind The Mask, 25 Years - The Chain, Oh Well Live, The Blues Years, Time, Live At The BBC and The Dance (which saw the reunion of the old Fleetwood Mac).

In 1998 Fleetwood Mac were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and it is reported that they will be collaborating with Sheryl Crow in 2009 and there are plans for a new album and a supporting tour.

My Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs are:

01. Everywhere
02. Black magic woman
03. Rhiannon
04. Gypsy
05. Landslide
06. Go your own way
07. Little lies
08. Albatross
09. Seven Wonders
10. Buddy's Song

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Top 20 Rolling Stones Hits

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In April 1962, The Rolling Stones was formed with members Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. This British R&B influenced rock group got their name from a Muddy Waters song.

Former Beatles publicist, Andrew Loog Oldham, signed "The Stones" to a management deal in 1963 and began promoting them as "the bad boys of rock and roll", compared to the Beatles' squeaky clean image. Oldham also produced their first albums between 1964 and 1967.

The Rolling Stones' first UK tour took place in 1964, along with the Ronettes.

Their first American Top 40 hit came in 1964 with "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" followed by "It's All Over Now." They finally reached the Top Ten with "Time Is On My Side."

Shortly after leaving the group in 1969, guitarist Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool in Sussex, England. Mick Taylor replaced Jones as guitarist and Ron Wood replaced Taylor in 1975. Wood had previously played in the bands, The Jeff Beck Group and Faces with Rod Stewart.

The Rolling Stones were never without controversy. That includes the film, "Gimme Shelter," a documentary of their controversial Altamont concert in 1969, where someone in the audience was murdered by a member of the Hell's Angels.

Chart wise, The Rolling Stones had forty-one Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1989 and, according to the Billboard's weekly charts, they went to #1 eight times. Their last Top 40 hit was "Rock And A Hard Place" in 1989.

Lead vocalist, Mick Jagger, tried recording solo and managed to crack the Top 40 four times, with his biggest hit being a cover version of the Martha and the Vandellas "Dancing In The Street." He teamed up with David Bowie on this tune, which was recorded at the Live-Aid benefit concert in 1985 and it went Top 10. Jagger even made it to #3 in 1984 as a guest vocalist on The Jacksons' hit "State Of Shock."

Here are The Rolling Stones twenty biggest hits, according to the Billboard charts.

1. Honky Tonk Women - 1969

2. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - 1965 - Otis Redding took a cover version of this song Top 40 in 1966.

3. Brown Sugar - 1971

4. Get Off My Cloud - 1965

5. Paint It, Black - 1966

6. Miss You - 1978

7. Angie - 1973

8. Ruby Tuesday - 1967

9. Start Me Up - 1981

10. 19th Nervous Breakdown - 1966

11. Emotional Rescue - 1980

12. Jumpin' Jack Flash - 1968 - In 1986, Aretha Franklin took a cover version of this hit to #21 on the weekly charts.

13. Harlem Shuffle - 1986

14. Mixed Emotions - 1989

15. Time Is On My Side - 1964

16. As Tears Go By - 1966 - Marianne Faithfull went Top 40 with this hit in 1965.

17. Tumbling Dice - 1972 - Linda Ronstadt went Top 40 with a cover version of this Stones hit in 1978.

18. Beast Of Burden - 1978

19. Mothers Little Helper - 1966 - The "B" side of this single, "Lady Jane" went to #24 on the weekly charts in 1966.

20. Undercover Of The Night - 1983

The Rolling Stones won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1986 and they were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989. Still going strong, The Rolling Stones continue to tour and record, 46 years, after cracking the U.S. charts for the first time.

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How Social Factors Influence Our Choice of Music

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The music industry has always been notoriously unpredictable, and the old A&R maxim that the cream always rises to the top is far from a given. For any one band that makes a living out of their music, there are at least a thousand that never will - and the proportion of musicians that actually become wealthy through their work is smaller still. There is, however, a general feeling (if not an actual consensus) that those musicians who do make it are there because they are in some way intrinsically better than the swathes of artists left in their wake.

This is reminiscent of Robert M. Pirsigs interrogation of quality - what makes something good, and is there really any objective standard by which such quality can be measured? Most people would say there is, as they can easily tell if a band is amazing or a bunch of talentless hacks - but when it comes down to it, this amounts to nothing more than personal taste and opinion. Although one can point to certain technical qualities like musicianship, structural complexity and production values, music is more than the sum of its parts - one cannot dismiss the Sex Pistols for not having the technical genius of Mozart, no more than one can effectively rank the music of Stockhausen above or below that of Willie Nelson. It seems that when it comes to music, it must be instilled with a Philosophik Mercury which is as intangible as it is unpredictable. The only barometer by which we can judge is whether we like it or not. Or is there something more?

Recent history is littered with examples of works and artists that are now considered classics (or have at least become enormously popular) which were at first rejected offhand by talent scouts, agents or industry executives. Harry Potter, Star Wars, the Beatles - all fall into this category, as does Pirsigs classic work Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which was rejected 121 times. If phenomena of this magnitude could be overlooked, then what chance do merely moderately talented artists have of ever being noticed? On the other hand, the entertainment sphere is packed full of artists who could never hope to be anything close to moderately talented. So does the entertainment industry really know what its doing, when so many of its predicted hits fail miserably and rejected unknowns keep popping up with chart-toppers? Recent research would seem to suggest not.

Now that Web 2.0 is in full flight, social media networks are changing the way we access and perceive content. The digital music age is upon us, and the ease with which new music from unsigned bands can be obtained has created a new economic model for distribution and promotion. Buzz itself is the latest buzz, and word-of-blog/IM/email has become a very powerful tool for aspiring artists. Combined with the fact that single downloads now count towards a songs official chart position, the promotion and distribution cycle for new music can take place entirely online. But does such bewebbed convenience make it easier to predict what will become a hit?

The standard approach of major labels is to emulate what is already successful. On the face of it, this seems a perfectly valid strategy - if you take a woman who looks sort of like Shania Twain, give her an album of songs that sound just-like, a similarly designed album cover, and spend the same amount of money promoting her, then surely this new album will also be successful. Often, however, this is not the case - instead, another woman who possesses all these characteristics (with music of a simlar quality) appears from nowhere and goes on to enjoy a spell of pop stardom.

This approach is clearly flawed, but what is the problem? Its this - the assumption that the millions of people who buy a particular album do so independently of one another. This is not how people (in the collective sense) consume music. Music is a social entity, as are the people who listen to it - it helps to define social groups, creates a sense of belonging, identity and shared experience. Treating a group of such magnitude as if it were just a compilation of discrete units completely removes the social factors involved. Whilst a single individual, removed from social influences, might choose to listen to Artist A, the same person in real life is going to be introduced to artists through their friends, either locally or online, and will instead end up listening to Artists C and K, who may be of a similar (or even inferior) quality but that isnt the real point. Music can be as much about image as about sound.

This raises further questions about quality - is a songs popularity predicated on some sort of Chaos Theory, all else being equal? There is certainly a cumulative advantage effect at work when promoting music - a song that is already popular has more chance of becoming more popular than a song that has never been heard before. This is clearly seen on social media sites such as Digg and Reddit, where an articles popularity can grow steadily until it reaches a certain critical mass of votes - at which point its readership suddenly explodes and it goes viral. Such snowball effects have been known to bring fairly robust servers to their knees with incoming traffic.

Duncan J. Watts and his colleagues recently conducted a fascinating study into the effects of social influence on an individuals perception and consumption of music. The process was described in an article in the NY Times. Using their own Music Lab website, they studied the behaviour of more than 14,000 participants to determine what factors influenced their selections.

participants were asked to listen to, rate and, if they chose, download songs by bands they had never heard of. Some of the participants saw only the names of the songs and bands, while others also saw how many times the songs had been downloaded by previous participants. This second group, in what we called the social influence condition , was further split into eight parallel worlds such that participants could see the prior downloads of people only in their own world. We didnt manipulate any of these rankings - all the artists in all the worlds started out identically, with zero downloads - but because the different worlds were kept separate, they subsequently evolved independently of one another.

Although the article gives no information about the demographic details of the sample audience, given the nature of the medium (an online music site assessing user behaviour on online music sites) and the size of the sample it is probably fair to assume that the results would be reasonably indicative. As it turns out, the study produced some very interesting revelations:

In all the social-influence worlds, the most popular songs were much more popular (and the least popular songs were less popular) than in the independent condition. At the same time, however, the particular songs that became hits were different in different worlds, just as cumulative-advantage theory would predict. Introducing social influence into human decision making, in other words, didnt just make the hits bigger; it also made them more unpredictable.

According to these results, an individuals independent assessment of a song is a far less significant factor in its success than the social influence factors. The intrinsic quality of a song if indeed measurable is overwhelmed by cumulative advantage, which means that a few key votes at an early stage can radically alter the course of the selection process overall. This has some significant implications for musicians, producers and promoters. Essentially, it means that no amount of market research can enable you to accurately predict which songs will become successful. The behaviour of a few randomly-chosen individuals at an early stage of the process, whose behaviour is itself arbitrary in nature, eventually becomes amplified by cumulative advantage to determine whether a song progresses to the next level. The randomness of such a process means that unpredictability is actually inherent to the

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The Top Four Home Karaoke Music Players

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Home karaoke systems have been around for at least a decade, but with "American Idol" consistently garnering record-breaking televisions ratings and shows like "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" and "The Singing Bee" trying to grab a piece of the action, it's no wonder that they're enjoying a resurgence. With everyone wanting to become the next Taylor Hicks or Carrie Underwood, and even so-so singers getting their 15 minutes of fame, it's completely acceptable to sing your heart out in front of your friends or within the privacy of your own home.

Enter the home karaoke machine. Everyone from young children to those in middle age and beyond are picking up the microphone and crooning to their favorite tunes. When you're in the market for a home karaoke music player, though, how do you know which to choose?

There are four main types of home karaoke music players. The first is the traditional singing machine that comes with a microphone and hooks up to your television. You insert a karaoke CD or cassette into the player and it displays the lyrics to the songs (and perhaps video) on your television. You sing along to the music using the microphone and hear the results through either the television speakers or through built-in speakers in the karaoke machine. This type of home karaoke music player is rather cumbersome and not very portable.

The second type of karaoke machine is a stand-alone model. It typically has a small black and white screen (about five-and-a-half inches), speakers, and a microphone. It may also have a small video camera built in. With these home karaoke music players, you can read the lyrics on the small screen. If you hook it up to your television and VCR, you can use the video camera to superimpose an image of the person singing onto the screen and record their performance to tape. While this type of machine can be fun for parties, the small black and white screen is a major drawback. Another disadvantage of the traditional singing machines and the stand along models is that you're limited in the songs you can play. In other words, you have to wait for popular tunes to come out on karaoke CDs or cassettes before you can start singing them. By this time, songs are generally out of date and not as much fun.

The third type of karaoke is packaged as only a microphone. It comes with about three dozen songs preloaded, through you can also load MP3 downloads. While this type of home karaoke music player is more portable and is meant to be plugged into your television, there's no mechanism for reading the lyrics. This means that your musical performance has to be just that - a performance where you already know the words to the songs.

The fourth type of karaoke player is among the hot new gadgets hitting the market. It can best be described as a cross between an iPod and a MP3 player. These specialized MP3 players allow you to buy MP3 downloads, load them into the player, and input the song lyrics. Then proprietary software allows you to remove the original voice track from the song and record your own voice over the music while reading a display of the lyrics.

This type of karaoke player is definitely poised to sweep the market. It's portability is unprecedented - in essence, it's a handheld karaoke MP3 - in that you don't need to be anywhere near a TV in order to use it. It also has the advantage of being able to play any song - even top 20 Billboard hits.

Of all the karaoke music players on the market, the cutting edge MP3 karaoke player is the one to beat.

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What's Better - Fruity Loops, Reason, Logic Pro Or Pro Tools?

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Music Production Software is the first thing a new producer is looking for, it allows the producer to create music. The question I hear the most is what Music Production Software is the best? Fruity Loops (FL Studio), Reason, Logic Pro or Protools.

Fruity Loops

Fruity Loops is a great piece of software used from beginner producers to advanced producers. It's rate highly due to the VST's you can add, Fruity Loops doesn't just stay within itself.. You can add so many things to it to make it a powerful music production workshop. Most professionals frown at fruity loops but believe me a hit record is produced in fruity loops everyday. Below is a website where you can find tutorials on how to use fruity loops.

Reason

Reason is properly my favourite because every single sample included in the software is perfect. Reason is normally used by producers that already have an idea of how to make music and advanced producers. The sound quality you can get out of reason is top notch and ready for radio play, it is recommended however you have to stay within reason. You cannot add VST's and Plugins, however you can add samples to NNXT and Redrum. Below is a website where you can find tutorials on how to use Reason.

Logic Pro

Logic Pro is properly the most used music production software by Apple. It is used in almost every single record studio, it is the music industry standard piece of software. Saying that it is not the easiest to learn and master but the results are amazing. Logic allows you to produce music, add vocals and use VST's and plug ins all within one single session so you don't have to use multiple pieces of software to create a full track. Below is a website where you can find tutorials on how to use Logic Pro.

Pro Tools

Pro Tools is like Logic Pro. Industry standard. Pro Tools is normally used by producers that use instruments and hardware that require live recording to get sounds into the song. Pro Tools allows you to also like Logic do everything within one program, supports almost everything you throw at it. It is the worlds best but it also comes at a price and if you can afford it check it out, however don't buy it for the name and expect to make hits. Below is a website where you can find tutorials on how to use Pro Tools.

Get as much details about the software your going to pick for maximum results.

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Essence of Malayalam Music

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Malayalam Music is an age old form of Indian music that is exemplified by its unique instrumental beats. It belongs to the state of Kerala whose cultural legacy and philosophical values are incorporated in the music and songs. As the state is known for its magical wonders with respect to scenic beauty and nature's charm, so is the charm and magic of Malayalam music. Kerala's wondrous beauty and cultural heritage is deep rooted in the outstanding music and songs.

The traditional form of Malayalam music is Sopana Music or Sopana Sangeetam that was influenced from the Bhakti Cult Movement held in Kerala. This form clearly expresses the feelings and different moods of the singer or the actor. Then was introduced the melam form that is mainly performed during festivals and temple rituals. After that many other genres were introduced with the introduction of new musical instruments and advancements in music industry.

Some of the common types popular in the present day are folk, pop, rock, hip-hop, and movie songs. Folk songs have beautiful lyrics with amazing beats and rhythm and are mostly characterized by the lifestyle or profession of some known or recognized personality. 'Pulayas' is one of those whose lifestyle, profession, and beliefs is widely acclaimed in a bunch of Malayalam folk songs. A bunch of these songs are also attributed to the Malayalam literature including the popular Vatakkan Pattukal and Thekkan Pattukal dealing with varieties of themes and expressions. Many of the folk songs are originally poems that are beautifully transformed into melodious songs with greater energy and dynamism.

With the growing popularity of this genre of music, Malyalam movie songs also became popular on the chart busters. There are many movies whose popularity revolves in and around the hit numbers. Soundtracks in the movies are mind blowing and keep the viewers calm yet energetic before the screen.

The modern styles like rap, rock, and hip-hop music have also influenced the Malayalam genre in a great way. Fused with westernization, the form of music has become even more rocking and astounding. Every time songs are played listeners are drawn towards the dance floor or are forced to tap their feet on the energetic musical beats.

Chitra, Sreekumar, Yesudas, and Jayachandran are the iconic Malayalam singers who have created their own prominent place in the industry. The introduction of internet has made the reach to wide number of songs more easy, convenient, and comfortable. Hot numbers sung by these singers are available for free download on various online sources.

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Don Omar

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Don Omar was one of the first international reggaeton stars because of his great music. He became very popular in the late 90's and 2000 when he worked with the excellent producers Luny Tunes. Everybody remembers the song Reggeaton Latino which was a huge hit worldwide.

Don Omar's real name is William Landron and was born in Villa's Palmeras Puerto Rico, and went a lot to church as a young child. Since he was a child he knew he loved the music and wanted to sing, so he dedicated himself in the music industry.

Don Omar used to write songs for other artists, but then he got involved in singing himself. His carrier got big and made a hit song in 2002 called "A la Reconquista". From there he became huge in the Latino community. Don Omar made other albums with Luny Tunes, Eliel and together made hit songs like "Intocable" and "Dile". The songs of Don Omar in 2005 spread all around the United States, and made officially Don Omar a international artist.

Don Omar's new album "Kings of Kings" is a big success, hitting the number one spot in the Latin Billboards. To end this article Don Omar is one of the top reggaeton stars of all time.

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Bob Marley - Music Legend

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There is no doubt, Bob Marley is Reggae music's ambassador spreading its gospel to the whole world and literally became the main reason for the popularity of Jamaica. Bob Marley's outstanding and phenomenal efforts for the development of Jamaican music as we know it now carried the art to a higher level of spiritual and social force which appealed to extensive audiences form all over. Although he did not manage to land a number one hit in America, Bob Marley was inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame giving credit to the legacy he left and the way he changed the cultural setting of the international music scene.

Reggae music is supported by Marley's beliefs on the Rastafarian movement which is a religious sector who regarded Emperor Haile Selassi I from Ethiopia also known as Ras Tafari. The Emperor is said to be god who'll be able to free blacks from total oppression and lead them back to a promised African homeland. Bob Marley delivered his music with conviction in a passionate way.

The unique signature of Reggae music with its hypnotic rhythms and enchanting tunes started to gain its popularity in the seventies. Bob Marley and his group The Wailers came out with albums such Natty Dread and Rastaman Vibration under Tuff Goff Records in Jamaica; music which were clear reflections of the hardships and life of a less fortunate Jamaican community also representing those oppressed all over the world. The uplifting spirit that can be felt when listening to reggae music was called "positive vibrations". During troubled times, Bob Marley's music was a powerful medium to spread wisdom, peace and the gospel during troubled times.

Jamaica is Bob Marley's birthplace, having a white father and a black mother which made him a mixed race. During his teenage years in Trench Town, he grouped with Neville "Bunny" Livingston and Peter McIntosh to form the group trio Wailing Wailers later known as The Wailers, all of them born in the ghettos of Jamaica. The group was highly influenced by American radio listening to the famous R & B stars at that time such as ray Charles and Fats Domino amongst others. They become part of the Rastafarian movement and as Rastas, they had long hairs in dreadlocks and they smoked marijuana also known as ganja because it was a belief that in doing so, the spiritual path to enlightenment and a means of communication with the heavens is opened. Marijuana is considered as a sacred religious and healing herb by the Rastas.

During the sixties, The Wailers put out an album under some small Jamaican recording companies. Ska was the more popular Jamaican music then which was a mixture of New Orleans R & B and African rhythms. "Simmer Down" was the official first hit single of The Wailers. They continued to record more with the ska style while Jamaica was slowly shifting to the steadier and sensual beat of rock steady. A collaboration project with Lee Jerry, a producer, resulted in the Wailer's significant song recordings which were "Duppy Conqueror" and "Soul Rebel".

The Wailers became internationally famous when they worked with Chris Blackwell of Island Records. They had several more albums done which further catapulted the popularity of reggae music but Bob Marley had to separate ways with the two other Wailers. He continued to pursue his musical career backed by a bigger band and some back-up singers and became the powerful soulful musical icon who represents the ways of the Rastafari.

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Drum Sticks

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Drumsticks are used to hit percussion instruments. These are ideal for marching bands, orchestral work, jazz and rock bands.

Usually made from hard maple, oak, hickory or ebony wood, a typical drumstick is approximately 16.3 inches in length, 0.635 inch in diameter and has a round tip. Beginners, Intermediates, advanced, expert and professional players all use drumsticks. Most professional drummers are particular about the weight, shape, balance, size, grain and density of the sticks. Thick, heavy sticks are used to play street drums in marching bands and drum corps. They can produce a high quality sound.

A typical drumstick has a tip, shoulder, shaft and butt. The tip, also referred to as bead, is the top-most part that strikes the drum. Traditionally, the tip is made of the same hard wood as the rest of the stick. Drum sticks with plastic nylon tips are also available. Tips come in many shapes -- round, barrel, acorn or oval. Below the tip is the shoulder of the stick. It is used to strike crash cymbals. The remaining part of the stick is known as the shaft, and the butt is immediately below the shaft and opposite to the tip.

Available in pairs, you can select from a wide range of colors such as metallic red, metallic silver, black, metallic green, metallic wine red and metallic blue. Colorful sticks with metallic logos are great for live performances.

Electronic drum sticks have built-in speakers and pre-recorded tunes. When they hit any surface, they create a unique, crashing sounds. A cool red LED (Light Emitting Diode) is placed at the tip of each drumstick. Using these drum sticks, you can create fine music without a full set of drums. Electronic drumsticks are very popular among kids who love the sounds they produce.

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The Magic of the Rolling Stones

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Unlike many other bands that had started out in the early sixties, the Rolling Stones is still going strong. In fact, because the band has been around for so long, many of the original band members are no longer with the Rolling Stones. When originally formed in the year of 1962, the band members consisted of Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman. Brian Jones would be fired from the band in 1968 and Mick Taylor, who left the band in 1974, would take his place.

Ronnie Wood later joined the band and Bill Wyman left the band in the early nineties. Today, the band currently consists of only four members: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts. Even with the many changes that occurred throughout the years, including the turn over in the members, the band continues to tour and be enjoyed for its music.

The Rolling Stones focused more in rhythm and blues and rock and roll when they first started out, but were more or less labeled a rock and roll band after a hit in the mid 1960s. From then, they went on to become one of the most successful rock and roll bands in the twentieth century. They would create thirty albums and many compilations through the years. In 1994, they made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Even though they continued to tour and play together, many of the band members also created solo albums on the side. It is obvious through their dedication to their music and their want to continue playing that music is what these people love. For over forty years they have been playing together as a band and continuing to share their unique style with the world. In fact, they are quite experimental in their playing and have been extremely successful in doing so. Even though they are a rock and roll band, they always include many different music genres in their music.

Perhaps the reason why the Rolling Stones have been a success for so long is because they have such a passion and love for what they do. This is why they have been able to create music that has been enjoyed for more than forty years. It is an extraordinary achievement that other bands and musicians strive to do, and while there have been a few that were successful in having a lifetime career in music, there are few bands that have managed to entertain so well for so long.

The ironic thing about the band's success is that in the beginning Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were not terribly impressed with their music and were surprised when their first few songs had such a good turn out. That success helped them to build their confidence and they kept on going after that. They may have underestimated their abilities at first, but after some hard work they began to see what they were really capable of.

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Music Production at Home

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We are in an incredible time to create music. Why? Because recent technological advancements have made it possible for anyone to create high quality sounding music at home. But you can't produce professional quality music unless you have high quality training. It takes more than a computer and some music equipment to produce music at home, you need the knowledge to know what you are doing, otherwise all of the technology goes to waste.

The good news is that high quality music production training doesn't have to cost a lot and you don't have to go to some school to learn it. You can download music production training online and get started right away at a very low cost.

It's important to make sure you get the right training, if you don't you will be wasting your time and your money. You need music production training that includes video tutorials. It's much easier to follow if you have something to follow visually rather than just a manual to read. And because of the amount of different things you may want to learn, you'll want not just one or two video tutorials but hundreds of them! This is something that you must insist upon.

I also think it's important to download music production training that includes all of the following features:

Free online beat maker.
Free training on how to be a hit songwriter.
Drum, guitar, piano, and bass lessons included.
Lessons on producing all types of music.
A 100% money back guarantee.

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The Tradition of Great Chicago Live Music Continues With Gooey

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Chicago Illinois has long been a music epicenter. In the early 1900's, plantation workers migrated from the south bringing with them jazz and the blues, which lead to the birth of the Chicago blues and Chicago style Jazz. Chicago became very famous for the Blues however the Chicago music scene is not just limited to the Blues. Chicago is full of every kind of music from Symphony to punk rock and everything in between. Any and every kind of music style, Chicago has it all.

During the 1960's and 1970's folk music became a focal point from a number of prominent folk singer-songwriters like John Prine and Steve Goodman. The Chicago music scene is also famous for the Chicago house, a style of house music, which led to the birth of the techno style of music. In the 1980's and 1990's rock music, especially heavy, punk rock and alternative music were strong in Chicago when bands like The Smashing Pumpkins got their big start. And more recently more hip hop artists like Kanye West are emerging from the Chicago music scene. Despite the different varieties of music, these artists all have one thing in common - they all got their start in Chicago.

The tradition of a great local music continues with Gooey, an energetic band who has hit the Chicago music scene with a number of power pop albums. Gooey is led by songwriter and vocalist Juan Avila and supported by Chris Eudy and Brian Vaughan on the electric guitar, Tom Hickey on the bass and John Noyes on the drums.

Gooey is known in the local Chicago music scene for their jangly power pop albums with catchy, relatable and heartfelt lyrics, toting Matthew Sweet and Beatles influences. From the release of their album Gooey in 2004 to their latest Larger than Large (coming out later in 2010), they have hit the right chord with Chicago music lovers and critics alike. Gooey is Chicago's Hottest Band with the sticky sweet name and music that is not to miss in the Chicago live music scene. Gooey will have you dancing, singing and feeling great with their fun and funky sounds that grab you and keep you coming back for more.

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Careers in the Music Industry

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Careers in the music industry include: artists, engineers, producers, management and other behind-the-scenes people who are in the business of capturing, recreating and marketing sound.

These professionals are experts in many fields such as; acoustics, electronics, production, broadcast media, multimedia, marketing and business. These careers focus on turning a creative spark into a final product that in the music industry means a hit record.

THE ARTIST The overall quality of a recording begins and ends with the artist. Careers as a recording artist have several ingredients that drive the industry; charisma, technique, emotion and the ability to command an audience. A carefully planned and well-produced recording will act as a framework to showcase the talent and soul of the artist.

THE PRODUCER Of all the careers in the music industry, the producer's job is one of the most important. Primarily, the producer helps the artist and record company create the best possible recorded performance and a final product for the buying public. This involves guiding the artist through the recording process, including; controlling the finances, selection of songs, and maintaining the focus on the artist's vision.

STUDIO MUSICIANS & ARRANGERS Other examples of careers in the music industry are found in studio musicians, back-up singers and arrangers. Often times the services of these professionals and sometimes even entire orchestras are called in to provide richness and depth to the performance of the artist or vocalist.

ENGINEER One of the most technical careers of the music industry is the job of the engineer. Through the use of recording technology, the engineer must be able to express the artist's talent and the producer's concepts. Actually the job of the engineer is more of an art form, there are no magic formulas, the process is subjective in nature and it relies on the tastes and experience of those involved. Simply put, the engineer uses their artful knowledge of recording media technology to produce the best possible sound, taking into account the intended customer and media used for sound recreation.

ASSISTANT ENGINEERS An entry-level position for an individual interested in careers in the music industry, specifically that of an engineer, is an 'in-training' or Assistant Engineer. Assistant Engineer's might assist in the placement of microphones and headphones, run the tape machines, help with session documentation and maybe perform rough mixes and balance settings on the recording boards.

MAINTENANCE ENGINEERS The Maintenance Engineers make sure that the studio equipment is in top condition, regularly aligned and repaired when necessary. Large studios may employ a full-time maintenance engineer, but smaller studios often use the services of free-lance engineers and technical service companies.

MASTERING ENGINEERS The Mastering Engineer tweaks the final version of the recording in order to present the "master" recording with the best possible sound for marketing purposes.

STUDIO MANAGEMENT and the SUPPORT TEAM Additionally, there are other careers in the music industry that are support positions behind the scenes:

· Studio Management, this person manages the people in the studio supervising the bookings, accounting and marketing.

· Bookings Manager, this person keeps track of the schedule of studio usage and billing.

· Support Staff, the assistants that keep everyone happy and everything running smoothly.

ARTIST MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, DJ's, INSTALLERS, DESIGNERS, ETC. The following is a partial list of other careers in the music industry:

· Artist Management

· Artist Booking Agents

· A & R (artist & repertoire)

· Manufacturing of product

· Marketing of product

· Distribution of product

· Web Development

· Costume and Wardrobe Design

· Graphic Arts & Layout

· Tour Management

· Live Sound & Lighting Technicians

· Artist's Personal Assistants

If you are interested in the business of sound recording, you will quickly find out that it can be difficult to get into. It may seem like a glamorous job, but it takes a ton of self motivation, good networking skills, perseverance, talent and personality to get into the business. Even if you have a degree from a recording school, sometimes it is who you know, that is more important than what you know. However, if you are committed and willing to do what it takes, there is a wide variety careers in the music industry.

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Keeping Sane in the Game - Don't Loose Your Mind in the Music Business!

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Why can't I get a record deal?
Why is no one buying my music?
Why can't I get and bookings?
Why can't I write a hit?
Why, why, why?

It can be very frustrating and depressing for artists in the music game, you dedicate your life to your goal of music business success and forsake everything else but are you being repaid for your commitment? NO!

No matter what you do your efforts seem to fall on deaf ears, or you even get positive, honest sounding responses by potential collaborators (creative and business) but no action. This is the story of pretty much everyone in the business, you are not alone.

Even some of the most successful acts in the world have had experience of many years of rejection, false promises and the most frustrating of all being ignored. For me being ignored is the most demoralising, depressing of all reactions to my efforts, but throughout my years of trying to obtain attention I have learnt that you simply have to make more noise. The truth is if you send your work or try to obtain a response of some kind, unless you have a truly unremarkable or bad product someone will respond, the key is numbers, to be more precise intelligent numbers. Find out if you are sending your stuff to people who actually want your stuff, then find more of those people to send your stuff to!

I Deserve this!

The thing I believe contributes the most to artist frustrations and unstable state of mind is having the wrong attitude. If you go in to this industry thinking that because of your immense talent you deserve to be famous or successful, you are on the way to a very unhappy existence. You get what you deserve in this industry, even if you put hours, days, months, years if you are not doing the right things you will not get the right results and it is your responsibility to find out what the right things are, no one else.

Treat every success as a blessing or a gift, don't attach "I deserve this" to it and celebrate each success even the small ones. Find a non musical outside interest that breaks up your quest for stardom or success so you don't get cabin fever, spend time with friends and family don't sacrifice the life you have for the one you have not achieved.

Most of all in your career journey you must learn as you go, if your responses are less than satisfactory, find out why, fix and re engage. Everything is a cycle even when you achieve success you have a hit, find out what made it a hit and see if you can improve it and repeat.

Attention is not deserved it is given so appreciate it when you receive it.

P.S.

Make sure you are making your project as desirable as possible!

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Do Present Day Music Artists Lack The Caliber of Past Performers?

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Is Something Lacking In Our Musical Performers?

There seems to be a gap in the musical industry at this time. It seems that only the most extremes of music have survived this very fickle industry.
For example, if you turn the radio on, what you'll hear are extremes and styles of music. On one station you'll hear just talk. On another station you'll hear rapping, with words of violent underscores. On another station you'll hear classical music. On another station you'll hear someone singing about whiskey and forgetting their pain. On yet another station you'll hear what's left of what we used to call, "pop music."

The change in pop music, and what may be lacking, is what I would like to address at this time. It seems there used to be a larger variety of pop music available when listening to pop music stations. However, at this time it has decreased to a narrow amount where one singer sounds like much like the last singer. There is not many songs available to hear of Celine Dion. One's singer that has managed to stay on top consistently is Christina Aguilera.

One could not argue with the fact that twenty years ago popular music was much different than today. And I'm not sure it could be argued that it is getting better all the time. Just about ten years ago Elton John had hit songs from the movie The Lion King, Celine Dion had a hit song from the movie Titanic.

The eighties and nineties had many hit songs from movies, including CaddyShack, Officer and a Gentleman, Dirty Dancing, Good Morning Vietnam, Moonstruck, and La Bamba. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that there are not many hit songs or hit song soundtracks from popular movies these days. Hollywood has attempted to do this but has not reached the peak it once achieved.

Going back farther in time, one could trace pop music back to the roots of rock-and-roll itself. Elvis Presley carved out a whole new trend in music. The Beatles followed with great songs and performances that changed the music world. The Beatles seemed to go through several stages and reflected it in their music.

When the Beatles first came to America, they recorded songs of love with lollipop lyrics. Following this, they let their hair grow out, and recorded music with more convoluted meaning, which seemed to question the rulers and authority of the times. When the Beatles finally broke up, brand-new music trends evolved with the music of Paul McCartney and Wings, and John Lennon's solo work.

Elvis started out as the Hillbilly Cat, recording for Sun Records. His Southern drawl was very prominent and his hair was a dirty blond color. Then he entered into the era where he died his hair black, completed a stint in the Army and had a whole new career in movies. This was the "movie Elvis." Then, Elvis entered into his musical comeback phase. He recorded music and performed live in Las Vegas during this time. The final stage was his jump suit stage, sometimes called the last days of Elvis Presley. This was the time during which, although he still sounded good vocally, he appeared overweight and bloated.

Let's change styles right now in music and turn to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were part of the Rat Pack. They performed in Las Vegas, recorded records, and made several movies. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra certainly reflected unique talent, good voices, and wonderful music that we have to enjoy.

However, who is the next big talent we follow with a fine-tooth comb, from beginning to end? Who is the next Elvis Presley, Beatles, Dean Martin, or Frank Sinatra?

There is certainly a gap in popular music today. Sure, you can find many popular artists with popular songs. However, they all lack that certain uniqueness in caliber of performers of days passed. Maybe it's a lack of charisma. Maybe it's the lack of mystery. I don't know.

However, shows like American Idol are certainly trying to recapture that with what they are doing. American Idol is trying to discover talent that could be turned into another Elvis Presley or someone who will change music and be remembered forever.

Although they have discovered many unique and great talents, if you ask Simon Cowell or Randy Jackson, I believe they would tell you they have not found talent that has achieved what they originally intended.

Yes, they have found great talent. The talent they have discovered certainly lacks nothing on the vocal side of things. However, perhaps it is something in the personality of the performer that's missing that has not launched them to the status of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Dean Martin, Jim Morrison, or Kurt Cobain.

Perhaps it is something these legendary artists possessed that was mysterious and unknown to us. There is definitely something missing. American Idol, along with many other music labels, are certainly still looking for someone to turn the music industry upside down.

I don't know, perhaps that won't ever happen again.

Perhaps the performers that managed to change music forever, like Elvis, the Beatles, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, are of our history and days past. I hope not.

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Writing Music Or Writing Lyrics - Which Comes First?

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What's the best way to begin writing a new song? Do you start writing music first, or do you start with lyrics?

What's The Right Approach?

I don't think there is one "right" way to go about writing a song. There are tons of hit songs that are written one way, and just as many that are written the other. It all comes down to what works for you. I've written many songs using each approach. I think I write better lyrics when I write them first, but a more interesting melody when I start with that. I'm still working on perfecting my craft. Having said that, I believe the melody is the most important part of the song. It's the melody that grabs us in the first place. If we have a great melody, the listener will stick around long enough to listen to the words. Of course, at that point we had better have some great lyrics to keep their interest.

Writing From Emotion

When writing a song, whichever approach I choose I always write from emotion. Let me explain: If I've written some lyrics which I feel are good, I notice the emotions I feel when reading through them. I use this as a starting point. It tells me what the overall feel of the melody should be. When writing melody first I notice the emotions I feel when listening to the music. Then I use this to tell me what the song might be about.

Putting It All Together

Whichever way you approach it, you have to fit what you're writing with what you've already written. The lyrics you've written will dictate the rhythm and flow of the melody, and vice-versa. But remember that nothing needs to be carved in stone. Always be open to changing and tweaking lines of words or melody to make them fit together nicely. Sometimes I like five lines of lyrics in the second verse, when there are only four in the first verse. So when writing music I will accommodate that with an extra line of melody.

Which Way Is Best For You?

I enjoy using either approach when writing a song. I guess it helps to keep it fresh for me. If you always write one way, try it the other way. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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Approaches to Learning Music

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Music is natural to us. We can sing the melodies of popular songs without ever taking a lesson. So why do most people who take music lessons to learn to play an instrument not get very far. It's because of the way most music teachers teach. They teach you how to read music for your instrument. You aren't learning how to play music, you are learning how to read music. Learning to read music for simple songs is not that hard but learning to read the complex musical notation for the up to date songs you really want to play is much harder. There are three approaches to learning to play an instruments.

1. Learning to play by ear

2. Learning to play by reading music

3. Learning to play by understanding music

Learning by ear is the way most of us learn to sing. We learn to sing songs just by listening to them. Many successful professional performing musicians, who can't read music, have used this method. People who do karaoke usually can't read music but can perform popular songs that would look very complicated as written music. Having a good ear for music is the most essential skill a musician can have. For the many successful musicians who are blind reading music is not even a option.

Being able to read musical notation is a valuable skill. It was invented to so that a musical work could be documented and passed on to others. Before that, the only way to learn a piece of music was to hear someone else play it. With the age of recorded music there was a new way. Music has become very portable. We all can have our favorite music to listen to over and over again. Learning to read music for simple songs is not that hard. The problem is that the musical notation for the popular songs that we want to sing or play is not simple. That popular song that you learned to sing so easily by ear has complex and difficult musical notation.

Music theory is the approach that teaches us how music works. All music is based on a few simple building blocks and rules. What seems to be hundreds of different songs reduces down to a much smaller number of musical formulas. Learning about the building blocks of music and the rules for using them simplifies music and makes it much easier to learn. It sounds technical but it's simply knowing how groups of notes produce sounds. For lead or melody playing it's understanding scales and modes. Not just official scales but pentatonic and blues scales and other groups of notes that give a particular sound. For harmony and chords it's understanding the groups of notes played at the same time to back up lead or melody. Even if you play by ear and can't give a names to these groups of notes, you still have to know them.

What's the best blend of the three approaches to learning to play an instruments. It depends. If you want to play classical you will put a strong emphasis on reading music. If you want to play rock, blues or jazz, you need a good ear and a knowledge of the groups of notes that give you the sounds that you want. There is nothing wrong with learning to read and write music. It's a very valuable skill but you shouldn't let it hold you back. Many popular musicians can't read music. Once they come up with a hit song, someone who can read music converts it into music notation. Who do you think gets paid the most?

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Music Production and Mixing Tips & Tricks

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What makes a pro recording pro? What is the "sound" that the pros get and how can you make your recordings sound more professional?

The simple answer is - there's no simple answer. But with careful listening and a little experience you can create excellent results with modest equipment.

Good mixing starts ear

The first and most important item of equipment is - who knows? Anyone? It's your ears! Sorry to tell you this, but listening to ten hours of Rave at 110dB will do nothing for them and you might as well give your mix to a turtle as try to mix with misused ears.

Listen to commercial recordings of mixes you like, analyse them, listen for the effects and get to know what constitutes the sort of sound you're after.

Mixing secrets

There's no hidden secret to getting a good sound, but if we had to sum up the secret of mixing in two words it would be this - EQ and compression. Okay that's three words.

These are probably the two most important tools used by professional producers. However, like any tools, if you don't know how to use them you'll be carving Habitat tables instead of Chippendale chairs.

That's where your ears and experience come in. Here we have assembled some production ideas, suggestions, tips and tricks but they can only be guidelines and need to be adapted to suit your material. There are no presets you can switch in to make a bad recording sound good. And if your original material has been poorly recorded not even Abbey Road could salvage your mix. But follow these suggestions and see how much your mixes improve.

Get the level right

You can't push the levels when recording digitally as you can when recording to tape but you still want to get as much signal into the system as possible. This means watching the levels very carefully for clipping, and recording at an even and constant level.

Some recording software lets you monitor and set the input level from within. Some expect you to use the soundcard's mixer while others have no facility for internally adjusting the input level and expect you to set this at source.

Monitors

Your ears are only as good as the monitors they listen to. DO NOT expect to produce a good, pro mix on tiny computer speakers. It may sound fine on a computer system, but try it on a hi fi, in a disco and through a car stereo.

Oddly enough, you don't necessarily need the most expensive Mic. Many top artists use what some might call "average" Mics because they work well and get the job done. You can spend a wad on a large diaphragm capacitor Mic (yes, they're good for vocals) if you have the lolly but check out dynamic Mics which are much more affordable and can be turned to several tasks.

Mixing MIDI and audio

One of the great things about computer-based recording is that the parts can so easily be changed, edited and processed. It's also so easy to combine MIDI and audio tracks and many musicians use a combination of sample loops, MIDI parts and audio recording.

Audio recordings are generally guitar and acoustic instruments such as the sax and vocals. Incidentally, the best way to record guitars is by sticking a Mic in front of its speakers. You can DI them and process them later and this may be cleaner but for a natural guitar sound a Miced amp is hard to beat.

It's not necessary to record drums live and, in fact, it's difficult to do and retain a modern sound. You can buy off-the-shelf MIDI drum riffs and audio drum loops, or program your own. The quality of the gear which makes drum noises these days is such that anyone with a good riff can sound like a pro.

Mixing MIDI

As MIDI and audio parts appear on the same screen in modern sequencers, it's very easy to arrange them into a song. However, when you come to mix everything down there's another consideration. If you are recording to DAT you can simply route the audio and MIDI outputs through a mixer and into the DAT machine.

However, if you want to create a CD you must first convert the MIDI parts to audio data. The entire song can then be mixed to hard disk and burned to CD. Converting MIDI to audio can have another benefit and that's the ability to process the MIDI tracks using digital effects.

Effects

There are three positions for effects known as Master, Send and Insert. Use the Master for effects you want to apply to the entire mix. These will often be EQ, compression and reverb.

Although giving each channel its own Insert effects is kinda neat, each one uses a corresponding amount of CPU power. So if your computer is struggling and if you're using the same effect on more than one channel, make the effect a Send effect and route those channels to it.

Many pieces of software let you apply an effect Pre or Post fader. With Post fader, the amount of sound sent to the effect is controlled by the fader. With Pre fader, the total volume level of the signal is sent. Post fader is the usual default and the one you'll use the most.

EQ

EQ is the most popular and the most over-used effect. Yes, it can be used to try to "fix a mix" but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as me Gran used to say and what she didn't know about mixing could be written in the margin of the book of honest politicians.

But before you start messing with EQ - or any other effect for that matter - make sure you have a decent set of speakers. Have we said that already? Oh, must be important, then.

There are plug-in effects such as MaxxBass which can psychoacoustically enhance the bass frequencies to make it sound better on smaller speakers. However, this is by no means the same as getting a good bass sound in the first place by observing good recording principles.

EQ can enhance a mix to add gloss, fairy dust, shimmer, sheen, a sweetener or whatever you want to call it to the final production. It can be done with enhancers and spectralisers, too, although these tend to mess with the harmonics which some producers don't like. However, don't dismiss them out of hand.

General EQ lore says that you should cut rather than boost. If a sound is top-heavy, the temptation is to boost the mid and bass ranges. But then what usually happens is you start boosting the upper range to compensate and you simply end up boosting everything and you're back where you started - only louder!

The reason why cutting is preferred is that boosting also boosts the noise in the signal which is not what you want. Try it. Boost every frequency and listen to the result. If you think it sounds okay, fine. What do we know?

But when you're fiddling, do keep an eye on the output meter. Boosting EQ inevitably means increasing the gain and it's so-o-o-o easy to clip the output causing distortion which does not sound good.

Finally, check EQ changes to single tracks while playing back the entire piece. In other words, listen to the tracks in context with all the other tracks. It may sound fine in isolation but some frequencies may overlap onto other tracks making the piece frequency rich in some places and frequency poor in others.

Reverb

Reverb creates space. It gives the impression that a sound was recorded in a hall or canyon instead of the broom cupboard. Recording lore suggests that you record everything dry, with no reverb, so you can experiment with a choice later on. You can't un-reverb a track once it's been recorded.

The more reverb you apply, the further away sound will seem. To make a vocal up-front, use only enough reverb to take away the dryness. Vocals don't want to be mushy (lyrics can be mushy) so use a bright reverb.

A common novice error is to swamp everything with different types of reverb. Don't - it sounds horrible!

Mixing down

You've done all the recordings, done the edits, applied the effects and now it's time to mix everything into a Big Number One Hit! Before you do, go home and have a good night's sleep. Have two. In fact, sleep for a week.

Yes, we know you're hot and raring to go but your ears are tired. They're falling asleep. Listen carefully and you might hear then snore!

There is a phenomenon known as ear fatigue and consistent exposure to sound, especially the same frequencies, makes our ears less responsive to them. Goes back to the bit about spending your life in a Rave club - you'll never be a master producer. If you try to mix after spending a day arranging, your ears will not be as responsive, so do them and your mix a favour by waiting at least a day.

Now, go forth and mix! And don't forget - you get better with practice. For more information about mixing, pick up a FREE copy of Creating The Perfect Mix at www.making-music.com.

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Music To My Ears - Robert Zubrin Solves The Energy Problem (And Hits Terrorism Where It Lives)

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I usually don't write about anything unrelated to music or the music business, but the logic and comprehensiveness of Robert Zubrin's plan to solve the energy problem (and a lot more) is music to my ears!

Aren't you turning off listening to ALL the current presidential candidates? I mean really. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Nobody is saying ANYTHING that makes me think they know how to save America from ruin. George Bush and company have put us in this mess...but no one has a way out.

I say this in all seriousness. I will vote for the candidate who embraces and implements the energy policy outlined in Zubrin's new book, Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror By Breaking Free of Oil.

Now, since I have not had the opportunity to read the book, but only watch Zubrin's presentation on BOOK TV (C-SPAN2), I won't attempt to review it. All I can say is, THIS GUY MAKES SENSE.

"[If Congress mandates that all cars sold in the U.S. be] able to run on any combination of gasoline or alcohol fuels - this one action would destroy the monopoly that the oil cartel has maintained on the globe's transportation fuel supply, opening it up to competition from alcohol fuels produced by farmers worldwide." -EnergyVictory.net

The Oil Problem, the Alcohol Solution

WE ALL KNOW WHY WE ARE SO HEAVILY INVESTED IN THE MIDDLE EAST: Oil. America is an oil junkie and the mid-east is our dope supplier. And we will do anything (or at least our leaders will) to make sure that we can get at the dope...including, duh, WAR. The answer is crystalline clear: We've got to get off the stuff!

Zubrin's "EnergyVictory" solution puts 50 plus million flex-fuel cars on our roads in three years. But more importantly, this SOLUTION immediately un-enslaves us from the middle east. We immediately STOP giving so much of our money to the Saudi's and start paying our farmers to grow fuel crops.

The plan also drastically reduces the damage being done to our climate and world due to the burning of fossil fuels. (How 'bout we tackle the "global warming problem"-and it IS a serious and immediate problem-at the same time!?)

We're screwed up America. Personally, I don't want to hear any more candidates telling me that they are going to fix things! I have NO FAITH that they know any more about how to actually to do it than anyone else. There's NO LEADERSHIP there. I want a PLAN. NOW. And I want to rally everyone around it and thumb my nose at those who are holding us hostage!! No more treading water and whining...ACTION...NOW!

Nobody knows who Robert Zubrin is!* And yet he has a PRACTICAL solution to three of the most urgent problems we have EVER confronted: Terrorism (yes, oil money funds terrorist acts against US!), the Energy Crisis (and the resulting ruination of our economy), and Global Warming!

*I went on YouTube and searched for videos about Zubrin (he HAS been on TV!). I found just two, with a combined "watched" count of about 1000 viewings...and neither was about "Energy Victory," but about his scientific work on projects related to Mars. Just for the heck of it (or "huck of it") I did the same YouTube search on Mike Huckabee (a long-shot for the White House in 2008). I found over 2000 videos on him and some of them had already been viewed over one million times. People know HIM...does Huckabee have a solution?)

Here's the plan:

o Let's GET OFF OIL and MANDATE that all cars sold in the US beginning in 2009 be flex-fuel.

o Let's turn the fuel economy into a competitive marketplace where our farmers can get a piece of the profits.

o Let's FORCE the price of oil DOWN through competition.

o Let's BREAK LOOSE from any NEED for middle eastern and (dare I say it?) Islamic oil reserves.

o Let's take control of our lives, our future, our country.

When is one of these so-called Great Americans running (or trying to run) this country going to step up and execute a plan? The Zubrin plan is the best we've got...and it will work. Gimme someone to vote for, please.

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Make Unique Guitar Music Like Steve Vai

Steve Vai is famous for being a top-notch guitar player. His career has spanned more than twenty years and he continues to rock today and create more music than ever. What has contributed to Steve Vai's longevity in the guitar-playing world? So many guitarists have a hit or two and then fizzle out due to burn-out or personal problems. Steve Vai has not fallen victim to the afflictions that so often plague his fellow musicians. Let's take a look at Steve Vai's life and career to see what has worked so well for him to create a successful music career.

Family support. Steve Vai grew up in New York in the 1960s. He started appreciating music at a very early age and was strongly supported by his family in his musical pursuits. His parents allowed him to take lessons from Joe Satriani in 1974 and he played in various bands and different musical projects as a youngster. After he finished high school, Vai was accepted into the Berklee College of Music. It was difficult for his family to come up with the funds to pay for his schooling, but they were so supportive of Steve's music career that Steve's father sold his life insurance policy in order to pay the tuition into Berklee. It is clear that Vai is still touched by the love and support from his father because he works closely with various charity organizations that help kids who have musical abilities but need financial help in order to pursue their aspirations.

Boldness. In 1979, Vai made an unsolicited transcription of popular rocker Frank Zappa's "The Black Page". He sent the transcription to Zappa along with a recording of his own guitar playing. He knew that Zappa had no clue who he was and was not expecting to receive a package from him. In spite of the unlikelihood that his efforts would lead anywhere, he sent the package to Zappa. When Frank Zappa saw the transcription and listened to the recording of Vai's guitar playing, he hired Vai to transcribe more of his music. Eventually, Vai became a regular member of Zappa's band and toured with the group in 1980. While he was touring with Zappa, he entertained audiences by challenging anyone in the crowd to bring him an unfamiliar musical score to see if he could sight read it on the stage. Of course he was very confident in his abilities and the audiences loved to interact with him.

Unabashed originality. Vai says, "I make music to push my own buttons. I've always been driven by an addiction to create sounds that are unique - not better than what other people do, just different." Vai's commitment to create music that is truly unique and to satisfy only himself with his musical attempts helped him to gain success. Vai has a unique sound on the guitar, because he is so dedicated to making music for himself and not just following what everyone else is doing. Passion and Warfare was one of the most successful albums of Vai's career. Guitar World magazine appointed the guitar solo in the track "For the Love of God" as one of the top 100 guitar solos of all time. After the success of this album, Vai was quoted as saying:

"I didn't know what people were going to think of that record, I just knew that I had to make it. I locked myself in the studio, and the music that had been building up in my imagination for years all came rushing out. Honestly, I thought the record was going to sell about 10 copies. Instead it went gold in a week."

It is clear from Vai's description of writing the music for Passion and Warfare that he was not concerned with the opinion of other people, but instead wrote music that truly inspired him. If you aspire to guitar greatness like Steve Vai, be bold and creative in your music and it will speak for itself.

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Famous Acoustic Guitarists of the 20th Century

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There is no denying that electric guitars have a certain sexy allure. After all, crowds of screaming teenage fans can't be wrong, can they? Don't answer that. At any rate, the appeal of the electric guitar is such that it sometimes threatens to completely eclipse its acoustic cousin. It's understandable, since the glitz and the glamour associated with rock and roll's electric guitar are usually noticeably lacking with the more traditional instrument. Fortunately for us all, it's highly unlikely that the acoustic guitar will ever completely give way to its flashy cousin, especially not as long as talented artists continue to produce wonderful music. Thanks to these individuals, just a few of whom are included below, the acoustic guitar continues to enjoy the popularity it has created since its inception.

If you weren't familiar with the music of Johnny Cash (1932-2003) before the debut of Hollywood's recent "Walk the Line," you probably are now. The recently deceased Mr. Cash was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and one of the most influential American musicians of the last century. His career lasted nearly fifty years, during which time he sold over 90 million albums. His music involved cross-genre success and his legacy includes the music of country, rock and roll, folk, blues and gospel. He continues to be one of history's most famous acoustic guitar artists.

Another artist who continues to ensure the popularity of the acoustic guitar is country music's Bonnie Raitt (1949-Present). Ms. Raitt's music is primarily of the blues, blues rock and country genres, but like Mr. Cash before her, she has enjoyed crossover success and several of her songs have enjoyed general popularity. She has received a total of nine Grammy Awards (so far) and in 2000, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has occasionally been known as much for her leftist political views as for her music, but that has never outshone the quality of her artistry.

Sheryl Crow (1962-Present) has done a great deal for the image of the acoustic guitar over the past two decades. She first came to the attention of the general public in 1994 when her song "All I Wanna Do" became an unexpected smash hit (I still remember that video on MTV). Since then, she has had a steady 20+ years of success and has performed with such high profile artists as Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and The Rolling Stones. Her genres include rock, country, pop rock, blues-rock and folk, although it is her pop rock music that tends to gain the most commercial success.

Jewel Kilcher (1974-Present), generally known simply by her first name, Jewel, has received three Grammy Aware nominations and has sold over 27 million albums worldwide. Her genres include pop, folk, pop rock, adult contemporary and country, and her music inevitably features her acoustic guitar skills. Although some would argue that her career has declined in recent years, the songs of her first albums remain as fixtures on the playlists of radio stations across the United States as well as other countries.

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Writing a Hit Song

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Writing a hit song is an art form. Since listening to music is something that people commonly do, it is often so simple to come up with lyrics and melodies. But the real challenge is how to compose a song that thousands or millions of fans will surely enjoy.

Here are a few helpful tips for writing a hit song:

In theory, a song is merely made up of melody and words. So according to this principle anyone who knows a language and is capable of humming a tune can compose a song. Creativity and talent are of course very important elements but the fact is that anyone who listens to music regularly is already experienced. However before you begin writing down lyrics, you have to take note of a few fundamentals first.

Making a Story

When writing a hit song song, keep in mind that it a song is a form of literature and every form of literature should contain a story. What's important when composing a song is making sure that it will be something that people can relate to and can bring about an emotion from them. The audience should feel part of the song. It's not enough to simply tell them a story. It is more effective to leave them with some kind of question.

Just like a story, a hit song has three parts - beginning, middle and end. After completing the writing process, it is suitable to divide the song into its three components. Always take note that hit songs are not just written once, they have been repeatedly re - written.

Format

When you are concerned about what proper format to follow and how many verses will be appropriate for your song, you can easily get ideas from those who have experience writing a hit song. Try reviewing their songs and study the format. You will probably notice that there are only a small number of formats which are popularly used by songwriters and they only vary slightly. However even with this slight variation, they can significantly alter the feel of the entire song.

Writing a hit song is not an easy task but by hiring a professional songwriter to do it for you, you can easily come up with good lyrics. Moreover, you will be guaranteed with confidentiality and you can freely have the good lyrics credited to your name.

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Silk Music Group

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Silk is an R&B group that began in 1989 in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. They are best known for their #1 hit single in 1993 "Freak Me". This song came off of their debut album, Lose Control. Another successful song from Lose Control was "Girl U For Me". It even helped the album go double platinum. Later successful singles include "I Can Go Deep", "Hooked On You", "Don't Rush", "If You", "Meeting In My Bedroom", and "We're Calling You."

Keith Sweat discovered. Starting out, the group had 5 members: Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates, Gary "Big G" Glenn, Gary "Lil G" Jenkins and Jonathen "John-John" Rasboro. In 2002, Elektra Records label let go of both Silk and Keith Sweat. To add insult to injury Jenkins decided to leave the group that year too to pursue other things. He debuted on stage playing 'AJ' in the Madea's Family Reunion by Tyler Perry. He came back on the music scene in 2007 with The Other Side, a solo album.

Down to a foursome, Silk released their fifth album Silktime in 2003 on Silk Music Group, a label they created. This album included "Silktime", "My Girl", "Alibi", "More", "You (The Baby Song)", "Check My Story" and a cover of "Sideshow", originally by Blue Magic. That song helped reunite them with Keith Sweat, their former mentor. But the album did poorly without Jenkins even though it did show up on the Billboard 200.

The group cane out with their sixth album in 2006, it was a group of cover songs called Always And Forever. It came out on Shanachie Records. This album had covers of R&B songs such as "Adore" a Prince tune, "Always and Forever" originally by Heatwave, and "Secret Garden" sung by Quincy Jones initially. "Secret Garden" was actually the only song that ever made a single. Always and Forever, much like Silktime, was not a sales success.

Silk joined up with Jenkins again at the end of 2007, to record a new album.

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Today's Music Industry - How Technology & the Internet Has Changed It

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The music industry has been changing greatly. Today, there are more & more opportunities for anyone who is an aspiring musician to get noticed, whether they be a singer-songwriter, rock band, rapper, or producer. The creation of Myspace (& other musical online communities) allows for exposure of people's music. With a self-produced demo, you can post your songs up on Myspace, and after establishing a great following of fans, Major Record Labels might notice you & even choose to sign you. This is very different from the olden days, when trying to get your music exposed wasn't as easy.

Also, the creation of mp3's, online music stores & distributors (such as iTunes, Soundclick, & Pure Volume), has made it very easy for artists to distribute their music. No longer will you have to go to a studio to record your songs onto cd's in order to give out to your friends and other people to listen. All you have to do is buy a computer, and with the necessary digital recording programs out there available, you can record your songs as mp3's & distribute them all throughout the internet. Obviously if your songs are good enough, people will like them and pass them along to others, and you will get noticed.

Besides audio recording, digital technology has made the creation of music easier in other aspects. Due to more & more developments in digital audio workstations, anyone can produce their own music at home. No longer will you need to buy drum kits, keyboard synthesizers, & other music production hardware. You can go through the whole process of creating your own music through the use of your home computer. Anyone including YOU, can make your own hip hop & rap beats using simply your computer!!!

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Who is Adam Young? How Did He Create the Hit Firefly Song in His Parent's Basement?

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First Thing's First:

Before I get started, let me tell you a little bit more about Adam Young and why his story matters. This matters a great deal because when it comes to success, you never want to re-invent the wheel. What worked for him, can and will work for you, if you use the same system. We want to know as much about Adam, and how he achieved so much with such basic tools. He is a such a unique, and very rare case. For those of you out there trying to get where he is with your music career, use the same system he used!

What's his story?

Adam worked at a soda distributor in Owatonna, Minnesota. He voiced his opinion that while he appreciated the work, it was a dead end job, with no real future. He was very influenced by music, he even stated that music was the reason for his insomnia. Adam realizing his advice passion for it, spent most of his time when he should have been sleeping, writing music instead. After using only a computer, keyboard, and his voice. He wrote Fireflies, and threw it on you tube, along with a download link to I tunes. After 2 years and sum odd songs, and many sleepless nights later. Adam Young's song took off selling hundreds of thousands of downloads threw you tube, and I tunes. Soon after he signed a record deal with Universal Republic. Now, just listen to the radio long enough, and you will here Adam Young's band, Owl City, and there hit song Fireflies.

So what does he have that you don't?

Well, considering that if you believe in yourself, the sky is the limit! You just lack the tools, and perhaps the know how to uses such tools? Well the truth is, the same tools are available to you, just as they were to Adam. In fact there are better programs for writing your own music out now, then when Adam started. What if your passion for music all of the sudden became your obsession? I believe that can happen to anyone, at anytime. If so, you are not far away from the tools you need. The research has been done, the programs have been proven, the sales speech for themselves. Either way, if you are writing your own music, these programs are great for improving sound quality, adding different sounds, or simply recording them. It is worth a look see.

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More Great 80's Music Hits - The Ladies of the 80's

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Here we go again! Strap on your time machine and come with me once again down 80's music memory lane. This time let's give it a twist, shall we? Let's showcase just the ladies that gave us some of the biggest, best 80's music hits. We will cover some big time names as well as some others that are not so easily recoginized. But it's thier overall collaboration of these great music hits that helped shape the decade known as the big 80's. Let's roll...

First on the list is Pat Benatar. How about her big music 80's hits, Love Is a Battlefield, and Hit Me With Your Best Shot. The ever popular Laura Branigan and her smash hits Self Control, and Gloria from the great 80's movie hit Flashdance. Tiffany also threw in some catchy hits like I Think We're Alone Now, and I Saw Him Standing There.

Not to be out done is Debbie Gibson. Her big 80's hits included Only In My Dreams, and Shake Your Love. Nena was also a strong presence with her song, 99 Luft Balloons. The American version was 99 Red Balloons. Did anyone catch Tiffany's mall tour in the big 80's? Quite a unuiqe way to get exposure, but hey, whatever it takes. Just goes to show the diversity of the artists and the fans who adored them.

Next up we have Martika and her hauntingly beautiful 80's hit, Toy Soldiers. One of my favorites to this day. We can't go down this hit list without throwing in the perky Toni Basil. Her great music donation was Mickey. I always did like cheer leaders!! Another all time favorite is the ever popular Go-Go's. We Got the Beat, Vacation, and Our Lips Are Sealed. 80's hits and classics all rolled up in one. The lead singer from the Go-Go's was, as we all know, Belinda Carlisle. Her solo career gave us hits like Heaven Is a Place on Earth, and Circles In the Sand. The Bangles and thier great 80's music video Walk Like an Egyptian is still a staple on the classic video stations.

Susanna Hoffs and her crazy eyes is something that I will always remember. Too cool. Speaking of great music video hits, Tina Turner was a powerful female artist as well, picking up a good head of steam in the 80's. Her hits include What's Love Got To Do With It, and Better Be Good To Me. Timeless treasures still alive today. Terry Nunn fronted a band called Berlin. Who can ever forget thier huge 80's hit Take My Breath Away. From possibly the best movie of all time Top Gun. Maybe I'm a little biased here!! Brass In Pocket and Middle Of the Road came from the super group The Pretenders. Did you know that Brass In Pocket is not the bands favorite song to perform? But certianly it is thier most requested. Chrissy Hynde was made to sing this one!! Hard rockin' glam metal Scandal had the big 80's hit The Warrior.

I can still see Patti Smythe and Roxi crankin' it up loud to this day. A little band from the Seattle area known as Heart had some giant classic music hits in the 80's as well. These Dreams, and If Looks Could Kill are just a few from this mega band. The all girl band Vixen headlined with big artists due in part to thier 80's hit Livin' On The Edge Of a Broken Heart. Not to be left behind, Lita Ford paired up with Ozzy Osbourne for the duet, Close My Eyes Forever. Her solo hit Kiss Me Deadly was not too far behind. Another rocker we have to include is Joan Jett. I Love Rock N Roll and Do You Want To Touch Me are by far classic hits that survive to this day. To wind up the list, we have to say something about Cher. If I Could Turn Back Time was a favorite of me and my fellow shipmates when I was in the United States Navy for obvious reasons. Man I wish I was on that battle ship!!

Now for a little 80's music hits trivia. Does anyone know the co-lead singer with Meatloaf on his giant hit Paradise By The Dashboard Lights? The woman you see is named Karla Devito. But did you know she was actually lip-syncing? The voice you hear singing actually belongs to Ellen Foley. Apparently, Karla and Meatloaf did a video to this song, and people associated Karla to it, so they decided to keep her on stage for the tour!!

So, there you have it. The Ladies of the 80's and a little music trivia to boot. Thanks for sharing another 80's music hits memory with me. Rock On!!!

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The Beatles Legacy

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How do you explain the continuing popularity of the Beatles, a pop group that broke up officially in 1970? The Beatles break up was marked with rancor and resentment between McCartney and Lennon. Lawsuits were filed and legal matters dragged out for years, during which time the principles hardly communicated. Harrison recorded all those songs unappreciated by the Lennon/McCartney juggernaut on the double album "All Things Must Pass." And even though McCartney and even Ringo Starr have had viable post Beatle careers, the parts are less than the whole, especially those who remember the Beatlemania of the 1960s.

This sour end to the most popular music group of all time has not cooled the ardor of their fans. Each CD re-incarnation of the vinyl album sells in the millions. The Beatles Anthology, a complete and pricey retrospective set of their entire career, became a run-away best seller in the mid 1990s and again in its 2003 DVD release. The Cirque du Soleil's "Love" Las Vegas show is the ticket of the year and is garnering rave reviews. And Beatle fanatics continue to make pilgrimages to iconic Liverpool and London locations to experience the landmarks in the Beatles history.

So what is going on here? Besides Elvis Presley, it's hard to think of any other non-current artist or group that still commands attention and record sales like the Beatles. It's no stretch to say that, as a group, the Beatles penned more quality tunes than any other pop/rock musical group or artist. The sweep of their material, from the charming "From Me To You" to the personal pleas of "Help," to rave ups like "Helter Skelter" is unrivaled in modern popdom. It was the Beatles who established the long playing album as an artistic medium that showcased interesting songs and compelling performances with no discernible duplication or flagging of inspiration through almost 10 years.

Before the Beatles, albums were afterthoughts to the radio hit, with one or two hits filled out with lesser formula tunes. Even King Elvis suffered from this syndrome with his movie soundtrack albums. Blame manager Tom Parker who foisted on Elvis mostly forgettable tunes cranked out by composers willing to sell their songs cheap to the Colonel's in-house publishing company. But most albums of the day were of this ilk, a hit tune or movie title song surrounded by often forgettable dross.

The Beatles were lucky to hook up with George Martin, a creative and sympathetic producer and musician. Up until the Beatles, most artists had little control over their product, deferring that role to experienced producers and A&R men. Martin familiarized the Beatles with the techniques of studio work and frequently suggested song arrangements. But even he at an early date realized the rare and extraordinary song writing talent that Lennon/McCartney were developing song by song. And it continued and matured through each and every album.

People forget how rare it was in 1962 for a music combo to write, sing and play its own compositions. The pop music model had been Elvis-inspired singers named Bobby and Tommy who plied mostly forgettable songs to sighing teenagers. The Beatles changed all that in something resembling a revolution. Suddenly, four or five piece combos were "in" and record executives expected musical proficiency and hit song writing all wrapped into one package. Music stores began selling electric guitars and amplifiers by the boatload. Beatlemania was born.

The Beatles raised the bar for other to follow. The so-called "British Invasion" consisting of groups like Herman's Hermits, the Zombies and the Dave Clark Five who offered energetic songs filled with memorable melodic hooks.

Go to any Paul McCartney or Ringo concert and you'll see fans of all generations, not just aging baby boomers. Many of these fans continue to gather at annual Beatle fests in America and Liverpool to pay homage to their favorite band. This is the most powerful testament to the enduring legacy of the Beatles. As the magical melodies travel from generation to generation, as more CDs and DVDs are bought and enjoyed, you can be assured that the Beatles will remain as relevant today as they were in those halcyon days of 1963-1970.

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