Live Music Archive

If you or any person you know wants to learn to read music, it is a lot easier to do than it used to be. The Internet gives us all access to almost unlimited information, and might deliver an incredible array of products and tools right to our desktops. Not surprisingly, there are some really clever products out there that might advocate you learn to read notes.

“Piano is Fun” from Anthony Fernando is a amazing beginner package for a extraordinarily reasonable price that will train you how to read music. The knowledge and practice available here would fee many times the purchase price ($24.95) in personal lessons. Included in the price are free lifetime upgrades and a 30 day money -back guarantee.

Purchase and Installation – Purchase and installation are both a snap. The entire process takes no more than five minutes and is virtually foolproof. So,what’s in the product? A series of lessons and practice games that educate you how to read music and make it fun! And that’s quite an accomplishment! Most students find it an awesome, dreadful task, but it really doesn’t have to be, as this product demonstrates. When you start the program, you could think that the product is just for children. Well, it is amazing for children, but it is also fun for any person that wants to learn to read music for the piano. My own bass clef reading skills fade in and out, and I actually enjoyed clicking through the lessons and “games” (review tests).

Getting Started – The basic package features a series of twenty lessons that start eminently simply and progress through both the treble and bass clefs. The graphics are extensive and bright and easy to read. There are good sound and visual effects – enough to keep your interest up but not so much that it distracts from the point of learning the notes. The way to get started with the product is to take the tour, which explains the layout of the lessons and the “games” that are used as review tests for each of the twenty lessons. As a student progresses through each lesson, awards are given and displayed on a separate screen – wonderful little reinforcers to keep you going.

Menu and Options – The central menu is completely self-explanatory and includes a button for ” Create Here” which leads to the “tour”, a “Lessons” button, which leads to the twenty lessons, an “Options” button (explained below) and buttons for advanced tests called the Bronze, Silver, and Gold C venue enges. The Options button lets you control what happens when a correct answer is entered (there are a few diverse choice s), and contains an option for teachers that allows the addition or deletion of a student’s name. It’s also possible for a “teacher” to construct “custom” lessons that operate like the other lessons. The option is in choosing the notes that are presented in the test. So,if you want your child or student to concentrate on recognizing certain notes, you might easily establish exercises that contain only those notes. There’s also a sound option that lets you turn on or off the sound effects that accompany parts of the program.

Extra Challenging Exercises – The Bronze, Silver, and Gold C hall enge exercises are more note recognition tests but with the notes passing across the screen at a faster pace, obviously requiring a quicker response from the user. If a student can master these, there is not much doubt that they know their notes.

So that’s about it! This program does not balance your checkbook, manage your portfolio, or vacuum your carpet, but it never claimed to! If you want to learn to read music, or have a child that’s about to start lessons or just shows interest, this product is a great buy. Imagine your piano teacher’s surprise when your 5 year old shows up knowing how to read music on both the treble and bass clefs! She’ll fall off her piano bench! By the way, my son, who has been taking lessons for two years, came home from school yesterday and ASKED if he could use the Piano is Fun program! Think about that!

When you’re giving a presentation, whether it’s a keynote speech or seminar, the Venue and facilities could have a very large impact on the success or failure of your presentation, so here are three tips to make your presentation successful.

Small is more

A few years ago, my band was offer ed a headline show in one of the live music Clubs in Cape Town. The problem is that while our band can draw a crown of about 50-100 individuals, the Club held over 700 individuals we reluctantly turned down the show and instead asked to play in their smaller Club downstairs that only held 80 individuals. The downstairs show was amazing – it was full, crowded and had a amazing vibe – we would have needed at least 500 individuals upstairs to get the energy we had downstairs.

The same happens when all of us speak. Occasionally all of us think “let’s rather book a bigger room – just in case,” but in general, the small yet full room has far more energy than the large and empty room. Resist the temptation to book the larger room. You may always bring in extra chairs at the final minute if important.

Arrive Early

What’s been promised by the Venue, and what they actually provide are not always the same thing. If you arrive early you’ve plenty of time to make final minute differs to the room performance up. If possible, check it out a day or two before so that you’ve time to see the room and make a DJ ustments adhead of time.

Get to know the AV Guy

The AV (audio-visual) guy is the individual that (usually) works for the Club, and he’s responsible for all of the audio visual equipment. They are the people who know where the hidden button is that reduces the projector screen, or where to get an extra extension cable at the final minute etc. If you are speaking at a large conference, you might have a dedicated AV guy, but if it is a smaller function, the Club might have one individual responsible for the entire conference performance up.

This person can make or break your presentation. Befriend him and he’ll be willing to support. Antagonize him, and he can not be able to find that extra adapter that you left at home!

(I say AV guy – but in all honesty I have never met an AV gal!)

I hope the pointers stimulate – nice luck with you next presentation!

Three times in the last month I’ve been asked the question, “what do I need to do to organize a gig?” In reality, when this question is asked it could mean several things: How do I find a Club? How do I sort out the PA? How do I get an listeners? And so on.

But there is a stage before all of this: the budget. I would suggest that the moment you start thinking about organizing an gathering you ought to write a budget. This budget spreadsheet informs you of the majority things that you will need to contemplate and will likewise show you the risk, projected profit and the breakeven point. A sample spreadshhet is available to download from this address http://www.josaka.com/features/2005/Organize-A-Gig/Event-PandL.pdf

If the budget numbers do not look like they are working perhaps the get together is not the right thing to be running. If you do not like the level of risk, perhaps you aren’t cut out to be a  promoter.

So the start point is a spreadsheet. This should include all expenses and all incomes. The key headings for expenses should include: band cost, PA, lighting, Venue hire, marketing, box office expenses etc. The income is prefer ly to be largely ticket sales but don’t forget the chance to add a sponsor to the event.

The spreadsheet will advocate you work out the breakeven point for the party i.e. how a lot of tickets you need to sell to cover all expenses. Every sale beyond breakeven is of course profit (exluding any box office commision). The added bonus of creating an party spreadsheet is that advocates define all the key tasks to be performed.

The realisation of the forecasted numbers becoming actual figures suggests that all gatherings have got the deal they were looking for or agreed to. The sample speadsheet furthermore illustrates that anybody else involved in the concert is largely earning a fixed fee and and so the only person taking a financial risk is the  promoter.

So if you are thinking of organizing a live event I coomed you to work on the numbers 1st. This will help ensure you deliver a great show and have control over the resources.

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, an honor the city prides itself in. From dim lit jazz venues lining the city streets to its annual Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans is a wonderful American music city. Jazz isn’t the only music being created in the Big simple though.  A lot of music venues and Clubs offer an eclectic mix of blues, gospel, hip hop, rock and more.

One Club offer ing up a diverse musical roster is the House of Blues in the French Quarter. Any given week this club might host inspiring performers and full blown rock stars. A wide  variety of musical type  are present at the New Orleans location of this national chain. The heart and soul of the Club besides the music itself is the interesting surroundings and attentive staff. The features give this location its heart and make this company club seem more mom and pop. The Sunday Gospel Brunch is additionally a wonderfully attractive weekly get together that draws a crowd.

TwiRoPa is the Warehouse District’s premiere art and music complex. This complex houses 100,000 square feet of venue s, music Clubs, galleries, bars and convention space. The nearly 100-year-old building was once the website of a mill that produced Twine, Rope and Paper. These products are furthermore how this complex received its sensational name TwiRoPa. Live music and disc jockeys are all the rage at this hip location that has rapidly made a name for itself.

One New Orleans club that has earned its reputation over time is Tipitina’s Uptown. For over 25 years Tipitina’s has been considered the finest music club in New Orleans. The club is named in honor of its patron saint Professor Longhair for his song Tipitina. The club pays tribute to the New Orleans piano man through shows of Local/Regional and national performers. Local/Regional performers such as the Funky Meters and Galactic generally play to the crowds and headliners Pearl Jam and Lenny Kravitz have likewise graced Tip’s Big Stage. The club is a eminently hot spot during the Jazz and Heritage Festival with its own Fess Jazztival performance series.

Another New Orleans music venue steeped in history and tradition is Uptown’s Maple Leaf. Cajun meets Caribbean as this venue features a variety of music including reggae and zydeco. The Maple Leaf is a happening spot with a packed dance floor bumping till the wee hours of the morning. Poetry readings and special gatherings round out this venue as one of New Orleans finest.

Looking for some rock in Crescent City? The Howlin’ Wolf is regarded as New Orleans quintessential rock club. Here Regional and national recording performers hone there chops for legions of adoring listeners. The Howlin’ Wolf is an unassuming space with a stage, three bars and original artwork from New Orleans performers Lionel Milton and Frenchy. Definitely the spot you want to go for modern rock, the club likewise features Jazz Thursdays and a lot of celebrated Regional performers like George Porter Jr.

Local artists and music Clubs draw their inspiration from Congo Square, the birthplace of jazz. One of these clubs is the famed Funky Butt. This bordello turned club is now the home of modern jazz In New Orleans.  A lot of celebrated and soon to be celebrated artists have graced the butt’s stage. The club is located in a somewhat rough part of town so a taxi is a better option than walking to the club.

Traditional jazz listeners will want to locate Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. This hall doesn’t serve or allow food, drinking or smoking. New Orleans style jazz is on the only item on the menu at this rustic hall inspiring to keep traditional jazz alive. The 35 minute sessions start at 8:15 pm nightly and includes an intermission. Preservation Hall is a historic jazz experience music listeners will want to check out.

Truly a musical city, New Orleans has venues that cater to anyone’s musical cravings. Creative spaces and incredible talent make the city’s venues attractive to Locals and visitors a prefer. No trip to New Orleans is complete in the absence of a visit to one the city’s fine music Venues.

Those who have lived in Austin long enough have seen some amazing growth. Since 1980 the population of this ultra-cool Texas town has more than doubled. In 2006 the population stood at a respectable 709,000 (TWICE that for “Greater Austin”). At this point, being Austin, this abundant growth happened with style and forethought.

The “Keep Austin Weird” message help ed the city retain a diverse selection of small Local/Regional shops and services, while minimizing the steam-roller effect of large box stores so oftentimes associated with development. Music, art, and culture all flourished, and while the world knows about the plethora of live music Clubs here, Austin is also home to numerous galleries, museums, theatres, and restaurants. Lastly, while Austinites kept their city “weird”, they also kept it clean, and were recognized by MSN as having “The Greenest City in America”. Still, one problem, faced by more and more Austin residents, is the traffic, only in the Northwest corridor. But that too will be dealt with, in fact the solution is scheduled to start in late 2008.

The solution – or at least part of it – is Capital MetroRail, a new light rail service that will run, in the beginning, from Leander (26 miles northwest of Austin), through Cedar Park, McNeil and the community of Abercrombie, past the Highland Mall, across Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and terminating downtown at the Austin Convention Center. This section of Capital MetroRail will cover 32 miles – with approximately nine stations along the route – from the Austin’s northwesterly outskirts to the city center. The rewards of this sort of accelerated transit system to a city prefer Austin are a lot of, from reducing carbon emissions, to cutting down on commuter time, and even making a night out in the “live music capital‘ that much more enjoyable. Of course, plans do not prevent with just this one line.

For tax-payers, one of the perfect things about this deal is that, because Capital MetroRail will be using existing rail lines costs will be meaningfully lower than a lot of other urban rail services. So,although city officials are quick to point out that future commuter rail lines will require a referendum, a lot of Austin residents are hopeful that their neighborhood will be next. Future plans include an Eastern line heading out towards Elgin, and a line heading north through Pflugerville. In addition to the Capital MetroRail lines, Austinites will likewise be able to take advantage of a Regional Commuter rail service that will run from San Antonio through Austin, to Round Rock and Roll and beyond. What a great time to be living in Austin!

Austin’s musical lineage began in the late 1960s and 1970s when the country music popularised by individuals such as Willie Nelson has been joined by a cornucopia of other styles and sounds brought by the more liberal inhabitants of the city who had moved there during the two decades. A well known Local venue called the Vulcan Gas Company has been integral in the growth of the Austin music scene with seminal acts such as the 13th Floor Elevators and Shiva’s Headband playing shows there frequently during the 60s and 70s. After the Vulcan has been renamed the Armadillo World Headquarters it became a musical hub, promoting acts of all genre s, from bona fide stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Bette Midler to Local jazz and blues acts.

Austin’s musical progression continued over the next few years, gaining a reputation as a place where struggling performers can launch their careers in front of a receptive listeners. A major influence during this time has been Clifford Antone who opened one of the first live music Clubs on Austin’s 6th Street (now widely regarded as the center of the Austin music scene) in 1975. His Club advocate ed start the career of blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan who went on to become one of the finest guitarists to ever grace the stage. Vaughan is revered so heavily by the Austin population that a statue has been erected in his honour following his death in 1990. The Austin Music Foundation has been likewise created around this time – a ground breaking organization that session out to advocate independent performers further their career.

More recently, Austin has held its place at the top of the globally music scene with the addition of festivals such as ‘Austin City Limits Music Festival’ and ‘Blues on the Green’, a series of free blues performances funded by Local businesses. Perhaps the the majority well known of all the Austin festivals is ‘South By Southwest’, an annual film, music and interactive conference and festival. The festival is a number of times attended by the majority major players in the music business, on the lookout for new skill from all over the world. Along with live performances the festival likewise screens ground breaking work by new and independent film makers as well as conferences with guest speakers from the world of music, sharing recommendation on making it in the music business. 2007’s get together saw musical legends including Pete Townshend of the Who and David Byrne of Talking Heads sharing their knowledge of the inner workings of the music business.

Austin’s musical lineage grew to be the stuff of legend in a relatively short amount of time.  A lot of see this as a testament to the hard work put in by  promoters, bands, performers and Local organizations who found success on their own terms by working together and supporting each other’s cause, a rare occurrence in the cut throat world of music. This camaraderie still continues today, with venue s, Clubs and hotels in Austin regularly packed with industry insiders and listeners eager to soak in some of the bustling, creative atmosphere.

With a musical heritage as rich as Austin’s, it’s not hard to see why the city’s official motto is “The Live Music Capital of the World”.

Music, in any form, whether vocal or instrumental, classical or modern is the perfect form of entertainment as well as relaxing. Locating a person in this whole broad  world, who’s been untouched by the effect and magic of music is  the majority next to impossible. All multimedia gadgets have the provision of playing music. But quite a lot of the time, what is music for one person, can be noise for his neighbor. In such a situation, surround sound headsets are the perfect way to enjoy your music fully without bothering those around you.

Surround sound headsets are diverse from other headsets because they give a realistic feel to the music and bring the effect of live music. This three dimensional effect is achieved by separating the front, rear and central speakers. It stimulates the quality, and shuts out all disturb ances while you’re enjoying the music. The optimum advantage of these headsets is that you could listen to and enjoy your music even with the volume turned up to the maximum, without disturbing your family members and neighbours.

The effect of the surround sound headsets is as nice as listening to music using speakers. Surround sound headsets cover the entire outer ear area and the curve of the ear, and this feature makes it much better than ordinary headsets. One may use these headsets with any music system, PC and even the TV. The individual gets all the perks of hearing everything without any external noise or disturb ance.

These headphones may additionally be used to watch movies in private and even while playing games on your games console. Surround sound headphones are based on the sound decoding technology. This is responsible for giving tremendous clarity in what you hear. User who have used these headphones have said that listening to music using these is as nice as listening to a live orchestra with all the performers standing beside you.

Live Music – all of us all love it in one form or another – whether a classical orchestral concert or a Rock n Roll concert in a football stadium or somewhere in among, little quite gets the juices flowing than hearing your favorite song played live. If you live in South Costa Blanca or the Costa Del Sol, there is an abundance of Venues and artists.

But where is it in North Costa Blanca?

Go to Javea or Benidorm on any night of the week you will find a bar playing live music, but try locating anything in Oliva, Ontinyent or roundabouts and you’d be lucky to find the odd publican playing a banjo.

So where’s all the talent? It does exist and there are some incredibly wonderful musicians around, with wonderful repertoire and wonderful individual ities. Each has a varying musical style entertain the crowds varying ly – and all are crowd pleasers. So the problem isn’t lack of talent – the problem is where to play.

Up until decidedly recently it has been c venue enging to find anywhere to host live music, in part because of the Regional council attitude who frown upon live music yet are happy to allow loud fireworks at 2AM. Nonetheless it is likewise due to the apathy of the listening public. When a Club organizes live music the owner has to pay the musicians. If only ten people turn up then he has lost resources. Most of these Clubs do not charge a cover or add to the drinks prices, they hope enough people turn up to make it value their while.

But imagine going for four weeks and managing to get 10 people in. Wouldn’t you be disheartened? I am sure I would. They can be wonderful people but they’re likewise business people who make a living.

In some Clubs the owners put on live music and the turnout is in divergent. The places need a regular following to keep going and only by doing so will all of us get to see more acts, because the acts will only come Assuming that the re is a crowd to performance to – and that means you need to do something.

So how do you find out about what’s going on. Well there are a number of sources. The Inland Trader for one, has a what’s on  guide to keep you informed. There’s furthermore a wonderful website www.spanishbrolly.com where you can find information about who’s playing where, and www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk has a lot of articles about live music and reviews of musicians.

But these sources additionally need the input from both the Clubs and artists.

So we have a responsibility for stimulate ing to make a success of live music. If you know a Venue organizing live music go and visit – you might enjoy yourself. Invite your companions, tell their companions, word of mouth is excellent advertising. The artists need Venues to play and crowds to play to, the Venues need our support to keep providing us with live music, so we need to get behind the Venues that put on live music – not next week, next month – but NOW – it’s for our benefit after all and what better than sitting outdoors with a good cold drink, listening to a excellent band playing your favorite music. . Where else might you get free live music?

The listening public need to get behind our Clubs and support them – they do a thankless task of providing music, dealing with artists ego’s and getting paid little for it, so the least all of us can do is support them. Go do something diverse now and visit a live performance. See you there!!

Touted as the Live Music Capital of the World,” the city of Austin, Texas, has a rhythm of its own. With more live music Clubs per capita than any other music center in the world, Austin, Texas dominates over other places known for music such as Nashville, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. The city of Austin, Texas provides a few programs to support musicians and to  promote  their music in a variety of type of s, from country to blues.

Whether you’re just arriving in Austin, Texas for the first time or you’re a Regional coming home, you’ll be greeted at the airport with live music at three different airport Venues. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is just the first reminder that you have entered the “Live Music Capital” of Austin, Texas.

The Plaza at the Austin City Hall puts on a music showcase with different scopes that highlight different performers and their music. Free performances are given among April and October at The Plaza, making the music series “Live From The Plaza” one of the more popular music Venues around. The Parks and Recreation Department also highlights musical performances, with summer performances in various locations, such as the Zilker Hillside Theater.

many private companies have emerged as a result of the hot music scene in Austin, Texas (TX). The city’s famous Sixth Street is the heart of the live music scene, with more than 50 nightclubs, restaurants, bistros and dance clubs showcasing the latest artists in a variety of music styles. West of the business district lies what’s known as Austin’s Warehouse District, fast emerging as another neighborhood devoted to live music. With edgier restaurants and clubs renovated from old warehouses, the Warehouse District features trendy bars, restaurants and amazing concert hall s.

There are a few theaters in Austin, Texas that spotlight more live music, such as Esther’s Follies. Located on Sixth Street, Esther’s Follies has featured live acts of magic, comedy, music and sketch comedy for more than two decades. The Frank Erwin Center hosts a lot of performances and other musical events from its Red River Street location. The Zachary Scott Theater is another place to find pleasure in a wide  variety of live entertainment, from seasonal plays to old-fashioned music concert s. Austin, Texas has a lot of other theaters located throughout the city that are just waiting to be located by eager residents.

Of course, the “Live Music Capital of the World” wouldn’t be complete with out music festivals, and Austin, Texas (TX) hosts a few noteworthy ones. Try out the Austin City Limits Music Festival, a 3-day celebration of Austin’s music. The Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Festival highlights globally skills in each category. The Urban Music Festival and the Old  set tler’s Music Festival are two more popular get togethers just right for the whole family.”

Around the pubs and clubs in the United Kingdom (UK) there are still a lot of bands playing for only a few pounds to demanding audiencess who at the same time request Chuck Berry and the Arctic Monkeys. Keeping all these varying individuals in the audiences happy is never easy, but not impossible either. With good stage craft and clever of tunes at a particular Club, a good performer could make anybody at all happy.

The organization of these artists is extraordinary. They must find like minded musicians that are committed. Then they must find somewhere to practice. This isn’t easy as the majority cannot do this at home. If you are fortunate to have a house ample enough, it is un like ly you can get round the neighbours, as it is so loud! It cannot be turned down as everything must be as loud as the drums. A performer ofttimes hires a room to practice, at excellent fee to themselves.

A performer must also spend literally thousands on equipment. PA, lighting, guitars, drums etc.

The next hurdle is transport. For some reason the majority drummers cannot drive! Cars are again and again inadequate as you would need a fleet of about 5 for your gig,  surprisingly expensive on the fuel, and impractical. Virtually all performers have to hire or buy a van, again at wonderful cost to themselves.

When they have finally rehearsed all there material over weeks or months, they’re ready to performance live. It is an rousing day, one of wonder, excitement and slight fear. You turn up to the Venue to find one man and his dog. And that man is wonderfully drunk, wants to be your manager, and giving you all the benefit of his ‘wisdom’ in the music game! The landlord is likewise drunk, and you cannot work out if he prefers you or not.

You get poorly paid, if you get paid at all, and return home generally out of pocket.

Still the real rock heroes come back for more. They find the optimum Venues, obtain a reputation, and play at some exceptional places. Sure they still have bad performances, but the good ones make up for it. They make it look so simple, but it isn’t. One such band may be seen at http://www.thehalfmonty.tk

The Half Monty have had there share of ups and downs. They have been ripped of at gigs, played in the the majority dodgy Clubs, and heckled to death. But they are still here, bigger and better than ever having learnt from their early days.

So remember, when you see a Regional band advertised at a pub or club, go see them and help them. It is not simple for the lads and lasses. Perhaps buy them a beer following the concert if you really enjoyed it. , for these are the true heroes of rock.