Music

Music Therapy

What is Music Therapy? It is the use of music combined with therapy to help individuals accomplish their goals. It can be used to help – promote wellness, manage stress, ease pain, express feeling, sharpen memory, and even help physical rehabilitation.

How did I get interested in Music Therapy? It is one of the courses that are offered at the school I attend, and my co-worker was telling me all about it. Then she showed me this site and I knew I had to share it with all of you.

I learned so much about this field just from checking out the FAQ that I knew it was worth sharing. I learned what Music Therapy is, who can benefit from it, what makes someone authorized to practice it, and even what a typical session would be like – all from the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Membership costs money, so if you want to join be aware of that. I brought to you simply for the information provided on the site. But it is also a great resource for anyone who is looking to get into the field because you can find out what is needed to be an accredited Music Therapist, and where you can go to school for it, by using the drop down menu and selecting schools.

http://www.musictherapy.org/

~Amanda

Pandora Internet Radio

Pandora has become one of the most popular internet radio stations out on the web! It is not your normal radio station. Instead of listening to songs at random, you get to pick the type of station you want. That’s right – this site provides the opportunity to create your own personalized radio station! Just type in the artist name, composer name, or song name, and Pandora will create a radio station playing that music and others in the same category!

Let’s say we want to listen to classical music. You could type in Mozart in the search bar. The autotype function will usually list results resembling your search request, and you can select the one that best meets your needs. For example, I clicked on the first search result that popped up for Mozart: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and I am now listening to the lovely Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G. If you like the song you are listening to and would like to purchase it, simply click on the Buy image on the corner of the song icon. It will give you the option to purchase the song either on iTunes or as an Amazon CD.

If you look on the left-hand toolbar on your Pandora Radio Station, it gives you a few options. First, you have the option of creating new stations. By clicking on Create a New Station, it will let you enter another name into the search bar and create a completely new radio station. When you have more than one, you can alternate back and forth between your different creations!

Under Your Stations, you have two mini-tabs under each of your created radio stations. If you click on “add variety,” you can add the name of another artist, song, or composer to the same station to spice things up! You don’t necessarily have to create a new station when you can combine multiple genres in one.

If you click on “options” underneath a created radio station, it allows you to share your station with a friend, rename the station, edit the details of the created station, find other fans of the same station you have created for yourself, and delete this station if you no longer wish to have it.

At a certain point during your trial run, Pandora will ask you to create an account. Creating an account on this website is 100% free! This is why you will often see advertisements on their page. Sign up with your email address to ensure hours of great musical entertainment. Next time, we will learn about how to manage your profile, genre stations, and more! Stay tuned!

~Sheida

Is there a program out there that will convert my old cassette tapes or vinyl records to CD?

A:
The short answer is yes. There is a program out there that will record cassette tapes or vinyl records to CD. Today, I will show you how. If you have the right software and the right cords, getting your cassettes and Vinyl onto your computer, then onto CDs, is a pretty easy task. Just follow the steps below and you will be on your way to bringing your audio into the 21st century!

What you need: To make the conversion, you will need a (free) audio recording program, a tape or record player and a cord to connect the device to your computer. Here's a breakdown:

1. Audacity. This is the program that will record your audio to your computer.

2. LAME-encoder. This is a file that will convert your audio to MP3.

3. A record player or cassette player. Hopefully you already have one of these.

4. A cord to connect the player to your computer. We have them available in our store. I'll provide links to them later on.

Let's get started.

The first step is to install Audacity and LAME. Click here to download Audacity. After completing the download, run the file that you just downloaded. This will install the program. Next, download the LAME MP3 encoder by clicking here. After downloading this file, do the same thing. Run the file and click next through the steps.

Now that we have the software installed, we can look at connecting your tape player, or record player, to your computer.

Your player will have one of two types of outputs. You will either have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, or RCA audio output jacks. (Pictures below).

If your device has RCA outputs (left image), you will need this cable to connect to your computer.

If your device has a 3.5mm jack (right image), you will need this cable to connect to your computer.

The other end of the cable will connect to the line in jack on your computer(image below).

So far, so good. Right?

Now that we have the software installed and the cassette/record player connected to the computer, let's record something!

Put a cassette or LP into your player. Get the player to the place where you want to start recording and pause or stop the player.

Now, let's stop messing with all this hardware and get the computer set up. First, go to your control panel and open your audio settings.

In XP, go to the audio tab and click "volume" under sound recording. Place a check next to "line in". If you don't see a "line in" option go to options and click advanced. Place a check next to "line in" there.

In Vista/7 go to the recording tab. find your line in, select it then choose "set default". Click on "properties", go to the levels tab and turn up the level to 80 or 100. (This varies depending on what you are recording so you may need to adjust this to get it right).

Now let's open Audacity. (screen shot below).

As you can see, Audacity is pretty much a more advanced sound recorder. To begin recording, press the play button on your record/cassette player then click the red "record" circle on audacity. You are now recording to your computer! When you are done, click stop on audacity and press stop on your player.

After recording, you can now export your audio as an MP3. Go to the file menu and click "Export as MP3". You can now choose the name of the file and save to wherever you want. You are done recording!

NOTE: The first time you export as MP3, you will see the warning below. Click yes, then navigate in the window to C:\program files\lame for audacity\lame_enc.dll and click OK. You will only get this warning once.

Now that you are done recording, you have your MP3 files on your computer. You can stop here if you want or you can burn them to CD. To do this, just open any CD burning program and choose to create an audio CD. (If you are looking for a free CD burner, you can get one here: http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/cdburnerxp)

Enjoy!

~Gary

Great news! Rate or add to this tip here! The printer-friendly version can be found here!

3 ELVIS SINGS BLUE SUEDE SHOES (1956)
The King lives here! Elvis Presley debuts on "The Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey Show." (CBS)
In the house: Elvis sings many more of his hits on our Classic Oldies Video Juke Box below!

4 A TRIBUTE TO ELVIS PRESLEY, THE KING OF ROCK & ROLL (1959-62)
Clips of The King from his early days to induction into the Army, see The King's mom, dad & Col. Tom
Hear Elvis' first #1 1957 hit for RCA, Heartbreak Hotel. (clips from Movietone & AP News)

6 BOBBY DARIN'S "MACK THE KNIFE" (1959)
Bobby opened his first of hour variety shows performing his biggest number one hit.
(and his label, Atco, didn't want him to record it!) (CBS)
*There's more Bobby below: hosting a beauty contest & on the OldiesTeleVision Video Juke Box.

10 THE PATTI PAGE SHOW (1958)
The Singin' Rage sings the immortal Tennessee Waltz, it doesn't get anny better than this.
Also from her show, Patti croons over that cute little Doggie In The Window. (syndicated)

27 EDDIE FISHER SINGS A MEDLEY OF HIS BIGGEST HITS 1953
Eddie croons I'm Walking Behind You, Anytime, With These Hands, Oh My Papa on his TV show.
Like the era crooners, Fisher got 15 minutes a week to enthrall fans..and also Liz Taylor & Debbie Reynolds.. (NBC)

54 THE BEATLES FIRST TELEVISION APPEARANCE 1963
Not yet on Sullivan or in the U.S., the Fab Four debuted "She Loves You" On The Mersey Sound (BBC)
*There's more Beatles & other British Invasion classics on the Classic Oldies Video Juke Box below.

56 MARTY ROBBINS ON THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW 1964
Back in the 60's, Holiday Inn funded half hour shows for Dolly Parton, Bobby Vinton & Marty Robbins
Before his own show aired, Marty sang "El Paso" on Johnny Cash's short lived TV gig (syndicated)

69 THE DONNA REED SHOW 1958
Donna mugs nervously to the camera when daughter, Mary (Shelley Fabares) sings at a school dance.
The song she sings? "Johnny Angel," of course. Dad (Dr. Stone, Carl Betz) allays Mom's fears.
Full episode soon and check out the Donna Reed Christmas Show below on ch 79 (NBC)

Lost Vocals

I am a huge fan of old movies, so you can bet your bottom dollar that I was excited when I discovered this site! The site takes clips from old movies and restores the actor’s real singing voice to the scene. You’ll also find they’ve also included alternate tracks of scenes, or restored deleted lines. It’s really cool!

I stumbled across this site while trying to find a clip from the Singing in the Rain, with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. The movie is an all time favorite of my sister and I, and I wanted to cheer her up with a clip. Then I discovered that they didn’t let her sing all of her own parts!

So after that I decide to check out some of the other videos, and when I stumbled onto Ava Gardner’s “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine” I knew I had to share this with you. I grew up on the soundtrack of the Show Boat, so I was shocked when I saw the movie and it wasn’t her singing, but now thanks to the miracle of technology I can!

On the Main Page you’ll find a set of featured videos, but if you truck on over to the Videos section you’ll find even more! This site is a real gem, not only do you get hear the real voices of the performers but most of the videos have information about what you’re seeing, sometimes from the actor themselves.

Check it out!

http://lostvocals.ning.com/

~Amanda

Radio Tuna

Would you like to listen to the radio for free from your computer? Well then you have to check out Radio Tuna!

There is no registration required you can start listening instantly. Just click the genre of music you’d like to listen to and a list of stations playing that genre will appear for you to select from. Click the station you want to listen to and just like that you’ll be jamming to your favorite tunes.

While registration isn’t required, you can register for free and then you can bookmark your favorite stations so that they are easy to find later on. Registration is easy, just click the Register link at the top of the page, and then fill out the form with a username, e-mail address, password and security question and answer. Once you’ve done that click the register button – then check the e-mail address you provided for the confirmation letter. The confirmation link will automatically log you in.

Some awesome radio features are included on this site! You can check out what a station has been playing before you tuned in, what the top artists are on the station, and even the balance of genres on the station.

To bookmark a station, click the bookmark link in the Current Station area of the page.

What I love most about this site is that they cover so many different genres of music that you’re sure to find something that you want to listen to at any time! You can change stations with your mood. This site is a keeper, bookmark it today!

http://radiotuna.com/

~Amanda

Wow, feel the power of internet radio! Rate or add to this tip here!

Q: Is there a program out there that will convert my old cassette tapes or vinyl records to CD?

A: The short answer is yes. There is a program out there that will record cassette tapes or vinyl records to CD. Today, I will show you how. If you have the right software and the right cords, getting your cassettes and Vinyl onto your computer, then onto CDs, is a pretty easy task. Just follow the steps below and you will be on your way to bringing your audio into the 21st century!

What you need: To make the conversion, you will need a (free) audio recording program, a tape or record player and a cord to connect the device to your computer. Here's a breakdown:

1. Audacity. This is the program that will record your audio to your computer.

3. A record player or cassette player. Hopefully you already have one of these.

4. A cord to connect the player to your computer. We have them available in our store. I'll provide links to them later on.

OK. The first step is to install Audacity and LAME. Click here to download Audacity. After completing the download, run the file that you just downloaded. This will install the program. Next, download the LAME MP3 encoder by clicking here. After downloading this file, do the same thing. Run the file and click next through the steps.

Now that we have the software installed, we can look at connecting your tape player, or record player, to your computer.

Your player will have one of two types of outputs. You will either have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, or RCA audio output jacks. (Pictures below).

If your device has RCA outputs (left image), you will need this cable to connect to your computer.

If your device has a 3.5mm jack (right image), you will need this cable to connect to your computer.

The other end of the cable will connect to the line in jack on your computer(image below).

Now that we have the software installed and the cassette/record player connected to the computer, let's record something!

Put a cassette or LP into your player. Get the player to the place where you want to start recording and pause or stop the player.

Now, let's stop messing with all this hardware and get the computer set up. First, go to your control panel and open your audio settings.

In XP, go to the audio tab and click "volume" under sound recording. Place a check next to "line in". If you don't see a "line in" option go to options and click advanced. Place a check next to "line in" there.

In Vista/7 go to the recording tab. find your line in, select it then choose "set default". Click on "properties", go to the levels tab and turn up the level to 80 or 100. (This varies depending on what you are recording so you may need to adjust this to get it right).

After recording, you can now export your audio as an MP3. Go to the file menu and click "Export as MP3". You can now choose the name of the file and save to wherever you want. You are done recording!

NOTE: The first time you export as MP3, you will see the warning below. Click yes, then navigate in the window to C:\program files\lame for audacity\lame_enc.dll and click OK. You will only get this warning once.

Music can soothe the savage beast and it can work us up into a fury. There is a seemingly infinite number of styles of music and this list looks at ten of the less usual ones. Just to clarify, the use of the word “extreme” is simply a way of describing genres that were in one or more ways completely different from anything mainstream.

Description: Political hip hop (also political rap) is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed in the 1980s. Inspired by 1970s political preachers such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, Public Enemy were the first political hip hop group. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released the first well-known sociopolitical rap song in 1982 called “The Message”, which inspired numerous rappers to address social and political subjects.

Why it is Extreme: Political hip hop might not be extreme in every sense of the word but nowadays artists such as Immortal Technique, Dead Prez and Looptroop rockers use their music to promote and sometimes encourage themes such a socialism, anarchy, conspiracy theories, black power and even presidential assassination. This genre should never be compared to the average rap song played on the radio, in fact almost all Political hip hop artist express extreme dislike towards mass produced and highly commercialized artists, an example of this is a passage from the song “The Message and the Money” by Immortal Technique, “To all these saronayas who are too lazy to come up with a way to sell records…that they keep recycling marketing schemes and imagery, C’mon there is a market for everything, there is a market for pet psychologists, twisted shitfetish videos, nipple rings, river dancing, for chocolate covered roaches but you can’t find one for cultured hardcore reality and hip hop?”

Related Genres: Black Nationalist hip hop, Marxist hip hop, Anarchist hip hop, Socialism hip hop

Artists: Nas, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Looptroop rockers, Immortal Technique, Blue Scholars, Sun Rise Above

Description: A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church and the second to groups that perform in theaters or concert halls. All members come together with what is called “one voice.” One person who makes a mistake can throw off the entire group and a mistake made by by a single person means the entire group makes the mistake. The spotlight is on the choir, therefore it is of extreme importance to perform well for the audience (in a concert) or congregation (in a church). In typical 18th to 20th century oratorios and masses, chorus or choir is usually understood to imply more than one singer per part, in contrast to the quartet of soloists also featured in these works.

Why it is Extreme: Simply the fact that the smallest mistake made by one person could ruin the performance of all other members (anywhere from 20 to 300) makes this genre more extreme than others, where a mistake could be covered up by other members. Another extreme factor is the absence of any kind of time-keeping device such as a metronome, drums or even a finger snap. Choirs also have a very precise structure that needs to be followed to assure a proper sounding harmony, similar to an orchestra where all instruments have an assigned position and tuning.

Description: Chill out (sometimes also chillout, chill-out, or simply chill) emerged in the early and mid-1990s as a catch-all term for various styles of relatively mellow, slow-tempo music made by contemporary producers in the electronic music scene. Sometimes the Easy Listening sub-genre Lounge is considered to belong to the chill-out collection. The term “Chill out music”, as well as the genre itself, originated in chill rooms that were set up by DJs off to the edge of club dance floors to give patrons a chance to take a break from the hectic dance vibe and chill out with this style of music. Chill out as a musical genre or descriptive is synonymous with the more recently popularized terms “smooth electronica” and “soft techno” and is a loose genre of music blurring into several other very distinct styles of electronic and lo-fi music.

Why it is Extreme: Perhaps “Complete Ambiance” is a more appropriate title for this genre as anything that relaxes can be considered chill and each person has their own preferences. This genre is a very specific sub genre of electronic music with characteristics including downtempo, synthetic ambiance, deep bass lines, oceanwave-like rhythm and sound effects such as bells, xylophone, synthetic pings and strictly no vocals (Non-Voc). It might sound like there is nothing extreme about this genre but some songs can last more than 15 minutes and sometimes people have trouble concentrating and staying awake through a whole song due to it’s very affective soothing ability. Chill out rooms at dance clubs fill a safety need for users of Ecstasy, because some songs were so affective that it would put the user in such a deep trance causing them to forget to breath. In 1992 a UK rule required dance clubs to provide free water in response to a number of Ecstasy-related injuries and deaths.

Related Genres: Ambient, Trip-Hop, Nu Jazz, New Age, Downtempo, Lounge, Psybient

Description: Indian classical music has its origins as a meditation tool for attaining self realization. All different forms of these melodies (ragas) are believed to affect various “chakras” (energy centers, or “moods”). However, there is little mention of these esoteric beliefs in Bharat’s Natyashastra, the first treatise laying down the fundamental principles of drama, dance and music. Indian classical music has one of the most complex and complete musical systems ever developed. Like Western classical music, it divides the octave into 12 semitones however, it uses the just intonation tuning (unlike most modern Western classical music, which uses the equal-temperament tuning system).

Why it is Extreme: I think the only way to explain why this genre is so extreme is to give the definition of a Rāga. Rāga refers to melodic modes used in Indian classical music. It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. In the Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a rāga. That means that a different song is played depending on which season, day and time it is. Another extreme factor is the use of instruments which include the sitar, a 16 stringed guitar requiring a lifetime of practice to play properly.

Description: Death metal (the modern or “american” death metal not the original 80’s and 90’s death metal) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes. Building off the speed and complexity of thrash metal, death metal emerged during the mid 1980s. It was mainly inspired by thrash metal acts like Slayer, Kreator and Celtic Frost. Along with the band Death and its frontman Chuck Schuldiner (who is often referred to as “the father of death metal”), bands like Possessed and Morbid Angel are often considered pioneers of the genre. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as popular record labels like Earache Records and Roadrunner Records began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate. Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning a rich variety of subgenres.

Why it is Extreme: Lyrical themes include death, murder, rape, mutilation, dominance, rage, hatred, torture etc.
The lower the vocals, guitars and bass are tuned the better.

Related Genres: Mathcore, Deathcore, Black Metal, Grindcore, Doom Metal, Speed Metal

Artists (Modern death metal only): Oceano, Suicide Silence, Waking the Cadaver, Ion Dissonance, Suffokate, Annotations of an Autopsy, Winds of Plague, Emmure, Rose Funeral

Description: Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music originating in the early 1980s. It is described as “extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding” music. Also according to Allmusic.com, speed metal eventually toned down its intense tempos and evolved into thrash metal.

Why it is Extreme: Cybergrind is not technically a recognized genre though some bands use it as a descriptive genre. So to make things easier i used the closest thing, Speed Metal, as an example. Cybergrind is sort of a blend between Speed Metal and Hardcore (#4 on this list). If Death Metal is too much for you then this will definitely not sooth your musical taste buds, it is quite extreme.

Description: Hardcore is a style of electronic music that originated in the early-to-mid-1990s in multiple locations including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the UK. The style is typified by a fast tempo, and the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples. As hardcore continues to grow, each different type of hardcore (each subgenre) begins to attract a larger fan base and more support from producers. As new subgenres grow they can become extremely different than other subgenres that are also referred to as “Hardcore.”

Why it is extreme: Hardcore subsequently is an extreme form of techno, house and trance music, it follows the basic guidelines with a constant beat and laud synthetic sirens and other sound effects.

Related Genres: Gabber, Speedcore, Terrorcore, Breakcore, Noisecore, Doomcore

Description: Avant-garde metal, experimental metal, or art metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterised by the use of innovative, avant-garde elements, large-scale experimentation, and the use of non-standard sounds, instruments, and song structures. The earliest avant-garde metal bands include Celtic Frost and Master’s Hammer. Many Avant-Garde metal bands can be found on North American label The End Records. The term avant-garde metal refers to bands and musicians who “incorporate new and innovative elements in metal, who break conventions, tear down walls, violate borders.” The genre has also been described as “the art of creating deep and strange atmospheres by experimenting with new instruments and sounds, strange vocals, unconventional song structures, rhythms and harmonies, unusual lyrics or uncommon artwork” or alternatively, “progressive, psychedelic, surrealistic, phantasmagoric, expressionistic, dissonant or extravagant interpretations of extreme metal.”

Why it is Extreme: Almost everything we do in live is done to a certain beat or rhythm that only we can “feel”. When we walk, write, talk, read, breath and eat we do it to the same rhythm we have always felt and when that rhythm is interrupted we try to either adapt to the new beat or get back to the old one. Avant-garde metal bands will not allow you to get back to the previous beat, sudden changes in tempo, off beat and pulsating blast-beats and short bursts of highly distorted vocals create a confusing, complex and random wall of noise that strangely, makes sense.

Description: Perhaps the best-known musical form of the Mongols is the throat singing tradition known as hoomii, extant among all or most Mongols though best known internationally from Tuva. Sung differently than traditional vocals. In Mongolia, the most-famous throat-singers include Gereltsogt and Sundui, while the Tuvan group Huun-Huur-Tu has an international following. This unique type of singing involves the production of two distinctively audible pitches at the same time, including a low pedal note, or drone, derived from the fundamental frequency of the vocal cord vibrations, and higher melodic notes that result when the singer’s mouth acts as a filter, selecting one note at a time from among the drone’s natural overtone series pitches.

Why it is Extreme: Singing itself is quite difficult for most people and throat singing is probably not something they would even consider. A throat singer can produce 2 to 4 notes at the same time, this gives the effect of a deep sound (bass) a medium sound (guitar) and a high pitch sound resembling a flute or whistle being played. This genre is definitely extreme, some songs can last 3 minutes and depending on how good the singer is could contain only 10 words (words are stretched and sometimes transition into “instrumentals”). Unfortunately the featured clip has an annoying high pitched sound in it but it should not due too much damage to the quality.

Description: Aphex Twin is not a genre of music but an artist, i decided to include him in this list because his music is truly unique. Aphex Twin, is a British electronic musician described by The Guardian newspaper as “the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music.”

Why he is Extreme: I think anyone who has heard an Aphex Twin song knows that it is not ordinary, Twin produces songs that have incredible complexity, sound distortions, synthetic sound effects, maximum distorted voices and recordings and off to on beat changes.

Previously we have published a list of people who died young, but it was not focused on musicians. Furthermore, when writing music lists it is all too easy to overlook jazz in favor of pop. This list corrects both omissions. In this list we look at ten great Jazz musicians who died before their time. Be sure to add your own favorites to the comments.

Bunny Berigan of Hilbert, Wisconsin, was an influential swing trumpeter, and played with Hal Kemp, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey. His version of “I Can’t Get Started” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975, and his tone is a blend of Louis Armstrong and cool swing. His severe alcoholism led to pneumonia and cirrhosis of the liver, yet he refused doctor’s orders to rest and quit drinking. He suffered a massive liver hemorrhage and died two days later in a hospital in New York City.

Bubber Miley of Aiken, South Carolina, was a brilliant innovator of the use of the plunger mute, derby, and straight mute, and popularized the signature “wah wah” sound for the trumpet. He joined Duke Ellington, and was highly instrumental in Ellington’s early success at The Cotton Club in Harlem, until Duke was forced to fire him for his unreliability. He battled alcoholism, and died from tuberculosis after a month in a New York hospital.

Chick Webb of Baltimore, Maryland, was an innovative bandleader at the inception of hot swing in the late 30’s. His band was the house band at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and he always managed to “beat” other swing bands in head-to-head battles at the Savoy. He discovered vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, and was a major influence of drummer Buddy Rich. He suffered from spinal tuberculosis since childhood, and complications eventually wore him down in 1939.

Paul Chambers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, transformed the bass from outlining simple triads to playing intricate melodies based on chord extensions and medieval modes. He toured with several minor bandleaders until he was discovered by Miles Davis, and it is his duet with pianist Bill Evans that opens “So What,” the signature song of Miles Davis’ album “Kind of Blue.” Additionally, the hard-driving C minor blues standard “Mr. P.C.” on John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” album was composed in honor of Paul Chambers. He suffered from alcoholism, heroin addiction, and tuberculosis, and died from complications after a short illness in 1969.

Theodore “Fats” Navarro of Key West, Florida, was one of the early pioneers of bebop, and the main trumpet influence of Clifford Brown. He played with a few big bands, such as Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton, but he made his true fame from his brilliant small combo work with Charles Mingus, Coleman Hawkins, and Charlie Parker. He was the main rival of Dizzy Gillespie on bebop trumpet, and they both played with the distinctive puffed-out cheeks. He was a heroin addict with tuberculosis, and he died from complications of both in a New York City hospital.

Charlie Christian of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was highly influential in transferring the electric guitar from the staccato rhythm swing style of Freddie Green to the more modern bebop and cool jazz styles. He was the guitarist who paved the way for the guitar to be thought of as a solo instrument in addition to a rhythm instrument, and he basically played the guitar as if it were a saxophone. Although not a drug addict, Christian’s hectic lifestyle took a severe toll on his body, already weakened by tuberculosis. He died after a long stay in a hospital on Staten Island after it initially appeared that he was getting better.

Clifford Brown of Wilmington, Delaware, was a major turning point in the direction of jazz trumpet, and would undoubtedly have redefined the entire instrument had he lived. He and drummer Max Roach were trailblazers in the hard bop style of the early 50’s, and almost all modern trumpeters owe much of their playing styles to the players who immediately followed Clifford Brown, such as Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and Wynton Marsalis. In addition to his playing style, Clifford was an avid practitioner of clean, healthy living, and he helped break the heroin cycle that claimed so many young jazz musicians. Sadly, he was a passenger in a car that skidded out of control on a rainy turnpike in Pennsylvania, killing all occupants. One of the most widely recognized jazz ballads is the hauntingly beautiful “I Remember Clifford,” by Benny Golson.

Jaco Pastorius of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was arguably the most influential bassist in jazz history. He played a rock-fusion style and made the bass into a premier solo instrument. The success of his first solo album in 1976 led to his union with keyboardist Josef Zawinul and Weather Report. He was severely beaten by Luc Havan, a club bouncer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and left comatose on the streets for several hours. His family disconnected his life support after 10 days in the hospital, and Havan eventually pled guilty to manslaughter.

Bix Beiderbecke of Davenport, Iowa, was able to take his Dixieland roots and infuse them with the classical influences of jazz-loving French composers Debussy and Ravel. He helped make jazz more accessible to curious, yet cautious white audiences. He suffered from terrible alcoholism, and finally succumbed to its effects after years of poor health.

Charlie Parker of Kansas City, Missouri, also known as Yardbird Parker, or more simply “The Bird,” was one of the most influential jazz artists to have lived to any age. He pioneered the jazz style known as bebop, and was a major influence and contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk. He helped redefine the process used by musicians to play improvised solos based on chord extensions and their relationships to similar melodies. Parker was hopelessly addicted to heroin and alcohol, and was in such terrible shape upon his death that the coroner incorrectly guessed he was in his 50’s.

Our highest recommendation, though, goes to Jamorama. What you get is VERY impressive (including an ear training game) -- and the price is reasonable. (It costs less than having one or two music lessons with a teacher!)

What we like best is that you start PLAYING -- fast. After all, you want to learn to play well enough quickly so it sounds like music. Although you certainly won't sound like your favorite guitarist next week, you'll find out how to quickly play just about any song you hear -- and have a lot of fun. Visit:

I must be on a music kick this week. Actually it is probably because it is spring. I am doing a lot of house cleaning and I listen to lots of music while I clean.

(You do need Quick Time to listen to the music samples on this site. You can get it here).

This site is devoted to odd musical instruments. You can get the instrument's name, its description and then if you click the little speaker icon, you can hear what it sounds like. Each name is a link. Just click the instrument's name to see a picture and get more information about it.

Or, if you'd rather, you can just click the Grand Tour link near the top of the page and go through the entire gallery, which is what I did. To surf through, click the next button. To go back, click the back button. You get all the information, pictures and the ability to use the sound link this way all at once as well.

A lot of these instruments are simply amazing; both in looks and in sound. Some look so strange that you can’t believe they make music. I really appreciate that they included sound clips for some of them. For example, the Windform, the Uncello, the ‘jomama, the Due Capi and many more.

I want to mention that a lot of these instruments have great links attached to them for your viewing pleasure. I did not have time to visit all the links, but some of the ones I did were excellent. So, if you find a favorite instrument, don’t be afraid to explore it and learn more about it!

Some of my favorites are the trimeister, the dulcimer, the didjibodhrán, bandura, chrysalis and of course, the didgeridoo.

Record Store Day

April 18, 2009

James was our next door neighbor back when I was five or six years old. He stocked the jukeboxes in our little town, and when it was time for those 45's to go, he sold them (for 10-cents each if memory serves) from a little store attached to his garage.

James was confined to a wheelchair, but he didn't let that slow him down much. He took a liking to me and my brother and, in addition to letting us ride in his wheelchair, we were always welcome in his little record store.

I can still remember the first record we got at James's record store. It was "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley, which my brother (the brains of the outfit, since he was a couple of years older) and I, for unknown reasons, found quite humorous. We played it over and over again, falling down laughing each time.

I still have the single of Nat King Cole singing the theme from the movie Raintree County. I think James must have just given us that one. Apparently nobody was breaking down the door to buy it, even for a dime. For me, it was like discovering oil in the backyard.

It's funny. I can't clearly remember details of what the inside of the little store looked like, but I have a lasting memory of the smell and feel of the place. My love of poking around in bins and boxes full of records, tapes and CDs started in James Lucas's record store.

James and his record shop are long gone now, as are so many small, independently owned record stores that have played such an important role in their little (and big) towns and were such an integral part of the lives of people like me and my big brother.

Oh, they do still exist, with cool names like B-Side Records, Be-Bop Record Shop, Weird Harold's Records and The Main Street Jukebox. And on April 18, 2009 those and hundreds of other independent record stores will "simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally" with an event called Record Store Day.

"I was introduced to lots of great music through my local record store," says Peter Gabriel. "It was a place where people knew music and they knew me, and could make great suggestions and discoveries. Whether it is in the physical world or on-line, the value of a great and knowledgeable record store has not gone away."

From Joan Jett: "The indie record stores are ... where we go to network, browse around, and find new songs to love. The stores whose owners and staff live for music have spread the word about exciting new things faster and with more essence than either radio or the press."

"Record stores keep the human social contact alive that brings people together," Ziggy Marley points out. "Without the independent record stores the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers."

Check out the list of participating record stores -- there's probably one close to you. If so, I urge you to get up from the computer and enjoy a real music experience.

Sure, you could torpedo your chances for a place in the rock’n'roll pantheon with drugs, alcohol and your choice of sexually transmitted diseases. But where’s the fun in that? The following bands found new and interesting ways to bring that dreaded day job a little too close for comfort.

Boston rocker Billy Squier was the lone hard rocker still charting when synthesizers and drum machines crowded everything else out of 80’s radio. With the excellent “Don’t Say No” and “Emotions in Motion” already under his belt, record executives were salivating over the chance to market his 1984 album “Signs of Life”. For the music video of the leadoff single “Rock Me Tonight”, they convinced him to dance on a bed wearing a pink tank top. The album sold gangbusters but the video lost Squier his fan base–as well it should (his dancing was compared to a French pastry chef whose souffle had fallen). The shame of it was that in concert, Billy just strapped on a Telecaster and ROCKED. Subsequent albums predictably fizzled. The rather un-masculine video clip is above.

After three critically acclaimed/poor selling albums, Cheap Trick was ready to launch their best record with “Dream Police”. But then their quickie live set in Tokyo went uber-platinum. Shelved for a year, “Dream Police” sold well when it saw the light of day, but critics complained the band had abandoned their Budakon sound (even though the concerts were recorded AFTER Dream Police was already in the can). Desperate for another hit, record executives paired the band with producer after producer, even though nobody knew why the live album sold when the studio versions didn’t. The band tried to sue their way free and received a package in the mail. It was their ass. The A&R boys called the shots from then on, so you can thank them for “The Flame”. Only after their contract expired did Trick get their edge back on “Cheap Trick ‘97″ and “Rockford”, both on independent labels.

Quiet Riot has the dubious honor to be the very first heavy metal band to score a top ten hit with a cover of Slade’s “Cum On Feel the Noize”. But they’d shot their wad creatively, having to release ANOTHER Slade cover as a follow-up. The band probably could have weathered this, but when lead singer Kevin DuBrow insulted the more popular and (I can’t believe I’m writing this) more talented Motley Crue, he angered fans on all sides. Heavy metal found its first pariah in a movement supposedly populated by outcasts. Oh, the angst!

Oh, he’s all warm and fuzzy now, but back in the day Ozzy was a bat-biting, ant-eating, dove-killing badass backed by guitar whiz Randy Roads on “Crazy Train”, “Over the Mountain”, and “Flying High Again”. But by letting MTV into his LA mansion (instead of the creepy dungeon we all pictured him in), Ozzy cashed the last of his credibility in for a permanent Trivial Pursuit mention and assloads of cash.

As file sharing made anonymous, consequence-free theft easier than copping a squat, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stood up for musicians by refusing to sell Metallica content digitally. Musicians applauded the stand, but the fan base saw Metallica as out of date and hypocritical, since mix tape trading was largely responsible for Metallica’s getting noticed by the major labels. It took five years and group therapy before the band recovered most of its reputation. Long time readers of Listverse will well know how hated the band is here.

You know the one, don’t you? Sure you do. About how Rod Stewart had to have his stomach pumped because he had a gallon of human semen in it. Regardless of which way Rod swings, he claims his career was unaffected. For the record, Rod later married model Rachel Hunter, and she’s Stacy’s Mom (who definitely has it goin’ on). Incidentally, the same urban legend has also been applied to Elton John, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, and Lil’ Kim.

In a press interview, John Lennon made a cynical off-the-cuff remark that the Beatlemania had made his band “more popular than Jesus now”. The backlash was instantaneous and resulted in mass record burnings and protests. Management quickly scheduled a press conference, and Lennon recanted according to a script we’re all too familiar with these days. Me? I think Jesus let him off with a warning.

Bands have always had to tolerate the singer’s girlfriend, but damn, this was The Beatles. Post Yoko, the rift between John and Paul grew unbreachable, leading to the group’s demise before they could get old and start sucking. Wait…

Just as his star was burning brightest (“Whole Lotta Shakin Goin’ On and Great Balls of Fire were established hits), Jimmy Swaggart’s cousin Jerry Lee Lewis had the brainstorm that marrying his thirteen-year old cousin was a really good idea. As you can imagine, it was career suicide, but it’s hard to appreciate how much of an outrage it must have been in the 1950’s. Let’s try: today, Marilyn Manson can vivsect a leopard seal in a gradeschool crosswalk and nobody bats an eye. But we all still abhor Jerry Lee Lewis. Yeah. It’s that bad.

How bad must you be to beat Jerry Lee Lewis in a creep-out contest? Try cosmetic surgeries numbered in scientific notation, resulting in a bleached, noseless rictus that makes the old guy from Poltergeist 2 look huggable. And if that doesn’t seal the deal, throw in cash settlements for pedophilia charges and dangle a blindfolded baby out a window. At his obese and addicted worst, Elvis looks angelic next to this abomination of too much fame, money, and wasted talent.

Finally a list about the great music known as death metal. No other music is as ferocious, raw, aggressive, ridiculous, sometimes beautiful, and always sure to put a smile on your face. Now for this list there are a few things you need to know before you just dive right in and get your eardrums ravaged. THIS LIST IS NOT ONLY GOING TO BE DEATH METAL IN THE STRICT SENSE! In fact those of you who are expecting the most brutal list of all time are probably going to be disappointed. I know what you’re thinking, “But this list says top DEATH metal bands!?” Yes it does but I want this list to be as cool as is humanly possible so I am expanding it a little. Plus I don’t want some whiny little punk to write “Ok number x was definitely doom thrash surf glam black metal, not death metal!” No one likes it when music gets classified into the craziest most specific genres ever. Here are the guidelines I am using to write this bad boy. The bands will be judged on:

1. Having at least two albums with death metal elements in it
2. The technicality and musicianship
3. Popularity
4. Importance in the history of death metal
5. Awesomeness

Arch Enemy has legendary guitarist Michael Amott from Carcass. It is one of the few metal bands with a female vocalist. What more could you want? They are getting more popular with each album, and every one is getting more melodic than the last. Although some hardcore metalheads may not like this it is perpetuating their growing popularity.

Some people may not know about this gem of a band. They combine the aggression of death metal with the complexities of classical music. If you have not heard any of their songs you are missing out. They are coming out with a new album this summer as well.

This band from Poland scared me the first time I heard them. They bring a black metal influence to this list (just look at the costumes they have). The drums are incredibly fast and crisp and the guitar work has hints of Middle-Eastern influence.

This Finnish band is known for their melodic riffs. While there are other very good Scandinavian melodic death metal bands (ex. Kalmah, Norther) Children of Bodom is the most popular, the reason it clinched the number seven spot.

Hopefully having Cannibal Corpse on this list will help to keep the real brutal death metal fans happy. Cannibal Corpse is extremely heavy and has built up a cult following. The horror film style subject matter of their music is very controversial, with song names like “Hammer Smashed Face” and just about any of their other songs (especially the ones off of Tomb of the Mutilated).

This band was a tough one to put on this list because they are not really death metal, but luckily awesomeness and musicianship are part of the criteria for this list. Mastodon has a unique and progressive style. The drums are absolutely amazing! Over the years Mastodon has enjoyed great reviews and was nominated for a Grammy but lost to the next band…

That’s right! What metal list would be complete without Slayer? Go to a metal show and everyone there loves Slayer. This band is historically important for metal (thrash metal really) and definitely has the popularity, but when it comes down to it the musicianship is not as good as many of the other bands on this list. However this adds to their “metalness.” The members of the band have admitted that there are mistakes in their recordings but they don’t care because they are that cool.

Many metalheads may be surprised to see the number three spot filled by this band, but it really makes perfect sense. They definitely have some death metal elements and the musicianship. While they may not be super popular or important in the history of metal yet, I believe they will be soon. Anyone who disagrees with my decision to put this band at number three should listen to Colors all the way through. It is a beautiful masterpiece with more musical styles than I ever thought could be crammed into one album.

They are everything a death metal band should be. They have caused a nice amount of controversy with their imagery and lyrics. Their lead singer burned an upside-down cross into his forehead. They have brutal riffs and blisteringly fast blast beats with spectacular guitar solos interspersed (listen to the solo in “Homage for Satan”). I don’t think anyone can argue their high position on this list.

Even if Death lacked all the other criteria (which they don’t) they still are the most important band in death metal history. Chuck Schuldiner is the father of death metal for a reason. Death is the band that started death metal plain and simple. Aside from starting the genre this list is based on, the music they make is simply beautiful. It is obvious that Chuck pours his heart into his music. Some of the things he plays will really stick with you.

Everyone’s favorite cartoon band also happens to be ridiculously metal! If Dethklok were a real band they would have the number one spot on awesomeness points alone.

Hello Grasshoppers.

So it seems that yesterday I opened Pandora's box. No jokes you Aussie girls. Apparently I provided a forum for the frustrated and angry women of the world to vent and didn't you all give it a red hot crack! It's a good thing that: (1) we blokes aren't precious (2) we typically have a low E.Q. so we actually think you girls are joking and (3) most of us don't read Craig's blog so we don't know that we should be offended. One day next week I'll be offering up the 23 things that blokes probably won't hear from their girls. I may need some help. I'll letcha know. I'll announce the winner of the T-shirt on Monday (re yesterday's post)... so feel free to keep venting!

A Monday Prequel

On Monday I'll be sharing a message about escaping the chaos that is our thoughts, and opening the door on the topic of moving towards consciousness. It's an area of great interest to me and I know that most of you will find it relevant, meaningful and helpful. I also know that some of you will find it confronting and challenging. And a few will think it's completely weird! On the practical matter of getting out of our thoughts, I am regularly asked how I do it. Over the next few weeks, I will be exploring some simple, yet effective techniques, for moving beyond the chaos of the cerebral and into the calm of consciousness. And while there is no one 'best' universal method, for me, one thing that works every time, is music. Providing of course, it's music that I connect with.

Lost in the Music

Music has always been an escape for me. A refuge; a place to get away from my thoughts for a while and just be. I have played guitar since I was about eight and there's always one close at hand. I work from two offices, one at the gym and one at home, and there's a guitar at each. While there are many effective techniques for moving beyond our thoughts, I find that music can take me from chaos to calm in a matter of seconds if I allow it to. Today I just wanted to share with you one of my 'meditations' from a musician named Andy McKee. You may hate or love his music depending on your personal taste. He is an incredible guitarist who I came across here on the net and I have been listening to him for a while. His style is indeed unique but the sound that he and his instrument create is beautiful. For me anyway. Three minutes of Andy is like a mini holiday for me. If you really want to see someone who is totally out of his thoughts, take a look at Andy play; it's like he and his guitar have morphed into one big expression of creative genius. I hope you enjoy one of my fave escapes.

Take a listen by clicking on the play thingy below.

Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on...

1. What you think of Andy's music
2. Your fave getting-out-of-your-thoughts music
3. Your most effective getting-out-of-your-thoughts technique
4. Anything that's on topic

If you're not sure how to do the comment thing, click here.

Enjoy your weekend...

Ciao x

Women of Classic Rock Trivia Quiz
Think you know everything there is to know about Stevie Nicks and Chrissy Hynde? What about Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell? Well, let's see what you've got. Test your knowledge with this classic quiz on the women of classic rock.

Great Women in Folk Music
Women have made extraordinary contributions to the history of folk music, from the ladies of the mid-century folk revival to some great up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Check out 30 of the most important women in folk music.

The Radio is a great way to listen to music online! It's so easy to use too. After the short advertisement plays, you’ll be given a search prompt. Just type in the name of your favorite artist or genre and hit Enter. That will start the searching process for your artist or genre.

If there's more than one match for your entry, you’ll get a listing of channels to choose from. For example, I typed in Mozart and from my results, I had a lot of different channels to select from.

Once you’ve listened to a channel, you can click on the History tab to see the channels you’ve already listened to. That's really helpful if you’ve switched channels, but didn’t like what you heard and wanted to go back to what you were previously listening to.

The Channels tab lets you pick a channel to listen to from their default listing. That's a great way to listen to a specific genre.

If you want to stay on top of new developments and updates to The Radio, I suggest signing up for it. You can help them make a better service by giving them your feedback and you can stay up to date on what’s happening on the Web site. Just click on the Sign Up for Beta link at the top of the page and fill out the form. It’s that easy!

No matter how you look at it, you’re getting great music streaming right off your computer for free! You can change channels as your mood changes and you can even keep track of your favorites. Just check out the Favorites tab for more information on how to save your favorite channels and rate songs. Happy listening!

Hey Joe
Purple Haze
Foxy Lady
Red House
Manic Depression
Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
Highway Chile
Free Spirit
Star Spangled Banner
Blues, Blues
Sweet Thing
All Along The Watchtower
Crosstown Traffic
The Wind Cries Mary
Voodoo Chile
Angel
Wait Until Tomorrow
Fire
Castle Made Of Sand
Wild Thing
Groove Maker
House Of The Rising Sun

Do you have a hard time keeping track of when your favorite musicians release new music? I know I do! I can’t keep track of who's releasing a new CD and when. I love to support my favorite artists by buying their music, but since I like so many different artists, it all gets jumbled up in my brain!

Just type in the names of artists or bands you like. (Note: If you have a last.fm username, you can import artists from your playlists there). Next, enter in the e-mail address you’ll want the alerts sent to. Then click on the button to sign up!

While you'll be auto-logged in, you’ll need to click on the link you receive in your e-mail to activate the e-mail feed. As soon as you activate your e-mail feed, you'll start getting e-mails whenever one of your favorite musicians has a new release!

Once you’re logged in, you’ll be on the New Releases page. That's where you can monitor on the Web page what's coming out each month. There's also an Add Artists page, where you can add artists to your list of artists to watch.

If you aren’t logged in and you go to the New Releases page, you can browse through all of the new releases for the month. I thought that was pretty cool! There are 22 pages of new releases for the month of February, so be sure to check it out today!

First of all, welcome to the wonderful world of iPods! I'm sure you're enjoying it as much as everyone else who has one does. This is a very good question, because in a day and age when music players are so popular, it's typical to have a huge collection of music on just one device and it's too easy to let it "go crazy" and get all jumbled together. This tip is good for anyone who has any type of music player. It doesn't have to be an iPod. If you have an MP3 player or if you just have a lot of music stored on your computer, you can use these organizational tips as well.

Below are six tips you can use to keep your playlists organized and neat. The tips will also help you in understanding what you need to do to follow up your proper playlists. If you follow these tricks, you will have the best music collection in town! Plus, you will be able to find particular songs much faster and sometimes, you just can't beat that. Okay, here we go!

1.) Create Subfolders - One of the most important things to do when making playlists is to create subfolders that will stay on your hard drive. What do I mean by subfolders? Well, you should put all of your music into different categories. You can either separate it by genre or whichever way you'd like to do it. Create a new folder for each type. For instance, one folder for country, one for pop, one for classical and so on. Don't just keep all of your music in the main music folder (My Music) on your C: drive. Subfolders are definitely the better way to go.

2.) Check Your ID3 Tags - First of all, ID3 tags are used to store the important information about your music files, such as the song title, the artist name, the album name, etc. It's also the information that shows up on the screen of your iPod or MP3 player. (Read here for more information on ID3 tags). Sometimes when you put music onto your player, it comes through all wrong. So, make sure you take the time to edit your ID3 tags correctly. Now, you may need a software program to help you do this and one good example is called TagScanner, among others.

3.) Have Proper Music Management Software - It's pertinent that you have the best music management software for yourself and for your music player. There are several you can choose from. If you have an iPod, you probably use iTunes, but some other options are Windows Media Player, MediaMonkey and MusicMatch Jukebox. Each program brings its own features, so you'll just have to decide what all you want and then go get it!

4.) Keep It Legal - If you're using an illegal music download program, you may get some files that come through in an odd way. They may have a weird file name and the songs may also sound a little different than the original version. You don't want that, do you? Yes, you may have to pay for a good online music service, but it's well worth it in the end. Good examples are again, iTunes and there's always Napster.

5.) Create Proper Playlists - As was stated in the question, it's fun to make different playlists for the different activities you're going to be doing. This is also a perfect way to keep your music organized. If you combine certain songs together, you'll come up with some pretty jammin' playlists, along with keeping them neat and tidy. Another thing you can do is just create playlists from the subfolders you created in step one. Keeping all of your music in separate categories is the perfect way to stay organized when it comes to your tunes.

6.) Your Hard Drive Size - Depending on how much music you download onto your computer, it's important to have a hard drive that will be able to handle it all. Running out of room will certainly mess up your organized music files. Yes, you may have more than one hard drive on your computer, but it's not ideal to store some of your files on one hard drive and the rest on the other. It's important to have all of your music files together in one spot, so just make sure you have enough room. If you think you're going to run out soon, delete some songs you don't listen to very often or just stop downloading!

There you go. Hopefully these tips will help keep your music collection in line and in order. Yes, if you follow all of these steps, it will take you quite a bit of time to complete your organized music collection, but trust me, it will be worth it in the end. Now, get going, you music lovers!

Here's another iPod tip for you! Are you having some trouble with your iPod? Need some basic help? Well, lucky for you, I can even do a little bit better than basic! To be honest, iPods aren't really all that complicated, but when something happens to them and they stop working, it could mean the end of the music world for some of us and we certainly don't want that to happen. So, it's very important to understand what's going on with your iPod at all times so that you can get it fixed as quickly as possible.

Below, you'll find four of the most common iPod problems. The explanations of these problems really should help out a lot of you music lovers out there. Oh, and of course, I'm going to give you some tips on how you can go about actually fixing these problems too. Okay, here we go!

1.) It Locked Me Out - I'm sure many of you have run into this problem at one time or another. Your iPod just locks up and no matter what you do, it will not respond. Well, there are several things that could cause this to happen. If you carry your iPod with you while doing various activities, it could put it into a bit of a shock. For example, exercising, jogging, jumping, dancing and even dropping it or running it into walls, etc. could cause your iPod to freeze up on you.

If the iPod is worked too hard, it will automatically activate its protection controls and it will just shut down the hard drive. The best thing to do when this happens is reset the iPod. To do this, hold the Menu and Play/Pause buttons together for approximately 10 seconds. Now, this method is a little different for the various types of iPods. If the suggestion above doesn't work for you, check in your iPod's manual. There should be directions for resetting your specific type of iPod in there. Once the reset is done, you will see the iPod name and Apple logo come up on your main screen and you should be all set!

2.) Exclamation Point Madness - Another problem that may occur is an exclamation point predicament. On your iPod screen, you may see a folder with an exclamation point next to it and you'll find out that you can't really do anything with it there. There are a few things you can try to get rid of it.

First, try charging your battery. It may be too low for the iPod to be able to work. Second, check to make sure that the software your iPod has is the correct version. Some iPod models require a specific piece of software and if yours doesn't have the right type, you won't be able to do anything. You can either update or restore the software to fix this problem. Look in your user's manual to find exact instructions on how to do either of those.

Third, your iPod may just be locked up. Go ahead and reset your iPod, just like we discussed above. Fourth, you may need to consult some extra help. If the exclamation point doesn't go away, take your iPod back to where you purchased it. They should have some tech support there that can help you get your iPod up and running.

3.) My iPod is Unhappy - If you turn on your iPod and all you see is a frowning smiley face, don't panic, but this usually isn't a very good thing. The first thing you need to check on is to make sure the computer you're using to hook your iPod up on meets the system requirements of the iPod. If your computer has an older operating system, etc., you may run into some more problems. If your computer does meet the requirements, your iPod just needs to be restored. This, unfortunately, isn't really anything you want to do on your own, so take it to the store where you bought it and get some additional help.

4.) iTunes Isn't Syncing - When you're syncing your iPod with your iTunes music library, you might end up with an error message that reads something like "An unknown error has occurred (-36)." This type of error can happen at any time and on any type of iPod. It basically just means that iTunes is not able to write the information you want it to onto the iPod.

There are a few causes of this, including outdated operating system software. You need to make sure that your iPod has all of the recent updates. These could include device connections, which are very important in helping your iPod to work correctly. This could even be caused by Windows updates, so make sure you check every possibility.

Another cause could be a software interference. If certain software interferes with iTunes, it won't be able to write the files you need onto your iPod. Think back to what you have installed on your computer recently. If you can think of anything that may be causing the interference with iTunes, try disabling it and try your iPod again. Lastly, you might have damaged files. The -36 error will show up when any of the music or photo files iTunes is trying to transfer are damaged. If you can find the file that may be causing the error, try deleting it and you can then reimport it later on.

So, there you have it! Four of the most common iPod problems. Again, some of these directions are different for the various types of iPods you may have. If you're not sure how to do something or if you can't figure something out, be sure to contact some additional help. There are people out there who are experts in the iPod business and they will be able to help you get your iPod back to normal. Thank goodness for that!

Thinking about Buying a Piano?

Maybe you have been thinking about buying a piano so your kids can take piano lessons, or maybe you want one for yourself. But the price tags are way out of your budget! Consider buying an electric piano.

Electric pianos are now available that sound just like real pianos, and are available in all price ranges.

I took piano lessons for many years when I was younger and wanted to be able to play again. But we really couldn't afford to buy a real piano, at least not one of a real high quality. So we checked into electric pianos - and I was thrilled about what we found out! Many are available that sound and function just like real pianos!

Before we bought ours, I took some time and read everything I could find about them to make sure we would get one that met our needs. Below are some of the advantages of an electric piano over an acoustic one and some of the features that you will want to check into before buying one.

Advantages of Electric Pianos over Acoustic Pianos

1 - They don't need to be tuned! The price of pianos are pretty high as it is, but don't forget the extra cost of owning one - getting it tuned once or twice a year! The cost of getting a piano tuned varies, but can be quite high.

2 - Most all come with headphone jacks! If your house is pretty open, like ours, or for whatever reason you don't want to have to hear a piano being played all the time, the headphones are great! Maybe you have a TV in the same room as the piano. Without headphones, both the piano player and the person watching TV can get irritated pretty quickly! You can even play when your kids are in bed asleep and it will never wake then up - what a great way to spend sometime for yourself! Great for apartment living too!

3 - Built in Metronomes. Most electric pianos have these too!

4 - Lighter weight! While the better electric pianos can be quite heavy, they are still not as heavy as acoustic pianos, so they can be moved much easier.

Features to consider when buying an Electric Piano

1 - The number of keys. Many come now with 88 keys, the same as on a standard piano. If you are buying one for a young child who is just learning, you may not even need one with all 88 keys, but for serious playing you will want all 88.

2 - Graded Hammer keys. This involves having keys
that are weighted so that they feel the same as on a real piano. Also, the better models, if you press down on the key harder, the sound is louder, and softer if you press softer - just like on a real piano!

3 - Pedals. Many today come with 3 pedals on the bottom just like acoustic pianos. Some only come with one, others with none at all. For serious players, you will want one with 3 pedals. But for kids just starting out, you could buy a cheaper one with no pedals to save some money until you know if your kid will stick with it or not!

4 - 32/64/128 note polyphony. This is often one of the features mentioned when different models are advertised. Ours has 64 note polyphony, and that is just fine for us. 128 just isn't necessary for most purposes, and 32 note polyphony may be fine for your needs too.

5 - Many come with a cover that slides down to cover the keys just like on an acoustic piano. This isn't necessary, but is a nice touch if you want one that looks more like a real piano, or you have a really dusty house!

6 - Midi compatibility - This was not an important feature to me, but may be to some people. With this you can hook up the piano to a computer to record music, etc.

The Piano we Bought

We ended up getting a Yamaha YDP223. Since I had taken piano lessons before and wanted one that would function as a real piano. I liked this one because it had 3 pedals, looked like an acoustic piano - even has the sliding cover - and has graded hammer keys. I also like the headphones option. Extras that I didn't expect to come with it include a book with 50 great, classical piano pieces in it. Each of these songs are also recorded on the piano and can be played back at different tempos. You can even silence either the right or left hand parts to hear one more clearly or to play along with it!

For people just starting out, you may not need one this nice, one of the lower end ones may fit your needs. At least for a while, until you really need something better.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the choice we made - of course I'd still love to be able to have a nice grand piano someday - but that will be way out of our budget for a long, long time!

Eight Commonly Misinterpreted Songs

In college, I took a class called “The Author’s Intention,” which analyzed whether readers (and even the authors themselves) can ever really understand the meaning behind a piece of writing. When we read a poem or a story, we bring our own experiences into the text and that often yields vastly different interpretations. Thus, the meanings of things such as songs, which can be interpreted as poems set to music, become blurred and stretch far from what their writers might have originally intended.

Because many of us use music as an outlet for our deepest feelings, we are often shocked when the meanings that we have given to certain songs prove false. Just as some literary works are commonly misinterpreted, there are songs with meanings that are consistently misinterpreted. All too often, we find out that the songs we put on mix tapes for our crushes, or those we listen to on repeat in the midst of bad breakups, were written from a completely different view.

1. “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen
Almost everybody knows the chorus of this song, but fewer know the rest of the lyrics, which is why Springsteen loudly singing, “I was born in the U.S.A.” is often taken as a patriotic proclamation. However, it’s really about veterans returning from the Vietnam War and facing the harsh realities of how they’re treated post-war. The misinterpretation only grew after both Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole used the song on their campaign playlists.

2. “Losing My Religion,” R.E.M.
When Michael Stipe sang about being in a corner and losing his religion, he wasn’t referring to a relationship with a higher power, as many believe. To “lose one’s religion” is actually a Southern phrase that means to run out of patience or to be very frustrated by a person or situation. This song is actually about having a crush on somebody and constantly looking for assurances that the love is not unrequited.

3. “Every Breath You Take,” The Police
How many people foolishly chose this song for their first dance as newlyweds? I’m not sure why this song is misinterpreted so universally as a love song. Do people listen to lyrics? If someone says to you, “Every game you play, every night you stay, I’ll be watching you,” wouldn’t you be more than a little creeped out? I guess that’s the power of Sting—even his stalker anthems are considered romantic.

4. “Hollaback Girl,” Gwen Stefani
I’ve gotten into arguments with people over this song. Many believe it means that, by not being a “hollaback girl,” Stefani is saying that she won’t respond to guys who “holla” at her or treat her poorly. Actually, she’s using a cheerleading metaphor—a hollaback girl is one who repeats back the cheers that the head cheerleader yells. With this song, Stefani is stepping away from the pack and proclaiming herself independent. She’s the head cheerleader giving orders, not one of the cheerleaders who simply repeat them back.

5. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” The Beatles
Many assume that this song refers to drug use, especially since the capitalized words in the title start with the same letters used to denote a particular hallucinogenic drug. However, John Lennon stated that the origins of the title come from a drawing that his son did of his friend, Lucy. The title of the picture was “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” so John used that for his song. Whether the actual meaning behind the song is about drug use is debatable, but the title itself is not meant to refer to an LSD trip.

6. “Crash into Me,” Dave Matthews Band
I’m pretty sure I put this song on a mix CD I made for a crush my sophomore year of high school. At the time, I thought it was a beautiful love song about longing for someone else. Well, it is … but the person singing is actually a perv! These lines give him away: “Oh I watch you there through the window and I stare at you. You wear nothing but you wear it so well.” How did I miss the peeping tom aspect? The part about him wanting to be “tied up and twisted” is a bit off-putting as well …

7. “The One I Love,” R.E.M.
It sounds like the perfect song for a radio dedication when Michael Stipe sings, “This one goes out to the one I love.” Oh, except until he gets to the line about the one he loves being “a simple prop to occupy my time.” Ouch! This song hardly inspires romantic feelings; actually, it makes Stipe seem like kind of a jerk. He’s basically saying the one he “loves” is nothing more than a waste of his time that he’s abandoned. Not exactly an uplifting declaration of true love, but people seem to focus on that first line before listening to the rest of the song, hence the constant misinterpretation.

8. “This Land Is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie
I remember singing this song in elementary school and thinking it sounded so pleasant and positive. It’s actually a critique of the idealistic version of the U.S. that Irving Berlin sang about in “God Bless America.” His displeasure is subtle, but made obvious upon careful examination of lines like “As I was walkin’, I saw a sign there and that sign said—No trespassin’. But on the other side, it didn’t say nothin’! Now that sign was made for you and me!” This song is often grouped with “God Bless America” as patriotic tunes, but Guthrie had the opposite intention.

What music essentially boils down to is not necessarily the meaning songs are meant to convey, but what meanings we actually derive from them. After all, more important than what messages artists intend to get across is their desire for people to connect with the music. However, considering how striking the differences are between what the aforementioned songs mean and how they’re interpreted, it might be wise to stick to the author’s version. I know I’ll think twice before putting “Crash into Me” on my next mix CD.

Top 100 Country Love Songs
This is a list compiled by a panel of the site's writers, giving what we feel are the Top 100 Romantic Country Love songs of all time. Like 'em, love 'em, or hate 'em, these are our choices.
- Country Music Guide Shelly Fabian

It’s a rare parent who wouldn’t love their child to take piano lessons. We’ve all heard of child geniuses like Mozart who began playing and composing at a very tender age, and who wouldn’t want their little one to have that same opportunity?

While you may be thinking about investing in a piano and lessons for your children, it’s also a big expense. Most people want to be sure they are doing the right thing if they are going to spend the money and that is precisely the point of this article. Here you’ll find a number of reasons piano lessons are beneficial for children.

Boost coordination: In order to make music sound like it should, children will need to have full control over where their fingers go and how they move. As the piano lessons get more complex, they will need to coordinate both hands to play a piece, something that is very useful in other areas of daily living.

Increase math skills: It’s no secret that music and math are connected, but did you know that many children find it easier to tune into music, and then end up being better at math because of it? Piano lessons could easily help your child who is struggling with math in school, though this shouldn’t be the only reason to take lessons.

Language and thinking skills: Music is basically a foreign language. Kids have to translate the strange marks on those bars of music and turn them into a smooth-flowing song. This can actually enhance the area of the brain that processes new languages . . . also easing the way for your little one to pick up another language like French or Spanish in the future.

Sense of pride: Too many children these days have a low self-esteem, so anything you can do to encourage them is great. When a child participates in a piano recital or graduates to the next level of piano books, his self-esteem will also improve. There’s nothing better than seeing a thrilled youngster, with his eyes glowing as he recounts how he won a ribbon for his piano playing.

Develop a lifelong skill: Playing piano is much like riding a bike. When children take lessons while young, they develop musical skills that will last them a lifetime. They may not stick to the piano . . . in fact, many kids end up moving on to other musical instruments with piano as their base instrument. However, you’ll be setting your child up to be successful in musical endeavors forever. Even if he doesn’t become a rock star or a famous pianist, it’s always good to have a skill like this where you can sit down at a party and entertain!

Enhance concentration: With kids these days being diagnosed with ADHD left and right, an activity that not only enhances concentration ability but makes it interesting and a challenge is an activity you want your kids in. Piano lessons will provide that option and while small children might start out with just 15-20 minute lessons and practice times, they will soon be able to practice for longer and longer periods of time, as their attention span lengthens. This obviously has benefits in many areas, not just on the piano.

Buying a new home theater system is a big decision. And with so many options available, how do you decide which one is right for you? We've rounded up the top 10 home theater systems, making it easy to find something for every budget.

Things You Probably Didn't Know About Elvis

Trivia and oddities about the "King of Rock and Roll"

1. The Acid Trip. Although he'd been fascinated by the appearance of the new, then-legal drug LSD, and had already used the Memphis Mafia as guinea pigs in a controlled "trip" that summer, it wasn't until Christmas 1965 that Elvis decided to take the plunge, along with Priscilla. Since the King was averse to most illegal drugs and not much of a drinker, the possibilities appealed to him... especially since he was on a spiritual journey at the time, the kind of thing that acid was supposed to aid. Read more

2. Stalin and Jesus. The year 1965 saw Elvis on a search for deeper meaning -- like so many who have conquered the world, he found life oddly dull and unsatisfying. Aided by new Mafioso Jerry Schilling, he embarked on a whirlwind tour of religious and metaphysical thought, along with some trips to cults that promised enlightenment. His quest came to a head, however, in a strange desert hallucination during the spring of 1965, one that had nothing to do with drugs or drink. Read more

3. Elvis and Elvira. Strange but true -- the one-time Cassandra Peterson, known to fans as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, was once Vegas' youngest showgirl. Presley took a professional interest in her, advising her to focus on her singing, which he thought was impressive. But was this another chorus girl conquest, or was everyone's favorite Eighties TV horror host a little too innocent for the King? Read more

4. The Temper Tantrum. Contrary to popular opinion, Elvis lashed out at the Colonel on several occasions when he thought his career was going in the wrong direction -- most notably, the infamous "Hound Dog" incident on Steve Allen's TV show. But on June 26, 1954, he exploded before his career had even begun: according to Sun Records employee, when Elvis was called in to record a demo called "Without You" (whose original singer had vanished without a trace), Presley found he couldn't match the anonymous performance and, according to Dave Marsh's book Elvis, he beat the walls of the studio and repeatedly shouted "I hate him! I hate him!" The singer whom Elvis could not match is lost to history. Read more

5. Elvis the Usher. Everyone knows The King started out driving a truck, but before that, he worked as an usher... and for those of you not old enough to know what that is, he led folks to their seats in the local movie theater. Specifically, the Loew's State Theater right there on Memphis' Main Street. And, perhaps predictably, he only lost the job because the girls liked him a little too much; he'd get the last laugh, though, when Jailhouse Rock would premiere there! Read more

6. TCB and the real Mafia. That famous lightning-bolt "TCB" logo came to define Elvis Presley in the Seventies... he even gave out "TLC" medallions to favored ladies which stood for "Tender Loving Care." However, many members of Elvis' famed "Memphis Mafia" have claimed a real Mafia connection to both the acronym (which stands for "Taking Care of Business") and the lightning bolt which always accompanied it. And some say Shazam is to blame! Read more

7. Elvis and Goulet. Did Elvis really hate Vegas rival Robert Goulet? Some say he did, enough to shoot out the TV set Goulet was appearing on in the King's suite at the International Hotel. But the official line now is that Elvis' display of marksmanship was totally random... although more than one Presley associate claims the rivalry was an old one, and fomented by a girl.

8. The Second Elvis. Elvis may have been one of a kind, but he was actually born two of a kind... part of a set of twins. The other, to be named Jesse Garon Presley, died during birth, which was not terribly uncommon for a family in 1935 Mississippi. Elvis was haunted by the presence of a twin his entire life, say associates, and the unmarked grave where Jesse lies still exist in Priceville Cemetery, Tupelo, MS. Read more

9. Elvis gets Bewitched. The King had a number of liasons in the Sixties, most of them famous. Yet few know about his reportedly deep love for Elizabeth Montgomery, better known as the original Samantha on TV's Bewitched. And although Elvis played knight in shining armor on at least one occasion, Montgomery's marriage, career, and the times both lived in kept these two from realizing their romance. Or was it all in her husband's mind? Read more

10. His last book. Ever the ardent spiritualist, Elvis died reading one of his favorite books: The Scientific Search For The Face Of Jesus by Frank Adams. The King had specifically requested it a few weeks earlier, having heard that it proved the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, said to be Jesus' burial wrapping

11. The King loses his crown jewels. The popular image of Elvis as a mansion-dwelling, fabulously wealthy man is only partly true: when he died, the King was nearly broke, thanks to the divorce from Priscilla, his extravagant spending, and the endless maneuvering of Colonel Tom Parker. In fact, Elvis sold off the rights to most of his catalog in 1974 just to stay afloat, and it took years after his death for Priscilla to turn Elvis' estate into a money-making venture again. Read more

12. Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. Most folks think of Ed Sullivan when they consider Elvis Presley's rise to TV fame, or maybe Steve Allen. In truth, it was a pair of swinging big-band brothers who opened the door for Elvis' multimedia barnstorming -- a move which, ironically, would eventually edge their style of music out of the popular eye forever. Read more

13. West Side Elvis. Most fans are aware that Elvis was offered some plum acting roles in his lifetime, chief among them the role Kris Kristofferson would play opposite Barbra Streisand in the second remake of A Star Is Born. But few know that director Robert Wise originally chose Elvis to play Tony in the landmark musical West Side Story. The Colonel, as usual, interfered, saying the role was wrong for his meal ticket. The producers then auditioned Warren Beatty, Tab Hunter, Anthony Perkins, Burt Reynolds, Troy Donahue, Bobby Darin, Richard Chamberlain, and Gary Lockwood before settling on Richard Beymer. Elvis would have been required to sing "Something's Coming" and "Tonight"! Read more

14. Southern Maid Doughnuts. Before he was managed by the Colonel, who considered commercials beneath the King's dignity, Elvis made his one and only radio spot for a product, Southern Maid Doughnuts out of Garland, TX. No recordings of this November 6th, 1954 jingle are known to exist, although Johnny Cash's spot can be heard on at least one compilation. Presley was said to be quite fond of the donuts, having acquired a taste for them in Shreveport during his Louisiana Hayride days. You can still sit at the same counter he did! Read more

15. His favorite movies. Elvis was known to rent out Memphis' Memphian theater -- all of it! -- so that he could watch private screenings of new films with his entourage. And he apparently had great taste in films, too: his favorites, in chronological order, were The Ten Commandments, Rebel Without A Cause, Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther and Dirty Harry movies, and The French Connection. His all-time favorite, however, may have been Patton, starring George C. Scott; he memorized every line of it and could repeat it at will. And his Dirty Harry fixation led directly to his purchase of a .44 Magnum. Read more

16. Elvis the Red? Even the most casual Elvis fan knows he was born in Tupelo, MS, and grew up in Memphis. Yet his actual family lineage is impressive, as well: Author Allan Morrison has apparently traced the King's family history back to Lonmay, Scotland, and further claims that Elvis is the direct descendant of Andrew Presley, who landed in South Carolina in 1745. And although unprovable, Morrison is fairly sure the Presley name goes back to a band of Vikings! Read more

17. The Hound Dog Incident. The Steve Allen "Hound Dog" show has entered into the realm of legend by now, emblematic of the strained relationship between Elvis and the popular culture of the time. But while many fans thought Elvis was enjoying himself by singing to an actual basset hound, in truth he felt humiliated -- exploding in anger at the Colonel backstage for agreeing to such a stunt, and making the backing Jordanaires swear to never mention the appearance again. Read more

18. His last words. Elvis always kept his mind on the future, even as he was physically and emotionally falling apart near the end of his life. So it shouldn't be surprising that the last words anyone heard him utter, as he headed to the bathroom, were about just that. They're not profound by any means, but they are telling. Read more

19. His last song. Similarly, Presley's last performances, both public and private, don't reveal much in the way of understanding his demise -- if he was planning on slipping away into obscurity or simply realizing his mortality, it didn't show in the music. Then again, the very circumstances make his song selection seem sadder than usual. Read more

20. Don't. Elvis only ever commissioned one song personally; usually he was content to sing whatever was given him (at least in the beginning, when the monstrous consequences of the Colonel's sweetheart songwriting deals hadn't yet occured to him). But Lieber and Stoller knew just what to do when Elvis approached them in April of 1957. Read more

21. Elvis in Vegas -- Part One. The singer may have revived his career to a startling degree by playing Sin City, but not many fans are aware that he tried the town on for size earlier in his career, egged on by the Colonel -- and that his appearances were a resounding flop. However, he did score one of his biggest and most defining hits by enduring the humiliation... Read more

22. The death of James Dean. Not only was James Dean an icon of ordinary, frustrated Fifties youth, he made quite an impression on the King, as well. And although Dean died before Elvis even made his bones, the King was obsessed with him; he even cried when he learned of his death. And one famous mini-romance of Elvis' came about because of his idolization. Read more

23. The Gunnery's mistake. Elvis' Army years have been the subject of much discussion, if only because of what he did in his off hours, and how little his fans minded waiting for him. But his singing career was almost cut short by his service, especially the actions of one Pentagon official. Read more

24. It's Now Or Never. One of the King's biggest hits was written way back in the 19th century, but since it took full measure of the singer's operatic tendencies, he wanted it bad. And he wasn't the first singer to do an English-language version of what had already been a pop hit, either. Read more

25. The stage fight. Any number of female fans rushed the stage to get at Elvis, mostly in his early years, when getting at him was much easier. But on February 18th, 1973, Presley's midnight show at the Las Vegas Hilton was interrupted by four men who foolishly decided to shake his hand. But one of Elvis' hobbies, oddly enough, saved the day. Read more

26. The unknown Elvis. Elvis' 1968 "comeback" special restored his place on the rock music throne, and rightly so. Yet to get the King to agree to it, producer Steve Binder had to first convince him he wasn't King anymore -- and the ingenious way in which he pulled it off is one of rock's great stories. Read more

27. The King and the Killer. Jerry Lee Lewis was a friend of Elvis' from the old Sun days, but his penchant for showing up late, smarting off to cops, and carrying handguns led to his arrest... one that was pinned on Elvis for years, but which the Killer camp puts down to a mere misunderstanding. Was Jerry Lee trying to kill Elvis, or just stopping by at an ungodly hour? Read more

28. "If I Can Dream" and Bobby Kennedy. You may know that Elvis' '68 special was designed to make him relevant again, and that the time period it was released in was one of the most turbulent in American history. Yet not many know that director Steve Binder specifically commissioned the closing song -- a replacement for "Silent Night," which was the Colonel's idea of goodbye -- as a statement, a reaction to the death of Bobby Kennedy just a few days earlier. Read more

29. No shoe shine. Although the myth persists, there is no truth to the rumor that Elvis ever made any public or private disparaging remarks about African-Americans. In fact, the most notorious remark attributed to him, about blacks being fit only to "buy my records and shine my shoes," has been fully disproven. Read more

30. Elvis the sleepwalker. As a kid, Elvis suffered from a family addiction -- sleepwalking! There's no way of knowing whether the drugs taken in his later years curbed the affliction, but he'd stopped by the time he reached full adulthood. Nevertheless, sleeping on cue would become of paramount importance in his hectic professional life. Read more

For this week's download, I have found a great one called Audacity. It is a program used to edit and enhance audio files and it has so many features, it would be impossible to list them all here.

But, to give you a little taste, a few of the features include cutting and trimming audio files, reducing static and interference, recording custom MP3s, amplifying sounds and mixing audio tracks, among others. It's kind of like a mini recording studio!

I personally use Audacity for mixing audio tracks for videos I record, but there are hundreds of other uses for this program as well.

Also, be sure to check out the add ons for Audacity. They add even more functionality to this awesome free program!

You can download Audacity and all of its add ons right here. Have fun with this one!

Ways To Create Kid Music Lovers

Music is everywhere and can influence us and enrich our lives, even when we’re young. Scientists believe that while still inside the womb, a baby can hear music and respond with movement. Not only can music provide a wonderful reason to smile but it can strengthen a bond between parent and child or care provider and kids, as they share the joy of a song or the beauty of a melody. And kid music is one interest that doesn’t have to break the family piggy bank. So how do you get started?

Let your child hear you sing, even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket. The sound of your voice will please your child and give him the courage to belt out a favorite kid music song of his own. Try singing a childhood standard, one of your favorite rock ‘n roll ditties or make up something as you go along. It doesn’t matter as long as you are enthusiastic and enjoying the moment.

Almost everything in life has a beat or rhythm to it. At the park, point out the beat of the basketball bounce or the creak of the swings as they go back and forth. Show your child how to use his hands or voice to mimic those rhythmic serenades. As you walk down the street, make a beat with your footsteps, and then ask your child to copy it with his next steps. Just use a creative kid music approach and youngsters will take it on.

If you have instruments available, let your child experience what it’s like to play them. Even if the result is less than “music to your ears,” the musical moment will build her self-confidence and expand her imagination. A kitchen band of pot, pans and cooking utensils can bring out the ham in even the most reserved child.

If you usually listen to country in the car or around the house, try some oldies or the classical station for a change. Take your child to a concert in the park, a performance by the high school band or check out some CDs at the library and listen to them together.

Road trips or other times in the car present opportunities for a family sing-a-long or a name-that-tune game. Take along prerecorded CDs of music from movies or a DVD of sing-a-long songs if you have a player in your car. Belting out old kid music favorites like "Row Your Boat" or "Bingo" can do more than entertain. They encourage listening while singing, sequencing and boost memory skills.

Not every child has a voice like an angel or the musical ability of Mozart but enthusiastic participation deserves plenty of praise. Whether a child is born with incredible musical talents or not, he can enjoy music if he feels the confidence to participate with joy. Who hasn't heard kids or adults who can’t quite sing in tune or reach the needed notes but make up for it with the enjoyment they project? And, in the end, who really cares if it makes their heart sing as well?

A love of music is a wonderful gift that we can all bestow upon each child we know. Some of the best childhood memories can be those involving kid music, from the family singing together in worship to the thrill of learning a new instrument. With a simple whistle or hum, we can elicit a smile, tapping toe or other gleeful response. If you don’t believe it, try whistling your child’s favorite song and see what happens!

Have you ever wanted to make music? How about collaborating on music with your friends? Maybe you want to make your own mix of two of your favorite songs. Either way, now you can with Splice Music!

To use Splice Music, you’ll need to register. Registration is easy! Just click on the Sign Up link to begin. The form requires you to create a username, provide an e-mail address, create a password, prove you're human by filling in the CAPTCHA test, verifying you're over the age of 13 and agreeing to the terms of service. When you're ready, click on the Sign Up button and then check your e-mail for a confirmation notice.

When you see "Verification Succeeded" on the next page, you’ll also get a listing of links. I highly recommend you click on the Get a Little Help link. That will take you to a page with a tutorial video that will explain in detail how the Web site works.

One thing the video doesn’t explain is you can pull over more than one audio track so that you can layer the clips you select. That makes it easier to add sound bytes over the background music.

If you run into any problems or have a question, be sure to check out the FAQ page. They also clarify there what is okay to upload and what isn’t.

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com

Lilypond
Version: 2.10
File Size: 19,337KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows XP, 2000, Me, NT

welcome to the wonderful world of iPods! I'm sure you're enjoying it as much as everyone else who has one does. This is a very good question, because in a day and age when music players are so popular, it's typical to have a huge collection of music on just one device and it's too easy to let it "go crazy" and get all jumbled together. This tip is good for anyone who has any type of music player. It doesn't have to be an iPod. If you have an MP3 player or if you just have a lot of music stored on your computer, you can use these organizational tips as well.

Each year many people will purchase music CDs as holiday gifts for loved ones. Yet CDs are expensive, especially if you factor in the cost of the gas it takes to drive to the store, or the cost of shipping and handling. Fortunately, if you have an Internet connection, you can legally and cheaply purchase music files from a number of online retailers. Additionally, digital downloads are not yet subject to sales tax in most states, so you can save even more money by avoiding sales taxes. With a little planning, you can find excellent bargains in digital music.

First, you'll need to choose between sites that offer direct downloads for a one-time purchase price, and sites that offer streaming content for a subscription fee, like Rhapsody.com <http://www.rhapsody.com>. Sites that offer streaming music content allow you to listen to their entire music catalog, often millions of songs, on your computer for a monthly fee. Depending on the subscription plan, you might be able to download some tracks and burn them to CD, though you will be restricted as to how many. Should you ever cancel your subscription, you instantly lose access to the music.

While a subscription model does give you access to a vast library of music, the monthly fees become onerous, and if you just want to buy an album or two, you're better off using a direct download retailer.

Of all the online music stores, the iTunes Store is the most famous and the most successful. You can purchase tracks on iTunes for 99 cents, with variations in pricing for whole albums. iTunes has an enormous catalog of music from major labels, and you can often mix and match tracks from different albums. Unfortunately, tracks from iTunes are heavily copy- protected, with a limitation on how many different computers can use the files. Songs purchased off iTunes will only play on an iPod; if you use a different model of MP3 player, you're out of luck.

Emusic.com <http://www.emusic.com> uses a combination of the direct download and the subscription models. For a variable monthly fee, you can download anywhere between 30 and 75 files a month. Files downloaded from emusic.com are all in MP3 format, which means they will play on practically every model of MP3 player under the sun (including the iPod). Unlike Rhapsody or iTunes, emusic.com tracks have no copy protection, which means that you can move them between your computers and MP3 players without fear that they won't work. Emusic.com tends to have a wide variety of classical music, along with songs from independent or obscure bands, but not so much contemporary music. If you're interested in picking up the complete set of Beethoven's symphonies, or the album of an independent band from the 80s, emusic.com is the place to go. If you're looking for today's Top 40 hits, you'll probably have to go somewhere else.

You can also turn to Internet mega-retailer Amazon.com for music downloads. Amazon <http://www.amazon.com> started offering music downloads in January of 2008, and now offers tracks from many of the major labels. Like iTunes, individual tracks on Amazon are 99 cents. Amazon also offers steep discounts on downloading an entire album; it's often possible to get an album that would cost $15 for only $8 or $10. The tracks are in MP3 format, like emusic.com, making them compatible with any MP3 player. Unlike iTunes, the Amazon tracks come with no copy protection, meaning that you can move them between your computers and players without worrying about data loss. If you're looking to buy digital music, Amazon is a good place to start.

Purchasing music legally can be expensive, but with a little research, you can get a much better bargain than you could otherwise.

A:
That's a great question and it's one I tend to get on a pretty regular basis. I know a lot of you use iTunes, but maybe you're like the person who asked today's question and you're just ready for something new. There's nothing wrong with that! In this day and age, digital music is becoming a necessity and there's no shame in wanting it to be just right for yourself. I know you're not the only one who feels that way. I even get frustrated with iTunes every now and then. It just happens!

Now, before I go any further, I want to make sure everyone knows that if you use a Mac computer, you probably won't need to finish reading this tip. iTunes works perfectly with Macs, along with your iPod. The iTunes store is very easy to use with a Mac computer as well. On the other hand, things may be a little different for all you Windows users out there. I've heard a lot of stories from people who say iTunes is a little difficult to use on a Windows computer and it can bog down your memory quite a bit too. I mean, it makes sense. Since there isn't a Windows version of iTunes, you're just using a Mac application on a Windows PC and that doesn't always work out so well.

Along with the problems I mentioned above, there have also been some complaints about excessive resource usage, unnecessary programs running in the background and there are several compatibility issues with Windows Vista. If you try to use iTunes with Vista, your computer may end up crashing or at least freezing up. Plus, there's the whole DRM issue when it comes to "protected" music. If you download a protected song from the iTunes store on your Windows PC, you may run into some trouble when trying to transfer it to your iPod or MP3 player. Yuck!

With all of that said, it's no surprise that you want some alternative options to iTunes. Below is a list of music players that come with multi-platform compatibility and tools that will help you manage your digital music, as well as, keep it organized all at the same time. Let's check them out, shall we?!

1.) Foobar 2000 - This one is a digital music management program and it works with Windows 2000, XP and Vista. It is also compatible with several music platforms, including WAV, Ogg Valis, WavPack, AIFF, AU and many more. It also comes with full unicode and replay options, as well as, several other customizable features. You can check Foobar 2000 out for yourself right here.

2.) Songbird - This one is built off of the Firefox browser platform and it works with several media players, including the iPod. Songbird comes with many different add ons, with more added to the list everyday. It's an open source program, so it's very easy to work with. Check it out here.

3.) YamiPod - This particular player is a little different in that you don't have to install it on your computer. You can just copy it to your iPod's hard drive and use it from there. With YamiPod, you can manage your songs from any computer that runs Mac OS X, Windows or Linux. Just click on this link to check it out for yourself.

4.) Winamp - You may recognize the name on this one, because we here at WorldStart have talked about Winamp before. It has been around for quite a long time, but it is still one of the most popular music players out there today. It's a full featured music manager and it comes with complete iPod support. Also, if you have QuickTime installed on your computer along with Winamp, you are able to play protected songs. Cool, huh?! Take a look at it for yourself right here.

5.) Amarok - This one only works for Linux and Unix users, but it is a great iTunes alternative. It works with a wide variety of media players, including iPods, Zen players, Nomad players, USB players and more. It also comes with features like album covers, Wikipedia integration, awesome visual effects, lyrics support and so on. All of that just makes it ten times better. Check Amarok out today right here.

6.) Banshee - Banshee only works with Linux, so if you're a Linux user, I know you're just going to fall in love with it. It's a free download and it allows you to do just about anything with your music. You can import your music, organize it, play it back, share it and even rip it to a CD. So, if you want to manage your music with no limitations, Banshee is for you. Check it out here.

7.) Cog - Like iTunes, this is another music player that works perfectly with Macs. But, if you feel like you're being limited with iTunes, you may want to give Cog a look see. It takes care of all those problems and it allows you to actively manage your music. It is supported by several music platforms, including Ogg vorbis, MP3, FLAC, WavPack, Musepack and many more. It also comes with features like gapless playback, auto updating, Growl support, hot keys and seeking. It's definitely worth checking out, which you can do right here.

So, whether you're very unhappy with iTunes or you just want to try something different for awhile, the above seven players are worthy choices. There are so many alternatives to iTunes, you're bound to find one that fits perfectly with your operating system and your musical life. Give them a try today!

I can’t stand to have a song stuck in my head. That's especially true if all I have is just the tune and not the lyrics or if I can only remember a few of the words to a song. That makes it really hard to do a lyric search to find it. But, I need not ever fear that again, because I’ve found Name My Tune and with that, I can get other people to help me out.

Sing – This is the section where you can put your song out there to get named. What do you need? Well, all you need is a microphone. Yep, that’s it! Choose your microphone from the drop down list, click Next, record your tune and click Next again. Now, you need to choose the genre, era and your e-mail address and then click Submit. After that, people can start identifying your tune.

Listen – This is the section that lets you listen to tunes and identify them yourself. The flip side to the sing section, of course! To start, select a genre and an era and click Search. You can leave this set to Any to get a completely random selection. To listen, click Playback and if you know the name of the tune, click the Name This Tune button underneath the player. If you don’t know it, you can move ahead to the next tune by clicking the Next tune button.

Help – If you’ve had trouble in any of these sections, you can head over to the Help section, which will walk you through it step by step and probably answer whatever questions arise.

Are you ready to name those tunes? Well, get out there and start listening! Only you can put someone else’s mind to rest by naming their tune!

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com

Choose an MP3 and then select how much Cowbell or how much Christopher Walken you’d like to add to the track. Now, click on the Gimme More Cowbell button. The site will then upload the song, which only takes a couple minutes.

Once the song is uploaded, you can play it and listen to your mix! You can also take the code they provide to embed your mix onto your homepage or profile.

After you’ve listened to your song, you may want to listen to other cowbells people have made. To do so, go to the Recent Cowbells section. There you'll find all the recent entries. Just click on the Play button or click on the title of the song to listen. Have fun!

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com

If you're new to the world of digital music then having a helping hand to guide you through the learning process will make your life so much easier. Here you will find digital music lessons on format conversion, CD ripping, editing id3 tags, ipod tutorials and many more digital music topics. Take a look at the following digital music tutorials and learn how easy it really is.

1. How to Rip a CD

Ripping your favorite CDs is a great way to build up your digital music library. Find out how to do it using iTunes by following this simple tutorial.

2. Making Custom Playlists

If you haven’t made a custom playlist with iTunes yet then you’re missing a great way to generate your own music compilations. Playlists make it easy to organize your music and they can be shared with others.

3. How to Convert WMA to MP3

You’ve just found out that your MP3 player doesn’t play WMA files, but the music on your computer is nothing but WMAs! Follow this tutorial on how you can convert your WMA files into ultra-compatible MP3s using the free MediaMonkey software.

4. How to Edit ID3 Tags

ID3 tags are stored in digital music files and are used by music players to display information to the user. Data such as, title, artist, genre and track number is stored in the file which you can create and edit; check out this TigoTago tutorial on manipulating ID3 metadata easily.

5. Burning Music to CD

It's always a good idea to backup your digital music by burning to CD. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to start archiving just in case your hard drive decides to go south.

6. Setting up Your New iPod

Your shiny new iPod needs setting up before you can start listening to music, and wading through the user manual for the basics can sometimes be a pain. Why not read this digital music tutorial that cuts to the bone.

7. Downloading Music on the Internet

Take your first steps in the digital music world by reading this basic tutorial on how to start buying and downloading digital music on the Internet.

Did you know a new version of iTunes was just recently released? Yep, iTunes 8 is now out and it is available for download. So, if you’ve bought an iPod lately or you're planning to, this tip is a must read for you!

First of all, you can download iTunes 8 by going to www.itunes.com. Just click on the box that says iTunes 8 Free Download and follow the instructions. It's a fairly quick process and it's very easy. Now, let’s take a look at some of the new features offered in iTunes 8. Here we go!

This is the biggest and most interesting update by far. Plus, it will affect any iPod you buy from here on out. So, how does the Genius feature work? Well, if you select a song (let's use a Christmas carol as an example), the Genius sidebar will suggest some other songs for you, based on what you've already selected. Here are some of the recommendations Genius gave me when I performed a search:

Once Genius has suggested some songs for you, you can choose to play whichever one you'd like. Or, you can bypass their selections all together and continue to play your own. It's just a neat way to create a more well rounded playlist for your iPod!

When you first open iTunes 8, one of the first things you’ll notice is the new navigation system for your songs. Take a look at this:

The new navigation system makes it so much easier to keep all your iTunes material straight. Plus, depending on where you live (I know it's available in the U.S.), you can get HD TV shows and updated movies any time you want. How cool is that? Now, go on and enjoy the new iTunes 8, my friends!

The holiday season is coming up, and perhaps you want to buy an iPod for a loved one. Or maybe you have a gift card or two, and you want to buy one for yourself. The problem, though, is that iPods are excruciatingly expensive. The absolute cheapest iPod model, the iPod Shuffle, costs $49, which buys you a player with one gigabyte of storage and no display screen. The most expensive iPod model (the 32 gigabyte iPod Touch) tops out at a whopping $499. With gas and food prices spiraling ever higher, an expensive iPod seems like an unnecessary luxury.

Fortunately, if you want to enjoy digital music, there are other MP3 players than the iPod. Many of them offer more features for less price. Forearmed with a little knowledge, you can find a low-cost MP3 player that will give you years of service.

First, you need to choose between a flash-based MP3 player and a hard-drive based player. A hard drive-based player uses a miniaturized version of the hard drives found in personal computers everywhere, while a flash-based player uses non- volatile flash memory for its storage. A hard drive-based player can hold vast amounts of music, anywhere from 30 to 160 gigabytes. However, a hard drive-based player is fragile; it is possible for a single violent bump to damage the disk and render it unusable. Flash memory has no moving parts and is therefore much more durable. And while flash memory has a limited number of read/write cycles (typically around 100,000), it will last far longer than the motor in a hard drive. For that reason, a flash-based player is probably the better bargain.

If you enjoy listening to FM radio, many MP3 players come with integrated FM tuners. Currently, no iPod models offer FM tuners, and if you want to listen to FM radio on an iPod, you have to purchase a bulky expansion module at additional cost. Practically every single model of MP3 player outside of the iPod brand come with FM tuners, and many also offer the ability to record radio broadcasts as MP3 or WMA files. If you want to listen to and record FM radio, you'll need a player other than an iPod.

If you might want a larger player in a few years, buy one with an expansion slot. The iPod lacks an expansion slot, but many other players have this capability. A few years ago, many players could handle an SD flash memory card, but most now take the new microSD/SDHC cards. These cards can hold several gigabytes worth of data, and they're getting cheaper all the time. If you outgrow your current player, buying an expansion card is certainly cheaper than purchasing a new one.

All in all, a flash player with 2 to 4 gigabytes of storage (and an expansion slot) might be the best bargain. Obviously, a smaller player won't hold as much music, but there's no sense buying more power than you really need. One gigabyte of storage can usually hold around 12-20 music CDs (depending on song length and encoding rate), so if you have a small music collection, or only want to listen to a few CDs while exercising, buying a player with a 160 gigabyte hard drive (capable of holding roughly 2000 CDs or more) is definitely overkill.

Finally, you'll want to shop around before making a purchase. Odds are that someone bought that particular model MP3 player before you did, and posted their opinions on the Internet. Thanks to Google(tm), you can easily find reviews for any particular player.

There's no doubt that iPods are a luxury brand and are therefore expensive. But why buy a Jaguar when a Ford Focus will do everything you need? With a little research and foresight, you can find an MP3 player that will give you the functionality of the iPod at a much lower price.

- Even with escalating gas and food prices, there's no reason that you can't enjoy digital music. Forearmed with the knowledge you've gained here, you can find a low-cost MP3 player that will give you years of service.

Factors to Consider Before Converting to MP3

MP3 Encoding Settings

The MP3 format is the most popular lossy audio format in use today and has been around for over ten years. Its success can be mainly attributed to its universal compatibility. Even with this achievement, there are still rules you need to know before creating MP3 files. The following factors will give you an idea on how to adjust your encoding settings for optimal results.

In order to select the optimum encoding values you first have to consider the nature of the audio source. For example, if you are encoding a low quality voice recording from an analog tape and use the highest possible encoding settings then this will waste a lot of storage space. If you were to convert an MP3 file that has a bitrate of 96kbps into one with a 192kbps bitrate then no improvement in quality would occur. The reason for this is that the original was only 32kbps and so anything higher than this will just increase the file size and won’t improve sound resolution.

· 192 to 320 kbps – Recording complex audio sources (ones which contain a broad spectrum of frequencies, like classical music for example).

The MP3 format is a lossy format and converting to another lossy format (including another MP3) is not recommended. Even if you try to convert to a higher bitrate, you will still lose quality. It is usually best to leave the original as it is, unless you want to reduce storage space and don’t mind a reduction in audio resolution.

Constant bitrate (CBR) and variable bitrate (VBR) are two options that you can choose when encoding an MP3 file that both have their strengths and weaknesses. Before you make a decision on whether to use CBR or VBR you will have to first think about how you are going to listen to the audio. CBR is the default setting that is universally compatible with all MP3 decoders and hardware devices but does not produce the most optimized MP3 file. Alternatively, VBR produces an MP3 file that is optimized for both file size and quality. VBR remains the best solution but it is not always compatible with older hardware and certain MP3 decoders.

How To Use Winamp Pro to Convert Audio Formats

Since Winamp version 5.32, it has been possible to convert digital music files from one audio format to another by using its built-in transcoding tool. Format Converter, as the tool is called, is quite a flexible utility that supports multiple formats and can convert single tracks or can batch-convert multiple files using playlists. Like or loath the ever increasing list of audio formats, it is sometimes necessary to convert a selection of music files to another format for the sake of compatibility; different MP3 players etc. This quick guide will show you how to use Winamp Pro to transcode your audio files.

Time Required: Setup – 5 minutes / transcoding time – depends on number of files and audio encoding settings.

If you haven't got many files to convert then the easiest method is to highlight individual tracks or albums. To do this :

1. Make sure the Media Library tab is selected > Click on Audio (located in the Local Media folder on the left side of the screen).

2. Right-click a file to convert and then select > Send To: > Format Converter from the pop-up menu. To select multiple tracks or albums, hold down the [CTRL] key while selecting.

3. On the Format Converter screen, click on the Encoding Format option to choose a format. Click OK to start transcoding your selection.

A more flexible way to queue up tracks and albums is to generate a playlist. To create a new playlist and begin adding files to it:

1. Right-click on Playlists (located in the left pane) > select New Playlist from the pop-up menu. Type in a name and click OK.

3. Click on the playlist to see a list of files that you have added > click the Send-To button > Format Converter.

4. On the Format Converter screen select the encoding format you want > click the OK button to start converting.

[Editor's note: Don't think you can perform a striptease? Think again! In this article by Tracey Cox, she walks you through every step to help you pull it off. Then keep reading below to find the guy-preferred songs that best suit your personality. When it comes to stripteases, you decide your comfort level, but one thing's for sure: Your guy will love you for it!]

The visual caress of a well-executed striptease can turn almost any man into a light-headed, panting puddle on the floor. And that's just the impersonal work of a stripper. Getting a girlfriend to agree to a personal erotic dance is one of life's great pleasures. But if you think getting her to do it is tough, getting her to do it well is even harder. Sitting there while a girl self-consciously flails around can be the ultimate mood killer.

However, you can help by choosing the music. The right song can make all the difference in the world. Pick the wrong one and watch the clumsy fumbling begin, but pick the perfect one, and watch her lose herself in the music. With so much at stake, it's only fair that we give you a few suggestions. We've dug deep too, going beyond cliches like Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" or strip club staples like "Leave Your Hat On." Pick your favorite, dim the lights, sit back, and enjoy the show.

"Pony" by Ginuwine

While she's grinding in your lap, the last thing on your mind will likely be the lyrics of the song she's dancing to. But this smooth tune from R&B wunderkid Ginuwine is chocked full of gems like "If you're horny, let's do it/Ride it, my pony/My saddle's waitin'/Come and jump on it." From there, a deep, throbbing bass line and electrified background vocals elevate this one from a cheesy song to a soundtrack for a memorable night. Just make sure your pony has saddle on; you don't want any unexpected fillies galloping around nine months later.

"Eyes Without a Face" by Billy Idol

You wouldn't think a sneering, wannabe punk rocker from the '80s could produce anything worthy of a spot on this list. But this 1984 power ballad is tailor-made for a deliberate, sensual striptease. It starts off slow, with Idol crooning about a long-lost love before the cooing of songstress Perri Lister, whispering the title of the song in French, joins him. That's hot enough, but then the song starts to build up until a wall of trademark Idol guitars take it to the next level. Hopefully, your girl will follow suit and kick it up a notch too. Envision her swirling her hair or ripping her shirt open, then envision what you'll do to her after she does that. Settle down, big guy.

"I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears

Sure, she's become a world-class train wreck and she has Federline's stank all over her, but that doesn't mean her handlers couldn't write and produce a sexy song for her back in the day. This is basically an anthem for bad little girls, precisely the role you'll be looking for her to play. Behind a throbbing techno beat, everyone's favorite little mouseketeer has a lyrical "coming out" party. She admits she's young, but she also admits she can't control herself and wants to give in to her urges—perfect, inspiring instructions for a girl taking her clothes off in front of you.

"Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls

You'd certainly expect a group that got its start as a burlesque troupe to produce songs suitable for stripping. And these hotties from LA don't disappoint with this 2005 hit. Strutting their trademark sexy stuff, the girls tease Snoop Dogg to "loosen up buttons," over and over again as the high-energy music carries the song to a hot, panting conclusion. "Buttons" has an empowering vibe that will hopefully come out in her dance routine, which translates into a potentially mind-blowing experience for you, as she'll discover a confidence and swagger that neither of you knew she had.

Closer" by Nine Inch Nails

Trent Reznor certainly doesn't ooze sex appeal (unless you are a chemically unbalanced teenaged girl), but the Goth Grandfather can certainly write a sexy song. Take this 1994 electronic ditty: If you are looking for a slow, slinky dance, look no further. This is pure raunch, as Reznor wails "You let me desecrate you/You let me penetrate you." As she bumps and grinds to the intense keyboards and distorted guitar, you'll have the urge to do both of these nasty acts to her yourself. But the striptease is all about the wait, so fight it and enjoy.

"She's Always In My Hair" by D'Angelo

R&B music has the beat, lyrics and attitude that make it ideal for stripteases. Put on this syrupy number from uber-smooth D'Angelo, and watch her transform into a sultry, nimble sex bomb. This is a cover of a Prince song, and His Purple Highness' trademark sexuality shines through. It's a rollicking confession of one man's love for the perfect girl -- something your girl will appreciate. What you'll appreciate is how the funky backbeat makes her move. D'Angelo may be a preacher's son, but he'll make you break many of the Ten Commandments with this saucy number.

"Sex (I'm a)" by Lovage

Faith No More's Mike Patton and DJ extraordinaire Dan the Automator collaborated on the relatively unknown 2001 release Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By. But don't let the deliberately cheesy title fool you; this great album is filled with legitimately sexy songs. The highlight is "Sex (I'm A)," a super-hot back-and-forth between Patton and nymphet Jennifer Charles of '90s pop group Elysian Fields. They sing of virgins, one-night stands and making love together -- the perfect recipe for a good time. The throbbing beat will set the mood, but the overdubbed, orgasmic moans and groans will have both of you scrambling for the song to end so you can make your own little soundtrack.

· "Hot In Herre" by Nelly

A good rule of thumb when trying to assess if a song is fitting for her striptease is to think of how crazy the dance floor at a club gets when it plays. And this former No. 1 hit from Nelly almost instantly packs it full of dirty, grinding clubbers. It's a three-minute, 49-second, funk-infused, hip-hop orgy, with lyrics like, "So take it off like you're home alone/ You know dance in front your mirror while you're on the phone." Sometimes you have to throw subtlety out the window and just get to the point. So, when St. Louis' finest son, Nelly, politely asks everyone in the room to take off all their clothes, she'll have to comply.

· "Justify My Love" by Madonna

The Material Girl caused quite a commotion with this 1990 single. The saucy video was banned by MTV and she recorded remixes that used bible verses in conjunction with the explicit lyrics. The nerve! It was cowritten with Lenny Kravitz, whom Madonna admitted she was shagging at the time of the recording. Their sexual energy is evident, as jungle drums drive the rhythm and Madonna's coquettish voice moans about "wanting and waiting." You'll be "wanting and waiting" to do very nasty things to the girl who dances to this song for you. If she lets the red-hot song take her away, you'll be all set to justify your lust.

· "Cream" by Prince

Of all cities in the world, it turns out that Minneapolis produced one of the most prolific and sexually charged artists in music history. That, of course, is Prince, and his body of work features songs like "Dirty Mind." From that fertile mind comes this disco-esque romp that is sure to bring out her wild side. Layered on top of porno-sounding guitar riffs are lyrics like "You got the horn so why don't you blow it/You are filthy cute and baby you know it." It definitely puts the "fun" in funky and is the perfect song if she is a bit hesitant to try this. Prince shamelessly enjoys himself while playing "Cream," and this enjoyment is contagious.

Sit back and enjoy

If you've always fantasized about having your girl strip for you, pick a few of these songs and put them on while you are alone with her. Make a suggestion and see what happens. The sexy grooves of these 10 hot tunes are guaranteed to turned your loving sweetheart into a naughty sex kitten in no time.

Real Names of R&B Singers

Naming Names

If you've ever wondered what Prince's real name is (it's Prince), or why Ginuwine doesn't go by his real name (because it's Elgin Lumpkin, that's why), then check out this list of the real names of some of your favorite R&B and Soul singers. Some of the name changes make sense, like Kenneth Edmonds being known as Babyface, or ultra-buff singer Durrell Babbs going by the stage name of Tank. But others, like Natalie McIntyre changing her name to Macy Gray, might leave you scratching your head. (Macy Gray, by the way, says she adopted her stage name as a tribute to an elderly former neighbor.)

· Akon - Aliuane Badara Thiam. He's claimed in
the past that his full name is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, however this has never been independently verified. (More info about Akon.)

· Alicia Keys - Alicia Cook. She's said in interviews that she chose the name 'Keys' to represent her piano keys.

· Angie Stone - Angela Brown. FYI, she was known Angie B. back in the 1980s while part of female singing group The Sequence. (More about Angie Stone.)

· Bobby Valentino (aka Bobby V.) - Robert Wilson. He was born near Valentine's Day, hence the stage name.

· Chaka Khan - Chaka was born Yvette Marie Stevens, but adopted the first name Chaka during the Black Power Movement in the 1970s. She took the surname Khan after marrying bassist Hassan Khan.

· Donna Summer - LaDonna Gaines. She adopted her stage name after marrying Helmuth Sommer, an Austrian actor.

· Erykah Badu - Erica Wright. She changed the spelling of her first name to Erykah as a girl, with the 'kah' part signifying the inner self. Badu is an African name used by the Ashanti tribe in Ghana.

· J. Holiday - Nahum Grymes. It's a biblical name - his mother's a preacher.

· Kelis - Kelis Rogers. After marrying the rapper Nas (Nasir Jones), she legally changed her name to Kelis Rogers-Jones. (More about Kelis.)

· Patti LaBelle - Patricia "Patsy" Holte. She was given the name Patti LaBelle by Blue Note Records when her former group, the Bluebelles (whose name later became Labelle) signed with the label.

· Prince - Prince Rogers Nelson. He was named after jazz pianist Prince Rogers of the Prince Rogers Trio.

· Seal - Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, also known as Sealhenry Olumide Samuel.

· Sly Stone - Sylvester Stewart. He took his stage name as an alias during the mid-1960s when he was AWOL from the military.

· Smokey Robinson - William Robinson, Jr. As a kid, he was nicknamed "Smokey Joe" by an uncle because he loved cowboy movies. Eventually the name evolved to just Smokey.

· Stevie Wonder - He was born Stevland Judkins, but his last name was legally changed to Morris after he joined Motown Records when he was 12.

· Tina Turner - Anna Mae Bullock. She was given her stage name by her one-time husband, singer-musician Ike Turner.

· Tweet - Charlene Keys. Tweet was her nickname growing up, long before she used the name professionally. (More about Tweet.)

Classic Rock Vinyl

A Guide to Collecting Original Albums and Singles

Some really hard core Classic Rock fans are equally serious about the music and the medium that delivers it.

CDs and MP3s have long since eclipsed vinyl albums as the preferred medium for music. But much of what is considered Classic Rock was originally released on LP (Long Playing) albums and the two-song “singles” or “45’s” (so named because of the turntable speed at which they were played, 45 revolutions per minute) that were the medium of choice for radio airplay.

Like collectors of baseball cards and first day of issue stamps, Classic Rock album aficionados value vinyl albums on the basis of their physical condition, age, rarity, and popularity of the band or artist.

· Signed albums by Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Pink Floyd will bring $300-$400, depending on their physical condition

· At the low end, unsigned albums by major Classic Rock artists typically sell for $30-$40, or as much as three times their original cost

The artwork on some album covers can add significantly to their value. “Import” versions of some albums, released overseas, sometimes with different cover art or even titles than the U.S. version, are also highly prized.

Unlike Compact Discs and MP3 files, vinyl records are highly susceptible to surface scratches, dust, and nicks from the phonograph needles that translate the audio information in the grooves of the record into amplified electrical impulses reproduced by headphones or speakers.

In spite of this – or maybe even because of it – some collectors have pleasant memories associated with listening to the music when it was new. For them, even the pops, crackles, and dust distortion common in heavily used records, are an important part of the ambiance.

· The Record Collectors Guild offers a concise history of vinyl recordings, and album covers, from the 1940s to present

· MusicStack is a portal to literally thousands of online sources for used, rare, out of print and otherwise hard to find LPs and singles

What Is Rock Music

A Brief History of Rock Music

Rock music has been a volatile, unpredictable creature that has constantly redefined and reinvented itself since its emergence in the late 1940s. Not surprisingly, then, it can be extremely difficult to apply a straightforward definition to such a restless musical format.

But while people may quibble over specifics, rock music can generally be described as hard-edged music performed with electric guitars, bass, and drums and usually accompanied by lyrics sung by a vocalist.

That sounds simple enough, but a closer look at the evolution of rock music suggests how different styles and influences have shaped its development over the years. But first, let’s take a look back at its formations.

Rock music’s origins can be traced back to the late 1940s, when the popular styles of the day, country and blues, morphed into a new sound aided by electric guitars and a steady drum beat. Pioneering rock artists of the ‘50s, such as Chuck Berry, leaned heavily on classic blues structures while demonstrating a flair as natural-born entertainers. As opposed to the safe pop music of the era, rock’s aggressive attack suggested a sexual freedom that proved shocking during that conservative age.

By the early ‘60s, Berry’s followers, most notably the Rolling Stones, expanded rock’s scope by transitioning from singles artists into musicians capable of producing cohesive albums of songs. Embracing sex and youthful rebellion in their music, the Stones courted controversy but also elevated rock to new cultural heights.

As rock became the dominant form of popular music, new bands built on their predecessors’ strengths while branching out into new sonic territory.

Led Zeppelin gave rock a darker, heavier tone, becoming one of the ‘70s’ most popular bands and helping to kick-start a new genre known as hard rock or heavy metal.

Around the same time, Pink Floyd added psychedelic elements and complex arrangements, creating concept albums tied together by a single theme and meant to be absorbed in a single sitting. Records like Dark Side of the Moon were credited with spawning the progressive rock movement.

In the late ‘70s, as a response to what they perceived as pretentious “hippie” bands such as Pink Floyd, groups like the Sex Pistols and the Clash simplified rock down to its core ingredients: loud guitars, rude attitude and enraged singing. Punk was born.

And while all three movements enjoyed different degrees of mainstream acceptance, a fourth, less-recognized style was beginning to take shape as well. Spotlighting atonal noise and unconventional rock instruments such as drum machines, groups like Pere Ubu became the pioneers of industrial rock, an abrasive subgenre that didn’t enjoy widespread popularity but would inspire future rock bands.

As the ‘80s began, mainstream rock music was losing commercial steam, its sound growing stale. In such a creatively stagnant environment, subgenres started to assert their dominance.

Inspired by punk’s outsider status and industrial’s eclectic instrumentation, keyboard-driven English bands like Depeche Mode demonstrated a more introverted songwriting style, creating postpunk, which is also described as new wave.

Meanwhile, American groups like R.E.M. toyed with postpunk elements, balancing introspective lyrics with traditional rock-band arrangements. These bands were dubbed college rock because of their popularity on college radio stations.

By the end of the ‘80s, college rock had become such a lucrative alternative to mainstream rock that it received a new moniker: alternative rock. It was also referred to as indie rock because the bands were often signed to small, independently-owned labels.

Significantly, alternative rock cemented its cultural standing when the music magazine Billboard created a new chart in 1988 specifically for alternative rock, which the publication classified as modern rock. For most music fans, terms such as modern rock, alternative and indie are synonymous ways of describing this popular subgenre.

With the ascension of Nirvana's Nevermind in 1991, alternative rock became the dominant popular music. But while other bands soon sprung up as part of the so-called grunge movement (a merging of hard rock and punk), other groups, like Soundgarden, straddled the worlds of alternative and mainstream rock.

Exacerbated by the suicide of Nirvana's frontman, Kurt Cobain, alternative music started to lose its luster by the middle of the decade, setting the stage for mainstream rock's reemergence.

One of the first bands to capitalize on mainstream rock’s comeback was Limp Bizkit, which melded hard rock and rap into a new hybrid call rap-rock. Groups like Staind and Puddle of Mudd followed in Limp Bizkit’s wake, though these bands focused on melodic hard rock rather than integrating rap into the mix.

At the same time, bands that had thrived during grunge’s heyday but didn’t easily fit into the alternative subgenre, such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, continued to find audiences throughout the ‘90s. Additionally, groups that rose from the ashes of grunge, like Foo Fighters, incorporated alternative music’s outsider energy to reenergize mainstream rock.

As rock enters the 21st century, the most successful acts possess the same spirit as their ‘60s predecessors, even if they sound quite different. Linkin Park fuses hip-hop and metal, while 3 Doors Down emulates hard-rock traditions of the past while providing a contemporary spin. Undoubtedly, rock will keep evolving in the future, drawing from its rich history while continuing to keep its ear open for the next sonic reinvention.

I love to find lyrics to songs I like. I feel I can get a better understanding of the song or I can double check a lyric to make sure I heard it right. But the one thing I have always hated about lyric Web sites is all the pop ups you have to wade through. Well, not anymore. Now, there's lyricsfly!

And as far as lyric sites go, let me tell you, I’m in love! Not only can you search by Artist, Song, Album or Lyrics, but you can submit lyrics, correct lyrics and so much more.

You all know I love Charlotte Martin, so the first thing I did was an Artist search to see if any of her songs' lyrics made it on the site. I was happy to find Wild Horses.

On the page with the lyrics, you’ll find that you can Print, E-mail, Correct and even Delete the lyrics. You will also find that they list similar artists and sometimes, there will even be an MP3 file you can listen to.

Under the Info tab, you’ll learn about ways to better search for the lyrics you're looking for. You will also find information about the Web site and its goals.

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com

Best Country Albums - First Half of 2008

I can hardly believe that 2008 is just about half over already. Coming up on the halfway point in another week, with over 65 albums reviewed, I've come up with my personal Top 10 favorites from the first half of the year. If you haven't checked these out yet, I hope you'll read our reviews, and give them a try.

10. Jewel - Perfectly Clear

9. Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie

8. Montgomery Gentry - Back When I Knew It All

7. James Otto - Sunset Man

6. Chuck Wicks - Starting Now

5. Ashton Shepherd - Sounds So Good

4. Anne Murray - Duets: Friends & Legends

3. Alan Jackson - Good Time

2. Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum

1. George Strait - Troubadour

Do you often listen to CDs on your computer? Maybe you just need to hear your favorite song to get you through the day at work or perhaps you just like to listen to music while you're cleaning your house or just relaxing.

If you do, an easy way to keep all your CDs straight is to make playlists for them. Once you do that, every time you put in that CD, it will automatically pop up on your screen and you'll know exactly what songs you're going to hear.

All you need to do is open up your CD ROM drive (it could be on your computer tower or on the side of your computer if you have a laptop). In case you're not sure, the CD ROM drive is just a little tray that slides out with an area big enough to fit a CD. There's a little button on your tower and you just push that for the drive to come out. Put the CD in there and then push the button again to close it.

Once you close it, your computer will automatically recognize that you put new software in and if you have a media player (such as Windows Media Player or Winamp) already downloaded on your computer, the CD will open in that program.

Now, once your program pops up, it will have a playlist area where you can name the album and name all of the songs on the CD. It depends on which program you use as to where the playlist will be, but it should be right there on the first screen when your player opens up. When you first start, the songs will just say Track 1, Track 2, etc. and it will say Unknown Album, so don't panic! That's exactly why it's a good idea to put the information in for easier recognition of each CD every time you listen to one on your computer.

It's really cool, especially if you have tons of CDs and you listen to almost all of them on your computer.

Summer Romance Oldies

Golden oldies about summer romances and their effects

The beauty, joy, and pain of the summer romance lies in its (often unspoken) brevity -- a fling that you know can't last, and is both wonderful and horrible for just that reason. The oldies of rock's early years often focused on this subject from the teen's point of view, what with summer camp and summer vacations forcing a change of scenery on even the most dedicated young lovers. But it can also mean a young boy or girl's first brush with infidelity... or a full-grown man or woman's, for that matter. Here are ten hits from the Sixties and Seventies that deal with the cultural rules of the summer romance.

1. "All Summer Long," The Beach Boys

Yeah, you expect the Beach Boys to be on this list, if only because Brian Wilson's trademark production has come to epitomize surf-and-sand drama. But this early work is practically a little film all unto itself, or at least a montage: she spills Coke on her blouse, they play miniature golf and ride horses, etc. Brian paints quite a picture with just a few strokes, so much so that even the simple line "T-shirts, cutoffs, and a pair of thongs" makes you long for the beach. ("Thongs" in the flip-flop sense, of course.) And that production, utilizing the same kind of tricks made more famous on "California Girls," is actually quite complex -- the threat of winter keeps popping its head up, and getting slammed back down. Pure joy.

2. "A Summer Song," Chad and Jeremy

The aural equivalent of strolling through a verdant grove with your significant other, a gorgeous yet understated ballad rhythmic enough to be folk yet ornate enough to pass as early chamber-pop. Chad and Jeremy's first hit (and another initial victory for the British Invasion) sports alliterative lyrics as lush as their surroundings: Sweet. Sleepy. Silver. Soft. Swayin'. Starry. Almost like a dream, and while the bridge recognizes the obvious encroachment of fall, rainclouds, or both, the overall effect is a pleasant one. A reverie that, like the best summer songs, realizes the magic is in the moment.

3. "Night Moves," Bob Seger

After an early career as a ripsnorting Detroit road rat of a rocker, Seger decided to start looking back -- and, ironically, found his place in the pop mainstream: no other musician in America has ever found so much gold in regret. Likewise, this folksy epic of sorts uses summer as a metaphor for youth, intimating that all romances are brief. And even if this wasn't a strict romance, given the line about how they weren't in love, just "young and restless and bored," it does show how much youth itself counts as a factor. Think of it as a man who had a summer fling with life. (With autumn closin' in.)

4. "Summer Rain," Johnny Rivers

That rare example of a summer romance which lasts! Written by folk artist James Hendricks and covered by Rivers in that blink of an eye between his go-go days and his pop-soul era, this beautifully descending, minor-key song actually has a happy ending. And the oddities don't stop there -- this was released in 1967, and the bridge cannily mentions Sgt. Pepper, which was released that summer, being played over and over. Conclusion? This song is happening right now. Or was then. At any rate, it may sound strange to wax so sweetly rhapsodic over a memory that's a few months old, but not if you've still got the girl. And as Johnny reports, "she's here by me!"

5. "Theme From A Summer Place," Percy Faith and his Orchestra

No words, but who cares? The creator of the easy-listening sound scored a remarkable hit in 1960 with this instantly-recognizable bit of mood music; not only was it a huge smash at a time when rock was establishing a permanent foothold, but it was the number one single of the year! You only need to listen to those opening strings to be transported into the heady, warm, giddy, and ultimately fleeting series of emotions that is the summer romance. The Sandra Dee-Troy Donahue teen soaper this came from is barely remembered now, but the song lives on, used in countless TV shows and movies, albeit usually as parody. But if you need proof of its power, know only this: it hit the top of the charts for nine weeks. In February.

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Thinking about Buying a Piano?

Advantages of Electric Pianos over Acoustic Pianos

Features to consider when buying an Electric Piano

The Piano we Bought

Eight Commonly Misinterpreted Songs

h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); Trivia and oddities about the "King of Rock and Roll"

Ways To Create Kid Music Lovers

See More About:

1. How to Rip a CD

2. Making Custom Playlists

3. How to Convert WMA to MP3

4. How to Edit ID3 Tags

5. Burning Music to CD

6. Setting up Your New iPod

7. Downloading Music on the Internet

MP3 Encoding Settings

h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); Naming Names

h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); A Guide to Collecting Original Albums and Singles

h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); A Brief History of Rock Music

10. Jewel - Perfectly Clear

9. Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie

8. Montgomery Gentry - Back When I Knew It All

7. James Otto - Sunset Man

6. Chuck Wicks - Starting Now

5. Ashton Shepherd - Sounds So Good

4. Anne Murray - Duets: Friends & Legends

3. Alan Jackson - Good Time

2. Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum

1. George Strait - Troubadour

Golden oldies about summer romances and their effects

1. "All Summer Long," The Beach Boys

2. "A Summer Song," Chad and Jeremy

3. "Night Moves," Bob Seger

4. "Summer Rain," Johnny Rivers

5. "Theme From A Summer Place," Percy Faith and his Orchestra

April 18, 2009

Trivia and oddities about the "King of Rock and Roll"

Naming Names

A Guide to Collecting Original Albums and Singles

A Brief History of Rock Music