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Your Kids and Music Lessons: Illegal Downloading

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Your kids are good at the internet, that’s for sure, but whether they’re online to IM with their friends, look up internet providers by zip code or to do homework you can bet they’ve downloaded music too. Here are a few lessons they’ve got to learn to keep from getting sued.
Don’t Download for Free: In this day and age there is no free downloading, period. Make sure you tell your kids that if they want music you’ve got to pay – they should run this by you first, obviously, since they’ll need your permission to buy.
Don’t Give Away Personal Info: Your kids may be tempted to give away personal information to get some free downloads but that’s a bad idea, obviously. This is a good opportunity to teach them all about the dangers of phishing as well.
Free Radio: If your kids are bound and determined to listen to music but you can’t afford hundreds of songs a month show them how to use free online radio like Pandora. It’s a great solution that’s cheap even if you spring for the paid version.

How Music Shows Current Events To Listeners

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

From Beethoven’s 9th Symphony dedicated to Napoleon, to the political subject matter of modern rock groups, music has showcased currents events to listeners throughout history. Music is one of the best avenues for communication and expression in that it appeals to a vast array of tastes. Lyricists and musicians often use their musical talents to focus on currents events and to voice their opinions to the populace. Melody sets atmospheric tone and lyrics are rich in imagery, thus easily captivating an audience’s attention more than many news channels could. Artists also have an opportunity to get publicity for their music by writing about current events because the more controversial the opinion or tone of the song, the more the public will talk about it.
Today many internet bloggers find themselves more and more in the public eye for their controversial opinions. The wider an audience a blogger has, the more blog-hosting websites and advertisements will pay him or her. It is then very effective for musicians to use this venue for their musical talents as well as their political commentary in order to gain success in the music field. Many musicians whose videos rank high in viewers even get signed by actual record companies.
Another reason artists use music to show news items is that music reaches audiences on a level in which the listener’s emotions come into play. Music can express stories in such vivid display that listeners consider current events on a more empathetic, human level. Reading about the news or watching a news program can be rather impersonal and music inter-plays the senses in such a way that audiences are forced to consider what the music is saying. Music opens up a dialogue between audience and artist which can effectively widen the audience’s political and global perspective.

The Music Formerly Known As Hip

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Music has changed greatly over the past couple of decades. One of the major changes that the industry has seen is genres of music that were formerly known as “hip” are not anymore. During the 1970′s disco and go-go music were the thing to listen to. Nowadays, it is rare to hear that type of music being played. If it is played, it usually at one of the nightclubs that are geared towards older people. Hip-hop is a genre of music that developed in the late 1980′s. During the 1990′s hip-hop was one of the most popular genres of music. Although it still remains popular today, the overall popularity of it is declining. Many people are tired of the profanity and misogynistic lyrics. Others simply say that it is dead because there are very few artists that actually have talent.

The music scene has changed for the worst, but it has also changed for the better. One of the greatest changes is that there are now many ways to listen to music. A couple of decades ago, the only way to listen to music was on the radio or buy buying a record. Nowadays, the internet offers more ways to enjoy good music.

Creative Common Elements Used By All Artists

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Music is said to be the universal language, and for the most part that is true. So how does one explain the incredible diversity of music? The differences between, say, classical and hip-hop seem vast, but for the discerning listener, they may have much in common. In fact, there are creative common elements used by all artists, and understanding these elements can make you a better musician or provide a deeper understanding of the music you enjoy.

These common threads can be distilled down to two ideas. The first, and perhaps most important, idea is that the artist must write from experience.Didn’t catch that? This explains it. This is the only way to create works that have a sense of authority. Writing from imagination has its place, but the most effective music is about real world scenarios.

Second, the personalized account must then be rendered universal. This is the art of going from the specific to the general, and this is how to take a personal account and turn it into something most everyone else can relate to. When listening to favorite songs, these two elements will be found to be at play quite often. Obviously it will vary to a degree, but great songs are the ones that transfer meaning from the creator to the listener. Turning personal experiences into universal themes is one way this is achieved.

When In Rome, Do As The Recording Companies Do

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Many musicians and producers find that they love their craft with a passion. They spend many hours in the studio to make a product that they put their hearts and souls into and create some incredibly amazing works of art. However, many artists find that they wish they could create songs as clear and precisely crafted as many of the major label artists do. The problem comes not from the equipment that these artists have, but the technique. Creating a perfect song isn’t about what kind of equipment that is owned by the artist, it is about how the equipment that the artist has is used to create something truly artistic.

Techniques can be a very integral and necessary part of creating music. One of the most popular techniques in the industry is to make the mix as loud as possible. This however, does not equate specifically into a good song. Emphasis should be placed on a song that is well equalized emphasizing dynamics and important parts, not how loud the mix is. Learning important techniques such as equalizing is a great way to create a song that is clear and well constructed. Anyone can learn the techniques to create a great mix, all that is needed is a passion for the art of music and research.

Advocating That Artistic License Or Not?

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The music industry has always been in a state of change, and this is no more apparent than in the current environment. The digital revolution has changed the way people record, perform, and disseminate their artistic creations, and has brought up questions of authenticity and integrity. With more production values, a question arises regarding what artistic license requires and if it is legitimate.

An excellent example of this question is the use of samples and sequencing in current musical art forms.The full explanation can be found at http://musicbusinessheretic.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/the-future-of-music-4-ways-to-protect-your-music-from-digital-piracy/ Are the original artists being stolen from? And if so, how will they be recompensed for their input? The legalities of this issue are complex, but perhaps a little historical perspective can shed some light.

The truth of the matter is that no one is really sure where certain musical ideas came from in the first place. And through time, all music has been derived from the musical forms that came before them, so it is a never ending cycle. Most genres are borrowing from each other liberally, and continually, so there may be no real claim on any particular style at all. Paying close attention to the wide variety of music available will bear this point of view out.