The Hunger Games Soundtrack Review

The Hunger Games Soundtrack: Songs from District 12 and Beyond will be released March 20, 2012!

This is such a highly anticipated, hyped up soundtrack, and for good reason. The movie itself, coming to theatres March 23rd, 2012, is very highly touted and is likely to be THE movie of 2012. It's based on Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games trilogy, which features the books: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and the third and final book in the series Mockinjay. The film is based on the first book of the harrowing saga The Hunger Games.

Suzanne Collins highly acclaimed trilogy has won numerous writing awards including:

    New York Times - Book review Editors' Choice
    Barnes & Nobles - Best books of 2008 for Teens & Kids
    Amazon - Best books of 2008: Top 100 Editors' Pick & Top 10 Books for Teens

The executive producer is none other than renowned Oscar and Academy Award winner, T Bone Burnett. You will be blown away by the rich and diverse sounds and talents which resonate throughout the album. Hooking up to assure that this soundtrack will garner a huge cult-following now, and likely for years to come are: beautiful, mega-talented, chart-topping, Grammy Award winning Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars, Kid Cudi, Jayme Dee, Miranda Lambert, and many more. It's a roster chalk-full of uber-talented artists that will not disappoint.

Check out the final tracklist:

    Arcade Fire - Abraham's Daughter
    The Secret Sisters - Tomorrow Will Be Kinder
    Neko Case - Nothing To Remember
    Taylor Swift - Safe & Sound (Feat. The Civil Wars)
    Kid Cudi - The Ruler and The Killer
    Punch Brothers - Dark Days
    The Decemberists - One Engine
    The Carolina Chocolate Drops - Daughter's Lament
    The Civil Wars - Kingdom Come
    Glen Hansard - Take The Heartland
    Maroon 5 ft. Rozzi Crane - Come Away To The Water
    Miranda Lambert - Run Daddy Run (Feat. Pistol Annies)
    Jayme Dee - Rules
    Taylor Swift - Eyes Wide Open
    The Low Anthem - Lover Is Childlike
    Birdy - Just A Game

Taylor Swift did a masterful job in the lead video, "Safe & Sound," from the film soundtrack, which she debuted on MTV.

Arcade Fire will also be contributing to the soundtrack with the song Abraham's Daughter. Don't leave the movie early and miss it because it plays during the final credits.

You are able to pre-order the soundtrack now, through Amazon. And don't worry about a thing, because they protect your purchase with their Pre-order Price Guarantee, which assures that even if the price drops, between your pre-order date and the actual release date, you still are guaranteed the lowest price... Enjoy!

Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music Review

I just recently finished reading the book, Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. I'm kind of mad at myself for waiting so long to read it. It's been in the "to read" pile for a long time and I just got around to reading it. It's a fantastic look at the evolution of music over the past 20 years or so. From the rise of indie bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Bright Eyes, to Prince's record label, to mp3's and the "pay what you want" model introduced by Radiohead and NineInch Nail's Trent Reznor.

I can't honestly say that I remember much about my 7th grade history class. I couldn't even tell you my teacher's name, let alone what we "learned" that year. The one thing that I do remember is that there was a banner hanging above the chalk board. It read, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

If you are going to be a musician today, then you need to understand how the music industry has changed so that you can try to figure out where it's headed. Sure it's great to know about the writers in Tin Pan Alley from the late 1800's to the early 1900's; it's important to understand radio's role in the emergence of popular music and how payola controlled that; it's important to know that the first video ever aired on MTV was The Buggle's "Video Killed The Radio Star" (seriously think about that for a minute).

In the last 20 years, the music industry has changed more than it has in nearly its entire existence. Or, certainly in this century. The current music industry that we operate in is still changing at a rapid pace. There's speculation on the extinction of CD's within 2-3 years, there's been a major resurgence in vinyl (who saw that coming?!), the major record labels as we knew them may cease to exist within 5 years, mp3's and file sharing are now a good thing and a major source of world-wide distribution (what?!).

Greg Kott's "Ripped" is one of the most fascinating books on current music history I've ever read. He jumps right in with the first chapter about the major consolidation that all of the big 5 (at that time there were 5 major record labels, as opposed to the 2 1/2 there are now). This was a huge shift in the record industry at the time. It scared a lot of artists and put a lot of people out of work.

Greg does a great job in detailing the consolidation of the majors, the rise of indie bands, the fight against and for sampling on hip-hip records and new mashup records and artists, Prince's record label and his do-it-yourself approach, the rise of mp3's and the fall of Napster and the "pay what you want" model that Radiohead started with "In Rainbows," that Trent Renzor "improved" upon.

I don't want to give too much away, because I want you to be able to enjoy this book. It isan enjoyable book. It discusses in detail the many things that have happened over the past two decades that have changed the face of the music industry dramatically.

You can read each chapter as a vignette about each band or person or aspect of the industry. But when taken as a whole, "Ripped" reads more like a cautionary tale with a hopeful ending.

Give Your Electric Guitar A Performance Upgrade

If you happen to be a keen guitar player and treasure your particular axe of choice, you'll no doubt at some stage have contemplated the most effective way to offer your guitar a performance upgrade. So what possibilities may be out there that won't involve butchering the guitar and are comparatively straightforward to undertake? Needless to say, if your guitar is a costly model there is every probability that it sported top of the range components, but let us assume for the sake of this particular article, that it is a mid-price to budget model.

The most clear and audible improvement can be had in the pickup area. The materials and the production process of some stock pickups may be less than great, which is reflected by the sound. Some really great replacement humbucking pickups and single coil pickups are available from the big-name companies and additionally some smaller boutique pickup makers. Replacement pickups are generally produced with a more hands-on approach and bespoke versions are offered by several of them.

In my opinion, another early port of call are the original machine heads or tuners. Often the stock tuners are not that great and are maufactured with less good materials. If your guitar is struggling to keep in tune then this is a must (check that your pickups are not too close to the strings as the magnets can occasionally cause tuning issues). You might also just fancy the quality feel and functionality of a top of the range set of tuners. Schaller are an organization who make superb examples for the many various kinds of guitar around.

In case your guitar arrived with a plastic nut then this could also benefit massively from an upgrade. You can buy a new ready-made nut in many different materials such as brass or graphite, or if you are handy with a file you may be confident enough to cut and file a new nut out of bone. This is not the most simple upgrade and the procedure is beyond the scope of this article. Search on line for additional information on this upgrade.

The bridge and tailpiece is another area worthy of consideration. Quite often guitars come with cheaply manufactured versions from China or Korea and impressive gains can be had by utilising versions made from lightweight aluminium and other fancy materials. Again the Schaller range is worth looking at.

There are some other simple upgrades for example changing the standard strap buttons with strap locks to keep your guitar secure if standing and playing, those talked about above are the most essential.

If you really want to go all out there are companies out there who will give your guitar a complete refinish in whatever colour you would like. Not everyone's cup of tea but if that normal sunburst finish is no longer cutting it for you, this may well be just what you need.

Top 5 Myths About The Music Business

If you are involved in the entertainment business then you've probably heard a few tall tales. The following is a list of some of the top myths about the music business.

1. People in the music business will help you out of the kindness of their hearts.

Facts:

The music business is called the music business for a reason. It is a business that just so happens to sell music. Businesses are in business to make money. They are not in business to make ART, however they will sell it. You may find a handful of good Samaritans willing to help for free but generally speaking if helping does not benefit the other party, they won't help.

"People (not counting loved ones) will help you if they think your art will make them money. They will not help you if they think your art will not make them money." -David Naggar, Esq. from  The Music Business Explained In Plain English-

2. Since the economic decline people aren't buying music anymore

Facts:

People are buying music, but they aren't buying it in the same way they used to. Sales of CDs may be down but the sale of single tracks is up! If you are still an unbeliever just check iTunes sales records. Reportedly, Apple has sold 10 billion and counting!

3. Music superstars have and are making tons of money.

This is one of the biggest myths in the entertainment business. When you see a Sean Kingston or Lady Gaga on television you may think that they are living the good life, but really the amount of money he/she brings home is really dependent on the terms of their contractual obligations as well as their money management skills. Simply put, if you spend more than you make you are bound to go broke sooner or later.

Need examples:

MC Hammer

Marvin Gaye

Michael Jackson

Willie Nelson

Toni Braxton

Billy Joel

George Clinton

Isaac Hayes

Jerry Lee Lewis

Ron Isley

Need anymore? The list goes on.

The fact of the matter is that all of these artists have seen the highs and lows of the music business. Micheal Jackson, the "King of Pop", even had his money woes. No "superstar" is exempt. Good money management skills are needed in order to maintain a "superstar" lifestyle.

4. You can become an overnight celebrity in the music business.

This is one of the most common myths about the music business. People believe that you can sign a record deal and then all of sudden you are magically on magazine covers and receiving Grammy awards. All of this talk is nonsense. At the end of the day it takes a decent amount of leg work, dedication, passion, perseverance, and strong networking relationships to achieve "success" in the music business. NO ONE HAS BECOME SUCCESSFUL OVERNIGHT however, some people have achieved their goals faster than others. Artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West, and Eminem spent years building their reputation and brands to become the people they are today. This is why working smarter and not harder is essential in the music business.

5. Talent Trumps Work Ethic

In today's music business, talent still counts but work ethic counts for more. An extraordinarily talented person with average work ethic will generally not do as well as someone with extraordinary work ethic and average talent.

Divine Weeks

Most of us go through a stage in our life where we really want to do or try something but most of never take that step. 33 Days tells the story of a group of southern California rock band members who did take the step. Three of the four members had never been on their own on July 29, 1987 when they climbed into a rented van and left LA for a national tour. They had no idea of how they would be received nor what affect the trip would have on each of them.

Bill See, the author of the book and the singer/leader of the group, felt the urge to break away from an unhappy home life and believed at the age of 22 he was ready to let his music help others break away from their own problems. For three years his band, Divine Weeks, had been playing around in the LA area. They had been received well enough that Bill knew they could become a national name.

His closest friend, Rajesh Makwana, was the guitarist in the group and was having an extremely hard time leaving his Indian family. Their culture did not joyfully accept his band association. Raj had been subject also to much taunting both in England before the family moved to the states and then in this country. Bill was the closest and best friend he had ever had. So Raj was definitely in on the idea of the tour since music had been the best release from his somewhat unhappy life.

Another of Bill's close friends was George Edmondson who was not only the band's bassist but had been dubbed by some to be the best bassist in the LA area. George was also fired up about the trip because he also had become somewhat depressed with his college life and wanted to see Divine Weeks become a national name. However though unhappy with college he still had plans to go on to grad school and he had become quite serious with a young lady.

Dave Smerdzinski was the fourth and final member of the group. Somewhat older and used to living on his own he had recently joined the group and become a powerful force due to his nature, his drumming ability, and his showmanship.

Ian Bader was the group's road manager and pretty much the steadying influence and caretaker of all of them.

For 33 Days they traveled through the western part of the country playing concerts in every type of venue that can be imagined. The shows were played before some packed houses and some very small groups but everywhere they were well received and built quite a following.

However they also had many problems and everything was not as easy as they had imagined it would be. Food, lodging, travel expenses in general were hard to come by for a new practically unknown band as they started out.

Each of the individuals did some growing on his own and they definitely grew as a group as their music and style spread across not only the country but even to MTV and other outlets.

There are many, many references to rock songs of the era as well as groups that were the idols to Divine Weeks. It sometimes seems to be necessary to be a fan of the music and participants to get full enjoyment from 33 Days. The author also tends to lose the thread many times because he moves from present day to past happenings without always making clean breaks.

Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd - The Enhanced iBook

It was the most famous love triangle in the history of rock 'n' roll, spawning one of the most iconic songs of all time and arguably, the best known guitar riff ever.

Mention the name Pattie Boyd, and most people over the age of 40 will know who you mean. Mention the word 'Layla' and younger, puzzled eyes light up. Any child learning guitar wants to play those opening notes.

Pattie Boyd's story is extraordinary. It epitomizes the wild excesses and free love of the sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll years, an era which ignited in the early sixties and had burned out by the early 1980s with most of the protagonists either dead or hopelessly addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both. Bands that did remain were ripped apart by in-fighting between surviving members. Hard rockers throwing TVs out of trashed hotel room windows were replaced by fluffy New Romantics who would never tear through a hotel lobby on a motorbike for fear of wrecking their hairdo or smudging their makeup.

Memorabilia from the sixties and seventies changes hands at auction for increasingly ludicrous amounts of money and Pattie Boyd clearly has a trunk load of it. This 'enhanced' version of her autobiography, 'Wonderful Tonight' (the original paper version was oddly named Wonderful Today in the UK) is packed full with letters, photographs, drawings and images that apparently haven't seen the light of day for decades.

The opening chapters tell of her childhood years - usually a dull necessity in an autobiography - but before flicking forward to the juicy bits, it's worth taking a look at her childhood photos. Presented as a movie slideshow, Pattie talks through a series of snaps, just like a friend showing you their photo album. It's an original approach that is repeated later in this iBook with a collection of photographs of The Beatles in India, with the Maharishi.

A photograph of George & Pattie with Frank Sinatra is accompanied by an audio description of how they joined Sinatra in the studio for his 'one take' recording of My Way.

Further into the iBook, she talks about the cover shot of George's solo album, Living in The Material World, explaining that the chauffer and nanny were simply part of the set.

Beatles' anoraks, or indeed anyone interested in that era, will be fascinated by memorabilia such as postcards written by George to Pattie whilst on tour with the Fab Four, George and Pattie's marriage certificate, a childlike Christmas card created for Pattie by George and even George's concept for his own record label.

A letter written by George to Pattie whilst in New York for the Concert for Bangladesh has also been given the audio commentary treatment. In his letter George writes that the journey on the SS France to NY was not as much fun as the previous one on the QE2. Pattie explains that Tommy Cooper had entertained them on the QE2 voyage. Why does George write that he has seen a washbasin but doesn't know if they can afford it? Surely he was one of the richest rock stars on the planet! Pattie explains that they never carried money and had no idea if they were rich or poor. Cleverly, the presentation allows the reader to listen to the commentary then read the letter.

Most magical of all perhaps is a letter written by John Lennon that has been buried in a drawer for almost forty years. In the letter he talks of the grass outside their window (Central Park), that thankfully he doesn't have to mow. He describes an amazing new invention he has discovered - the Polaroid camera - and how the picture leaps out of the camera and develops before your very eyes. He suggests Apple (The Beatles record label which was causing them huge grief at that time) should be given to the lowest bidder or sent to animal slaughter, and talks of spending old age in the Wilfred Pickles Memorial Home. It really is Lennon at his eccentric best.

The story that everyone wants the inside track on is what exactly went on between George Harrison, Pattie Boyd and Eric Clapton, and this iBook version lays it all on the table. She tells of how a letter arrived addressed to 'Dearest L...', which she assumed was from a crackpot fan; of how Eric sat her down, played her a tape and it was the most powerful song she had ever heard and she knew it was about her. The song, of course, was Layla. At this point you can touch your iPad screen, connect to the iTunes store, listen to Layla and buy it, if amazingly, you don't already own it.

The lunacy of the period between 1970 and 1974 when George and she finally divorced is extraordinary and difficult to keep track of. Popular opinion was that Harrison and Clapton fell out and there was much animosity between the two, but in this iBook Pattie produces a note from George to them both which seems to give his blessing to their affair.

Besides the letters the iBook contains another Christmas card, this time drawn by Eric. Were these 70s rockers so desperate to cling to their childhood that they created greetings cards like over exuberant primary school children?

Ronnie Wood, who allegedly had an affair with Pattie during the George / Eric kerfuffle, gives his take on this special enhanced version of the book with a video foreword, and pops up later in the book to talk about a drawing he did of Pattie at Friar Park (the Harrison mansion).

Wonderful Tonight, the enhanced iBook, is an exceptional example of what can be done with Apple's iPad platform. The subject matter and accompanying content really do lend themselves perfectly to the 3D eBook treatment and the use of clever techniques (such as commentary on photo slideshows) works very well.

Guitar Aerobics by Troy Nelson

Book Review: Guitar Aerobics by Troy Nelson

This book is an astonishingly good book except for the audio content that comes with it. I believe that the audio content could have been organised in a more easy to understand way.

There are two CDs that come along with the book and the first one consists of audio tracks, one for each week which plays the different licks that you require for the week. This helps you to hear them out and understand the sound by getting accustomed to it. It is important that you go through all the lessons in order to get to any other lesson that you want and this sometimes gets a little annoying.

Timing is one of the most important things required for being a good guitarist and CD 2 helps you with that by using the number of metronomes and different rhythms that it contains. Go through the book to understand how to go about and mix and match both the CDs together in order to optimize its usefulness. You can play the licks first in order to memorize them and then play the metronomes for the rhythm. Although changing the CDs again and again for licks and rhythms makes it a little annoying but if you keep your head about, then it is worth the effort.

I think that an independent audio track for each lesson accompanied by the licks as well as the metronomes and rhythms would have made for a better and more useful CD. Having said that the book is still immensely useful as is. The book contains each of the lessons along with the musical notes, the tabs and the chords plus the strumming and picking patterns. The same techniques are practiced on again and again meaning that every Monday will be an alternate picking exercise while every Tuesday will be string skipping exercises and so on. All this and more makes this book to be one of the best guitar books available in the market and I would advice any guitar student to use it.

Guitar Aerobics by Troy Nelson is a smart and natural way to improve your guitar technique and is highly recommended by myself and my friend who has played guitar for over 15 years.

Justin Bieber - First Step 2 Forever: My Story

Book Review: Justin Bieber - First step 2 forever

Fans of Justin Bieber know that there are a number of books on him and his life, some even unauthorized. The book in question here though is one which has been made by Bieber himself, that is, the information in this one comes straight from Bieber and nowhere else. There are pictures and posters of Bieber in this book but read the inside cover carefully to locate them. If you are a collector then this might be more useful to you, especially if you have the first edition.

Contents

The book contains a statement that every female fan is Bieber's "favourite girl" and a reason for each of them. There is also information on how to get in contact with him and enjoy his concerts.

There is information on his life and his rise to the top. The book also goes over his relationship with Usher and much more.

There is a complete chapter on his hometown and birthplace along with his parents and their divorce. The life they led financially and other stuff.

Then the book goes into more personal details about the artist and his family, how he spent Christmas with them by exchanging gifts in a very extraordinary fashion and he throws some light on how it all worked.

His mother's admitted mistakes and change in her once she got into the church and the importance of God in his life.

The book covers more aspects of Bieber's life and his stardom in addition with YouTube details where Bieber originally got his fans from. It even contains a page which is full of tweets from the artist's Twitter page and then there are the numerous pictures of him in between different actions and positions. The poster which comes along with the book is not a very big one but it does the job for any fan, and there are also close up pictures of Beiber himself with his very well known and distinctive hairstyle.

All in all a really great book for any Belieber, a well written one that takes the reader into Justin Bieber's personal little world.

Learn Guitar Tabs Fast - It Is Easier Than It Looks

There have been a few skills I've set out to learn in my life, and by skills I mean more than just a trade or profession. Take boxing for example, where the friend who decided to teach me based on his extensive history of training champions earlier in life. We went out and bought a heavy boxing bag and spent a fun afternoon hanging it at my home. When it came time to teach me what to do, he smiled, got in his car and just as he was driving off, he told me to punch the bag 1,000 times and then to call him back. And so I did, and when he returned he told me to now punch it 2,000 times, but for me to take note of how my arms now naturally come up and for my fists to be ready to do business with the bag.

The same happened when I took up dancing, and there my teacher had to first teach me how to listen to music - at first the beat, and then later the rhythm. She defined dancing as any movement of my body that is in time with the music, and so tapping in finger on the bar or my foot in time to the drummer was dancing - albeit at a most basic form. After understanding this "process of learning", I realized that in both the cases of learning boxing and dance it was all about muscle-learning my physical movements until my muscles developed their own memory of what to do and when.

My current project of learning guitar is not different in that my journey is one of developing a muscle memory so that my fingers will be at the right tabs and the right time for my efforts to make great sound. Yes it will take a little time, but when I know the underlying process to learning the new skill, then my progress. In order to learn guitar tabs fast, I found it wise to buy the right book and in my resource box you will find a link to a web-site which reviews many such books. To learn guitar, you mostly need to learn guitar tabs fast and putting in the right amount of time with the right structure to your practice, and you'll be there around the camp fire impressing the ladies in no time at all.

Fingerstyle Guitar Method: Step-By-Step Lessons and 36 Great Fingerstyle Songs - Book Review

Fingerstyle technique is one of the most exciting ways to play the guitar. It's a technique that will enable you to turn the guitar into a complete solo instrument playing several different parts at the same time. If you've been looking for an easy to follow fingerstyle guitar course, than the "Fingerstyle Guitar Method: A Complete Guide With Step-by-Step Lessons and 36 Great Fingerstyle Songs" from Hal Leonard Publication would be a good book worth checking out.

Although the book is not for the complete beginner, it does start off with a topic on how to choose a guitar before moving on to fingerpicking basic and builds on them using the styles of great artists such as The Beatles, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Adrian Legg, and many others as examples. Lessons on fingerstyle solo guitar arrangement are broken down into two parts, with the melody of 'Silent Night' being introduced as you learn how to turn a melody into a complete solo guitar arrangement by adding other element such as bass and additional notes. In between these two parts, the use of a 'Capo' and playing on 'Alternate Tuning' are discussed. The second part features lesson on a more advance solo guitar arrangement that incorporates the use of the newly learn techniques.

The 104 pages book also features fingerstyle arrangement to 36 songs although it would've been nice if all the songs were completely tabbed. Nevertheless, about a dozen were completely tabbed, enough to keep you busy for some time. Included with the book is an audio CD that contain all audio to examples and the featured songs which are; Dust in the Wind, Fire and Rain, Georgia on My Mind, You've Got a Friend, Imagine, Tears in Heaven, What a Wonderful World, Annie's Song and Yesterday among others.

Overall this is a good book for anyone who already been playing for a while and ready to expand their playing technique beyond strumming.

Music - The Heart Healer

Music, the name itself is lyrical. As if the 'seven notes' flow in a single word. Music is the same wherever you go - The seven notes denote its existence and the songs exist from it. Music has delighted the singers and audience from time unknown. The Raags are considered to be an integral part of Music. Nothing is complete without them. The same music is given different names - as in the south it is known as the Carnatic Shastriya Sangeet and to the north it is termed as Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet or the Indian Classical Music. In any musical style, the grammar and the way each notes are pronounced are taken care of.

There are basically twelve Swaras (Notes). They are grouped in saptak (octave) out of which seven are Shuddhas (pure) and the rest five are called Vikrit (sharp/flat).

The seven shuddha (pure) notes are:
Sa Shadja
Re Rishabh
Ga Gandhar
Ma Madhyam
Pa Pancham
Dha Dhaivat
Ni Nishad

And the Vikrit Notes are:
Komal Re (flat)
Komal Ga (flat)
Tivra Ma (sharp)
Komal Dha (flat)
Komal Ni (flat)

Hence, when sang together they come out:
Sa Shadja
Komal Re (flat)
Re Rishabh
Komal Ga (flat)
Ga Gandhar
Ma Madhyam
Tivra Ma (sharp)
Pa Pancham
Komal Dha (flat)
Dha Dhaivat
Komal Ni (flat)
Ni Nishad

The seven notes are sung in three ways:
Aaroha: Ascending of the notes. Here each note is higher than the preceding note.
Example: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni

Avaroha: Descending of the notes. Here each note is lower than the preceding note.
Example: Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa

Two Awesome Music Reviews

Good Vibrations, Second Edition: A History of Record Production
Mark Cunningham

Mark Cunningham created Good Vibrations which is a fun and fascinating journey through the history of record production. If focuses on a particular studio and the musicians who produced albums there. It gives insight as production evolved for many of the major pop recordings in our history, including Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pet Sounds, The Dark Side of the Moon, Telstar, Bohemian Rhapsody as well as others. It shows how the productions evolved, gives insights and images not found elsewhere and on the whole, tells an interesting story.

Some of the interviews are of Sir George Martin, Les Paul, Trevor Horn, Hugh Pagham, Tony Visconti, and scores more. The interviews are really fascinating and create a sense of the entire world of record production.

Mark Cunningham's Good Vibrations is an insightful book but fell a bit short with American record productions. Because it was based on a particular studio, I believe much American innovation of music production was left out of the store. Good companion of a book that covered the entire world's record production history.
Sanctuary Publishing

The Techno Primer
Tony Verderosa

The Techno Primer is a superb introduction to techno trends and engineering. The writer, Tony Verderosa, does a one-man techno/remix show, called VFX, and certainly understands the subject. The book includes a multi-media CD which has samples of numerous techno styles, together with a few videos with the creator playing as well as demonstration variations of a bit of music software.

This publication is split up into three parts. Part 1 offers a bit of framework for the techno genres. Verderosa begins with a short background of digital music. This offers enough to newbies to be aware of exactly where techno originated from, without becoming a dissertation. Then the writer discusses the impact of today's technology on dance tracks, which includes computer systems and platters.

Verderosa additionally features a section which does a great job at detailing most of the apparently limitless styles of electronic music. He offers a brief description of every style, along with a small demonstration of the particular styles which he includes on the included CD. For numerous styles, he gives samples of both songs and artists. For instance, his Hip-Hop model brings together low-fi vinyl examples and Acid loops.

Section 2 in the book describes producing Techno Music by computers. It is an extremely high-level overview, yet offers sufficient material to supply individuals serious about starting to create their own techno music certain focus about how to start. It offers short conversations about lots of the well known audio/MIDI programs, and views a bit of the computing devices required for generating audio. Additionally, it includes a brief intro to sound synthesis, along with a conversation on the way the writer produces live techno.

Section 3 is an accumulation Musician Interviews. Verderosa interviews people who take part in techno in a number of capacities. The writer is not a powerful interviewer - he uses the identical set of queries with all of the musicians, even if they don't make a lot sense. Lots of the interviews are with musicians which readers might not have been aware of.

Even so, the interview part is among the finest areas of the book. The interviews demonstrate there are all sorts of individuals creating in electronica, using a variety of talents, skills and passions. For anyone thinking about creating digital music, it is useful to note that there are numerous folks building careers from this, and they're all engaging in various things.

In general the guide will do an excellent job of presenting techno styles. It is mainly geared to people who would like to explore the types of electronic music and producing their very own loop-based audio. Verderosa's The Techno Primer is superb for young techno enthusiasts and musicians, since the book supplies a framework for the different styles of digital music, along with highlighting a number of recent methods to producing electronica.

Why Vans Warped Festival is Famous

There are a zillion reasons why Vans Warped Touring Festival has become the greatest of all times. Out of all the reasons, the most predominant one is their insistent tendency to 'stay ahead of the curve' which in turn, provides them with a competitive advantage to gauge the changing tastes of the crowd. As a result of which, they are able to take tactical decisions such as calling upon the newbies and hooking them up in the tour. Once they do it, they build curiosity around the same. The feeling of 'not knowing what's in store for them' triggers the audience to explore, and people happen to pour in- in large numbers.

Many a times, Vans Warped Tour has been able to showcase snowboarders performing their latest moves months before X-games could telecast them.

All in all, because of their pro-activeness, Vans Warped Tour happens to stand out in the front among other touring festivals held in North America.

The other reason which makes Vans Warped Tour greater than the rest is the variety. And why not- after all, there is no other place on the earth where you can witness more than one hundred bands jamming live along with a dozen of extreme sport athletes performing brave stunts! The kind of musical instruments, lights, stages, merchandize outlets and ramps make it nothing less than a pure entertainment package deal.

And if you think it is all about the youth then you are terribly mistaken. Vans Warped Tour has a 'Reverse Daycare' tent where you can leave your folks/ guardians and explore the attractions of the tour. You may check out the skateboarding ramp, BMX Stunt bikers, merchandize, play videos games or even grab a bite and once you are done with it, you can come back to the 'Reverse Daycare' and leave home with your folks.

In terms of audience, Vans Warped Tour swanks of a having a diverse one. Since the tour features a whole lot of bands featuring different styles of music such as Alternate Rock, Punk, SKA, Goth, Reggae and many more, it is obviously bound to happen. But the best part is, no matter how crazy the fans are for their favorites, yet they have a lot of respect for one another and for the universal appeal of music.

The kind of activities involved in the tour makes it easy to set up almost anywhere- be it a park, stadium or even a green pasture. As a result of which, Vans Warped Tour happens to be the most approachable festive event for the audience.

In true sense, the Vans Warped Tour can be called as a 'Road Trip'. The Vans Warped Tour begins in middle of June and concludes in middle of August. For two months, the tour travels to different cities stretching across different parts of North America and Canada. In fact, a couple of years ago, the tour held fifty shows in less than sixty days entertaining more than seventy thousand people in North America. The tour has become so popular that off lately it has been able to go abroad to nations, such as Japan, New Zealand and Europe.

But if you are attending the Vans Warped Tour and you wish to add more fun to the experience, then there are a few things that you have to keep in mind. Firstly, you need to carry enough cash to buy food and drinks. But if cash is too heavy for you, then you may carry a credit card, because most of the vendors in here accept major credit cards. Secondly, do not forget to get your mobile phone. It could be a trouble to arrange change for calling up from phone booths. Thirdly, check the weather before you step out of your home. You may carry a sunscreen and a cap if it is hot. If the weather is cloudy, then grabbing an extra pair of shorts and a T shirt would be a good idea. But whatever it is, it is essential for you to wear comfortable shoes because you would have to run around a lot.

Unsung Heroes - People Who Make it Happen

We are pretty much aware about the tasks of music bands and the extreme sports athletes at the Vans Warped Tour but have we ever thought about the people who are raison d'être for putting together such a great show?

With over 100 bands performing live each day on the Vans Warped Tour, it takes a colossal task to plan and execute properly, so that things are up and running. Who are the real heroes behind the success of the grand festival.

You will be surprised to know that there are more than 400 people who travel with the tour for the entire duration of the rock festival. These folks toil all times of the day, every day to make it happen. Each day they get up at 6 AM in the morning to set up lighting rigs, stages, sound systems and vendor booths. They meet up well before time to schedule the performances for the day. So, who are these people and what do they do?

1. Bus Drivers: There are more than 17 band buses and 19 productions buses (excluding the extra ones) which run day and night, from one place to another. These buses and trucks cover a distance of approximately 500 miles each night and it requires mettle to drive non-stop with almost no rest.

2. Tour nurse: A typical tour nurse hands out more than 1000 Band-Aids and drains out more than 4 bottles of aspirin in each tour. And of course it has to be; after all they are the only ones accountable for the health of artists, fans, crew and the athletes.

3. Caterer: It is virtually impossible to cook for more than 400 people 5-6 times a day but the tour caterer has done it over and over again. With his very own 18 wheeler mobile kitchen, the caterer is ready to cook almost anything any time of the day.

4. Production engineers: It takes a challenge to organize more than 100 music bands and make them perform their best on 10 different stages on a single tour. Production engineers are the ones responsible for it.

5. Security: To ensure that everyone has fun and yet are safe in the entire tour, Vans Warped Tour employs more than 70 security personnel each day.

6. Merchandise Vendors: Fans often wish to collect a souvenir, a T-shirt or a CD so that they remember the fun they had at the tour. For this purpose, merchandise vendors set up and break down their booths each day of the tour.

7. Road crew: Road crew members are in charge to test and tune musical instruments, setting up and breaking down lighting rigs and arranging things in case of emergencies.

8. First Aid tent Personnel: They are always there to treat minor injuries, bandage cuts and even to rehydrate the drained out folks at the tour.

9. Tour Clean-Up Personnel: Once the show winds up, the tour clean-up personnel begin with their work. They collect garbage in large poly-bags and sometimes, the trash weighs up to four thousand kilograms. The personnel work all through the night so that the next morning when the fans return, they find a clean place to hang around.

Title - The Picture of Music - Author - Lesley Anne Sears - Book Reviews

"The Picture of Music" is an ultimate step-by-step guide to playing piano that cannot only help teach the beginner, it can brush up the advanced player as well. Lesley Anne Sears has changed my view of sheet music from one of undecipherable symbols with only faint recognition to one of order, patterns of notes, and beauty. For most of us, the adages "How soon we forget" or "Use it or lose it" applies to music. Like many children, I took piano lessons during my single digit years, played a few other instruments in my teens, but now, decades later I can't read a note.

Lesley Anne Sears writes from a humble, non-threatening and clearly entertaining introductory level, unpretentiously assuming no prior musical knowledge or skill exists with the reader. Using the most clever examples and simple demonstrations, she starts with locating on the keyboard and Clef Middle C. Once you see C, you got it. From there it's all about intervals - up and down. She calls this "The See C Piano Method."™

If this sounds too easy to be true, it's true it is so easy. The work and genius has all gone into the Herculean effort creating this book. Her teaching skills using the visualization of musical descriptions, the orderly progression of exercises and the extensive use of drawings, graphics, keyboard diagrams, and kitty cats make for a uniquely effective method. Yes, kitty cats - the line drawings of playful cats put the reader at ease, defusing any frustration, and provide love and support. Plus you don't feel as if you're playing music alone!

"The Picture of Music" is not a book to read, but a philosophy of instruction to savor, absorb, assimilate and cherish. The work that went into the course curriculum needs to be matched with the desire to learn by the student. In essence, I shall learn to play as I teach my child -- what fun!

Lesley Anne Sears unselfishly offers her prized "See C Piano Method"™ of instruction so one's innately human aspiration of playing music by converting written music to the keyboard becomes effortlessly possible. Thoughtfully, even the spiral binding of her book enables you to place it upright on a piano or a music stand thus having the pages remain open. Her varying use of type, font, boldface and italics to punctuate her words adds expression and feeling to her book, from her pianissimo (soft) common font to a mezzo forte (moderately loud) bold, larger type.

Laden with graphics, musical notes and given an uncrowded, spacious amount of room per page makes her work a "multimedia" presentation - or as much so as can be achieved by a book. And the Kitty, ah yes, the most playful of relaxing line drawings imaginable, adds the depth of a warm and fuzzy feeling and love to her work. I would highly recommend this book and will keep it in my music reference library to use for instruction in the future. To Lesley Anne Sears, from her readers' standing ovation praising her masterpiece, we shout Bravissimo!