Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

The Secret History Of Drums: The Role Of The Military Dru...

The role of the military drummer is a fascinating chapter from the hidden history of drums.Hidden, because most people are unaware of the vital role played by the military drummer in communicating strategy and keeping the machinery of battle oiled.Battle StationsIn the 17th century, in preparation for battle, before the head on clash between rival armies, considerable time was spent manoeuverin. . .

Legally Download Music and MP3's

Downloading music is one of the greatest things about owning a computer. However, the most popular way to do it is illegal. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is trying to stop anyone from downloading music illegally and have recently been passing out hefty fines to prevent downloading. In the wake of a Supreme Court ruling, companies can be sued for encouraging illegal downlo. . .

Shure SM 7 Dynamic Microphone Review

The Shure SM7b is basically an upgraded SM57. It looks much different than an SM57 and sounds different for a number of reasons. The SM7 started out as a voiceover microphone. If you watch Howard Stern, you'll notice that Robin uses a Shure SM7. I'm not sure about the guts inside, but one feature that makes the Shure SM7 a different microphone is the position of the capsule. They actually . . .

Music - Being a DJ for Beginners

Being a DJ may seem like an easy career path for many people. The fact of the matter is there is an endless stream of would be DJ’s who are just as into the music scene as you and me. The only way to get ahead in this game is to be hard working, self-promoting and flexibility is an essential!Any music is good!Under no circumstances must you turn down any opportunity to play any music to a crowd. . .

The United Nations Received A Collection Of Artwork To Pr...

*The calling, made through the internet, will be open to activists, students, writers, artists, actors, filmmakers and celebrities all around the world until December 15, 2005.*Songs, poems, lyrics, photographs and video clips have been collected from over 20 countries.Through a worldwide calling open last year Colombian pianist and mathematician, Jorge Hernán Peláez, was able to lead over 120 . . .

How to Control the Music Download Madness

After following the trend of users coming on to the internet to download music, many resources started to come out offering you the latests downloads. At the very beggining this was great for most users.After a while, people started to take advantage of this. They started adding pop ups, illegal spy software, among many other things to their sites. You downloaded an mp3 file and you got the fil. . .

Press Kit Strategies for Singers & Musicians

The main goal in creating a press kit is to generate interest in an artist and the music they play. A press kit includes background information, photos, samples of music, a listing of past and future gigs you have scheduled, and any other pertinent information.A press kit is used as a way of introducing and artist to newspapers, the media, promoters, and music industry leaders. You can create. . .

How Movie Studios Can Profit From Pirating

The movie studios as a whole continually complain that they are losing revenues to the pirate. They constantly say that it’s the street level movie seller that literally cuts into thousands of dollars in potential profits. They also claim that sophisticated pirate rings throughout the world are cutting into production studio profits by the millions.This is a flat out lie, a fabrication by the m. . .

Classic Christmas Memory Movies

Christmas is a time for memories. What better way to create lasting ones than to gather the whole family around to watch some great classic Christmas movies?Many movies come to mind, but following are the three considered by many to be the best.1) It’s A Wonderful Life(1946): James(Jimmy) Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel BarrymoreGeorge Bailey(Jimmy Stewart) is considering ending it all to escape al. . .

DVD Online Club - Why I Went With the Best and Cheapest W...

Out: Driving to the local video store to rent a video.In: Visiting a DVD online club to rent a video to have it sent to your home effortlessly.Out: Waiting in long lines at the local video store.In: Choosing which movies to have sent to you from a website in moments.Out: Not finding the video you really wanted at the video store, the whole reason you went there. That, and having to find a "good. . .

How to Produce a Christmas Number One Hit

The worst thing about Christmas has to be listening to Top Of The Pops and the Christmas Number 1 – Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Westlife and Mr Blobby for goodness sake! Surely anyone can produce a better Christmas Hit than those. After all, a computer does all the work, doesn't it - all you do is press a few buttons and jiggle a few drum and bass lines around.So what do you need? You need a . . .

Save Money by Renting your DVDs Online

As a movie lover myself I discovered that the best way to rent DVD movies and games in this day and age of the modern computer is by using one of the Online DVD and Game Rental Services. If you love watching movies or playing video games you should seriously consider one of these rental services as a time savings convenience and value.The two largest DVD Online Rental companies which are very w. . .

The Secret History of Drums - Parleying with the enemy

One of the most interesting chapters in the history of drums is largely forgotten today - the various duties performed by military drummers in the past.In times of peace, it was the drummer's responsibility to beat the 'tattoo' at sunset in the town streets - a signal to publicans to stop serving ale to soldiers and bid them drink up so they could get back to camp in time for curfew.David Gilmo. . .

GROUND ZERO REVISITED – ”Answering The Call” Reveals New ...

We are fast approaching the 4th anniversary of the event that shook the world, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, I still cannot erase those horrific images that were seared into my mind. Like most Americans my memory of that fateful day is one of standing frozen mouthed, staring at the television screen. The pictures that flood my mind are of scenes that I never imagined on U.S.. . .

1973 Interview with Paul McCartney - Forming Wings

July 6, 1973 Birmingham England Steven: Has it been difficult for you putting together a new band? There would seem to be an extraordinary amount of pressure on you to come up with a group of musicians that could compete with the Beatles. Paul: It was a bit touch and go at the beginning because it was a bit difficult for me to just suddenly develop a new band. Because let’s face it, the Beatles. . .

DVD's Delivered

1st there was the remote control...you do not even have to leave the comforts of your couch to change the channel. Currently you are able to have movies delivered right to your mailbox. You no lengthier want to even leave your home to rent DVDs! A select few would say “How cool is that?” Others may lament, “How indolent is that?” Whether you agree or even disagree with it – mail movie rental is. . .

Movies on the Internet

You're watching TV 1 evening scanning through the reruns thinking it's pathetic how little there exists to watch anymore when a incredible movie trailer comes on. It's every single thing you love - the right actors, the wit, the action - and your heart beats a little faster in anticipation - if only you may watch it RIGHT Currently! Well, the film industry has heard you. Along with the speed of. . .

How Many Chords Are There, Anyway?

Since chords (the main component of harmony) are one of the three most vital elements of music – the others being melody and rhythm – it would be useful to know how many chords there are. And it doesn’t matter whether you play piano or guitar or some other instrument – chords are chords.It’s certainly not necessary to learn all the chords in the whole wide world, but it is necessary to learn so. . .

Sound Heals!

Music Medicine Soothes the Soul and the BodyResearchers throughout the world are reporting intriguing new ways about how sound vibration heals the body, mind, spirit and the environment. The words people choose to speak and the music people listen to have profound power to decrease pain, draw people out of emotional and mental isolation and even clear polluted water. And scientists are discover. . .

Green Day: Punk Rock Masters Taming Mainstream Radio Thei...

Before they got together as Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool were merely three extraordinary hopefuls hoping and looking for their big break. The trio has no formal training and got their ‘practice’ from playing for free at punk clubs on Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Out on the streets is where the 3 talented individuals got their big break – they turned from pu. . .

Why Play Guitar?

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with people in all walks of life who, for all different kinds of reasons, believe that playing the guitar will add something to their lives. Most people that are just starting the guitar for the first time are young (pre-university) although certainly not all. One of my favorite students last year was a 65-year-old retiree who wanted to le. . .

Reality TV Still Going Strong With Survivor

Survivor the show that started the reality TV craze is back with its latest installment, Survivor Season 11 the Maya Empire. CBS will be keeping with its tested and proven formula of abandoning contestants in remote locations where they will live, work, and compete together for 39 days to win the 1 million dollar prize.For this season contestants will be sent to Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Par. . .

School Disco Classics - Reliving Your Youth With Retro Co...

Looking back school disco’s were the epitome of uncool. People tended to fall into two different categories; those who were clearly very geeky and those who were delusional to the point of thinking they were at the cutting edge of popular culture with their suspect haircuts and jerky dance moves. These two subgroups could of course be further broken down into boys and girls. Girls tended to . . .

Spectral Muses Revisited: The Channeled Melodies of Rosem...

Rosemary Brown (1916-2001) was a middle-aged South London widow, making ends meet as a grade school kitchen assistant, who rocketed to international fame in 1968 through a BBC broadcast recounting her purported collaborations with long-dead composers. These included Liszt, J.S. Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Schubert (who of course no longer needs spectacles), Monteverdi, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Brahm. . .

Music of the 70's

Reliving The Music Of The SeventiesWe all associate songs and music with events in our life. Many songs hold special memories for us. We fondly remember the songs that were playing when we went to our first dance, the songs the school band attempted to play during half time at the high school football games, the songs that we heard on our first date, or the songs we heard on the radio while dri. . .

The Guitar: Its History and Construction

The guitar is one of the most familiar and common instruments the world over. It is descended from other stringed instruments that were common in Greece, in India, in Mexico and in Africa - in fact, throughout the known world. It's descended from such instruments as the sitar, said to be sacred to the Hindo goddess Saraswati, and the lute, which Greek mythology claims was invented by the god Ap. . .

International Music Convention, Helsinki Film Festival, S...

At the September 3 Alameda Writers Group Meeting in Glendale, producer/writer Julie Marsh and author/screenwriter Steven-Elliot Altman discuss how writers can succeed in books, film, TV, comics, and other media. For the 9th Annual Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, over 450 films from 28 different countries will be presented at ArcLight Cinemas, from September 6-12. This year, Gramm. . .

Filmmaking - Five Good Producer Skills

You may believe a thorough knowledge of filmmaking and the entertainment industry is enough to make you a good movie producer. While it certainly helps to know the nuts and bolts of movie production, and even the details of financing and marketing a movie, that knowledge is not enough to create a good producer. It might make for a good studio executive, or other job out of the fray, but you nee. . .

An Interview with Angus Young of ACDC

Discusses his Gibson SG and other Gear. SR: Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you’re inextricably linked to the Gibson SG? What was the evolution that brought you to this particular instrument? AY I started playing on banjos and re-strung them up with six strings. [But] an acoustic guitar, an old bang up little ten-dollar job, that was probably the first thing I started playing on. Me. . .

The Art of Music

Music is the art of arranging sounds in periodic time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. It is also the vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm. Music can also be when an aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds are produced example the music o. . .

Who Is the Greatest Composer Ever?

There was a short, pocked-faced, plain-looking man walking the streets of Vienna in the early 19th century. No wonder all women he proposed to rejected him and so he remained single all his life. The poor thing! As a boy, much to the chagrin of his father, he showed no signs of being a child prodigy; he was often crying, as he was forced by his father to play the piano.And yet most scholars,. . .

Guitar Tuning Guide: How To Tune a Guitar

Many beginning guitarists struggle when it comes to tuning the guitar. It's a major stumbling block for them. Some end up quitting altogether because every time they start to play what comes out doesn't sound right. A beginner should understand that guitar tuning is something you get better at with practice. Ear development takes time. A beginner should practice tuning the guitar so that he can. . .

Finding Out What Movie Posters Are Worth

Any movie fan with a personal link to a film should get the poster. One can even master the art of buying and selling posters as a business if not hobby. The sky’s the limit for the kinds of posters to collect. Follow your heart. It could be a specific genre or the kind of titles that you prefer. Anything’s possible so be your own judge. However check the rates being paid, to avoid paying a lot. . .

"Elvis on my Mind" & Free Autobiography Book Download

The more I study the life of Elvis Presley for my website research, the more I learn about what an amazing and generous man he was. This article is just one example of his charitable Christmas spirit. It was Christmas time, and in the local paper there was a short article about an old woman in North Memphis, it was near the area where Elvis lived while he was growing up. The man and woman were . . .

Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip

This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed guitar playing. If take the given technique for 2-3 weeks you'll feel progress in high-speed playing of complex passages. The given principle of development of techniques "was tested" not by one generation of guitarists and not only guitarists...In this lesson we shall concern high-speed technics. Skilled guitarists alredy know that the basic . . .

How To Improve Your Employment Prospects as a Musician

How do you expand your opportunities to work in the music business? How do you improve your employment prospects? The key to doing that is developing your versatility. There are many ways of expanding what you already know how to do as a musician. It's all about using the skills that you already possess and channeling them towards related fields.Ask yourself what your most basic skill is. Let's. . .

What Movies Can Teach You About Meaningful Coincidences (...

When you have your dream clear in your mind and you go after it in the right way, the universe will send you miraculous help through meaningful coincidences. Sometimes you may have only one opportunity to receive such help. That’s why you must be ready. Coincidences are unexpected, unforced, and happen all the time. For example, on a Monday morning, a co-worker wears the same sweater as you do. . .

Filmmaking - Don't Pay Rate Card!

If you want to broadcast across Hollywood that you are an amateur, pay the rental company’s published rate card amounts for your production equipment. No professional pays rate card!I don’t even know why they bother to print rate cards, except to give you an idea of the top of the price range, how high not to go in your negotiations.You can get a deal on anything, but you have to ask. It real. . .

Record Your Own Radio Show from Anywhere

You're On The Air! Have you ever wanted to be on the radio? Produce your own radio talkshow? Ever since I was a kid I have been recording my voice, or my music on to various formats of tape recorders and most recently computers. (Check my music website at www.colinarthur.com) I am excited about some brand new recording devices and a new forum called "podcasting" to get your message or mu. . .

Thalisha, La Princesa of Reggaeton N'B Remakes Mary J. Bl...

Remaking a classic song that was originally recorded by the Queen of hip-hop and soul takes a great deal of confidence. But to remake the classic in Reggaeton N' B, a new genre of music, requires great talent. This summer, Thalisha, La Princesa of Reggaeton N' B, delivers and shines the spotlight on this new genre when “Real Love” hits airwaves.Reggaeton N' B is a fusion of the sounds of Reggae. . .

Make Music with your Computer: An Introduction

IntroWell guys, I’ve decided to write a short article on how to make music with your computer. When I started out, I couldn’t find anything to help me. I didn't know what to buy, or where to start. Hopefully this short article will help you in your quest to making music a fun and productive hobby or future profession. Loops and SONY ACID Software When I first started to create music I used SONI. . .

Les Paul Vintage Gibson Guitars- A History

Les Paul vintage Gibson guitars were first produced in 1952. These guitars were the first solid body electric that Gibson had made. The 1952 version of the Les Paul vintage guitar has a gold top nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, and no serial number. This Gibson was designed by Les and included Kluson tuners, a pair of P90 pickups, and retailed for $210. These Gibson vintage guitars were simply c. . .

Filmmaking - What To Do Until The Money Arrives

If you are not busy making your movie, you should get busy making your movie. “How can I start,” you whine, “when I don’t have any financing?” I know it seems you can’t roll film or tape until you have some money, but your lack of funding isn’t permanent, is it? You will have money at some future time, won’t you? You must have faith that things will get better, or they won’t.So that’s a good. . .

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Listening To Old Time Radio S...

Are you sick of reality TV shows and the rest of the garbage that makes up the TV schedule these days? Oh yes, there are still a few classics around such as CSI, but many people would agree that ninety per cent of what's on these days is hardly worth watching.There is an alternative and it's one that has a lot of advantages over the square box in the corner of the room. This alternative is call. . .

The Twelve Songs of Christmas: Surprising Secrets of the ...

The holidays are filled with joyful emotions and honored traditions, including the playing of songs about snowmen, St. Nick, evergreen trees, and presents wrapped up with big pretty bows. No matter how you celebrate the season, you'll hear these songs on the radio, on TV, at the mall, in the office, and just about anywhere music is performed.If you think the same songs are played over and over,. . .

Hints On Booking Live Music For Your Wedding

Part 1 - Types of musicCeremonyThere are a myriad of ideas for music during the ceremony, from string quartet to bagpipes! Singers -from solo to a choir, organist, trumpet, brass ensemble and harpist are just some of the many other options. Reception Drinks and / or Wedding BreakfastFor background or 'dinner' music between one and three musicians is ideal, unless you are expecting more than abo. . .

When Can Being Killed by a Bus be a Good Thing?

Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller, a man hit by a bus. The fatal accident lands him in Judgement City. There he is put on trial to see if he is worthy to advance to the next level or if he must return to earth for another incarnation. While there he meets the wonderful Julia (Meryl Streep) who is also on trial. Julia has lived an exemplary life while Brooks is subjected to watching his many sho. . .

What Is Producing?

I deal with a lot of bands who simply aren't sure what producing is. Some have no idea what it can do to their songs. Some are under the impression that some guy (who also owns a strip club) who has a limo and pony tail is going to call them "baby" and turn them into New Kids on the Block with guitars.While this sort of thing might exist, I don't think these sort of producers stick around very . . .

Guitar Greats

No two guitar aficionados will be able to agree on the list of guitar greats, but like so many lists, it can be fun to try to make. What each considers greatness will vary too - is it technical ability or some hard-to-define quality like 'soul'? The blues guitarist Robert Johnson features on many lists. He has the added attraction of a shadowy legend all his own. The story goes that he was a pr. . .

See the Music

It's not all about the soundYou know the phenomenon, everytime you hear music playing in the background you think about the clip associated to the song.Many years ago, music was just about sounds. Skilled people with beautiful, at times selfmade, instruments entertained other people. Back then, music was a gift.But with the introduction of MTV and various other tv-broadcasters, clips are now a . . .