"My life is Tour Tour Tour!!!!, No Parent, No Friend, No School from now onward"
The joking word from a little princess of punk rock. She's not the ordinary girl names : Avril Lavigne. Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, was released in 2002. Over 16 million copies were sold worldwide and the latest album "The Best Damn Thing (2007) currently over 4 million copies sold respectively, reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, her great nice voice with her character make the new DIVA Lavaige becomes a idol rock star for the most teenager around the world. Our music circle have much more DIVA from the past to present , such as Janis Joplin, Björk, Alanis Morissette including the most famous DIVA like Ciline Dion
You can feel their music when to close your eyes, it such a magic to reach you in their great concert, All this feeling become the girl dreams like you. Don't you??
So how your dreams become true?
There're many way to make you be as your want, but you have to aim for this And have more try to do it. Forget all rock bands and prepare yourself, Now It's your Showtime!
Writing a song
Don't worry about this if you're not professional in writing a song, you don't have to have own song but the secret is your creating and adapting , Just find the hit good song in your favorite and play it extremely with your our style and let's see the result you may amaze in what you've done!
Upload to youtube
This such a easy way that everyone can do, Just one camera to record your show and then upload them in Youtube website to let's everyone see your show, how does it work if there's someone of them is spotter from big music record company and give you an opportunity. Or if you can write your own song that make you have more chance to make your dreams come true!
Singing Contest
This is another way can present your performance and your song to all person fastly.
Don't forget to prepare your voice and make sure that your style is most outstanding and then go practice and practice and practice. When you're ready then go on the stage, Forget this is contest but remember but it's your big great Showtime to let's every one know what you are born to be. Live show, sell your singles.
It will be complicated way but can be success if your songs are well-known. Now you have to look into your band or back up team and a premium gift add on your CD packages such as Band t-Shirt. And then try your best to make good relationship with other band that make you can get more experience in music.
All of these way are not too difficulty for you to follow on your most favorites DIVA way. Be confident in your voice; Find your own style and ROCK YOU WORLD WITH YOUR OWN SONG!
Monday, October 6, 2008
The History of Green Day
You have read a lot about various famous bands that have mesmerized crowds with their magnificent musical mastery. Do you know the history of Green Day? Here are a few details.
Formed in 1987, Green Day is an American punk band that continues to play music for the audience today. Tre Cool joined the band only in 1990, but the other two have been with the band from the start. .
The members of the band are Billie Joe Armstrong, who is the singer and the guitarist, Tre Cool, who plays the drums and percussion, and Mike Dirnt, who plays the bass guitar and is the other singer of the group. Though they are usually regarded as a general punk band, they also specialize in pop punk and alternative rock.
When the band was first formed, the members were only young teenagers of about 14 years of age. That was too young an for them as most of the known bands were formed when the members were at least in their early 20s.
At first the band was not known as Green Day, but as Sweet Children. It was after a few years that they brought out records with the name Green Day. Apparently, the name was chosen because they enjoyed marijuana.
They continued with their music, which was popular enough to make them moderately successful for a few years, but it really wasn't until the mid 1990s that the band made a break through. I would be during this time that they would really become recognized and they would sell more albums than before.
Up to 2004, they have released a total of seven studio albums, which have all done relatively well. The most renowned of the seven are probably the three most recent albums, Nimrod, Warning and American Idiot. It was the release of American Idiot that brought out renewed popularity and new interest in the band from those who had not paid much attention to the band before.
They have come a long way from their small beginnings and have done very well for themselves. Green Day has been seen as controversial by many, especially in its early days. This controversy did not get in the way of their progress. Even in recent times the band has received some controversy, especially on account of the most recent album, "American Idiot".
Some people have viewed the album "American Idiot" as something the band deliberated used to send out the message of anti-Americanism. There is debate as to whether the band purposefully meant this or not, though it is suspected by most that they intended to send out a message of anti-Americanism.
Whether people see them as anti-American or not, though most probably don't, they continue to be a successful band and many continue to regard it still as their favorite band. The music is unique and different and this could very well be what most attracts people to listen to their music. There will continue to be some controversy, but it will unlikely to get in the way of Green Day and their music. In fact, the controversy could be what helps them to become more successful as more attention is brought to them.
Formed in 1987, Green Day is an American punk band that continues to play music for the audience today. Tre Cool joined the band only in 1990, but the other two have been with the band from the start. .
The members of the band are Billie Joe Armstrong, who is the singer and the guitarist, Tre Cool, who plays the drums and percussion, and Mike Dirnt, who plays the bass guitar and is the other singer of the group. Though they are usually regarded as a general punk band, they also specialize in pop punk and alternative rock.
When the band was first formed, the members were only young teenagers of about 14 years of age. That was too young an for them as most of the known bands were formed when the members were at least in their early 20s.
At first the band was not known as Green Day, but as Sweet Children. It was after a few years that they brought out records with the name Green Day. Apparently, the name was chosen because they enjoyed marijuana.
They continued with their music, which was popular enough to make them moderately successful for a few years, but it really wasn't until the mid 1990s that the band made a break through. I would be during this time that they would really become recognized and they would sell more albums than before.
Up to 2004, they have released a total of seven studio albums, which have all done relatively well. The most renowned of the seven are probably the three most recent albums, Nimrod, Warning and American Idiot. It was the release of American Idiot that brought out renewed popularity and new interest in the band from those who had not paid much attention to the band before.
They have come a long way from their small beginnings and have done very well for themselves. Green Day has been seen as controversial by many, especially in its early days. This controversy did not get in the way of their progress. Even in recent times the band has received some controversy, especially on account of the most recent album, "American Idiot".
Some people have viewed the album "American Idiot" as something the band deliberated used to send out the message of anti-Americanism. There is debate as to whether the band purposefully meant this or not, though it is suspected by most that they intended to send out a message of anti-Americanism.
Whether people see them as anti-American or not, though most probably don't, they continue to be a successful band and many continue to regard it still as their favorite band. The music is unique and different and this could very well be what most attracts people to listen to their music. There will continue to be some controversy, but it will unlikely to get in the way of Green Day and their music. In fact, the controversy could be what helps them to become more successful as more attention is brought to them.
The Right Attitude in Learning to Play Guitar
Guitar playing is such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Isn’t cool if you can perform your fave songs with your family and friends or make your own compositions? Whether you are an aficionado of rock, punk or country music, guitar is universally applicable. If you are determined enough, you will surely come a long way in playing this instrument.
Learning guitar isn’t that difficult if you have the right attitude. In order to learn to play guitar, you should be passionate about it. Remember practice is the key to success. A lazy person can never be a good guitarist. Alloting plenty of time to practice and rehearse the guitar chords will help you intensely in achieving your goal.
Practicing for an hour or two on a daily basis is ideal for beginners. If you are a student or a yuppie, try make a schedule where you can learn the guitar chords by yourself. It would also be efficient if you can set up a tutorial session with your closed friends who are knowledgeable already in playing the instrument. Do not rush things. Big things come in small beginnings. Start with the basic guitar chords before proceeding to more difficult and complicated ones which need more coordination of the fingers. Begin with practicing music which you personally enjoy and love. It would be a lot easier to play songs that you really like or have sentimental value to your life.
Consistency is also an important element towards the mastery in guitar playing. Once you remember everything, it’s about time to practice the strumming part of it. Guitar playing doesn’t start and end with memorizing the chords. Another tricky part of it is the switching of chords to another one. But with consistent practice, you will eventually change chords more smoothly and faster.
Learning guitar isn’t that difficult if you have the right attitude. In order to learn to play guitar, you should be passionate about it. Remember practice is the key to success. A lazy person can never be a good guitarist. Alloting plenty of time to practice and rehearse the guitar chords will help you intensely in achieving your goal.
Practicing for an hour or two on a daily basis is ideal for beginners. If you are a student or a yuppie, try make a schedule where you can learn the guitar chords by yourself. It would also be efficient if you can set up a tutorial session with your closed friends who are knowledgeable already in playing the instrument. Do not rush things. Big things come in small beginnings. Start with the basic guitar chords before proceeding to more difficult and complicated ones which need more coordination of the fingers. Begin with practicing music which you personally enjoy and love. It would be a lot easier to play songs that you really like or have sentimental value to your life.
Consistency is also an important element towards the mastery in guitar playing. Once you remember everything, it’s about time to practice the strumming part of it. Guitar playing doesn’t start and end with memorizing the chords. Another tricky part of it is the switching of chords to another one. But with consistent practice, you will eventually change chords more smoothly and faster.
Punk Fashion and Punk Rock T-Shirts
In 1990s, people were saying punk was dead or dying. Today, almost 20 years later we know they were wrong. Many youngsters still love punk rock music and wear punk rock t-shirts and clothes. The good example is my 17 year-old neighbor Nancy. Punk was supposed to be dead a few years before she was born but obviously it didn't happen. She likes alternative clothing, especially goth and punk rock styles. She is all about black color. Her pants with heavy chains are black, her t-shirts with skulls and bones are black, and her pleated plaid skirts are black and red. She wants to be different and edgy. For a change, she might wear ripped jeans and t-shirts with her favorite punk bands, such as Ramones and the Clash or new generation singers - Avril Lavigne for example. She has tons of punk rock and offensive t-shirts but says she wants more because she can never have enough of them. That's why she buys them at www.NY-123.com - The On-line Punk Rock T-Shirts and Clothes Superstore. Punk rock t-shirts are very important. Some people say that it's all about the music - if you really want to be punk, it comes from the music, not the clothes or the attitude. What is there in punk fashion that keeps it alive? Why is it not going away and continues returning in new generations of followers and fans? Is it about rebellion of the youth? Is it about questioning the society dogmas and going against restrictions of the establishment? Is it about going against the grain and have your own way of thinking? Is it about freedom and dare to be different? Is it about our desire to get crazy from time to time? Is it more than simply fashion? What is punk fashion anyway? It is hard to define punk fashion because there many different punk styles in music and clothing, such as emo, goth, hardcore rock, and others. Common features however exist. It might be a pair of jeans with some slits and patches. Black leather belt with a simple buckle is a must. Don't forget the t-shirt with your favorite punk rock band name printed on it. You may want to wear a long sleeve shirt under a short sleeve shirt if the weather is chilly. Socks are important, go nuts with the socks! Next come shoes, and it doesn't matter if it will be knee high boots, sneakers, or high wheels. Grab a hoodie or a bomber jacket, and you are all set! By the way, a couple of words about colors. Black is important but it will look even cooler when combined with electric blue, neon pink, or dark turquoise. Girls, do not be afraid of polka dot or wide stripes for a change! Good news - there are no rules when it comes to hair. It can be natural, dyed in every color of the rainbow, straight and long, short and cropped, or cut into a mohawk! Last things - bright make up and accessories with attitude. Just remember that punk fashion is not a trend - it is expressing who you are and what your individuality is. Be whatever you want to be!
A Briefing on the Post-Punk Era
Here's a bit of history for you non-punkers...and even you punkers. It's important to know so you can make other inferences later:
In the '80s, alternative music and '80s pop became the next wave of music. New wave and post-punk bands became the craze, and punk would take the back seat for a while. Punk bands did continue to thrive on a smaller scale, though, and the '80s would still allow for several important bands to start their careers. In 1984, the appearance of NOFX, as well as the Offspring in 1985, signaled the beginning of a boom in pop punk. While hardcore moved along a bit with Henry Rollins joining Black Flag in 1981 and the appearance of the Vandals in 1982, the face of punk was definitely changing. Mick Jones was kicked out of the Clash in 1983, and the Clash and Black Flag would both break up in 1986. There was a definite new class of bands moving in. By 1988, American Hardcore was fading rapidly. It's salvation came with the formation of Epitaph records. Epitaph provided a new home for American Hardcore bands to release records, and ultimately, other hardcore labels would follow. In 1989, a band called the Sweet Children made an appearance. They would soon change their name to Green Day, and create a scene for the next wave of pop punk. These bands would include blink-182, MxPx and Australia's the Living End, who would be rolling in full force by 1992. A growing feeling that punk rock was a male-dominated scene would create a need for the Riot Grrrl movement during this time. Bikini Kill's first appearances in 1990 founded this movement of punk rock feminism. The old School continued to disappear. The Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls died of an overdose in 1991, to be followed by his former band-mate Jerry Nolan's death of a stroke the next year. In the past 10 years, punk has enjoyed a rebirth in popularity. The popularity of the grunge scene in the early '90s left a spot for pop-punk bands, most notably Green Day, to sell platinum albums. The Van's Warped Tour, launched in 1995, created a yearly festival showcasing punk bands of all genres, and created a more wholesome place for American youth to see punk rock. This ultimately brought punk rock from the smoky bars to the light of day. Although many punk pioneers have passed away in recent years, it continues to be increasingly of natural causes. Significant deaths include:
·Wendy O Williams (Plasmatics) in 1998
·Todd Barnes (TSOL) in 1999
·Dennis Danell (Social Distortion) in 2000
·Joey Ramone in 2001
·Joe Strummer in 2002
·Dee Dee Ramone in 2002
·Johnny Ramone in 2004
·Steve Jensen (Vandals) in 2005
Of these, only Wendy O Williams and Dee Dee Ramone died of other than natural causes. The original wave of punk is aging, but punk rock as whole is gaining acceptance from the parents of suburban America. Another sign of punk rock's acceptance by the world at large occurred when punk bands began to gain admittance to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The first bands to enter the Hall of Fame were the Talking Heads and Ramones in 2002, followed by the Clash in 2003 and The Sex Pistols in 2006." (Beginning at the Beginning: A Timeline of Punk Music History)
In the '80s, alternative music and '80s pop became the next wave of music. New wave and post-punk bands became the craze, and punk would take the back seat for a while. Punk bands did continue to thrive on a smaller scale, though, and the '80s would still allow for several important bands to start their careers. In 1984, the appearance of NOFX, as well as the Offspring in 1985, signaled the beginning of a boom in pop punk. While hardcore moved along a bit with Henry Rollins joining Black Flag in 1981 and the appearance of the Vandals in 1982, the face of punk was definitely changing. Mick Jones was kicked out of the Clash in 1983, and the Clash and Black Flag would both break up in 1986. There was a definite new class of bands moving in. By 1988, American Hardcore was fading rapidly. It's salvation came with the formation of Epitaph records. Epitaph provided a new home for American Hardcore bands to release records, and ultimately, other hardcore labels would follow. In 1989, a band called the Sweet Children made an appearance. They would soon change their name to Green Day, and create a scene for the next wave of pop punk. These bands would include blink-182, MxPx and Australia's the Living End, who would be rolling in full force by 1992. A growing feeling that punk rock was a male-dominated scene would create a need for the Riot Grrrl movement during this time. Bikini Kill's first appearances in 1990 founded this movement of punk rock feminism. The old School continued to disappear. The Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls died of an overdose in 1991, to be followed by his former band-mate Jerry Nolan's death of a stroke the next year. In the past 10 years, punk has enjoyed a rebirth in popularity. The popularity of the grunge scene in the early '90s left a spot for pop-punk bands, most notably Green Day, to sell platinum albums. The Van's Warped Tour, launched in 1995, created a yearly festival showcasing punk bands of all genres, and created a more wholesome place for American youth to see punk rock. This ultimately brought punk rock from the smoky bars to the light of day. Although many punk pioneers have passed away in recent years, it continues to be increasingly of natural causes. Significant deaths include:
·Wendy O Williams (Plasmatics) in 1998
·Todd Barnes (TSOL) in 1999
·Dennis Danell (Social Distortion) in 2000
·Joey Ramone in 2001
·Joe Strummer in 2002
·Dee Dee Ramone in 2002
·Johnny Ramone in 2004
·Steve Jensen (Vandals) in 2005
Of these, only Wendy O Williams and Dee Dee Ramone died of other than natural causes. The original wave of punk is aging, but punk rock as whole is gaining acceptance from the parents of suburban America. Another sign of punk rock's acceptance by the world at large occurred when punk bands began to gain admittance to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The first bands to enter the Hall of Fame were the Talking Heads and Ramones in 2002, followed by the Clash in 2003 and The Sex Pistols in 2006." (Beginning at the Beginning: A Timeline of Punk Music History)
Music and Listening
"Music - everybody listens to music these days. Is there anything surprising in that? If we look backwards in time, we will see that it was not always so. Music then was music - not the good music-bad music, rock music-classical music, this music and that music. Music can only be music - neither good nor bad - whatever else there is, is non-music. Music in the past was not merely a form of entertainment but something more. Moreover, only the few used to listen to music, as was the case with all art. There were few pretences in this regard and it was not a means of achieving fame or success. It was life for some, means of worship for some, and for some it was a means of great expression, beyond words and images. The tones, the sounds employed, the instruments were all a very personal medium for the musician to reach into himself and go beyond it," I said to my friend Jitendra, one day after listening to Bach.
It had been a year since I started taking music seriously and found great pleasure in doing so. Earlier, all I used to listen to was some Hindi film music and some of the latest, most popular English and Hindi pop music. It was always a means of entertainment for me, a means of passing time, a means of having some activity in the background while doing something else so that I didn't get bored. I had never actually paid attention to it before.
Jitendra said, "Like all other arts, music has declined in the last 30 or so years. Music has now become associated with images, ideas and for entertainment, partying and all the rest. Most so-called music these days is nothing but empty sounds, put together by a lot of people, using all kinds of artificial means to manipulate the sounds to achieve one end - popularity. That is what popular music is. Moreover, a division has been created, probably on the basis of outward form - between classical and popular music. But if one listens, actually listens, what one hears is only music. If one simply listens, without comparing what one hears to his or her idea of music, only then one can see what music is."
I was new to Mumbai and Jitendra was my only friend here, so usually on weekends and whenever I had a day off, I went to his place to stay over. He was an old friend of mine, from the time when I was in Delhi. We used to stay together at a paying guest hostel. Our rooms were close by and we often used to spend time together.
I said, "In India, only classical forms of music have survived, probably because it has been not popular and most of its exponents have not succumbed to the motives of personal ambition or fame. In the West, the same is the case with classical music, though there the quality depends upon the interpretation of the performer or the conductor. In popular music, several good attempts were made, in rock, punk, and jazz in the years before the 80s. Since then, there has been a gradual decline in popular music. In India, Bollywood music, except in a few cases, has been melodramatic, sensational and mediocre. The decades of the 60s and 70s were especially productive for music in many ways - there was a regeneration, a breaking from the traditional forms, but soon afterwards, it collapsed again."
At first, I used to resist anything new, since it was not already known to me. I used to remain content with what was familiar since it gave me a certain degree of comfort. Now I was realizing how small my world was and how vast were the unexplored territories. Music was what helped me realize this more than anything else. I couldn't follow the music; it always seemed to be so complex, moving so fast that I couldn't keep up with it. I would try to interpret it, give it my own meaning. At first, I tried to concentrate, focusing on it, thinking about it, and so I could never really listen. I could follow the idea of music but not the music itself. I used to feel that there is something much more than this which I'm not able to get at. I couldn't get it totally, completely. There was always an intellectual barrier; there was always this division between the "me" and the music. I could never simply listen with ease and attention. I had been finding myself becoming more and more intimate with music lately. I saw the beauty, the importance of music as a part of human existence. I started listening to it openly, afresh, with no expectations whatsoever and found that by listening without an idea, I could listen so well. Music was teaching me how to listen.
"Music, like life, is a movement. It's not a static thing. The "me", which is the idea, the knowledge, is the past, and so can never follow the movement which is taking place in the "now"; it can only follow its own shadow but never the actual, what is happening. This "me" is time. And the "now" is always out of time. You follow? It's pretty simple, lets not complicate it. See this actually happening in yourself and you'll see the whole thing at a glance, in an instant. So, It is always the part, the fragment that listens, and therefore there is no listening at all. Listening to music is the same as listening to another, to the birds, the trees, the wind. If there is any effort, any conscious attempt to listen, then there is no listening. Obviously. Only in freedom from self-consciousness can there be listening. Then listening has a wholly different significance; it is a complete action in itself. Listening without any movement of thought means listening out of complete quietness, silence of the mind. Then there is only the thing; there is only the listening and no "one" listening. I understood, but it was still not clear; clarity was what I wanted; it was as if I was trying to see a distant object in a thick fog. "One can't define what music is - any attempt to define music physically does not suffice. One has to hear, with clear senses, untainted by expectation or comparison to see the beauty of music," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "Music is always out of time. If you are actually, attentively listening, there will be no sense of time. It is this quality of music that has made so many of the great composers exalt it as a divine virtue. Music has an effect on the body and the mind - not as two distinct effects but as one total effect. It affects the senses in various ways, and when one is in harmony with the music, then it ceases to be something separate, something outside of oneself - you become the music. Music is harmony and music is beauty. Music has the quality of expressing the inexpressible. One can't approach music with one's own peculiar likes or dislikes and tastes, which are all a part of one's own conditioning. Music is something both extraordinarily complex and simple at the same time. We are not used to listening to anything except our own thoughts, therefore we can't sense the beauty of music. Because we are always trying to do things according to our own peculiar tastes and likes and dislikes that we have built up, we become deaf to all other sounds. But when we drop all that and simply listen, then sound becomes a most wonderful thing - the complexity of it, the depth, the clearness, the penetration, the opening of many doors it leads towards, is inexpressible and beyond words."
How well he could put it all into words! The things that I had faintly realized and which were not so clear to me became clear as light on hearing him.
It had been a year since I started taking music seriously and found great pleasure in doing so. Earlier, all I used to listen to was some Hindi film music and some of the latest, most popular English and Hindi pop music. It was always a means of entertainment for me, a means of passing time, a means of having some activity in the background while doing something else so that I didn't get bored. I had never actually paid attention to it before.
Jitendra said, "Like all other arts, music has declined in the last 30 or so years. Music has now become associated with images, ideas and for entertainment, partying and all the rest. Most so-called music these days is nothing but empty sounds, put together by a lot of people, using all kinds of artificial means to manipulate the sounds to achieve one end - popularity. That is what popular music is. Moreover, a division has been created, probably on the basis of outward form - between classical and popular music. But if one listens, actually listens, what one hears is only music. If one simply listens, without comparing what one hears to his or her idea of music, only then one can see what music is."
I was new to Mumbai and Jitendra was my only friend here, so usually on weekends and whenever I had a day off, I went to his place to stay over. He was an old friend of mine, from the time when I was in Delhi. We used to stay together at a paying guest hostel. Our rooms were close by and we often used to spend time together.
I said, "In India, only classical forms of music have survived, probably because it has been not popular and most of its exponents have not succumbed to the motives of personal ambition or fame. In the West, the same is the case with classical music, though there the quality depends upon the interpretation of the performer or the conductor. In popular music, several good attempts were made, in rock, punk, and jazz in the years before the 80s. Since then, there has been a gradual decline in popular music. In India, Bollywood music, except in a few cases, has been melodramatic, sensational and mediocre. The decades of the 60s and 70s were especially productive for music in many ways - there was a regeneration, a breaking from the traditional forms, but soon afterwards, it collapsed again."
At first, I used to resist anything new, since it was not already known to me. I used to remain content with what was familiar since it gave me a certain degree of comfort. Now I was realizing how small my world was and how vast were the unexplored territories. Music was what helped me realize this more than anything else. I couldn't follow the music; it always seemed to be so complex, moving so fast that I couldn't keep up with it. I would try to interpret it, give it my own meaning. At first, I tried to concentrate, focusing on it, thinking about it, and so I could never really listen. I could follow the idea of music but not the music itself. I used to feel that there is something much more than this which I'm not able to get at. I couldn't get it totally, completely. There was always an intellectual barrier; there was always this division between the "me" and the music. I could never simply listen with ease and attention. I had been finding myself becoming more and more intimate with music lately. I saw the beauty, the importance of music as a part of human existence. I started listening to it openly, afresh, with no expectations whatsoever and found that by listening without an idea, I could listen so well. Music was teaching me how to listen.
"Music, like life, is a movement. It's not a static thing. The "me", which is the idea, the knowledge, is the past, and so can never follow the movement which is taking place in the "now"; it can only follow its own shadow but never the actual, what is happening. This "me" is time. And the "now" is always out of time. You follow? It's pretty simple, lets not complicate it. See this actually happening in yourself and you'll see the whole thing at a glance, in an instant. So, It is always the part, the fragment that listens, and therefore there is no listening at all. Listening to music is the same as listening to another, to the birds, the trees, the wind. If there is any effort, any conscious attempt to listen, then there is no listening. Obviously. Only in freedom from self-consciousness can there be listening. Then listening has a wholly different significance; it is a complete action in itself. Listening without any movement of thought means listening out of complete quietness, silence of the mind. Then there is only the thing; there is only the listening and no "one" listening. I understood, but it was still not clear; clarity was what I wanted; it was as if I was trying to see a distant object in a thick fog. "One can't define what music is - any attempt to define music physically does not suffice. One has to hear, with clear senses, untainted by expectation or comparison to see the beauty of music," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "Music is always out of time. If you are actually, attentively listening, there will be no sense of time. It is this quality of music that has made so many of the great composers exalt it as a divine virtue. Music has an effect on the body and the mind - not as two distinct effects but as one total effect. It affects the senses in various ways, and when one is in harmony with the music, then it ceases to be something separate, something outside of oneself - you become the music. Music is harmony and music is beauty. Music has the quality of expressing the inexpressible. One can't approach music with one's own peculiar likes or dislikes and tastes, which are all a part of one's own conditioning. Music is something both extraordinarily complex and simple at the same time. We are not used to listening to anything except our own thoughts, therefore we can't sense the beauty of music. Because we are always trying to do things according to our own peculiar tastes and likes and dislikes that we have built up, we become deaf to all other sounds. But when we drop all that and simply listen, then sound becomes a most wonderful thing - the complexity of it, the depth, the clearness, the penetration, the opening of many doors it leads towards, is inexpressible and beyond words."
How well he could put it all into words! The things that I had faintly realized and which were not so clear to me became clear as light on hearing him.
10 records That Changed The World
There have been many good records, but most did not change the world of music. There have been some that did and here is my top 10. (Please feel free to argue and let me know your top 10. It is all subjective after all.) These either changed the direction of music or were the pinnacle of their genre. each record comes with a brief explanation which I will expand on later posts.
1. Tutti Frutti (Little Richard)
There are many early rock and roll records that could claim to have laid the fundamentals for what was to follow. However Tutti Frutti is my choice for its sheer power and energy. Coupled with with the fact that this was a major hit for a black artist at a time when that was almost unheard of means that Tutti Frutti just has to be on my list.
2. Move It. (Cliff Richard)
Sir Cliff. This is widely acknowledged as one of the first rock and roll records made outside of the USA. No matter that S.C.R. was a pale shadow of Elvis, this record told the youth in Britain that we could play real rock and roll and make it ours. there are those that would argue for Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan but for my money this record deserves its place in history.
3. Revolver (The Beatles)
Revolver is perhaps the most contentious inclusion in this list. There is no Sgt Pepper, no White Album, in this list, this is The Beatles at their best. This is the pinnacle of good, catchy pop songs, never equalled and often copied. It is also the only Beatles album I own......
4. Trout Mask Replica (Captain Beefheart)
Suddenly it was alright to meld Blues and Jazz and shake them both up to produce something not of this world. It was also alright to use free form lyrics, stream of consciousness writing. It was alright to be an artist and to work in rock. With this album rock came of age.
5. Velvet Underground and Nico (VU &; N)
The cliche is that not many people bought this album but everyone who did started a band. Well, I bought this album when it was released and did not start a band. The list of those that now claim this as a major influence makes the inclusion of this, flawed, magical album inevitable, and deserved.
6. Horses (Patti Smith)
1975 and music is boring. Born of a passion for Hendrix, The Who, and other rock acts from the 60's Patti Smith launched herself on the album buying public with this stunning debut. the breadth of her vision and the execution of that vision is a sensation. Punk attitude with an artist's honesty. Simply a must have album.
7. Thriller (Michael Jackson)
before Thriller most albums spawned one or two singles. After Thriller albums would be packed with possible singles. For better or worse this album changed the music industry for ever. (Personally, I think it was for the worse, and I hate this album).
8. King of the Delta Blues (Robert Johnson)
RJ was not the father of the blues as some claimed in the 60s, but he was a very close relative. The reason that this album has to be included in this list is not that it was unique when the tracks were recorded in 1937. The reason is that this album changed white music forever when it was released as a double album on CBS in 1967. It was the first time that most of us white kids had heard real, traditional blues. That so many of us still listen to it and that the music still speaks to the following generations proves how influential this record was, and is. It led directly to the revival of the fortunes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy waters and the rest. If ever a record changed the world of music it is this one.
9. Apache (The Shadows)
Love it or hate it (guess which camp I am in!) This record changed the face of music in the UK. Hank Marvin was voted the best guitar player in the NME for years. Strat rock in the UK was born and countless budding guitarists bought Bert Weedon's 'Play in a Day'........
10. My Favourite Things (John Coltrane)
I had not heard this record for years. About 18 months ago I walked into the studio to prepare for my radio show. The proceeding programme was on and this was on. I was stunned at how good this still sounded. There is genius at work here. JC takes a small insignificant and mundane song and turns it into something sublime. This made improvisation not only acceptable it made it fundamental for any musician. If only more musicians were as good at it as JC.
Well, that is my list. What is yours?
1. Tutti Frutti (Little Richard)
There are many early rock and roll records that could claim to have laid the fundamentals for what was to follow. However Tutti Frutti is my choice for its sheer power and energy. Coupled with with the fact that this was a major hit for a black artist at a time when that was almost unheard of means that Tutti Frutti just has to be on my list.
2. Move It. (Cliff Richard)
Sir Cliff. This is widely acknowledged as one of the first rock and roll records made outside of the USA. No matter that S.C.R. was a pale shadow of Elvis, this record told the youth in Britain that we could play real rock and roll and make it ours. there are those that would argue for Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan but for my money this record deserves its place in history.
3. Revolver (The Beatles)
Revolver is perhaps the most contentious inclusion in this list. There is no Sgt Pepper, no White Album, in this list, this is The Beatles at their best. This is the pinnacle of good, catchy pop songs, never equalled and often copied. It is also the only Beatles album I own......
4. Trout Mask Replica (Captain Beefheart)
Suddenly it was alright to meld Blues and Jazz and shake them both up to produce something not of this world. It was also alright to use free form lyrics, stream of consciousness writing. It was alright to be an artist and to work in rock. With this album rock came of age.
5. Velvet Underground and Nico (VU &; N)
The cliche is that not many people bought this album but everyone who did started a band. Well, I bought this album when it was released and did not start a band. The list of those that now claim this as a major influence makes the inclusion of this, flawed, magical album inevitable, and deserved.
6. Horses (Patti Smith)
1975 and music is boring. Born of a passion for Hendrix, The Who, and other rock acts from the 60's Patti Smith launched herself on the album buying public with this stunning debut. the breadth of her vision and the execution of that vision is a sensation. Punk attitude with an artist's honesty. Simply a must have album.
7. Thriller (Michael Jackson)
before Thriller most albums spawned one or two singles. After Thriller albums would be packed with possible singles. For better or worse this album changed the music industry for ever. (Personally, I think it was for the worse, and I hate this album).
8. King of the Delta Blues (Robert Johnson)
RJ was not the father of the blues as some claimed in the 60s, but he was a very close relative. The reason that this album has to be included in this list is not that it was unique when the tracks were recorded in 1937. The reason is that this album changed white music forever when it was released as a double album on CBS in 1967. It was the first time that most of us white kids had heard real, traditional blues. That so many of us still listen to it and that the music still speaks to the following generations proves how influential this record was, and is. It led directly to the revival of the fortunes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy waters and the rest. If ever a record changed the world of music it is this one.
9. Apache (The Shadows)
Love it or hate it (guess which camp I am in!) This record changed the face of music in the UK. Hank Marvin was voted the best guitar player in the NME for years. Strat rock in the UK was born and countless budding guitarists bought Bert Weedon's 'Play in a Day'........
10. My Favourite Things (John Coltrane)
I had not heard this record for years. About 18 months ago I walked into the studio to prepare for my radio show. The proceeding programme was on and this was on. I was stunned at how good this still sounded. There is genius at work here. JC takes a small insignificant and mundane song and turns it into something sublime. This made improvisation not only acceptable it made it fundamental for any musician. If only more musicians were as good at it as JC.
Well, that is my list. What is yours?
How Band and Artist Make Music
If you were to write down the names of all the bands and artists that exist or existed in America, you would probably take a lifetime and yet not be able to get them all. There are just so many! Being a member of a band or being an artist is something almost everyone has tried to be. The success of American Idol has already proved that this point is true.
Usually bands and artists are differentiated depending on the kind of music they make. So we have rock bands, pop bands, 'boy' bands, surf bands, punk band, and even the wedding bands are qualified as bands. Same when it comes to artists. It is interesting to note that when you think of bands, it's not so much about the members that you think of but the music. The band or the artist is just a representation of the music that we enjoy. The music is always inside us. The bands and artists just sing it for us.
Different types of bands and artists not only make different kinds of music, but they also make music differently. Depending on how the members sing and what kind of instruments they play as well as what kind of music they like, the final product (song) that a band makes will be unique and one of its kind. The most interesting thing about bands is that although each member has a unique voice, this is very hard to identify in the song. A song by a band always seems to have just one voice, as if sung only by one person. The truth is that the song is sung by different voices, all at different pitches. But a good band has the ability to make different voices sound like one voice. This is when a band can harmonize.
This can at times also creatively inhibit a band, since the song must be liked by each member before it is made. This is difficult since everyone has varying preferences and when it comes to music, most people (singers included) cannot define why exactly they like a song. A band sometimes makes multiple songs, one after the other before they finally pick one song which they all will like. One might think of this as a compromise of an individual's preference, but then that is in the nature of the band. A band is a whole and individual members are only parts. Thus the identity of the band is always stronger than that of its members.
Bands and artists have it differently when it comes to making music. Artists are free to experiment since they are independent of any other person's preferences. Their likes and opinion are all that matter. This desire to be free and make exactly the kind of music that one wishes is what often drives band members to have solo careers or albums sooner or later. (As an artist it is very hard to keep your music inside you for very long). Yet many bands have lasted very long. This is because over a period of time members begin to make the 'band's music. They are able to relate better to their music as a band and also find a way to keep their individual tastes alive while blending them with the band's music. Different voices, yet one sound. True Harmony.
Usually bands and artists are differentiated depending on the kind of music they make. So we have rock bands, pop bands, 'boy' bands, surf bands, punk band, and even the wedding bands are qualified as bands. Same when it comes to artists. It is interesting to note that when you think of bands, it's not so much about the members that you think of but the music. The band or the artist is just a representation of the music that we enjoy. The music is always inside us. The bands and artists just sing it for us.
Different types of bands and artists not only make different kinds of music, but they also make music differently. Depending on how the members sing and what kind of instruments they play as well as what kind of music they like, the final product (song) that a band makes will be unique and one of its kind. The most interesting thing about bands is that although each member has a unique voice, this is very hard to identify in the song. A song by a band always seems to have just one voice, as if sung only by one person. The truth is that the song is sung by different voices, all at different pitches. But a good band has the ability to make different voices sound like one voice. This is when a band can harmonize.
This can at times also creatively inhibit a band, since the song must be liked by each member before it is made. This is difficult since everyone has varying preferences and when it comes to music, most people (singers included) cannot define why exactly they like a song. A band sometimes makes multiple songs, one after the other before they finally pick one song which they all will like. One might think of this as a compromise of an individual's preference, but then that is in the nature of the band. A band is a whole and individual members are only parts. Thus the identity of the band is always stronger than that of its members.
Bands and artists have it differently when it comes to making music. Artists are free to experiment since they are independent of any other person's preferences. Their likes and opinion are all that matter. This desire to be free and make exactly the kind of music that one wishes is what often drives band members to have solo careers or albums sooner or later. (As an artist it is very hard to keep your music inside you for very long). Yet many bands have lasted very long. This is because over a period of time members begin to make the 'band's music. They are able to relate better to their music as a band and also find a way to keep their individual tastes alive while blending them with the band's music. Different voices, yet one sound. True Harmony.
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