Architecture and Music
Music is an interesting entity. It makes you feel happy, sad, relaxed, tense and so on. It recalls memories. For example, a specific song reminds you of a loved one, or a special moment in your life.
It can also be boring. Elevator music is often bland.
Music is also cultural. Every country has its unique instruments and its unique rhythms and harmonies.
Sound and music are related. Music is organized or improvised sound played over a period of time. Everyday sounds may be considered music.
The jingle of trains, trucks, and the random tempo of car horns provide a modern percussion soundtrack. The hum of a fan or an air conditioner can be a relaxing drone. The sounds of an old boiler or a radiator can act as an asymmetrical counterpoint to the everyday sounds of the people in that building.
Many, many years ago when I was a senior in high school I borrowed a record from the library. The record contained recordings of musical sculptures. Many of these sculptures produced music using a wind chime analogy. They produced music when various parts of the sculpture moved and interacted with each other. The music was interesting and I found this concept was fascinating.
The idea behind these sculptures was simple. Random interactions, a breeze, people walking by and touching the sculptures, etc. produced random music. Random interactions with random sculptures produced a random symphony.
I think music sculptures or musical architecture is an interesting concept. When houses and buildings are designed, space and lighting are considered. Why not sound? Why not create homes and buildings that take advantage of the surrounding sonic environment? Use architecture to enhance appealing sounds and use architecture to block unwanted sounds.
Music plays an integral part of our lives. MP3s are everywhere. Many people have fancy stereo systems in their cars because they live a good portion of their lives in their cars. Music relieves the stress and tedium of the day-to-day commute.
We also live a good portion of our lives in our homes. Why not use music or sound to make this portion of our lives more relaxing and comfortable.
When it is hot outside play a recording of a snowstorm. Some psychologists believe that this may make you feel cooler. If it is cold, play a recording of a fireplace.
Studies have shown that people find the sound of water to be more relaxing than any other sound. Play a recording of a gentle rainstorm, a country brook, or the sound of the surf when you are tense.
Chimes are an easy musical sculpture to incorporate into your living space. The randomness of this instrument may contribute to a relaxing environment.
Architecture defines our living and working space. Light and space are important. I believe acoustic considerations are also an important architectural contemplation.
American Music Awards
In 1973, Dick Clark began presenting the American Music Awards, as an honor that aimed to compete with the Grammy’s once CBS had taken over the award show’s broadcasts. The first two Grammy broadcasts had been televised on ABC, but after the move to CBS, ABC developed an awards program to call its own. The American Music Awards were born to fill that void, and the hosts of that first year’s ceremony were Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond. Since then, the show has usually featured multiple hosts representative of various genres, but more recent ceremonies have featured a single host instead. The 2009 ceremony featured no host at all, instead inviting various celebrities to introduce each honor.The goal of the awards show, aside from competing with the one that ABC had lost, was to celebrate the full spectrum of musical offerings, acknowledging excellence in achievement in all genres of American music, from traditional, to country, to rap, to hard rock. Though named the American Music Awards, the name refers more accurately to the music loved in America rather than indicating exclusivity for American artists. Several international recording artists have received honors for their popularity in the United States, including Elton John, Celine Dion, the Spice Girls, and Shakira.In contrast with the Grammy’s determination of its nominees and winners by votes from entertainment industry members, American Music Awards nominees are based on sales, airplay, social network activity, and video views relating to material released throughout the eligibility period spanning from December 1st of the year preceding the ceremony to September first of the award yet. Data used from the Radio & Records and Nielson Soundscan, a trade publication that tracks music sales, is used to determine the nominees for the year. Until 2007, the AMA award winners would then be determined by public opinion according to polls of 20,000 music buyers themselves regarding who they believed should be honored each year, which visibly makes the AMA’s awards more about popularity than the artistic merit that the Grammys strive to emphasize. Using a national sample determined by a research and consulting company, ballots were sent out to the national sample of 20,000 voters that have been selected based on geography, age, ethnicity, and gender, then tabulated by the accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. In 2007, voting online became available instead for any member the viewing public to choose their favorites, and winners have been determined that way every since.Eventually, beginning in 2003, twenty years after having emerged to compete with the Grammys, then in order to avoid taking place in the midst of the Grammy Awards season, the AMA’s chose to move its ceremony to late November, rather than continue having it in January – no longer wishing to compete not only with the Grammy Award audience but also with the Golden Globes and Academy Awards in the midst of their awards seasons. The transition to later in the year now enables ABC to not only have the high ratings it desires for its awards show broadcast, but to also have these ratings factored into November sweeps.Winners of the American Music Awards receive a crystal trophy in the shape of a pyramid. Roberta Flack was honored with the very first in 1973, as Favorite Soul/Rhythm & Blues Female Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock single with Killing Me Softly. Other honorees that night included Bing Crosby, Charley Pride, Diana Ross, Al Greene, Carter Family, The Carpenters, The Temptations, Lynn Anderson, Helen Reddy, Charley Pride, Jim Croce, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Rich, and Tony Orlando & Dawn. Other organizations or corporations wishing to give out similar crystal awards can find them online at retailers such as Visual Awards.In 1996, Garth Brooks rejected his award for Favorite Artist of the Year – a new category for that year’s show – stating that he had not done anything that year and for that reason could not have possibly won an award. He left the award behind on the podium as he departed the stage after his brief speech, slighting its introduction so much that the category did not appear for the award to ever be offered again in future years.
All About Free Music
The best facility that one can actually get through MP3 music is its speed advantage. A music or song that may take long hours to download can be downloaded in the MP3 version in only a few minutes. However, MP3 music quality is also good.
MP3 music does not take much space and thus, one can store many songs in the MP3 format in rewritable or writable CDs. Bit rates of MP3 formats matter a lot when you ponder upon the quality of music files. The encoding in these files also plays a great role in their quality. Thus, the person has to know proper encoding of MP3 files.
A normal music file on a CD of a specific MB can lower it by 11 times the MB, when we download it in the MP3 format. If you are of the view that downloading MP3 files is too difficult, then it is false. There are sites where you can get everything about the downloading procedure in details.
Many sites provide the comfort of downloading free music quite easily. You have to learn about the conversion of any music file into a flawless MP3 file. The quality lies in such conversions. It is best to put these MP3 files in all portable players of music. Many download sites can provide free music downloads legally. You can download MP3 songs from any songs site and thus, it has very few limitations. Sites even pay to the artists when they provide free songs to its customers.
It is very important to download free songs from authentic sites or else you may land in trouble. Peer-to-Peer sharing programs are common in many of the songs downloading sites. Thus, not only you can download free music, but also enjoy it with your friends. Verify the sites validity and the correct data about the particular site from other sources. You can even create your own music libraries in some of the sites. You can even search for proper links in the search engine rankings.
In many of the sites, the downloading speed of music, videos and necessary profiles or pictures is faster. Some search engines also provide proper links to legal free MP3 download sites. You can even download latest songs from such legal sites that include hip-hop, rock and roll music forms. Even the older generations can listen and download free MP3 music from these sites quite simply.
If you are not sure about how to transfer it in a CD or any other portable player, then you may very well read the instructions on the site that you are downloading the song from. The opinion of many Internet users is that they face many security problems when they venture into the peer-to-peer programs of any site. However, some websites also give you 100% guarantee on your safety.
African music on the internet
Africa is one of the ancient continents where people have their own music and dance. African music has different classifications and most of them are learnt orally. There are no books explaining the music of Africa. African music spread from one generation to another by means of oral tradition. The natural life style and ancient culture of the country are depicted in African music. People who visit Africa as tourists will make trips to concerts where ancient African music is played. You can also find many musical theatres in African countries where ancient music shows are being held. Being one of the ancient music, the tribals of Africa are experts in playing different types of musical instruments. To make the world realize the importance of ancient music, many African musicians are playing a major role in spreading African music. The rhythmic complexity found in African music is high and there is no other regional music in this world that can compete with African music. While singing songs, polyrhythm is used by superimposing sounds from different instruments like xylophones, drums, rattles and even handclaps. String and wind instruments are also used extensively in addition to vocal songs. These instruments are played in a unique fashion to bring out the real African music. Common African instruments are flutes made of bamboo, trumpets made of ivory and ground bows. As a result of colonization, European instruments were also used in African music but they were used to produce traditional notes. Music has an essential role to play in Africa. All functions including birth, death, marriage and most of the important political activities are accompanied by music. Music was played for welcoming and entertaining the guests. The only entertainment to the tribal people is to play music and many of them earn their living by organizing the musical shows during the important occasions. The African music which was played within the country borders was exposed to the world through the African musicians. Many African songs depicting the African culture have been sung by popular musicians. The various musical styles like gospel, jazz, hip hop etc have their origin in Africa and hence, people respect and learn African music. The musical instruments that are used while singing African songs are very unique and different and this has made African music very special among music lovers. Africa is a land of music because different African countries have their own style of music and dance. The contemporary musicians of Africa are very popular entertainers as African music is itself a great entertaining music. The African culture festival and many live African concerts have been held all over the world and the popularity of African music is increasing. This is reflected in the World Wide Web and if you search for African music, you can find a number of music downloads offering you the traditional musical experience. Many live radios are also available on the internet playing non stop African music. A lot of African musical instruments are also sold online to spread African music across the globe.
Affordable Sonos Multi-room Music System
Music is a source of entertainment it can be a best way to deliver messages in a poetic medium. The right music can put anybody in a better mood because it has the ability to express feelings better than any other medium, So that music is an integral part of everyone’s life. Nowadays Sonos launched a new concept in home entertainment “Sonos Multi-room Music Systems” for music lovers who wants their house full of music. This ultimate music system allows you to centralise all your music devices and manage that gear from every area in the house simultaneously or independently that available at Sonos Shop Denmark on very attractive cost. It is an inspiring product that provides a unique music environment for every family person in the entire house. The Sonos Multi-Room Music System is amazing product include its simple design and ease of use.A complete audio network for entire homeWonderful Sonos multi-room music systems let you access music throughout in your entire house without any wiring. Wireless Sonos multi-room systems have a music player in all over your house – basement, living room couch, kitchen, bathroom and back yard, you can easily enjoy the songs stored on your computer and control it all from the palm of your hand. Sonos multi-room music system is expandable, so you can easily add more rooms in the future. The magic of Sonos multi-room music system is that your entire home is filled with sound from just a single centralised system.Easy setup to share your musicUltimate Sonos multi-room music system is designed to be simple and easy to install and configure. This sonos Multi-Room digital audio system is easily fit just about every need. Sonos Zone Player distributes your music wirelessly in entire home. This Zone Player communicates with one another through a proprietary built-in wireless network. The Sonos Multi-Room Music System is completely wireless which offers the quickest, simplest installation in any area of house. Manage all of your music devices with a remoteSonos multi room audio system comes with a user-friendly Sonos Wireless handheld Controller that has a 3.5 inch color LCD screen. This smart LCD screen completely gives you, access to your PC music collection, a number of internet radio stations and online music services. With this smart device you can easily turn zones on or off, select the music for each zone, adjust the volume, and edit play lists. The sleek and unobtrusive design of ensure it is perfectly blends well with any type of home dcor.Wirless Speaker Sonos Shop Denmark offers a pair of stylish wireless speakers. It’s very easy to install, just plug the transmitter into your music source, and set the speakers into the room where you want to music. This Music system is perfect for your home and you can call this a “whole-house music system.”Sonos multi-room music system is one of the best around and come with amazing sound enhancing features, surround sound, zone player, controller, support multiple music formats, online music services. The unique idea behind Sonos multi-room music is reasonably straightforward that provides different music for different tastes in different rooms and from a single system at same time. You can use your iPod touch or iPhone by downloading the software from the iTunes app store. It is ultimate wireless multi-room music system with a full-colour controller that provides specialist Sonos retailer in Denmark at an affordable cost lets consumers enjoy digital music in every corner of a house. For more information regarding benefits of the Sonos multi-room music system and how to install it at home, Visit on – http://www.sonosshop.com/
Advantages of Buying the Royalty Free Music from a Music
Advantages of Buying the Royalty Free Music from a Music Library
People who earn their bread and butter in the entertainment world are greatly benefited from the use of the royalty free music library. The main advantage of using a royalty free music is that the users do not have to make any further payment for the repetitive use of the same track. Such a facility definitely favors all and sundry but especially those who are making films or documentaries on a shoestring budget.
Lower cost is the main reason why the concept of royalty free music has caught attention of many in the entertainment world. Obviously the aggregate amount of multiple payments for the same track is significantly higher than a single fee. Of course, when one is using a score for the first time, he has to pay royalty fee for it. But it may so happen that he wants to use the same musical piece for many a project. Of course, he is allowed to do that and is not required to make any additional payment. Luckily there is many a music library where you can purchase the royalty free music.
Such a library is a great source of the samples of stock music. Often the budding musicians purchase the stock music from a music library rather than hiring an orchestra or a choir. If you hire any of these, you have to bear a huge amount of cost for rehearsal or recording. An do not forget about the whopping amount that you have to pay for using a studio. You can save all these costs simply by using a royalty free music from the music library. Apart from the upcoming artists, the renowned musicians often prefer to go for using the free music. Cost saving is not what they eye on, it is the time factor that is a great concern for them. Attending studio, rehearsing with the musicians for several days and finally going for recording consume a lot of their precious time. By using a music library and purchasing the royalty free music, they can surely save their valuable time and invest it into other projects.
Those who make documentaries have to finish their projects within a tight budget. They often earn no profit out of the paltry investment into a project. So it is very natural for them to seek options in order to minimize the cost. As music is a part and parcel of every movie or documentary, so the facility of buying a royalty free music on offer by a music library can successfully meet the financial objectives of the filmmakers. As these libraries are the large storage of different types of music, so one may simply be spoiled for choice. The stored music are categorized in various sections to facilitate your search for the right piece. Moreover, the minimum price of a royalty free music that you purchase from a music library drags down the cost of your project to a significant extent.
Any creative professional can make a good use of a royalty free music library. The upcoming talents who want to showcase their creative quotients often get disheartened at the practice of cheating in the music industry. There are copycats who use the others’ creation without their prior permission. In that case, the original composers are deprived of both money and fame. Such a frustrating experience can be averted if they opt for music licensing and get their music placed in a music library.
Adding Music To Your Special Day
Music is also an essential
part of weddings. Without music, most ceremonies are just dull and unexciting.
Giving a personal touch to music for your most beautiful occasion can prove to
be the most entertaining event for the day.
Music provides a
beautiful, emotional element to your wedding and reception. Moreover, the music and songs you select will
also help make your wedding uniquely your own.
Here are some tips on how to enhance the different phases of your
wedding with music.
Youll most likely choose two different types of music for your
ceremony and reception – softer, romantic music to be played or sung before, during,
and after the ceremony, and entertaining or dancing music for the
reception. In some cases, the same
musicians are able to provide both. As an alternative, you might choose to have
the church organist or soloist, or one set of musicians for the ceremony, and a
band or entertaining DJ for your reception.
Should you wish to have music playing before the
ceremony, instrumentals can establish an atmosphere for your guests and may
include mood-setting pieces that your early-to-arrive guests can enjoy as they
wait for the show to begin. For example,
in traditional Jewish ceremonies, it is common to have a pre-ceremony reception
or cocktail hour during which the bride and groom have separate chambers in
which to greet guests, in addition to a common area where hors doeuvres and
drinks are served. It is festive to have
musicians and possibly a singer in the common area at this time to warm up
the guests with some soft or lively music.
Even chamber music wouldnt be out of place.
For the ceremony, be sure to check with your site
coordinator or officiant regarding any restrictions or limitations that might
be in place on music selections. Some
places of worship limit the music selections to whatever their own organist can
play. However, there are numerous other
options for your ceremony music, when allowed, including a harpist, violinist,
string quartet, trumpeter, saxophonist, classical guitarist, keyboardist,
flutist, and vocals or choir.
Your reception music can range from a refined background element
during dinner to music for dancing. For
example, a string quartet, violin or harp is a polished backdrop for your
celebration, while a rock band or twelve-piece orchestra will provide a wider
range of lively tunes. If you and your
fianc are strong music aficionados, you may even opt for different groups of
musicians or even a DJ alternating with a band that specializes in your
favorite style(s) throughout the reception whether its jazz, rap or
pop. Your style choices can also reflect
your ethnic heritage, such as Latin, Klezmer or Irish step. Remember that good bands and DJs book up
early, so youll need to start researching your options from nine to 12 months
in advance. And, of course, be sure you
have the chance to hear them in action before you decide to hire them.
While a live band might seem like the ultimate in wedding reception
entertainment, keep in mind that most wont have the same range of selection
that an established DJ will. There will also
be dead air when the band takes their scheduled breaks, unless you make
arrangements for something to be played during that time. If you opt for a DJ, make sure you choose one
who is both experienced and fun and can play a variety of songs, from slower
traditional to 50s to rock and roll to faster contemporary music for dancing.
If youd like to give guests a performance theyll always remember,
consider staging a humorous dance and/or lip-sync number to a popular tune with
your fianc and perhaps a couple of members of the wedding party. Keep it tasteful remember, this may show up
on your wedding video! But it is your
wedding, so its OK to have fun and let your hair down a little. And if you and your fianc have taken dance
lessons and are proud of what you can do, go on out there and strut your stuff!
A Music Inspired Teen Birthday Party
As kids get older it becomes time to ditch the bright-cartooned themed birthday parties, and move into a theme that peaks and expands their interests. Below are ideas of how to throw an amazing teen music themed birthday party.
Invitations: Teens love going to concerts, so making a invitation look like a concert ticket will help set the tone for the party. Using a heavy weight gloss paper cut them into small rectangles the size of a concert ticket. Using your ink jet printer, print all of the party details onto the ticket, designing it to look like a concert ticket.
Decorations: Records make really neat chargers for under plates on the table. These are easily found at any second hand store. Re-label the center sticker with the birthday boy or girls name.
Guitar Picks make great table decorations for parties. You can order custom guitar picks online. With custom picks, you can put words, or even a photo of the birthday boy or girl. Guitar Picks look great scattered on the table, and make a unique keepsake for the guests to take home.
Another great idea is custom drumsticks. These also can be found online and printed in full color to match the theme of your party. Put them on the table to add even more of impact to the table decor.
Activities: Go to your local music store and rent a set of guitars, drums and a keyboard so the kids and have fund trying to form a band. Have a music teacher come from the store, to give the kids each a little lesson. They will have a great time banging on the drums, and strumming on guitars. They may even find an instrument they like and start taking lessons.
Karaoke is always a blast. Rent a karaoke machine form your local party supply and let everyone sing to some classic songs. It is a great way to get everyone having a great time!
The ideas above are sure to create that mature, yet fun atmosphere Teens love!
Alexis, is a party planner and Mom, who loves to create and design one of a kind birthday parties. She also works with the company Clayton, Inc. which makes custom guitar picks. and Clayton Custom which makes custom drumsticks
A Little Information on Caribbean Music
Caribbean music has gained a lot of popularity all over the world because of Bob Marley. This is one name that is heard by everyone and through him the Reggae genre has become famous. This genre is usually played during wedding or parties. It has collected so many fans over the year and its popularity is continuously increasing. After Bob Marley his son Ziggy Marley started producing this music. There are so many singers now who have made Reggae, zouk, etc. their main genres. It is soothing as well as lively so you can listen to it no matter what state of mind you are in. the foot tapping numbers can be played at any event to make it lively and you will see a lot of people enjoying their time there.There are different rhythms for different islands and this is the beauty of it. This music can breathe life into anyone and you will never tire of hearing it. So many legends have come out of the Caribbean Islands and most of them are heard of. You can now download this genre easily and for free on the internet. You should really consider listening to some of the songs produced by Bob Marley if you haven’t heard any yet. You will certainly be a fan.This genre mixed with any other genre can make some great fusion. You can listen to Caribbean music everywhere you go. It is also a good choice while travelling, you will get into the mood and you will find the trip more enjoyable.
A History of the Music Industry
The history of music industry dates back to the first imitation of the sounds of nature by human beings. From the primal, playful endeavor with magical sounds to the introduction of the iPods in the 21st century, the music industry has grown in leaps and bounds. The present value of the music industry is nearly $100 billion. The Beginning Music is one of the oldest art forms in human history. Music is an important part of the cultural sphere. The origin of the music dates back to the time when human beings started imitating the sounds of the nature such as the whistling of the birds, the sounds of different animals and other natural sounds. Slowly, along with other developments, music became an important part of social human life. All of the ancient civilizations provide numerous insights pertaining to the significance of music. Various paintings and sculptures depict Gods, Goddesses, great kings and leaders with musical instruments. In the West, Saint Cecelia is the patron saint of music and is often depicted with an organ. Medieval Era In the medieval era, music became a popular form of art, but music as an industry was set up during the late 1800s. During the 16th & 17th centuries, music was patronized either by the church or by wealthy aristocrats and so musicians did not have an industry per se. Towards the end of this period, composers organized concerts to make money. One such composer was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He started looking for business opportunities in order to make profit from the sale of different music compositions. His wife continued this, even after the death of Mozart, by selling manuscripts organizing various memorial concerts, and various other things. Composers like Beethoven & Mozart often had a torrid time at the hands of their paymasters who often reneged on payment. Mozart died a pauper. Post-medieval Era The music industry in the 19th century mainly consisted of publishers of sheet music. This sheet music was musical notations printed on the paper or parchment. These sheet music notations were widely used by the public for learning music or for musical performances. With the invention of the phonograph by T.A. Edison in the late 1800, the music industry was transformed completely. Later, Emile Berliner’s gramophone replaced the publishers of sheet music as the reckoning force of a nascent music industry. The gramophone became a household device in the early 20th century. These devices were hand-cranked and used to play seven-inch flat discs with lateral grooves. These discs were rubber vulcanite based copies made from master discs of zinc. These are first mass produced recorded music devices. The era of the discs In 1893, the U. S. Gramophone Company was set up, which was followed by the Berliner Gramophone Co., the Duranoid Co. and the National Gramophone Co. These were the first giants in the early music industry. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were numerous developments in the music industry. More and more durable recording devices were made. The Red Seal in Europe introduced the 4 minutes’ 10-inch record, featuring famed European singers such as baritone Mattia Battistini and tenor Enrico Caruso. During the First World War, certain songs became extremely popular on the war front, such as Over There, sung by Nora Bayes. The popularity of the gramophone decreased with the advent of the radio, but different categories of alternative music became popular, such as country music, jazz, and blues. The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane, by John Carson was the first popular country music record. Acoustic recording was replaced by electronic recording in the next decade. Elvis Presley, the King of Pop, sold nearly 41 million albums. In 1948, long-playing records were introduced, which mark the beginning of the speed battles. First, the 331/3- rpm, and then the 45-rpm were introduced. Later the 78-rpm was also introduced to the market. The era of the Magnetic Tape With the invention of the magnetic tape in the early 1930s, the gramophone records were longer used. The first tape-based recording was done in 1936. This period in the history of music industry marks the era some of the best selling records. In 1950, the Rollin’ Stones recorded their famous album Muddy Waters. In 1956, Elvis Presley recorded the album Heartbreak Hotel. These were some all time-hit records. The modern era in the history of music industry This period is the witness of the vast technological developments in the music industry. Some of the greatest developments in the music industry took place during this period. In the post 1960s, the high fidelity music produced by the stereo became immensely popular. In 1963, the first compact audiocassettes were introduced to the market by Phillips. Sony brought about a revolution in the music industry when the TPS-L2 Walkman, a personal audiocassette player was launched in 1979. The era of digital music technology was marked by the introduction of compact discs in the 1980s. The compact discs along with the audiocassettes are the two different formats of music recording available in the market at present. Phillips and Sony were the first companies to bring out the compact disc Read Only Memory. In 1994, six major companies controlled the US$ 3000 million music, such as Sony owned CBS Records, Thorn-EMI owned Virgin and Capitol, Bertelsmann owned RCA Records, Time Warner, Matsushita owned Geffen and MCA, Philips owned A&M, Island, Polygram and Mercury and Time Warner. The introduction of digital versatile discs or DVD in 1996 and the MP3 format in 1997 transformed the music industry further. The popularity of the personal and portable music players was fulfilled by the invention of the legendary iPods in 2001. With the iPod, iTunes online music became extremely popular. All of the major music recording companies provide music lovers with numerous online music download options. Recent trends suggest that the music industry of the future would be dominated by the digital format of music. That said, with the advent of the Internet and the increased ability of non-industrialists to collaborate, share and sell music, the industry is coming up against great difficulties. Larger companies are threatened as smaller, leaner organizations find innovative ways of providing consumers with high-quality music.