I realize that this is the last post going into this blog and i got so caught up in relay for life I totally forget to write it…

I hope everyone that read this realizes how important music is to everyday life. We all love some form of music weather it is rock or hip-hop or latin or Classical… Music is music. Every piece of music out this is related. I want you to know how crucial it is for students to have a music class. How music teaches life lessons and goals; helps you take in information making it easier to reach the standards you set for yourself. Dedication, self decipline, knowledge, confidence and teamwork are just a few things music teaches us. I would just like everyone to realize how much more there is to music. Music forces people to work together as a team because nothing can be done by yourself.

Music is magical…

What if I told you that Music makes you smarter?

Would you believe me?

Well you should… It is a proven fact that music has an affect on how people learn. Many neurologists have studied what music does to the brain and have found out that it raises SAT scores. 

Believe me yet?

The Mystery of Music: How It Works In the Brain

The link above is an article that ran in the New York Times in 1995. I am actually using it for my research paper but i thought it would be an interesting thing to touch on in my blog. 

The article talks about how the brain takes in music. Language and music are closely related. When you speak you don’t talk in one solid tone… when you ask a question the pitch rises and everyone has a different pitched voice… so Music is registered into the brain as a whole bunch of pitches, makes sense. From there It memorizes the pattern so then the more you listen to a piece of music the more you remember it and the whole process of trying “record” the pitch pattern doesn’t happen. Interesting huh?

One other thing I already knew but thought I would share is if you listen to any classical artist while you study for an exam you are more likely to remember the information than if you were to study in silence. The music gets the brain thinking and like i said before it records the pitch pattern… so therefore if you listen to classical music while studying (which both the brain is running) you learn the material.

One last fact that is intriguing is you know how the left side of the brain is mostly for math, science and speech and the right is for the arts well… because language and music are so closely related there are cells on both sides of the brain that deal with those pitches… of course the right specializes in arts and the left specializes in math and science but still it is pretty kool!

 

I urge you all to look over the article… but be-careful… you might learn something

Just this past week I have realized that I have run into a major road block…. I noticed that music is such a general topic with many different aspects. I think from now on I am going to focus more around the topic of Music Eduaction.

I would like to bring to everyones attention that Some schools are looking into getting rid of their music programs. How many of you were in Band and/or Chorus at some point of your elementary/middle/High school career? Yes maybe it wasnt the most awesome class ever and maybe playing an instrument or singing isnt your thing but look at it this way:

1. You have a cool hobby

2. To stay in band till High school well you must have kinda liked it

3. Some schools went on trips

4. Lessons— They get you out of class! thats always a plus

5. Band/ Chorus was always a good time… Yes you were forced to practice but in the long run in a group of people that big… something funny is bound to happen… and it was always just a nice place for you to escape all the exams and lectures and essays and tests… and just play music and have a good time.

Save the Music If you click on this link you will find statics… yea I know way boring BUT…. actually really interesting…. It shows how the arts help students and how it helps them learning and growing wise and i think you should take 5 minutes to read it.

I would like to hear your guys imput on Band/Chorus believe me i know its not for everyone but it was always fun and like i said in my last blog… it is just as important as sports

I don’t know how many of you know this but during the March and April is a music in our schools month. This is a celebration of public school music departments. Concert Bands, Jazz bands and choirs from Elementary to Highschool perform up here in Albany showing their talent and why we need music programs in Public Schools. Music is a way for the students to find a hobby and just enjoy working with people to be great. Some schools feel that Athletics are more important than the music programs.

How could they say musicians aren’t athletes? For all wind players and singers they use air so that could be considered a form of aerobics and the technicality that all instrumentalists need it takes alot of practice and exercises to be better. Plus the fact that usually musicians perform in a group so it is a team effort to excel. Just becuase musicians arent running around catching a ball does not make us any less important than athletes. Besides music is everywhere… how could you have a championship celebration in a movie with out EPIC music playing behind it? Without the music it would not be as rewarding of a scene as it is with the music. At HS football games who gets the crowd wild up? yes the cheerleaders…. but the Peep Band as well.

What I’m trying to get at is Music is in some cases more important than Sports. Or at least just as equal. Children need music in the schools. Band is a way to get away from all the other lecture classes and homework. The concerts you perform in are just as rewarding as getting an A on a test. Plus you get to learn how to play an instrument or sing and your ability to do that will stay with you forever. Yes you might get a little rusty but you will still remember how to play and that is a great hobby and experience to carry with you through life. Being in a Band or Chorus teaches you not only a cool hobby but how to work with people and be part of a team and honestly put yourself out there for people to criticize and improve yourself. It is a big learning experience and a fun one at that.

While I was ranting to my mother about not know what to write about she told me about this article she read in the Sunday Parade paper.

When I say Platinum Records and Huge Hits a few names come to mind like… The Beatles, The King- Elvis Presly, Earth Wind and Fire, Frank Sinatra and….. Mariah Carey?

Well I dont know how many of you use AOL radio but Mariah Carey has her own channel…

The article in Parade magazine is an interview with Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey was discovered at the age of 18 with an amazing 8-octave singing range so its no wonder she has sold more than 160 million records worldwide and charted 17 No. 1 singles—tied with Elvis Presley and three fewer than the Beatles. Carey is currently signed with Island/Def records and has made an incredible comeback with her multiplatinum album The Emancipation of Mimi. Mariah Carey isnt my favorite singers every but how could you not love Heartbreaker or Always be my baby or Shake it off. Lets face it… Mariah Carey isnt going anywhere for a long time.  For more on the article about Mariah Carey Click here!

I didnt realize how many people are actually on the platinum list. Its amazing… you forget about some people sometimes so just to recape about how awesome music is… you can find the top selling artists of all time here.

As for new music… I think we should all take a look at what music was… and appreciate where the music of today has come from… So…. I think we should all pick an artist from ”The Most Awesome Musicians Ever” list. Enjoy!

I found this really interesting article today while trying to figure out what i should talk about now.

click here!

I know sometimes You guys dont read articles but if you are super into the music industry i think you will really appreciate it.

The author makes a point that the spread of music downloading programs (legal and illegal) make it possible for consumers to by 1-2 good songs than spending the money on a cd to just get the 1-2 songs. I run into that problem all the time so i find Itunes convenient for the 1 song that i want from an album. I also find the second point the author makes about there being a fewer amount of radio stations and the radio stations that do exsist play a very tight slection of songs… making it hard for other people to join the radio business. She also continues to talk about how cd sales affects stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Target that have huge sections of thier store devoted to music sales.

The demand for music is at its all time highest now. Music is at your fingertips everytime you go online- between music videos, online radio, pdocasting and downloading programs. Now phones are being made to hold music like an mp3 player and ringtones are very popular. Music is everywhere and its not changing anytime soon.

So in conclusion, The sale of cds is not just beneficial to everyone from the artist to the store where it is being sold.

When I say careers in music most people think of your usual pop stars and Music teachers in school… well I’ll have you know there are so many jobs you could get in the music world. You have your the music publishing branch, The studio recording branch, Instrumental repair, Performance and Teaching to name a few. Each section adds their own very important flavor to the industry. There are hundreds of people in the music industry that go into producing one CD. You have the studio recorders, the song writers, the back-up band, the publicist, the producer and many more people that I cant even think of. It is funny that the people that get the most credit for the cd is the artist that happens to have a good voice to sing the songs written for them and/or in a band’s case at least they wrote their own songs. I’m not saying the singer is band but the other people that worked on that CD put the same amount of work into it and never get any credit. Its amazing how much work goes into music and how many people it takes to make a masterpiece.

Here is a list of the many careers in the music field, approximite salaries, personal Qualifications, Knowledge and skills, Recommended Precollege Training, and Recommended College Education and Training. There is always somthing in the music idustry for everyone… weather it is performance or recording. The Music industry is a huge growing field with many opportunities.

For new music I would like to introduce you to playradioplay! They are kinda mellow but so good. They have a soft sound but are so unique lyrics and music wise.

I’m going to get away from the topic of the Music Industry and talk about a new advancement for music education. The new program is called Smart Music.

Smart Music is an educational tool for practicing. The program is designed to play with the student practicing.  Say you are a soloist that has a gig coming up and wants to practice with the accompaniment before meeting with your pianist… well Smart Music makes that possible. The program has over 30,000 titles and will play the accompaniment part along with the soloist. It has a microphone that listens to the player making it possible for the program to follow and changes in tempo. Smart Music will also give a detailed feedback of how the performance went. Amazing…

I cant believe this tool. As a flutist sometimes getting together with an accompanist is hard since you don’t have the same schedules.  Smart Music makes it possible to practice the piece with the accompaniment part. It helps so you can get used to hearing the part behind you because it is sometimes very difficult to get pieces to go together right.

Because of this new program though pianist are put at a disadvantage. They are mostly the ones that accompany a soloist and if the soloist has this program why would they need a pianist? Well of course the real thing is always better than a computer or CD, but for practice wise i think this is a wonderful addition to the music world.

I would like to take the time and talk about Across the Universe. Even though it is a move it is centered around the music of one of the worlds biggest rock stars The Beatles. flimcritic

Across the Universe is a movie musical. It was inspired by The Beatles. It features songs like “All my loving”, “Let it be”, “I am the Walrus”, “While my Guitar weeps”, “All you need is love”, and “Across the Universe” just to name a few– about 30 Beatles songs were used in the picture. The writers of the movie carfully picked songs that would compliment the movie. They wanted to show how the 60’s were from the war to the drugs. The art in the movie is beautiful… it really has a powerful meaning. Everything in the movie was Outstandingly done. It is a very well thought out movie, I don’t think i have ever seen finer filming ever… really. Across the Universe is full of laughs, tears, music, peace, drugs, art, army, riots and of course love. I strongly suggest anyone who likes The Beatles… well anyone has ever heard of them to see this movie.

Music-wise in the movie they arrange each song specifically for how they want it to come across…. so not everything is a pop song. It is really beautiful what they could do with songs that are so simple. Elliot Goldenthal was the music producer/ composer for the movie. At least check out some of the songs. Just a taste

As I was looking for articles about Across the Universe I stumbled upon this. Inspired by Across the Universe, People have made a list of other bands whose music should be made into a movie. Kind of interesting… Do you think this is positive for the music industry? I think from putting scenes behind the music gives a different meaning for the lyrics but also limits people to viewing it in one way. It like making a book into a movie. Although it does help the artist to be more popular maybe to people that wouldn’t usually listen to them.

I dont know how many of you watched the Grammy Awards last Sunday but it rocked. It included performances by The Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys with John Mayer, and Beyonce with Tina Turner… just to name a few.

Amy Winehouse was nominated for 6 Grammy awards and was asked to perform but it wasn’t your normal performance. Her application for a United States visa was rejected by the American Embassy in London. It was up in the air for awhile if she was going to be able to perform or not since she wasn’t able to get to the states. Amy ended up performing via satellite in London at the Grammys. she also walked away with 5 trophies for- Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year.

Amazing Jazz Singer, Aretha Franklin also performed at the Grammys. Aretha was very offended when Beyonce called Tina Turner “The Queen”. Aretha Franklin was the true Queen of Soul not Tina Turner. The full story can be found here.

Anyway for more information about the Grammys: from the Red Carpet to Behind the scenes check it out here. The list of nominees and winners can be found here and the performances can be watched here.

As for New Music… I don’t know how many of you have heard of Secret and Whisper but i seriously just found them. They kind of sound like Boys like Girls but a little heavier. Definatly should check them out. Click! Enjoy!