Megastar Beyonce has spent the better part of 2009 touring the all over on her hugely successful I Am…World tour. Those who didn’t get a chance to see her when she dropped by their cities will now have the chance to see what the show was all about when Beyonce releases her brand new live CD and DVD, I Am…Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas. The Beyonce music videos are some of the most popular in the UK currently.

Taped August 2nd during a four-show stint in Las Vegas, the CD/DVD will feature Beyonce performing her many hits including her chart toppers Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and the iconic Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). She’ll also take a stroll down memory lane with a medley of songs made famous with her former group, Destiny’s Child.

The set will be released on November 23rd, facing competition with big named acts like Rihanna and Adam Lambert, both releasing new full length albums the same day. Beyonce will surely receive a healthy sales boost during release week when she takes part in a Thanksgiving special November 26th. The hour-long special will air 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.

A fireworks extravaganza is heading to Belvoir Castle on Saturday With a stunning back drop to set things away..
MLE Pyrotechnics is host to this for the 2nd go and is having the event in the grounds of the Duke of Rutland’s family house with the crowds acting as judges.

One of the organisers Vanessa Lawrence, said: “It’s a really good place to be having such a night. The fireworks reflect as if by magic in the liquid as they are set off from behind the lake.”

Visitors will be treated to three companies from across the country vying for that extra wow factor to win over the audience’s voting.

The firms are Celebration Fireworks from Evesham, Pyromania Displays, Knaphill in Surrey and Spyrotechnics from Chesterfield with each putting on a 10 to 15 minute display to music. But the extravaganza doesn’t wrap up on that point.

prior to the contest there will be a presentation to learn about the different types of fireworks and see how the teams use them to make their marvelous exhibits that dance to the music.

and to cap it of a exciting pyro-musical presentation by the organisers will be done while the guests are voting

With origins in 2002 this annual event, has seen brilliant success. Such respected titles as British Champions, British Musical Champions and Fireworks Champions has been won by the three lead professional firework companies

And it’s more than fireworks, a Khoom Fay or Sky Lanterns are seen to fill the sky as they softly float in the distance.

Parking and camping is of avail on site and from 5pm visitors can arrive so get a picnic or enjoy the solid food and beverage available from certified vendors while unwinding in Belvoir Castles exquisite grounds

Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (replaced in 1966 by Ian McLagan).

They are best remembered as possibly one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s,with hit songs such as “Itchycoo Park”, “Lazy Sunday”, “All or Nothing”, “Tin Soldier”, and their concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. They later evolved into one of the UK’s most successful psychedelic acts before disbanding in 1969. After the Small Faces disbanded, three of the members were joined by Ronnie Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (lead vocals), both from The Jeff Beck Group, and the new line-up was renamed the Faces.

They are also widely acknowledged as being one of the biggest original influences on the Britpop movement of the 1990s.

Despite the fact they were together just four years in their original incarnation, the Small Faces’ music output from the mid to late sixties remains among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of that era. (A revived version of the band also existed from 1975 to 1978.)

In 1996, Small Faces were belatedly awarded the Ivor Novello Outstanding Contribution to British Music “Lifetime Achievement” award.

Pearl Jam will release their 8th studio album sometime in May 06 - the first single to be released will be called “World Wide Suicide”.

The Deftones have just finished recording there new un-named album expect a release
Date around June 06 time.

Metal band Cold have decided to call it a day after 10 years and 4 albums, however
Singer Scooter Ward and Drummer Sam McCandless will start a new project.

Alice in Chains have recently re-formed for shows this summer Guitarist Jerry
Cantrell,
Drummer Sean Kinney, and Bassist Mike Inez will be joined by their chosen singer
as
of yet no news on the new singer.

Korn, Clutch and the Deftones will play at this years Download Festival on the 10th
of
June the same day that Metallica will play. The Download Festival runs from the
9-11
of June.

Pantera’s DVD’s- It’s been reported that Pantera will have there “3 vulgar videos
from
hell” released as a triple disc DVD in April the DVD’s will feature all of the bands
video
clips and live footage.

Rock band Down are considering returning to do a third album the band that
features 2 ex members of Pantera Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown might be in the
studio very soon some European tour dates might be announced as well.

For more rock and metal news please visit:
http://www.rockandmetaldomain.co.uk/news_section.htm

It’s all over the news these days. Download music from the Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are completely legal.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) aggressively prosecutes copyright violators. And well they should - it’s piracy plain and simple. But there are millions of free mp3 downloads legally available. RIAA doesn’t want you to know this and wants you to believe any music downloads you don’t pay for are illegal.

You’ll quickly attract RIAA’s attention by using file-sharing services like Kazaa and Grokster. The technology is not illegal (yet), but using it to share downloadable music is at best a grey area. And make no mistake, RIAA can and will find you!

How do I get Free Downloadable Music without breaking the law?

First understand the difference between restricted and unrestricted copyrights. Nearly all songs have an artist or record label copyright. Many copyrights restrict gratis downloads. But many musicians want to share their music at no charge through free downloads.

Why, you might ask? Some are unknowns looking for exposure, but many famous musicians know it’s in their interest to offer free downloads. It inevitably leads to more CD, concert and merchandise sales. Plus it boosts their image and popularity.

Most music download services offer a free trial period when you can download songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and the songs cost nothing. Of course they hope you’ll stay and pay the monthly membership fee, which in reality is a cheap way to expand your music collection.

Study the membership terms as some sites only allow use of the downloads while you are a member. In addition, a “free music” search will lead to sites - by or for musicians - that offer mp3 downloads for free.

MP3 players information from A to Z: player types & features, how they work, accessories,comparisons and more - plus free music download tips and info at A-Z MP3 Players.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for MP3 Players, Accessories and Information.

This article may be re-printed in its entirety, with no changes and this resource box included.
© 2005 http://www.a-z-mp3-players.com All rights reserved

Should I Buy a Digital Piano or an Upright Piano?

Digital pianos sound nothing like a real piano. Upright pianos take up too much room.
There is a lot of conflicting advice floating around.
I will give you the right piano buying advice so you can make your own decision on whether
the digital piano or the upright piano is right for your needs.

A brief history of the digital piano.
Digital pianos were invented about 20 years ago and when they where first introduced they were pretty terrible, the keys were much too light, spongy and nothing like a real piano. The sound was incredibly bright and the sampling was quite dreadful. You couldn’t really say that it sounded much like a piano at all.
These digital pianos also looked nothing like a real acoustic piano, they had ugly, plastic lookin cases that didn’t match any type of furniture in the room. If guests came around it was almost an embarrassment to have this ugly plastic looking machine in the living room. My how things have changed over the last 20 years!

A brief history of the upright piano.
The upright piano was invented in 1709 by the Italian Cristofori. It was a four octave instrument compared to the seven and a quarter octave instrument of today, with hammers striking the strings just as they do on a modern upright piano. The instrument was invented to meet the need to control dynamics by touch, which could not be achieved on the harpsichord.
The early upright piano went through many changes before it emerged as the instrument we all know today. The Cristofori piano was wing shaped like grand pianos, it had a curved body and a lid that could be elevated. There were also square pianos in which the strings ran from left to right as on the clavichord. And by 1800, there were upright pianos whose strings ran perpendicular to the keyboard. Other names commonly used are: vertical piano or acoustic piano, they mean essentially the same thing.
A typical old fashioned upright piano, tall upright standing, ivory keys, beautiful wood, moulded carvings, stylish legs and brass candlestick holders. The old pianos always had a beautiful warm tone because they were made with quality materials and real wood. The soundboard was seasoned for ages which in turn created a resonant and sustaining tone. The superior quality meant that your piano would easily last a lifetime.

Moving on to modern times
These days your typical starter piano is mass produced in China, Indonesia or Korea with very cheap materials, soundboards made out of trees that were probably knocked down the day before and thrown together as quickly as possible to get distributed around the world.
Well maybe it is not quite as bad as this, but anyway i am sure you get my point.

You can find a list of upright pianos here:
upright pianos for sale

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF ACOUSTIC AND DIGITAL PIANOS

Advantages of Digital Pianos:
1) You can plug in headphones so nobody can hear you play.

2) You can turn the volume up or down.
3) You can record your music on the instrument itself, or to disc, smart media, floppy etc.
4) You can experiment with lots of different instrument sounds
5) Due to their light weight, digital pianos can easily be moved from room to room
6) Your digital piano will never need tuning or maintenance, which will save you a small fortune.
7) You can download songs from the web and play them on your instrument. (Normally the more expensive digital pianos offer this facility).
Digital pianos are very reasonably priced for what they are. You can pick one up from as little as £400.
9) Digital pianos take up less space than the acoustic piano. They are slightly shorter in length, much lower in height and most importantly about 2/3rds the depth (front to back) of an acoustic piano, thus saving you valuable space

Disadvantages of Digital Pianos:
1) The value of your piano depreciates very quickly.
2) New models are introduced every 2-3 years making your piano even less valuable and harder to sell
3) The sound is electronic and although improvements have been made, it will never sound like the real thing.
4) The touch is slighter lighter than a real piano and the key balance isn’t perfect.
5) The digital piano’s appearance is not as appealing as an acoustic piano and is made from plastic and chipboard. It can easily get damaged if moved around.
6) The outer casing is difficult and expensive to repair if damage has been done
7) Digital pianos are very expensive to repair if anything goes wrong with the mechanics or electronics
9) The warranty is normally quite short, anything form 1 year to 3 years.

Advantages of Upright Pianos
1) Your piano will hold its value over time and if it is looked after it will normally increase over a longer period (normally 20 years plus)
2) The piano has natural acoustic sounds which is produced by the hammer striking the string and then amplified by the soundboard.
3) The piano is made from wood, sometimes MDF and is very strong.
4) If the piano’s outer casing is damaged it can be repaired easily and fairly cheaply by a French polisher.
5) If there is a problem with the piano mechanically, it can normally be fixed by a piano tuner very quickly and cheaply. (With the exception of old pianos that normally need a lot of work).
6) The touch of a real piano is second to none. The deep, rich natural tones enable you to really enjoy playing music.
7) You normally get a long warranty with acoustic pianos, anywhere from 5-10 years.

Disadvantages of Upright Pianos
1) The upright piano is extremely heavy (can weigh 175kg upwards) and is almost impossible to maneuver without the help of professional piano movers
2) The volume of the piano cannot be turned up or down, it is reliant on the player to control this.
3) The piano needs tuning regularly (normally twice a year) and can cost in the region of £40-£60 a time.
4) The piano will need the occasional maintenance (every 5-10 years)
5) A good, well made piano can be quite expensive (Usually £2500 upwards)
6) Upright pianos take up a lot of room, especially the grands and the taller uprights.
7) They can mark your floor if you try to move them even the slightest bit and because of the immense weight, the wheels or feet leave deep indentations in your floor over a period of time

I hope this article has helped you in your piano buying quest.

About The Author

Henry Howard is known as ‘The Guru of Music’ and has written piano and musical instrument articles for many sites on the internet. He is currently writing for http://www.Soundsmusical.com, one of the leading piano sites on the web.

Do as you please with this article but keep my links in tact.

Welcome readers first of all let me introduce myself my name is Matthew White I have recently set up a website called “Rock And Metal Domain” its a website based on rock and metal music.

Not just rock and metal but all types of rock and metal music such as thrash, speed
metal, death metal, and hardcore.

There a various sections of the website that might interest you we have the “news
section” that gets updated on a regular basis the news section contains news about
all the things happening in the rock and metal world such as band news, new album
releases and various rumours.

Next we have a section called “Bands Of The Week” this section contains some of the
best metal and rock bands that I hand pick each and every Wednesday and post
them on my site there are also links to there websites so you can check out there
music.

Next there is a section called “Artists” this page contains many different Rock and
Metal bands in the industry today it also contain detailed descriptions of there work,
Track listings and links to there official websites the section also contains mp3
music
samples so you can sample some of their music work there is also a link to a site
where you can purchase there albums at a affordable price you just click on there
album covers.

Also on my site there is a section called “Hot Links” this generally contains links to
other music related sites i.e. mp3 music

There you have it so why not check out my site you can find my site at:
http://www.rockandmetaldomain.co.uk/

Thanks

Matthew White

If you are one of the thousands of people in the country that are beginning to get crazy about karaoke, this will help you pick the best karaoke music out there. In a can, karaoke music is a music file that has no voice so people can sing along with it.

People love singing, whether they are professionals or newbies, singing is a really great way to release stress and have fun. If you are new in the karaoke craze, you must be thinking about the things that you should sing or do in order to sing well. Singing is not really as hard as it seems, most karaoke machines can even change the pitch and tone of the music to suit your voice quality. To help you out, here are some tips that you can follow to find the best karaoke music fit for you.

The standards

Whether you are singing in a bar or in your own living room, the standards are the best songs to start with. The reason for this is they are the easiest to sing. This type of music is usually pop songs and slow. Most Karaoke CD’s contain music for the standards genre since most beginners prefer it. Aside from this, these songs are usually so popular so you can follow the lyrics and the tone easily.

The divas circle

Intermediate to advance singers prefer this type of music. This really takes an effort on the singer’s end. Usually this karaoke music is filled with love songs with all those high pitched bridges. However, the main point of singing in karaoke is the enjoyment that comes with it. If you think you have the guts to sing these songs, just enjoy the moment and don’t think about what people will say.

Rock and alternative

Most young male karaoke singers prefer this type of music. This genre usually consist songs from rock and alternative bands. Men prefer this type of music since they can easily identify with them. From old school rock namely the doors to something new like Maroon 5, these songs can really get you in the groove and enjoy the moment.

The classics

It’s impossible that you have never heard a Frank Sinatra song inside a karaoke bar. The people who love this type of music are usually the older ones. However through karaoke music younger people are starting to appreciate these songs that are no longer played in the airwaves. Singing the classics is usually easy, but you have to make sure that you practice its phrasing first and you have heard the original score. Most classics have a way different tone and pitch with the popular songs today.

What type of music to sing

This is entirely a personal choice. Singing is a very personal enjoyment, if you feel like singing any song that you like; don’t feel the pressure of not being able to sing it well. Karaoke singing was primarily made for enjoyment and not to compete with people. And if you are a really karaoke enthusiast, then you should try different type of karaoke music as much as you like. Sometimes you would not know that you appreciate a certain type of music until you listen to it and sing it.

Karaoke has been so popular that it has included every major type of music in its play list. If you frequently go into a bar to sing in a karaoke, then you should look for the diversity of the bar’s play list so you can enjoy more. If you have your on karaoke machine in the house, then it’s best that you try different genres and experiment on your own voice quality. Remember, the main point in karaoke singing is the enjoyment, so pick up that microphone and start singing your heart out.

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides Karaoke resources on http://www.yourkaraokeguide.com

I’ll never forget it. Several years ago I was on my way to see KISS in concert (first time seeing them with makeup, I might add) with a good friend of mine. She was interested in music as I was; she had taken piano lessons for ten years or so. Inevitably the conversation during the drive turned to music…all different aspects of it.

We got to the subject of what exactly music instrument lessons really teach you, and I asked her a very simple theory question: “What is the chord spelling for a minor chord?” (in case you are wondering, the answer is 1, flat 3, 5…more on this in later articles).

I was shocked to find out that she had absolutlely NO idea what I was talking about.

I tried to explain to her the basic theory behind this question, but see seemed to get more confused as we went. I just could not understand how someone that had taken lessons for ten years could not have the slightest inclination as to what she was playing. She stated “all I ever was taught was how to read music - what notes on the page corresponds to what key on the piano”.

This simple conversation had shown me how important it was to at least have some sort of understanding of basic music theory. I know…there are many, many guitar players and musicians out there that are perfectly happy with their level of knowledge ( my brother-in-law has been trying to learn guitar for the past year simply to be a chick-magnet).

I guess my point is this: going beyond the chord books and scale charts and guitar tab and standard music notation is this living, breathing “thing” that you can’t really appreciate until you “get into it”. I have found that once you get the urge to develop more knowledge about theory, it can be hard to stop. Granted, everyone has a level where they are comfortable…but you would be doing yourself and your music a dis-service by not trying to get to that point. It kind of struck me as sad that I would never be able to jam with my friend and be able to yell out “follow me - play a 1-4-5 12 bar blues in ‘E’”.

Do I know or claim to know everything about theory? Absolulely not…but I am comfortable with the level I am at. I can sit in with any rock back and hold my own. Now jazz on the other hand…I know I would have to do some work. But you know what? That’s OK!

By the way (just in case you were wondering)…the concert was AWESOME!!!

For years, you have been searching for a song lodged in your brain that is driving you nuts. Unfortunately, you have forgotten both the song title and the artist and all you remember are a few words. Don’t you wish you could just name that tune once and for all so that you can get on with your life??

Below is a simple yet surprisingly effective procedure for naming that tune when all you have are a few song snippets and some hazy memories. Your search will draw from the voluminous Usenet archives which contain one of the largest repositories of searchable song fragments on the Internet.

1. Write down the most unique words and phrases of whatever song fragments you can remember. Jog your memory by brainstorming on the following: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
   • The “who” could include the singer, the person(s) to whom the song is addressed, the subject of the song (e.g., as in a ballad), or any other person, animal, fictional character, or even cartoon character. Tip: If you can remember any first names, surnames, nicknames, titles, and proper nouns, you may already have an important clue as to what the title of your “mystery song” could be.
   • The “what” could include any material objects, ideas, concepts, or events that may be central to the theme or otherwise contribute in some way to the story line. The possibilities here are endless, e.g., relationships, phone numbers, first dates, current events, modes of transportation, symbolic objects, the supernatural, anatomy, flora and fauna, food and beverages, drugs and alcohol, etc. (you name it).
   • The “when” could be the time of day, a season, a day of the week, or a year.
   • The “where” could be a city, state, or country, a street address, a locale, or a direction (e.g., East, West).
   • The “why” could be an expression of love, a social commentary, or a lament about a relationship gone sour.
2. Try to remember other words and phrases that stand out in any way, e.g., colors, descriptive adjectives, acronyms, numbers, greetings, foreign language words and phrases, sets of rhyming words, and incongruous, nonsensical, or bizarre phrases (e.g., “Crystal Blue Persuasion”).
3. Pay special attention to any repeating words and phrases as may occur, e.g., in a chorus or refrain, as they often point directly to the song title.
4. Verify correct spellings (names can be especially tricky) and also allow for all possible alternate spellings and misspellings as often found in Usenet postings. Here are some alternate representations of some words often found in pop tunes: tonight/tonite; love/luv; going/gonna; want to/wanna; night/nite; out of/outa; you/ya, u; and/’n. Also, for words ending in “ing” an ending apostrophe (’) is often substituted for the ending “g.” (To cover all bases, try searching on a word both with and without its ending “g.”)
5. Right click here (to open in a new window) to access the Google Advanced Groups Search form. Enter the word “music” and up to 9 words in the “with all of the words” field. (Tip: To get as many search results on one page as possible select “100 messages” for number of results to display.)
6. If your initial search results look hopeless, cut and paste your word set in the “with at least one of the words” field, leaving “music” in the “with all of the words” field.
7. If you are getting too many hits and your song is not on the first page of search results, narrow your search using any of the following methods as appropriate.
   • Remove any unnecessary “OR”s in the search box at the top of the first page of search results. (To be systematic, shave off one “OR” at a time starting with the ones that are between those words about which you are most certain.)
   • If you find a group of words that occurs as a phrase in your song, enclose it in quotes.
   • Sometimes, certain common words such as “I,” “a,” “was,” and “in” may be ignored in a Google search, even when the entire phrase is enclosed in quotes. In case that happens, just repeat your search with a “+” sign in front of any word that was ignored the first time around.
8. Repeat Step 7 as necessary. It is generally best to experiment with one permutation at a time. As you try different combinations, this will further jog your memory and you can weed out any words you discover to be incorrect.
9. If your first word set does not pan out, try a new set or change one or more words in your original set (e.g., see the tips above on alternate word spellings).
10. Repeat Steps 5-9 until you find your song (hurray!). If you have no luck with Google Groups repeat your search on Google. Good luck in your song search!

Amy Gold

(c) Copyright 2005, allbutforgottenoldies.net

Amy Gold is the webmaster of http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/. Visit her website where you can search and browse thousands of song titles from 1960-1975 with links to audio clips. Her website also has interviews, RSS feeds, and many tips and resources of interest to oldies music collectors and other music hobbyists.