English Corpus

After several years of studying the art of music and being

Involved in the music business/marketing I have learned a

lot of important lessons that apply to all business and even

people’s lives.

Most of my study has been in the field of music marketing, but as the wheels of my mind have been turning and with the experience I’ve had with Direct Sales, I want to encourage you

to explore this as a way to expand your business…and provide

a new outlet of fun for yourself too!

Why in the world do you want to spend time listening to music?

If you’re like me, you’re business life is already too consuming and you need to spend less time on non-related activities,

not more!

First, it’s FUN! Here’s your chance to let your true being come

to be fulfilled in a way that is unique and visceral. Everyone has

a need to hear music, and everyone seeks out new music as well as

the classics. Your business might already employ music in one way

or another. It would, without a doubt, benefit your business if you

yourself were more content in your day to day life, and music that

has real soul and conveys real feelings helps you concentrate on all

the things you must concentrate on the function as a professional.

At my newest job which is press/publicity with Wichita Falls Records

I am feeling gratified and fulfilled because we release only what is

considered to be non-commercial, real music by artists that uplift the

human spirit. Case in point: the LP’s by Frank Lee Sprague “Merseybeat”

and his new release “CAVERN”. I was watching a cable news program the

other day and a very well known figure in the business world Stuart

Varney was talking about sales in the music business. He made a remark

about how the music used to “mean something” and was referring to his

favorite band the Beatles. I sent him an email describing the LP’s by

Frank Lee Sprague and how the music on these releases is in the same

vein as the Beatles releases in that they contain real melodies, chords,

lyrics, etc.

I think that in the flood of releases nowadays you can get lost in the

plastic style of music that is out there and unfortunately lose faith

in the music industry. There have been numerous reports on the declining

sales and the fact that digital downloads are now outselling CD’s due

to the fact that people can choose which songs off of an album to buy

instead of buying the whole LP with “filler” songs.

I would encourage everyone who reads this to check out the 2 aforementioned

LP’s which are available everywhere. I think they can better your life.

But since this is not an advertisement by any means, then seek out

whatever music makes you happy and make that part of your life because

music will better your life in my opinion.

You’ll see… it’ will stretch your mind and increase your own productivity.

Second, it’s profitable. As you will clear your mind and accomplish what you

set out to do.

Third, it sets you apart. Everyone has their own taste in music.

How to start? Here are some quick suggestions:

1. Go to www.wichitafallsrecords.com or www.frankleesprague.com

2. Pick your favorite music from all that is available.

3. Write down your thoughts about the songs in list form. Look through the list and find some that really stand out for you.

4. Take a risk and have a good friend read and critique your thoughts. Be open to their ideas and rewrite again.

So much information is available online for maximizing this avenue of marketing. Take advantage of it … and watch your business grow!

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Playing a guitar without vibrato is like eating Mexican food without salsa. Vibrato is one of the most definitive techniques in defining your musical style, your own personal unique sound. No two players have the same vibrato sound. Some play slow and wide while others play narrow and fast, and that’s the beauty behind spending a lot of time learning different vibrato techniques. It’s like eating different salsa’s every time you go to your favorite taco stand. Enough talk about food, lets talk technique.

Vibrato is sometimes confused with tremolo. Basically it is just a technique of vibrating the string sharp and flat around a root note. For example if you are playing the 7th fret on the 3rd string with your 3rd finger on your fret hand you can just push the note up slightly and them pull it down slightly. Do this in quick succession so the over riding effect is a “wobbly” tone around the root note you are playing. Use your hand, wrist, and arm to make the movements. Never just wiggle a finger. Some people use a technique of pulling the string down towards the floor and then releasing back up.

Try this in a variety of speeds and levels of bending during your vibrato. The trick is to be consistent and smooth with your motion. If you are playing a slow blues riff then you may want to slow down and make a wide circular motion with the string, or if you are playing a fast rock lick you may just ad a fast narrow vibrato to accent the final note in a run.

It is possible to add vibrato using any finger you play with, but it is most commonly done with the first and third finger on the fret hand. Using your first finger is a bit trickier. I usually use my first finger for fast vibratos similar to BB Kings style. I will literally lift my other finger far off the fret board, press down and just “vibrate” the string as fast and as open as possible. That’s funny the work vibrato is a lot like vibrate, because that’s actually what you are doing vibrating the string.

When you combine vibrato with string bending, harmonics and legato techniques you begin to discover the musician inside of you. Playing guitar is about discovering your inner flow of creativity and having the techniques to be able to express them. Vibrato is one of the more personal and effective techniques. As with all aspect of playing guitar you need to experiment with these techniques, and most of all have fun!

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The marital toy business has observed a massive increase in business since the 1960s. This is part of the sexual revolution and an enormous benefit to mankind. Sex toys are a stunning way to increase passion into your sex life, sexy toys will help you come to orgasm and sexy aids regularly put a cheeky grin on your face. Never spend an evening alone with Sex Dolls.

Whichever super marital toy you decide to acquire this Christmas let your needs be your guide. If you are into bondage play then go and acquire yourself a leather whip. if you are into romance then go and acquire yourself some chocolate body paint. Keep your eyes open and see where it takes you.

The most preferred sexy aids on the market have got to be the vibrating sex toys. These astonishing marital toys have been all over the place for years and you have presumably seen one in your local sex toy retailer. Vibrating sex toys come in a variety of lengths and colours, you can get them in a small size for your handbag right up to 13 inches. The wonder of a vibrator is the stunning vibration that it gives off, this vibration is the primary source of orgasm for chicks and might well usually be changed in vibration to suit the woman. Sexual toys are superb.

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More music fans than ever are looking to download music online.

However, many people become overwhelmed by their downloading choices - and are unsure which music solution will best fit their needs and desires. And here’s a more serious concern…

When searching for free music to download, you can get confusing and conflicting information about the legalities involved. It’s true. Many people have unanswered questions about p2p file sharing networks, and the risk of being targeted (and possibly sued) by the Recording Industry Association of America someday.

But even with the threat of RIAA lawsuit risks, more people than ever are using p2p programs than ever before. Why?

The answer for the continued popularity of p2p networks, despite the controversy surrounding file sharing, can be found in a revealing online music survey. The Pew Internet survey (conducted in October 2003) found that more than two-thirds of Internet users who download music online say that they do not care if it is copyrighted.

According to the survey, those looking to download music online cited many reasons for their ambivalence towards copyright issues, including:

- They feel that CD prices are too high.

- Too little profit goes to artists.

- It’s a way to sample new music BEFORE buying the CD.

- The music may not be available offline, such as indie music.

- They feel they are entitled to “fair use” of the music they’ve purchased.

Although these survey results are bad news for the RIAA, lawsuit risks remains very real if copy-righted music is downloaded or shared illegally online.

And even though it’s true that the RIAA has lost court cases in the past against Morpheus and Grokster, this has only caused the recording industry to shift their tactics to targeting individual file sharers instead. Furthermore, it’s no secret that the RIAA will continue their current campaign of suing those who are illegally sharing copy-righted material.

So how do you download music online - the right way? Here are some useful tips:

1) Do your research - Take the time to compare all of the online music download options available for you to choose from.

2) Get the facts - Learn about the critical differences between the legal music sites VS the file sharing networks.

3) Stay legal - You should NEVER reproduce, distribute or publicly share copyrighted material online.

4) Choose a legal site - In using a legal music service (such as Napster, iTunes, Musicmatch On Demand or eMusic) you’ll get 100% legal, worry-free music downloads.

Also when researching any online music site, if you can’t get your questions and concerns answered from the website itself, be sure to email them directly to try to get the answers you’re looking for. If you fail to get a response, or feel the reply was inadequate, that is probably a sign that it’s time to move on to another online music download site.

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There are a lot of companies out there today that have all of their entire sales on the Internet. They only thing that slows them down is attracting customers to their web sites in order to make the sale. They are willing to pay others to do some of their advertising for them by using affiliate internet marketing web sites to get the business directed in their way. This is where I have come in. I create a web site that attracts the customers and then direct to the larger retailers. For each one that buys from my direction. I get paid.

I just happened to have been born creative I guess. I also have developed a large interest in the possibilities of the Internet. Now I know I am not the only one and that there are a lot of different ways to make money on the Internet but I think I have found the best. What I am doing is developing affiliate internet marketing web sites that attract people in search of products. Each person that I attract is redirected to the sellers web site and I get paid for those people that buy from them. I use my creativity to attract their customers and they pay me for it, not a bad way to make a living.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

London, England–Jan 9, 2006–Luke Harrison, known as Lucius “Loopy Luke” in the world of electronic downbeat music, has a innovative new CD out titled The Five Ages of Humanity. The title is very prolific and the music, sound loops, and voice tracks you will hear tie in with the title in a most definitive way.

While Lucius has made a name for himself in the U.K., the time could not be better to breakthrough in the U.S. With the release of The Five Ages of Humanity, this becomes more of a reality with each passing day. Lucius says, “I really believe that quality infectious sounds reach into us and provokes the most humane parts of our distinction. When I find something really good and special the first thing I want to do is share it with those ready to listen.” This motif and vital form of expressionism through music and sound has endeared him to people seeking something different for entertainment, a sound that is on the cutting edge of today’s mindset. He has come a long way from being a DJ and his destiny awaits him with a new audience primed and ready for discovery.

You will find many things to relate to on The Five Ages of Humanity, John F. Kennedy giving a speech, voice tracks from science fiction movies, and much more. This comes at you in between rhythmic and pulsating beats and ambient keyboard excursions. Electronic music is no different than other genres, it has to prove it itself over and over again and artists like Lucius do just that with a high level of ingenuity and creativity manipulating sounds, instruments and voices to create a beautiful and consistently exciting soundtrack to life.

His time is right around the corner and soon you will be hearing the music of Lucius in not only your hottest nightspots but also pouring out from car speakers, music stores, and home stereos. Its not music for just anyone it is for everyone. Call it music for today or the new millennium, whatever fits for you, the bottom line is that this chill out groove is something you not will be able to resist.

Contact:

Lucius AKA Loopy Luke 46 Pershore Road Popley

Basingstoke, Ha RG24 9BQ

England

Tel: +44(0)1256422517 Cell: +44 9(0)7816195979 Website Email

PR Created and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com For Stretch The Skies

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By now you’ve probably heard of the Abba Gimme, Gimme, Gimme sampling dance club monster hit Hung Up and probably wondering if the rest of the new Madonna album Confessions On A Dance Floor is any good. Well it’s definitely good and has a string of very nicely produced tracks by the Les Rhytmes Digitales mastermind, Stuart Price, as well as a couple of other producers on the album. In Fact if you happen to have the Les Rhytmes Digitales Darkdancer album you’ll notice some similarities. The similarities of the early 1980’s sound that was present on Darkdancer and which is present on Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Of course the album gets right into the beats with Hung Up the best single off of the album. Hung Up has an infectious repetitive beat that makes you want to get up and dance. It’s catchy and definitely the strongest single off of Confessions On A Dance Floor. The next big track is Sorry which is going to be the next single off of the album. Sorry is almost as good as Hung Up but lacks a little. I assume it’s lacking the sample. Also, other good tracks on the album are Jump, Let It Will Be and Forbidden Love. The entire album is a continuous mix so as to have the feel of a DJ mix at a club. It is called Confessions On A Dance Floor after all.

Overall this is a great album but not Madonna’s best. I assume she’s getting tired of recording and finding the next sound. Perhaps she should release a remix album of her past hits. Or maybe release another Immaculate Collection. Confessions On A Dance Floor has it’s moments so it’s still worth checking out.

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There’s a lot to be said for new beginnings. I love new beginnings. One might say I live for new beginnings. There are always new friends to meet, new places to discover, new projects to develop. It’s the challenge of mystery, the exciting promise of a new adventure that draws me into the future. It’s hard to imagine why some people live their lives in a straight jacket, afraid to move. At the very least, they conform to a self imposed stereotype. Too afraid to express themselves; reluctant to change, to try anything different, they expect others to do the same.

Dennis Walsh progressofmusic@hotmail.com

Like racing down a turnpike with too many signs and far too many choices, we stream through life never sure where and when to stop and go. The human race has a history of being closed-minded. Traditions were handed down from generation to generation. We were taught what was “right” and “wrong”, “true” and “false.” We were taught what to think and what not to think. We were taught what to do and what not to do. Anyone straying away from the accepted norm was considered foolish.

Struggling to make it all work, we pass through life frustrated with it all but more determined than ever to fit into the system that puts bread on the table and gives us purpose. Pity those who do not do that. They live in a special type of hell reserved for self pity and boredom. Rising to the occasion, we spend the day complaining about the way life should be and griping about the way it is, powerless to do more than that. Like it or not we are part of the big picture regardless of those who may want us to believe we have nothing to do with the outcome.

People have an innate desire and need to create. It is part of what makes us human. Once we have created an artistic work, there is usually an immense feeling of satisfaction and resolution- a feeling that we have “made a statement”. During times of great euphoria or times of trauma, musicians compose and perform music in an attempt to describe feelings that cannot otherwise be expressed.

Creativity makes the difference between an interesting, fulfilling life and one that is not. But creativity comes with a price. Creative people work at the edge of their competence. The possibility of failure is present but that is where they get the best results. Psychologists say genius is inseparable from failure. That may be true. Creativity tends to produce great quantities of mediocrity. The difference between success and failure is when creative people produce and keep producing work without giving up. That’s when they achieve their vision.

As a song shouldn’t have to be explained and it’s up to the listener to figure out what it means, Ludwig von Beethoven, arguably the most influential composer of all time, changed the voice of classical music. Influenced by political tensions that ravaged Europe in the wake of the French Revolution, his genius produced something so unique that it caused many people to dislike him. He provoked emotional fury and frantic applause wherever he went: That made people uncomfortable. Creativity makes some people uncomfortable.

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Around nine WiFi VoIP handsets and phones have been scrutinised by leading security experts, who say that security problems range from potential denial-of-service attacks to more serious issues that allow “deep access” to the handset that lets unscrupulous individual read any sensitive information on the phone.

Such threats are inevitable. So whose responsibility is it to forestall them? it has been posited that if we see practices like this grow as these devices as used more widely then the manufacturers will only have themselves to blame when the security issues put people off VoIP altogether.

VoIP hacking is the modern days version of war dialing - a method of automatically scanning telephone numbers using a modem, usually ringing all telephone number in surrounding area to find where computers or fax machines are available, then attempting to access them by guessing passwords.

Still there are precautions users can take to protect themselves. Here’s a list of WiFi VOIP security issues, and some effective ways to guard against them:

Many points of attack:
As the VoIP phones get more sophisticated, so could the points of entry for would be hackers. Email, client Web browsers, Bluetooth, SMS, WiFi, media players, and image viewers could all provide a window of opportunity for hackers. Though users can use open-source and commercial tools to continually test their phones and networks, they’ll ultimately have to rely on vendors to also do thorough testing on these devices.

Targeting phones in public environments:
For example a Bluetooth scanner could be hidden at the entrance to a major airport or train station and be used to grab user data. It may be best to keep Bluetooth and other wireless features swicthed off when not needed.

Rogue access points:
Other than this when at the office or on the road, users will have to keep their guard up and scan for rogue access points. Unscrupulous individuals will set up access points to target specifically WiFi phones in a business environment as well as at conferences and other places business people like to get together. Decent device authentication and encryption can help provide protection here.

Targeted attacks:
Targeted attacks on specific voice-over-wireless networks may also be an issue, albeit one that the victims may try to downplay.

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Music licensing can be a very confusing subject. My intent with this article is to give you enough details on what music licensing is and what are your rights to use music in advertising and / or video productions.

A few months ago I was contacted by a company that was celebrating 20 years in business. They wanted to put together a radio commercial that highlighted their celebration. Their request was to use Kool and the Gangs song Celebration in their radio spot. I explained to them in order to do this they would have to obtain a licensing which would cost them quite a bit of money. This was not an option for them due to their limited budget and ultimately they told me that they “went another direction” with their advertising.

If I had agreed to use this song without obtaining a licensing I would have put both of our companies at risk. It was not worth the risk just to make a sale. Beware that there are unscrupulous production companies that will do this type of illegal activity so the best protection you have is knowledge.

The copyright law protects writers of music by giving them exclusive right to their music. Once a piece of music is under copyright protection it is illegal to use it without getting permission to the owner of the copyright.

There are actually two types of copyrights in the United States. One is the actual copyright which is denoted with the familiar C with a circle around it. This protection is for the actual melody, lyrics and arrangement of the music. The copyright is usually owned by the actual artist that wrote the piece or their publishing company.

The second form of copyright is the actual recording itself. This is denoted by a P with a circle around it. This protection covers the performance of the song caught on tape or digital media and released on CD or other media. Many times a record or production company will own this performance right.

If you want to use a song in a production, you need obtain a Master Use license from the owner of the copyright and a Synchronization license (often called a sync license) from the owner of the performance of the song.

The fees for synchronization licenses vary greatly. Low-end TV usage (music is playing from car radio in a scene) can cost up to $2,000. In a film, the fee may be as high as $10,000. A popular song is worth more, possibly $3,000 for TV and $25,000 for film. A song used as the theme song for a film might get $50,000 to $75,000. Commercials can get even more money. Fees for a popular song can range from $25,000 to $500,000 plus per year. The typical range for a well-known song is $75,000 to $200,000 for a one year national usage in the United States on television and radio.

I think you will agree with me that that is allot of money and usually way over budget for many video and radio productions.

To get around these outrageous fees, music production companies sell buyout music. When you purchase a buyout CD you do not need to obtain a licensing to use the music. You can use the music hassle free and at a much lower cost.

Buyout music or royalty-free, as it applies to my products, means that for your one-time purchase price, you can legally use the music in your productions for life of ownership. All copyrights of the music remain with Zebra Music LLC. My jingle licensing agreement allows a protected area of 200 miles. By doing this no other companies in a local market will have the same jingle.

Many other production companies offer a similar buy out music licensing. I would advise you to read the licensing agreements with other production companies and ask questions if you have concerns.

Network broadcast and international broadcast of buyout production music is cleared through a performance organization (like BMI or ASCAP). The revenue that these songs produce when they are aired is paid directly from broadcast station licensing, NOT from you as a producer. These performance organizations then in turn pay each artist based on the amount their song or songs were aired on the radio or TV.

I hope this article has cleared up any confusion or questions that you have had about copyright and music licensing.

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Steve Veloudos owns and operates Zebra Music LLC. It’s a one stop shop for jingles, radio production, custom music, library music, and sound design. Visit Steve’s web site and get free monthly music that you can use for your productions.
http://www.zebramusic.com

zebra24@msn.com

480-540-7768

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