My Music Mix

It is strange to see an instrument as traditionally ridiculed as the accordion enjoying a resurgence among young people. These days, you can buy accordions and accordion sheet music in almost any music store. Meanwhile, bands like They Might Be Giants, and Tom Waits have had tremendous influence in popularizing the accordion among young, hip kids, and what was once the subject of jokes is now virtually challenging the guitar for musical predominance.

I started learning how to play the accordion myself when I was just ten years old. Those days, I had to hide my accordion sheet music from friends, because if they saw me carrying it along with my school books, they would laugh at me. Everyone thought that learning how to play the accordion was an occupation for ridiculous old men from France, and that the squeezebox was for squares. So while they were all playing guitars in bad hard rock bands that sounded virtually identical, I was playing my squeeze box studying polkas, waltzes, Cajun zydeco, and old European folk melodies.

When I got to college, though, things started to change. My skinny, geeky demeanor suddenly was hip and cool to my compatriots. No one wanted to hear the standard lead guitar, rhythm guitar, drums, bass rock power lineup any more. People were looking for something different, something new, or perhaps a new incarnation of something really rather old. I was in the perfect position to put my accordion playing to work. I would do open mikes at first, then as I became more confident, I would start to play accordion shows. I had a band backing me up consisting of mandolin, violin, doumbek, and electric bass, and we’d play the most strange melange of haunting old world music and modern funk this side of San Francisco. It was one of the best times of my life.

Of course, the band didn’t ever completely work out, but it has remained a hobby of mine since then, and we recently took a small tour after completing our most recent album. As I have refined my accordion and song writing skills, and my band mates have grown in their abilities as well, our music has done nothing but improved. I also recently played the accordion at the wedding of my best friend, Arthur, taking a moment to get up on stage with the other musicians and perform his favorite song. Life is perfect when there is time to do what you most love!

Tags: the accordian, accordians

Reaching number one in the charts is a big achievement, especially in America where the competition is fierce. Since the appearance of the music chart, top 40 music has dominated the radio airwaves and TV chart shows. Fans eagerly await the new listings to see if their favorite band has made it into the chart.

The music business is very fragmented now and there are all sorts of genres and sub genres. All purpose chart shows still exist but are less popular now. Fans of a particular type of music can tune into the MTV channel that provides it. In addition to the general charts for singles and albums, there are charts for R&B, country music and classical music. Top 40 music has never been so varied and contains guitar bands, hip hop artists and dance music etc.

The way that charts are compiled in the UK is changing and legal downloads are now taken into account. Some people never walk into a record store and buy over the counter, preferring to use the Internet instead. This new method will change the face of music charts. There is a phenomenon known as the 50 pounds man. He fits a demographic that describes a man between 35 to 50 years old, who has that amount of money to spend on CDs a month. He may buy new music or he may replace his scratchy vinyls from years ago with new CDs. Even 50 pounds man is starting to be computer savvy and downloading. With all age groups downloading, top 40 music will be totally different.

The charts are an international concern and it may be very lucrative to have a hit record in Japan or Germany. Trends come and go, music gets re-cycled and everyone waits for the next big thing to come along. Reality talent shows, such as American Idol and Pop Idol and X Factor in the UK have had an impact on the music scene. The winners and runners up of the shows have a short burst of success, often reaching the coveted number one spot, but they rarely have any staying power and generally fade into obscurity. Some winners have gone into acting careers.

There is still room however for the old warriors in top 40 music. Some artists have careers that span decades, such as David Bowie, Elton John and Paul McCartney. The ones that stick are often those who write their own material. These are the gifted songwriters, musicians who are not reliant on fashion or slick production techniques. Fans will have their own ideas on who will still be around in twenty or thirty years time from the current crop of artists.

Tags: top 40 music, music charts

There are numerous types of music available for our listening pleasure, and each fits a different mood or purpose. Music fills all the senses with energy that transforms us and accentuates whatever activity we may engage in at any given moment. In other words, we simply get into it more, right? When exercising or working around the house, we want to listen to something more motivating, and if we want to relax the choice in music is more subdued and mellow. Native American music certainly fits into this category, and provides a nice background when driving through the mountains or becoming one with nature on a personal spiritual journey at home or in the wilderness. This music represents America’s heritage and represents this unique culture that is very much a part of this country’s history.

The music of Native Americans is primarily vocal art used traditionally as a way to communicate with various supernatural powers present in nature, which Native American flute music and chanting is very nice, together or by themselves, or with traditional drums and rattles. There are hundreds of Native American tribes spread across the United States each with distinct musical contributions to various genres, which have expanded greatly over the past decades to include flute, rap, hip hop, reggae, blues, and pow wow music. In addition to compact discs, Native American music can be heard on radio stations devoted to featuring the music of tribes across the country. For an index of Native American music resources on the internet visit www.hanksville.org; a good place to get started in finding just what you’re looking for.

Celebrate the music and achievements of leading Native American artists by listening online to www.nativeamericanmusic.com, www.nativeradio.com, www.gatheringofnations.com, or www.airos.org. The works of various Native American artists can be found online and in local music and specialty stores nationwide. Discover the beauty and mystery of Native American music, indulge yourself, and take the time to listen to this true art form. There is a certain kind of spiritual awareness that becomes you as you open your senses by filling them with the sounds of another’s vision and passion. Native American music has something for every ear and a place in the heart of music lovers everywhere. Experience the realm of this native culture, by listening to their music, a pure art form, which has stayed true to its roots yet attracted a new group of admirers as well.

Tags: tribal music, native american music, world music

Though I never really thought my brother’s old key board would be important one day, I am very glad that I saved it. It is not very big, and I don’t think it cost very much when he bought it, but is has actually come in very handy when I thought it was just a cheap toy that no one would ever use. My daughter has a love of music, and she knows many people who are in rock bands. This leads her to believe that she wants to be in a rock band one day too. She wanted to play a guitar, but at age three she just couldn’t handle it.

Finally, I dug into my closet and found the key board. This was something that she could play with without needing assistance, and it made just the right amount of noise to keep her happy. What I didn’t remember was that my brother had written the name of the note on each key for some reason, and apparently my husband explained to her that they were the names of the notes. After a few days, she came out with her key board and explained to me that these were the notes and she played them for me. Not bad for a three year old.

It has been two years and she is still playing the key board in her room. She loves the different sounds she can get it to make, and many of the preset songs are there for her to play along with whenever she wants. She has gotten a lot of fun out of it, and she has even started to write her own songs. Granted, they aren’t really songs, but as long as she thinks they are, and she has fun playing and singing them, then who am I to complain?

I would recommend a small key board for any child to play with, just make sure it has a volume adjustment on it. Some children love everything to be loud, and it might make a parent nuts after a while. They are easy to play with, and it is great for learning and imagination, which are both essential for all children. A decent key board does not have to cost a lot of money either. Not only will it be a great gift, it will be one that can be easily and cheaply replaced if something were to happen to it.

Tags: musical keyboard, keyboard, key board

The right kind of childrens musical instruments to get depends very much on the age. You have probably seen children musical instruments before in an elementary school, or even a kindergarten, so you know what I am talking about. As a teacher who works with very young children, I can tell you that some things make better kids musical instruments than others. For example, for very mature little ones, violins can sometimes be used as children’s musical instruments, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Violins are difficult to play, easy to break, and can not be banged against anything. All of these are obstacles to good childrens musical instruments, especially if the instruments are to be used in a group setting.

Everyone knows that kids get rowdy when they are all together, and so the types of childrens musical instruments that you select should really reflect this fact. Drums are good. Not only drums, but anything percussive works well as childrens musical instruments. You should also take care that the childrens musical instruments that you buy are durable and not too expensive, but there are a wide variety of percussive childrens musical instruments designed with just these purposes in mind. Some of my favorite childrens musical instruments are hand drums, xylophones, guiros, noise makers, and all sorts of similar gear. Recorders and penny whistles also make good childrens musical instruments, as do cheap, simple digital keyboards. In the case of using keyboards as childrens musical instruments, a note of caution must be sounded. If one kid gets a musical instrument that is, by far, more complex and interesting than those that the others get to used, jealousy can flare up. Caution is always advised when buying more elaborate or expensive childrens musical instruments.

Of course, if your kids are very serious about learning to play, it is often a good idea to get them more sophisticated childrens musical instruments. One of the favorites of these is the guitar. Guitars are available in a variety of sizes, including those perfect for a childrens musical instrument, and so your kid can learn to play early, even if he or she does still have little fingers. In addition, and unlike the keyboard or violin, a kid’s guitar is likely to be very inexpensive, and fairly durable as well. There really is not a better choice out there for musical instruments for children.

Tags: childrens musical instruments, musical instruments for children

I never decided to like James Taylor songs – I didn’t really have a choice. I suppose if I had been 15 or 16 when I heard my first James Taylor song, I probably would have hated it. Generally, when something is that light and musically non- confrontational, I can not stand it at all. Nonetheless, James Taylor music is a part of me now. We used to listen to James Taylor song after song on long road trips. My parents used to play James Taylor albums every Sunday morning while we would sit around eating brunch and enjoying watching the day slipping by. I do not like every song James Taylor has ever written, but in general I feel pretty positively disposed towards him.

Nonetheless, I have not really listened to a James Taylor record in years. I guess I’m so embarrassed about my James Taylor song affinity that I won’t keep his albums around. I do not think I ever consciously decided to do it, but over the past few years, I have let James Taylor completely slip out of my life. If a friend of mine had not played a James Taylor song for me the other week, in fact, I might have completely forgotten him.

This wasn’t just any friend, and he wasn’t playing just any James Taylor song. We had grown up together, and have listened to James Taylor together many times. The James Taylor song that he was playing was Fire and Rain. One time when we were young, we got into a big fight when our families moved apart. We did not talk to each other for several years, and it seemed like we would never be friends again. Every time either of us heard that James Taylor song, however, it would make us think of the other one. It took awhile, but finally we got sick of fighting and decided to be friends again. I won’t say that the James Taylor song is the reason that we are friends, but it certainly helped reconcile us.

Listening to some of the songs James Taylor wrote with my friend, it made me realize why I liked him in the first place. James Taylor songs are not the greatest in the world, but there is something compelling about him in an understated way. His songs are soothing, mellow, and nonthreatening, but they still say something. I’m not frequently in the mood to hear a James Taylor song, but when I am nothing else will suffice.

Tags: male singer songwriters, james taylor song, james taylor

Since the advent of music download sites such as Limewire, Napster and Kazaa, along with the rising popularity of MP3 players from iPod and other companies, people have been moving away from purchasing CDs from stores and more to downloading music for use. There are several reasons for this, including people just wanting particular songs, thinking the price of a whole CD is too expensive and wanting music for free. A crackdown on free music downloads a few years ago has lead to people now searching for legal music downloads.

Legal music downloads came about because of several musicians pleading with the government that they owned their music, and it therefore should not be available for free downloading through shareware like Napster, which was the largest downloading site at the time. The government then decided that this would be illegal, and made it possible for companies to provide legal music downloads for a small fee, as long as it was not free or through shareware.

Sites began popping up online, with the most popular being iTunes with is associated with Apple and iPod. Even Napster tried to jump on the new bandwagon, providing legal music downloads for a monthly subscription fee. iTunes became increasingly popular mainly because they provided legal music downloads for a very nominal fee of ninety-nine cents per song. One didn’t have to purchase a costly monthly subscription if they just wanted one or two songs, and it was convenient to do. Now, there are hundreds of sites that offer legal music downloads ranging from small start up companies to Yahoo and iTunes. Each has their own method of payment and amount allowed for downloading.

In addition, there are a handful of international sites that are offering legal music downloads. The most popular and widespread are located in Russia. They are under much scrutiny as they offer songs for as little as five cents each, and the music companies and artists are not very fond of music being sold for that little. Since these companies are located in other countries, it has been difficult to crack down on them because other countries do not fully recognize intellectual property laws like the United States.

In conclusion, there are several ways to find legal music downloads. To play it safe, go through reputable and well known sites such as Itunes or Yahoo. You can take a risk and download your music through one of the international sites that currently offer legal music downloads, but you run the chance of a government crackdown or glitches in the site that may or may not allow you to fully download the music you pay for.

Unlimited MP3 Music Downloads

Tags: mp3 downloads, music mp3s, music downloads, mp3, legal music downloads

One of the best ways to encourage your kids to be creative and develop their imaginations is to get the children musical instruments. Kids musical instruments are, in many cultures, an indispensable part of growing up. It is thought in some places that growing up without music is almost just like growing up without a soul. Buying your children musical instruments, and helping them to learn them is one of the most important things that you can do as a parent. But of course, buying childrens musical instruments is not enough in itself.

Many people, when they buy children musical instruments, make a mistake about how they go about it. Parents will either pressure their children too much, making the music a chore, or else they will let the children musical instruments be treated as just simply another toy. Both of these approaches are deeply flawed. A good parent will encourage his or her children to succeed in their musical endeavors, while at the same time allowing the music to be fun for the kids, and not too much of a chore. I like to think of getting children musical instruments as a new step in responsibility, kind of a little bit like getting them their first pet. It is something that they can have fun with, but also something that demands that they grow up a little bit. In the case of a pet, this means taking care of it every single day. In the case of children musical instruments, it means making sure to practice every single day.

Of course, getting your children musical instruments alone will not make them play those instruments. You must make sure that the kids are exposed to a wide range of different music, so that they can get ideas. It is so much easier for people of every age to learn when they are inspired by people who are a little ahead of where they are, and the situation is no different when you get your children musical instruments. The fact is that they will not learn how to play children musical instruments on their own, so they must hear other people do it. They also should get lessons, as this will greatly increase the speed with which kids learn their musical instruments. If you do all of these things, you can be sure that your kids will not disappoint you, but will succeed in their children musical instruments.

Tags: musical instruments, children musical instruments, musical instruments for kids

You can buy musical instruments at any number of places, but if you are looking for cheap musical instrument, your options are a little bit more limited. Many people, when looking for a cheap musical instrument, make the mistake of either relying on their local store and skipping other sources all together, or else doing the exact opposite, and only looking at the instruments that are offered in their local music shop. Both of these approaches are really quite serious mistakes, if you ask me. Although you are less likely to find new cheap musical instruments in your local shop, they will often sell used ones for way below market value. Although you can buy used cheap musical instruments online, it does not make sense to buy them if you can not try them out and make sure that they work alright. This is important, because many of the places that sell cheap musical instruments used do not offer money back guarantees. At a local music shop, by contrast, you can try out any cheap musical instruments that you pick up and make sure that they really are in good working order. And, as a bonus, should something break down after you buy musical instrument, you can always take it back in. They usually will be happy to help you, if not to refund your money completely.

Of course, there are a whole lot of other places to look for cheap musical instruments, so unless you really find something that you fall completely in love with right off the bat, you should by no means end your search at the local shop. This would simply be foolish to do, when there are thousands and thousands of sources for cheap musical instruments out there. If you are set on buying new, your best bet for cheap musical instruments will probably be the Internet, and that is no lie. You see, you can almost always find stuff for cheaper if you are willing to get it mail order, and cheap musical instruments are no exception. The problem is, again, that if something does go wrong with your instrument, it will often be a big hassle to get any help with it. What the mail order companies do for you in price is canceled out by what they do not do for you in service, if you know what I mean. But they are worth a try.

Tags: cheap musical instruments, musical instruments

One of the neatest ways to really express your love of world culture is to learn to play an African musical instrument. There are thousands upon thousands of African musical instruments, and each one has a unique and beautiful tone. My favorite African musical instrument is called the dono drum. The dono drum is one of the most expressive African drums. It is also known as the talking drum, and essentially consists of two heads at either end of an hourglass shaped body. The heads are connected by strips of hide. The whole African musical instrument is held under one arm, and the strings are tightened and loosened by squeezing it with the arm. This changes the tone, allowing this African musical instrument to “talk.” But of course, there are thousands of other African musical instruments to chose from, and each of them definitely has its strengths.

A really great African musical instrument is the Djembe. It is a bowl shaped drum, with a cone projecting out from the underside. I have loved playing this African musical instrument in drum circles since I was very small. It has this powerful, high, ringing tone that is perfect for playing with other people. Not only does it have that great high end, but it has a booming bass that is just amazing, and that is no joke. It is probably the most popular African musical instrument in America, and perhaps the best known one around the world, and there is a reason for that. It just has an incredibly powerful tone, that is almost guaranteed to cut through other sounds to create a really driving percussion.

Of course, not every African musical instrument is created equal. When you are buying one, you have to make sure that it is of the highest quality, or you are sure to run into a bit of disappointment down the road. For example, some drums have their heads attached in flimsy ways that make sure that they will fall apart sooner, rather than later. Other times, the head of the African musical instrument is itself of low quality, so that it will rip when it is played aggressively. If you do not like the tone, this can be another problem. There is no bigger disappointment than playing on an instrument with a lousy tone. It can really make any jam not as fun, and any player sound lousy, even if he really has a good bit of talent.

Tags: world music, dono drum, african music, african musical instrument, djembe, ethnic music, african drums