Music as a Gateway to College

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Perhaps you love the thrill of being on stage, the drama of that perfect intense song or just the thrill of being able to master a complicated set of notes. Yet you will have many guidance counselors tell you that music does not look as impressive to colleges, as say, AP Calculus. That may be true, but there are still many positive qualities colleges look for in applicants that can be learned in music programs. You can accent these on your college application or entrance essay. In many ways, music is more than your passion: it’s your ticket into college.

Leadership

Do your best to work towards being first chair if you are in an instrument ensemble. Many music teachers count on the first chair to carry the section and tutor others in that section. This will show you can lead a whole section and help other students become better at their own music.

If this cannot be done, try starting your own quartet or ensemble. This is something to put on an application to say you had the leadership skills to start up something and see it to completion.

Diligence

It takes a lot of work to become progressively better at your music. You can highlight your time working your way to progressively harder pieces. Make sure you enter music contests as well. Winning high awards shows your persistence in mastering a difficult song.

Confidence

Playing music in front of a large crowd is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of guts to get up in front of hundreds of people and still play like you did back in your room. There is that fear that you will screw up. It’s easy to be afraid that every single person in the audience showed up specifically to judge you. And if your audience is a contest judge, that critical eye is a very true reality. So let the bold side of you shine, because you earned it.

Smash Mouth: Good Music, Good Videos

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Smash Mouth, a band from San Jose, California, became a band in 1994. Their name comes from a more traditional style of football offense, which often results in a higher time of possession. That is certainly what the band is doing, selling fans not only on original music, such as Walkin’ on the Sun and All Star, but revamps of other groups’ hits. Included in that segment are such songs as ‘I’m a Believer, done by The Monkees, I Wanna Be Like You, done by the Sherman Brothers, and The Beatles’ Getting Better.

The official Smash Mouth site, http://www.smashmouth.com/ , is not active as of today. However, the band is active, on tour, and their My Space site indicates fans are expecting an album to be released this year.

How to Play Musical Pillows

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Musical chairs can be a popular game at parties or fairs. However, you can definitely change small things to make the game different.

Instead of musical chairs, why not play musical pillows?

There are different ways of playing musical pillows.

You can get pillows that are for sitting. If you have a big enough bed that is not against a wall, lay one less pillow than the participants in the game on the bed. Play just like you would musical chairs – walk as music or sound plays and people must sit as the music or sounds stop, but make sure people must sit on the pillows. If a person is not completely on a pillow, then another person can still sit on it if the majority of the pillow is showing. Once a person is out, they can’t play. Remove a pillow and continue until there is only one winner.

However, there’s a much different way of playing musical pillows that gives just a little bit more of a challenge.

Instead of requiring people to sit, require people to pick up a pillow. This is a game that can be played inside or outside. f you don’t want it to be too challenging, put them on top of a table. People will not have to bend too far to grab a pillow.

If you want to make it even more challenging, put a blanket on the ground and put the pillows on the blanket.

To set up, one less pillow than the amount of people playing on the table or the blanket. Play music or sounds and have the people walk around the table or the blanket. When the music stops, each person must try to grab a pillow.

The person that does not grab a pillow is now out of the game and they cannot play anymore. Instead, they can watch or go on to other activities if they are available. Remove a pillow and play another round.

Continue the playing music, having people walk, stopping the music, having people grab the pillows, eliminating a person, and then removing a pillow until only one person is left.

In the Silence, I Hear Music

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Every once in a while
if l listen closely to the silence
I can hear the voices of lovers
whispering the secrets
that lovers share

I hear the rhythmatic beats 
for the words are known 
only to them, shared by two 
as it should be, as it is and 
these lovers know, without a doubt 
that a piece of them 
was already there 
inside the other 
safely tucked away 
long before they met 
waiting only 
to be discovered

Hopeful I am to know 
that I am not the only one 
who lives to love purely 
who breathes to smell 
the scent of passion 
whose heart beats in anticipation

I hear love songs in 
the quietest moments 
of the day 
And feel infinite joy 

Great Online Resources for African Music Radio Stations

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Welcome to a land of rythmic, pulsating beats and semi-traditional rythyms. You are now listening to african hip-hop. If you close your eyes and just listen to the sounds, you soon forget that you don’t know what they are saying. The beats are very catchy and soon you are moving in time to the beat and snapping your fingers in syncopated time…aaah…wonderful.

African music, although very new, is slowly beginning to make an appearance into the international market. As more media companies start to make inroads into the African continent, the discovery and subsequent exposure of talented groups is beginning to influence the music market.

MTV’s Base promotes artists in Africa and frequently sponsors talent shows in the Diaspora. To get an idea of some of the music that is out there, I have put together a list of stations that will provide an excellent overview of the talent and music available. Musicians sing in English, French, Swahili and local languages.

1. Mtaa FM – This is an excellent station featuring some of the hottest groups and music from Africa in general and East Africa in particular. The music is mixed by a talented DJ who does much to add to the excitement of the music.

2. African Hip Hop Radio – Catch your favorite West African rappers here. Their music is great and extremely creative.

3. Sierra Leone Radio – They offer a more traditional sounding style of music, mostly from Sierra Leone. Great music though.

4. Capital FM and Kiss FM – both based in Nairobi, they offer you an insight into the youth culture in Kenya. They both play music from Kenya, UK, US and India.

5. Kaya FM – Radio station from South Africa. Features music and contemporary issues.

6. Nile Radio – Radio station from Cairo, Egypt that plays a variety of music from western contemporary to egyptian urban. It’s music influences are largely Arabic. Great rythms and an insight into the music trends of Egypt.

Although this is just a teaser, there are a large number of sites that are offering great music online. So why not log in, log on and enjoy your African vibes.

Music Playing is Nice when You Know Where to Buy Your Instrument!

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When I started middle school I was told that extra curricular activities were good for my academic careers from one of my friends. I figured since I wasn’t permitted to play sports I would play the trumpet. This is where I got stumped because I didn’t know where to find a trumpet I never looked for one.

In my looking around for a music store I searched online for a store and went there to look for a trumpet. I found one store to be extremely helpful. Russo’s Music Center of Hamilton, New Jersey located on 1989 Arena Drive was a great place to find me the trumpet I wished to obtain. They not only sell trumpets they also have orchestral, brass wind, wood wind, guitars, bass guitars, live sound, recording, DJ & lighting equipment, cables & audio tools, basses, drums & percussion, amps & pedals, pro audio boards & switch boards, keyboards, and even books on the music and how to play your instrument. You don’t have money to buy an instrument? Well you are in luck still because Russo’s Music Center in Hamilton also rents out instruments with some requirements. They even give lessons for instruments like, guitar, drums, bass, piano, flute, saxophone, and clarinet.

All around this shop was very helpful. Given all the facilities, shopping variety, different ways to obtain the instruments and tie that with wonderful customer service and professional help I would say this is an all around store for the music lover in your family or within yourself. For further questions on Russo’s Music Center of Hamilton you can visit: www.russomusic.com or call (609) 888 0620 but if you ask me I would tell you to go to the actual store physically and experience the wonders first hand. Good Luck and Hope this helped. Thank you.

Dictum Musicus: Libretto

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Air currents, rivers and tears flow
While words wander going wherever they go
Taking both writer and reader
To someplace they don’t yet know.
The wonder of words
Written and read.

Hearts and drums beat 
As birthing stanzas greet 
The eyes and minds 
Awash in their own precious realities. 
One they have met 
Something will give and 
Something will get.

Flashing ideas 
And associations, 
Incomplete creations 
Join and befriend 
A string of thought 
Without end. 
A partnership forged 
Between lines emaciated 
And engorged.

The gentle lavender of Spring 
Images the hopes 
That tomorrow may bring, 
While the sharp harsh thistle and thorn 
Cry out, too, 
To be born. 
Woven language 
Adrift on the shoreless 
Sea of humanity.

One ear 
Is all it takes 
To hear 
Or to care.

Is what has been set down 
What has been heard? 
It does not surprise us 
That the first 
Five Books of Moses 
Value, above all, 
The Word.

How to Upload Music on to Your Kindle

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Uploading music to your Kindle is quick and easy, and what could possibly be more relaxing than having your favorite music to listen to while you read? All it takes is a few simple steps and you’ll have background music at the tip of your finger before you even know it.

Connect your Kindle to your computer and when it prompts you to open it’s file, be sure to do so. Next, open the music file on your computer, and select which songs you would like to add to your Kindle.


The important thing to remember when selecting the music for your Kindle, is to load the songs on your Kindle in the order that you would like to listen to them. Music on the Kindle is still being developed, and at this time there is no way to view your list of songs or select a specific song from your Kindle. You can skip songs if you would like, but that is as far as selection options go.


Once you have transferred all of the songs you would like to upload, on your Kindle press the “Menu” button and use the four-way button to move down to “Experimental”. Select “Play Music” under the Play MP3 option. You will hear the music begin to play.

The volume control is located at the bottom of your Kindle at the left. You can hold down the “ALT” key and press the spacebar to stop or play, and you can use the “F” key to skip to the next track.

That’s all there is to it! Happy reading!

Her Regrets and Her Music

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She takes her regrets to the microphone stand,
Everybody wants to hold her shaky hands

Her music is so beautiful and her lyrics are so sweet, 
She sings about her accomplishments as well as her defeats

She slides her hand around the neck, 
She’s so peculiar and her life’s such a wreck

If just one time she could make it through, 
I know she’d sing a song for you

Without the music in her soul, 
She’s always distant and her heart’s so cold

She takes her regrets to the microphone stand, 
She lets it all out and she feels so grand

How Do I Add My Own Music in IDVD?

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If you own a MacBook and are trying to learn how to use iDVD to create your own DVDs, this guide will help you in the music area. This guide will show you how to add your own music to your projects in iDVD. You will need to begin by opening the project you are working on. 


Music Files

When it comes to the type of music files you can use, you can use just about any type of file format such as MP3, AIFF, WAV, Apple Lossless, and AAC. That should cover just about every type of music file you have on your MacBook. So, let’s start with adding your music to your DVD project you are working on!

Media Button

Start by locating and clicking the Media button in iDVD. Once you click the Media button, you will see the menu on the right side of your program. Look for the Audio tab and click it. That will load a menu on the right side of your screen. This is where you will need to place your music files that you want to use for the project you are working on.

Adding the Music Files

You are now ready to add your music files. You will have to use the files from your iTunes folder or the GarageBand folder. Open the folder that has the song files you want to use. When it opens, locate and select the music that you want to use. Once you have selected the music, drag it to the iDVD menu that you opened above and drop them.

Playing the Music Files with the DVD

Now you can play the music with the DVD by clicking the Motion button. When you are ready to stop it, click the Motion button again.

Once you have added the music to your iDVD project, you can continue on with your DVD. You can add transition effects and more to create your DVD. Most of the themes already come with music, so if you have a theme with music, you can use it instead of adding your own music unless you just want to use your own.