Posts filed under 'House Of Music'
The term stomp at first started with two buskers entertaining the streets of Brighton, UK with audio, their catchy overall performance hooking in bystaders to stop, watch, and listen. Created by Steven McNichols and Luke Cresswell in Brighton, UK, the music STOMP debuted in the Orpheum Theatre in February 1994. The musical STOMP can also trace several of its roots to Booth Theatres erected at the Village Fairs in the Middle Ages and Renaissance period- an old custom in that age. As opposed to any other music, STOMP challenges the concept of what constitutes audio. Eight nightly performers play basic and complex rhythms from every day objects, for example six foot poles, sand, brooms, lids, litres of water, and aluminum bins. Through dance and music, the group collaborates with each other to play audio, as well as offering person self-expression. STOMP is a sensual mix of comedy, percussion, and dynamic movements. The musical STOMP is the unique design of Steven McNichols and Luke Cresswell that captalizes on a ‘less is more’ idea. It is a passionate production, not easily classified into a particular music or theatrical type. Via the absence of melodies, the audience listens to audio getting broken down into basics as eight chiseled and dynamic performers pound out rhythms with common objects: poles, drumsticks, match boxes, water, brooms, bins, and lids. Ironically, the ordinary high quality of these things catapults STOMP to an artistic level unmatched by other modern theatrical acts. The simplicity in which the cast manipulates their ‘instruments’ and body expands the imagination into a fantastic reality. The set design is flashy and colourful at times; a more elaborate metal construction highlights instruments that are struck by performers harnessed from the ceiling. This restriction frees the cast to use their feet, legs, and arms to produce loud group rhythms that shake the rafters and audience with it’s intense, tribal rhythms. These in-your-face cadences are a strong avenue for individual and collective expression, leaving numerous on the edge of their seats. STOMP’s shortage of fancy performer outfits keeps the emphasis on what really counts: dance moves and music rhythms, which turn out to be more complicated with every subsequent scene. Subtlety is also utilized to stabilize these raw rhythms.One scene is focused around performers tapping six foot poles, as they stealthily circuit the stage, nearly preying on each other with their sly moves and rhythms. Their sense of connection is palpable and sensual, cast eye contact igniting the anticipation, as you nearly discover yourself questioning who is going to ‘win’ at this musical game. Yet, everyone wins, the audience even asked into the performance via a cast member who initiates a clap-and-response session. Roughly two hours in duration, STOMP keeps one’s attention, making you wonder how items usually reserved for math difficulties, cleaning, and construction projects can entertain and produce a powerful musical group dynamic. In this age of modern technology, STOMP is really a refreshing blend of primal instincts meeting music genious, reminding us of the music and rhythmic potential correct under our noses. Find more info about the musical and buyStomp Tickets online
August 24th, 2010
The general public might be accustomed to seeing Beyonc onstage and at red carpet events, but the pop mega star is enjoying her time off from the attention doing less glamorous things. Mrs. Carter tells Folks magazine that she is keeping busy playing housewife in her down time. Her promo vid for why not Love Me gives spectators a preview at some of the things she is doing at home. I invented the tenet for that video because recently I determined to take 5, and I have been home, being a wife, says B, who plays the job of B.B. Housewife in the video. I realized it might be good to give a little wink toward the things which I have been doing, so that’s the reason why I am a housewife in the video. but do not think dusting off her Grammys or getting under the hood of a vehicle while wearing six-inch heels is a regular occurrence for Jay-Z’s other half.
It is an exaggerated, over the top version of what I am doing at the moment, which is just living my life and being a woman at home, relaxing and making an attempt to enjoy my life apart from performing and music. Beyonce momentarily returned to music by turning up on Kanye West’s new song See Me Now. She also appears in a fall advertising campaign for her Deron clothing line.
August 18th, 2010
The unbelievable vocalist is certain there’s life outside of Earth in spite of never witnessing anything to back up her certainty. She’s adamant there should be a sort of additional terrestrials somewhere else in the universe. Yes, I am doing believe strongly in aliens.
I’ve never seen any, but I know that they exist, she expounded on a UK TV show. I just know they’re out there somewhere. It’s horribly vain to think that we are the sole perceptive life around.
Ke$ha accepts her motor-mouthed comments have attracted lots of negativism during her career.
Even her moniker has triggered criticism, but the 23-year-old star asserts her mummy raised her to be herself and not mind what folks think about her. Ke$ha also disclosed her mom always taught her to grab control of her life and be in control of her very own destiny.
My name is an ironic statement that the general public think is obnoxious, she said. It is just because I was broke, I was living in a car and having a pity party and I was making an attempt to make a joke. I just thought money whatever, I’m money! The old lady has frequently told me that if you would like to do something then it’s your decision to cause it to happen. I’ve always lived my life like that, go direct to the source and just do it.
In a different story, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, JLS And Ke$ha Do The Capital FM Summer Ball the once a year Captial FM Summer Ball went down at London’s Wembley Arena on Sun., and the pop spectacular featured displays by Justin Bieber, JLS, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Usher, Elf Lott and Jason Derulo. It was terrifying, asserted feather fan Ke$ha, who’s not unfamiliar with the radio festival circuit, while being interviewed backstage.
It’s really fun to just go up there and be a smart a s s in front of seventy thousand people. Catch Ke$ha and Justin Bieber’s interviews, and some of the performances, after the jump.
June 9th, 2010
iPod do not have much to sound off about. However, one thing people sometimes mention is the inability to transfer iPod music, video and other files from an iPod back to an additional computer or laptop. Though the iPod has no issues moving music from a PC or laptop to iPod with iTunes, the opposite is disallowed. If you do not have iPod Transfer Package, you cannot transfer your iPod songs to an extra PC. This subject sometimes happens when people get a new machine or have to reinstall the OS on their old computer. Apple forbids this process because it doesn’t want unauthorised sharing of bought songs from the iTunes shop. All The Same, there are multiple honest scenarios that iPod owners require the ability to transmit from iPod to computer. If a personal computer goes down and you need to reinstall the OS, you may need iPod to Computer transfer software to retrieve your priceless music. Differently, the fresh installment of iTunes will wipe clean your iPod, potentially costing you hundreds of dollars in unrecoverable data. Another common situation iPod owners need these types of computer software is when they buy a new PC and want to put their existing library of iPod music and videos on the new machine. Again, if you don’t have this type of computer program, you might possibly lose your valuable data. You can find many companies that offer programs to fulfill this project. A quick visit to software download websites will bring out a bunch of selections. You can also just type the phrase ‘iPod to computer copy software’ into Google.
June 10th, 2008
Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created for others. Imagining that they are captivated and held spellbound by the music? If you have, you know that it can be a long road from actually coming up with something, practicing it, and then giving it to an audience. In my own case, I had a good opportunity to perform. It was in a coffeehouse that already had a decent piano.
The problem was that I was playing for people who had come to listen mostly to guitarists on open mike night. Young guitarists that sang and played mostly Rock music or a derivative of it. I didn’t care so much about that because I had the chance to go in front of people and share the gift of music.
In public speaking it’s said that the fear of standing in front of a group of people and talking is caused by the anticipation of losing face - of looking or appearing like a fool. Now, some may be able to get up in front of a group and actually feel better than they felt before getting in front of people, but the reality is that 99% of us are going to feel some kind of anxiety.
There are two schools about stage fright. One school believes that you can completely rid yourself of it (extremely hard to do and a somewhat unrealistic). The other says that you can never fully conquer the fear but you can manage it and reduce it to a level where you can function and perform.
So far, I’m in the second group and I’ve learned a few techniques that allow me to perform well. One is that I practice enough to where I feel confident that I can perform above the normal level. The second technique is to accept the feelings of fear and reframe it into the emotion of excitement. In other words, I may be scared, but I’m also feeling excited. I focus on that part.
Most of the performance anxiety will dissipate soon after your performance begins anyway. It’s usually the first 10 minutes or so when you’re the most anxious. My goal when I get on stage is to focus on and enjoy the process of sharing the music with others. My focus is not on the audience.
The best performances occur when you can completely forget about the fact there are people listening. Then they can share in the magic that comes through you.
Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
May 3rd, 2008
Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the student does from the teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to share with you some great practicing ideas that have come from my piano students over the years:
1. A Colonel in Virginia that I taught for several years got up at 4AM every weekday morning and practiced on an electronic keyboard with headphones so he wouldn’t disturb anyone at that time of the morning. “I love the early morning”, he said, “because it’s so quiet and peaceful and I’m fresh and raring to go. No phones are ringing, no people walking into the room, no disturbances at all. I practice for a half-hour, have breakfast, and then hit it for another half-hour — all before I have to show up for work. When I get home in the evening, if I’m too tired to practice, I don’t feel guilty because I’ve already got my licks in for the day. And if I’m up to practicing some more — well, it’s a bonus!”
2. An elementary school teacher in Indiana told me she took each piece I assigned her and transposed it into all 12 keys — not written out, but at the piano — in her head. She said “It doesn’t always sound so hot, but I find that if I keep at it day after day, I can at least get by in the most difficult keys, and it makes the easier keys seem real simple. And it gives me a perspective that I just wouldn’t get it I just played it in one key — the key it is written in. I’ve learned that each key has it’s own “feel”, and some keys are bright (like “D”) and some keys are mellow (like “Db”).
3. Another piano student with a similar idea, who was the Minister of Music in a Catholic church, said he took one whole month of the year and devoted it to mastering just one key. Since there are 12 months in the year and 12 Major keys, that works out perfectly. So in January he played everything he could find in the key of C, and transposed anything that wasn’t in C into C. In February he went up 1/2 step to the key of C# (also known as Db enharmonically) and played everything in Db and searched for pieces written in the key of Db, and so on. By the time the year was up, he had a pretty fair grasp on the 12 Major keys. I suggested that he devote the next year to the 12 minor keys, and the next year to the modes, and the next year to polytonality, etc., etc. — but as I recall he decided to just recycle through the 12 major keys, since he used them so much more than the ones I suggested.
4. Still another piano student took an idea from me and twisted it a bit. I suggested that she play along with pieces she liked on tapes and CD’s, so she would get a feel for the motion of the song. (I used to do that by the hour when I was a teen-ager, and it paid off big time for me!). She took the idea and tried it and liked it so much that she started getting videos of people playing the piano. She arranged her TV and video player so that she could be at her piano while the video was playing, and she would play along with the pianist on the screen, following her/his hand motions and arm motions and finger position and thereby getting a feeling for the flow of the music. (Patterning). Her creativity is paying off for her — she is advancing rapidly. (And by the way, don’t think she is “copying” the person she is watching — not at all. It’s the same principle as watching Michael Jordan moving toward the basket, or watching Sammy Sosa swing a bat — it just gets you in the right groove before you apply your own style to it.)
5. A doctor I have taught for years makes a idea file of things he has learned about piano playing over the years. He notes where in a given book or tape or video I discuss such and such a topic, and files that alphabetically. Then later when he needs to refer to that idea, he simply looks up the idea in his file, locates the video or cassette or book, and presto — he can review that idea or concept almost instantly. It’s like a card catalog in the library — makes finding things so much faster than flipping through endless books trying to find that idea you saw long ago.
With the advent of the computer a person could store and categorize ideas such as this very quickly.
Hope this gives you some ideas of your own!
Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His instant piano chord finder software titled “How To Find Any Piano Chord Instantly!” has been used around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 58,600 current subscribers.
April 14th, 2008
Buying a good paddle is as important as buying a good kayak. There are many different paddles to choose from.
When you are shopping for kayak equipment and accessories, a paddle should be among the first things that you buy. Carlisle kayak paddles are one of the best brands you can get. They are built for several types of kayak adventures. It is easy to find one that works for you.
Recreational Paddles
Carlisle builds recreational paddles in three styles. All three are specifically designed and perfect for recreational use.
The Tripper model is an entry level paddle with a special grip for beginners.
The RS Magic is a standard paddle for recreation. It works for any age and any kayaking skill level and is available in glass or lightweight anodized aluminum.
The RS Magic 2 is made especially for women and children. It is shorter and designed for the average body size. The slightly-spooned design produces smooth and powerful paddling.
White Water Paddles
Magic White Water is Carlisle Designs only whitewater paddle. This paddle is suited for beginners but still strong enough for experts to take into that exciting white water!
All of these various paddle types are perfect for any kayaker. It is easy to find the paddle that is best for your needs right here! Don’t forget that the paddles are in some ways more important than the kayak. Without a good paddle, your boat becomes less useful. Good paddles cut the water better so that the kayak is more able to glide smoothly through the water. Get the most from your kayak and make sure that you buy top-notch paddles that your kayak deserves.
Carlisle has built a sleek line of paddles for all levels of boaters and every kind of use. When you buy your kayak, keep in mind how you are planning to use it. You should do the same thing when you are deciding which paddles to buy. This will help you ensure that you get the best paddles for your kayaking style.
Canoeing and Kayaking Information will help you with great deals, tips and news, information and reviews about all aspects of kayaking.
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April 1st, 2008
