The Music Herald

Musicians Turned Movie Stars – Making or Breaking Careers

Melanie Wilcox — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:39:56 +0000

As I was sitting around watching one of my favorite movies starring musicians (it was Spice World,) I started to think about how long after the movie was made that the band broke up. Then I thought about American Idol stars Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson in their debut movie that nearly predated their CDs – From Justin to Kelly. Have any of you ever heard of Justin Guarini since? And yet, Kelly Clarkson is still relevant today, both as a signaler and as a commercial presence.

So what is it that makes some musicians successful in their transition to the film industry, and it ends others’ careers? When considering the many movies I’ve seen with musicians, I’ve found that the most unsuccessful movies are those that are campy and play up the music element. Take the movies listed above. Although I love Spice World, it’s not exactly successful – and it wasn’t long after the movie’s release that the Spice Girls broke up. On the other hand, movies like Prey for Rock ‘n’ Roll starring Gina Gershon who is an actor first but also a singer. Another example is 8 Mile starring Eminem. The movie was released in 2002 and his career continues to flourish.

Perhaps another interesting similarity between these successful movies is that although music is a key element, the musicians in the movie aren’t playing themselves. Although the story of 8 Mile is based on the star’s real life, he’s not necessarily portraying himself. It seems like the separation between self and story allows the musician to continue in their music career regardless of how the movie did.

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Did YOU Learn to Read Music in High School?

Melanie Wilcox — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:48:35 +0000

I did. In fact, i learned to read music as early as sixth grade when I first began playing flute in the school band. In my school, everyone had to take either band or choir, and for the most part, I assumed that we both learned the same thing. Boy, was I wrong.

As soon as I stepped foot into our band room, my teacher was all business. It wasn’t long after learning each note (which is part of reading music) on my flute that we were instructed on how to read music. Why? Because it’s absolutely impossible for seventy children to play a song on ten different instruments if they can’t all properly read music.

I don’t really remember how I learned, but it came pretty easily. And part of playing an instrument is having quick reflexes and good hand-eye coordination. You do, after all, have to read with your eyes and translate to your fingers what note you’re supposed to produce within moments. It can be frustrating, but once you learn it, it never goes away. And what’s really amazing is to think that in only a few short weeks, seventy some kids were able to all play ten different parts of a song – and it actually sounded like that song. We couldn’t do that if we couldn’t read music.

Three short years later and I dropped band to join the choir. I had no intention of giving up one month of summer vacation to practice marching – no, really, that was my only reasoning. And I was completely shocked by what I found.

These students, who all had had three years of choir, could not read music. There were a few who really loved to sing or act that knew how to read music, but not the majority. I can remember being a senior and watching my teacher struggle to teach fellow seniors the difference between an A and an A flat on the scale. It was painful. And most of them never did learn how to read music.

So, did you learn to read music in high school? I did, and I’m so grateful that I did at such a young age. Even if I never use it again, it has affected the way I think and my ability to quickly translate what’s in my head to some sort of physical action. If you have kids, ask them what they learned in music class today. Hopefully they’ll know the difference between an A and an A flat.

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Nine Inch Nails Soundtrack Sets the Perfect Tone for “Dragon Tattoo”

Melanie Wilcox — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:38:48 +0000

David Fincher’s newest film, a remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” hit theaters in December, and it has received much critical praise for everything from Rooney Mara’s acting chops to its stylistic craftsmanship. What surprises me is that not nearly as much has been said about the fantastic Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. The music plays so much into the overall feeling of the movie that it’s hard to imagine it without.

The first encounter I had with the soundtrack was the infectious snippet of music apparent in the trailer. Paired with the flashing visuals, I often found myself humming the pulsating melody at all hours of the day, and with that, I could envision the quick images of the teaser trailer.

Once I finally sat down to watch the movie, I was again taken with that same bit of music, but this time, it was set to different images. I’d find it hard to believe that the opening sequence wasn’t a deliberate collaboration between director and musician because of how audio and visual perfectly compliment each other.

Above all, this movie is about atmosphere, and it could not have been created nearly as well without the music. Reznor’s typical music stylings work perfectly with the foreboding tension that builds throughout. This soundtrack is the perfect example of how a soundtrack should compliment a movie rather than distract. I became so involved in the movie that the visual and audio seemed to meld into one, and I can’t image one without the other.

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Importance of Music Education

suresh tuteja — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:56:32 +0000

In today’s world music is very important in everybody’s life but most important in student’s life,if you want to know how let us know through this post. The basic reason that every child must have an education in music is that music is a part of the fabric of our society. The intrinsic value of music for each individual is widely recognized in the many cultures that make up American life &emdash; indeed, every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals. The importance of music to our economy is without doubt. And the value of music in shaping individual abilities and character are attested in a number of places.Success in society, of course, is predicated on success in school. Any music teacher or parent of a music student can call to mind anecdotes about effectiveness of music study in helping children become better students. Skills learned through the discipline of music, these stories commonly point out, transfer to study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills useful in every part of the curriculum.uccess in school and in society depends on an array of abilities. Without joining the intense ongoing debate about the nature of intelligence as a basic ability, we can demonstrate that some measures of a child’s intelligence are indeed increased with music instruction. Once again, this burgeoning range of data supports a long-established base of anecdotal knowledge to the effect that music education makes kids smarter. What is new and especially compelling, however, is a combination of tightly-controlled behavioral studies and groundbreaking neurological research that show how music study can actively contribute to brain development.Thus music is an important of life and it can be made compulsory subject for every school student to improve his/her life.

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Music Is My Life

suresh tuteja — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:50:03 +0000

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Common elements of music are pitch rhythm,dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture..Music is the symbol of romance,pleasure,entertainment,stress buster.When our mood is off we can listen to music and change our mood according to the style of music.Music helps us to look this world in better way.Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways. Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure,boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. With so many benefits and such profound physical effects, it’s no surprise that so many are seeing music as an important tool to help the body in staying healthy.So Stay Safe and love the art of music.

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The Importance of Paradiddles

Sunnie LaPan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:03:47 +0000

Paradiddles are a four count drumming technique. The counts are even, with the right hand hitting first, then the left, then the right hand hitting twice more. The next paradiddle is reversed, with the left hand hitting first, then the right hand, then the left hand hitting twice more. When I first encountered paradiddles as part of my drum instruction, I thought they were nothing more than a silly word. However, the introduction of paradiddles into your routine practice can be extremely beneficial.

At first paradiddles are usually practiced on the snare. You should practice the basic paradiddle pattern until you feel extremely comfortable. Your paradiddles should be smooth and even, and should remain that way at fast or slow speeds. Once you’re comfortable, you can move the paradiddles around the drum kit. This opens up a wide range of fill possibilities that are not encompassed in the normal right, left, right, left hand pattern. For example, play the first half of the paradiddle, right, left, right, right, with your right hand over the floor tom and your left hand over the snare. A simple fill occurs with a unique sound that would be challenging to replicate without the paradiddle.

Once you’re comfortable with the basic paradiddle, try looking into other paradiddle-esque hand patterns, such as the reverse paradiddle. This is where you play right, right, left, right, then left, left, right, left.

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Choosing the Right Drum Sticks

Sunnie LaPan — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:07:19 +0000

After learning about all the different options available for drum shells, heads, hardware, and cymbals, drum sticks may seem like an easy choice. However, you need to remember that the drum sticks are what connect the player to the drum kit, and what make almost all of the sounds you’ll hear. New drummers need to consider several factors before they decide which sticks are right for them.

Size is a big issue when it comes to buying drum sticks. Mainly, this comes down to how heavy and how wide the sticks are. Many drummers prefer wider, heavier sticks, especially those drummers that play harder styles, such as hard rock or metal. Other drummers may need lighter sticks. Stick length can also vary slightly, and will dictate how far you need to reach to hit anything. Pick up a pair of sticks and hold them as if you were going to play. If they feel comfortable, try playing with them for a while. This is the best way to tell if the length, width, and weight are comfortable for you. Be careful not to choose sticks that are too wide or heavy, even if they sound great, because this can damage your wrists. Metal sticks are a big culprit in drummer injuries.

Drum sticks usually feature one of two tip options. The tip is the thinnest point of the stick, which hits the drums or cymbals. Tips can be natural wood or nylon. Natural wood gives a pure sound. Nylon tips have more bounce but give a pinging sound.

Choose sticks that are durable. If you’re playing a lot of jazz or light rock, you may not need sticks that are as durable as someone who plays metal night after night. However, in the long run, spending a few extra dollars on a quality pair of sticks means you won’t need to worry about replacing them every few weeks or months.

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Foo Fighters Concert in Phoenix

Sunnie LaPan — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:54:35 +0000

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to catch a Foo Fighters show in Phoenix, Arizona. As many people probably know, Dave Grohl, the front man for the Foo Fighters, used to be the drummer for the legendary rock band, Nirvana. Dave now holds his own as the guitarists and singer for his band, which is, at this point, equally as famous as Nirvana was.

If you’ve never seen the Foo Fighters in a live setting, and you’re interested in rock or alternative music, it’s something you should absolutely look into. The Foo Fighters put on an amazingly entertaining show that was just about three hours long, and covered songs from the entirety of their 16 year career. When hearing that the band would play such a long show, I was a little worried, as I’ve just recently gotten into their music and don’t know many of their songs. However, as Dave Grohl himself will tell you, the band has a huge amount of hits, and during the entire show, there was only one song that I didn’t know.

The concert was fantastic. All of the musicians in the band are incredibly talented, but I found myself drawn to Dave Grohl and his wild personality, and Taylor Hawkins, the drummer. I myself am a drummer, so I know when I see someone who’s great at what he does, and Taylor Hawkins is one of the best, both technically and creatively.

Dave gave his attention to every single person in the audience. He played at both ends of the stadium, on two stages. He concert was filled with excitement and energy, and had many qualities to it that I’ve never seen at another show. Overall, it was a blast, so don’t miss out if the Foo Fighters are coming to your area.

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Ways To Keep Your Voice Strong For Singing – Avoid A Sore Throat

Bethan Jenkins — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:07:40 +0000

For the majority of musically gifted singers, it is essential to keep the throat in good form so that it does not affect your singing. Every singers voice can become affected when it is strained after long periods of singing, so it is handy to understand what can be done to keep the voice strong.

How To Keep Your Voice Strong For Singing

1. Drink lots of water on a daily basis. The moisture given by H20 is vital to keeping the throat moisturised. Water helps to lubricate the vocal chords, giving you clear, beautiful singing ability.

2. Try not to strain the vocal chords by screaming, yelling or projecting too harshly than you’re able to do. This is the worst mistake you can make because it can cause your singing voice to become affected.

3. Avoid smoking. This can make the vocal chords husky, hoarse and extremely weak.

4. Warm up your voice before you sing by practising your singing ranges.

5. Breath accordingly, this stops you from straining the vocal chords when singing.

6. Listen to your voice and recognise if it is in trouble. If you hear any difference, problems, soreness or inability to reach certain vocal chords then you may have to reduce the power of your voice and see what works best for you.

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How To Record A Music Demo

Bethan Jenkins — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:32:52 +0000

If you are a budding musician, then your demo will be your lifeline. Without recording a demo you may have trouble actually getting work. This is because producers and record labels that are interested in working with you will require the ability to hear how you sound on a music demo CD. After all, if you want to be considered seriously as a recording artist, you need to sound and act like one.

How To Record A Successful Music Demo

Begin by understanding where you wil record your demo. You can easily book a venue or recording studio to do so, but this may cost a fee. However, if you have the appropritate recording equipment in your house, you can do it there.

Once you have chosen where to record your music demo, you should decide on how it will be recorded. Will you record it with live singing and instrumentals rolled into one? Or will you seperately record singing and each instrument to produce a clear cut sound?

Demos should not be too long so make it short, sweet and straight to the point. Record it well.

Once you have recorded your demo and you are happy with it, send it to a producer or someone of importance who can help you. Good luck!

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