Drum machines are popular electronic music machines consisting of digital signal processing circuits and memory. These are widely used as the backbeat for all types of music such as pop, jazz, salsa, funk and hip-hop. Structurally similar to ...]]> Drum Machines

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Drum machines are popular electronic music machines consisting of digital signal processing circuits and memory. These are widely used as the backbeat for all types of music such as pop, jazz, salsa, funk and hip-hop. Structurally similar to a small box, a drum machine has a number of small buttons that enables the player to create many different sounds and beats.

The history of drum machines dates back to the 1930s. Early drum machines were referred to as ?rhythm machines.? The first successful drum machine was introduced during the 1970s. It was known as the first programmable rhythm machine that allowed players to create their own beat. The programmable machine allows drummers to create a drumming pattern simply by pressing the trigger pads though a drum kit or using step sequencing. The beginning of the 21st century witnessed many innovations in drum machines. Software based sequencing and sampling, the use of loops, and integrated drum sounds sequencing are some of the latest additions.

Drum machines duplicate the sound of drums and other percussion instruments for any type of live musical programs and recording. You can record your patch for later use or modify the existing patch by adding your own sounds. Drum machines also support many inputs and outputs. Modern machines serve as sequencers with sample playback or synthesizer component that can reproduce the drum timbres and the sound of traditional percussion instruments. Some models have pressure sensitive pads for finger drumming. Each pad is assigned unique sounds such as bass, snare, low-tom, cymbal crash, hi-tom, etc. The LED screen on the machine pad displays the selected patches or the tracks. If your machine has some advanced features like MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) connectivity, you can easily program it with other MIDI devices or a computer.

Some of the main advantages of drum machines include easy programming and provisions for faster beats. Moreover, they are convenient and portable and simulate a variety of sounds. The technical features may vary from one model to another.

A guitar is not just a sweet sounding instrument. It is a good-looking instrument in the hands of a good guitarist. You can make your guitar look as good as you wish. In a different vein, any guitar will appear shabby in the ha...]]> Look Cool With Custom Guitar Straps

Writen by Max Cane

A guitar is not just a sweet sounding instrument. It is a good-looking instrument in the hands of a good guitarist. You can make your guitar look as good as you wish. In a different vein, any guitar will appear shabby in the hands of a shabby guitarist. Shabby guitarists do not belong to this planet and hence we assume you are good guitarist. A spic-n-span guitar should have a spic-n-span guitar strap. This is what this article is about - guitar straps.

There are lots and lots of good guitar straps that you can find in the marketplace. You can even shop for your guitar strap online on the internet. While searching for guitar straps online, search for ones, which have the highest possible finish quality.

The straps that you choose to purchase should be durable ones. You do not wish to have your expensive guitar ruined when you are playing it while dancing around just because of weak straps, which snapped all of a sudden! Do not go for the cheap guitar straps that you will find aplenty. Quality straps do not come cheap. However, they serve their purpose faithfully.

Guitar straps should be adjustable in length so that you can adjust them to suit your playing requirements. Moreover, they should have good and strong buckles and strap buttons. You should pay special attention to strap buttons because they suffer maximum wear and tear during guitar playing sessions.

Celtic Guitar Straps

Celtic guitar straps have Celtic designs and symbols on them. They are quite popular among rock guitarists and heavy metal guitar players. There are many designs available from which you can choose. You can even customize your guitar straps for greater aesthetics.

Cool Guitar Straps

For the ultra cool guitarist who wishes to flaunt his ‘coolness,’ many cool guitar straps are available. You can buy them in various materials like woven natural fabric, synthetic fabric, leather and even in hardwood.

Customized Guitar Straps

If you are not satisfied with the look and feel of the guitar straps that are available, then you can even go for a customised guitar strap. In buying a customized guitar strap, basic rules remain the same, namely that you should go for a durable one and a strap that has good and strong strap button and buckles. Once this is taken care of, sky is the limit to what designs and customizations you can incorporate into your guitar strap.after all, your guitar strap is your statement and an extension of your own persona!

Wal-Mart music downloads site is one of the easiest services available. Every song on the Wal-mart music downloads site has the same "Always Low Price" of .88 cents.

This easy to use site offers new releases, top songs, and cl...]]> Wal-Mart Music Downloads

Writen by John Rivers

Wal-Mart music downloads site is one of the easiest services available. Every song on the Wal-mart music downloads site has the same “Always Low Price” of .88 cents.

This easy to use site offers new releases, top songs, and classic favorites all priced the same. Album pricing varies depending on the number of songs available for download. In almost all cases, buying an album will be less expensive than buying the individual songs that make up an album.

Before I go on any further, sorry Mac users this program is only available for PC’s and Windows operating systems.

OK, back to the good stuff.. Each title has a 30 second clip so that you can preview the song (just to make sure it’s the right one). It also comes with a free song storage program that helps you list your new songs in playlists ready for listening or burning to CD.

Bottom line.just as their ad says .88 cents Every Song. Every Day.

There is no monthly subscription fee with Wal-mart music downloads or any other additional charges. You pay for only the price of the songs or albums you want and (of course) any applicable sales tax, with no other fees. And it’s all legal, licensed, and free of viruses. A great program especially if you are a diehard Wal-mart fan.

Oh, I almost forgot they also offer a Wal-mart Music Downloads Gift Card. Perfect for those special people who love music, but you really don’t know what they like. You can purchase any amount between $10 and $2,500.(guaranteed they won’t return this gift).

John Rivers has been involved with music for over 30 years as a student, performer and teacher. His site The-NetGuide-for-MusicDownloads.com helps individuals to find safe and legal Music and Movie download sites. Subscribe to “NetMusic News” and receive Free music downloads each month.

Whether you favor Turkish Music in the arabesque, pop, or Sanat-Art musical style, these are some of the biggest names of the Turkish Music scene of any era -- Sezen Aksu, Muazzez Abaci, Ajda Pek...]]> Modern Turkish Music Stars Salute the ‘Past Master’ Zeki Muren

Writen by Jim Masters

Whether you favor Turkish Music in the arabesque, pop, or Sanat-Art musical style, these are some of the biggest names of the Turkish Music scene of any era — Sezen Aksu, Muazzez Abaci, Ajda Pekkan, Erol Evgin, Seda Sayan, Muazzez Ersoy,

Studio microphones need to accomplish one thing and one thing only: to record the best possible voice or musical instrument sounds. In order to do that, they use advanced technological methods to filter o...]]> Things to Look for When Buying a Studio Microphone

Writen by Mantius Cazaubon

Studio microphones need to accomplish one thing and one thing only: to record the best possible voice or musical instrument sounds. In order to do that, they use advanced technological methods to filter out unwanted ambient sound, which are present even in a controlled studio environment. Studio microphones have to capture the smallest voice subtleties and even the lowest musical notes. Most studio microphones use the electret model, in which a thin metal diaphragm receives sound waves and converts them into electrical current, which can then be interpreted by various recording devices. The filters used in the manufacturing of professional studio microphones are well calibrated, so that any disturbances are stopped before they reach the recording surface.

No room for compromise

Music recording studios, radio studios and TV station studios - they all use professional microphones. A UHF broadcast level microphone is expensive, often with price tags of several hundred dollars, so it is unlikely you will purchase such devices unless you intend to use them in one of the above-mentioned locations. Professional studio microphones need to have two major characteristics at a level far superior to regular microphones: flatness and linearity. Both these attributes mean that the recorded sound is clearer, more accurate, without noticeable distortion. Music studio microphones are often multidirectional, capturing sound from a well controlled ambient. The reason behind this is that the enclosed recording room allows no outside sounds to enter, so the only available ones are the ones produced by the singer or vocalist. A TV studio microphone, on the other hand, has to be focused on a single major source of sound: the speaker holding the microphone.

How to select your studio microphone

The variety of offers on the market is huge. And the truth is that it’s hard to pick a winner in any category. So how can you select your studio microphone? The first step is to determine exactly what the microphone is supposed to do: are you going to record voices, instruments, mixed music? Then you should look for a similar studio and check out their equipment. It’s almost like spying on the competition to see what they are using and if they believe it’s working for them. After you narrowed down the microphone list to a couple of different models, you can go by other decisive items, such as price, warranty or accessories. In the end, the aim is to get the most appropriate microphone for your studio without paying a fortune for it.

Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of http://the-microphone-guide.com, a resource for information and tips on buying studio and throat microphones online.

Okay, so it's not rocket science. It's not opera. It's probably not music that somebody will listen to a thousand years from now. But still, I like it.

I've liked funny music since I first started listening to music. Duri...]]> Crazy About That Funny Music

Writen by Wayne Faust

Okay, so it’s not rocket science. It’s not opera. It’s probably not music that somebody will listen to a thousand years from now. But still, I like it.

I’ve liked funny music since I first started listening to music. During my grade school years in the 60’s there were a bunch of great records. One of my earliest memories is of Alan Sherman’s “Hello Muddah Hello Faddah,” which was actually based on Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours” from La Gioconda, so maybe funny music is classy after all.

I also loved “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-dot Bikini” by Brian Hyland, “Alley Oop” by The Hollywood Argyles, featuring Kim Fowler (a respected songwriter who wrote lots of ’serious’ songs), and whole albums of songs by Ray Stevens, who made a career out of funny music. The 60’s seemed to be a golden age for funny music. The songs were all singable, so even after you got the joke, they were still fun to listen to.

Other decades had their novelty tunes as well, from the Itty Bitty Fishy song back in the 30’s, to “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin (a respected Jazz vocalist,) to “The Man Song” by Sean Morey. And lest we forget, there is the infamous “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” by Dr. Elmo, which has had amazing staying power over the last few decades.

When I started writing and performing music, I always gravitated towards funny songs, and found that they worked amazingly well in my shows. You could do a great version of “Freebird” and the audiences would smile politely. If you made up a funny song on the spot about something happening in the news, it seemed that they would flock to the stage and ask where they could get a copy of that ’song about John Bobbitt.’

So I seem to have made a career out of funny music of my own, which, by the way, you can check out on my website. But that wasn’t enough for me. I thought that since there are so many people out there performing and recording great funny music, they needed a place of their own. And thus, Picklehead Music was born, and has grown into a many-headed, comedy-music monster. Who knows where it will all end? Hopefully continuing to lighten up people’s lives and to have them forget their troubles long enough to listen to a song like “Lots Of Things Rhyme With Duck,” complete with quacking.

So go ahead, laugh. And check us out at picklehead.com. We’re carrying on a tradition here. Honest.

Wayne Faust is a music and comedy performer, who also runs Picklehead Music, a site devoted to showcasing funny music, along with some great acoustic and variety artists.

Mariah Carey is an American pop singer born on March 27, 1970, at Long Island, in New York district, from Alfred Roy Carey, and mother Patricia Hickey, opera singing professor. Mariah Carey has a sister, Alison (born in 1959) and a brother, Morga...]]> Mariah Carey

Writen by Fione Harvey

Mariah Carey is an American pop singer born on March 27, 1970, at Long Island, in New York district, from Alfred Roy Carey, and mother Patricia Hickey, opera singing professor. Mariah Carey has a sister, Alison (born in 1959) and a brother, Morgan (born in 1961).

During a night party reuniting US music people, Brenda K. Starr introduces Mariah Carey to Tommy Mottola (manager of recording company Sony Music) and presents him a sample of songs that Mariah Carey has already made.

In 1990, the first Mariah Carey album releases. Called “Mariah Carey” (All In Your Mind, Alone In Love, I Don’t Wanna Cry, Love Takes Time, Prisoner, Sent From Up Above, Someday, There’s Got To Be A Way, Vanishing, Vision Of Love, You Need Me), the Mariah Carey album quickly becomes a real success, staying eleven weeks on top of US Billboard. Mariah Carey album sold 17 million copies and Mariah Carey singles “Vison of Love”, “Love Takes Time”, “Someday” and “I don’t Wanna Cry” are all ranked number one of US charts. Vision of Love and Love Takes Time will also be number one in Canada.

In 1991, Mariah Carey releases her second studio album “Emotions” (And You Don’t Remember, Can’t Let Go, Emotions, If It’s Over, Make It Happen, So Blessed, The Wind, Till The End Of Time, To Be Around You, You’re So Cold) which encountered a real success despite sales being weaker than the previous one, at 13 million copies. This doesn’t prevent Mariah Carey from getting her first single from her new album, ranks #1 in American charts. Mariah Carey just beats the first record by becoming the sole artist to rank her 5 singles at the first place of charts. The 2 other singles “Can’t Let go” and “Make It Happen” are ranked #2 and #5. It is during this same year, that Mariah Carey receives her first awards; 2 Grammy Awards. More personally, Mariah Carey begins a relationship with Tommy Mottola.

To face rumors from American critics concerning the voice usurpation, Mariah Carey invited by MTV Unplugged, decides to perform in live her first success: Emotions, If It’s Over, Someday, Vision Of Love, Make It Happen, and Can’t Let Go as well as a song of the Jackson Five: Ill Be There. The producer of the TV program impressed by her performing decides to release an album and a video of her performance on June 20 1992. The Mariah Carey album sells over 10 million copies. The first single of this Mariah Carey album “I’ll Be There” ranks #1 of the US charts, adding once again to the other #1 of Mariah Carey in the US, the single will also be #1 in Canada becoming the third Mariah Carey song to reach this first rank in this country.

In 1993, Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola. Mariah Carey releases her fourth album “Music Box” (All I’ve Ever Wanted, Anytime You Need A Friend, Dreamlover, Hero, I’ve Been Thinking About You, Just To Hold You Once Again, Music Box, Never Forget You, Now That I Know, Without You), album which will reveal Mariah Carey in many countries. The first two Mariah Carey singles of this album, “Dreamlover” and “Hero” both rank on top of US charts. Following “Without You” and “Anytime You Need A Friend”, this last one being a very gospel song, a style that Mariah Carey particularly loves. To be noted that “Without You” is the biggest success of Mariah Carey in Europe. Mariah Carey ended her tour, the Music Box, exclusively in the US.

In 1994 is released Mariah Carey album “Merry Christmas” (Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (Anniversary Mix), Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, O Holy Night, Miss You Most (At Christmas Time), Joy To The World, jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child, Jesus Born On This Day, hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Goria (In Excelsis Deo), God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), All I Want For Christmas Is You). The first single of this Mariah Carey album “All I Want For Christmas Is You” gets a rare success for a Christmas song (#2 in the UK and Australia) but it is in Japan that the impact of this Mariah Carey song is the most important as it is the biggest success of Mariah Carey as singles. In the US, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” only gets a relatively impact as it ranked #83 in the Billboard Hot 100. However, each end of the year, this song is added in US playlists, reaching radio audience as high as new titles of the moment. This Mariah Carey album sold at 15 million copies in the world, becoming the Christmas album the most sold ever to date.

In 1995, Mariah Carey releases her sixth album “Daydream” (Always Be My Baby, Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix), Fantasy, Forever, I Am Free, Long Ago, Looking In, Melt Away, One Sweet Day, Open Arms, Underneath The Stars, When I Saw You). Very expected following the top “Music Box’ and her now worldwide popularity, it sales at over 24 million copies in the world, especially becoming her biggest success in the US. Mariah Carey album is more Hip-Pop and R’n'B. Mariah Carey single “Fantasy” directly reaches the first place of US Billboard and will stay there for 8 weeks. However, the biggest of this Mariah Carey album, the biggest success of all time in the US charts, is “One Sweet Day”: 16 weeks #1, a song with the Boyz II Men. The last Mariah Carey single on the US market, “Always Be My Baby”, also reaches the top Billboard. The other Mariah Carey singles, “Open Arms”, “Underneath The Stars” and “Forever” are especially dedicated to the European countries. “Fantasy” will also have a big impact as it will be #1 in Canada, Australia and Japan. Mariah Carey then begins a new mini tour: the Daydream Tour. This time, Japan (3 dates in Tokyo), the Netherlands, the UK, France and Germany are the lucky countries.

Mariah Carey divorced in 1997 from her husband Tommy Mottola. Mariah Carey releases the same year “Butterfly” (Babydoll, Breakdown, Butterfly, Close My Eyes, Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise), Fourth Of July, Honey, My All, Outside, The Beautiful Ones, The Roof, Whenever You Call) and the butterfly becomes her symbol of freedom. This Mariah Carey album, which Mariah Carey considers as an important turn of her career, contains 2 songs ranked #1 in the US charts: “Honey” (directly #1) for three weeks and “My All” for one week. “Honey” is both #1 in Japan and #3 in the UK. Then according to the countries “Butterfly”, “Breakdown” and “The Roof” are commercialized. The evolution of Mariah Carey is not only musical: Mariah Carey starts to adopt a clothing style more sexy. Mariah Carey album sells at over 17 million copies. Mariah Carey then starts her third tour: the Butterfly Tour. This time again, few countries will be visited: Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Hawaii.

In 1998, “Ones” (Always Be My Baby, Dreamlover, Emotions, Fantasy (Featuring O.D.B.), Hero, Honey, I Don’t Wanna Cry, I Still Believe, I’ll Be There (Featuring Trey Lorenz), Love Takes Time, My All, One Sweet Day (With Boyz II Men), Someday, Sweetheart (With JD), Vision Of Love, When You Believe (From “The Prince Of Egypt”) (With Whitney Houston), Whenever You Call (With Brian McKnight)) is released. We can find on this Mariah Carey album all the singles #1, 3 duos “When You Believe” with Whitney Houston, which will be #1 in Japan and in Spain, “Whenever You Call” with Brian McKnight and “Sweetheart” in duo with Jermaine Dupri as well as 2 songs “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” (Theme from Mahogany) and “I Still Believe” song of Brenda K Starr. The Mariah Carey album sold at over 16 million copies and becomes the album from a stranger the most sold ever in Japan (over 2 million). For many, this best closes the first part of Mariah Carey career.

In 1999, Mariah Carey releases “Rainbow” (After Tonight, Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now), Bliss, Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme), Crybaby, Did I Do That?, Heartbreaker, Heartbreaker (Remix), How Much, Petals, Rainbow (Interlude), Thank God I Found You, Vulnerability (Interlude), X-Girlfriend) which first single “Heartbreaker”, duo with with Jay-Z, will rank #1 in Billboard and will stay for 2 weeks. Followed by “Thank God I Thank You” (which ranks first place in US charts becoming the 15th #1 of Mariah Carey in her natal country), Can’t Take That Away”, “Crybaby” and “Against All Odds”. Mariah Carey sold more than 10 million copies of this album. Mariah Carey then really does a world tour: the Rainbow Tour. 3 continents (North America, Europe and Asia) could claim Mariah Carey the diva. However, many criticize Mariah Carey for a tired voice during this tour.

In 2001, Mariah Carey doesn’t renew her contract with Sony, the recording company of her beginnings managed at that time by ex husband Mottola, and signs at Virgin for 5 albums for US$117 millions. Mariah Carey gets work on a film and an album which are both named: “Glitter” (All My Life, Didn’t Mean To Turn You On, Don’t Stop (Funkin’ 4 Jamaica), If We, Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Lead The Way, Loverboy, Loverboy Remix, Never Too Far, Reflections (Care Enough), Twister, Want You). The project, long worked by Mariah Carey herself, little by little falls out of her hands according to her and will become her first flop: only 3,5 million copies in the world and an 11th position in the US. To finalize her performance in the movie, Mariah Carey wins a Razzie Awards as worst actress of the year. Despite a #2 in the US Billboard with very controversial title “Loverboy”, Mariah Carey is suddenly no more back up by the US radios and the press is no more tender with Mariah Carey. The same year, is released a best of called “Greatest Hits” under Sony label, her previous music recording company. Mariah Carey can’t forbid the release of this album which will be sold a first time at 3 million copies.

In 2002, Mariah Carey is hospitalized following a nervous depression (preventing her from promoting the original soundtrack of “Glitter” around the world). Mariah Carey was so long considered by American press as the “little Cinderella of America” and who served as vocal model for all young artists, lives her darkest times: people criticize her clothing, her physical appearance and her acting desires. People even talk about suicide, which Mariah Carey denied after. Mariah Carey found refuge at her mother’s. To close this difficult period, her father, with whom Mariah Carey tried to link back strong relationship, dies some times later.

Dropped from Virgin Records, Mariah Carey signs in 2002 a contract with Universal and creates her own label MonarC. Mariah Carey plays in a film “Wisegirld” which contrary to “Glitter” receives very good critics and where Mariah Carey creates the surprise. Her acting play was particularly appreciated during the famous festival of Toronto where the movie was presented. End 2002, Mariah Carey releases “Charmbracelet” (Boy (I Need You) feat. Cam’Ron, Bringin’ On The Heartbreak, Clown, I Only Wanted, Irresistible (Westside Connection), Lullaby, My Saving Grace, Subtle Invitation, Sunflowers For Alfred Roy, The One, Through The Rain, Through The Rain (Remix) feat. Kelly Price and Joe, You Got Me feat. Jay-Z and Freeway, You Had Your Chance, Yours), album mainly dedicated to her father where are extracted the singles “Through The Rain”(#1 in Spain, #8 in the UK), “Boy (I Need You)”, “I Know What You Want” and “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”. This Mariah Carey album, very expected by the press after the first failure (”Glitter”) of the singer who sold the most discs in the 90s is once again a half flop: it sold only around 4 million copies, including only 1,1 million in the US. Mariah Carey then starts a tour: the “Charmedbracelet Tour”. 69 dates in total, including China and Malaysia, countries not very often visited by artists.

In October 2003, Sony, her previous recording company, releases a new album called “The Remixes” (Always Be My Baby - Mr. Dupri Mix featuring Da Brat and Xscape, Anytime You Need A Friend - C&C Club Version, Breakdown - Featuring Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone, Crybaby - Album Version Featuring Snoop Dogg, Dreamlover Def Club Mix, EMOTIONS 12″ Club Mix, FANTASY Def Club Mix, Fantasy Feat. O.D.B., Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) - Fly Away Club Mix, Heartbreaker - Remix Featuring Da Brat & Missy Elliott, Heartbreaker/”If You Should Ever Be Lonely” - Junior’s Heartbreaker Club Mix, Honey - So So Def Mix Featuring Da Brat & JD, Honey Classic Mix, I Know What You Want - Album Version Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey (Featuring Flipmode Squad), Loverboy - Remix, Miss You - Feat. Jadakiss, My All Morales - “My” Club Mix, My All/Stay Awhile - So So Def Remix Featuring Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz 4, Sweetheart - Album Version, The One - So So Def Remix Featuring Bonecrusher, Through The Rain HQ2 Radio Edit). This Mariah Carey album, which contains a lot of #1 of US clubs, will sell nearly 1 million copies around the he world. Mariah Carey didn’t participate to the promotion of this album and didn’t appreciate once again the methods of Sony.

Despite the failures that Mariah Carey encountered, Mariah Carey works very hard in 2004 to produce her new album. It is with the collaboration of the biggest in R&B and US rap (Jermaine Dupri, The Neptunes, Snoop Dogg, Pharell Williams, Kanye West,…), that Mariah Carey finishes her new concept album, the most worked according to her after “Butterfly”.

“The Emancipation of Mimi” (Circles, Fly Like A Bird, Get Your Number featuring Jermaine Dupri, I Wish You Knew, It’s Like That, Joy Ride, Mine Again, One

And Only featuring Twista, Say Somethin’ featuring Snoop Dogg, Shake It Off, Stay The Night, To The Floor featuring Nelly, We Belong Together, Your Girl), released on April 12 2005, has been announced as “The return of THE Voice” by the American medias proclaiming the last Mariah Carey album as her big comeback to the international scene after the commercial failures of “Glitter” and “Charmbracelet”.

The reappearance of Mariah Carey allows the public to strongly encourage her. Indeed, “Mimi” starts #1 of the US album sales with 405.000 copies the very first week. The Mariah Carey album will be sold at 5.7 million copies in her country and will be certified 6 times platinum disc. The Emancipation of Mimi stayed 22 weeks in the US top 5 including 2 weeks #1. This Mariah Carey album is the most sold in the US during 2005.

The first Mariah Carey “It’s Like That” has had an enormous success. The Mariah Carey song is not even released in single in the US that it is already ranked #16 in this country just thanks to radios and legal downloads on Internet. The single is then released around the world becoming #1 in Japan and in the Philippines. The Mariah Carey single sells so well that it is out of stock! This excellent result allows “It’s Like That” to rank #3 for world single sales!

But it is with the second Mariah Carey single from album “We Belong Together”, that singer Mariah Carey really signs her comeback. Having beneficiated from a large diffusion on American radios, it becomes the 16th Mariah Carey single to reach #1 in the Hot 100 (her first since “Thank God I Found You” released in 2000). With 14 weeks spent at the top spot of Hot 100, the Mariah Carey single becomes the biggest success of the 2000s and in 2006 an US chart chooses the song as the most popular of this last 13 years by receiving 33% of the votes! “We Belong Together” has also been #1 in Japan, Canada, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and #2 in the UK, which allows it to be #1 of world sales during 5 weeks! This Mariah Carey song has become the song the most spread in the history of American music (beating the record of Mario with his title “Let Me Love You” releases a few months before).

With the success of her album and her singles, Mariah Carey decides to please herself by releasing her favorite song from “The Emancipation of Mimi”, it is “Sake It Off” and Mariah Carey was right to please herself because this title which is only released in the US and in other English spoken countries will rock: it achieves #2 in the US just after…”We Belong Toegther” making Mariah Carey the first artist to rank two songs at the top of the charts at the same time in this country!

Her fourth single “Don’t Forget About Us” doesn’t lie the comeback of Mariah Carey. The Mariah Carey single becomes the 17th to rank #1 in the US, equaling the King Elvis Presley and ranks #2 for artists owning the more #1 in the US behind the Beatles who ranked 20, and in #2 for artists having the larger number of weeks spent on first position with 77 weeks, record being owned by Elvis Presley with 79 weeks. This title reappears in the re-edition of “The Emancipation Of Mimi”, released on November 15 in the US and which counts 4 bonus titles. “Don’t Forget About Us” has also been #1 in Brazil and in Finland.

The fifth and last Mariah Carey single is called “Say Somethin”. This Mariah Carey title, released in a dozen of countries, didn’t encounter a very big success, achieving only a #30 in the UK and Australia. In the US, it will be aired on the radios alternatively with the very gospel “Fly Like A Bird”, which encounters a very nice success and also by being #1 of diffusions on R&B radios. In Europe, another title made the buzz: “Get Your Number”. Big success on European radio diffusions, it will stay in numerous TOP 30 of single sales.

Therefore, “The Emancipation Of Mimi” allowed her to gain two new #1 in the US, her album selling 10 million copies in the world and Mariah Carey receiving 50 awards (including 3 Grammy Awards and 1 American Music Awards) just in 2005! It’s really a comeback to the top for who people thought she was finished! What is more, Mimi engages in a new tour called: “The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour” which begins in Tunisia on July 22 2006.

The diva being once again at the top of charts, the advertising industry solicits her:

Mariah Carey participates for an ad for Intel and Mariah Carey becomes the new symbol of Pepsi and Gillette Venus (Mariah Carey obtains the award “Legs of Goddess” at New York).

Mariah Carey has also created over 20 cell phone ringtones for Mororola and should make her big comeback in a movie called “Tennessee”. What is more Mariah Carey album “Greatest Hits” reappears in the charts and its sales will total around 4,5 million copies with half being sold in 2005 (and 600.000 copies in the UK, only country which it encounters such a success).

In 2006, after 16 years of career, Mariah Carey would have sold about 165 million albums in the world and rank 17 titles #1 in the US charts.

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with people in all walks of life who, for all different kinds of reasons, believe that playing the guitar will add something to their lives. Most people that are just starting the guita...]]> Why Play Guitar?

Writen by George Nellas

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with people in all walks of life who, for all different kinds of reasons, believe that playing the guitar will add something to their lives. Most people that are just starting the guitar for the first time are young (pre-university) although certainly not all. One of my favorite students last year was a 65-year-old retiree who wanted to learn enough to be able to start a bar band with his friends.

There is no “one” reason to play the guitar. This instrument can bring joy to everyone regardless of their primary motivations for taking it up. There’s no such thing as being too old or too musically inexperienced for the guitar either. Neither the Beatles or Jimi Hendrix could read music, and I think most would agree that they did all right without it.

Many guitarists will ask me, after their first lesson, how long it will take them to become good at the guitar. I’ve never been able to answer this question. No one can. Your success or failure in playing the guitar depends completely on the effort that you put into it. One of my favorite stories is about Eddie Van Halen: he would come home after school and pick up his guitar. He would sit at the edge of his bed and play until he had to go to sleep. Not once, not every once and a while: every day. Of course, most of us don’t have the luxury of this much time to practice, but this story helps to illustrate that success isn’t completely dependant on some inborn talent, but on hard work. There’s no easy way into it. Please, whatever you do, don’t take up the guitar if you are only going to practice the last hour before your lesson. You’ll just annoy me and you’ll never get any better.

Remember, if you go to an instructor or you take lessons online or from a book, what you learn is, for the most part, up to you. You’re the one hiring the teacher and, although you’re putting yourself under their direction, it’s your responsibility to inform them as to where you want to go. Find a teacher who will help you succeed in the style of music that you want to go into.

So, why play the guitar? There isn’t a day that I don’t wake up and am glad that music is such a big part of my life. Music has brought me more happiness than almost anything else. When you accomplish something, the sense of success becomes real, whether you’ve recorded your first song, or finally learned to play all the chords to “Smoke on the Water”. Playing music, like any other art form or skill, greatly enriches those who study it.

You can learn more about playing guitar at http://www.guitar-4u.com. You can find here lots of information for players from beginner to advanced, as well as tips about and links to online guitar lessons and other great player’s resources!

It's fun to make your own library of classical music recordings and decide which classical composers and their music pieces you would like to include. One way is to do this is to purchase the CDs of your choice from the local chain s...]]> Classical Music Downloads

Writen by Eddie Tobey

It’s fun to make your own library of classical music recordings and decide which classical composers and their music pieces you would like to include. One way is to do this is to purchase the CDs of your choice from the local chain stores. But the problem here may be the high CD cost the local stores may charge due to the overhead charges. Moreover the local store may not be able to provide you the music piece or the composer of your choice.

You are therefore left to rely on the Internet for downloading music CDs. The Internet is indeed a veritable ocean from where you can take as much music as you like sitting in the comfort of your home. There is a wide margin of choice, and a lot of competition among the vendors too. Therefore with a little search you can download the best quality music of your choice at cheaper rates. Besides the competition and the wide choice, the net vendors of classical music can afford to sell the music at cheaper rates due to the absence of overhead charges that your local store has to bear. Download of music on the Internet also eliminates the shipping charges because you are not asking for the CDs, which can only be sent by post.

You also need to select the right classical music Internet vendor. You should opt for the site that offers to supply you the labels and tracks that you want. It should offer a wide variety and flexible choices, including music by emerging artists in every music genre. You should be able to burn as many CDs as you want, transfer music to MP3 devices or any desktop, portable music player or digital device and also make multiple copies of downloaded music. Your vendor should offer to deliver music in the universally compatible MP3 format, which is the most popular and versatile digital file format. The music should have the highest quality fidelity, and should be downloadable to any platform such as PC, Macintosh and Linux.

Classical Music provides detailed information on Classical Music, Classical Music CD, Classical Music Downloads, Free Classical Music and more. Classical Music is affiliated with Country Music CDs.

1. You don't have to be an expert.

Create music the best you can, just get it recorded and polish it up later. Rough tracks are not always a bad thi...]]> Create, Produce, and Sell Your Music - 10 Reasons You Can do this from the Comfort of Your Home

Writen by Traci Crowley

1. You don’t have to be an expert.

Create music the best you can, just get it recorded and polish it up later. Rough tracks are not always a bad thing. They can be an excellent starting point for a great song. Many people can appreciate raw music and may even want to collaborate with you to make your music even better. Putting together music that isn’t perfect is better than keeping the music inside of you and not sharing your creativity and talents with others.

2. You can create quality recordings without going to a professional recording studio.

There is excellent home recording software and recording devices available. Reading a manual, contacting customer support, and visiting chat rooms can go a long ways in helping you improve your recording skills. Don’t be intimidated. Play around with your recording device, or recording software. If you are patient with yourself, you can have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and your recordings can really start to come together.

Also consider hanging out in a music store occasionally to learn some great tips from other musicians. Sales reps are normally more than happy to help you out and even share their personal experiences they have had with a product. If they don’t have experience with the product you are looking for, chances are they can find someone in the store who has experience, or can direct you to the right place.

3. Home is your sanctuary, when you relax get your inspiration from your environment then capture your creativity in your recording. When you create music from the comfort of your home your creativity can be limitless.

You can create, record, and sell music from home while you’re in your pajamas. Nothing wrong with that! A lot of good creativity can happen at homechannel that into a cool new song, and record it so you’ll remember it for years to come. You can mess up a thousand times, and no one has to know. Practice to your hearts content, then record your tunes as many times as you need to until you get the sound that makes you happy.

You may also be able to tune out negative influences at home, so that’s a good place to foster your creativity. Your home is a great place to kick back and relax, and when you’re relaxed and feeling good, or bad, this is a great time to go play some music and/or lay down a couple of tracks of music. You are free to work at your own pace with no one looking over your shoulder, so that can be great time to be creative and come up with some music ideas. Work in the comfort of your home, be comfortable and relaxed, be creative and show how unique you can be through your music.

4. You can create music as fast or slow as you wantgo at your own pace.

There doesn’t have to be anyone pressuring you to lay down your tracks at warp speed. You can record a track, go eat some lunch, workout, then record another track if you choose. You can lock yourself in your music room for as long as you want if that works for you, and really make some great progress on working out some licks, writing some tunes, or even recording music. You don’t have to pay for an expensive recording studio, so you can take your time creating your music.

5. Home recording trends are growing, and you can easily take advantage of new technologies developed for musicians just like you who want to record their music at home.

Resources are available to easily record music at home at a very reasonable price, so no more excuses. Thousands of people are recording their own music from home. They have all different skill levels. There is a place for you out there toogo get yours!

6. What you don’t know you can learn from home using your computer and some great online resources.

You can instantly download music lessons and work at your own pace. You can join forums full of people just like you, who are working on making their own music from home, and you can share tips with each other. There are resources where you get video demonstrations that walk you through different processes e.g. playing a guitarstep by step.

7. The internet has endless possibilities and reaches millions of peopleget your good music in front of more people on the internet and you can have more music sales.

You can sell your music right off of your website. You can sell your music from an online music store. There are free advertising resources available where you can get your music in front of other musicians and prospective customers. There are online communities for musicians who want to get their music heard by othersyou can offer support for other musicians, and they can do the same for you. This can lead to more CD and MP3 sales too. You can get your own online radio station to play your music, or get your music played on other online radio stations to increase your exposure. The possibilities for getting your music heard are endless if you take advantage of the power of the internet.

8. You have full control over how your music turns out.

You are creating, producing, and selling your own music. No one should stand in your way. You can keep 100% of your hard earned profits if you choose.

9. You can have a huge sense of accomplishments by creating your music from scratch, producing it, and selling your own music.

You are responsible for the music you create. A lot of satisfaction can come with thattaking action will show you that you can do it, like you always knew you could!

10. Don’t underestimate your abilities. You may be a better musician than you think. You can get your music out to the public to let others experience your unique creativity.

You may not think your good enough to sell your own music, but how do you know if you don’t even try? Get your music in front of others and let them appreciate all of your creativity and efforts. For every person you think won’t like your music, there may be 10 others that do. Fear is natural, but don’t let it stand in the way of you achieving greatness that may be within you.

There are some great recordings, and a lot of rough recordings out there that may get some great buzz because they are getting their music out there. Why can’t you do the same? Taking action is the first step. You may be a better musician than you think.

Your music may sound pretty good to you, but get your music in front of others, and they may be amazed on what you can do. That interest, and/or amazement with your music can be a great tool for fostering your motivation and creativity too! Remember, you never know what you can do until you try. No more excusesyou CAN Create, Produce, and Sell your music from home. You have nothing to lose, so get started today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Traci Crowley provides resources that help you Create, Produce, and Sell your music from home. Visit her website at: http://www.indie-musicnetwork.com