dubstep

One word describes the CD Welcome from Santana... AWESOME!

I wish it werent the case but, its not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just cant force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Welcome. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and youve got one of Santanas most impressive releases ever.

Overall Welcome is an outstanding release. Quite possibly Santana's best to date. Really spectacular from beginning to end. If you're even mildly into Rock music you'll enjoy this CD.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Love, Devotion And Surrender, track 4 - When I Look Into Your Eyes, and track 10 - Mantra.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Going Home. This is a great track!

Welcome Release Notes:

Santana originally released Welcome on September 30, 2003 on the Legacy Recordings label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Going Home

2. Love, Devotion And Surrender

3. Samba De Sausalito

4. When I Look Into Your Eyes

5. Yours Is The Light

6. Mother Africa

7. Light Of Life

8. Flame-Sky

9. Welcome

10. Mantra - (previously unreleased, bonus track)

Santana: Carlos Santana (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, kalimba, percussion); Wendy Haas, Leon Thomas, Flora Purim (vocals); Doug Rauch (guitar, bass); Mahavishnu John McLauhlin (guitar); Bob Yance, Mel Martin, Joe Farrell (flute); Richard Kermode (soprano saxophone); Richard Kermode (piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, marimba, percussion); Tom Coster (piano, organ, marimba, percussion); Michael Shrieve, Tony Smith (drums); Armando Peraza (bongos, congas, percussion); Jose "Chepito" Areas (congas, timbales, percussion). Producers: Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster. Recorded in 1973. Originally released on Columbia (32445). Includes liner notes by Hal Miller.

i-mode-emulator.com, the i-mode developer site with news, tools and books about i-mode handsets

One of the hardest things about choosing the independent route for any artist is how to get your product out to the masses. Rejecting the road the big labels have paved (and blocked!) means that you retain control over your product, but it also means that all of the advertising techniques used by the big guys to flood the market with the latest hit are not available.

It used to be that independent musical artists could start with their local scene and create an in to bigger fame that way, a sort of osmosis effect. However, the modern era has seen a huge rise in conglomeration, where most radio stations, even those touted as local, are in fact owned and their programming controlled by corporations. Like the big labels, these media giants have business, and not necessarily quality, governing the bottom line.

Without being able to count on a lot of local support in the form of airplay, independent artists are now forced to rely on the other tool to get their message out: touring. Again, the life of an indie group in this area is made more difficult due to the lack of support. Venues need to be sought out and sealed by the band or individual themselves, and events are hard-won.

Battle of the bands competitions and side stages at major music festivals have also proved to be effective marketing tools for the promotion of a bands music. It may take a lot of time and effort, but a relentless touring schedule may be the only avenue left for an indie band to make their mark.

Greg Aldrich is the CEO of InBlaze Entertainment, and owner of the Indie Update blog, IndieUpdate.com. He has a passion for helping independent artists and getting the word out about great indie music. This is a sample article from the IndieUpdate blog.

Music is undoubtedly a form of communication and/or expression. Coincidently, the skills of improvisation are certainly related to the dexterity and formalities that are imperative to accomplishing your role as a communicator. Therefore, as you are preparing to become a musician, improvising will firmly assists with your development of the overall perception and understanding of musicianship.

Improvisation often focuses on the recognition of one's personal awareness, into the present moment. The skill also enables the development of a profound understanding of the action that one is currently displaying. Once you are aware and understand the concept, you will be provided as the practitioner with a sense of belief and accomplishment.

As a practitioner you will display pure confidence in which you are able to execute with a range of options that best conforms to the current situation regardless of previous successes or failures. Quite frankly, the practice of improvisation symbolizes acting and reacting, making and creating of "in the moment" response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment.

In music, specifically, improvisation is spontaneous composition. The performer is challenged by performing music that is composed at the spur-of-the-moment. This is usually achieved through solo or cadenza. Improvisation has actually dominated in Jazz musicals. The challenge of improvisation is not to be confused or compared with technique. The two concepts are different in that improvisation is described as a creative performance art.

On the other hand, technique or sight reading is a reconstructive process. It is noted, however, that as both technique and improvisation require that you react immediately to any changes needed to the music in response to stimuli, they do demonstrate primary differences. Namely, the process is executed externally for successful sight- reading and internally to execute improvisation. Furthermore, they both are greatly enhanced by a strong musical knowledge base.

As a musician, you will be able to identify how your audience is responding to you. You can use specific musical "cues" to communicate with the audience during a performance. Furthermore, during the performance, the initial musical piece may be altered to establish an emotional connection. Subsequently, you will have succeeded in the art of improvisation. Improvisation can take place as a solo performance or interdependently with an ensemble with other players. When done well, improvisation often elicits gratifying emotional response from the audience.

Musical improvisers often understand the language of one or more musical styles such as blues, rock, folk or jazz. In order to be successful, you must realize that practicing this art is intense and requires great focus. The musicians are expressive in that they have the ability to precisely illuminate creativity and originality. To successfully explore different methods of creating your own music, you should experiment in low- risk situations. You must listen carefully for your feedback to discover what does and does not work well. This will assist you in gaining valuable experience. Making your own music requires you to focus through relaxation, listening and ultimately learning.

To get started you must simply experiment with a variety of melodies, rhythms and moods. Of course, melody is the variation of the basic theme of music. To use improvisation to alter the melody you must attempt to change some of the original notes of the main theme. You will also be able to improvise the harmony as well as the rhythm. The rhythm, for example, simply requires you to experiment with the notes by making them longer or shorter or adjusting the tempo by making it slower or faster. Incidentally, very few musicians have ever risked presenting fully improvised concerts. However, there was one successful attempt by Keith Jarrat.

Techniques of improvisation are widely trained in the entertainment arts, such as music, theatre and dance. It can be expressed across all artistic, scientific, cognitive, physical, academic and non- academic disciplines. Musical improvisations require active listening and perseverance.

Basically, it is the creation of music in the real time. "Real time" is developed by listening carefully while enjoying and inevitably discovering the skills and techniques of improvisation. It usually involves focus and advanced preparation especially when there is more than one performer. Subsequently, improvisation results in a composition, a creative discovery.

More so, as the composition is reiterated over time in the same form, it becomes quality and pleasant music to its listeners. Therefore, with the establishment of a composition, all skilled composers are skilled improvisers. Perhaps, to study the skills and techniques of improvisation will encourage and enhance your pursuit for musicianship. Thus, the idea of executing an improvisation in a fixed musical form has always held attraction.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

Why oh why do some people who have had their 15 minutes of reality fame feel the need to try to stretch it into an awkward singing career? The latest to attempt this feat is Heidi Montag of The Hills. If you've been fortunate enough to miss her first video I'll fill you in: you know when you watch someone try to pick up at a bar and it's so painful you're embarrassed for them? Yeah, well, that's the only way to explain this video that could very well have been a drunken day at the beach shot on a cell phone. The only good thing about her acting is it distracts you from the singing.

But really, who could blame her? She probably took one look at the gems put out by Paris Hilton and though, hey I can skank around in a bathing suit, too! The sad thing is, some people will go out and buy an album put out by Heidi.

If she was talented, I wouldn't give a hoot that she was on a reality TV show and used that as a jumping off point for her musical career. But the girl has no real talent. Yet her video and music are out there. The same can be said for Paris Hilton, even though her videos are a bit more professional. She also has minimal to no talent. It's painful to listen to her and watch her in her videos, but because she's a celebrity for well, being a celebrity, her music and video get airtime.

There are plenty of wonderful singer song writers who can't get any airtime. Very talented artist. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for them. And it ticks me off. Maybe they should try out for The Hills and go from there.

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Denon DN-D4500 dual rack mount CD-deck

Several years ago Denon released the DN-4000, the predecessor to the new DN-D4500. The 4000s 2 rack units + 2 rack units fit anywhere design, together with its reputation of a simple to use, easy to rely on, audio workhorse meant that it got, and gets used and abused in thousands of venues worldwide.

The new DN-D4500 has built upon the popularity of its predecessor and added extra features to it, for little or no difference to the retail price. MP3 users especially will enjoy being able to do almost anything with an MP3 disc that they can do with shop bought audio CDs and more besides.

DJs everywhere will be pleased to find out that user choice and preference plays a trump card in this and other Denon CD-decks.

Drawer closer...and closer.

Its a bit of a tease, but lets start with the DN-D4500 drawer unit. A standard 19inch rack mount unit, measuring only 2 rack units high, with two proper opening/closing drawers. The power button is recessed into the front panel of the unit, and is protected by an effective hood, which prevents you offing the power accidently while leaning forward over your gear to talk to that Tracy who keeps asking for RnB all night, but cant name any RnB artist or track.

Whilst talking of drawers however, isnt it fun when you accidentally eject a disc whilst its playing. No, it isnt really, is it. The DN-D4500 not only has the semi-common safety feature to ignore the drawers open/close buttons whilst the CD in that drawer is currently playing, but can also be set to ignore the Track Select control during disc play too, saving you from the embarrassment of silence followed by the even more embarrassing sound of jeering, which will be engraved into your brain if youve ever accidentally changed tracks mid-play.

Another, albeit less embarrassing event is getting a CD, your fingers, your headphone cable, roadie etc trapped in a closing CD drawer, or worse still walking into a CD drawer thats been left open. To counter these potential nasties, the DN-D4500 drawers close automatically after so many seconds; how many seconds...aha...you choose! How? Well, remember above that I mentioned choice? You can choose an Auto-close time on the CD-drawers, so if youve been rammed into a tiny corner between the 12 piece band and the fruit machine, and space is tight, you can set the auto-close time to 10 seconds, so its open for less time. Elsewhere, where space isnt so tight but, quick disc changes are required at short notice like when the Bride insists on Girls just wanna have fun...NEXT !!!, you might prefer the drawers stay open for 30, 60 seconds or just never close on their own - eagerly waiting to gobble your disc. Like all Denon Presets your settings are remembered from gig to gig even after the units unplugged from the power more on Presets later.

The drawers have a slightly recessed dish in the middle of the drawer, probably your CD-rom drive drawer has one too go on, have a look.... did it? Oh ok, good. This allows the unit to play the promotional/cutesy 8cm discs without some risky flimsy plastic adaptor, as well as the industry standard 12cm discs.

Waiter?! The menus please.

Just like on the drawer Auto-closing times mentioned previously Overall there are over a dozen features in the DN-D4500s Presets, which with other CD-decks, youre just stuck with the factory-fitted settings each and every time you switch on. Would you rather your DN-D4500 show you the Remaining time left on a playing track, rather than Elapsed time (I know I would...I know whether Ive got enough time to dash to the loo and back before the track ends)?, and youd rather the CD paused automatically when it reaches the end of each track, rather than playing the beginning of the next track through the fader that you accidently havent faded out yet? Youd like your Denon display to flash a warning when theres only XX seconds of track left to play, and youd like your DN-D4500 to remember all these settings gig after gig, without you re-adjusting them every time...you can!... Thats the beauty of Denons Preset Menus.

Cmon, C.mon...oh yeah, quicker, quicker, cmon...LOAD!

Also good for quick changes, is the ability which the DN-D4500 shares with most of the current Denon CD-decks, of allowing you to select the track number AS youre putting the disc in the player, not just after the disc has entered the CD-deck, loaded the CDs track info and spun-up etc. True, whilst leaving your hands freed up instantly to move over to your mic and/or mixer, this feature may only save you 5~10 seconds during a last minute change of mind (or change of disc), but then what does 5 seconds of silence sound like as far as your audience is concerned?

Each of the two drawers has an open/close button and a super bright LED mounted above each drawer to illuminate the loading area. However...Not even these hyper bright blue LEDs are going to help when youre trying to read your self-adhesive CD-label with 250 MP3 track listings printed on it in font size 2.5 ... Lets talk MP3s

MPfree and easy

Whilst some other manufacturers have turned their backs on the format for as long as they could, theres no doubt that Denon have embraced MP3 as a valid and workable DJ medium. The DN-D4500 incorporates the same MP3 library feature that Denons other, top-end CD-decks boast giving you the ability to search all the MP3 tracks on a CD in Alphabetical order, by either Artist Name, or Song Title. Simply press the (now standard) Parameters Knob on the Denon for two seconds to enter the Search mode, and choose whether youd like to search the CD by Artist Name or Song Title.

With an MP3 disc loaded, featuring a load of disco favourites, Lets say we choose Artist name. On screen is Abba Dancing Queen. Turning the parameters knob gives me Abba Fernando, Abba Waterloo, Amy Grant-Baby Baby, Anastasia Left Outside Alone, and back round to Dancing Queen. Now, If I turn the parameter knob whilst pushing it in, I get the Bs, the Cs, the Ds etc... If I take it up to T for example, let go the display shows Tiffany I think were alone now, Tight Fit-The lion sleeps tonight, Tight Fit-Back to the sixties, T Rex I love to boogie etc... Easy. When the track that I want to play, is on the display, I simply press the large illuminated CUE button, the display says Searching for a few seconds then the Cue button lights up steady, and the track is cued at the beginning, or can be cued manually to any point.

How do they do that? (Im sorry, I hyphen a clue!)

Does this stunning MP3 search feature require any pre-planning, or some clever Database to be stored on the disc well, nope not really. All you need to do is make sure that the filenames of the tracks which youre burning to CDR are in the format of artist name then song title, separated by a hyphen thats a minus sign to you roadies out there! Eg: James Blunt-Youre beautiful.mp3. Thats nice and easy and the only problem that Ive found with this is if you have artist names with hyphens in them. So, if you had Murder on the dancefloor stored in the format of Artist name-song title, youd end up with an artist called Sophie Ellis, and a track called Bexter-Murder on the dance floor, not too much of a problem as youd be able to find it under the S artist names, and Im sure that Sophie wouldnt mind you missing the minus out of her name.

Obviously, tracks can also be selected on ordinary audio CDs by number eg: Track 12 or Track 16 etc... but, the Denon makes accessing these tracks easier too. Turning the Track select knob (with a soft click every few degrees) steps you forward, or backward through the track numbers 1 track per click at a time, however, pushing the Track select knob down while turning it, steps you through 10 tracks per click. Audio CDs with CD-text on them, will have their Album and Track text scrolled across the main display.

Constantly Variable, or variably constant?

If I were to ask you how many building blocks would be need to be placed end-to-end to reach from one end of a room to the other, youd ask what size the blocks are. If I said variable youd only be able to make a rough, approximate guess as to the answer the same goes for Variable Bit Rate Recording a problematic format, with only an 11% to 25% average space saving on a CDR costing 4 pence a piece.

So, when copying your entire vinyl, cassette tape, and CD singles collection onto recordable CDRs or CDRWs (The DN-D4500 is equally happy with Recordable and Re-writables disc), do yourself plenty of favours for now and the future, by only choosing Constant Bit Rate encoding (CBR), rather than Variable Bit Rate (VBR) Recording, on your CD-recording software. Features relating to precision timing such as Manual (frame by frame) searching within a track, accurately editable Seamless Loops, accurate remaining track/disc time etc all need Constant Bit Rate formats. So, stay constant on your encoding now, and you wont regret it later, with either this, or other models. Using VBR can save you between 11~25% capacity (depending on the tracks musical content), but CDRs are so cost effective now, that burning 100 discs instead of 75 will cost you only a 2.50 more in blank CDR costs.

Delivery Bay yep, round the back.

On the rear of the 2 rack unit high (88mm without its rubber feet) drawer unit, are a captive (cant fall out) power lead, a multi-pin socket for the connection to the Main control unit, a red and a white phono/RCA socket for the left deck, a red and a white phono/RCA socket for the right deck. Each deck also has an orange digital out socket running at -6db of normal output, for distortion-free connection to the ever increasing number of mixers with digital inputs.

Dont get me started!...oh go on then

The DN-D4500 is also blessed with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack fader start socket for each deck, meaning that you can have your chosen track start up instantly, the moment that you move the crossfader or channel fader on mixers equipped with the fader start function a handy feature for when youre already juggling a microphone, a request slip, and a mixer fader.

Back to the Front:

Ok, enough teasing. Were onto the main front panel. At only 62mm deep (+ 18mm if you keep the rubber feet on), and only 2 rack units (88 mm) high the control panel should fit effortlessly into the top slanted section of any DJ console or flight case or of course above or below a 19inch wide DJ mixer.

As with all current Denon dual CD Players, the controls for the left deck are identically laid out when compared to the controls for the right hand deck not mirror imaged as Ive seen on some units that was a little too confusing, even for me. (Ooohh? Who said Especially for you? cheeky!).

Dots and Dashes.

To enable a minimum number of buttons to operate and adjust the plethora of features offered by the unit, four of the buttons have two functions on them. A brief press of the button gets you the feature labelled with a dot in front, a 2 second press gets you the feature labelled with a dash. Thankfully, Denon have thought carefully about which functions need a full 2 seconds to access them, and which actions you need to be able to perform instantly. For example, a low priority function, like seeing how many Hours, Minutes, and Seconds youve got left to play on the CD, or adjusting your favourite presets, is a 2 second press. Important buttons, which need rapid/instant control, such as ermmm PLAY!!! Is instant (and internally illuminated, handy as we work in the near-dark). The Cue button is also illuminated. Both buttons are large, rubbery, have a good tactile feel and a reassuringly deep travel rather than the flush metal Lift call type buttons found on some other units.

The largest control on the panel is the Search wheel, which allows you to move back and forth through the frames of a track to accurately find your perfect cue point, just like a mini vinyl record. This same control also acts as a pitch bend when the track is playing, enabling you to nudge the track a little faster, or dab down the track a little slower to match beats with another track when beat mixing. For those DJs who prefer to do their Pitch bending with buttons, two tactile Pitch Bend buttons (+ and -) are featured on the panel also.

Around the outside of the Search Wheel is the Scan Collar. Which, when youre cueing up a track, allows you to jump quickly forwards or backwards by a so many seconds. How many seconds? What works best for you? 1 minute jumps, 10 seconds jumps...sorry, Im teasing again... the DN-D4500 Preset menu, mentioned earlier, allows you to preset how big you want the jumps to be, 10seconds? 20? 30? 1minute? You choose and it remembers your choice, gig after gig after gig until you want to change that setting, which takes seconds.

Operating the scan collar is a little like holding the lid of a jam jar, a nudge a few degrees clockwise jumps you forward, a nudge a few degree anti-clockwise jumps you backwards. Get roughly where you want to get to using the scan collar with your own personal preset jump times, then home in to the exact frame that you need, using the inner search wheel. Thanks to the user-adjustable jump steps, fast accurate cueing doesnt get much quicker than this.

Sales Pitch

The DN-D4500 two pitch sliders (one for each deck) are pretty much the full height of the 2U high control panel, and confirm to the usual layout of Zero in the middle, slide down for faster, slide up for slower. How fast and how slow? Again this is adjustable to the DJs preference and musical needs, using a 2 second press of the button marked Key Adjust/Pitch Range. The pitch range is selectable between +/-4% for easy precision where the tracks youre mixing are close in BPM terms, 10% (a happy medium), 16% (for those tracks where their BPMs differ a lot, also 24%, and even 50% and 100% (The only way to play the Birdie Song, or Opps upside your head).

For the beatmixers among you, who like to keep long running mixes held in sync for ages, youll be interested in knowing that the pitch increments are 0.1% at pitch ranges up to +/-16%, and 1% increments at the higher pitch ranges.

Chipmunking vocals at high pitches and Darth Vader vocals at slow speeds is avoided by a very smooth Key Adjust system (which some my know as Master Tempo. This feature is simply switched on, or off from a brief press of the Pitch Range button and can even be set in the units Presets, to come on as default everytime you power up, which saves any nasty surprises on your first mix of the night.

For momentary increases/decreases in the speed of the track thats playing, eg: when getting two beatmatched songs into sync with each other, there are Pitch + and buttons provided, which are progressive, eg: The longer you keep your finger on them, the more effect they have on the playing speed. When youre using a pitch range between 4% and 24%, the pitch bend buttons offer +/- 32% bend, at higher pitch ranges you get +/-99% which can lead to some very interesting effects.

Here we go loopy-loop...

The DN-D4500 boasts two seamless loops thats more than most CD-decks, not quite as many as its bigger brothers, and definitely the right amount for convenience and remix-ability for most mobile situations. Unlike a mere sampler, the seamless loops can be of any length not just so many seconds.

For the uninitiated a seamless loop is simply a feature where you can set a beginning point and an end point in a track, which will then play over and over again, without a gap, or break in the music. This practice has got a number of big benefits to mobile DJs and Remix DJs alike. With Seamless loops you could loop the short instrumental intro of a song, giving yourself as much talk-time as you need to announce the guest of honour, the current bar promotion that the landlord wants you to plug, the reminder to the guests about signing the bride and grooms guestbook, make fun of that blokes day-glo tie etc,etc.

You could also use the 2nd seamless loop to make the middle couple of minutes of a popular audience favourite last even longer just think, 6 minutes of Amarillo?, 8 minutes of Dancing Queen?...Its like being able to change any of your radio edits into 12inch extended mixes without all that wishy washy instrumental breakdown three-quarters of the way through. Just be sure to call an ambulance first if youre going to try 12 minutes of Lets Twist Again at the local Old Peoples Home Xmas Dinner Dance...

When you (or your audience) are ready to exit the loop, press Loop Exit (at any time, it doenst have to be on-the-beat) and the remainder of the track will carry on, seamlessly (of course), as if youd never looped any of the track at all.

Off to a Hot Start.

The A1 and A2 buttons which you use to set the beginning of each loop, can also be used without looping simply to let you set a point where you want to be able to jump forward (or back) to, instantly and seamlessly. For example, you might want to play a very recognisable beginning of a popular track and then when the first chorus comes up, instantly jump to the last chorus thereby allowing you to effectively shorten a song, enabling you to finish bang on-time, much to the delight of that creepy hall caretaker who hovering by the main hall light switches waiting for 11:59:59...

Miss Jones? Take A memo.

Now, once youve got your cue point (avoiding that boring bit at the beginning of the song), your one or two seamless loops, or maybe a couple of Hot Starts, wouldnt it be a shame for all your meticulous settings for that track to be lost...well? yes it would really. So...Thankfully the DN-D4500 has 1000 memo points which will store all this information for you. The next time you insert a CD (in either drive) which you saved memo points for, the DN-D4500 will ask you Memo Call?. If you press yes then the unit will set up the cue points, seamless loops, and hot starts for you, just the way you left them.

Memo points can also be deleted manually if required for example, if a client lends you their shop bought original CD of their favourite artist and youve wanted to set specific cue points up for some of the tracks, you can delete the memo points for those tracks once youve finished playing those tracks. You can also delete blocks of 200 memos at a go too if required.

Conclusions:

Overall, the Denon DN-D4500 promises to be every bit the rugged workhorse that its much respected predecessor, the DN-D4000 has proven to be. Taking up a space of just 4 rack units, and weighing in at 13lbs 7oz (6.2kg) for the drawer unit, and 4lbs 2oz (1.9kg) for the control unit, any club or mobile disco should be able to fit this easy-to-use machine in almost anywhere.

This is very much the type of machine that anyone could walk up to and start playing music from. The 4500s adoption of Denons user-definable presets, give you a great sense of this being your cd-player, and make using the unit both convenient and more natural avoiding that feeling you get when you just know that someone else has adjusted your car seat and mirrors, and you then have to spend vital time re-adjusting things from the factory norm.

For DJ's looking at saving transportation and venue space, (and their spines), this really is the entry level for superb MP3 track handling, especially the MP3 Artist/title search system - a feature previously unheard of on any dual deck.

The 1000 memo points too mean that whilst youve still got full artistic control over cue points, hot starts and seamless loops, you can save your efforts and save yourself time setting up tracks that your audiences enjoy, without risking the sporadic results of BPM driven auto/emergency loops" chanced by some players

For more equipment reviews, along with hints and tips on running a mobile disco, then check out our International DJ Community Forums at http://www.dj-forum.co.uk

You may freely use this article on your blog, website or newsletter provided the above credit and active link are retained.

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

You just drove out of the auto dealership in your brand new Luxus XP LE. Satellite radio, GPS, 20 speaker surround sound with wireless MP3 player, loaded with all the latest in technology. You can't wait to pull into the driveway of your brand new McMansion, also loaded with all the latest electronic stuff to show off your new wheels. You play around with the cool satellite radio until you find a station that plays all the songs that were popular when you were in high school. Yep. Seeger, Skynrd, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Doors, Floyd. That was music!

Dear reader, I ask you the trusty old question: What's wrong with this picture? If you answered correctly, why is it wrong? Are you ready? Are you ready to rock steady? The answer is: The person in this scenario embraces all that is new and cool and modern. So why are they listening to music that was popular 30 years ago? Okay, maybe you didn't get it. But you are wondering why I'm making a big deal out of it.

There is a local business. A small business. A business run by a person just like you. Kids, house, dog, car, bills. The person above just took from the poor and gave to the rich. Well, maybe the business person is not really poor, but struggling every day. They certainly don't have a bank account nearly as big as the musical artists the Luxus person is listening to. This small business owner is in the music business. He performs 3-4 nights every week, and has just released a new CD. His music is also available on all the major internet MP3 stores, if you know where to look.

So, here's our person in the Luxus, strolling through the music store in the mall, walking right past the small music business person's CD without giving it a thought. (fact is, this person would really LOVE the CD if they took a chance) Going right to the classic rock section, they choose four or five CDs of bands that were popular two or three decades ago. What just happened, without anyone thinking about it, was that Bob Seeger just made more money. The hard working music business person didn't.

The Luxus person, when interviewed later (not really) claims that there is no such thing as good music anymore. When asked when the last time a new indie music review was read, or an independent music site was explored, the answer was "I dunno. I don't really pay attention to music all that much." So why do you have the 20 speaker satellite MP3 system in the car and the every-room-surround- sound- system in the house? "To listen to music." I leave the imaginary interview in complete frustration, but also a little bemused in a snide kind of way.

I could rant for days and days, and have been known to on occasion, but it makes no sense. People are so accepting and can't wait for the newest and coolest things, but won't take a $ 10.00 chance to buy a local person's CD? Okay, maybe it won't start a nationwide recession, but it certainly causes regular recessions in the independent music businesses nationwide. Now, I'm not talking about the local bar bands that play other people's music. That's a whole other can of gummy worms that I'll open in another article...I'm referring to people who write and perform their own music and do it for a living.

Bob Seeger used to be unknown, Pink Floyd used to be an independent band that no one knew, so how did they get so popular? Someone took a chance and shoved them down our throats. I'm not suggesting anything like that, I have a bad gag reflex and most of the big record industry is near death anyway. (They can't hurt you anymore) But how about going to the music store or on the internet, and spending 10 minutes checking out an artist you've never heard before? You know what? I'll bet you a nickel (I never bet more than that) that you'll find some new music that you are absolutely crazy about.

Buy it. Tell your friends. Go see a show. Your journey into the modern world has taken a huge leap, and you're helping a local business person pay his bills. You'll also be a whole lot cooler and people won't laugh behind your back so much.

Matt McKay is a songwriter, musician and author from New England.

http://www.mattmckay.net

The piano is a common musical instrument that is played by means of a keyboard and it is widely used in western music for solo performance. For some people learning how to play the piano is tough and frustrating while some others have it as a natural talent. Ruth Searle has created the rocket piano cause where she claims she would show anyone how to play the piano with the rhythm, timing and magic of a professional. Much has been said about this course but here is a review of what to expect.

The course consists of 4 major components which are 218 step by step lessons which are put into 3 books, 57 video lessons to show you the exact techniques of playing the piano and what they look like, 133 audio files which let you hear exactly how each song should sound and three software games. It also comes with two bonuses which are an advanced learning techniques book and a perfect your pitch pro listening game

The good thing about this course is that the author has more than 15 years of experience playing piano and she actually has a degree in commercial music meaning that she knows what she is teaching. The not so good thing is that there is a lot of material to cover, but if you are committed to learning how to play a piano you should be ok.

All things considered, rocket piano does look like a good course and if you are someone who is interested in playing piano I highly recommend you give this course a try.

You can find out more about Ruth Searle's Rocket Piano by Clicking Here Now

The mandola is a stringed instrument that has a round shaped body, has eight strings and is played with a pick. There are quite a few similarities between the mandola and the guitar. In fact, the mandola looks like a teardrop-shaped guitar. It can also be acoustic or electric, just like the guitar. It is an instrument that has often found its place in folk music and Irish music, though it has also been used in many other music genres. The mandola is played just like a guitar; it is either strummed or plucked with a pick and the strings are laid over a bridge so that the strings can vibrate freely.

Though the mandola was originally acoustic, musicians do have the option of having an electric mandola made. Electric mandolas will sometimes be preferred because they will fit in with the other electric instruments that they will be played with, though acoustic mandolas still remain the more popular out of the two. In the past, the construction of mandolas was fairly basic and plain. Today, mandolas are more decorative and those who make mandolas have become more creative in their design, so musicians who are looking for something a little more unique, and are not concerned about paying a little extra, can purchase a mandola that will stand out.

Students who are looking to join a band in school and have an interest in learning how to play the mandola might be out of luck. Most public schools are fairly basic with the instruments they have to offer, due to cost restrictions and time limitations; however, anyone who is interested in learning the instrument may need some luck in finding someone who could teach them how to play outside of school.

One can have a mandola specially made, but it is often recommended that one buy a used mandola from someone else or out of a used music store. Not only will they be easier to find, but they are less expensive, while mandolas that are bought new can be quite expensive.

Learning how to play the instrument is not too difficult, especially for someone who has had previous experience with guitar playing. The basics are more or less the same, though it could take some time to get used to playing the mandola as well as to learn how to read the sheet music properly. People starting from scratch will take a little longer, but not much longer, if they take the time to practice. Playing the mandola can be great for anyone looking for an instrument they can play for a hobby.

While there are many musicians who perform with the mandola, it can be the perfect instrument to learn for personal enjoyment as well as for the enjoyment of one's family and friends. Some people will shy away from it because they don't think that it can be used for any other use than as a hobby, but it still has a place in many music genres today.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used transposing instruments CDs and autographed transposing instrument CDs.

The newly launched Nike 1World project has been created in conjunction with select cool kids in the “sports, music, art and design fields”, presumably hand-picked for their innate panache on a global scale. The scope of 1World has been defined as 18 original shoes, which will be launched month by month via Nike's awesome AF-1 website.

Today the first three have now been revealed – from the rainbow excess of Busy P to the refelective digital camo of Gore-Texer (Nitro Microphone Underground) and finally Rasheed’s hightop with ‘Max Air’, you couldn’t find three more different AF-1s if you tried. Definitely a bright start to this project...
Just go to http://www.nikeairforce1.com and hit the 1World button - all will be revealed in due course!

Flamenco is a popular style of Spanish Guitar Music. Flamenco has its own three forms which are Cante, Baile, and Guitarra. Cante is the song, Baile is the dance, and Guitarra is the guitar part of flamenco. Flamenco is a very important part of Spanish Guitar Music. It usually consists of someone playing the guitar, while people are dancing, and other people also join in with hand clapping. Although it is mostly popular in Spain, flamenco was influenced by other cultures as well.

Flamenco Guitar The Flamenco Guitar is very similar to the classical guitar. That is no surprise however, because flamenco music and classical music are very similar. Both of the instruments are descendants from the lute. The normal flamenco guitar is made out of the Spanish woods cypress and spruce. Even though this guitar is similar to a normal classical guitar, it is also different. For example, the flamenco guitar weighs less and is smaller than a normal classical guitar. These features attribute to giving the flamenco guitar the sharp flamenco sound. Nearly all flamenco guitars come with a golpeador. The golpeador can be compared to a pick guard for classical guitar. They both have the same purpose-to protect the guitar. Because flamenco music has many different guitar playing techniques, it is important to have the golpeador. For example, there are several ways to strum the guitar for flamenco. Strumming is an easy way to scratch the body of the guitar, so a golpeador is needed. Also, besides strumming, the guitar still has many different styles of being played. For example, in flamenco, the musicians often use their hands and fingers and tap the body of their guitar to create sounds to blend in with the flamenco music. The hand and finger taps serve as another reason why a golpeador is needed.

History and Origin of Flamenco Flamenco appeared for the first time in literature in the mid 1770s. During the Golden Age of Spain, flamenco started to get more and more popular. Flamenco started becoming common in the country's music cafes. Also, around that time, the number of music cafes in Spain began to increase. As time progressed, flamenco began to get more and more serious. Other forms of flamenco started to generate, and many of them got deeper in meaning. During the early 1900s, flamenco singing started to get attention. Soon, full flamenco dances were taking place with the guitar, the singing, and the dancing. After 1915, many people started to have shows for flamenco, and musicians would play in front of a crowd at a theatre or another public place.

Popular Flamenco Guitarists Among the popular Flamenco Guitarists include: Juan Serrano, Vicente Amigo, Jesse Cook, Alex Fox, Gerhard Graf-Martinez, Oscar Herrero, Paco Pea, Ronald Radford, and many more.

Flamenco Today Today, flamenco is different than how it started. The dancers are mainly female, and they are showcased more. In the past, flamenco was more artistic, and the music and dance was the main focus. Now, flamenco usually consists of three parts. When there is multiple people dancing and the music is playing, the audience often joins in clapping. Today, the audience is also involved in flamenco.

To read a wealth of information about the guitar how to play, what there is to play, and where to go for the best deals go to David Woodfords main site at http://www.info4u-services.com/Ultimate Guitar

Acoustic guitar is a passion that can be enjoyed by beginners, pros and enthusiasts no matter what your experience or skill level. If you want to learn how to play this instrument there are some things that you need to know. Almost every beginner should learn the acoustic guitar first. Whether you are buying a new or used instrument, you will save a lot of headaches if you do your research first. Acoustic guitar compared to the classical version gives a louder, clearer sound.

The tone is produced by vibration of the strings and is modulated by the hollow body. In acoustic guitars, string vibration is transmitted through the bridge and saddle to the body via the soundboard, where it is amplified. The acoustic guitar is quieter than other instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras so when playing within such groups it is often externally amplified. Typically, a steel-string acoustic is built with a larger sound box than a standard classical guitar.

A steel-string acoustic is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. In an acoustic instrument, the body of the guitar is a major determinant of the overall sound quality. The popularity of the larger "dreadnought" body size amongst acoustic performers is related to the greater sound volume produced. Subtle differences in manufacture can make a substantial difference in the sound of the end product, a quality that makes these instruments special in the guitar world.

When learning how to play the acoustic guitar you will feel some discomfort, particularly in the very tips of your fingers from the constant pushing down of the strings. One thing to keep in mind is that when you are playing , you aren't hearing what the listener, in front of the guitar is hearing. Sometimes an acoustic can sound flat and lifeless to the guy playing it but, well balanced and vibrant to someone standing 4 metres away. Although reading and playing guitar tabs does take some getting used to, you'll be surprised how quickly you can learn to play the acoustic guitar.

When starting out learning how to play the guitar you should begin with acoustic.

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

Becoming a DJ is harder than one think, because of expensive equipment. You need to understand that a DJ doesn't have just one or two pieces of equipment, but rather a whole assembly of components. This allows beginners, especially, to build their of DJ mix set and get components from different companies to suit their price needs.

The greatest price margin can be found on mixers. With a huge amount of modern day features they range anywhere from $200 to $2000 and above. Amateur DJs are usually able to work just fine with ones ranging from $200-$500 when working on a budget. Amateur DJ's usually start here because even big names in the DJ equipment market such as Numark, Gemini, Aiwa, Akai, etc. produce such small economy speakers.

If you want to be great at mixing then you should go with turntables before DVD, CD or MP3 players. Yes, turntables are more expensive, but there are some quite affordable ones from companies such as Gemini at around $400. Getting faster playing records without lag usually requires direct drive turntables and is preferred over beltdriven ones by most DJ's.

Players are cheaper than turntables because they don't offer the more advanced features that turntables have. Players only output audio and doesn't allow for manipulation of sound like turntables do. DJs that just play original records go for players.

Getting a pair of cheap speakers is not unusual, so look around for cheaper speakers as that's a very normal thing to do. A low wattage speaker can be selected to save costs.There are small woofer-type speaker at around $20 each that can output stereophonic sound.

You can also get a DJ package which includes all of the most basic components you need and also headphones. You get a DJs discount for getting a package and they usually come with a pair of headphones to boot. Packages are available generally for the mixers.

Using cheap equipment may take its toll on the music; but most DJs that have talent and creativity will be able to perform anyway. The most common buyer for cheaper Djs equipment is amateurs who have just gotten started and want to try the profession before moving on to bigger and better events.

Find cheap DJ Speaker Packages at http://www.DjSpeakerPackages.com

It's a great place with a wide variety of speakers, mixtables, turntables and other equipment. Don't forget to check out the ebook on how to become great using their recommended course on how to make $100,000+ per year as a DJ!