How to compose music - creative ideas.

Starting a composition is a difficult task. Getting your inspirations, thinking creatively, applying your creative thoughts to your music and supplementing your ideas with additional composition are all difficult tasks to accomplish.



For starters, your current state of mind will greatly affect the music you write � whether you feel angry, joyful or sad chances are your musical composition will in some way reflect this mood.



Different times of day and different seasons affect your composing as well as current affairs and any stress�s you might have.



The variety of factors that can influence your composition periods are immense and hopefully these few pointers will demonstrate some methods of breaking out of the psychological restraints placed on you.



� Colours � If you are looking to compose a piece of music based around a certain mood find a relevant colour that matches for instance orange gives the impression of energy and drive. Eventually you will learn to bias your mood to suit the composition you are aiming for.

� Character � it is well known for actors to really get inside the character they are portraying through their acting. Understanding key emotions and various behaviours help the actors � live � as their proposed character. If you are creating a theme for a character (think darth vaders theme tune) you need to be demonstrating and describing that character through sound. If you follow the same process as an actor would you will eventually unravel hidden details that will help refine your composition, make it more realist and detailed and allow for it to be much more creative and expressive.

� Nature � a lot of creativity and inspiration can be got by observing nature. From birds communicating through a song like speech to the rustle of leaves in a summer breeze. Trying to emulate nature is an excellent way to begin a sound-scope � or incorporating nature into a character theme for example to express an angelic quality, singing like the birds (fast trills on piccolo or glissandos on the violin)

� Memories � another great source to tap into is your memories. A lot of emotion will go into compositions that are personal in some way to yourself. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your past � try to imagine the memory in great detail � sounds, smells, colours the weather � anything that will give you a good image and story to compose about.



These are just a few sources for inspiration � use your imagination � it has never ending possibilities!



With so many possibilities to compose about and now that your creativity is running, the next area to discuss is music theory.

The last thing that you want to happen is to have all these wonderfully creative ideas for your composition but being held back by the lack of musical knowledge.



A rugby player could develop his passing techniques and his scrum techniques but if he doesn�t know the rules of the game he won�t be able to perform during a game.



Although music composition and as a whole is not bound by any rules you still need the knowledge of writing music � in the same way as a poet needs a knowledge of his language to write a poem.



Some of the key areas you should know about and be constantly revising are:



� The Staff, Bar Lines, Clefs, Time Signatures.

� Note Values, Rests, Phrasing, Rhythm

� Articulation, Instrument Specific Techniques (pizz, con sord)

� Key Signatures, Circle of Fifths, Accidentals, Cadences

� Major, Minor, Diminished, Pentatonic, Diatonic Scales

� Modes

� Chords, Extensions, Inversions, Sequences, Arpeggios

� Instrument Ranges, Timbres of Each Instrument, Difficult Areas of an Instrument (The break on clarinet for instance or seventh position for trombones)



Of course it is not absolutely essential you know about all of this but it will mean that your creativity is weakened due to lack of a means to fully communicate.



Use music theory books � go through them and notate comments on the pages, take notes on to blank flash cards to memorize scales and extended chords, use past music theory exam papers to test and analyze your knowledge and then act on your weak areas, purchase a aural perception CD to recognize different cadences and the general sounds achieved from different combinations of notes and chords � there are many ways to learn all of this but find the way that you are comfortable with and stick to it.



Finally the last piece of advice in this article is to keep your composing active.



Aim to compose a short piece of music each day, maybe before you go to bed you can reflect on your day through a composition. Mix it up � compose for different orchestrations and different abilities.



Composing is challenging but by keeping active like this will greatly benefit you and your compositions � and you never know � you may accidentally stumble upon your masterpiece!



This article is free for reproduction providing that it maintains its original form and an active link to www.realmusicproduction.com is present.



Edward Droscher is the founder of Real Music Production and works to develop music education systems privately and in schools as well as composing and arranging music for film, TV, and musical theatre. For more information or details on music composition please visit www.realmusicproduction.com/composition.php

Music Education - The benefits to children.

Music is such a powerful force, it creates deep emotions in humans - it is played at weddings for happiness, in horror films and during war for fear and at home for happiness and because of this lends itself to relaxation, stress relief and health therapy - and the connection between music, body, and soul has even been shown to improve physical and mental health.



Skills such as working in teams, communication, self-esteem, creative thinking, calmer attitudes, imagination, discipline, study skills and invention are learnt and improved through the study of music and by focusing on the fact that young children are mostly highly receptive to pitch and rhythm - one of the main ways a child learns its language - that we can drive education in music to children to help them with benefits ranging success in society and in life.



�We believe the skills the arts teach -creative thinking, problem-solving, risk-taking, teamwork and communications - are precisely the tools the workforce of tomorrow will need. If we don't encourage students to master these skills through quality arts instruction today, how can we ever expect them to succeed in their highly competitive business careers tomorrow?"



-Richard Gurin

Chief Executive Officer, Binney and Smith, maker of Crayola crayons



Music is a part of our society and a part of all communities - every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to developing greed and a selfish attitude, provides bridges across different cultures that lead to a respect of other races at an early age.



Music has a great value to our economy - it creates jobs, increase's tax base, boosts tourism and spurs growth in related businesses. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace such as teamwork skills and discipline - during musical performances all members must work together to create the sounds they wish to achieve and for this regular practice is also required. Music favors working and �doing� as opposed to observing, and these are the ethics employers are looking for.



Because of music's ability to relax, calm and heal, and its optimal platform for emotions, the involvement with music helps to carve brighter attitudes - more optimism towards the future, less TV and non productive activities, low use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs and desire to develop individual abilities.



Music requires study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills and as these are learnt and developed they expand the student�s abilities in other academic areas and help them become better students. - Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation. � College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College

Entrance Examination Board, 2001.



The discipline of music, particularly through participation in ensembles, helps students learn to work effectively in the school environment without resorting to violent or inappropriate behavior - According to statistics compiled by the National Data Resource Center, students who can be classified as �disruptive� (based on factors such as frequent skipping of classes, times in trouble, in-school suspensions, disciplinary reasons given, arrests, and drop-outs) total 12.14 percent of the total school population. In contrast, only 8.08 percent of students involved in music classes meet the same criteria as �disruptive.� � Based on data from the NELS:88 (National Education Longitudinal Study), second follow-up, 1992..



Many studies have been conducted on the effects of music in the brain. Scientists say that children who are exposed to music or those who play an instrument do better in school than those who don't. Recent research suggests exposure to music may benefit a child's reading age, IQ and the development of certain parts of the brain.

It can be shown that some measures of a child�s intelligence are increased with music instruction - a connection between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things) helps people to visualize and imagine solutions. This helps people to solve problems creatively and is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for solving mathematical problems and even general daily tasks. �The musician is constantly adjusting decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing, and feeling--training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Dedicated practice of this orchestration can have a great payoff for lifelong attention skills, intelligence, and an ability for self-knowledge and expression.� � Ratey John J., MD. A User�s Guide to the Brain. New York: Pantheon Books, 2001. Along with mental development music study can support the brains physical development - it has been indicated that musical training physically develops the parts of the brain known to be involved with processing language and reasoning, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Memory can be improved through the linking of familiar songs with objects just as linking images can - past memories and emotions can be triggered by audio.

"Why arts in education? Why education at all? The purpose of education is not simply to inform but to enrich and enlighten, to provide insights into life as it has been led and as it may be led. No element of the curriculum is better suited to that task than arts education."

-David Kearns

Now retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation



Ideally we want our children to experience �success� throughout life itself. The benefits may be psychological, spiritual and physical and with the challenge of making life meaningful and fulfilled and to reach a higher state of development by participating in music we develop self expression which in turn leads to self esteem � ultimately helping us to succeed at these challenges.



�Casals says music fills him with the wonder of life and the �incredible marvel� of being a human. Ives says it expands his mind and challenges him to be a true individual. Bernstein says it is enriching and ennobling. To me, that sounds like a good cause for making music an integral part of every child�s education. Studying music and the arts elevates children�s education, expands students� horizons, and teaches them to appreciate the wonder of life.�

� U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, July 1999.



Conclusion



Music is a powerful tool and as seen can dramatically improve and enrich everybody. It makes sense to push music education and to allow young generations to gain these wonderful benefits - higher intelligence through increased creative thinking, problem solving and physically stronger brains, a higher perception of life including better attitudes, strong desires to achieve and fulfil and higher self esteem, better developed discipline, study skills, concentration, communication and team skills which transfer from education through to career and a better understanding of communities and society



This article is free for reproduction providing it maintains its original form and an active link to www.realmusicproduction.com/pl.php is present.



Edward Droscher is the founder of Real Music Production and works to develop music education systems privately and in schools. For more information or details on music instruction please visit www.realmusicproduction.com or email info@realmusicproduction.com

Practising music - what to do outside of your music lesson.

Practice makes perfect. These three words are heard every day and time after time these words are ignored. But why? Music is such a vast subject that for anyone, even the professionals, mastering it is near impossible. With years of work one can be very knowledgeable in specific areas of music but it would take more than a lifetime to fully understand every aspect of an instrument or music theory.



With that in mind hopefully people should start to understand that having a one hour lesson once a week is not even close to enough to gain substantial progress and development on a musical instrument.



This series of articles offer tips on practicing music which will hopefully demonstrate the benefits, enjoyment and fulfilment that can be gained through practicing music.



1. Goals are key. It is human nature to take pride in reaching a goal whether a promotion at work or winning a competition. If you have a set goal to reach you will be more willing to put in the work required to achieve it. Some examples of goals could be to learn the latest song you�ve fallen in love with, to be able to sight read in a certain key, to develop faster, more technical playing or to reach a certain exam grade before a certain period.



2. Little often is better than a lot occasionally. One key point to remember is that repetion is the quickest way to learn something due to your brain and muscles ability to develop and store a so called �muscle memory�. It will take a substantially longer time to learn and retain your new knowledge if you practice for a long period but only occasionally. See tip 3 on how to easily incorporate regular practice sessions into your daily routine.



Another benefit of practicing a little often is that your concentration levels are kept up throughout your practice session. Brass players will understand this the most � after playing a trumpet or any brass instrument for approximately an hour your lips start to feel numb which in turn begins to restrict your playing abilities. The knock on effect of this is that the longer you practice without a break, the more harm ultimately you will cause yourself � both mentally and physically � it will knock your spirit and could even do damage to your embouchure. Obviously this applies to all instrument groups; as is well documented repetitive strain injury is common among musicians. The primary cause of this is improper technique but as the name implies too much repetition through a movement can create serious effects. Therefore if you are practicing for longer periods be sure to take regular breaks � 5 to 10 minutes for every 50 minutes for adults and 10 to 15 minutes for every 25 minutes for children.



3. Routine. Imagine this � every morning you wake up, maybe make a cup of coffee or sort through the post and eventually at some point you will go to the sink and brush your teeth. Now most people do this without any thought � it is just something that gets done. This is the effect of getting into a routine. If you set aside a time each day to practice, away from distractions if possible, you will get into this routine making it much easier to practice, it becomes a part of your day to day life.



4. Practice with a partner. Most humans love competition � especially if you know you are the winner � and by tapping into this you�re making your practice session less of a chore and more of a game. Set challenges between you both and find some reward for the winner. The other benefits are that you gain an outsiders opinion and criticism on your playing, the opportunity to practice duets and you will have some company rather than being locked away in your bedroom.



This is just a glimpse at the different methods you can adopt to improve your practice and in the next article I will demonstrate some more music based tips to help you improve; using a metronome to develop your internal body clock, a fun method for scales and arpeggios and how and why you should be incorporating sight reading and music theory into your practice sessions.



For now just focus on your desires and on the reasons why you started music and give the tips above some thought.



This article is free for reproduction providing it maintains its original form and an active link to www.realmusicproduction.com/pl.php is present.



Edward Droscher is the founder of Real Music Production and works to develop music education systems privately and in schools. For more information or details on music instruction please visit www.realmusicproduction.com or email info@realmusicproduction.com

Music teachers - how to find the correct one for your private music lessons

Learning an instrument is one of the most enjoyable activites you can do - it creates a sense of fulfilment and of pride. It can get tough at times with practicing and learning never ending pieces of information.



The best way to learn an instrument is to find a music teacher. In fact the best way to learn anything in life is to find a tutor and to take on the task head on and learn from actually doing.



People say that you learn from your mistakes � partyl true due to the fact you know what NOT to do but I believe there is a key point missed here � at least you are actually DOING something.



A teacher is someone to show you the path, the �light at the end of the tunnel�. At the end of the day they know what they are doing and talking about � you probably don�t � and its because of this, the fact that you put all of your trust into your teacher, that you should be very carefull about ensuring the teacher you choose is up for the job.



Here is some advice on choosing your teacher and what to look out for.



1. Previous Experience.



It is essential that your teacher has previous experience. There are two types that count � performing experience and teaching experience. It is important that your music teacher is actually a musician � the best reason I can think of why is this � imagine instead of learning an instrument you want to learn how to scuba dive. Would you let yourself be taught by someone who has studied diving from books but never actually been under the water?



If your teacher shows that he has performed music it gives you some guarantee that they are of a high enough standard musically � chances are they wouldent of been hired if they couldn�t play their instrument.



The second is teaching experience. After discussing how it is important for your teacher to of actually been involved in music it is also important that the have experience in teaching music.



Teaching is a completely different art to performing. Most musicians tell me that they learn more through teaching than they do from any other source - when you teach you instantly reveal your own weak points.



The opposite of this is true as well actually � how many times have you heard someone who recently passed there driving test say �you don�t learn how to drive until your out on the road on your own � after your lessons and test� (This carries over to a future article � Why performing is critical to your progress as a musician.)

So � make sure your teacher is both a musician and a teacher.



2. Attitude.



Often people ask for character references � estate agents, employers � most people looking to hire someone. This is also true for finding a music teacher.



The hardest part about teaching is surcumming the frustration of �well I know how to do it, why cant they�.



Learning is much easier in a friendly environment � did you ever notice that the teachers that had a laugh and were fun often taught you the most? In human nature it is common to be stubborn and resilient and it is a teachers personality and charcter that helps connect with you therefore making the experience enjoyable thus increasing the productivity of your lesson.



Although it is not generally goin to be possible to get a reference from a teacher but use your first lesson as a trial. Get to know your teacher a bit and get a general feel for the lesson � if you have fun and enjoyed every minute then you�ve probably found a good teacher character rather than if it was drab and boring.



If you can talk to some of your prospective teachers other students. See if they enjoy their lessons and what there overall comments are.



3. Flexability.



Again tis covers more than one topic � flexability as a musician and as a teacher.



In the long term you are going to begin expanding your musicality. For example � wood wind players generally begin learning one instrument, maybe clarinet or saxophone. Eventually, and if thy want to pursue music, they will begin learning other woodwind instruments as it is common for, say for instance a saxophone player, to play clarinet, flute even through to oboe and bassoon.



Because of this you are going to want a teacher that can provide this in the long term. After months and years of lessons with your teacher you wont want to find that in order to progress further you need to find a new teacher and again begin to creat the bond that you would of developed with your current teacher.



Positive things to look out for are:



� If yor teacher still has lessons and practices (even the most professional musicians still have lessons � see the beginning of my article � Practicing music � what to do outside of your private music lessons to find out how it is impossible to learn and master every aspect of music)

� If your teacher teaches more than one instrument (be wary of teachers that teach, for instance, trumpet and flute � whilst musicians do end up playing completely irrelevant instruments they generally will stick to teaching their primary instrument.)

� If your teacher is still an active musician � this is a gray area because where it is easy to assume that your teacher, not an active musician maybe is not good enough to perform music, it is possible that your teacher prefers teaching than performing. The benefit if they are still an active musician is again they will be learning constantly and they will still be an active teacher during this period.



To a lesser extent the other flexibility to look out for is there organisation in regards to lessons. It is possitivly adviced that regular lessons � or regular anything � is good for you. Regular exercise keeps you healty, regular sleep keeps you alert and regular lessons help improve your musical playing.



If your teacher will constantly phone up to re-arrange or misses lessons or is late for your lessons it will have a negative effect on you. Pshycologically the fact that you havnt got into a routine with your lessons and the fact that you keep getting let down will make you less enthusiastic towards your music lessons.



So find a teacher that offers many years of tuition rather than a limited number of months and someone who will keep regular dates and hold his promises of this dates and times.



Hopefully this article will give you some food for thought if you decide to find a music teacher and just remember that unless you are enjoying and learning your instrument � maybe you need a new teacher.



This article is free for reproduction providing it remains in its original form and an active link to www.realmusicproduction.com/teachers.html is present.



Edward Droscher is the founder of Real Music Production and works to develop music education systems privately and in schools. For more information or details on music instruction please visit www.realmusicproduction.com or email info@realmusicproduction.com

Mozart Biography

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in the sovereign archbishopric of Salzberg, now in Austria in January 1756. His father was one of Europe�s foremost music teachers, who, in the year of Mozart�s birth published a highly influential textbook for the violin. The Mozart biography is unusual.



By the time he was three Mozart�s genius was already in evidence and his proud father was already giving him intensive music lessons in the violin, clavier and organ. By the age of four he could play several pieces and by five he even composed a few. His piano playing was extraordinary as a six year old and he could even play blindfolded.



Mozart had a very unusual childhood, as he accompanied his father all over Europe for several years, beginning with a trip to Bavaria for the 1762 exhibition; on to the Imperial Court in Vienna; then to Prague. During the next three and a half years concert tours took them to many courts all over Europe, including London, Paris and The Hague. After returning home they went on to Vienna in 1767, remaining there for almost a year.



Another year in Salzberg followed then three long trips to Italy. Two particular highlights of this time included Mozart being accepted as a member of the acclaimed Academia Filarmonica; and the occasion when he heard Allegri�s Miserere for the first time in the Sistine Chapel and was able to write it out in full from memory. An astonishing feat.



In 1778 Mozart embarked on a concert tour accompanied by his mother who died in Paris.



By this time of his life Mozart had met many great composers and was a superb concert pianist and composer. He used the style of many of the composers he respected in his earlier music whilst at the same time developing his own.



By 1781 he had become Konzertmaister to the archbishop in Salzberg but after a visit to Vienna he became disenchanted with the strictures of his employer, and was keen to take his music further. Whether he was actually sacked or not is a matter of conjecture, however he moved and settled into Vienna life, and indeed got married to Constanze Weber in 1782, against his father�s wishes.



The year of 1782 was a great one for Mozart; he had success after success with his piano concertos as director and soloist and with his opera �The Abduction from Seraglio�. During this period he became familiar with and studied the Baroque composers, particularly J.S.Bach and G.F.Handel the result of which is very evident in his music of these and subsequent years.



The Mass in B minor, partially written to bring his father and wife together, for she was the soloist in the premier in Salzberg, whilst being a popular success did not bring the two together.



Mozart met and was friendly with Hayden in Vienna, and Hayden was very aware of Mozart�s extraordinary talents. Meanwhile he appeared as a soloist until 1785 enjoying financial success, but by this time he is suspected of having hand injuries, and his composition decreased.



Whilst his lifestyle and suite of 7 rooms were somewhat lavish during this time, entailing his occasional borrowings, he was by no means a pauper. His compositions and commissions from the rich earning him a very good living, and his frequent visits to Prague earned him fame and considerable financial considerations.



There is no doubt that Mozart died at about 1.00am on 5th December 1791. However there is some conjecture as to how long his illness had lasted. It is generally understood that he was pretty healthy until soon before his death, and so the Requiem he did not manage to finish was written during the time when he was healthy.



His family and friends were shocked by his sudden death at such a young age. Mozart was buried, as was the tradition at the time, in a regular communal grave pursuant to he 1784 laws of burial. Memorials were later set up.



This brilliant composer is certainly amongst the Great Composers and despite living only 35 years managed to complete an enormous number of works, most of which we still listen to and enjoy today.

Mozart Music

From the sublime to the stupendous; from musical jokes to the Mass in C minor; from the early writings of a child prodigy to the truly innovative piano concertos; Mozart managed them all within his short life of only 35 years.



In a poll of over a million classical music listeners in the UK held every year, in 2006 Mozart�s music was still top of the charts as the composer whose people want to listen to. He was top in 2005 too. He has sold more records worldwide than anyone else.



Mozart was able to put his musical genius to very good use. He was also a prodigious composer with the ability to write not only for solo instruments but also new ones like the piano and clarinet, just being developed. He was just as at home with a symphony or a sonata, a requiem or a recitative, a violin or a variation.



His incredible knowledge of music and music forms, composition and exposition, led him to be able to write in all forms available at the time, and he could also write �good tunes�. Maybe that is why so many people today still enjoy his music.



The son of one of Europe�s best music teachers he was taken abroad at a very early age and in his short life met many composers and studied in detail many others. Many of these composers had a profound influence on Mozart�s music whilst at the same time he was able to use his own techniques to counterbalance this influence and create the music he wanted. Indeed his music was popular as well.



Most other composers and musicians at the time recognised this talent and were happy to go along with the innovative but quite perfect (in musical theory) transformations that were happening in music at the time. The transition from Baroque, via Hayden and through Mozart led to the big symphonies of Beethoven and later composers. Beethoven wanted to be a pupil of Mozart but went to Hayden instead because of Mozart�s early death.



Mozart was not only able to write sonatas, accompanied by the piano, for many orchestral instruments, but whole concertos. Violin concertos, clarinet concertos, piano concertos, horn concertos and many, many more still feature highly in the repertoire of modern orchestras and soloists. Often these were written by Mozart for a commission, or sometimes for friends who he would organise concerts for with himself as conductor, director and piano soloist in the next half of the programme.



Mozart�s operas were truly a result of his appreciation of the European scene at the time, and made possible by his extensive travels, particularly when younger. He is able to employ both suitable gravity and humour into the stagecraft by using music as his tool. We can still appreciate it to this day. You don�t need to know the words of a Mozart opera. The music will explain all.



Mozart was one of the first composers to be able to experiment with the new forte-piano, and subsequently with the pianoforte. These were being made in Vienna at the time and the composers would have been able to make their own adjustments to the instruments and suggestions as to their development, particularly for concerts.



Mozart�s music for solo piano shows his early mastery of the piano, as opposed to the clavier or harpsichord. The new sound that this instrument made must have been truly wonderful to the people of the time. Mozart made best use of it, both as a brilliant pianist and composer. His 27 piano concertos show his love of the new pianoforte.



Mozart�s music, diverse as it is, will retain a special place in many people�s heart. Whether it�s the happy bits or the sad, the complicated or the simple, this Great composer�s music will be with us for future generations and be equally loved and appreciated by them.

Mozart Requiem

The one thing to always bear in mind when you listen to the Mozart Requiem is that he didn�t write all of it. He wrote the first movement but his unfinished manuscripts had to be used to actually finish the work.



Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was commissioned by a secretive person (we now know it was a rather eccentric Count von Walsegg-Stuppach, and through intermediaries) to write a Requiem and was given half his commission in advance. He set about this task in mid-1791 when he still had quite good health.



Mozart was a great composer of repute by this time, at the age of only 35, and had completed a vast list of compositions, from piano concertos to string-quartets, sonatas to operas, symphonies to solo works. Perhaps his Mass in C minor, written in 1783 and an immediate success was the reason the Count wanted Mozart�s music for himself?



However there is possibly another explanation. The Count was a very rich aristocrat who was also an amateur musician. He had a habit of commissioning works from composers of the day and passing them off as his own. His young wife of 20 years old died in February 1791 and he sent an anonymous messenger to Mozart soon afterwards requesting him to compose a requiem mass.



Walsegg-Stuppach intended to have the mass performed as his own, once completed, he being only 28 at the time, never to remarry.



Mozart died before he could complete this epic work, although he left quite a few manuscript pages showing what he was thinking of, some in quite a bit of detail, enabling the work to be completed by others.



Constanze Mozart, after Mozart�s death, was keen to get the work finished because of the 50% still owing upon completion. She asked Joseph von Eybler, a friend and pupil of Mozart to finish the score. He did some work on it but, because of his own composing, felt he was unable to complete the work and returned it.



Franz Xaver Sussmayer, another friend and pupil of Mozart�s was then given the task of finishing the work.



Using Mozart�s original drafts, Eybler�s additional work, both his own competency and the fact that he had been taught by Mozart, he finished the requiem. He had to add the movements which would be normal in a requiem, whilst ending with adaptations of the first two movements.



It has been thought that other composers may have helped either orchestrate or assist Sussmayer in this task but we will probably never know, and this was denied at the time. When finished by Sussmayer in 1792 the score was quickly sent to Count Walsegg with the counterfeit signatures and initials of the dead Mozart.



Wonderfully controversial, particularly if one looks into what was occurring at the time, the music actually speaks for itself. Mozart stands out as being spectacular whilst the other �helpers� to complete the requiem show less of the Great composer than the pupil or pupils who are trying hard to live up to the Master�s expectations.



The Mozart requiem is a fabulous work which becomes even more interesting when you know a bit about it. Have a listen and see if you can spot the difference.

Music copyrights

Composed a tune? Get a copyright to avoid misuse of it.



A copyright protects the form of expression of a creator against copying. Literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. This protection is available for both published and unpublished works.It is illegal for anyone to violate rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of copyright.

These rights, however, are not unlimited in scope. One specified exemptions from copyright liability is called "fair use". Another exemption is "compulsory license" under which certain limited uses of copyrighted works are permitted upon payment of specified royalties and compliance with statutory conditions.

Now www.mrights.com has officially launched the music industry's first online exchange of intellectual property. For the first time ever, industry buyers have the opportunity to acquire music copyrights from all possible sellers. The online trading platform allows only pre-qualified buyers to browse the properties up for auction, respects both buyers' and sellers' anonymity, and enables all due dilligence prior to any sale.Each seller has the ability to establish minimum reserve prices, to set a "Buy Now" sale price, and to include their property to be sold as part of a larger "Bundle", a feature which often commands a higher multiple on NPS.



www.mrights.com is the only venue providing an online trading platform for buying and selling music copyrights open to all copyrights holders and qualified buyers. MRights.com offers an easy to use online dynamic pricing (i.e., auction-style) format that allows sellers to list music copyrights for sale, buyers to bid on and buy music copyrights and users to browse through listed properties. Our website permits acquisitions of copyrights to be consummated in an automated, secure e-commerce environment.



At this online Marketplace now buying and selling music copyrights will be easier. Just log on to www.mrights.com and get your intellectual property's copyright.

Barry Michaels-Radio is My Life!

Thirty year broadcast veteran Barry Michaels, ('Michaels In The Morning') has quite a few stories to tell! His early life was an idyllic one, growing up on picturesque farm land in the southeastern United States, with a Mom and Dad to admire and a support group of aunts and uncles that many don�t have today. Barry became interested in radio at an early age, becoming a �gopher� for one local radio personality and quickly learning where the emphasis is placed in the term �show business�. Barry's career began in earnest after college, when he finally screwed up his courage to apply at a small radio station near his hometown, where he spoke mostly to cows. Little did management know that he would have paid them to be on the air! From having the honor of being recognized by his peers with nominations as Major Market Air Personality of the Year to working as a towel boy in a swanky country club between radio jobs, you�ll share in Barry�s top of the mountain triumphs and bottom of the valley lows. You'll get to meet some of the most talented professionals in the business and you'll cheer the heroes and clinch your teeth at the bad guys! Barry also honors those who entertained and inspired an entire generation of radio personalities-the voices on those fifty thousand watt a.m. radio stations with legendary call letters like WLS, WCFL, WABC and more.



From sleeping in his Volkswagen 'Bug' to traveling across the United States five times in search of the perfect on air radio job, Barry's stories are poignant and laugh out loud funny. Learn how Barry was almost gunned down by a psychotic listener at a radio station in Orlando, Florida before his boss intervened. See radio through his eyes when he begins work at a rock and roll station that employs a Catholic priest as a 'DJ�, and dodges flying beer bottles in one of the many bars he makes appearances in for his radio station.



The 'Radio Road' is fraught with many bumps along the way and you may even see yourself as Barry attempts to raise three young sons as a single father and tries a comeback after a bitter divorce and child custody battle. You may not want to enter the thirty five dollar a week almost condemned house Barry was living in while awaiting the court�s ruling. You really don�t want to wake up in his room during a thunderstorm as rats prepare to feast on his toes! Meet his new landlord, who�s down on his luck too, and has a secretive past with the United States Army. Barry's adventures have taken him from the beautiful stillness of his blue Virginia mountains to the golden Pacific ocean--all seen through the window of his beloved Volkswagen Beetle, which he still owns. It's radio, it�s life, and it's real. Come along for the ride, and find out the true stories of those 'masked riders of the hertzian wave.'



Dieter Martin is a long time radio industry fan and participant, and delights in sharing stories of those who have given so much to broadcasting. Read more of the remarkable life of Barry Michaels-www.thebarrymichaels.com Additional biographical information may be found here-www.ZoomInfo.com/barrymichaels

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms, one of the Great Romantic composers was born in Hamburg in 1833. Like Mozart before him, Brahms�s father was a musician playing several instruments, but who had come to Hamburg looking for work as a town musician. Johannes showed early promise on the piano, having been taught from the age of three, and in due course he helped to supplement the small family income by playing in bars and indeed brothels in Hamburg.



Although he gave some piano concerts and went on a few concert tours, he never became a famous pianist; however he did perform his own 1st and 2nd piano concertos at their premiers in 1859 and 1881 respectively.



As a teenager he started conducting choirs and became quite a respectable conductor in his own right. He also started to compose his own piano music, with little reward at this time.



In 1853 he went on a concert tour as accompanist to the famous violinist Remenyi and met several composers including Liszt and Joachim. Joachim gave Brahms a letter of introduction to Schumann and he walked the considerable distance to D�sseldorf to be welcomed by the Schumann family. Schumann was very impressed with the 20 year old although others were rather more sceptical at the time.



Brahms became very attached to the much older Clara, Schumann�s wife, but although he never married he was engaged for a while in 1859 and had several affairs. Schumann meanwhile was incarcerated in a mental institution after his attempted suicide in 1854 where he died in 1856. Brahms looked after the Schumann household until this time, although it is thought that his relationship with Clara was platonic.



After Schumann�s death Brahms spent his time in Hamburg where he founded a ladies choir and in Detmold, where he was court conductor and teacher. In 1862 he first visited Vienna which he fell in love with, and the following year he accepted a post as conductor of a choir there. Although he was offered conducting posts elsewhere he stayed in Vienna composing and conducting various orchestras and choirs.



Throughout the 1850�s and 60�s meanwhile, Brahms composed music in his own very exacting and perfectionist way, disliking the �excesses� of composers such as Liszt and Wagner, and sticking more to the traditional classical style of his predecessors, particularly Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. His lack of confidence in his own composing ability was finally rescinded somewhat by the success of his �Ein deutsches Requiem� in 1668 which confirmed his European reputation as a composer of note.



His composing started to increase and in the 1870�s and 80�s he produced his four symphonies, as well as quartets and piano music. The Duke of Meiningen�s orchestra became his medium for new orchestral works in 1881.



Brahms� frequent travels both for concert tours and on holidays took him to, amongst other places, Italy on several occasions, and the open air and pastoral landscapes enabled him to compose in tranquil environments, rather like Elgar�s walks on the Malvern Hills in England.



By the time he was 57 in 1990 however, Brahms had had enough of composing and decided to stop. This did not work though for he went on to write many more solo works for piano as well as his clarinet quintet, trio and sonatas, as well as several other works.



In 1897 he became ill with cancer whilst finishing his latest �Four Serious Songs� and died soon afterwards, to be buried in his adopted Vienna.



While Brahms was not the most prolific composer, his attention to detail was incredible and he will always be remembered as one of the Great composers of the classical romantic period.

Johannes Brahms Music

Johannes Brahms, whilst being one of the �Great� composers cannot honestly be said to have added much to classical music itself, in a technical sense, except for his wonderful compositions.



Whilst Bach and Handel tried to move their music on to new heights, Hayden and Mozart developed the symphony and the concerto, and whilst Beethoven experimented with new forms such as the �Choral� symphony, Brahms was content to work on these, and other previous and perhaps conservative forms, to compose his music. He was technically very good at following the guidelines set by his musical education and his conducting experiences.



This though does not in any way detract from the music he did write, which is still played and enjoyed around the world. Despite the lack of proliferation of Brahms� music the real reason behind this is that he was a real perfectionist, with low self-esteem.



Unlike Bach, who would write concertos in a week and sonatas overnight, or Mozart, who wrote a prodigious quantity in his short life, Brahms sometimes took years to perfect his compositions. He had studied Bach, Mozart, Beethoven (technically, probably his musical mentor) and many other composers, and was certain in his own mind that he could not live up to his own expectations.



However, having composed from the age of 11, and with copious study of music theory, Counterpoint and other composers music, whilst at the same time conducting choirs and orchestras actually playing other people�s music, he finally succeeded, with his major choral work �Ein deutsches Requiem�, in obtaining critical acclaim from his contemporaries and the general public in 1868. It had taken him years to write.



His music was always popular in England though, and he was even offered a doctorate at Cambridge University, which he refused as he thought that it may detract from his musical stature in the rest of Europe!



In general Brahms was one of the last of the Romantic era of composers of classical music, preferring the more �normal� forms of his predecessors to the vast Wagnerian spectaculars or the perhaps more �free-form� type of music that Liszt was composing. Both of these worthies developed new techniques and styles of music, many of which became popular at the time, but some much later.



Brahms did, though, write very beautiful music. His violin concerto in D minor, written in 1878 for his friend Joachim the violinist, is still one of the most popular violin concertos played today for audience and soloist�s alike, although it is generally agreed that it lacks something for the true virtuoso.



By contrast however his piano concertos show the virtuosity that perhaps the violin concerto lacks, and are similarly well known today as �Great� works. He also wrote many solo piano pieces and around 200 songs to be accompanied by the piano, generally known as �Lieder� music, of which his friend Schumann, and the admired Schubert were acknowledged masters.



Although his first symphony took 14 years to write, his next three several years later were completed in much less time. Shades of Beethoven, along with Brahms� own melodies are noticeable in all four, whilst the classic symphony form is adhered to as well.



In the days before electronic music Brahms� music was often played at home, and his solo piano works as well as his songs became great favourites.



His popularity in chamber music and more intimate solo and duet pieces, as well as his greater orchestral works ensure that Johannes Brahms will remain one of the Great composers of the classical and romantic era.

'Crisis' in Contemporary Music? What Crisis?

'Crisis' in Contemporary Music? What Crisis?

THE HEART OF THE MATTER



By

David F Golightly



Is contemporary music in a state of crisis? Answers range from 'certainly' to 'possibly' to ' not at all'. I would like to contribute some points to this continuing debate which, if not altogether original, are ones which I think do not receive the attention they merit.



Colleagues, I believe the fundamental debate is not about style or language, and that the solution is not about marketing or education. Maybe we all need to invest time and energy examining the traditional reasons why artists have always tried to express themselves, be it by music or any other art form. It may well be that contemporary music 'is in crisis' but maybe the real issue and solution is not just about educating the listener or consumer, but, to ask 'who is to blame?' Have we lost sight of the reason why we are composers?



Music publishers have invested a substantial financial amount in contemporary composers, which is an admirable commitment to the future of �classical� or 'art� music. To publish and market a new composer, or indeed a new piece, requires not only a lot of financial nerve but also a high level of artistic and cultural bravery. Music publishers work in a unique environment. They run a business, have to balance the books, and all investment has to be justified. Also traditionally a country's cultural heritage was entrusted to their ability to develop and nurture the best of new composing talent. Not only do they have to be able to recognise a new and exciting voice, but they also have to try and predict future stylistic developments and to 'publish for the future' not just for �the now'. Get it right - and the country can draw on a vast reservoir of creative talent. But get it wrong - and we become a rubbish dump for mediocrity and the inane. Into this arena, fraught with pitfalls and potential for mistakes, I believe, publishers have always tried to bring a certain amount of expertise and honour - protecting their artists from the financial complexities of modern society, ensuring universal copyright is registered and investing time and money into the partnership. All right: they are running a business for profit - but composers must appreciate that it can a very risky business indeed.



But are publishers getting it right? At no other time in the history of art music has the consumer been more educated, more knowledgeable and had such easy access to a wide range of musical styles and genre. From teenager to granny they all have experience of dramatic orchestral tapestries through the medium of films and television. Given the popularity of the film Lord of the Rings, for instance, you have to acknowledge that a whole new generation has been exposed to an experience of the drama and excitement generated by a large orchestral canvas, the very building blocks of classical or art music. I believe the general public has taste and more importantly,�instinct� and can recognise great classical music regardless of the style or uniqueness of the voice - providing, that is, the composer has talent, is skilled and wants to communicate. That does not necessarily mean writing in a traditional style and not developing your own voice, but rather holding fast to those elements that reward the listener and performers. In my view, however, publishers have often promoted composers who lack these essential ingredients and, most importantly, the indispensable ingredient of 'heart'.



Performers and audiences, I believe, should be rewarded by those emotional elements in music which make us all 'more than we are'. Recently I was in the foyer of my local music college when a young man approached and showed me a score. He was at great pains to point out that he had studied orchestration for years and that 'that in itself was a great skill'. But orchestration is not about what is learnt, but what is needed. The arrogance and sheer blindness of his approach distressed me. Too many of our young musicians think that composing comes from learning rather than, as I believe, directly from the heart. I did not disillusion the young man but left him to the mercies of academia, to which, I am sorry to say, publishers also too readily succumb. Even in merely financial terms, for publishers to ignore the educated judgment of today's consumers is surely foolish.



There is a whole industry of academic pretentiousness that has been nurtured and cultivated by the contemporary music establishment which is, in my opinion, a million miles away from the motivation and philosophy of composers from past generations. Having cultivated the weed you have little choice but to try and justify its existence. Why? Is it not better to cut your losses and acknowledge that music, as all art forms, has to communicate if it is to reward. There is a vast worldwide market for good classical or art music if it communicates - that is, has drama, energy. Some of the diet that has been served in the last forty years does nothing but alienate a consumer who instinctively knows the quality of the real product. regardless of the style. How often has music that is questionable been commissioned and consequently published, and what turns out to be its one performance defended on the grounds that 'the language, and style are so new that it is bound to be difficult for audiences to appreciate'. That statement may have been true for Beethoven�s day but not for today's highly educated audiences with their access to a vast information highway.



I was once shown a score by a leading contemporary composer and the lecturer who was praising the work pointed out its great beauty of line and phrasing - and that the written score 'alone was a work of art.' I happen to be a tuba player and pointed out that the orchestration was such that no matter how much counterpoint and beauty of line existed on paper, to write for tuba in its topmost register as the composer had done meant that all the listener would hear was that instrument's rather tiresome honking quality. This remark was met by great derision and incredulity that I should question the composer�s 'genius'. (For me the genius would have been the player who could have played such high notes molto pianissimo in order that the other woodwind instruments might be heard.)



Of course composers have to stretch and challenge both performers and a audience. Nobody writes harder music than I (ask any of the ensembles that have commissioned works from me), but music is much more than a technical exercise. You cannot learn to be a composer! Composing is a talent that you develop, an instinct you follow, in fact a matter of the heart - the very ingredient which provokes the 'special response' from performers and their audience. Years ago I suffered a lot of jealousy and criticism from so-called more experienced musicians, who just did not know the meaning of the word 'instinct'. Consequently their music lacked heart: it might be interesting and have fascinating textual colour, but if it lacks a soul what justifies its existence? Or am I missing something here and does a higher spectrum of a musical stratosphere exist somewhere that is apparent only to those individuals who appreciate the most extreme 'Avant Garde' If so please tell me: I am willing to study and learn if you can convince me of the validity of your secret!



How can you align a contemporary piece of art music (that may repeat a similar phrase over and over again, or a vast ever changing sound world where dissonance is piled on dissonance with no perceptible, and I underline the word perceptible, logic to the gradient), with the dramatic vivid orchestral colours of a film score? True - to anticipate a reply - 'one is absolute music and the other is wallpaper' (pretty sophisticated wallpaper, too, I might add!). The tragedy is that, in today's climate, the essence of heart and soul, traditionally found in all music is now, in the wallpaper, not the absolute, and worse - the consumer knows it. I accept that a lot of good contemporary music has been written and published in the last few years. The media and general public however tend only to remember the disasters.



The good pieces may be played more than once and even enter the repertoire, but the bad pieces merely reinforce the impression that art music has lost touch with its source and is now part of the self-indulgent world of the elitist musical establishment. Please note - before you form a lynch party - that this is not necessarily my opinion, but what I believe is a public perception, rightly or wrongly, provoked by the music of contemporary composers in the last forty years.



No one has more respect for the BBC than I. It has, for years, fought a rearguard action to maintain standards,trying always to support what it believes is music of the highest calibre. Radio Three, traditionally, has supported, broadcast and commissioned the best new pieces especially from young talent. Many established English composers, past and present, owe their success to the patronage and support of the BBC. Working under, sometimes impossible financial constraints it has tried to bring to the public attention music that it considered to be of the highest visionary and artistic worth. However there lies the rub. It is what it perceives to be worthy and contributing to an ever-evolving musical stylistic language. Get it right - and English music maintains its place on the world�s cultural stage Get it wrong - and a cultural desert will emerge. The responsibility is immense and one that must surely weigh heavily on its management's shoulders.



To be fair the BBC has had considerable experience and a proven track record but in todays musical environment there are many more factors and unknown social variables. I believe that they do need to keep in touch with public taste and interest and not always consider it can dictate the evolution of the language of music. By the nature of both reputation and cultural heritage, it has to walk a tightrope of academic and artistic validity. Sometimes I feel in the last forty years it has stumbled, and as we all know it is the stumble that provokes the gasp that the crowd remember.



The Proms festival is a tremendous celebration of the BBC's efforts on behalf of classical music and English composers. I for one appreciate and stand in awe at its courage, though sometimes I also worry that a number of the pieces, commissioned and performed, are only remembered because of their provocative and controversial sound world and not for any artistic or emotional merit. I sincerely hope my worry springs from naivete and that on this occasion my assessment and instincts are wrong.



Despite all the criticism Classic FM has done much to generate and raise public perception of classical or art music. It is true that it does not play vast amounts of the more avant garde contemporary music, though I do understand that as much as 40% of its output is devoted to music by living composers. Classic FM has also been accused of reducing the listeners' attention span by concentrating on something akin to a menu of musical snacks, that is, of cheapening the product by presenting it in an abridged format. The fact that this approach is more in keeping with the marketing philosophies of today's society seems to be of little consequence to the critics, who question how a person can perceive or value the artistic merit of absolute music if you just broadcast a fragment of its totality. Maybe, having spent years researching and evaluating the potential product, the academics, from their perspective, have a point.



It would be much more rewarding and aesthetically pleasing to listen to a complete string quartet, than just one movement. However we live in a consumer environment and to market a product, no matter what its artistic stature, you have to employ the elements that are psychologically common to that society. Musical snippets, for instance, feature prominently in today's advertising campaigns. Consumers may not realise they are hearing classical music, or know the composer, or be able to name the piece, but are we entitled to criticise Classic FM for employing the same principles in their broadcasts?



I personally believe they have simulated and encourage a tremendous potential for our product as contemporary composers, much more than we could have ever dreamed possible. I am reminded of a certain football club which plays Prokofiev's music just before the beginning of the game. When a London ballet company visited the town�s main theatre to perform Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet it was amazed to find the venue had been sold out three months in advance. I do not know the percentage of football supporters in the audience but the previous visit, the year before, had not been very well supported. Coincidence or not? It would be interesting to find out; and, by the way, one of the club�s best selling CDs is apparently a recording of that very piece.



I personally believe that Classic FM has made a tremendous contribution to the public acceptance and understanding of classical music with its intellectual and emotional demands. If I have a criticism it may be that sometimes they seem to allow air time choice to be dictated by the marketing requirements of their advertisers, but hell! - they have to live, and you cannot have everything.



Which brings me to the record companies. I suppose an apt description of the individuals that run 'the majors' as they are known, would be 'tough cookies with hearts and pockets of gold'. I do believe they live on different planets from those of composers or indeed artists. However in their defence they have to operate in an environment where judgment and instinct are paramount. Like music publishers they have to anticipate public taste and demand. Get it right and the financial rewards are reasonable - and I stress the word reasonable. Get it wrong and the financial pressures from their masters are colossal.



Most A&R people I have had dealings with have been very genuine and committed musicians. They constantly have to pick their way through a diplomatic minefield, dealing with composers and performers who may have very fragile egos and who may have very little understanding of the commercial world. With the best will in the world you cannot justify investing thousands of pounds in a product if your instinct tells you there is going to be a limited return, no matter how much you believe in the composer.



I remember the head of marketing of a major record company kept the recording I had sent him of my first symphony. He had kept it, said his secretary 'because he liked it so much'; unfortunately he and his team did not consider it to be of significant commercial value to market. Not much consolation for the poor composer who had invested so much time and effort in the project.



The record companies, like most of the music publishers, are at the moment under siege. The only way they can compete against the thousands of composer-publishers and small record labels is to invest a considerable amount in marketing and tap into their network of world wide sales, distribution and returns. However they run the risk of becoming victims of pirating and copyright infringement, with their product posted on the web for any individual, ie thief, to download free of charge. The more successful they are, with the marketing of a product, the greater the danger of piracy. Is it any wonder, considering the risks involved, that most are reluctant to gamble on a new composer or more importantly a new musical style or language. I personally have a lot of sympathy for their position. True, they may have their successes but I also bet there is a lot of gnashing of teeth over the many failures we do not hear about.



I may have lost money over the recording of my first symphony, but it was my work and I believe in its artistic merit. This amount in any case would be a fraction of the cost a major record company would budget and risk on a new composer or piece. I hope, at the very least, that artists will always try to be fair and see both sides of the coin.



However I also believe the record companies have to accept some blame, and are to a certain extent responsible for their own predicament with regard to classical music. There is a limit to the amount of return, no matter how popular a Mozart symphony may be, if the product market is shared with countless other recordings on of the same music. This practice of over-recording has saturated the market and restricted the investment in new blood and new products. Any manufacturer will tell you this is a recipe for disaster. You have to continue to develop and improve your product if you hope to maintain consumer interest. To be fair having witness public and media reaction to contemporary music over the last 40yrs and the extremes of stylistic language used can we blame the reluctance of what are essentially business ventures to

invest in a product that has such adverse public and hence consumer perception and reaction. (Even the most optimistic of composers would have to admit there would be a limited financial return and demand for a recording of a certain piano piece by John Cage)



Mention of John Cage brings me finally to my fellow contemporary composers. One of the great privileges of my life was to spend so time on the board of The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. I will just never cease to be amazed at - and hopefully never forget - just how much time, energy and generosity of spirit my fellow composers, both popular and classical, gave in defence of the music of their member composers and musicians. These individuals who work so hard for the rights of artists and composers regardless of the cost or drain on their own creative resources and energy cannot be praised enough.



What is it that makes them work so hard and so long to defend and promote the worth of British Music and composers? Certainly no financial gain, as I know all gave of their time freely, and in some cases, this unselfish commitment went on for years. I believe it is nothing more than a belief in the rightness of what they do as composers - a generosity of spirit that

fuels a desire to help and support the value of British music and creative endeavour regardless of its genre.



I never witnessed one moment of envy or jealousy from these talented individuals - just a wholehearted commitment to the work of their fellow writers. Therein lies the hope! If all writers and composers have such integrity then the journey to producing art and music that has worth will be revitalised. I do not pen the words 'Brotherhood of composers' lightly. I believe passionately in the integrity of my fellow musicians and artists. The world needs our vision more than ever. The real music and art will survive and be triumphant, because it contains those elements that are at the core of the human spirit.



A crisis in contemporary music? Audiences and performers will always eventually recognise integrity and the beauty found in music that reflects the soul of its creator. No government, agency, tyrant, social ignorance, greed, prejudice, corruption, analysis or scientific theory can stand against that universal truth. You may say that artists, writers and composers are mere dreamers; but it is this belief in the higher ideal that touches all, to replenish and revitalise society. To each his own, all to have their place, each to contribute, in his or her own unique way, to the elements that make us 'more than we are'.



(My thanks to Adrian Smith for his assistance as editor and Arthur Butterworth and Mike Briggs as advisors.)

Details of David F Golightly work as a composer can be found at www.modranamusicpromotions.com

� 2003 Modrana Music Publishers ltd

The Art of the Decrescendo

The more fortunate among us have experienced that precious, magical moment at the end of a performance between the exact instant that the last soft, subtle note from the band or orchestra fades from the stage and merges into the forefront of our aesthetic sensibilities. Then there is a second or two of hushed, pregnant energy just before the spontaneous outburst of fervent adulation from the audience.

Why do these experiences find such resonance within the likes of us? I submit that there is a direct relationship between their inner impact and how effectively the diminuendo is played. A beautifully tailored diminuendo can magnetically titillate the mind of the alert listener and render him reverently helpless in its thrall.

Most compositions are richly endowed with these diminuendi or decrescendi, and almost every one of them, when approached intelligently and musically, have the potential of providing a mini-epiphany for the listener, as well as for the performers.

When studying a new score there are certain questions I enjoy asking myself about how a particular diminuendo should be approached. These musings are hereby submitted for your approval.



1) Where does the diminuendo begin?

2) Can I, or can I not heighten the dramatic effect by maintaining the stronger dynamic level briefly and delaying the diminuendo?

3) Does every instrument decrescendo at the same rate, or is the music scored in such a way that in order to retain the primacy of the melody some instruments have to diminuendo less or later than others?

4) Will this passage benefit from very little diminuendo at first but increasing exponentially as it nears the end?

5) Where does the diminuendo actually end and can I musically afford the risk of allowing it to end prematurely?

6) Would it be musically appropriate to slacken the tempo slightly at the end of the decrescendo and quietly revel and luxuriate in it for that extra millisecond?

7) What should I be hearing at the end of the diminuendo, and how can I taper it so that the transition into the new dynamic level sounds inevitable rather than abrupt?

In my own private perfect little world the musicians in my band or orchestra, once they have tasted a beautifully wrought diminuendo, will in the future, invariably, accept no substitutes. They will, in true Pavlovian fashion, salivate uncontrollably at the mere prospect of playing the next one.

An idyllic but idle fantasy, to be sure. However, you have undoubtedly discovered for yourself that any concept you would care to acclimate your ensemble to, such as how to approach a decrescendo, can, with sufficient reinforcement, become part of their musical intuition.



Carl Hammond Phd. composes all sorts of music, plays piano, and as you've seen writes a mean, entertaining article. He's the CEO of:



www.musicalcompositions.net



where you can download purchased sheet music for concert bands, choirs,chamber ensembles,jazz groups.

See it,hear it,download it, rehearse it. FREE Newsletter and FREE Special Report written by Carl Hammond a 35 year international music veteran.



Well written interesting music for your groups to play right now via download

Music And Movies Download Sites - Are They A Scam?

Surfing the Internet, looking for music and movies to download, you will find a lot of so called music and movie download sites These sites do not provide you with music, or movies to download, no, they provide you with file sharing soft ware you can use to search for, and download music, movies and games. Most of them also provide you with cd burning soft ware and they have a helpdesk for those members who run in to problems with their downloading.



These sites are under attack.



First of all there is the entertainment industry that wants to shut them down. They claim that these file sharing programs are used to download copy right protected materials.



This is true of course, but lots of people download and trade files legally on file-sharing networks.You can, for example, legally download music from hundreds of bands and thousands live concerts, as well as multiple software titles and games. File sharing has enabled music fans from around the world to build the largest library of recorded music in history. File sharing is not illegal as long as you obey and comply with all relevant copyright laws. Sharing copyrighted material without permission could be illegal in your country.



In America the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) are leading the fight against the sharing of copyrighted music. Others, like Hollywood�s MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) are also starting to get involved and are taking legal action against the music and movie download sites.



It will not be easy to shut down these download sites. Especially since the Internet has no borders, it will be an almost impossible task, to get all the countries in the world to agree on how to legislate Internet downloading.



Another attack on music and movies download sites comes from, what I call, seasoned Internet users. They claim these download sites are a scam, because they charge for something you can get for free.



Well, you could get it for free, that is true. These download sites provide you with soft ware to search for and download files from the Internet. They provide you with software to burn these files on a cd should you wish to do so.



All this software is available for free on the Internet, but for an Internet novice it could be a daunting task to look for this kind of soft ware, to decide which soft ware to use, how to use it.On top of that they have to make sure that they do not download spy ware, ad ware or what ever. Joining a download site and have all the info in one place is not a bad option for most of them. Another advantage is the fact that these download sites provide a help desk for their members.



Is it a scam if you provide info that people could get for free elsewhere?



Consider this.



You are looking for a telephone number, so you look it up in the phone book.

Say you do not have the right phone book, you can go out looking for it.

You probably can find this free info in the library.



You can also pick up the phone and ring an information service.



They will provide you with this free info and they will charge you for it.



So, is this information service a scam?



I do not think so, and I also do not think that the music and movies download sites are a scam.



Provided of course that they tell you what you can expect from them before you sign up with them, and that they deliver on this promise



If you want to join a download site, chose one that gives a guaranty that you can have your money back if not satisfied.



Once you have joined, test out everything, especially their helpdesk.



If you have no questions, ask them a few things you know already, just to test their response.



And last but not least, do not hesitate to charge back your money if you are not completely satisfied.



Here you can find a few Download Sites .

Harry Rackers is W.M of Download Music Movies Games .

Why Is Most Music So Bad Today?

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." ~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899.



"Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers." ~ Socrates



Why is popular music so bad today? I mean, I'm not that old, but jeez, the music of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks. Some would say that when New Year's Eve 1979 ended, we were ushered into an era of lame music that we still haven't escaped from today.



I grew up in the 80's and remember listening to the Beatles, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie, to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. I remember seeing album covers strewn about my brother's bedroom. Albums, not CD's. (If you're a really young reader, albums are like CD's in that they're flat and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The get scratched and don't work just like CD's though).



Some say that the 60's were a turbulent time in the U.S. and the world and thus created a perfect environment and culture for innovative and creative music. But let's face it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where's the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to sing about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paul Simon of today to protest the government's stance on stem cell research? All we've gotten recently is the new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn't she just famous for being famous? And her new CD actually got some good reviews.



Before anyone accuses me of painting a broad brush stroke condemning all music after the 70's, let me say that in more recent times there has been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite, and even politically-minded music such as U2, but no where near the creative amount of earlier times.



I remember when the Dixi Chicks came out against President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band, they're hardly going to achieve iconic status. And they paid dearly at the hands of big business for their outspoken views. That's a far cry from the politically-charged days of Woodstock where many artists were speaking out, and changing things.



If you think about it, there are only a select few artists or bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today. These are the icons. And the vast majority of those artists are bands from before the 80's! Between last summer and this summer, here are some of the really big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.



I recently read an article that suggested that music and tour promoters, large venue owners and ticket companies are all worried about concert sales taking a plunge after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it's going to be hard to sell out big arenas after the dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists of today who will reach that status tomorrow?



In a recent interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe said there is not nearly as much improvisational rock anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands he thought were decent these days, he couldn't think of any for a while, and then finally said he thought the Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.



Maybe I'm some kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not as good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline really talented? I just found out recently that his nickname is K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tina (Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to get together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, just an FYI.



Here are the top 5 songs right now in the Summer of 2006:



- Fergie - London Bridge

- Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

- Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous

- The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons

- Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies



And here were the top 5 albums of 2005:



- Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi

- 50 Cent - The Massacre

- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

- Green Day - American Idiot

- The Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business



Here are the top 5 albums of 1976:



- Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

- Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac

- Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound

- Eagles - Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975

- Chicago - Chicago IX Greatest Hits



And here are the top 5 albums of 1966



- Original Soundtrack The Sound Of Music

- The Beatles - Revolver

- The Beatles - Rubber Soul

- The Rolling Stones - Aftermath

- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds



Is it just me, or is there a glaring difference between the two 21st Century lists and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, I actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Green Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn't the best Paul McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and Chicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But overall, the lists just don't compare.



The music industry itself has changed so drastically that I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a chasm between today's music and the creations of yesteryear. Like sports and medicine, music in another industry that has been a casualty of big business and American capitalism.



No longer does the actual music quality drive the industry. Instead, the people with the money and power at the record companies notice some bad music selling well to young people for example, and therefore decide that from then on they're only going to find and promote that type of bad music since it made a few bucks. They've totally stopped listening to the music and instead only listen to the dollars.



No longer does the music they create determine the success of a band. Instead, entertainment conglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that determines the success. They do this because they have such a strangle hold on the media. We only have the illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun where the whole industry is inexorably spinning down, unable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy corporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into the abyss of painfully bad music.



Some bands occasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact, sidestepping the almost institutionalized process of "making it" set in place by music executives. Phish is a great example of this. They became hugely successful in spite of the music industry. Because they were so good and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of eventual fans Phish had gave them a power that most artists today can't have. Most other artists have to do what the people with the purse strings tell them to do. And that often makes for bad music. Unfortunately, Phish isn't even together any more. But they're a rare exception in that they came after the 70's and were highly creative and improvisational.



Another thing that contributes to the poor music of today is technology. These days, Hollywood actors who can't sing can have singing careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use every digital sound technique there is to make an average product sellable, just like the magazines airbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off to complete the illusion. There are many ways in which the music engineers can do this in the studio and even for artists on tour.



Ashlee Simpson is a good example of this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live getting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent interview where Joe Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh, admitted that as Ashlee's keyboard player, she always doubled Ashlee's voice while on tour.



I know that in any era there's going to be silly music acts like Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that during Bob Dylan's time there were lots of feeble yet famous music artists then too. My complaint is that it seems like in any other era there was at least enough really fantastic and original music being created to balance things out.



Let's go backwards. We've looked at the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the lists above and I don't see any really original music in there at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of the 90's produced some great and original music. I argue that almost all of that music was so heavily influenced by the rock of the 60's and 70's that it really wasn't that original at all.



The music of the 80's matched the hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer was new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70's and 60's. Those are the decades that last held any hope for people like me who long for fresh, original, creative and improvisational music.



In 1899 the Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote "Everything that can be invented has been invented." Alright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way, everything that seems new is really just new combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I'm hoping that we return to the days when the combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and melodies become as creative as they were in the 60's and 70's.



But maybe things haven't changed much since even Socrates' times. He thought kids were tyrants, as if his generation was the last of a dying breed of angelic children. Maybe he just didn't understand the kids of his era, and maybe I'm the same way.



Jason OConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A great place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across North America. www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/

Bob Marley Legend

For each of us of the sixties, seventies, and/or eighties, the Bob Marley legend takes on different and specific meaning, rife with peaceful love, spiritual reclamation, and even, at the end, melancholia (at losing Marley to cancer). For some of us, Marley was about supreme reggae� invigorating music and profound lyrics; for others, he was accompaniment to our studies, our search for self, or our spiritual seeking; for still others, Marley was about pure love. The Bob Marley legend began with him, because of him, and continues with those of us who remember him.



We say Bob Marley legend because Marley made it in a conformist culture by first fitting in to that milieu (look at his pictures in the sixties: he and The [other] Wailers wore the suits, the thin ties, the shortly-cropped hairdos�) then by evolving, physically, emotionally, spiritually (consider the dreads, yeah, but remember the philosophy, the religion, the attitude, the words).



We say Bob Marley legend because he brought reggae to the people, non-African, non-Jamaican masses, too, introducing the distinctive syncopated back beat fronted by soft and, well, wailing, words like those of �No Woman, No Cry� and �Is This Love�?�



We say Bob Marley legend because the all-time finest reggae leader made Rastafari real, respected, and righteous as a movement, a life-principle: by way of Rastaman Vibration, for example, Marley instilled the subtle spirit of Haile Salassie; he brought curves to the sharp rock sounds; he showed us a new way to revere God, or Ja.



And we say Bob Marley legend because when we were in college in the seventies or on the grassy knolls of the Haight or breaking free from corporate sports or industry or injury, he was there with words and music and the greatest of spirit--affirming affirmed our need for unity, solidarity, spirituality, respect, and love. He helped us �Stir it up,� �Put it on,� and �Rock it Baby.� He encouraged us to �Pass it on,� �Stand Alone,� and �Keep on Moving.� And as he passed the torch of human dignity in rebellion and in redemption, he taught us to realize, �Most people think/Great God will come from the skies/Take away everything/And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth/You will look for yours on earth�,� and that it is necessary, okay, probable, and imperative that we �Get up, stand up; stand up for [our] rights!�

Classical Guitar Sheet Music

Looking for classical guitar sheet music? It�s really very easy if you have an idea what you are looking for; there are quite a few places to look. Aside from your local music store if you just want to browse at classical guitar sheet music, you can find most anything you are looking for on the internet. Most sites are set up so that you can search for works by the artists� name or by the title of the piece. Of course, you need to know one or the other or these types of sites won�t help you out too much. If you�re not sure what you want, search online for something you would like to play by listing to various music download sites, or others that let you listen to a selection online. Once you have the name of the song or guitarist, you can search more easily.



Classical guitar sheet music is available for every classical guitar player, from beginner to advanced. Most pieces can be broken down into smaller ones that are easier to learn for beginners, and when that version is mastered, the guitarist can advance to the next level of difficulty. Classical guitar sheet music can be purchased individually by piece, or in books that feature a collection of works. These books are available by level of skill, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced.



Anyone can play classical guitar, even beginners. Most classical guitar sheet music includes tablature as well, so it�s not even necessary to read music to play. Tablature shows where the fingers should be placed on the fret board, which is a great advantage if you are just learning to read music. If you�re not sure about a certain note, just look at the tablature to see where you should have your fingers.



In addition to locating classical guitar sheet music online, it is possible to get instruction as well, in the form of CDs, MP3s, DVDs, and online classes. Students can also chat with others on online forums about online instruction, teaching tools, experiences, recommendations, etc. Learning to play classical guitar is no longer limited to taking lessons from a teacher one on one at the same physical location. Once you have become somewhat accomplished, then is no limit to what you can play. Soon you will begin collecting all the classical guitar sheet music pieces you can, and learning to play them to perfection, one by one.

What Are Cadences in Music?

Cadences are chords used in music as punctuation marks, showing the progression of a particular movement or piece. They are particularly used to show the end of a piece of music, or to show the end of part within a piece of music to take it on to the next part. Cadences are the commas, semi-colons and full stops of Western music both in theory and in practice.



Most standard, well used cadences have been classified, have been used for centuries in western music and are just as valid in modern music as they were when they were first developed.



A cadence is a progression of chords or perhaps a melodic progression used to give some type of finality to a phrase or section of music, rhythm and harmony being important to ensure a true, �punctuational�, cadence. The chords only act as a cadence should these criteria be met.



It�s actually easier than it sounds on paper. The last three or four chords or notes of most National Anthems, for instance, tell you that it has finished, even if it�s one you don�t recognise. Cadences of both melodic and chordal varieties are used to give the finality to these anthems worldwide, giving them suitably solemn endings.



Earlier classical music relied almost entirely on traditional cadences, both during and at the end of works, many used subtly within the music as well. Later 19th and 20th Century composers often broke with tradition though, and often created their own cadences to complement their own music. Many retained both well known and little known cadences or progressions with which to end parts or all of their works.



Cadences are usually classified into four types and are normally designated in Roman numerals referring to triads in any key. The authentic cadence has two types as well.



The authentic cadence (V to I) comes in two forms. The �perfect authentic cadence� occurs where the notes are in root position, so the bottom of the chords are in the bass whilst the highest notes are in the highest register. It doesn�t matter whether it�s a choir, a piano or an orchestra, the same rules apply.



The second authentic cadence is the imperfect authentic cadence where the �parts� or notes are inverted so that the same notes are being played but in different registers from the �perfect� cadence.



The �imperfect� or half cadence ending in V is one often used in the middle of pieces and usually consists of V being preceded by ii, IV or I, although any other chord can be used, the Phrygian cadence being an example used in minor keys.



Plagal cadences are well known to Christian churchgoers, even if they do not know it. It is the IV to I which sounds like �Amen� at the end of hymns, anthems and psalms. It was also for this reason used in many religious musical works.



The �interrupted� or deceptive cadence from V to vi or VI, indeed to anything else is considered a weak cadence due to its inability to finalise a phrase or section, however it is used extensively to change �tempo�, key or instrumentation in music of all types and genres.



If you listen to the end of a piece of music you will probably hear a cadence. It is interesting to try to spot them in the body of the music too.

Discordant Music

�What�s that rubbish you�re playing?� many a parent has asked the younger generation of the time. Well, what is discordant music to one person may not be to another.



Many a classical composer has been ahead of his time, sometimes only appreciated later in life and some not until well after their death. The reason is that music, the same as everything else, progresses, and what is tuneful to one generation may well be considered discordant by the next and indeed vice versa.



Classical, Romantic, jazz, rock, pop, and heavy metal composers and musicians of many genres, for instance, have been heavily sneered at by the general public over the years for their visionary views, their creative genius, their �different� music, only to be rather liked 20 years later. Depending on your age your parents or grandparents probably hated the Beatles or the Rolling Stones in the 1960�s but will happily sing along nowadays.



It must be said that there is certainly discordant music around, but it depends upon the listener to put it into that category, and that in turn depends upon the listener�s previous exposure to the type of music being played. It is very often the case that the listener does not understand the music.



Many people listening to music from Asia or India may have difficulty in understanding the discordant notes; however the people living there would very possibly not understand western music unless they had heard it on TV.



The post Baroque period of classical and later Romantic music leading up to the present day has changed music so radically that discordant music can be heard every day by some people who do not have an interest or knowledge of a particular type of music.



Many �classical� composers suffered from their music being thought of as discordant at the time. Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and many others found that their wonderful musical innovations did not always work at the time. It took time for the listening audiences to get used to the changes going on in classical music at the time. Many years later the music ceased to sound discordant, and the true beauty of many works was finally appreciated.



Of course some people go out of their way to play discordant music. There are even a music labels sponsoring so called �anarchy� music such as �punk rock� and many other genres. This �music� is very loud and often played by young non-musicians deliberately (or not) off-key and not necessarily in time with each other. Deliberately discordant music can be, therefore, perhaps a statement of some sort of discontent with the writer, musicians and audience, destructive as opposed to creative.



There is little doubt that a person�s music education can make a big difference in many cases in deciding whether a piece of music is discordant or not. Some are exposed to music much of the time on the radio or TV. Others take more of an interest in other types of music, but most people just don�t like discordant music.