Whatever genre of music you’re in, you need to define your definition of success. If your definition is ‘being a rich and famous superstar’, then, well ‘good luck’… but if your definition is ‘being a creative artist doing what you want to do in life by sharing your music with those who will listen’, then you should succeed. And if you’ve got the bottle to stick to your own sound and style, your own beliefs of how your music should sound, then you’ve even more chance of success in the long term.

But be warned – flying in the face of convention, of what is current, is always difficult. But trends fade and die – original talent and music does not!

If you’ve recorded an album yourself then get independent feedback, both musical and technical. Friends and family will always say your music is great (and hey, that’s fine, you need that support). But, the person who tells you everything you do is great may be good for your ego, but they’re of no practical use at all! The harsh reality is that you need good constructive criticism from independent sources who know what they’re talking about. Okay, easier said than done, but there are publications like Sound on Sound, for example, who provide demo reviews.

Another tip is seek out your local recording studio and pay for a studio engineers time (or better still the studio owner if you can), just to listen to your recording. Pick their brains and ask their advice on all aspects of your recording. I did this myself and it was invaluable. You’ve got to make sure you can relate to the studio engineer and that they can relate to what you’re doing. But at the end of the day, you’re paying them just to listen and to give you the benefit of their experience. Believe me, many studios will be glad to do this when they realize you’re serious about accepting constructive criticism and you’re willing to pay the going studio rate for it. But I reiterate, ensure you find someone who has experience and some empathy with the music you’re doing.

The reason that this is so important is because often, when starting out doing a first album you wont have the knowledge or equipment to make it sound anything more than a demo. Unfortunately, so many aspiring musicians get so close to their creation that they fail to hear that the music isn’t as good as they think it is, particularly on the technical side!

It’s always good to remember that there are probably tens of thousands of people around the world (maybe millions, who knows?!) doing the same thing you are. There’s no shortage of home studios turning out music and no shortage of organizations, particularly on the Internet, telling you how to Make it Big.

So, the trick is to stand out as being ‘different from the rest’ while achieving a standard that is ‘professional’. How do I define professional? Where someone has taken the time and effort to take the recording beyond a home demo. Okay, I know that may seem a little opaque, but the truth is that it’s difficult to define, you just know.

Music is very subjective – we all hear different things in it, indeed, we all need different things from music to make it acceptable to us, whether as a composer or a listener. There are great musicians who are technically amazing playing various instruments but record music that is devoid of soul or passion and restricted by self imposed musical constraints. Conversely there are musicians with little or no training who can blow your mind with fabulous and inventive music because they are not constrained by formal musical training. It’s also worth pointing out that being a competent musician doesn’t make for a competent composer of music! And even a competent composer can’t necessarily imbue the composition with that special ingredient that make people sit up and take notice.

It’s also true to say that a good musician/composer is not necessarily a good studio engineer! This is a fact that in my opinion, is often overlooked. Too many composers think that because they have access to an all singing, all dancing workstation and/or computer, they can turn out a great recording. More often than not, nothing is further from the truth. Composing is a talent, and engineering an album is another, very different talent. Mastering an album is yet another, very different talent. I’m not suggesting an individual cannot do all these things well. Of course they can, with years of experience, and even then, with input from other sources.

Too many times I’ve sat listening to a demo where the composer is convinced that the music and the recording is great when in fact it isn’t. The recording and use of sounds is cheesy and naff, but the composer can’t hear it because they haven’t stepped outside the box, as I would say. They haven’t stood back from the music and really listened to the recording and compared like for like against professional recordings of the genre.

It’s a hard lesson to learn, to be self critical of your own creations and sometimes to realize that your creation is actually far from perfect and that sometimes, the best place for the creation is in the bin and that you need to start again on another idea. But this is probably one of the most important lessons to be learned on the musical journey.

It also important to consider this one unpalatable fact. Your album may be great. It may have nice songs, be well recorded etc. etc. but it simply may not be good enough to be anything more than an inde album that sells a few hundred copies. That’s Life!

It’s a simple fact that record companies will listen to the first 20 seconds of a demo and then switch it off and consign the demo to the bin if it doesn’t make an instant impression.

That’s not just A/R men either. Some years ago, a major label had so many demos that its A/R department couldn’t handle them all so it gave piles of demos to everyone, even the cleaners to sift through. Everyone ended up doing the same thing – if the CD didn’t make an instant impression, then it was on to the next.

Sure, that may seem unfair, but if you’re the record label exec trawling thru thousands of demos, how would you do it? Again, I run a small inde label, so I know what it’s like.

I’m not suggesting you record your demo to send to a big label. I’m relating the story to hammer home the point that with so many people making music, all thinking theirs is the best album ever, that you have to be realistic – you probably have more chance of winning the UK lottery and the Euro lottery in the same week than getting a record deal!

But that shouldn’t stop you!! Your demo should be well recorded and recorded well enough that you could press it and sell it yourself. In this day and age, that’s probably the best way forward. Sure, still send copy to record labels, but also remember that record labels will be looking for a lot, lot more than just the music. They’ll be looking for experience, an image, a malleable artist and lots more besides for today’s music industry.

Your music should have an identity that stands out from the rest and it should have an emotional presence. Achieving this is very, very difficult and in truth, it cannot be taught or learned. I truly believe music either has that magic ingredient to make the listeners hair stand on end, to perk people interest, or it doesn’t. And that comes from the musician – not the production, the engineering, the mastering the record label or anywhere else – it is the defining essence of the artist.

So, what am I trying to tell you here? Well, to summarize, embark on the road of being a musician with passion and belief but accept that the chance of major success thru a record deal is virtually impossible. Understand that you must listen with open ears to what you do and learn to be critical of your music. Make constructive criticism your closest ally through people whose opinion you value and trust. And however hard you think it’s going to be to have any measure of success, realize that it will be even harder!

Before karaoke music came in cassettes only but with technological advances they were replaced with CDs, VCDs and DVDs.KTV boxes were set up for people to entertain their friends or just to have fun. KTV means karaoke music video where the lyrics are displayed along with the audio track. It has become quite popular in US, Canada and other Western countries. People love it and it is a good source of entertainment.

Karaoke music popularity:

Karaoke music business has also picked up very fast and now one can find karaoke nights every day in almost every restaurant as it drives people to the place. Small karaoke box have been replaced by hi-fi sound equipments and to make the atmosphere catchier they even put lighting effects and have dance sessions. Now almost all kinds of music are available from rock to pop to hip hop and even religious hymns. The fun part is watching even those timid and shy ones, after consuming alcoholic beverages become bold and march towards the microphone and sing their hearts out ,sometimes even humiliating themselves.

Karaoke Machines:

Computer karaoke is also quite popular among the youngsters. Those who are shy to perform in front of people can now be a star and sing in their own room and also for those who want to improve their skills can also have practice sessions quietly in their room. You can pick karaoke softwares which can provide the means to hear music and also see lyrics on the screen. Quite a number of websites also offer this entertainment for their karaoke fans. All you need to do is download the files, load the song in your computer and you are set to begin.

A simple karaoke box consists of an audio input, an audio output and pitch controller. Some bars also have low end machines where they try to suppress the voice of the original singer so that you can hear only your voice. These machines are cheap. But those high in built machines have a technology that can electronically change the pitch level according to the key the singer chooses for the song.

Next time you step into a karaoke bar do not shy away thinking you will be the laughing stock. People come here to have fun and you will be surprised to see everyone cheering for you. Explore your singing talent! This is a terrific way to wind up your soul and just relax. After a hectic day if you are looking for a place to enjoy and meet new people, this is the place to be. Some karaoke bars also hold karaoke nights, where all wanna be singers show off their talents, if you are one of them, go ahead and show everyone what you have!!

Created in the late 19th century, country music has under gone many changes over the years. There are now many sub-genres to this type of music, with some of the sub-genres being commonly played on top 40 radio stations.

To understand country music, it is helpful to know about the instruments commonly associated with it. In country music, one of the most common instruments used is the fiddle (or violin). Some of these instruments can be expensive, but most are relatively inexpensive and are very easily transports since they tare light in weight and not overly large. When country music first ‘hit the scene’, the fiddle was practically the only instrument used as accompaniment. However, as the country music style became more popular, the addition of other accompanying instruments became normal. The banjo became popular in some country music pieces in the mid 1800s, while the guitar did not break into the country music scene until the early 1900s. Electric guitars did not become a regular instrument in country music until much later in the 50s. Other various instruments used in country music are the piano (introduced in the 1930s) and the drums (used since the 1960s). Rarely used, but distinctive sounding instruments are used in certain country songs: the accordion, the harmonica, and the washboards.

Country music has roots in several different styles of music. Its beginnings started with the settlers that came from Europe. During that time, many couldn’t read or write, so songs were created to pass history down from one generation to the next. Although country ballads have changed a great deal, going from the original songs about objective, though gruesome, events to more personal, subjective ballads without all the gore.

Today, the sound of country music can sometimes be very similar to other genres of pop and rock. Some country musicians, like Shania Twain, have many songs playing on stations that aren’t considered country. There are also musicians, like Sheryl Crow, who are considered pop/rock, but have songs popular on country stations.

Any new band will go to almost any lengths to get their music heard and the Internet offers many straightforward ways to do this. Many new bands post information about themselves and their music at www.myspace.com where visitors can either stream or download music. The mini sites offered here are customizable and the quantity of space available very generous.

These sites thus allow personal connections to develop between bands and the fans that follow them. The up and coming band called ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’, for example, recently previewed their new album exclusively at www.myspace.com allowing their fans to hear the material before it hit stores. To date, this exclusive arrangement has lured tens of thousands of people to check out the band’s own site, offering them unprecedented publicity for free.

While this arrangement would seem advantageous to both musician and listener, some bands find the notion to be anathema, assuming that it will mean lost sales and ultimately, lost profits. Many more established bands have been slow to create their own music sharing sites, while others have fought to have file-sharing using peer-to-peer networks stopped altogether.

And yet the notion that online music sharing will exert a negative impact on CD sales seems to hold little water, as British band ‘Artic Monkeys’ recently displayed. The band made available on their website all their material and instead of losing out on CD sales, their debut album quickly became the fastest selling debut album of all time.

It seems that the ability to download MP3 benefits all concerned, both band and fan alike. So may the spirit of sharing long continue, so that everyone can continue to enjoy the fruits of the musicians’ labor.

So what do you need? You need a PC with a reasonable amount of processing power under the hood – a Pentium III at least, preferably a P4 – in order to run the music software.

Audio files are quite large – forget MP3s, were talking the real thing here – and for each track of audio you record youll need around 10.6Mb of hard disk space per minute. Every track wont be filled with audio so you wont need quite that much in a multi-track recording but for a four-minute 16-track song it would be wise to allocate around 500Mb of hard disk space.
Playing cards

You need a soundcard. All modern PCs have one of these but if you dont want your song to sound like it was recorded in a back bedroom – even it if was – get a decent card.

At Christmas-stocking prices are a range of SoundBlaster cards such as the Audigy 2 ZS (for under Ј70/$100) with a good set of built-in sounds. But more than that, they support SoundFonts. These are samples the card uses to produce realistic instrument sounds and better beefy bass lines than yer average sound card.

If youve a rich Mummy and Daddy they’ll be pleased to buy you a more expensive card such as E-Mu’s Emulator X (around Ј220/$380), a desktop sampling system that also supports SoundFonts. If you own a nightclub youll be able to afford one of CreamWares high-end systems with on-board synthesisers that can do everything but sober up the drummer – not that you need a drummer cause the cards have all the drum sounds you need.

Key move

Youll also need a MIDI keyboard to record your masterpiece. There’s a vast choice here from E-Mu’s XBoard 25, XBoard 49, and Swissonic’s CK490 (all running around Ј100/$150 give or take) to the Fatar range running from the TMK61 (Ј130/$225) up to the VMK 188 Plus (Ј599/$1000) with several models inbeween.

These keyboards dont have any on-board sounds like synthesisers but theyre much cheaper than synths and there are sounds in the soundcard anyway. If youve seen an Elton John concert and cant face the thought of touching a keyboard, dont worry – you can use pre-recorded loops and samples and cleverly arrange them in stunning combinations without a keyboard.

Listen ere

A decent pair of speakers is essential. The ten quid jobbies that were bundled with your PC may be fine for playing MP3s but they simply wont do for mixing music.

The Big Boys use dedicated monitor speakers which can cost as much as a holiday in Barbados but if you leave the other half at home you could easily afford Behringer’s MS16s (Ј46/$79), or Edirol’s MA7A (Ј80/$135) or MA150 (Ј120/$200).

If your PC is near your hi fi you can run the audio through that but switch off any bass boost or EQ settings. The idea is to get a flat, uncoloured response so if it sounds good on those speakers it should sounds good on any speakers. So the theory goes.

Good arrangement

The Big Boys can fiddle with high-end music sequencers but the new and incredibly modestly-priced Cubase SE 3 (less than a ton/$170) lets you record and assemble audio and MIDI parts with almost as much aplomb. It shows both types of recording on the same arrange page making it easy to see how they fit together.

And finally, you need a CD recorder so you can burn your finished hit to CD and send it to lucky record companies. If you’ve a modern PC you’ll have one already. But do use a labeller and create a CD inlay, too, to give the CD a pro finish. In the music biz, looks, fashion and style are far more important than content so spend at least as much time on the outside as on the music. Put your contact details on the CD label as well as the inlay.

Hook and line

Now lets make a song. You need a hook. This is the bit everyone sings so it has to be catchy. Its usually the chorus but you can have a catchy bass line, drum line or even a vocal hook such as shout or a catch phrase like Eh Oh. Well it worked for the Teletubbies – are you old enough to remember them with embarrassment?

Lets say youve come up with a stonking chorus. Build a verse around it. It doesnt have to be memorable; few verses are. You can meander around in a relatively tuneless way until its time to unleash the chorus on the world.

When building a song, start with the rhythm section. Grab some groovy drum loops, string them together then add the bass line. You can play this on your new MIDI keyboard or drop in bass samples – jolly useful things, samples.

Next youll want to add some keyboard parts which can be clever rhythmic figures or you can play pads by holding down some chords using a broad-texture sound such as strings.

Very vocal

Then add the vocals. If you cant sing – but remember that never stopped anyone making a record – you might like to nip down the pub and ask the winner of this weeks karaoke contest to do the chanting for you. Play your cards right and they may even pay you for the privilege.

If youve too much musical nous to be in the same room as a karaoke singer, you can always fall back on your old friend, the sample.

The final step is the mixing. This is where you balance all the parts you recorded, add a dash of reverb and generally tart the thing up.

Then save the entire song as an audio file ready for burning to CD. This means recording the MIDI parts as audio tracks. You need to mix all the tracks into one stereo track so the final file will be 10.6Mb x the length in minutes.

Looks good

Now you have to interest the A&R men in your CD. Its all about image so if youre dull and ugly – name three ugly pop stars, apart from Madonna and Mick Hucknall – you may have to get one of your beautiful friends to pose for the publicity photos.

Write a one-page biog – they dont want to know that you have a GCSE in music, they want to know what gigs youve done and any Big Name bands you’ve supported. Drop a few names such as Bruce, Robbie and Tina. You dont have to mention surnames…
If you do catch the ear of an A&R person, be prepared to throw your ego out the window – you cant afford one at the moment and when youre rich and famous you can buy a much better one anyway.

Youll see the months of blood, sweat and Pils which you poured into your song pouring straight down the drain as the record company drafts in a 14-year-old DJ to remix your song using the latest Dance breakbeats and crap – sorry, rap – vocals.

But dont worry – you can laugh all the way to the bank when it reaches Number One!

2. Game Plan: Just like a football team has to practice in order to win, so do you. At the beginning of training camp, as the players arrive to the first practice, each player is handed a playbook. This play book is a detailed plan of action to guide the team to its ultimate goal, success. Your play book doesnt have to be quite as elaborate as the NFLs, just a simple pencil and pad will do. The entire concept of a game plan is to map out where it is you want to be, and how you’re gonna get there. Start with the end product (the goal) and then work your way backwards. List all of the steps it may take to reach your goal, then right them down in reverse order. Now, you have created a map of your game plan, review it and make changes if necessary. Then fold it up and tuck into your wallet, for easy access, this way you can constantly remind yourself of were your going and cross off where youve been.

3. Product: Face it, you wouldnt be too impressive of a plumber if you didnt own an adjustable wrench, and you certainly wouldnt be much of a clown without the funny make-up. So what makes you think youd even have a snowballs chance in hell of succeeding in the music business, if didnt have a demo. Very few people have ever gotten a record deal by bum rushing a record executive at a night club or mall; even less have gotten a deal via telepathy. Being that fate is not on your side, get off the couch, put down the PlayStation and head out to the nearest recording studio and record a demo. You can usually find a good recording studio listed in the Yellow Pages, trade magazines, or on the Internet. Most if not all recording studios have staff producers that can help you develop your sound. Once the recording process has been completed, its time to put together a press kit. Start off by putting three of your best songs on a CD; make sure that the label has your name, the song titles, and contact number in plan view. Next, youll need a recent photo of yourself, or group, with your contact information written on the bottom. Lastly, youll need an artist biography (resume) that highlights any detailed information about yourself, including who you are, where you’re from, and where you want to go. Also include any press write-ups or articles that may showcase your achievements. Once you have gathered all of these items, stick them into a nice little package. Make sure your package is professional and unique enough to set you apart from everyone else.

With so many download services on the internet today, most companies still ignore the issue of lyrics as most uses would like to have the music with the lyrics. So how do you get your lyrics onto your mp3 player?

Just as there are many lyrics sites, there is today a huge variety of shareware developers who have created plugins for most of the devices on the market. Now you can import the lyrics into your IPod or MP3 player for most music bought on the internet. A good example is the iTunes tracker software that which connects online to retrieve your lyrics. The software not only allows you to organize the lyrics but also to save, edit and store them.

The software is very simple when reading lyrics. The progams are similiar to to the first version on Windows Player where it would read the file to extract the name of the song and the artist. What most of these software packages does is merely to connect to the internet after completing the same process and downloading the lyrics for the song that it had identified. The technology for find lyrics is not new.

Now that you have the song, what do you do with it. Most of the lyric software allows you to tag or mark the lyrics so that each time the music was played it would display the lyrics on your screen. The software varies and each is different. Some will not store the lyrics for you on a long term bases and you need to download the lyrics each time you listen tot he song. Others keep the lyrics for you on your player so each time you play it the lyrics would be displayed. Very few of these however allow you to print the lyrics when done. So they do limit the use of lyrics on your mp3 player. The shareware market is filled with lyrics readers, but most of them have very limited features as they require you to but the full version or proffessional edition of the software to make use of all the features.

Lyrics can be download or view online for most applications. Happy singing!

17 th March 1978 was an unforgettable day for U2 as they got their first major break by wining a music talent contest on St. Patricks Day in Limerick . One of the judges of the contest was Jackie Heyden working for CBS Records. Observing the electrifying performance of the boys, he became an immediate fan of U2. It was Jackie Heyden who first took U2 to the studio for recording their debut demo. Although it was not so successful it was still a real confidence booster for the young men.

Their thrilling music and breathtaking performances soon managed to amass crowds of dedicated fans. Through the combination of devotion and passion they rose to be the most popular rock and roll bands of 80s. The zealous struggle of U2 allowed them to nab a respectable place in the music world during the era of synthesized pop and heavy metal music.

They launched their debut album in 1979 with the name U 2 three, which grabbed the top place in Ireland music charts. Later when it was released in England , it was a disappointing failure.

The next year was filled with extensive touring worldwide for the band. In a couple of years two of their albums were in the market, naming The Boy and October, and the boys were now recognized in Ireland . Nevertheless, U2 really hit the big time with the release of their album War, released in March 1983. The New Years Day single became chart topper in England .

U2 was on the flow and their records were selling like hot cake throughout the world. Their 7 th LP The Joshua Tree did record breaking selling in England and remained the big seller in 22 other countries. The fame of U2 was swelling uncontrollably and they amassed millions of dollars from world over.

Next albums were Achtung Baby,1991, Zooropa,1993, Pop1997and their latest album How to Dismantle a Atomic Bomb,2004, which are still remembered by millions of rock music lovers.

There has been no deterioration in the fame of U2 till the present day. Several U2 concerts are still due during this summer in Spain, England, France, Italy, Holland, Switzerland and other European countries. Millions of fans are excited about these concerts all over the world, as can be judged by the fact that most of the tickets have been sold out.

U2 has been maneuvering the rock music scenario constantly for over two complete decades which is an achievement of sorts. They have chartered success on their own terms on both the artistic and business sides in the music industry. And it seems apparent to thousands of their fans that their sun of limitless fame might never set!

For More Information on u2 Latest events , please visit http://www.ticketnest.com/concert-tickets/u2

He recorded only 36 sides over a period of a couple of months between November 1936 and June 1937 in San Antonio Texas .These remarkable recordings still bring tears to the eyes of Blues aficionados the world over and shaped the face of the music of today.

The post-war Blues of Chicago owe a great debt to Robert Johnson and it is sad to think what might have been had he lived! In just a few short years he matured from a young black guitarist into a superstar of his day .The often repeated legend was perpetuated by his contemporaries that he sold his soul to the Devil in return for his amazing guitar techniques.

His story is one of hardship tinged with great success in his own locality of the Delta and women were said to be rendered helpless as he sang his compositions. His death at the hand of a jealous husband at the age of twenty seven robbed the world of one of Americas finest ever Musicians and Blues artists.

Years after his death in 1938, a photograph was unearthed, one of only two in existence. It shows not only his inimitable style of dress but quite remarkable slender fingers which helped him to achieve his unique mastery of the bottleneck guitar technique. He is pictured in a chalk–stripe suit which would have been somewhat overstated for a man in his position at that time .When I first saw that photograph the one thing above all else, that stood out were his beautiful long fingers that enveloped the guitar fingerboard and obviously caressed it as though it was a Woman helpless in his arms!

What about his subject matter… well nothing much has changed in the passing of time; the age old, painful process of unrequited love; of restless yearnings to move on down the line to pastures new; to unfaithful liaisons; and of course much sexual innuendo .

Robert Johnson’s skill as a poet of the time and place is absolutely unsurpassed in my estimation! For sure he borrowed words, phrases, and guitar licks from his peers, but moulded them into something quite unique that not only stands the test of time but has a relevance to today’s Rock music.

There cannot be any Blues Band on this Planet that has not been influenced by Johnson and his music and this is a testament to the greatness of the man! The list of recordings of Johnson’s songs by modern artists is endless and forms the backbone of the resurgence of the Blues in the early sixties in Britain and continues to this day! Most of the long lasting Bands of the R,n,B revolution of 62, 63, and on into the seventies have recorded several of Roberts songs. Notable amongst these would be The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Elmore James, and many more. Johnson’s songs transcribed particularly well to the new Electric guitar line-ups of the fifties and on into the sixties. Probably one of the most popular of his songs, which I can’t imagine anyone not having heard in a modern format, is of course Crossroad Blues.

This song was recorded live at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1968 by the great Eric Clapton and his two buddies, Jack Bruce on bass and stickman, Ginger Baker .This song also featured in Cream’s farewell concert at the Albert Hall in London in 1969. I doubt whether Johnson envisaged this treatment of his song when he wrote it or that his poetry would one day be the cornerstone of the Blues Revival of the Sixties.

It is a poignant end to his story that the great impresario John Hammond, who later went onto sign –up a young Bob Dylan in 1962, was just too late when he searched for Robert to appear in the momentous concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Robert Johnson was dead but his spirit and his music will live on for ever in the hearts and minds of the lovers of the music we call THE BLUES .

© Robin Piggott 2004 Key to the Highway Publications.