dubstep

Inspired by the Revan series, the RV50 features a classic tennis upper, with faux snake skin, nubuck and leather panels. The younger brother to the Lacoste Tennis Mid Snake, this little cobra has dope detailing at the toe box, with Nash - inspired stitching and a sleek stylised silhoutte. Ace!

 

Looking for a Sample Letter Of Resignation?

Has the time came for you to take that job and put it right out the door? Are you so tired your going to walk into your bosses office and give him a piece of your mind!

You might want to slow down a bit then. Even if your boss is the biggest @##$#$ to ever walk the planet earth it never pays to burn bridges. You never know when your boss might be sitting across from you at a future job interview. Of course if that happens your probably going to run!

You can search around the internet for a Sample Letter Of Resignation however your probably better off just writing a short 2 or 3 sentence note saying that you wish for your employment to end on such and such date (2 weeks from the date of notice) and include a address where your final paycheck can be sent. That's all there it to it. Just be sure to exit with grace so you can use your soon to be former employer as a reference.

Example:

I had a friend ask me the other day How To Write A Letter Of Resignation I gave some thought to the subject and, the bottom line is keep it simple!

The nitty gritty of the act of resignation is: You voluntary choosing to sever the relationship. Plain and simple so there is no need not to keep the notice simple.

This is what I do:

Attention: My Bosses Name

Please let this letter serve as my 2 week notice. I have recently accepted a job offer and, I humbly request my employment with (Insert your PRESENT companies name here) be terminated as of (Your start date for your new job).

Best Regards,

Derek Todom

Some people are unsure as to how much notice to give to they're old employer when they accept a new job offer. The standard is 2 weeks however this can vary according to Barbara Pachter:

"You may give two weeks notice or one month notice but whatever the time period, "be upbeat, be helpful," says Barbara Pachter, a business etiquette expert and head of Pachter & Associates of Cherry Hill. "You need to help to make that transition as smooth as possible."

2 weeks to a month! PLEASE! I do not think so! How often do companies give employees a 2 weeks to a month before they're layed off? Hardly ever. This sort of mentality is nothing more than fuel to the fire that keeps the corporate world burning at the working men and womans heels. We don't have anything such as job security anymore as we are forced to hop from job to job. The name of the corporate game today is to stay ahead of the game otherwise you will get swallowed up and shown the door.

If you came to this site looking for some Sample Resignation Letters I apologize. I was going to put a few up but I decided that I would speak my mind about that 1 month notice blurb.

2 weeks tops! Make your notice short and sweet with a requested termination date and a forwarding address where your final paycheck can be sent. Nothing more and nothing less.

Oh yeah, one more thing, walk out that door and don't go back!

Don't forget to give yourself some vacation time between jobs as an added perk! This can be done by simply working your start and termination dates to compliment each other.

Also, don't forget to ask for permission for references for all the people you like that you work with. You won't have time to do so on your last day and those last 2 weeks will fly by.

Good luck with your new job!

For more job tips and tricks you will want to go to my website at Adventureonthewave.com!

Viewing satellite television high definition is the next step in enhancing television viewing. Both the major service providers in America, Dish network and DirecTV offer excellent High definition viewing facilities by addressing this need in their own respective ways.

The service provides the customer with a free of cost satellite TV system which has a satellite dish and a 4-room receiver system. They also provide a free HDTV receiver. This receiver provides the best quality picture in high definition and also provides a Dolby Digital surround system to give you a listening experience that boasts of being three dimensional.

Whilst Dish network provides this HDTV receiver for free, DirecTV customers have to mail in a $99 rebate for the same facility. Both these providers offer a set of HDTV DVR receivers for $199. By means of this facility you can record the shows, pause an ongoing show and rewatch the whole show if desired.

DISH Network HD service has to offer over 30 channels in high defintion in their bronze package costing $29.99 a month, which include channels like Discovery HD, Equator HD, Animania HD, ESPN HD, Film Fest, FU, Food Network HD, HD News, HDNet Movies, World Cinema, Monsters HD, Majestic HD, HGTV and many more. n the other hand DirecTV offers an 8-channel package in HD that includes HD Net, Discovery HD Theatre, ESPN HD, HD Pay-Per-View, ESPN2 HD, HD Net Movies, Universal HD and TNT HD for $9.99 per month.

Though both the service providers are very similar in their services and the quality of service that they provide, DISH network still takes the trophy with 30 HD channels compared to the 8 HD channel package offered by DirecTV.

Article by Claudia Walters

Check out how Dish Network deals stack up with DirecTV offers at Go Satellite Deals.

CD Decks: The new American DJ DCD 500 Dual CD Player is 649.00 and has tons of features, for instance, the DCD-PRO500 is equipped with 6 Flash Start Buttons, which allow DJs to create, store and recall samples "on the fly" while music is playing. With this feature, the disc jockey can play a loop of, say five seconds, then sample it and save it in stored memory on one of the Flash Start Buttons.

The Denon DN-2600F features 10 seconds of shock-proof memory per drive. This guards against audible interruptions due to external mechanical shocks such as bumps or other hard vibrations, which is especially helpful for the mobile DJ as well as for nightclub-installed applications.

DJ Mixers: We saw quite a few new mixers and I have to say you really do seem to get what you pay for. Like your decks, your fingers spend a lot of time twiddling and sliding on these things so the build quality is important.

The ESO Hip mk2 is an Italian built 3 input modular X-fader which is great value at 150.

The Stanton RM Three has 3-band kill switches and high quality professional long life faders at 239. The Stanton SK 2F is an updated version of the popular SK 2 which features a true optical fader for crackle free operation. If you need more features for a bargain price then you cant go far wrong with Next! Pro100 for 250 which is a 4 channel mixer with an FX loop.

The Ecler HAK320 is a rather retro looking mixer which is aimed at old school turntablists. Although only 2-channel, this mixer is true quality.

If you are looking for a professional club solution the Xone:62 by Allen & Heath is a broadcast quality 6 dual-stereo mixer for up to 12 stereo devices.

The latest Numark EM360 (which we will review soon) has a built in Kaaos Pad, which controls the way an effect is applied and can be controlled completely by the X-Y pad. The pad can also be scraped or tapped to control the effect sound, letting you produce switch-type effects that are impossible with knobs or sliders, and making it possible to control the effects in time with a rhythm or phrase - just as if you were playing a musical instrument.

Samplers: E-MU introduced the ESI-2000, which although is a budget sampler can be expanded into a full-blown big boys sampler.

Yamaha, a latecomer in the sampler market, brought out the A4000 and A5000 samplers, which we loved. The A5000 has a stunning spec featuring 126-note polyphony and is 32-part multi timbral.

Akai have no new samplers this year, but if you are an S5000/6000 owner, the new Operating System, V2.0 is now available for download.

Synth, Sampling and Sequencing boxes

There have been quite a few interesting developments in the GrooveBox style pattern based samplers notably the lovely looking Korg Electribe ES-1.

Rolands MC-307 blurs the boundaries between DJing and playing your tunes. Building on the success of the MC-505, the MC-307 takes the pattern-based sequencing pioneered by the original MC-303 in 1996.

The MC-307 aimed squarely at DJs, with the ubiquitous pitch control slider on the right hand side, as well as push and nudge buttons, which have been designed to emulate the operation of a turntable. This makes mixing in tracks from a live source intuitive and familiar, so you can treat the MC-307 as a third record deck.

Yamaha have a similar brand new product, the SU200 Phrase Sampler and for the financially challenged, Zoom now have the 250 Zoom Sampletrak ST-224.

Sound Modules: Yet again E-MU produce one of the more out there modules in the form of the XL-1, the funky orange box that can really open up your ideas. They also have the B3, which is a complete Hammond organ in a rack, if you like that sort of thing.

Roland have been making monster sound modules for year after year and 2000 is no exception. XV-3080 is just stunning and although expensive worth every penny.

Synths: A strange one this year was Alesis who are normally associated with all the Midiverb, Quadraverb effects, but decided to roll out the Andromeda, an absolute monster of 16-voice digitally controlled analogue synth with a weighted keyboard 72 knobs and 144 buttons. We personally became rather attached to the Korg MS2000 Analog Modelling Synthesizer that has an arpeggiator, vocoder, virtual patch bay and modulation sequencer. Squelchy wiggly sounds abound here!

Effects There have been some FX boxes aimed at DJs this year. We reviewed the Electrix Mo FX where you may coordinate flange, tremolo and delay by simply tapping in the tempo (or receive MIDI clock) and putting each FX block into sync mode and that's it - instant synchronization. To get Fatboy Slim's: "Rockafeller Skank" sound you put your mix through the Mo-FX delay and crank the speed knob.

Software Cubase VST is now up to Version 5, which gives audio and MIDI recording, virtual synthesizers, score editing & printing, 16 / 24 bit capability and internet live sessions. The big trend this year seems to be towards virtual synthesizers, The Steinberg Model E is a fantastic software emulation of a Mini Moog for 149, many others are free!

Native Instruments now produce Dynamo v1.0 which is a preset version of Reaktor which gives you modular style analog synths for about 100.

Steinbergs Media Production System, Nuendo is a 200-track audio recording facility, it's a complete 200-channel audio mixer, and it supports surround sound.

Propellerhead Software who produced the amazing Rebirth and Recycle products now have Reason 1.0. Reason comes in the shape of a classic studio rack, packed with all the gear you could possibly need: Samplers, Analog synths, Mixers, Step time drum machines, Effects, and a realtime multi-track sequencer for fast and intuitive music making. All of Reasons 16 devices have the look and feel of the real thing and you can use each device as many times as your CPU can handle.

Its 299 but you can download a working demo now.

And Finally If you want to put a track together now and you are either, on the dole, a student or have a crap job you will have hated this article. Stop whinging and get a PC (preferably a P133 or better) and buy Making Waves v2.3 for 39.99. Its an audio sequencer that can make great tunes in a couple of hours.

Active Loop Zone tracks are available on Myspace.

Further details can be got by contacting Rick Lomas.

Rick is currently working on various websites selling mortgage payment protection insurance.

The Lacoste Tennis Mid was introduced back in the late '80s and now it gets an updated look with the use of snakeskin, jaffa orange accents and a nubuck leather upper with beige accents. As far as color combos go, this would have to be one of the most strking releases we've seen thus far this year. Go the Croc! Scheduled to release in late August!

 

 

The blues guitar scales are really based off of the pentatonic scales with one extra note added. We call that extra note the "blue note" because it gives the pentatonic scale its obvious "bluesyness." The only real difference between the scales on the guitar and the same scales on any other instrument is the fact that there is more than one way to play them on a guitar. This is due mostly to the fact that the guitar is a stringed instrument and there are at least 3-5 ways to play any unique note.

The minor pentatonic scale is created using the root (or 1), flatted 3rd, 4th, 5th, and flatted 7th of a major scale. Notice that there is no 2nd or 6th scale tone used. There's an interesting reason for that but it requires a substantial amount of music theory to explain it and this isn't really the place for that.

To create the minor blues scale we take the minor pentatonic scale and add a flatted 5th (or sharp 4) to it. In the key of A, this creates a scale with the notes A, C, D, Eb, E, and G in it. Some people don't differentiate between the minor and the major blues scales. If someone calls a scale a blues scale, assume they mean the minor version.

A major pentatonic scale is created with the 1st (root,) 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th tone of a major scale. In C that would be C, D, E, G, and A. To make it a major blues scale you add a flatted 3rd which gives you C, D, Eb, E, G, and A in the key of C.

Notice that the rule governing relative major and minor keys/scales is also in effect here. If you look at the keys of A minor and C major, which are relative, meaning they contain the same notes, you'll see the same group of notes.

The A minor blues scale is A, C, D, Eb, E, and G. The C major blues scale is C, D, Eb, E, G, and A. Same notes, different starting point. This sort of thing happens all the time in music. This is of particular interest if you're playing blues lead guitar because you can see that your blues guitar scales really do double duty. Once you learn one pattern, it's really useful for 2 keys, one major and one minor.

So how to we apply this scale to a standard 12 bar blues chord progression? What's cool is that the simplest approach is really simple. Whatever the first chord of the chord progression is, let's say it's A7, use that minor blues scale to solo over the song. There's no need to change scales at any time.

Keep in mind that this is only one possible approach, and in many cases it's not the best approach. There are several ways to play over a 12 bar progression, or any other kind of chord progression. Many of these approaches use some combination of major and minor blues scales.

It is easy to find the 5 "boxes" or patterns of the blues scale on the internet. A simple search should turn up hundreds of choices. Once you learn the blues scales and have them under your fingers. You'll want to start jamming with them and learning how to make the sounds you want to hear.

For more blues guitar lessons and help with your blues guitar scales, check out Playing Through The Blues, my blues lead guitar course.

Music is so common and widespread in our culture that frequently many of us take for granted the right we have (or think we have) to play it. Most people fail to realize that a legal license is required by law to play any copyrighted music.

Copyrighted Music

So what constitutes copyrighted music? The majority of music (if not all of it) that you hear is copyrighted, which means an individual or group of individuals hold the exclusive right to copy, license, or otherwise use a musical work. Generally those individuals are the people who created and produced the music. Whether it is from the radio, on a CD, or legally downloaded in the form of an MP3 file, the music is copyrighted. Companies (namely retail businesses and corporations with on hold music) are not allowed to play music from compact discs, the radio, or anything other media form for their clients and customers without obtaining the proper licenses first. This means one cannot simply hook up the radio, MP3 player, or a CD to play for customers; doing so will make you liable and result in unnecessary lawsuits and hefty fines.

It is imperative to know the difference between re-broadcasting music in a commercial setting versus listening to it strictly for private enjoyment. Consumers are permitted to buy CDs and legally download MP3 files for their personal enjoyment for them; you are allowed to play the music within your own home, private office, or car. The re-broadcasting of licensed music within any commercial establishment (such as a restaurant, office lobby, store, etc) is not permitted and is subject to legal fines and fees.

No License?

If you choose to re-broadcast copyrighted music in a commercial location without a proper license, there is the possibility that you will not get caught and nothing will happen to you. Since monitoring literally millions of pieces of copyrighted music that play every single day throughout the country is practically impossible, there is the possibility that you will not get caught. However, licensing organizations such as Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) are stepping up efforts to contact businesses that use music (whether in a retail store or on hold) to make sure they have all the proper and necessary licenses to play that music.

Be forewarned that if you do get caught and are charged for copyright infringement (illegally playing copyrighted music), fines can be as steep as $20,000 for each song (or performance) you played without a license. If it can be proven that the infringement was intentional, the fines will increase substantially and rise possibly as high as $100,000. Contact a licensing organization to get the licenses to play the music you want to play for your customers.

On Hold Marketing Messages

One of the preeminent and most secure ways to guarantee the content and music your customers hear on hold or in a commercial establishment is legal and exactly what you want is to get a custom on hold marketing message Music is so common and widespread in our culture that frequently many of us take for granted the right we have (or think we have) to play it. Such a recording will guarantee that your clients customers hear exactly what you want them to while they are on hold; it is a perfect time to nonchalantly discuss products and services you offer without being intrusive or overbearing. Plus, the cost of having such a message created is substantially less than the fees and fines you are likely to incur if you illegally used licensed and copyrighted music.

http://www.leavemeonhold.com on hold marketing message.

Lacoste is above all a legend. The legend of a fantastic tennis player, Rene Lacoste, a member of the famous "Musketeers" team and a star of the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros. The Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) dominated the game of tennis in the second half of the 1920s and early 1930s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup which was unheard of way back then, with Lacoste the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. The stand out player, Lacoste, was nicknamed the "Crocodile" and "Alligator" for his  hot headed attitude and eagerness to bust out into a brawl on the court. He is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the Lacoste Tennis shirt and later in 1933, the Lacoste Tennis shoe. Fast forward 75 years, and Lacoste are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a collectible series inspired from their Tennis and Yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile (or is it an alligator?) which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe.

 

The emergence of hip-hop in the early 70's produced four elements, which continue to be mainstays of the genre: disc jockeying or a DJ, break dancing, emceeing or an MC, and graffiti art. How prominent are these elements today and how were they represented during BET's first annual hip-hop awards in Atlanta? Upon acceptance of the "I Am Hip-Hop Icon Award," rap pioneer, Grandmaster Flash paid homage to a host of DJs. According to Flash, DJ's were once the gatekeepers between the record labels and the streets. In 1996, thriving regional radio stations that reflected a community's heart and soul were replaced by media conglomerates with syndicated play lists. Followed by a myriad of changes in music distribution and leadership at radio stations and record labels, the fire that fueled hip-hop's reputation began to fade. To maintain integrity, Flash encouraged a shifting to the way things use to be--where new music was received and circulated by the DJs. Knowing that DJs spend all of their time in tune with the streets via clubs and parties, Flash commented, "It makes sense that [DJs] break a record." Flash also admonished MCs to allow DJs to perform on stage. "The template was designed for DJs to play a part," he said. Embodying the original template, Atlanta's DJ Drama, was among several DJs who held it down on stage alongside notable MCs. Even though break dancing and poppin' are nostalgic forms of hip-hop both are visible in varying forms of dances including the Bay Area's hyphy. Newer dances that help hip-hop maintain its hype include snap, shoulder lean, motorcycle, and chicken noodle soup. DJ Unk and the Big Oomp Camp showed attendees just how easy it was to walk-it-out in sync. While MCs abound in every corner of the globe, talent comparable to the innovators who dominated the 80's and 90's is hard to come by. As hip-hop aficionados anticipate "the new," music executives search desperately for the one or ones who will carry the hip-hop torch to the next phase. Invariably, advances in technology and a shortage of lyricists who have solid albums have caused a noticeable erosion of hip-hop's staying power.

For the past six years, hip-hop was the top-selling genre over R&B and country music and was second only to rock music. This year's lack-luster Billboard ratings are a warning sign of the genre's potential to slow to a lull until new life respires. Pending change, BET Hip-Hop award recipient, Common is the current standard for aspiring lyricists. Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, and T.I. are among his peers. Graffiti art was once an economic menace to society. For years, buildings, buses, trains, sidewalks, etc., were regular targets for unwanted and unappreciated artist tags. Today, graffiti art is perhaps the most embraced aspect of the hip-hop culture. New canvases of the profitable, permanent, and mobile enterprise now include skin (by way of tattoos), clothing, and vehicle wraps. Among the many artists profiling their "tag" or some else's during the awards were The Game, Nelly, Jim Jones, Chamillionaire, T.I., and Juelz Santana. As it relates to the four elements of hip-hop, BET's hip-hop award show recognized exceptional work and contribution to the hip-hop genre by acknowledging the Producer of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Hip-Hop Dance of the Year, and Director of the Year. For a complete listing of award winners, visit: www.bet.com/Music/hiphopawardswinners.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished

http://www.johnsonmedia.com/aucmag/getarticle.php3?id=december_2006&subid=70

This time last week, I was in a small and silent venue in the heartland of Leeds, part of a crowd waiting with baited breath for the next song from Fleet Foxes. They were amazing and I've been… (in post Close harmony twangy goodness from lonesome music. Download this at Amazon More by this artist at eMusic Amie Street iTunes)

Danny Rampling is a former British House Music DJ and is widely credited as one of the original founders of the UK's rave/club scene. His long career began in the early 1980s playing hip-hop, soul and funk around numerous bars and clubs in London. During a now legendary holiday in Ibiza in 1987, Rampling, along with fellow DJs Paul Oakenfold and Nicky Holloway, attended Amnesia, a then open air nightclub in San Rafael. At the club the group were introduced to the unique eclectic style of DJ Alfredo, playing, among other genres, the new house music that had been exported from the USA.

Upon his return to England, Rampling, along with his then wife, Jenny, attempted to recreate the Ibizan experience by promoting what is regarded as the UK's first Balearic rave club, Shoom. Shoom ran for 3 years, starting out at a gym in Southwark, London. It launched acid house culture virtually overnight, while simultaneously providing a basis for mass ecstasy use in the UK.

In the following years Rampling continued his career in music as a DJ and producer, remixing many UK and international acts while forming a band, The Millionaire Hippies. In November 1994 he joined the BBC, presenting the "Lovegroove Dance Party" on Radio 1 until March 2002, making it the second longest running dance music show in radio after Pete Tong's "Essential Selection".

The mid 1990's also saw Rampling's DJing style diversify. While still playing House and Garage sets, Rampling also began to headline at harder, trancier parties, e.g. 'South', at The Zap Club, in Brighton. Rampling himself referred to his newer style as 'Euro', and at this time showcased new Euro tracks, during the final thirty minute weekly mix of his Radio 1 Show. Additionally, Rampling's Double CD Love Groove Dance Mix featured House and Garage on the first CD, and 'Euro' on the second.

In 2005 Danny Rampling announced his retirement from DJing to concentrate on running his restaurant, however by 2007 this hiatus from the world of DJ'ing had been lifted by some on-off appearances at selected clubs.

Danny Rampling has decided to make his comeback by accepting many offers to DJ around the globe, He will be playing a special Twenty Years of House Summer Boat Party in London on Saturday 19th July 2008. He will be joined by up-coming house DJs Jerry Frempong & Ian Morbey from Pret A Ecouter Music.

Danny has launched a new music site that encapsulates the history of house music, the site is called TWENTY YEARS OF HOUSE MUSIC http://www.twentyyearsofhouse.com - there is even a free DJ mix from the legend himself that he is giving away.

http://www.twentyyearsofhouse.com

The mixes are finally back and that is really all that I have to say. Enjoy! The Republic Tigers - The Nerve Flying Foxes - Lost In Low Cloud Jack Peate - Have I Been A Fool? Someone… (in post This Week's Mix from Instrumental Analysis. Download this at Amie Street More by this artist at eMusic Amie Street Amazont iTunes)

With a standard DVD player, you could choose a how to play guitar DVD, sit in the comfort of your own home with guitar in hand, and learn everything you need to know for producing beautiful music. Just as with any program, some DVDs are well worth the money while other DVDs are a waste of time. Most importantly, when choosing a how to play guitar DVD, consider your level of skill, if any. For instance, if you have never played before, you need a DVD for beginners, one that will provide step-by-step instructions whereas if you have played before, a DVD for intermediate or advanced playing would be best.

Another tip when choosing a how to play guitar DVD is the way in which the DVD would be watched. For instance, you might choose a product that includes only one or more DVDs, a product that adds in CDs, or perhaps a program that includes internet software. Keep in mind that when it comes to price, many learning to play DVDs are very affordable so this should not be a major contributing factor when making your choice. To help you get stared in choosing a how to play guitar DVD, we have provided some great recommendations.

- Learn and Master Guitar Rated as the number one DVD collection, as well as CDs and a large volume instruction book, this how to play guitar DVD will guide you through the process of learning to play songs, as you never thought you could. The DVDs are high quality and professionally made. Although a bit pricey at $250, this is an investment worth making. You will learn quickly using this complete DVD instructional product.

- Beginning Metal Guitar If you are interested in a how to play guitar DVD for heavy metal, this is a great option. Priced around $15, you will have the opportunity to learn techniques and styles of many of the favorite heavy metal bands to include Metallica and Black Sabbath. A few of the focuses include heavy chord, evil intervals, power chords, picking methods, riffs, and so on.

- Learn Guitar Techniques: Metal Another heavy metal guitar DVD that provides Zaak Wylde styling, you will have two full hours of teaching. Additional features include rhythm and solo lessons, as well as jam tracks.

- Guitar Songs AU This fundamental DVD course is simple but also a good choice for beginners. Covering 50 songs, this how to play guitar DVD takes a straightforward approach.

- Learning Acoustical Guitar (2006) Affordably priced around $20, this particular how to play a guitar DVD is taught by the famous performer Charles Sedlak. Throughout instruction, you will learn various techniques to include strumming, chords, progressions, and arpeggios.

- Acoustic Rock Guitar DVD Created by Peter Vogl, this how to play guitar DVD is merely $10 and a great investment. You will learn the basics for playing guitar, starting from holding the guitar in the right position, playing chords, strumming, and more. In addition, the DVD teaches specific songs, many favorites that have spanned the years.

Nick Siegal is a professional guitarist and has been a private guitar instructor for over 15 years. To read his own in-depth Best Guitar Software Reviews along with other DVD recommendations, head over to his site at http://www.bestguitarsoftware.com. You can also grab some cool free guitar software while you're there.

The world was ripe after weeks of waiting, so we ushered in the solstice with a trip to the U-Pick farm just up the hill. One hour and seventeen pounds of sweet, deep red berries later, we staggered… (in post Strawberry Sunday: Berry Coversongs from Michelle Shocked, Bruce Cockburn, Sarah Harmer & more! from Cover Lay Down. Download this at Amazon iTunes)

There are many famous instances of immortal musicians being insulted by other famous musicians.

Johann Sebastian Bach, like most musicians of the day, worked as a church musician. He was anything but docile, and was known to rankle easily.

He was once reproved for playing "strange harmonies" during a church service. Bach's answer was to play even stranger harmonies the next Sunday, and this from the greatest composer of religious music the world has ever seen, the composer of the St. Matthew Passion.

Still steaming, the elders complained again to Bach and added the insult that the music was at some points "too long."

The next Sunday, of course, the music was much too short.

Beethoven also had his feuds, especially in the early years when he was establishing himself as a great pianist.

A worthless popinjay named Steibelt had made it known that he thought Beethoven a terrible pianist, and in essence challenged Beethoven to a musical duel, a common occurrence in those days. Beethoven despised Steibelt, for he was in truth a talentless oaf that foolishly dared to challenge a great master.

At a party the next week, Beethoven heard Steibelt playing one of his own compositions, an insipid Trio for piano, violin and cello. It was the type of horrid, elaborately ornamented fluff that Beethoven reviled, but he watched calmly as Steibelt finished the piece and took his bows.

A hush fell over the crowd as Beethoven appeared out of the shadows and walked toward the piano. Everyone was aware of the grudge between Steibelt and Beethoven and the air was thick with apprehension.

Steibelt, startled by the angry look on the master's face, stepped away from the piano.

As Beethoven walked past the cello's music stand, he snidely grabbed the cello's sheet music.

Carefully showing the astounded crowd the page of sheet music, Beethoven sat at the piano and then put the music, upside down, onto the piano music stand.

As Steibelt and the hushed crowd watched, Beethoven plunked out the notes of the upside down cello part, forcefully jabbing with his pointed and angry index finger, not taking his eyes off Steibelt.

Then Ludwig began to improvise like a madman on Steibelt's upside down cello part theme. The crowd was carried away with Beethoven's angered showmanship.

And it was magnificent, one of those legendary Beethoven improvisations that have gone down in history, a passionate outpouring of ideas and bravura, until at last the piece was over with a furious ending and crash.

Curiously, Steibelt was never heard from again.

By John Aschenbrenner Copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press. Visit http://www.pianoiseasy.com to see the fun PIANO BY NUMBER method for kids.

John Aschenbrenner is a leading children's music educator and book publisher, and the author of numerous fun piano method books in the series PIANO BY NUMBER for kids. You can see the PIANO BY NUMBER series of books at http://www.pianoiseasy.com

The world was ripe after weeks of waiting, so we ushered in the solstice with a trip to the U-Pick farm just up the hill. One hour and seventeen pounds of sweet, deep red berries later, we staggered… (in post Strawberry Sunday: Berry Coversongs from Michelle Shocked, Bruce Cockburn, Sarah Harmer & more! from Cover Lay Down. )

Thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever for new bands and artists to be discovered and to sell their music directly to fans. How do you get started and what's the best way to promote your band? Here are some tips:

One of the first places you'll want to visit is MySpace. By now, everyone has heard of it and millions and millions of people have their own accounts. But I bet you didn't know that MySpace offers a special type of account just for promoting a band or artist? It's called MySpace Music and it's completely free to sign up. With this type of account, you can add up to 4 full songs to your account for people to listen to while they are reading your MySpace page. This alone makes a MySpace Music page worthwhile to set up, since getting people to listen to and discover your music is the main goal of most new artists. Include a link to buy your CD from your own website, iTunes or other music store and you've got a great way to increase sales.

If someone likes the music on your profile, they can add your band as a friend, which means they can get email notices when you add a blog or send out a bulletin. Blogging on MySpace is one of the best ways to communicate with your audience (friends), when your band has a tour coming up, an appearance, is working on new music or has any news of any kind, you'll want to post it to your blog and keep your fans up to date. The more your communicate with fans, the more they will feel like a part of your community.

In addition, you can take advantage of a multitude of other options, including listing your influences, adding a picture gallery, adding full videos, adding banners and many other options.

Just be sure to log in often to approve new friends and to communicate with other members. There are also many MySpace Groups you can join where a message board is set up for members to communicate. Joining an emerging artist type group would help you to network with other new artists and even to promote each other, discuss new ways to get new fans, find someone to tour with or even to collaborate with.

Another essential step to promoting your music online is to have your own website. While MySpace is excellent, it's best to have as many avenues of promotion as possible. It can be simple, with just a bit about your band and links to buy your album or it can be a major presence loaded with content. The more content you add and the more often you update your website and your MySpace profile, the better, as people will keep coming back to see your fresh content and news. Some elements to consider adding to your band's website include biographies of the members, history of the band, news section, tour dates and appearance schedule, photos, music videos, sample songs to download, wallpapers, icons, ringtones, links to buy your album or merchandise, discography and anything else you want to let people know about. You'll also want to link your website to your MySpace and vice versa.

Lydia Quinn writes for APB Records, a directory of the best music download sites online. Visit us at http://www.apbrecords.com/

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