Posted by admin on January 11th, 2010 — Posted in Music Info
When Akio Morita came up with the idea of the Sony Walkman all of his colleagues at the thought he was completely insane. The general consensus was that people wouldn’t want to walk around the streets wearing headphones. Everyone thought the idea was ludicrous and that it would never catch on.
That was in the late 1970s. By the early 1980s Morita’s vision had proved inspirational. The Sony Walkman became the iPod of the day and it was hard to walk down a street, travel on a train or sit in a waiting room without seeing someone with a pair of headphones on. And this wasn’t just restricted to trendy young things. Middle aged people and elderly people also got the Walkman bug.
Quarter of a century later and headphones haven’t changed that much. The current craze, started by iPod, is for white in-ear ones, but if you look closely enough you’ll still see lots of other colors and varieties adorning people’s ears.
But what happens if you want to hear your music without the aid of headphones? What if you want to share your music with the world at large, or maybe just your friends and family?
Well, thanks to a burgeoning band of accessory manufacturers you can now get speakers (and other gadgets) to cover almost every possible situation. Whether you want to use your iPod as the audio focal point of your party or just want to enjoy some Puccini on the beach - there is sure to be something to suit your specific needs and requirements.
At the very top of the tree, in terms of price, is the SoundDock from Bose. Since the 1980s Bose have really made a name for themselves for making high quality small footprint speakers, and their offering for the iPod is an extension of this philosophy. At a touch less than $300 this might not be an affordable option for everyone, but if you have the money to spare and top class sound quality is important to you then the SoundDock is certainly an option worth considering.
If portability is important to you then iSoundz have several options worth a closer look. The iSoundz Wallet offers a practical solution that incorporates a rechargeable speaker and a place to store your iPod whilst on the move. All of this is in a neat leather wallet. The unit comes with all the necessary cables and will cost you less than $50. The sound quality is distinctly mediocre and so this might not be the right solution for serious music lovers.
Altec Lansing offer several options under the inMotion label. These provide superb quality sound at a price that is not the cheapest, but won’t cause too much damage to your credit card. Like the Bose SoundDock, the Altec Lansing InMotion system will also recharge your iPod whilst you listen to music.
Speakers are not the only alternative to headphones. You could also consider buying an FM transmitter. These will allow you to transmit the audio from your iPod directly to any nearby FM radio.
Probably the most popular of the current batch of FM transmitters for the iPod is the iTrip from Griffen Technology. This is a very small unit that plugs directly into the headphone socket on your iPod. Select the frequency you wish to transmit at via the iPod display and then just tune in a radio to listen. It takes its power directly from the iPod itself so be warned. If your batteries are not charged or your unit is not connected to a charger you will run out of power quicker than usual.
The iTrip is not the only option. You’ll find quality FM transmitters from Belkin, Kensington and many other accessory manufacturers. Prices range from around $20 up to about $100.
I hope the above information will help to release you from the confines of your headphones. Listening to music needn’t be a solitary occupation. Using any of the tools above you can liberate your ears and share the contents of your iPod with friends, family, colleagues and anyone else within earshot.
Ivan Gregor is the founder and webmaster of the popular and highly informative the-ipod.com web site, which specializes in all things iPod related. If you are thinking of purchasing an iPod or want to get the most from your existing iPod visit http://www.the-ipod.com today.
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Posted by admin on April 18th, 2009 — Posted in Music Info
5 Important Tips for Piano Lessons
Must-Have information before deciding on Piano Lessons!
Music is a very important part of our lives. It does a lot more than just please our ears - it is an integral part of human development.
Several years ago, there was an experiment done by scientists at the University of California at Irvine in 1993. (published in the journal Nature) They had college students listen to Mozart Sonata for two Pianos in D Major, a relaxation tape or silence. Immediately after these sessions, the students took a spatial reasoning test (the ability to put together puzzles) and the students’ scores improved drastically after listening to the Music. The reason is because music and spatial abilities share the same pathways in the brain.
Another experiment was done later on by researchers at Appalachian State University and the researchers were successful as well in connecting music to boosting “brain power”.
They gave preschool children (ages 3-4 yrs. old) training for 8 months. Children were divided into 4 groups: Keyboard lessons, Singing lessons, Computer lessons and No lessons. After 8 months of this treatment, the children were tested on their ability to put together puzzles (spatial-temporal reasoning) and to recognize shapes (spatial-recognition reasoning) and the results were astounding! They found that only those children who had taken the keyboard lessons had improvement in the spatial-temporal test. (The children did not, however show any change with the spatial-recognition.)
Another interesting observation I’ve made is the connection between the Medical profession and the Music profession - a large majority of M.D.’s are Classically trained musicians! I’ve encountered many and have asked them all the same question - how do you make the connection between the medical and the musical - and the response I’ve had is that they are both very intricate and require a rare focus and mathematical mindset in many different directions at once. It’s achieved by many years of training in either and/or both fields, which by the same token - enhance each other. So to them - the similarity in brain function and focus is evident and invaluable to both the medical and the musical. It will be interesting to see the results of further study in that matter. Currently, there is no conclusive proof scientifically of the connection between Medical and Musical.
Now - for the 5 Tips for Piano Lessons!
1) Interest:
Assess the interest of your child. Is this something they really like - or is it your dream? The child should show genuine interest in music and a keyboard in order for their learning experience to be a pleasant and successful one. If they are not interested - ask yourself why you even pursued it? Is it because you have an inner desire for it? It’s NEVER too late to begin! Sign yourself up for Piano lessons if that’s the case. I’ve have students of every age - some played when they were kids then quit. As they got older, regretted quitting and vowed to one day pick it up again. Then there are others who always had the desire but not the opportunity and now find themselves retired with plenty of time on their hands. They’ve actually become Piano virtuosos! I give you these lovely examples to give you hope and a nudge - psssst! It’s never too late! The student must be genuinely interested.
2) Instrument:
It’s fine to begin Piano lessons on an electronic keyboard. As time goes on, the student will know in which direction they’d like to take the Piano lessons. If it’s just for personal enjoyment, it’s fine to stay with a keyboard.
If it’s for classical Piano training - then the student should be switched over to an acoustic Piano. In my experience as a Piano teacher, I’ve realized that a Spinet Piano (the ones that have a low back) unless it is given as a gift, should not be purchased. It would be preferable to purchase an “Upright” which is a Baby Grand Piano, but instead of the strings being vertical they’re horizontal. The reason being, that the action on the keys is much better technically for the student’s hand, and it sound substantially better to the ear.
3) Teacher:
Ask around and get feedback from others about their teachers. Find out the teacher’s background. Where did they get the education from, how long have they been teaching, where do they teach from, what are the surroundings like? Ask current students how patient the teacher is and how do they feel during the lesson. You should get a pretty good idea about the teacher by how current students are progressing. Does the teacher’s personality blend with your child’s. Remember, this is a choice! In school the children have to adapt to the teacher that has been assigned to them, and that’s a good thing. They learn to get along with different types of personalities, but Piano is an extra-curricular activity and should be a pleasant one that they look forward to.
4) Schedule:
Children can be easily overwhelmed by too much in their schedule. As adults - we’ve experienced overload for ourselves and it’s SO counterproductive! It’s highly advisable to limit activities in order for the kids not to be pulled in too many directions.
Once activities have been chosen, I’ve found with my own kids and students that by writing down a daily schedule, everything gets done and there are no excuses for forgetting to practice.
5) Dedication:
Once a schedule is in place, practicing piano will become part of daily routine. After a while, the student won’t be so “worried” about time, but will want to achieve goals set by the teacher. The student will need dedication in order for the craft to go from mechanical to musical. Encourage them to listen to a wide range of styles and genre’s in order for them to develop their own taste for music. At an early stage, dedication can be ingrained in a student by participating in Recitals, Talent Shows and Worship Services. It takes diligence and dedication - also sacrifices to make piano a beautiful craft.
Isabel Columbie has been a Piano Teacher for 22 years and with training from Manhattan School of Music. She has 3 children and resides in New Jersey. Aside from being a piano teacher is also a worship leader, author, screenwriter. www.abundant-life-now.successuniversity.com/new Personal blog: www.abundantlivingnow.blogs.com
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Posted by admin on December 30th, 2008 — Posted in Music Info
Many people are willing to learn to play the guitar. The music it brings to its listeners should be enough reason for a person to be interested in this great instrument. However, the problem is how he will start his lessons. There are many options available for a person who wants to learn to play the guitar. The important thing is that he must be willing and focused to learn the basics. Here are some tips for beginners who may be interested in learning:
1. As a beginner, a person must show interest in learning to play the guitar. He can enroll in tutorials or hire a personal instructor. It will cost him more but the quality of learning could give him satisfaction.
2. He needs to make sure that the instructor he hires has a full knowledge of what he is teaching. He must consider this fact because instructors pass on their influence and style to their students.
3. If a person depends on books and magazines, he must practice the important basics of alternate picking and strumming and be aware of how he holds the pick and executes his strumming.
4. He must memorize the position of the chord to the fret of the guitar. After he has mastered the basics, then it is time for him to execute them being able to follow the fingering tips and techniques.
5. It is important to have a repeated routine to practice the basics he has learned. Continuous practice is better to master his lessons. Make it a habit to create a new scale pattern for finger execution on a one-finger per fret positioning.
6. He may also access the Internet and check out sites that provide lessons on learning to play the guitar. Online lessons provide high quality images and sound files that can help a person learn the techniques and execution.
7. Learning online gives a person the capability of knowing more about guitar essentials and developing solid soloing techniques. He may also learn how to incorporate his knowledge so that after mastering the basics it is time for him to improvise with new chords.
Learn how to play the guitar. It is really fun and enjoyable if a person has the skills and knowledge to play the instrument and a great achievement.
Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Both sites offer free lesson and product sales.
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