Month: February 2024
Those of you aspiring to create and record your own music can now do it sitting at home. Music creation software packages allow you to create, record and edit music conveniently. Not just this, there are software packages that cater to different ages, from musically inclined kids to the more advanced music creating software for adults.
Morton Subotnick’s Making Music for beginners
This is an educational and fun music software for kids. Created by Morton Subotnick, an award winning composer, Making Music allows children to have an easy and enjoyable music composing experience. Designed to be kid-friendly, the software has ‘animal building blocks’ that allow children to create their own unique melodies. Rhythm and pitch can be modified by lining birds up on a wire, resembling music notes. The software also allows kids to select any of the sixteen instruments on the computer screen and listen to the sounds produced by each individually or together. Other fun and exciting games include testing kids musical sense by asking them to listen to two melodies and judging whether they are different or similar.
For aspiring musicians
With its popularity in Europe soaring, Music Maker from Magix allows aspiring musicians to create music even if they do not have prior knowledge of music composing. This music creating software allows users to choose from several thousand pre-created samples and loops from different musical instruments, digital music files and CDs. The samples, loops can be previewed, dragged and dropped on screen. The software allows users to create more than ninety different music tracks. Other important features of Music Maker include enhanced editing tools, a quality drum machine and a tuner that creates a complete choir from one recorded voice and also corrects recorded vocal samples automatically. The musical pieces can be exported to files and played on Windows Media Player.
Using Microsoft Songsmith, you can create songs by choosing appropriate music to accompany your vocals. You start by choosing a particular song style and setting a tempo. You will then have to sing the song into the microphone in tune with the percussive beat. Once you are done recording, Songsmith will set the key, choose the chords and play the song again with musical accompaniments. You can edit the score, export it to a disk and share it.
DUBturbo is another quality music creating software using which you can create hip-hop, house, jungle and modern music pieces. Sonic Producer is also an impressive music composition and creation software that offers bang for your buck.
Advanced music creating software
Cakewalk Music Creator Pro and Cubase are high-end, advanced music creation and editing software for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 users. They can be used with a computer keyboard or you can attach instruments to a Midi keyboard (sound card). The programs offer more standard pattern and loop based arranging as well as advanced audio mixing. Pitch shifting and real time stretching are some interesting features offered by Cubase.
Determine your musical needs before you buy music creation software. Research and compare different music software online to make an informed purchase decision.
Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. Okkervil River consist of Scott Brackett (Trumpet/ Keyboards), Brian Cassidy (Vocals, Electric Guitar, Mandolin), Travis Nelsen (Drums), Patrick Pestorius (Bass), Will Sheff (Vocals/Guitar), Justin Sherburn (New Member) and Lauren Gurgiolo (New Member). Former member, Jonathan Meiburg (Vocals, Keyboards, Accordion) left the band to pursue as a singer and songwriter in his new band, Shearwater. The band has garnered positive critical reception, especially noted are each songs lyrics, intricate instrumentation, and thematic albums. 🙂 Okkervil River play songs that are heart-felt and all songs written by them are actually beautiful poems that ought to be remembered for a long long time. Clever lyrics combined with music that are full of emotions and touch everyones heart upon listen. They are as big as the Amazon River. 😀
The Stand Ins is such a matured album that even Adult and Elderly People will fall in love with it. It’s definitely a perfect album for my parents’ wedding anniversary. 🙂 It has 3 tracks which are pure instrumentals.
“Stand Ins, One” is just 48 seconds long and is the intro to The Stand Ins. It started off slowly and gradually picked up and got louder. Accordian can be heard throughout this song and at times, it sounded creepy to me. Nonetheless, this track will get you ready and build up the tempo and excitement in you for the next track. 🙂
What i love about “Lost Coastlines” apart from the awesome lyrics is its music. 😉 Patrick Pestorius’ playing of bass gets my head nodding each time i listen to this track. Not only that, the mandolin and trumpet also created an atmosphere as if i’m watching a big group of orchestra performance. As Will sings, “But we find the maps he sent to us don’t mention lost coastlines…”. He knows that they are lost on the shoreline.. And when it comes to the end, it will not be long when you finally find yourself singing along with Okkervil River.. “La, la, la…”
The beginning of “Singer Songwriter” resembles “Ain’t No Easy Way” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club”, and it tells the story about a girl who has everything that she could ever ask for.. But due to this very same fact, she failed in everything she chose to do.. And nothing’s gonna change her world.. It’s also one of the loudest track on The Stand Ins where various guitar playings can be heard throughout this track. Beautiful country rock song where you can imagine a group of elderly people enjoying and dancing to this power-pop country rock track. 😀 Love it!
“Starry Stairs” should have been the last track on this album. It just has the quality to end an album. 🙂 Will sings as if he is sad.. “If you don’t love me, i’m sorry”. It’s the most memorable moment on this track. As he goes on, he sings about how a girl that he loves, lied to him. He has no choice but to say goodbye.. All the Starry Stairs seem to be falling apart as he climbs.. Definitely a track to look out for on The Stand-Ins! Play this song if you found out that your girlfriend is lying to you or hiding something from you! 🙂 Make her know that you’re saying goodbye..
Clocking in at over 6 minutes long is “Blue Tulip”. The longest song on this album. Blue Tulip, again sings about a girl who lies.. “Hats off to my distant hope, a little lie, a puff of smoke…”, sings Will, and as he sings, i feel the pain he’s in. I feel sorry for him. Such a sad song that it’s impossible to ignore this powerful ballad which sings the way to your heart. And it’s one of the reasons Okkervil River is famous for! 😉
“Stand Ins, Two” is another instrumental. A slow guitar plucking and piano playing. As if Okkervil River is taking a brief break from this album. 🙂
As its title suggests, “Pop Lie” is about lies. A story about a man who lies in his pop songs. Thus, Pop Lie. 🙂 Damn, Okkervil River is good at it! They write songs that’s so complicated until i have to listen countlessly to Pop Lie before i could figure out the real meaning behind this song. A man who has so many fans, from kids to adults, lies whenever he sings. Is this the real world out there? You be the judge. Anyway, it’s a guitar-power-packed song that is so radio friendly! Cheers to Okkervil River!
“On Tour with Zykos” is specially written for Okkervil River’s past member, Jonathan Meiburg. Will wishes him all the best on his future undertaking… “Roll your crew on down the road, to the next sold out show… ” I really love the piano playing of this song. I can feel the friendship shared between Okkervil River and Jonathan. And it reminds me of the friendship shared between Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. Incredible farewell song to Jonathan! 😀
“Calling and Not Calling My Ex” is a very radio-friendly track. At first listen, i already knew i would like this song. The beat and tempo of this song is just perfect that it’ll make you go on remembering this song, especially the beginning of this song. “God knows i’m feeling really stupid now, forever having said goodbye…” is the phrase that i always recall whenever i listen to this song. And another praise for the piano of this song. I just find it very appealing and infectious.. 😉
“Stand Ins, Three”, another instrumental. Violin can be heard throughout this track until it subsides where it jump to another track… More or less, it’s the prelude to the next song…
“Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 19793 is the track that closes The Stand Ins. Before ending The Stand Ins, Okkervil River managed to close this album on thematic and anthemic note. This song is a slow ballad that Will sings, “Pull down the shades, let’s kill the morning…”, as if he’s disappointed and despair in love. But like most closing song, it ended on a high note, high spirit, trumpet, guitar and drums all came in together to make this a memorable one. Okkervil River have done it again! 🙂
Rating: I’m speechless… I’m totally impressed with the lyrics written by Okkervil River. The have this ability to write songs with lyrics that are so cryptic that we have to think through the words in order to understand the real meaning behind those lyrics. Not only that, their music landscape and genre is so focused that they are becoming the pioneer in what they are doing. Beautiful and heart-felt songs all in The Stand Ins, i honestly give it 7.5 out of 10. Cheers!
Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Lost Coastlines, Singer Songwriter, Starry Stairs, Calling and Not Calling My Ex, On Tour with Zykos.
High speed internet has allowed internet surfers to listen to music online at internet radios and free music streaming websites but still some people prefer to download music to include it to their portable music players and make it part of their library collection. Whether you prefer to download music or listen online there are a plenty of free music websites where you can find free music.
Music website has top mp3 songs, top tracks, popular artists and genres, and you can listen to them or download mp3 to your computer. You can also first listen to the song before downloading and if you like a song you can make it a part of your music library. To start your search for new songs to listen online looks for songs in new music section that is usually located on top of the front page on most websites. Some songs are popular and you would have probably have heard them on the radio or a shopping store somewhere but some songs are brand new and you might not like some of them. Good songs gain popularity and lasts longer on music charts.
Most online music listening websites allow users to create their own playlist by creating a new playlist and adding songs to it from available songs from the library. To do that you need to signup on the free music streaming website that you will use to access your playlist of songs. Some websites have artists biography to tell users about legendry artists. You can use this biography to improve your general knowledge about music, and if you get inspired by any one of them, you can create a playlist of that artist and other fans will appreciate your efforts and music collection.
On most music websites you will find artists profiles with all the songs from the library. You can use such lists of songs to find all popular songs of an artist and even download free mp3 songs if available. You can listen to these songs online and download only those you like. Some albums become so popular that people want to download all its songs and you save on buying them online or you can download free mp3 albums if they are available legally. Some of the most popular music genres include pop, R&B, rock, hip pop, rap and techno, which are recognized and loved around the world.
In todays musical economy, youre lucky to be a band thats invited to join a music festival lineup. Festivals are blowing up in terms of popularity, so much so that nearly every major music festival in 2011 saw record attendance. To be on one of those bills could do a lot for your career, but to create an entire festival? Thats just crazy talk. Or is it? One band has been doing just that for 12 years.
Horror Rap duo Insane Clown Posse has unarguably the largest cult following of any similar sounding act in the entire country. The reasons for that are many, but its safe to say the fact that they have their own annual festival where fans (Juggalos) can meet up every year goes a long way in solidifying those fans loyalty. Of course, Im talking about the Gathering of the Juggalos!
Producing a Music Festival
Theres nothing easy about producing a music festival, especially one as involved as Gathering of the Juggalos. Location, artists, security, vendors, permits, scheduling, promotion, insurance, and stage setup are just some things that have to be taken into consideration by curators like Insane Clown Posse in planning. And if you dont sell as many tickets as you need to in order to make a profit, it can be a very expensive loss.
Insane Clown Posse hosted their first Gathering of the Juggalos music festival in 2000 after several years of talk and planning surrounding the event. Its hugely successful today, but even a band as large as Insane Clown Posse had to fight and endure trial and error over the years to bring Gathering of the Juggalos to its current level of success.
Music vs. Events
Of course, the artists playing the festival will be the most important selling point to potential festival-goers. This years Gathering of the Juggalos festival was loaded with talented horror rap acts, and enough Juggalos to satisfy your social desires until Insane Clown Posses next Gathering of the Juggalos festival rolls around. But what makes the Gathering more original than any other music festival around the country isnt the music; its the on-site activities.
Its essential that there are more activities on hand than those related to music. Insane Clown Posse knows their fans might get tired of non-stop music for four straight days, so they came up with the idea to provide them with fresh activities seen at no other music festival. While these events may only be attractive to the Insane Clown Posse fan demographic, they provide some great insight on the ingenuity needed to make fans happy at music festivals.
Helicopter Rides at Gathering of the Juggalos
To start, there are helicopter rides at the Gathering of the Juggalos. Why? Why not is a better question. For a little bit of money, customers already at Insane Clown Posses festival can take a ride in the helicopter and tour the festival grounds from birds eye view.
Artist Seminars
There are meet and greets or autograph signings at a lot of major music festivals, but very few offer attendees the opportunity to sit in on a seminar conducted by your favorite artists. The guys in Insane Clown Posse always make sure they release as much news about their careers as possible at their artist seminars.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling
Insane Clown Posse, their Juggalo followers, and everyone else somehow connected to the Psychopathic Records family have been immersed in the wrestling scene since it all began. Gathering of the Juggalos just wouldnt be Gathering of the Juggalos without Juggalo Championship Wrestling on hand!
Those events are all given, but some others that take place at the yearly festival are mud / oil wrestling and the Ms. Juggalette contest! It might not be your typical beauty pageant, but some lucky lady will still be headed home with the title of Ms. Juggalette at the end of the weekend!
Over the years, Insane Clown Posse has mastered the art of creating a festival thats pleasing to die hard music fans and the more casual customers who also enjoy alternate activities not related to music at all. This balance must be achieved if you ever wish to host your own music festival some day!