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I remember being such a big Coldplay in my early teen years, knowing the words to Yellow by heart and yeah I listed them as one of my favorite bands ever. I remember considering the idea of overpaying… (in post Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death and All of His Friends from Allan's World Music. Download this at Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

Which studio do you pick to record at? This is a question that no doubt every musician or band will face at some point in time. This article will give you a few pointers to help pick the studio that is right for you.

Cost/ Availability

You first consideration should be cost and the availability of the studios that you can afford. You should have some sort of budget worked out prior to shopping for a studio. A good rule of thumb is the 10 studio hours per song to record and mix. On the average it will take approximately 10 hours to record and mix each song that you want to record. Choose a studio that you can record your entire project in (Ex 10 Songs x 10Hrs per=100 studio hours, studio a rates are $40 per studio hour, total cost is $4,000). Once you have a few studios identified as possibilities, you need to see which will fit into your time schedule. Say you want to start recording in two weeks however studio a has a six month waiting list, obviously you wont be able to record there unless you wait.

Equipment

The next thing you should consider is equipment. Does studio a have top of the line vintage gear and studio b have mid grade equipment? A little research into studio equipment may be in order if you are not well versed in studio gear.

Listen to CD's

Have the studios make up some demos of other bands that have recorded there. Listen to the CD's on as many different stereos as you can (car, home, friends car ect...). This should give you some idea of how your CD will sound like when it is complete.

Meet the Engineer

Meet the engineer that will be working with you on your project and ask about past experience and get references from other bands that they have worked with. Call the references and ask what was it like working with the engineer. Listen to tapes that were recorded at the studio that you are considering by the engineer that you will be working with. If the studio balks at these requests they may be hiding something so beware!

Mixdown

Automated mixing boards used to be only for the large studio projects with huge budgets. This is no longer the case. If a studio you are considering recording in has an automated mixer it is a big plus and should be considered a very big advantage.

There are many other things to consider when picking a studio however this should give you the basics and a good start, good luck and happy recording!

Steve Veloudos is the owner of http://www.zebramusic.com

Steve is devoted to helping musicians and bands further their careers in the music industry. Stop by his web site and subscribe to the free Musicians Tip Sheet. The Tip Sheet includes industry contacts, and many other items designed to advance a musicians musical career. Subscribe to the newsletter by going to: http://www.zebramusic.com

Following on from the initial ‘Great White’ colorway released in April 2008, we can now reveal the stunning second version of the Sneaker Freaker X PUMA ‘Jirozame’ project. This new colorway of the PUMA Blaze of Glory flips the shoe to inky black, with a slash of vivid color that sets it off in all the right places. Highlights include sensual nubuck with turqoise sateen, silky laces, red chunks and poppin’ pink bits, all hooked up with the legendary smoke-tinted Trinomic cell unit in the sole of the shoe.

There’s also a choice of several beautifully designed insoles and multiple laces to complement the highly distinctive sneaker. “This thing looks evil!” says the editor and founder of Sneaker Freaker, Simon “Woody” Wood. “ And I love evil! It’s seriously the most comfortable shoe PUMA has ever made. Once you put this thing on you’ll never want to take it off. The Trinomic system was so far ahead of its time, you won’t believe your feet!” Be wary of its apparently docile nature, this one is lethal. And very, very black.

Here's a list of retailers below so find the one in your local area and bug them because as always, numbers are limited and you won't wanna miss out.

READ MORE ABOUT THE SNEAKER FREAKER BLAZE OF GLORY SHOE HERE.

AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS Provider (Melbourne) // Apartment (Brisbane)

NORTH AMERICA Atmos (NYC) // ARC (NYC) // Bodega (Boston) // Premium Goods (Houston)
Livestock (Vancouver) // Ubiq (Philly) // Undefeated (US) // Classic Kicks (NYC)

EUROPE Colette (Paris) // The Gloss (Zurich) // Hanon (Aberdeen, Scotland) // Shinzo (Paris)
Solebox (Berlin) // Sole Service (Oslo) // Sneakersnstuff (Stockholm) // Size (Carnaby St) // 90 SQM (Amsterdam)

ASIA Beams (Tokyo) // DMOP (Hong Kong) // Limited Edt (Singapore) Mita (Tokyo) // Sole What (Malaysia)

 

 

To see pictures of the Great White version of this shoe, go here...

Practicing guitar can sometimes get boring and it just seems like you don't have the motivation to practice anymore. Here are some tips to get the motivation back into playing guitar. To start off set your self REALISTIC GOALS, such as this week i am going to learn a new chord or solo, Instead of this week i am going to learn 7 full songs. So set your self a:

Day Goal: Such as trying to practice the guitar for an hour a day and improve on the scales, chords and songs you are learning.

Weekly Goal: Such as have learned 2 new chords that you feel COMFORTABLE with playing and you can alternate between other chords smoothly with.

Monthly Goal: Such as learned at least 4 new chords and at least a new song.

When your practicing make sure you have a routine such as:

Warm up fingers, doing stretches.

Play scales/chords/songs you know.

Learn new scales/chords/songs.

End off with playing scales/chords/songs you know.

(note this is just an example off a practice routine. You may make up your own.)

Following this guide will help you with your motivation as once you have set your goals and you learn them, you will be filled with a sense of accomplishment and thus more eager to learn.

Also if you are still having troubles then try remembering what you could play when you first started learning guitar. Usually a lot. So make sure you set your self goals and think back and you will find your self more motivated then you were when you first got the guitar.

at http://wiseguitar.com we offer free guitar lessons to the public and many other great things to do with guitar. Register now and get a free email all for free.

It may be winter in the land down under, but that doesn't mean we can't spread the love on our favourite accessory, sunglasses. Hooking up with international street artists, Sydney based company Colab have cranked out some killer eye wear for the world to drool over. This could actually be the one time that you can rock your sunglasses at night without looking like a mad tosser, purely for the fact that if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a pair, you can become the exception to the rule, ensuring bragging rights.

Each season, "Colab will invite new individuals and groups to create a range that mirrors their own personal artistic mentality into eyewear. There is nothing as boring as fashion that is mass-produced, hashed, rehashed and just trash. We roll out a blank canvas and let our guest professors drop art with the Colab science of production."

 

The first season sees Eboy, Marok, P.A.M and Rockin* Jellybean to name a few with the honours of collaborating. They each designed a range of limited edition sunnies for the brand – only 1000 are ever made, so you have a very slim chance of walking down the street and bumping into a twin pair. And really isn't that what it is all about these days? No longer will you feel the shame of hanging your head to avoid catching the same reflection in another kid's mirrored Supreme Frogskins. Want to know more about Colab collections, and have the chance to grace your face with a pair of limited edition sunnies? Then hit up COLAB EYEWEAR now, and get your Corey Hart on!

Start by plugging in the basic gear you'll most likely need, e.g. primary reverb, delay, and a stereo compressor (if you have one) between your console and your 2-track recorder (DAT, CD, etc.) Even if you start with the compressor in bypass, it should be plugged in. As you build your mix, you should occasionally check your levels to the recorder (see "setting 2-track levels") When you're ready to push up the faders (i.e. ready to listen to the tracks), you have a couple of options: 1) if you have a full arrangement (e.g. vocal, guitar, piano, bass & drums), imagine you're building a house. Start with a solid foundation - first the drums, then bass, then the rest. But remember that the vocal is the most important instrument in a song - as you build your mix, push up the vocal every now and then to make sure the track will ultimately support the vocal and not overwhelm it. 2) If you have a relatively sparse arrangement (e.g. acoustic guitar, vocal and violin), start with either the vocal first or the most important supporting instrument.

If you think of songwriting and recording as an artistic process, it's not hard to draw an analogy between mixing a song and painting a picture. Let's say you're looking at a painting of some French farmland. Your eyes move from the green rolling hills, to the creek winding past the red farmhouse, to the farmer greeting the cow as the sun shines above. Now think of your mix as a "musical landscape." Every element is distinct but integrated, flowing into each other. A great mix allows the ears to wander from one sound to the next but always focusing back on the main elements - the melody, the hook, etc. In your painting, the frequencies are your colors. Allow your instruments to stand out, with some colors brighter than others. The more tracks you have recorded for your song, the more information there is competing for space on just two tracks when you mix down.

http://www.drumsoundlibrary.com
Copyright 2008.

For more studio tips and information on our studio products come and visit us @ http://www.drumsoundlibrary.com the place where we offer "BIG" solutions for small budgets.

Jingle Bells is one of the most popular secular Christmas songs in the world. You will learn the chords to the song and also to play the melody in this ukulele lesson!

I will show you how to play the song by using ukulele tablature. Tablature is a music notational system that shows you where to put your fingers on your ukulele in order to play melodies and chords.

The most common type of tablature notation or tabs uses lines that represent the strings and numbers on the lines to show which frets to press down.

I will use another type of tab notation that I call number tabs.

Why number tabs?

1. Number tabs work better on article sites and will not be distorted if the fonts are changed.

2. Number tabs makes the information accessible to visually impaired readers using braille.

I will not use lines to represent the strings but instead use numbers for both strings and frets this way:

fret/string

This means that the first number will tell you which fret to press down and the number after the slash which string to use. 3/1 for example means: Press down the third fret on the first string!

0/1 means, play the first string without pressing down a fret! This is called to play an open string.

The first string is the bottom string when you play the uke the ordinary way.

Here are the first chord, C-major, that we will use in this song:

C: 0/4 0/3 0/2 3/1

In this chord you can see that the only string to press down is the first string but you will play all four strings together.

When you play this chord you should strum the strings from the fourth down to the first string with your right hand thumb or your index finger or in some other way.

Now we can sing the first line of the song. I have put the chord in brackets before the syllable where you are to start playing it. You can strum the chord in an even pace according to your taste:

(C)Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

In order to sing the next line and play the chords you will need the chord F-major:

F: 2/4 0/3 1/2 0/1

And here is the next line:

(F)Oh! what fun it (C)is to ride

For the next line we need the chord D7 and G7:

D7: 2/4 0/3 2/2 0/1

G7: 0/4 2/3 1/2 2/1

Here is the next line to play:

In a (D7)one-horse open (G7)sleigh

Then you have to sing the lyrics once more with slightly different chords:

(C)Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

(F)Oh! what fun it (C)is to ride

In a (G7)one-horse open (C)sleigh

Here you have the same song with the melody written with ukulele tabs:

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 3/2 0/3 2/3 0/2

Oh! what fun it is to ride

1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 0/2 0/2

In a one-horse open sleigh

0/2 0/2 0/2 2/3 2/3 0/2 2/3 3/2

Then you have to play the melody once more and change the last line to:

In a one-horse open sleigh

0/2 0/2 3/2 3/2 1/2 2/3 0/3

I suggest that you play the notes in the melody that are on the first fret with you index finger, the notes on the second fret with your middle finger and the notes on the third fret with your ring finger.

Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music and ukulele tabs at http://www.capotastomusic.com

It's back!!!! Better than ever and now in its ninth year,  Parklife keeps on keepin' on to become the most diverse festival you want to get loose to. With a stellar line up that can only create pandemonium at ticket outlets, this year Fuzzy have truly outdone themselves. Whether you like to rock out with your cock out or get your air horns sounding to the booty bangers, there really is something for everyone in 2008.

Soulwax share double duties bringing their instruments as well as their turntables to create a schizophrenic mix of 2manydjs, while Sneaker Freaker favourite Dizzee Rascal returns to “Flex” his lyrical skills and hopefully rep some SF proddy. Crowd favourite Diplo returns too, with what looks set to be so many Australian custom stamps in his passport, he may as well relocate to our sunny shores.

Along with crazy lady Peaches, Metro Area, XXXchange and Blackalicious, the eclectic line up will have you begging for some Smirnoff with Red Bull action. Not to forget our Aussie talent, Parklife have enlisted the talents of Bag Raiders Live, Ajax, Grafton Primary and a host of local DJ’s still to be announced. Supported by the good folk at Triple J, inthemix.com, Smirnoff and Oyster, Fuzzy have once again proven they are the only party promoters holding it down on the festival tip this year!

Peep the stealth line up of artists below, with more DJ's to be announced.

• Goldfrapp*
• Soulwax
• Peaches
• 2manydjs
• Dizzee Rascal
• Martin Solveig
• Plump DJs
• Diplo
• Jesse Rose
• Does It Offend You, Yeah?
• Blackalicious
• XXXchange
• Metro Area
• Elektrons
• Yuksek
• Van She
• Dragonette
• Boy 8-Bit
• Familjen**
• Bag Raiders Live
• Ajax
• Slyde
• Grafton Primary
• Van She Tech
• and many more

*excluding Adelaide
**excluding Perth

For updates and ticket details hit up www.parklife.com.au

Music is an important part of the
celebration of your marriage. Throughout history, music has been used for
weddings to bring the community together with sounds and rhythms that have the
power to surpass age and status buriers, uniting everyone in support of your
marriage.

When choosing music for your wedding (in addition to your personal preferences)
its important to consider the musical tastes and desires of your guests. A good
point to consider is that your wedding (reception and/or ceremony) is an
opportunity for you to give back to your guests for their participation and
support, so choose a musical selection that will appeal the most to your guests.

Music is also a great stress reliever or ice breaker because it helps people
to relax and transition from what is often a very formal situation to an
environment where people can express themselves more fully.

There are 2 general types of music available for a modern wedding, they are:

1) A DJ

2) Live Musicians

A DJ (which stands for Disk Jockey) is a person who plays CDs through a sound
system at your reception and provides stage lighting for additional effect. The
advantage to hiring a DJ is that they are typically less expensive than live
musicians, and you can have all the songs that you want played for your
reception.

The disadvantages to hiring a DJ are that the music can sometimes seem a bit
generic or un-lively, and may be inappropriate for your ceremony. Some people
may also feel that DJ music is cheesy or uninteresting due to the lack of
musical flexibility and depending on the DJs individual approach - you may or
may not want to have them emcee for the reception.

Hiring live musicians is the other option you have for your wedding music. This
is typically more expensive and may involve a bit more planning than a DJ, but
can be a very uplifting resource for you and your wedding guests.

How do you envision your wedding reception? Do you want to dance with your
guests or are you intend to have a more subdued event? If you dont want
dancing, you may choose classical or jazz musicians to entertain - This could
include a string quartet, a harpist, pianist or any other type of soloist.
(Soloists are often the first choice for wedding ceremonies as well).

If you DO intend for there to be dancing as a part of your wedding celebration
theres nothing better for this than a live dance band! The advantage to hiring
a live band for your reception is that there is a certain synergy that occurs
when live musicians perform together that cannot be achieved with a DJ, and live
musicians can are also able to adapt to the vibe of the room playing faster,
slower, louder or softer depending on the preferences of you and your guests.

Skilled wedding musicians can also allow for members of the wedding party to participate by singing along or joining in with the band. This can add a great
deal of value to your wedding reception by creating the great Kodak Moments
that everyone will remember for years and years to come.

Take your time and consider the options carefully. Use the internet to research
your options and look in local wedding trade journals for musician and DJ
listings before you hire. Make a list of questions and concerns that you may
have and ask them of your perspective entertainers.

Your wedding day is YOUR DAY make it great with music that compliments
the theme and emotion that you want reflected at your wedding.

Donovan Kovar is the president and booking manager forGreatLiveMusic.com - Providing Professional, High Quality Musical Entertainment For Weddings In Minnesota And Surrounding Areas. VisitGreatLiveMusic.com for more information.

Music takes center stage on the heels of the official registration opening for the Nike+ Human Race, the world’s biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008.  The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet.  Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today’s top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.

In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run’s post race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race.  Runners will take to the streets passing the city’s most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.  
“I’m hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike's dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”
West’s performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei, ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America. 

In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city’s famed Wembley Stadium.  Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boys Like Girls in Singapore.  

Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth.  Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities.  Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.
The Nike+ Human Race will also feature an online pledge tool so individual runners can donate additional funds to the cause of their choice and invite friends and family to contribute on their behalf.

“As a committed runner and a cancer survivor, I’m proud to be participating in the Nike+ Human Race,” Lance Armstrong said. “The race offers the best of both worlds by bringing together a global community to run together and support worthy causes like the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org and WWF in our combined efforts to have a positive impact on the world.

Other Nike athletes will also be joining the movement to run with the world and for a cause.  Like Lance Armstrong, they will serve as honorary athlete ambassadors for the charities and join in Human Race activities.  Six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe and middle distance runner Kara Goucher will be running to support WWF, while marathoner Meb Keflezighi will be representing ninemillion.org.

Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can create a personal profile page or stay motivated by sampling and downloading the latest in Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes designed specifically for treadmill and road runs.  Beginning June 15, runners will also be able to visit Race City pages covering local race info and news, Training pages for information and links to in-city training runs, events with official race partners including 24Hour Fitness and Starbucks and Nike+ Coach training.  Gear pages covering the latest in Nike performance training gear and Nike+ product will also be offered.

About Nike+ Human Race
On 08.31.08, Nike hosts a run like no other before with the Nike+ Human Race - the World’s Largest One Day Running Event.  Nike’s first global race will take place over the course of one day, with a goal of one million runners, across 25 cities and featuring 25 top musical acts.  The 10k event celebrates runners and their sport, offering participants across the globe the chance to run and compete together in an unprecedented race experience.  Spanning multiple continents, Nike+ Human Race cities will include LA, New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, São Paulo and Vancouver among others.  Following races in each city, participants will be treated to an exclusive music concert featuring one of today’s top artists.  Participants will be able to run for a cause as a portion of funds raised will be donated to three Nike+ Human Race beneficiaries: WWF, the global conservation organization, Lance Armstrong Foundation and UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign.  The race will be open to anyone, anywhere. Runners outside of the 25 race day cities can join by logging into nikeplus.com.  With the help of Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, every city and every road can become a race-day course.  For more information, visit nikeplus.com.  

So, how does one go about arranging piano music? That's a good question. And one that can get confusing for most students. They sometimes confuse composing with arranging and with good reason - they're closely connected. Let's look at how to arrange a piece of music for piano. Specifically, we'll look at the lesson piece "Fall Sunrise."

Fall Sunrise is a contemporary/new age piano piece I wrote to illustrate how ABA form works. The first section is comprised of 4-bars which is repeated twice. The next section (B) is an 8-bar phrase repeated twice and then we come back to our (A) section, which again is repeated twice. So, if we were to "arrange" this so we can see what it would look like we'd end up with something like this:

2A2B2A

This is a shorthand way of seeing the arrangement. It simply tells us how many times to repeat a section. Now, this arrangement by itself is sufficient for about 3-4 minutes of music, however, if we wanted to, we could add another section and lengthen it even more. The reason why we need another section (if we wanted more music) is that if we keep repeating this, it gets monotonous and boring.

We introduce a new section for contrast purposes. The ear hears this new music and is refreshed. But before we introduce a new section, we need something to lead us into it. We need what is called a transitionary phrase. Two bars is usually enough to accomplish this. The transition prepares the listener to receive something new. It's a connective device that bridges the sections. After the transition is introduced, we can bring in a new section of music and call it C.

Now, if we were to write out what this might look like we can come up with something like this:

2A2B2ATCA

Where T= transition and C= a new section of music. By adding in a new section, we can now repeat the other sections more because we've introduced contrast into the mix.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

 

When musicians play on stage it moves people. There are many in the crowd who wish that they could do the same thing with music. The truth of the matter is, not everybody is talented in playing a musical instrument and many people will never be because they lack the motivation and the resources to learn. It takes a lot of talent, skill and patience to learn how to play an acoustic guitar.

Here are some of the best tips for learning how to play the acoustic guitar.

1. The first step is to purchase the guitar. There are many are specialty music stores that sell brand new guitars while there are also those that sell used guitars. It's recommended that you purchase a pre-owned guitar before buying a new one. This allows you to get the feel for playing it and you can buy a new one at a later time.

2. The next step is to learn how to read notes. Before going any further this step is essential. New guitar players will soon learn that when you put your finger on one string, it will sound different than when you put it on another string.

This is very similar to touch typing on your computer keyboard. Students should be able to know which string matches the ones they see in the music book. Learning to play the acoustic guitar is all about learning where your fingers are and knowing which string will make which sound.

3. Playing the guitar is a lot of work on your fingers. Finger exercises should be done so that your fingers can handle the strenuous work that playing the guitar entails. Some musicians are able to play fast while others play the same rhythm all throughout the song. In order to play any song, guitar students need to be fast and flexible.

4. It was one thing to listen to a CD of a favorite musician. It's going to be different when you go to play it though. Analyzing and studying changes in pitch can be very difficult. Getting your lessons in audio and video formats will enhance your observation of how the fingers move.

Nobody became an amazing guitarist overnight. Those of you who wish to be the best should learn the basics of playing acoustic guitar before playing more difficult songs. This can only be achieved by understanding rhythm, strumming and finger patterns so that one could possibly become an icon in the music industry.

The only way to become a master at playing acoustic guitar is to practice often and have access to good learning resources.

To learn more tips on guitar playing, please visit my website

Music takes center stage on the heels of the official registration opening for the Nike+ Human Race, the world’s biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008.  The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet.  Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today’s top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.

In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run’s post race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race.  Runners will take to the streets passing the city’s most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.  
“I’m hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike's dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”
West’s performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei, ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America. 

In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city’s famed Wembley Stadium.  Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boys Like Girls in Singapore.  

Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth.  Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities.  Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.
The Nike+ Human Race will also feature an online pledge tool so individual runners can donate additional funds to the cause of their choice and invite friends and family to contribute on their behalf.

“As a committed runner and a cancer survivor, I’m proud to be participating in the Nike+ Human Race,” Lance Armstrong said. “The race offers the best of both worlds by bringing together a global community to run together and support worthy causes like the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org and WWF in our combined efforts to have a positive impact on the world.

Other Nike athletes will also be joining the movement to run with the world and for a cause.  Like Lance Armstrong, they will serve as honorary athlete ambassadors for the charities and join in Human Race activities.  Six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe and middle distance runner Kara Goucher will be running to support WWF, while marathoner Meb Keflezighi will be representing ninemillion.org.

Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can create a personal profile page or stay motivated by sampling and downloading the latest in Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes designed specifically for treadmill and road runs.  Beginning June 15, runners will also be able to visit Race City pages covering local race info and news, Training pages for information and links to in-city training runs, events with official race partners including 24Hour Fitness and Starbucks and Nike+ Coach training.  Gear pages covering the latest in Nike performance training gear and Nike+ product will also be offered.

About Nike+ Human Race
On 08.31.08, Nike hosts a run like no other before with the Nike+ Human Race - the World’s Largest One Day Running Event.  Nike’s first global race will take place over the course of one day, with a goal of one million runners, across 25 cities and featuring 25 top musical acts.  The 10k event celebrates runners and their sport, offering participants across the globe the chance to run and compete together in an unprecedented race experience.  Spanning multiple continents, Nike+ Human Race cities will include LA, New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, São Paulo and Vancouver among others.  Following races in each city, participants will be treated to an exclusive music concert featuring one of today’s top artists.  Participants will be able to run for a cause as a portion of funds raised will be donated to three Nike+ Human Race beneficiaries: WWF, the global conservation organization, Lance Armstrong Foundation and UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign.  The race will be open to anyone, anywhere. Runners outside of the 25 race day cities can join by logging into nikeplus.com.  With the help of Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, every city and every road can become a race-day course.  For more information, visit nikeplus.com.  

Many websites are giving away free iPod music downloads. So how true is it? Well, there are copies of songs you can technically download but I have to warn you first that the legality of most of these sites is highly questionable. If you have been visiting forums or reading news updates, there have been numerous reports of infringement of copyright laws when downloading from these illegal iPod music download sites.

Free sounds good but it is often tagged with a hefty price when you are caught doing so. Moreover, the song quality is often poor. Folks may argue that downloading at iTune is not cheap, with songs going for $0.99 per piece. Gone were the days when people would not even frown at paying for a 10-songs CD at $15 20.

It is pretty much a Catch-22 situation as iPod manufacturers keep packing in more memory and boosting the capacity of newer iPod models. They can hold more songs than the older generation ones, hundreds to thousands of them. iPod users, driven by their hungry urge to quickly build up a collection of songs, often then fall prey to these illegal music download sites.

Fortunately, there are now paid membership sites for legal iPod music downloads other than iTune. So iPod fanatics can still enjoy their music without limits access to huge libraries of songs, both latest and oldies without compromising on the quality of the music and of course, not burning their pockets. This is indeed good news for us as we can have the best of both worlds.

Here is some handy information to help you do your homework when you look for an iPod music downloads site:

1. iPod Music Download Fees

This is the main reason why people are flocking to these membership sites. Most of these sites are charging for lifetime or yearly membership subscription for the cost of one nice dinner out. For that, you can have unlimited access to as many iPod music and music video downloads. There are no per download fees at all. But please do not quickly jump onto any site you come across, and be sure to look around for the best value for money.

2. Range of iPod Music Downloads

Whether you are a Pop music fan, or simply love soothing jazz music, there is a paid membership download site out there that can meet your needs. Read up on each site and find out the range and type of music they carry.

3. Wide Selection of Music Files

By this, I meant that the selection of music files must be huge enough, and they need to provide almost every song that has ever been composed. Find out if they constantly update their media library. You will be surprised that some of them even have the latest hits, and not some outdated, past hits only.

4. Easy-to-Navigate Membership Area

Is the membership area easy to navigate around? Is it easy to find the song you want? Do they provide step by step instructions on how to download the iPod music files to your iPod?

5. Downloading Speeds of iPod Music Files

Does it take forever to download a long list of songs?

6. Free Media Downloading Software Provided

Most sites provide free media downloading software so it can be considered as an industry norm. If they charge you for the software, it is time to look elsewhere. One thing you need to find out is whether their software is compatible with your system, ie what are the software system requirements?

7. Customers Feedback

Good customer feedback often means that the service level is excellent and should be able to meet your expectations.

8. Excellent Technical Assistance

Needless to say, you do not wish to face a situation where you are stuck and cannot find the technical support you need. Not every site is equal in this aspect even though almost everyone boasts of top-notch support service.

The above information I have shared should be sufficient for you to find a good iPod music downloads site. You may be wondering how you are going to assess and compare some of the qualities I mentioned without accessing the members area. Fret not, as I have done some of the legwork and would be revealing the top sites for iPod music downloads in my next article. Alternatively, you can always read up at music forums.

The content of this article is provided for the purpose of education and illustration only and is in no way associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subsidiary of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Find out how you can access to unlimited ipod music downloads - digital quality music and music videos legally and easily from home at ipod--music-download.blogspot.com.

Review of Shure M44-7 Cartridge

I first bought this stylus a few years ago when I started scratching. My poor technique meant that the needle kept jumping out of the groove. Plus all the scratching meant that I was burning through my records pretty fast. So I went down to my local DJ store and was recommended the Shure M44-& Cartridge.

After taking it home and getting it out of its package, my first impressions was that it was very oddly shaped. I had never seen a cart like this - it looked like a little plastic brick. The cart's shape somewhat effected the installation process - I had to use different screws to attach it to the tone arm. But this wasn't a big deal as these longer screws were included.

After I had them hooked up I dropped a record on the turntable and gave the Shure a try. I noticed the difference immediately noticed the difference. The needle stayed in the groove despite my heavy handed scratching. It seemed glued in there. It performs so well that DJs are bound to get worried about record wear. But that is not a concern with these carts! The tracking force is exceptionally low and that translates into less damage over time to your vinyl.

In addition to handling great, these carts also sound awesome! They seem to sound best with hip hop - the bass is boosted a little bit. Overall they are very clear and capable of getting really loud.

Shure also makes another model - the Shure M44G - that looks identical to the Shure M44-7. I had been confused by this when I first bought my Shures because the guy at the DJ store wasn't able to tell me the difference. But the difference between these is that the M44G has a more balanced output. This means that the lows are accentuated like with the M44-7s and therefore this is the needle you are going to want if you are playing electronic music like trance or house. The M44G does give up a little of the M44-&s tracking force, but it still handles great.

All in all, you can't go wrong with this product. In fact, the instructions for Serato's Scratch Live program state that it will perform optimally with either of these Shure cartridges.

Adam Miles has been DJing for over a decade and is interested in helping others learn more about becoming a DJ. Come stop by his website at http://www.djauctions.net to read more in depth tutorials, equipment reviews and to ask questions in the forum.