A UK hip-hop star who was hired to be government spokesperson against bullying campaign has now been found to have sent abusive texts to a radio listeners after the women in question criticized the band.

The 22 year-old Chloe Moody messaged The Chris Moyles Show on Radio one to express the opinion that band N-Dubz were “losers” and that figurehead Dappy ( whose actual name is Dino Contostavlos ) was “repulsive”.

The band are now having some great chart success with their latest single Playing With Fire featuring Mr Hudson. The group were due to tour the USA but this now looks in jeopardy after record companies in the USA considered this as potentially having a very negative impact on the marketing on the band in the US.

The texts were read out online while the band was being interviewed in the studio on Tues. , much to their obvious displeasure. Dappy, twenty-two, answered to this feedback by making an attempt to call the lady the day after, before threatening her by sending a text asserting : “Your [sic] going to die” unless she apologized. This message and a successive highly irate call were traced back to Dappy, prompting the Mobo winning band’s management to issue an apology.

Radio one staffers reckon the rapper noted down the lady’s number after it appeared on a monitor in the studio. Additional cares will be taken so this doesn’t occur again. Dappy himself is still to apologise to Moody immediately for his childish behavior ( which led one over-excited paper to cry “BBC in new ‘Sachsgate’” ), but has issued a statement admitting his actions were wrong. “I called her in the heat of the instant when I was annoyed, but that’s no excuse for my behaviour,” he announced.

Posted by admin as Music Tips + More at 6:29 AM CST

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Fender Stratocaster history begins with the man some people call the king of surf music. Dick Dale is the man who some believe invented surf music as early as the 1950’s. No, it wasn’t the Beach Boys. It was Dick Dale.

He had the musical assistance of Leo Fender, inventor of the Fender Stratocaster. Part of early Fender Stratocaster history includes the story of Leo Fender’s gift to Dick Dale of a Fender Stratocaster to use in his live performances. He wanted Dick to try the Fender Stratocaster - and the rest is history, as the saying goes.

Did he try that guitar! The Fender Stratocaster history at that point was one of taking abuse and living through it, as Dale beat that guitar, hurling loud raucous music into the night, and destroying forty nine different amps until one actually caught on fire. Stratocaster history that night including the entertaining Dick Dale using the right handed guitar for left-handed play, playing upside down and created all new sounds.

Leo, Freddy Fender and Dale joined forces to find new, more tolerable speakers and this was the beginning of heavy metal Fender Stratocaster. They approached a company that made speakers and asked that they design a fifteen-inch Fender Stratocaster speaker. This made Fender Stratocaster speaker history.
Fender history included the fact that Dick Dale became the first person to take the quiet guitar player image and transform her or him into a loud heavy metal entertainer.

Included in this portion of Fender history was Guitar Player Magazine, who as a result now referred to Dick Dale as the father of heavy metal. Stratocaster history, then, is about the transition from quiet soothing singalong surf music to the heavy metal sound of the sixties.

Steve Morgan makes it quick and easy to find the best guitars. Read expert information here.

Posted by admin as Music Tips + More at 10:52 PM CDT

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How many chords do you need to create a piece of music? Would you believe that it doesn’t really matter and that whole pieces of music have been created using just one chord? For example, if you play a D minor 7 chord, you could use the bass note D to create a drone effect and anchor the whole improvisation. It could last for a few seconds or many minutes.

The important thing is were you in the moment when you created it? If you were, then it will be a good piece of music. If you weren’t it will be notes in the air without communication. What communicates is your feeling. It’s your feeling that gets across through the notes. The notes themselves are meaningless if you are not present behind them.

I usually do not use more chords than 4 or 5 when creating. I use the chords of a certain Key, for example A major and stay within that key until the piece is done. I may change to a different key, but I will always begin with the intention of staying within one, always keeping the possibility open for change. Remember the power of limits, especially in music.

When you have too many choices it can be overwhelming and will stop you from being able to go forward. That’s why learning to play in 4 and 8-bar phrases is important. It gives you the limit of chord changes. New age music is mostly a static music meaning that the chords do not change too much. In fact, you can have the same chord going on for 8, 16 and even 24 bars or more. The amount of change is dictated by personal taste and that you will acquire after you freely experiment with the music.

Remember that attitude is the number one thing. You must allow the music to tell you where it wants to go or you will most likely freeze up and stop the forward momentum. That’s why I always tell students the principles for creativity must come first. Without that you are really starting on shaky ground.

So, don’t worry about how many chords to insert in your music. For a good example of chord changes, look at my book “New Age Piano Made Easy.” It’s filled with 84 exercises completely comprised of different chord changes in all 12 keys.

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. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Posted by admin as Music Tips + More at 7:24 AM CDT

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When someone plans to be a DJ, one of the major stumbling blocks is the astoundingly steep price of the equipment. That said, DJ equipment is not one-piece equipment, but an assembly of several components. A DJ can mix and match components of different qualities and price ranges to make the entire outfit suit a budget.

The greatest margin on price can be made on the sound mixers. Sound mixers can have a great number of features; and so their prices may be as low as $200 and also as high as $2000. A DJ working within a limited budget can opt for a small mixer, which could easily be afforded at $200 to $500. These mixers can work just as fine as big ones and are ideal buys for amateur DJs. Even big names in the DJ equipment market such as Numark, Gemini, Aiwa, Akai, etc. produce such small economy speakers.

DJs that are keen on remixing their music opt for turntables instead of CD, DVD or MP3 players. Turntables are more expensive than players, but Gemini manufactures good quality affordable turntables within $400. Though direct drive turntables are a tad bit more expensive than belt driven ones, DJs prefer them as they play the record faster without any time lag.

Players are much more affordable than turntables; but they cannot provide features such as scratching and back-spinning of records. Players only provide sound output as it is on the CD or DVD and facilitate no scope for its alteration. DJs that just play original records go for players.

DJs trying to reduce their expenses on equipment can also shop around for speakers. The price of a speaker essentially depends upon its output. A low wattage speaker can be selected to save costs. There are small woofer-type speakers available that can output stereophonic sound and are available at prices at low as $20 apiece.

Another way to reduce expenses is to buy all equipment in bulk as a DJ package. A package contains the basic components and the necessary peripherals like headphones. Buying a package entitles a DJ to a discount. Packages are available generally for the mixers. In most cases headphones are given free with the package.

Using cheap equipment may take its toll on the music that a DJ provides; but DJs can make up for their equipment with their talent and creativity. Typically, the major buyers of cheap equipment are the amateur uncertain DJs who are still in the process of trying out the profession.

Posted by admin as Music Tips + More at 5:48 PM CDT

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It continues to boggle my mind how many bands don’t take the time to come up with a decent description of their music. It’s extremely important, and when you’re marketing yourself online, it’s essential.

So grab some paper, we’re gonna create two simple band descriptions that will help you earn you web traffic and help you with all aspects of your music promotion. Whether you’re looking to promote your band to someone in an elevator, on the phone or submitting to a directory, these two descriptions will serve you well.

1. The Ten-Word Elevator Description
David Hooper of Kathode Raye music uses the term “Elevator Description” as a way of describing your music quickly. Your Elevator Description is the words you would use in an elevator if you had to say what type of music you do quickly… in just ten words.

This might seem like the most-difficult part about describing your band, but it’s also the most useful all around. To do it, focus on an intense description combined with a benefit for your audience. I put this quick description in the first sentence on our homepage.

“The Original Celtic Renaissance music group from Austin, Texas offering free Celtic mp3 downloads.”

Obviously it’s not ten-words exactly. But it gets gets the point across.
Musical style: “original Celtic Renaissance music”
Location: Austin, Texas
Benefit: free Celtic MP3 downloads

Short sweet and to the point. Obviously, not everyone is as focused on downloading music. Coming up with benefits, but do some brainstorming and you’ll find your niche. Check out these descriptions:

The Rogues
A Houston based Pipe and Drum Band with an attitude.
http://www.therogues.com/

Gilli Moon

Melodic-Kinda-Folkie-Indie with a multi-layered guitar
(and all-sorts) wall of sound.
http://www.gillimoon.com/

Mountain Mirrors
Psychedelic Zen Rock. Fans of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd
or Spiritualized will enjoy this music. Free MP3 Downloads!

http://www.mountainmirrors.com/

Add your elevator description to your “Description” META Tag. Also add an even shorter description in your title tag, and you’ll boost your traffic for people looking for those keywords.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of “Two Easy Steps to Describing Your Band for Greater Web Traffic and More Fans.”

If you’re looking for more great web traffic tips for your music, David Nevue wrote the book on it, literally. See how he earned over $4000 per month turning music into a full-time profession. It’s all in this book How to Successfully Promote Your Music the the Internet.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000’s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE “how-to” music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Posted by admin as Music Tips + More at 12:52 AM CDT

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