It's one of the most popular TV shows of recent years, drawing tens of millions of viewers every week. Even I admit, American Idol is fun to watch. The show provides all the elements of good pop culture entertainment: passion, emotion, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, dreams attained and lost ...

So, what's wrong with American Idol?

Considering it's lumped into the "reality" TV category, the show is doing a great disservice to aspiring musicians (and the public at large) by distorting perceptions of how the music business really works. It sends an outdated message of "dependence" on the industry vs. the more realistic "independence" that artists have today to control their own careers. >>>

                                 If You Think Your Music’s Great, Record It!

Throughout the history of modern music, there hasn’t been a musical artist/band who doesn’t think that their songs are all #1 hits just waiting to be discovered. Many of these artists have been correct and have stood by grinning as their tunes screeched up the charts. This inspires a new crop of musicians every year to feverishly pen their potential hits in hopes of making it big.

Musicians write. They rehearse. They play clubs and hope that one day they’ll encounter that special A&R guy (or gal) that will, see them, dig them, sign them, and make them stars. But surprisingly enough, many of these bands never complete what is probably the most important tool for any musician signed or unsigned…they never record a CD. >>>

Artemiy Artemiev, born in Moscow in 1966, is one of Russias' most famous electronic composers. His works have been described in a myriad of ways, depending on the listener.  Some describe his music as poetic.  Others describe it as the work of a master, who evokes a naked emotion which strikes a balance both emotionally and mentally, an almost spiritual connection.  Perhaps the greatest compliment of all however, is that his music grabs your attention in such a way that you are totally riveted and absorbed in the sound. >>>

Q&A with a composer, writer, and editor of NewMusicBox.

You mean there's more to classical music than just performers and dead composers? There sure is and if you take the time to look under some of the more fascinating rocks within the classical music environment, you'll eventually unearth something besides decaying Mozart manuscripts and another recording of Beethoven 7.

Composer, writer, journalist, and new music advocate Frank J. Oteri is one of the more intriguing discoveries you can run across. He's followed a decidedly less traveled path that has led him to uncharted cultural territory. Although he's an active composer, he currently spends much of his time centered on his duties as editor for the American Music Center's web magazine, NewMusicBox. >>>

The story of Pete Townshend - The Who's Guitarist - is dramatic and typical. In the 70's, he discovered that he was suffering from hearing loss due to loud noise during concerts and recording sessions. (Pete's_Diaries)
He stopped touring for a while, then resumed performances trying to use smaller amplifier rigs to reduce the volume in order to save his hearing. >>>

A few days ago a friend of mine, who is a professional singer   with a gorgeous tenor voice, told me a story about how after one of his performances, a man from the audience approached him and asked for an audition. The man sang a few songs. Although my friend complimented the man on his pleasant voice, he also mentioned that it would be a good idea for the man to get some formal training to improve his singing. The man then proceeded to pull my friend into a debate on the vanity of musical training for singers. And my highly educated friend couldn't prove him wrong. >>>

As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I am always amazed at either the scope and talent of an artist’s business team or the why and how an artist exists within the mediocre framework which they are operating from. And believe me, I’ve seen plenty of both. It would seem that many managers fall into these positions, like in many fields, not out of genuine talent or know-how, but by mere presence alone – They were friends of the artist or a brother to one of the members of the act and so forth. If a manager, important at every turn of an artist’s career, is so important, than what exactly is it that makes up a good manager or booking agent?
Most everyone thinks of contacts. No doubt that contacts are important in this business. The thinking is – “Just as long as they act like they know what they are doing and talk a big game dropping some names along the way,” than they must “know” what they are doing and they can get the job done – Or can they? >>>

It's a safe bet that, since the arrival of cognitive human beings on this earth, music has, in some form had a significant effect on their lives. The first sounds, other than speech, were probably produced by hitting something; wood, stone or hide; and ancient peoples must have appreciated the sounds of the world around them; of water, weather and animals; and were the sounds of a rippling stream or a gushing waterfall music to their ears? And when they stood at the seashore did the crashing waves and the suck of the tides move them in some way?
There is something deep within our psyche, which reacts and 'remembers' music. It is more than probable that sounds relating to music and rhythm came long before sounds relating to communication and speech. Today, this theory can be tested by noting a baby's reaction to a lullaby as compared to speech. If you're lucky, humming can soothe the most fractious child and even send them to sleep! Music, in the form of rhythm was used by many peoples as a way of sending messages to out of sight recipients; consider the jungle drums of Africa or the Alpine horn, the Aboriginal didgeridoo or the use of bells as a warning of attack. >>>

One of the most popular guitars today and one of the best is the Fender Stratocaster. It has been around for years and has established a well known reputation for having an original sound and been great to play. Many top guitarists of the past and present played Strats - Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, the list goes on and on. All of these artists have that beautiful tonal sound of a Strat but when you hear each one, you can tell the difference between them, and that's the beautiful thing. The Fender Strat gives you such originality while having that beautiful tonal sound no other guitar has.

The secret to that great sound that the Strats have is in the single coil pickups, the wood of the guitar and the way the body of the guitar is put together (2 sections). The combination of these 3 things put together is one of a kind, that guitarist have come to love right from the beginning of the Strats birth. >>>

Can music really help you think better? Yes, according to the research that has been done so far. Listening to, and participating in music creates new neural pathways in your brain that stimulate creativity. Studies have shown that music actually trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. There was a study at the University of California, for example, about 10 years ago. Researchers followed the progress of three year olds, split into two groups. The first group had no particular training in, or exposure to music. The second group studied piano and sang daily in chorus. After eight months the musical three year olds were much better at solving puzzles. When tested, they also scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non musical group. With such a dramatic difference, there is bound to be more research like this in the future. >>

There might be different views as regards music but one fact cannot be ignored that it has a great effect on our emotions. When a child takes birth, it starts reacting to the various sounds in its surroundings such as toys, human voice and others. At times, when you see someone shouting or screaming with joy, it simultaneously affects you and fills you with joy.
Now, scientists have proved that music also effect the development of human brain too. When a baby is born, it has billion of brain cells, over times these cells grow stronger. It has been proved that children who grow up listening music have strong music connections. It affects the way of your thinking, for example, listening to classical music improves your spatial reasoning and if you learning by playing with an instrument, it has effect on certain thinking skills. >>>