You are here: Home / Music

Interesting Facts About Music

April 5, 2011 By

Music is such an important and intricate part of our lives that most of use cannot even imagine life without it. Everyone has a soundtrack to their life, whether they realize it or not. Music is there to cheer us up when we are down and be the back drop to our happy times. It plays an important role in memorable life events. For some, lyrics can be so close to their own thoughts and feeling that they feel a connection to the singer.

There are many little known facts out there relating to music. Some are informative and others are downright strange. Here are just a few that I came across: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Music and Health

March 28, 2011 By

Music offers many health benefits and scientific scans show that music clearly affects certain parts of the brain. Music therapy has existed for over 2000 years, Greek physicians were the first to prescribe it. There are examples throughout history and across different countries of music being used as a form of therapy.

Aside from the obvious benefit that music can lift a bad mood, there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that music therapy can be used for successful treatment. It is often applied in mental health issues, such as, cognitive functioning, emotional and affective development, behavior skills, social skills, and motor skills.

Music can affect us physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, aesthetically, and spiritually, and as such, these are the ways in which music therapy is used on patients. The patient experiences the music through singing, writing songs, listening to and analyzing music, as well as, dancing. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

About Music Genres

March 16, 2011 By
Music is Music

Music is Music

There are countless different methods of music making, which produces different genres. Most people have a preference for one or more style compared to others. What makes genres differ from each other is a combination of the instruments used, style of singing, content, themes, general nature of the music, and method of production. This is just to name a few of the broad criteria in categorizing genres, as there are more factors that are taken into consideration. Sometimes there are such subtle differences in the music that similar genres overlap.

Fusion genres are when two or more genres are combined to create a new genre. Take rock and roll, for example, its origins come from a combination of gospel, country music, and blues. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

World Famous Musicians

March 14, 2011 By
Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

There are countless famous musicians. They come from a variety of backgrounds and some struggled to make their way to fame, some were discovered while others were simply born into it. In recent years, several have made it to fame through the popular television talent show, “American Idol”.

The late Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is an example of someone who was born into fame. He was part of The Jackson 5, which consisted of his self and his brothers led by his father. Michael Jackson did not know any other life other than one of huge fame. He was so adored by his fans that there were often a number of them who fainted upon seeing him perform at one of his concerts. He often had to leave his home in disguise just to have a break and a chance at a normal lifestyle every once in a while. His royalty earnings on just recordings, music videos, concerts and endorsements are estimated to be around $500 million. Even after his tragic and sudden death in 2009, he still generates profits. After his death, he generated approximately one billion USD the after one year. He was the center of legal and controversial issues throughout his life and famous for all of the plastic surgeries he underwent to look “less black” and was likewise criticized for it. Always in the spotlight, Michael Jackson was under such close scrutiny that he virtually could not do anything in public without it being front page news the next day. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Music venues in London

March 10, 2011 By
02 Arena

02 Arena

The UK is home to hundreds of live music venues. London alone has over 100. The music scene was always an important part of modern English culture. But, in recent years, due to difficult economic times and a shift in interests, some famous and long standing music halls have closed or faced the threat of closing down.

An example of this is the 100 Club, in London’s famous Oxford Street. The venue, famous for helping to launch the Sex Pistols, faced closure not too long ago mostly due to high rent and low revenue. But, thanks to a recent sponsorship deal with Converse, the legendary venue will go on to exist for many years to come.

One of England’s most cherished concert halls is the Royal Albert Hall in the South Kensington area of London. The hall has been around since 1871, it was initiated by Prince Albert and completed by his wife, Queen Victoria. Inscribed upon the building is a historical note with Biblical quotations: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Music Festivals and Tours

March 8, 2011 By
Woodstock Festival

Woodstock Festival

Live performances come in many different forms. Music festivals are one of the most popular live performances, attracting thousands each year.Music festivals actually go back thousands of years and the earliest one officially on record is the Pythian Games at Delphi, as aside from the games, there were also musical performances.

Characteristically, music festivals usually run for several days and consist of a larger number of artists. Different from regular concerts, which usually stick to one particular genre of music or musician, festivals can cover a broader spectrum of music. Often, a music festival has a theme. The theme can be anything from a musical genre to nationality or locality of artists. Sometimes the theme is related to a holiday. Typically, as festivals are such a huge production, they are virtually always held outdoors.Festivals can be repeated at different intervals across the years or simply be one off productions, such as many rock festivals in the past. While some festivals are organized for profit, others are benefits for charitable causes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Concerts

March 4, 2011 By
Live Concert

Live Concert

Concerts, sometimes called shows or gigs, are usually live music performances on a stage in front of an audience. Concerts come in many forms; they may be performed by a single individual, orchestra, or musical band and in various settings. Live performances are sometimes held in private homes, small nightclubs, concert halls, parks, etc. and can be either outdoor or indoor. Concert tours are also a common and popular way of performing live, where bands travel the country, or the world, to perform at different locations.

Before modern day advances in music recording, concerts were the only option to listen to music, and the only way a musician could make a living. Yet, even with easy and affordable access to music now, live performances remain popular and in demand. Hundreds of thousands are spent on many popular performances and a ticket can often go for hundreds to thousands of U.S. dollars. The most expensive concert tickets ever sold were reportedly for Led Zeppelin’s reunion concert in 2007, which were auctioned for £83,000 for a pair. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , , ,

Underground Music Versus Popular

February 28, 2011 By
Underground Techno music

Underground Techno music

Many people prefer easy access mainstream music that they can get their hands on quickly. Some people do not have the time or interest to seek out less mainstream but equally enjoyable music. A good majority of listeners enjoy the simplicity of walking into the nearby media store and buying their favorite CD or listening to their favorite station on the radio. Other listeners prefer underground music that requires more effort to get to but has such special qualities, that the effort is worth it.

Popular music – different from the genre “pop music” – is music that reaches the largest possible audience by being distributed through the media industry. It is generally any genre of music but has a presence in mainstream media outlets, such as, the radio, television, media stores, and internet. Usually, what constitutes popular music is that it appeals to a large number of people and its sales are a clear indicator of its popularity, while it can be music aimed at any age group. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,

Music in the 20th and 21st Century

February 25, 2011 By
Lady Gaga - 21 century music

Lady Gaga - 21 century music

The 20th century saw the birth of new musical styles, genres, and instruments. Music in the 20th century took a different turn like many other popular activities and means of entertainment in the 20th century, thanks to the advances in technology.

With the invention of the radio and other ways to replay and distribute music, people started listening to music more and more, as the rich and poor alike now had similar access to music. Before, music was limited to concerts, opera houses, clubs, and playing music at home. Music artists were able to gain popularity quicker with easier and more convenient methods of transportation to perform and became easier access for their fans. By the 90s, music was easy to come by through the internet, where fans could download any number of songs in a very short period of time. Smaller and more portable modes of listening to music appeared in the 20th century, namely the walkman, then, CD players and finally, mp3 players. After the invention of the television, artists started making music videos, which in a sense, was a useful substitute for live performances.

With music and musicians becoming increasingly important facets of society in the 20th and 21st centuries, there became several magazines in circulation dedicated to music. Namely, Billboard magazine, founded in 1894, was the first music magazine to come into print and continues to be one of the most popular music magazines in the world. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , , ,

Music Up to the 19th Century

February 24, 2011 By
Divje Babe Flute

Divje Babe Flute

The word “music” originates from the Greek and means “(art) of the muses”. Music can be loosely defined as a form of art, which uses the medium sound for its execution. Ancient philosophers, up until modern times, debate what constitutes music but the musicologist, Jean-Jacques Nattiez, points out that with music, “…there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what music might be.”

Some speculate that the earliest instrument is thought to have been found in the northwest region of Slovenia, a Divje Babe flute, approximately 40,000 years old, carved out of a cave bear femur. The oldest and largest collection of musical instruments was found in China, dating back to 7000 and 6600 BC. Music is noted even during Biblical times in the form of litany, a form of worship consisting of a series of prayers or invocations. In the 800s, an Arab scholar, known as al-Farabi, played and came up with a variety of musical instruments and wrote a book titled “Great Book of Music”. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts