aoibgmmakerblog

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Piano Notes - How To Achieve Hand Independence on the Piano

"I'm losing the left-hand," cried one piano student. "Every time I try to add in my right hand, the left stops" exclaims another.

These are common complaints for students who wish to learn hand independence. And for most, this is a big problem. They want to play the piano with both hands playing different parts. But the main reason most piano students have problems with this is because they try to play too fast!

Hand independence is one area that takes some time (not too much time) but some time to achieve. And this too depends on how complicated the hands tasks are.

START OUT GOING SLOW!

For example, in the lesson "Winter Scene" we have a left hand ostinato pattern going while the right hand improvises a melody. This lesson uses just 2 chords in closed position. By giving you only 2 chords, I conveniently limit the left hand's ability to go all over the place.

You start out by going slow and easy until the left hand is so automatic that you can play the pattern while talking to someone. In fact, you should be able to keep the left hand going while doing anything else. That's how automatic it can become with a little practice. Then you add in the right hand to improvise a melody.

But here is where most students mess up. Why? Because they try to play something too complicated or sophisticated in the right hand. Here's the answer - go as slow as you need too to maintain the left hand! There's no need to rush. If all you can play is one note, then play that note. This isn't to say that you shouldn't play around with the possibilities and experiment with your right hand. It is to say that if you're a speed demon here, you're defeating your own purpose.

When a simple ostinato pattern becomes second nature, you can get more sophisticated in the left hand. For instance, in lesson 60 "Sea Caves," we use over an octave in the left hand while the right plays sixth notes and single note runs.

Hand independence is something you can achieve - but you must have patience. Slow and steady wins the race here lofi

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Can Music Help You Make Wise Decisions?

I think we've all experienced the truth that when we're emotionally upset, overwhelmed, or stressed, that is NOT a good time to make a decision. We may have all the numbers, the details, the analytics that we need, and yet if our heart is restless and unsettled it is close to impossible to make up our minds about anything, even something as simple as what we want to have for dinner!

Making good decisions depends on several factors: commonsense, insight, clear knowledge of the different factors (and, maybe, people) involved, etc. But I think that the most important prerequisite is high energy and a positive attitude. When you feel energetic and enthusiastic, and maintain a positive attitude, your mind will tend to see solutions, instead of problems; opportunities, instead of obstacles; success, instead of failure. You will therefore be able to attract the right answers and favorable circumstances, which will make it easier for you to make wise, insightful decisions.

What does music have to do with all this?

When you listen to the right kind of music, it will almost instantly uplift your energy, and put you in an open and receptive mode, where you can attract the solutions you need in order to be successful in whatever you're doing. Selecting the right piece of music, therefore, is vitally important. Just as the right music can quickly uplift you, the "wrong" song can pull your energy down and make you feel more and more depressed. Not a good place to be when making decisions!

The music that we perform, more than any other music I've encountered in my life, has this magnetic power to snap you out of a bad or depressed mood, and change your outlook on life in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds. This is why my wife, Bhagavati, and I have dedicated our lives to sharing this music with as many people as we can: to help them learn how to use music as a tool for finding happiness, which is the primary reason why its composer, Donald Walters, wrote it in the first place.

In our culture we're used to thinking of music mainly as entertainment. However, more and more studies are showing that music has the ability to affect not only our emotions, but also our psyche and moods. It's even been shown to have a positive effect on out blood pressure and heart beat. When music is composed with the clear INTENTION of helping people by raising their energy, the result is a powerful ally to face daily challenges and raise victoriously above them.

Does this sound like you?

You're eager to be more creative, connected and prosperous in your everyday life.

You've tried many different practices and techniques, but feel you should be experiencing still more joy and happiness in your life.

You're troubled by moods and struggle with the ups and downs of everyday challenges, and wonder if you'll ever be able to achieve a sense of inner stability and calmness.

related site work music

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Electronic Music History and Today's Best Modern Proponents!

Electronic music history pre-dates the rock and roll era by decades. Most of us were not even on this planet when it began its often obscure, under-appreciated and misunderstood development. Today, this 'other worldly' body of sound which began close to a century ago, may no longer appear strange and unique as new generations have accepted much of it as mainstream, but it's had a bumpy road and, in finding mass audience acceptance, a slow one.

Many musicians - the modern proponents of electronic music - developed a passion for analogue synthesizers in the late 1970's and early 1980's with signature songs like Gary Numan's breakthrough, 'Are Friends Electric?'. It was in this era that these devices became smaller, more accessible, more user friendly and more affordable for many of us. In this article I will attempt to trace this history in easily digestible chapters and offer examples of today's best modern proponents.

To my mind, this was the beginning of a new epoch. To create electronic music, it was no longer necessary to have access to a roomful of technology in a studio or live. Hitherto, this was solely the domain of artists the likes of Kraftwerk, whose arsenal of electronic instruments and custom built gadgetry the rest of us could only have dreamed of, even if we could understand the logistics of their functioning. Having said this, at the time I was growing up in the 60's & 70's, I nevertheless had little knowledge of the complexity of work that had set a standard in previous decades to arrive at this point.

The history of electronic music owes much to Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007). Stockhausen was a German Avante Garde composer and a pioneering figurehead in electronic music from the 1950's onwards, influencing a movement that would eventually have a powerful impact upon names such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Brain Eno, Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode, not to mention the experimental work of the Beatles' and others in the 1960's. His face is seen on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the Beatles' 1967 master Opus. Let's start, however, by traveling a little further back in time.

The Turn of the 20th Century

Time stood still for this stargazer when I originally discovered that the first documented, exclusively electronic, concerts were not in the 1970's or 1980's but in the 1920's!

The first purely electronic instrument, the Theremin, which is played without touch, was invented by Russian scientist and cellist, Lev Termen (1896-1993), circa 1919.

In 1924, the Theremin made its concert debut with the Leningrad Philharmonic. Interest generated by the theremin drew audiences to concerts staged across Europe and Britain. In 1930, the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, experienced a performance of classical music using nothing but a series of ten theremins. Watching a number of skilled musicians playing this eerie sounding instrument by waving their hands around its antennae must have been so exhilarating, surreal and alien for a pre-tech audience!

For those interested, check out the recordings of Theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore (1911-1998). Lithuanian born Rockmore (Reisenberg) worked with its inventor in New York to perfect the instrument during its early years and became its most acclaimed, brilliant and recognized performer and representative throughout her life.

In retrospect Clara, was the first celebrated 'star' of genuine electronic music. You are unlikely to find more eerie, yet beautiful performances of classical music on the Theremin. She's definitely a favorite of mine!

Electronic Music in Sci-Fi, Cinema and Television

Unfortunately, and due mainly to difficulty in skill mastering, the Theremin's future as a musical instrument was short lived. Eventually, it found a niche in 1950's Sci-Fi films. The 1951 cinema classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still", with a soundtrack by influential American film music composer Bernard Hermann (known for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", etc.), is rich with an 'extraterrestrial' score using two Theremins and other electronic devices melded with acoustic instrumentation.

Using the vacuum-tube oscillator technology of the Theremin, French cellist and radio telegraphist, Maurice Martenot (1898-1980), began developing the Ondes Martenot (in French, known as the Martenot Wave) in 1928.

Employing a standard and familiar keyboard which could be more easily mastered by a musician, Martenot's instrument succeeded where the Theremin failed in being user-friendly. In fact, it became the first successful electronic instrument to be used by composers and orchestras of its period until the present day.

It is featured on the theme to the original 1960's TV series "Star Trek", and can be heard on contemporary recordings by the likes of Radiohead and Brian Ferry.

The expressive multi-timbral Ondes Martenot, although monophonic, is the closest instrument of its generation I have heard which approaches the sound of modern synthesis.

"Forbidden Planet", released in 1956, was the first major commercial studio film to feature an exclusively electronic soundtrack… aside from introducing Robbie the Robot and the stunning Anne Francis! The ground-breaking score was produced by husband and wife team Louis and Bebe Barron who, in the late 1940's, established the first privately owned recording studio in the USA recording electronic experimental artists such as the iconic John Cage (whose own Avante Garde work challenged the definition of music itself!).

The Barrons are generally credited for having widening the application of electronic music in cinema. A soldering iron in one hand, Louis built circuitry which he manipulated to create a plethora of bizarre, 'unearthly' effects and motifs for the movie. Once performed, these sounds could not be replicated as the circuit would purposely overload, smoke and burn out to produce the desired sound result.

Consequently, they were all recorded to tape and Bebe sifted through hours of reels edited what was deemed usable, then re-manipulated these with delay and reverberation and creatively dubbed the end product using multiple tape decks.

In addition to this laborious work method, I feel compelled to include that which is, arguably, the most enduring and influential electronic Television signature ever: the theme to the long running 1963 British Sci-Fi adventure series, "Dr. Who". It was the first time a Television series featured a solely electronic theme. The theme to "Dr. Who" was created at the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop using tape loops and test oscillators to run through effects, record these to tape, then were re-manipulated and edited by another Electro pioneer, Delia Derbyshire, interpreting the composition of Ron Grainer.

As you can see, electronic music's prevalent usage in vintage Sci-Fi was the principle source of the general public's perception of this music as being 'other worldly' and 'alien-bizarre sounding'. This remained the case till at least 1968 with the release of the hit album "Switched-On Bach" performed entirely on a Moog modular synthesizer by Walter Carlos (who, with a few surgical nips and tucks, subsequently became Wendy Carlos).

The 1970's expanded electronic music's profile with the break through of bands like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, and especially the 1980's when it found more mainstream acceptance.

The Mid 1900's: Musique Concrete

In its development through the 1900's, electronic music was not solely confined to electronic circuitry being manipulated to produce sound. Back in the 1940's, a relatively new German invention - the reel-to-reel tape recorder developed in the 1930's - became the subject of interest to a number of Avante Garde European composers, most notably the French radio broadcaster and composer Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1995) who developed a montage technique he called Musique Concrete.

Musique Concrete (meaning 'real world' existing sounds as opposed to artificial or acoustic ones produced by musical instruments) broadly involved the splicing together of recorded segments of tape containing 'found' sounds - natural, environmental, industrial and human - and manipulating these with effects such as delay, reverb, distortion, speeding up or slowing down of tape-speed (varispeed), reversing, etc.

Stockhausen actually held concerts utilizing his Musique Concrete works as backing tapes (by this stage electronic as well as 'real world' sounds were used on the recordings) on top of which live instruments would be performed by classical players responding to the mood and motifs they were hearing!

Musique Concrete had a wide impact not only on Avante Garde and effects libraries, but also on the contemporary music of the 1960's and 1970's. Important works to check are the Beatles' use of this method in ground-breaking tracks like 'Tomorrow Never Knows', 'Revolution No. 9' and 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite', as well as Pink Floyd albums "Umma Gumma", "Dark Side of the Moon" and Frank Zappa's "Lumpy Gravy". All used tape cut-ups and home-made tape loops often fed live into the main mixdown.

Today this can be performed with simplicity using digital sampling, but yesterday's heroes labored hours, days and even weeks to perhaps complete a four minute piece! For those of us who are contemporary musicians, understanding the history of electronic music helps in appreciating the quantum leap technology has taken in the recent period. But these early innovators, these pioneers - of which there are many more down the line - and the important figures they influenced that came before us, created the revolutionary groundwork that has become our electronic musical heritage today and for this I pay them homage!

1950's: The First Computer and Synth Play Music

Moving forward a few years to 1957 and enter the first computer into the electronic mix. As you can imagine, it wasn't exactly a portable laptop device but consumed a whole room and user friendly wasn't even a concept. Nonetheless creative people kept pushing the boundaries. One of these was Max Mathews (1926 -) from Bell Telephone Laboratories, New Jersey, who developed Music 1, the original music program for computers upon which all subsequent digital synthesis has its roots based. Mathews, dubbed the 'Father of Computer Music', using a digital IBM Mainframe, was the first to synthesize music on a computer.

In the climax of Stanley Kubrik's 1968 movie '2001: A Space Odyssey', use is made of a 1961 Mathews' electronic rendition of the late 1800's song 'Daisy Bell'. Here the musical accompaniment is performed by his programmed mainframe together with a computer-synthesized human 'singing' voice technique pioneered in the early 60's. In the movie, as HAL the computer regresses, 'he' reverts to this song, an homage to 'his' own origins.

1957 also witnessed the first advanced synth, the RCA Mk II Sound Synthesizer (an improvement on the 1955 original). It also featured an electronic sequencer to program music performance playback. This massive RCA Synth was installed, and still remains, at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, New York, where the legendary Robert Moog worked for a while. Universities and Tech laboratories were the main home for synth and computer music experimentation in that early era.

1960's: The Dawning of The Age of Moog

The logistics and complexity of composing and even having access to what were, until then, musician unfriendly synthesizers, led to a demand for more portable playable instruments. One of the first to respond, and definitely the most successful, was Robert Moog (1934-2005). His playable synth employed the familiar piano style keyboard.

Moog's bulky telephone-operators' cable plug-in type of modular synth was not one to be transported and set up with any amount of ease or speed! But it received an enormous boost in popularity with the success of Walter Carlos, as previously mentioned, in 1968. His LP (Long Player) best seller record "Switched-On Bach" was unprecedented because it was the first time an album appeared of fully synthesized music, as opposed to experimental sound pieces.

The album was a complex classical music performance with various multi-tracks and overdubs necessary, as the synthesizer was only monophonic! Carlos also created the electronic score for "A Clockwork Orange", Stanley Kubrik's disturbing 1972 futuristic film.

From this point, the Moog synth is prevalent on a number of late 1960's contemporary albums. In 1967 the Monkees' "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd" became the first commercial pop album release to feature the modular Moog. In fact, singer/drummer Mickey Dolenz purchased one of the very first units sold.

It wasn't until the early 1970's, however, when the first Minimoog appeared that interest seriously developed amongst musicians. This portable little unit with a fat sound had a significant impact becoming part of live music kit for many touring musicians for years to come. Other companies such as Sequential Circuits, Roland and Korg began producing their own synths, giving birth to a music subculture.

I cannot close the chapter on the 1960's, however, without reference to the Mellotron. This electronic-mechanical instrument is often viewed as the primitive precursor to the modern digital sampler.

Developed in early 1960's Britain and based on the Chamberlin (a cumbersome US-designed instrument from the previous decade), the Mellotron keyboard triggered pre-recorded tapes, each key corresponding to the equivalent note and pitch of the pre-loaded acoustic instrument.

The Mellotron is legendary for its use on the Beatles' 1966 song 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. A flute tape-bank is used on the haunting introduction played by Paul McCartney.

The instrument's popularity burgeoned and was used on many recordings of the era such as the immensely successful Moody Blues epic 'Nights in White Satin'. The 1970's saw it adopted more and more by progressive rock bands. Electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream featured it on their early albums.

With time and further advances in microchip technology though, this charming instrument became a relic of its period.

1970's: The Birth of Vintage Electronic Bands

The early fluid albums of Tangerine Dream such as "Phaedra" from 1974 and Brian Eno's work with his self-coined 'ambient music' and on David Bowie's "Heroes" album, further drew interest in the synthesizer from both musicians and audience.

Kraftwerk, whose 1974 seminal album "Autobahn" achieved international commercial success, took the medium even further adding precision, pulsating electronic beats and rhythms and sublime synth melodies. Their minimalism suggested a cold, industrial and computerized-urban world. They often utilized vocoders and speech synthesis devices such as the gorgeously robotic 'Speak and Spell' voice emulator, the latter being a children's learning aid!

While inspired by the experimental electronic works of Stockhausen, as artists, Kraftwerk were the first to successfully combine all the elements of electronically generated music and noise and produce an easily recognizable song format. The addition of vocals in many of their songs, both in their native German tongue and English, helped earn them universal acclaim becoming one of the most influential contemporary music pioneers and performers of the past half-century.

Kraftwerk's 1978 gem 'Das Modell' hit the UK number one spot with a reissued English language version, 'The Model', in February 1982, making it one of the earliest Electro chart toppers!

Ironically, though, it took a movement that had no association with EM (Electronic Music) to facilitate its broader mainstream acceptance. The mid 1970's punk movement, primarily in Britain, brought with it a unique new attitude: one that gave priority to self-expression rather than performance dexterity and formal training, as embodied by contemporary progressive rock musicians. The initial aggression of metallic punk transformed into a less abrasive form during the late 1970's: New Wave. This, mixed with the comparative affordability of many small, easy to use synthesizers, led to the commercial synth explosion of the early 1980's.

A new generation of young people began to explore the potential of these instruments and began to create soundscapes challenging the prevailing perspective of contemporary music. This didn't arrive without battle scars though. The music industry establishment, especially in its media, often derided this new form of expression and presentation and was anxious to consign it to the dustbin of history.

1980's: The First Golden Era of Electronic Music for the Masses

Gary Numan became arguably the first commercial synth megastar with the 1979 "Tubeway Army" hit 'Are Friends Electric?'. The Sci-Fi element is not too far away once again. Some of the imagery is drawn from the Science Fiction classic, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?". The 1982 hit film "Blade Runner" was also based on the same book.

Although 'Are Friends Electric?' featured conventional drum and bass backing, its dominant use of Polymoogs gives the song its very distinctive sound. The recording was the first synth-based release to achieve number one chart status in the UK during the post-punk years and helped usher in a new genre. No longer was electronic and/or synthesizer music consigned to the mainstream sidelines. Exciting!

Further developments in affordable electronic technology placed electronic squarely in the hands of young creators and began to transform professional studios.

Designed in Australia in 1978, the Fairlight Sampler CMI became the first commercially available polyphonic digital sampling instrument but its prohibitive cost saw it solely in use by the likes of Trevor Horn, Stevie Wonder and Peter Gabriel. By mid-decade, however, smaller, cheaper instruments entered the market such as the ubiquitous Akai and Emulator Samplers often used by musicians live to replicate their studio-recorded sounds. The Sampler revolutionized the production of music from this point on.

In most major markets, with the qualified exception of the US, the early 1980's was commercially drawn to electro-influenced artists. This was an exciting era for many of us, myself included. I know I wasn't alone in closeting the distorted guitar and amps and immersing myself into a new universe of musical expression - a sound world of the abstract and non traditional.

At home, Australian synth based bands Real Life ('Send Me An Angel', "Heartland" album), Icehouse ('Hey Little Girl') and Pseudo Echo ('Funky Town') began to chart internationally, and more experimental electronic outfits like Severed Heads and SPK also developed cult followings overseas.

But by mid-decade the first global electronic wave lost its momentum amidst resistance fomented by an unrelenting old school music media. Most of the artists that began the decade as predominantly electro-based either disintegrated or heavily hybrid their sound with traditional rock instrumentation.

The USA, the largest world market in every sense, remained in the conservative music wings for much of the 1980's. Although synth-based records did hit the American charts, the first being Human League's 1982 US chart topper 'Don't You Want Me Baby?', on the whole it was to be a few more years before the American mainstream embraced electronic music, at which point it consolidated itself as a dominant genre for musicians and audiences alike, worldwide.

1988 was somewhat of a watershed year for electronic music in the US. Often maligned in the press in their early years, it was Depeche Mode that unintentionally - and mostly unaware - spearheaded this new assault. From cult status in America for much of the decade, their new high-play rotation on what was now termed Modern Rock radio resulted in mega stadium performances. An Electro act playing sold out arenas was not common fare in the USA at that time!

In 1990, fan pandemonium in New York to greet the members at a central record shop made TV news, and their "Violator" album outselling Madonna and Prince in the same year made them a US household name. Electronic music was here to stay, without a doubt!

1990's Onward: The Second Golden Era of Electronic Music for the Masses

Before our 'star music' secured its hold on the US mainstream, and while it was losing commercial ground elsewhere throughout much of the mid 1980's, Detroit and Chicago became unassuming laboratories for an explosion of Electronic Music which would see out much of the 1990's and onwards. Enter Techno and House.

Detroit in the 1980's, a post-Fordism US industrial wasteland, produced the harder European influenced Techno. In the early to mid 80's, Detroiter Juan Atkins, an obsessive Kraftwerk fan, together with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson - using primitive, often borrowed equipment - formed the backbone of what would become, together with House, the predominant music club-culture throughout the world. Heavily referenced artists that informed early Techno development were European pioneers such as the aforementioned Kraftwerk, as well as Yello and British Electro acts the likes of Depeche Mode, Human League, Heaven 17, New Order and Cabaret Voltaire.

Chicago, a four-hour drive away, simultaneously saw the development of House. The name is generally considered to be derived from "The Warehouse" where various DJ-Producers featured this new music amalgam. House has its roots in 1970's disco and, unlike Techno, usually has some form of vocal. I think Giorgio Moroder's work in the mid 70's with Donna Summer, especially the song 'I Feel Love', is pivotal in appreciating the 70's disco influences upon burgeoning Chicago House.

A myriad of variants and sub genres have developed since - crossing the Atlantic, reworked and back again - but in many ways the popular success of these two core forms revitalized the entire Electronic landscape and its associated social culture. Techno and House helped to profoundly challenge mainstream and Alternative Rock as the preferred listening choice for a new generation: a generation who has grown up with electronic music and accepts it as a given. For them, it is music that has always been.

The history of electronic music continues to be written as technology advances and people's expectations of where music can go continues to push it forward, increasing its vocabulary and lexicon.

Related Site study music

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Would You Like To Heal Yourself With Music Or Sounds?

Dr. Andrew Weil and Kimba Arem in "Self-Healing With Sounds and Music" explained how there are energy centers in the body should be in balance. If the energy gets off balance, it causes disturbances of our health and illness in the body. We need to be sensitive to the sounds we are letting into our day and judge whether they are doing us good or causing agitation and imbalances.

Indian and Chinese Medicine uses energy centers, chakras, in the body that could get out of balance and cause illnesses and disturbances. We have the medium of music that is free and an inexpensive way to effective way to transform your mood or restore us psychologically.

The Gregorian chanting and playing the gong are very powerful ways that heal our bodies through vibrations. I love the meditation, relaxation part of my Kundalini yoga class when the teacher plays the gong.

Our whole world is vibrations, like alpha, beta, delta, theta waves. Sound affects our minds and bodies very much. Take note that our bodies are made up of 70% water.

Prayer is word that words that vibrate and heal our balance or bring enlightenment to the brain. If we play relaxation music, it will soothe us. If we play loud, blaring music, it will agitate us and maybe cause us anxiety.

So how do you think this healing is taken place through sounds? All matter vibrates, like visible light and invisible cosmic rays. I am suggesting that we get healed through vibrations.

God created the Universe with it's own healing mechanism. In India, people chant OM for their healing and connection with the universe. The Western World doctors do not recognize the energy that the Eastern style of medicine admits and lives by.

Sounds do have a very strong affect on us, calming agitating us. We must be sure we subject ourselves to sounds that heal us, if possible. You should pay close attention to sounds you are hearing a they affect the subconscious as well.

Check this out BGM

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Stress Relief and Music

Stress. It affects us all. The noise. The emotional upsets. The rapidly approaching holiday season that we're all supposed to smile our way through.

Thankfully, one of the ways we can relieve stress is by putting on some relaxing music. Some love to listen to nature sounds. Some quiet piano music. Whatever you are attracted to, take a minute to sit down, close your eyes, and listen.

Your heart rate and breathing will start to slow down along with your thoughts. As you tune in to the sound of the music, you let go of the cares and concerns of the outer world. Now, an inner journey begins to take place.

After listening for a few minutes, you find yourself feeling refreshed and renewed, as if a blanket of sound has washed you clean. And all you had to do was put a CD in your player. Listening to music is a great way to reduce stress levels. Playing music can actually reduce stress even further.

As we approach our chosen instrument, we settle into a happy routine that always brings us comfort and joy. As a piano player, I love preparing to play. The act of sliding the bench out, of touching the keys and placing my hands on a chord all contribute to a calming ritual that allows me to relax and unwind. And then as I play, cares and concerns of this world slowly drop off my shoulders and I am transported into a place where peace is present.

For more info asmr

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Transforming Power of Soaking Music

Every day (hundreds of times a day) we are bombarded with advertising messages at nearly every turn. Buy this shampoo: feel more youthful, happy. Buy this deodorant: run like Flo Jo and never let them see you sweat. Buy this furniture: host beautiful parties and amass great wealth.

Seems ridiculous when you see it in plain print but when the message is subtly draped in gorgeous images and heart-pumping music, we start to believe that whatever we feel is missing in our lives can be purchased at the nearest mall.

The messages are almost unavoidable, we've come to expect them on TV commercials, newspaper ads and billboards but did you ever guess they'd be posted on the inner door of the restroom stall? How about on the floor of the stores we walk through? Now removable decals or even light generated slide shows of sorts are emblazoned on the flooring of shopping centers coast to coast. So if you happen to glance down as you're walking - they'll tell you what else you're missing before you leave the store. Something's missing alright - but it can't be purchased at the grocery market, Nordstrom or even Target (and they sell everything!)

As much as we're emerged in messages about what's missing in our lives, we need to diligently immerse ourselves in messages telling us what's not missing - what's true. Soaking Music is the answer. If you're not familiar with the term, soaking music is designed to bring the listener into God's presence and encourage them with words (inspired from Scripture) that remind us of God's love, faithfulness, constant presence and care. These affirming words are all set over tranquil relaxation music. The concept is that you "soak" in words which reflect God's love, blessing and healing.

Imagine hearing a calm and soothing voice say (to you!): You were fearfully and wonderfully made. God purposely chose the exact time of your birth. You were made in God's image. Not one word about bouncing behaving hair or Spring Rain scents emitting from you as you run a 5K race. Just plain, beautiful, Scripture-based truth about who you are and who you were meant to be.

To me the title Soaking Music is just right. It naturally evokes images of water and being surrounded. Isn't that just what we need? To be surrounded by eternal truths about ourselves instead of perceived shortcomings or some lack in us. As far as I'm concerned there really isn't anything better than a really hot bath on a cold and tired day. And so it is with our need to soak in the presence of our Lord. We're cold from the world's (and our own) misperceptions about ourselves, and we need a good old soak in the tub of truth!

It's unfortunate that most of us have an easier time believing something unkind or unflattering about ourselves than a word of blessing. Guess that's why we need to hear the good stuff over and over and over again in order for it to sink in. Yet if we hear a harsh word spoken about us one time it make take weeks or even years for us to erase that wound from our hearts.

For those of us who love to be good in standing with others (we're called People Pleasers by the psychologists among us) we just love to know that everyone around us is happy with us - approves of us. But low and behold this just can't be true all of the time since we're mere mortals and so are they. Their perceptions are marred by their own shortcomings and our attempts to please man before God will never leave us feeling full. There's such a good reason that the Lord tells us not to seek the praise of men. It will fall short every time. But if we seek to please Him and even more importantly, remember that He is always pleased with us, we'll cease striving, relax and pour in some more bubbles.

The truth is the Holy God of all humankind wants to make your day. He wants to speak words of love and life over little old you. It's an incredible concept - one which can both humble and buoy you in the same instant. We need to know that God chose us when He planned creation (really!), that we are miracles, that we delight Him, that He is always with us. But how on this green earth are we ever going to remember that when we're not "tuning" in to His truth? Sadly, we'll have a hard time missing the all-too-present messages that we're not getting any younger, thinner, cuter as the moments pass us by. But we may miss the most amazing message of all if we don't make a concerted effort to hear it.

So here's your 99th advertising encouragement for the day (and hopefully the most compelling) get some Bible-based soaking music and turn it on. Soak in the truths that the King of Kings has for you. It's the real thing, you deserve a break today, because you're worth it, it's how you spell relief; He keeps going and going and going. Never again will you be asking: "Where's the beef?" You'll be so full of beautiful truths about yourself you'll run like a Deer.

Check out this site relax music

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Music in Restaurants: 5 Tips for Getting It Right

Music in restaurants can often be a disaster; a great dining experience is not just about the food, as any diner will tell you.

It is also about the ambience of the restaurant…its decor, the service and the vibe; The vibe is defined by the music the restaurateurs choose to play throughout the evening and this is a real skill that in our experience many restaurants get badly wrong.

We recently ate in a Michelin Star restaurant in the West Country (UK) and our (superb) meal was accompanied by Beethoven`s 5th!! and not just once… the restaurant played it 3 times during the course of our night with them. It was so bad it was funny but actually we would not return to that restaurant because of it

And there lies the issue; Get the music right in your restaurant and you will get diners staying longer, chilling more, spending more, recommending the restaurant to friends, and coming back themselves; quite a result!!

So here are our 5 best tips for getting it right in your restaurant:

Get your attitude right as a restaurateur. Running a successful restaurant is not just about the food, although of course you have to deliver great food as the starting point. Once you embrace the idea that your great food, service and decor must be accompanied by the creation of a great vibe, then you are well on the way. This attitude is crucial and must come from the boss and once implemented will make a huge difference to your restaurant, its repeat business and, as a result of recommendations from diners, its turnover.

Dont leave the music choices to your staff. This is a classic and very common mistake made by restaurateurs. The boss doesnt necessarily feel he or she knows enough about music so leave the choice to a young member of staff, maybe a waiter or waitress. Diners are therefore subjected to totally inappropriate music that happens to be on the iPod of an enthusiastic waiter! Wrong! Take control of this 'loose cannon' approach and get in the driving seat of music choices for your restaurant.

Decide on what 'genre' of music suits your restaurant. You dont need to be a music expert to get this right; just trust your instinct and use some common sense; you wouldnt, after all play Italian Folk Music in an Indian Restaurant would you? And you will have a sense of what genre/style of music is right for your restaurant even if you don`t know the specific music yourself… so maybe chilled classical is right for your restaurant, or smooth jazz, or romantic songs or authentic ethnic international… Italian, Indian, Chinese etc.

Get your sound system right. This is really easy to get right and is not at all expensive. You don`t need to spend a fortune, but simply need a basic CD Player or MP3 player (like an iPod) and a few SMALL speakers dotted around your restaurant, maybe with a couple of quiet spots for diners who would rather not be in direct line of your music. This sort of system is dead easy to install these days with the ability to 'daisy chain' one speaker to the next, in sequence or even with wireless speakers that require no cables at all.

Find an efficient way of sourcing your preferred genre. Find here relax music

[aoibgmmakerblog]

Chill Wave Music: Changing the Electronic Genre

It can be tough trying to find that one sound that stands out from the rest of a certain genre. Especially when it comes to any electronic or chill wave style of music. It has become increasingly difficult to find an original artist that wants to tread his/her own path in the genre. Generic beats, easy synthesizing, and very bad lyrics in some cases, have lead to the overall downfall of the electronic genre.

The latest trend in the electronic music genre is chill wave. Chill wave is laid back tones, and very subtle bass. It is extremely relaxing style of electronic that is very thought out and actually a very big work of art. No generic bombastic beats, no bad lyrics, no mainstream sounding music. It is 100% art.

One of the break through artists in this sub genre of electronic music is Tycho. As Tycho, Hansen blends swirling melodies into vaguely triumphant arcs that crisscross between stuttering beats and vocal samples, creating rolling sonic landscapes that extend into the horizon.

His album Dive encompasses all of the great aspects of what makes Tycho such a great artist. From the moment you begin to listen, you hear something that your ears have been dying for. The layers and laid back tone within Dive make it such an easy listen, and is one of the best chill wave albums out there.

Another artist that has began to make a scene in chill wave is Teen Daze. When I first began to listen to him, I started to get the same kinda of vibes that I had gotten from Tycho. Very chilled out tones, with very subtle bass line that could really relax you in any kind of mood. It is definitely a change of pace from the bombastic sounds of the regular techno/electronic music on the radio and mainstream. It is also hypnotizing how relaxed this album is at times.

At times the album can be almost too laid back in the vibes and tones that it has, but all in all the album is absolute gold if you are looking for an artist who wants to become someone on his own and make his own footprint in the world of electronic music.

These are just a couple of examples of where the genre of electronic music is heading. With chill wave, artists now are creating actual artists music, using sounds and samples of around the world to create there music. The future is bright for electronic music genre!

Related Site: Aoi BGM Maker