Tag Archives: History

Significance Of Music History Explained

Learning history of any subject may seem dull and boring, but nevertheless it is very important for the students. The importance of music should be taught to kids from an early age, and this has been validated and supported by neurological analysis of children, who were exposed to music before the age of four. Music fathoms expression in most primordial forms. Children simply enjoy making peculiar noises and sounds. If while teaching history, they are taught how to make musical sounds, what produces good sounds and how to recognize a good sound, then the significance behind learning music could be adequately built up in them.

Music has the power to improve other subjects in school. A music class could act upon as an enhancement class. Apart from that, reading music really helps in familiarizing the students to letters, which in turn, helps them to build up a habit of reading. With every type of music such as baroque, romantic, classical etc. having their own local and historical characteristics, teaching music history throws up information regarding composers, lyricists, and singers from these genres.

With the electronic media making stamping its existence in every family, the students’ minds are often saturated with songs that even adults cannot interpret. Music history teaching often leads to learning songs with straightforward lyrics. There are several individuals who fail to appreciate the significance of teaching history of music to children. Worse still, they see no motive behind including music in a school curriculum.

However, majority of those possessing such an idea can’t deliberately understand living without music. Numerous administrators see music as some co-curricular activity, overlooking its critical ingredients. However, care needs to be taken to see that these classes don’t end up being long lectures with bored eyed students yawning. Make it pleasant with inter spread games and exciting quizzes.

Teaching Music History in Music Education classes needn’t be always boring. It can be made very exciting and fun. To know more about how to teach music history in a simple and interesting manner, Click Here.

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Coming Into Its Own: A History of Techno Music

The early 80’s saw the beginning of modern techno music. Though electronic music was already beginning to rise in popularity via new advances in technology and disco, techno really didn’t begin to develop until this time. Early techno music began as being a series of regularly driven beats that were put together with distorted and synth sequences. Not many people realize this, but Detroit is known for being the birthplace of modern techno music as we know it.

The early greats or the grandfathers of techno music were producers such as Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, and Juan Atkins. Known together as the “Belleville Three,” they produced music for the club scene and co-opped the styles of early German musicians Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. For the duration of the 80’s, techno remained very much an underground scene, though it was very popular in New York and Chicago clubs.

In Detroit, most of the early techno musicians used cheap or used electronic instruments to make new sounds. These methods typically weren’t the way that the original instrument was intended to work, but the sound that evolved this way was unique and all its own. Science fiction and other futuristic themes became staples of inspiration and the sound that came forth changed the music scene in subtle ways at first.

Detroit was already beginning to decline, and the industrial areas where techno music was produced and played seemed a stark contrast to the upbeat, driven music. Juan Atkins said of early techno, “It’s an attitude to making music that sounds futuristic, something that hasn’t been done before.”

Cybotron was one of the first artists to make the mainstream. “Alleys of Your Mind” became a very popular song but still, the genre hadn’t exploded into popularity. In 1988, however, a compilation album called “Techno! The New Dance Sound” gave the music style a boost and really began to shape the future of the genre itself. By the early nineties, Europeans had taken a strong liking to the style, and it became much more popular overseas than in the US. Electronica was already big overseas and this made a great deal of sense. However, something happened in the 90’s that would suddenly skyrocket the genre’s popularity in the US as well.

During the 90s, parties known as raves became very popular. Initially an underground thing, these were parties where continuous mixes of different sounds and electronic music played. Almost entirely dance parties, raves gained popularity and notoriety rather quickly. The Detroit Electronic Music Festival suddenly began to thrive in 2000, and fans from all over the world came to enjoy this free dance party.

For more information or for questions on buying or selling used Techno, Dance and House CDs, visit www.used-techno.com. If you have any questions please email at customerservice@secondspin.com.

 

Brad Parmerter has almost 20 years experience in the music and entertainment industry as a writer, programmer, and merchandiser. He has professionally interviewed and photographed such artists as: Rush, Metallica, Celine Dion, Live, Phil Collins, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Live, Van Halen, Queensryche, Anna Nalick, Styx, Def Leppard, and many more.

Please visit SecondSpin.com for all of your entertainment needs.

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A Brief History Of Trance Music

Music production by-in-large has always been a coupling of arrangement and mixing of tracks once the arrangement was complete. With the emergence of synthesizers; or “synthes”, throughout the 1970’s and 80’s sounds once thought unattainable using physical instruments became possible. Despite this innovation, early producers used synthes to manipulate pre-recorded tracks rather than basing their music on the sounds they could produce on their own. In the late 1970’s French composer Jean Michel Jarre changed this practice when he used tracks for his album Oxygene created solely by a synth and thus the “electronica” sound was born. The new sound which had garnered great praise from the European musicians would gain U.S. popularity and yet another incarnation with the “new wave” movement of the 1980’s. Artist like Gary Numan, and Devo brought their own styles the genre.

While the sound had evolved steadily over two decades there was still a co-dependency between man and machine made music. This would transition in the early 90’s when “trance” music explode onto the world stage via the Germany club scene. A hybrid of house and techno, trance provided bands like The Disco Biscuits an audience for their music thought to be a fad. However, the success of the genre, now vastly instrumental, limited production to a heavily equip studio. The new millennium would see this problem expelled, as music once again met technology. The innovations of the home computer; and music creation software, took production out of the studio.

With all of the software available the pioneer has to be Ableton. Started in 1999; based in Trance birthplace Germany, Ableton released their first version Ableton Live in 2001. The software is unique as it works for traditional studio production but has Ableton live templates the can be utilized during a live show as well. Ableton live templates create the flexibility for DJ’s and artist to adjust their playlist to the venue and the minimal equipment needed favours mobility. Now on version 8, the company continues to flourish.

From the synthesizer to the Ableton live templates it appears trance music is here to stay!

Mark is a avid DJ who loves to remix and make tracks with various music loop Sample Packs and ableton live templates. Mark works for DMS in the UK who sell various Acapella MIDI Files and audio samples. Click for more information and free DJ samples on the DMS site.

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The History Of Gospel Music

At churches all across the United States, Gospel Choirs have spread Joy and inspiration for Hundreds of years. Each Sunday people are clapping hands and dancing to the sound of Gospel lyrics, but why? What is it about the Gospel Song lyrics that moves people to such levels of ecstasy? Is it the words? Is it the surrounding? And where does it all come from?

Although the the church and worship are over 2000 years old, we can only trace Gospel music to the 18th century. Gospel Song Lyrics are very repetitive. Many believe this comes from the slave times when blacks were not able to read, this allowed them also to take part in the worship. The worship services also played a big role in reinforcing the slavery indoctrination, as the sermons were often taken from St. Paul which talked about: good servants, loving, obeying and trusting ones master. The hymns of the white master became the backdrop for the music of the enslaved Africans which later they used in worship meetings.
The Beginnings

The person who many consider to be the father of Gospel Music, Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993) was fittingly the son of a Baptist minister, and played with the most famous blues singers of all time-specifically, Bessie Smith (1894-1937) and Ma Rainey (1886-1939). Ironically his fist love was Blues and Ragtime. After two nevervous breakdowns in 1928, He decided to take a break from the music business and that is where he began to change his direction to religious composing. 1932 Dorsey organized one of the fist Gospel Choirs in Chicago at the Pilgrim Baptist Church. It was here that Dorsey began to write religious music, although he did abandon his style of bright or gaudy lyrics, the rhythmic style of jazz and his love of the blues flavor stayed. But not everyone was overjoyed with the new style of the gospel music, some of the old guard conservatives labeled it the devils music and shunned it. But, he stayed true to his music and lived long enough to write over 800 songs and hear his musics ascend from the first row pews to the choir stand, where it previously had been banned. To insure this, Dorsey founded The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1932, an organization still in existence today.

A 1994 Score magazine article titled The Father of Gospel Music quoted Dorsey as saying, When I realized how hard some folks were fighting the gospel idea, I was determined to carry the banner.
Carry it he did. I borrowed five dollars and sent out 500 copies of my song, If You See My Savior, to churches throughout the country. It was three years before I got a single order. I felt like going back to the blues.
Many Famous Singers have their roots in Gospel Music

Once Gospel music was defined as religious, but gospel has moved to the mainstream and has its mark on all other types of music and popular culture. The list of singers who got their start in music from singing in the choir is way to long to even begin to write down in this small space but just to get an idea of what legends started out with the gospel song lyrics before moving on to other genres of music are Superstars in pop and soul such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston or Mary J. Blidge. Also Country stars like Tennessee-Ernie-Williams and Glen Camble and yes even the king himself Elvis Presley started with gospel music.
The Most Famous Gospel Choir

Probably the most famous Gospel choir is the Harlem Gospel Choir It was founded in 1986 and has spent the better part of the last 25 years touring the country raising money for children charities and spreading the love of gospel music to millions of people. Allen Baily was the founder and he got the idea while attending a celebration to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. At the Cotton Club in Harlem.The Choir includes some of the best singers and musians from black churches in Harlem and the Greater New York area. The choirs main goal is to create a better understanding of the African-American culture & the inspirational music called Gospel as it relates to the Black Church. But, certainly the music is for everyone. If you see a concert in your area its always a good recommendation to attend this gospel celebration of singing and dancing!.
Todays Gospel Music

Gospel Music has branched out in so many directions over the years. Now Christian rock is the new age of music and the singers are listed weekly on the bill board gospel charts. There is a GMA (Gospel Music association) it has become a multi million dollar business as well. But no mater how the sound changes over the years, the roots will always be from heart and soul of the black American slaves that started this wonderful sound.

Sam Hugh is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several subjects including book publishing.
You can get more information on Gospel song lyrics at Gospel Song Lyrics or Botanische Grten Deutschlands

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A History of Techno Music

Irrespective what end of the spectrum of techno music, whether you love it or hate it, chances are you don’t know a thing about its history and even less about what has made it one of the most popular forms of electronic music today.

Whilst techno is without doubt most popular in Europe today, techno music in fact originated from a Detroit Michigan during the 1980’s. Although Detroit is far more famous for exporting cars rather than music, the vast array of techno music genres we listen to today are variants on the original style of “Detroit Techno.” (Ironically Eminem, one of the 2000’s biggest names in rap music who openly hates techno music also comes from the same city)
The pioneers of techno music are without question the Belleville 3, given that label by adoring fans because they all attended Belleville High School, who’s first 3 albums popularised the fledgling genre of music.

However the main reason for the growth in techno music during this period was the fact that synthesizers and sequencers required to produce techno music became increasingly affordable. As a result, experimentation with techno music became increasingly popular within Detroit, in particular by those not wishing to follow the mainstream music of the time.
It wasn’t long before the techno music genre started to make inroads into Europe, with Germany and England becoming early adopters of this new style. When the Berlin wall fell in 1989, techno music exploded in German bars, nightclubs and underground venues, the most famous of which was UFO, hosted by DJ Westbaume and DJ Maute. This underground venue would be the first steps to founding the most epic festival of techno music being The Love Parade.

With the growth in techno music in bars and nightclubs, various genres started to make a name for themselves and create their own following. He various genres of Trance music (hard trance, progressive trance, acid trance, uplifting trance) all have their origins in Detroit techno. Mainstream music also became heavily influence by techno, in particular with “techno remixes” of pop, hip hop, RnB and rap music.

Today techno music is without question the most popular genre of electronic music, so much so that it is often mistaken by newbie’s as the name for electronic music itself with DJs and groups such as the Aphex Twins, Basshunter, Daft Punk and DJ Rush pushing techno music into the mainstream.

 

BY Ben King For Melbourne Bars and Function Rooms

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A History of the Development of Synthesizers

Synthesizers are instruments that help people create and then play various sounds. These tools generally require external sound boxes, but not all the models are the same. They come with many different features, functions and capabilities. There are three main categories these musical tools fall into: analog, software and digital. With an analog synthesizer the sound waves are modeled in continuous voltages at various proportions, while a digital one will use separate information units. And lastly, a software synthesizer uses specialized software for mixing sounds.

Nevertheless, these three types can be assimilated, creating a hybrid synthesizer, with different synthesis methods and techniques, such as subtractive, physical modeling, granular, phase distortion, sample based, additive, frequency modulation and sub-harmonic synthesis.

The first electronic synthesizer was invented in 1876 by Elisha Gray. After this, many other experiments started to take place, and so different types of syntheiszers have been invented.  For instance, the Microtonal Electronic keyboard was invented in 1937 by Ivor Darreg, while the ANS model was developed by a scientist named Evgeny Murzin. Presently, this last model is still preserved at Moscow’s Lomonosov University.

After the year 1960, the development of such gadgets had significantly increased in intensity. However, they were so large in size that they could only be kept inside professional studios. And yet the models nowadays are all digital, and since they are way more advanced than the previous models, a whole song can now be arranged on a synthesizer, with many different acoustic effects.

You may also have the option to choose the sound effect to be applied on the track, such as people talking, moving trains, or the sound of applause.

Modern synthesizers allow you to create and record new sound effects, which is one of the reasons why they are so popular in the music industry. Synthesized music is growing day by day, and even films are now put together with songs created using this technology. The first song that was fully synthesized was “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” in a James Bond movie in the year 1969.

Synthesizers nowadays provide you with even more features, such as recording and playing what you have just played instantly. This can be simply done by recording sounds on CDs, which are now basic features with any modern synthesizer. When it comes to sound balancing, these musical tools offer a wide range of options, enabling you to balance sound without any professional help. So if you are seriously considering creating your own sounds, this is the right choice to take your hobby to the next level.

Are you looking for the best synthesizer to fit your needs? Be sure to visit my site to read my Akai Miniak review and Moog Slim Phatty review.

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