When you think of soul music, names such as Luther Vandrose, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and the like come up.  But, come on, where would soul be without those women singers?  Some of the biggest hits that brought R&B soul into the mainstream limelight, and stirred the biggest passions within the listeners, were from women.  All women could relate to the troubled times of early soul female artist and the artist reflected these times from the Vietnam War to the mere struggles of a women in the world.

The early blues singer paved the way for all later female vocalists.  Numerous R&B female artists have made a strong impact in the music industry and set the stage for many more such as Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. 

Aretha Franklin

What piece on the Great Women of Soul Music would be complete without the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin?  Aretha Franklin (born March 25th, 1942) began her R&B Soul path as a child singing gospel music in her childhood church.  She was considered a child prodigy.  The influence of the gospel music she grew up singing was undoubtedly a prime influence on her later soul music career.

Ms Franklin has 20 number one rhythm and blues hits to her name.  She is known as one of the most honored by the Grammy Awards, as well as being the recipient of a Living Legends Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Aretha Franklin also belted out her sultry voice as recently as the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America-Barack Obama.

Tina Turner

Though she is known more recently as a soloist, Anna Marie Bullock (Tina Turner) is known yet another great soul performer, along with her ex-husband Ike Turner.  While still in high school, Bullock would go with her sister to area nightclubs and through much prodding by her sister, Bullock auditioned for Ike Turner and became a part of Turner’s R&B soul band as an occasional vocalist with the Kings of Rhythm at his club.  This was the stepping-stone for Bullocks, at the age of 18, career in R&B.  Bullock went on to marry Ike Turner and changed her name to Tina Turner.

Her first opportunity in mainstream Soul music came in 1960 when the singer scheduled to sing  “A Fool in Love”, “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine”, “I Idolize You”, and the groundbreaking “River Deep, Mountain High” didn’t show for the recording.  Young Tina was chosen to record it instead.  However, her most memorable hit was a cover of CCR’s “Proud Mary.”

Some other fantastic female R&B soul singers are Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Patti Austin, Barbara Mason, Martha and The Vandellas, Denise Williams, and so many more.  Many of these strong female artists started from simpler and harder lives yet through it all, they overcame all obstacles, prevailing with grace, and known now as some of the best female rhythm and blues vocalist to date.

 



By: Tex Johnson

About the Author:

As a musician you know that marketing your work is extremely important if you want people to purchase your work. One particularly good way of marketing your music is through the Internet, though many musicians are left confused as to where they should start. So just how do you market music online, what are the best ways to go about it and why exactly should you market your music online?

Why Market Music Online?

While many musicians have found the Internet to be extremely helpful when it comes to marketing their work, others are left wondering what exactly the benefits would be. After all, surely you want to target the people in your area and marketing to people that you can actually see is surely better than marketing to virtual people? Well, not necessarily! All you really want to do is encourage people to buy your music, so it doesn’t really matter where they live, just as long as they like it.

The fact is, by marketing your music online, you are getting your music noticed by a lot more people than you would through marketing offline. There are literally millions of people who use the Internet daily. Some are in your own area, but you also manage to market your music to a much wider audience too. This means that more people from around the world are likely to purchase the music that you have made and you will become much more widely recognized because of it.

Marketing online gives you a much larger chance of becoming a successful musician than marketing offline. So if you have not yet considered it, then now is the time!

Tips on Image and Relationships

As with every other type of business, if you want to market to the right type of people then your image is everything. You need to be able to create a web presence that shows potential clients exactly what you and your music is about. The best way to go about doing this is creating your own website.

Creating a website allows you to link potential customers to your website whenever you post on forums, or whenever you create a web presence elsewhere such as on MySpace, etc. It is basically a space where potential customers get to see what you are all about and as first impressions are everything, you need to be able to leave a good image of both you and your music on your website.

So how exactly do you do this? Well, think about what type of music you are making. Is it Indie/Rock/Pop/Country music? The type of music you are making will reflect entirely on the image you want to give out. So if you are creating Country music, you will want to have a country theme to your website, not something with a modern and retro type style. Think about it, if you were visiting a musician’s website that created Rap music, you wouldn’t expect to see a Country theme on it would you? So create a website that reflects your theme and that is the first step to marketing both you and your website.

Using Blogs, Podcasts and MySpace

If you really want to draw in a lot of potential customers, then blogs, podcasts and websites such as MySpace and YouTube are certainly the way to go.

Blogs are great because you get to add a voice to your music. Allowing you to link back to your website, people will get an idea of the type of music you make, who you are and what is new with your music. People love getting to know musicians before trying out their songs and so if you do create a blog, it will draw in a lot of new customers for you. Another advantage to a blog is that if you use the right keywords, you can get it recognized by search engines and therefore more people will discover your music. It is by far one of the best methods of online marketing.

Podcasts are also very popular and you can create your own quickly and easily by visiting MySpace and selecting “MySpace Music”. Literally millions of people use MySpace and they are constantly looking at new music on there. So if you want to get recognized fairly quickly, creating a profile and releasing your music on there is definitely a good idea.

Using websites such as the ones mentioned above, you can easily market your music online. YouTube is another website that allows you to record yourself or whatever you like and millions of people will view your video. So get recording, place your songs online, set up a website and start blogging and you should end up with potentially thousands of new customers!



By: Kevin Sinclair

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Barcode Software

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Monday, July 13, 2009;

Barcode generator software allows you easily create and print unlimited number of professional quality barcode images. Barcode label design utility easily copy barcodes and paste them into other programs for label creation. Software allows you to customize barcode color, background color, orientations, text and font choices.

Free barcode utility supports useful collection of barcode fonts that includes UCC/EAN 128 as well as a variety of Code 39, UPCE, MSI Plessey, Postnet, Code 11, Code 128, EAN/JANs and more. Barcode generation software facilitates you to print labels with texts, barcodes, images, lines, rectangles and save that created output into commonly used formats such as BMP, JPEG and GIF image format on your computer system. Barcode labeling software can generate its output either by using Barcode printers or normal printers.

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Software is commonly used to place barcodes on retail product packaging, including books and music CDs etc.

Generate-barcode.com provides easy, simple and convenient solution to print bar code labels. 2D barcode creator software is the most convenient barcode editor or printer software which can offers its users to fully customize barcode images according to their requirements. Free barcode creator software allows you to generate a fully customized barcode graphic by providing barcode data, encoding type, and output file format. User just click on the Generate Barcode button, and the barcode generator will produce a graphic containing your barcode. Our software features a very easy user interface where the user simply types in the data to encode and click the Save button to generate the barcode image file.

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By: Barcode Software

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As a hip-hop artist, you may find that your beat is the most important part of your new project. It is the beat that will drive your song giving it the edge to go platinum and that will have your listeners up off their chairs and out on the dance floor.

There are many different genres of beats. It is crucial for you to determine what style of beat that you need to match with your lyrics and vocals. Some of these genres are the east-coast beats, the dirty-south beats, the west-coast beats to name just a few. Using quality current rap, pop and hip hop beats in your projects will have you sounding like the top artists of today!

Once you have determined your style you want to listen very carefully to the different beats available. You want to make sure that they complement and add to your project as well as show the talent that you have. If you are going to buy hip-hop beats, you want to make sure that you have found the newest and hottest sounds so that your new project will bring a new and fresh sound to your listeners. A fresh new song with a fresh new beat or combination of beats may take you and your talent to a major level.

Listen to what is at the top of the charts today, because that is what people are listening to. Pattern your project after the top beats, but at the same time do something so that you will stand out and be unique. Make sure that your melody and lyrics fit well with the rap beats that you choose. Remember that your new song will be played in a lot of different venues. The venues may include clubs, concerts, radio and television. So be sure that they sound good in all venues.

After you have selected what genre of hip-hop beats to buy, you want to try different ones with your song to see which instrumental beats takes it to another level.

Making sure that the instrumental beats have the correct mastering will enhance your performance and let your music be as loud and with as much presence as the major hip hop, pop and rap stars.

If you are a hip-hop artist, buying hip-hop beats or rap instrumental beats, or even some pop instrumental beats will allow you to try different varieties and and let you grow as a artist. Make sure that the beats that you choose will show your creativity and style. Choose hip-hop beats that will help you to establish your career and help you to become the next up and coming hip-hop artist.



By: Clive Calvin

About the Author:

It seems that street dance is becoming more and more popular in the UK. Lots of dance styles have had their turn in the spotlight over the years and it looks like it is the turn of street dance at the moment.

But what exactly is street dance? And what can you expect to learn in a street dance class in London? The London scene is very different to many other countries and it’s worth exploring.

Street dance classes often teach street dance routines which loosely take dance moves from a variety of dance styles which may include hip-hop dance, locking, popping, street jazz and jazz amongst others. It can also include acrobatics when danced in dance troupes and can fuse with other styles very different from street dance such as contemporary too.

In fact looking at the term more closely, ’street dance’ is more an umbrella term encompassing all these dance styles and many more. Different people have different opinions on what constitutes street dance. For example some people would also put dance styles such as the breakin’ and the crip walk under the street dance categories whilst others would not.

So if you see a dance class advertised as street dance you can expect to learn dance routines which are very similar to hip-hop dance and including elements of the other styles, but not necessarily to hip-hop music. Whereas most of the time a hip-hop dance class will have routines to hip-hop or R&B music for the most part.

There are other clues for what you might expect form a street dance class in London. Sometimes ’street’ will be followed by another name. For example ’street jazz’ would combine street and jazz, ’street locking’ would be lockin’ and ’street urban’ would be similar to hip hop dance or urban dance.

The term ’street dance’ is popularly used in the UK and a number of other countries. So if you decide that you want to start going to some street dance classes it’s helpful to know what style of street dance you want to learn.

Dance styles which might fall under the street dance category such as popping, locking and hip-hop dance will often have dance classes which are just called by their names instead of ’street’ something.

If in doubt about a street dance class in London, take a class so you can find out whether it’s general routines you’ll be learning or a specific street dance style. Many times you’ll find you’ll enjoy a dance style that you weren’t even planning to learn!



By: Kevin Shwe

About the Author:

DJ Premier is one of the best producers in the history of hip hop music. The Source magazine along with about.com each voted him the number producer of all time. Chris Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York but also spent time in Houston, Texas while he was growing up. He attended school at Prairie View A&M outside of Houston and studied computer science. As a young DJ he was known as “Waxmaster C” and along with managing record store could play a variety of different instruments. Since the 90’s there have been no more then three producers that could test the skills of DJ Premiers status including Dr. Dre, Prince Paul and RZA. He has produced “New York State of Mind” for Nas “Ten Crack Commandments” for the Notorious B.I.G. along with several other songs by top artists. His most known production work is with Gangstarr, he produced nearly every single song that they had.

The thing that set DJ Premier apart from all the other DJ’s at the time was the fact that he combined the small vocal portions from multiple artists to make one hook on a track. His name represents being the first and that is what he wanted to be the first and best in his style of producing beats. He had a scratched chorus and two-bar break that made up the rhythms of his tracks. He also began to use ominous atonal samples on the work he did with Jeru’s “The Sun Rises In The East” album in 1994. Another interesting thing he does is for the clean albums that he releases, he personally edits out any language and fills it with a sound effect to make it more enjoyable to listen to.

DJ Premier isn’t finished producing beats, he currently owns two record label. Founded in 2002 Year-Round Records has released numerous mixtapes along with singles for the NYG’z along with Blaq Poet.



By: Ryan Schnier

About the Author:

There are many reasons why Hip Hop is so popular world wide. One of these reasons is the fact that Hip hop is a form of music that can transcend culture. Some will say it’s a skill others say it’s a talent. The realty of this is Hip Hop is a mixer of both. Hip Hop will always be here with us because of it diversity, any culture can adopt it to their experience. Hip Hop unlike other genres can merge into other forms of music. It can be mix with rock, country, reggae and many others.

Hip Hop is also easier to get into than other genres. In many under develop nations where people can’t afford music lesson or instrument. Hip Hop is a way they can express themselves without using a lot of resources. All it takes is an open mind and a pen and a pad. Another factor that makes Hip Hop so popular world wild, is it ability to spread a message. A Hip Hop song has more word than most other genres of music. That makes it easier to get a point across and to inform others.

With the prices of computers going down and software getting better plus the Internet it look like Hip Hop will have a big independent and international movement coming soon. No one can ever predict what direction Hip Hop will take in the future, but indications show that there is a good chance that Hip Hop will be here for a long time to come.

A good web site where you can see more information on topics like this is Hip Hop Facts which is highly recommended. Thank you and enjoy.



By: Kevin Cox

About the Author:

What do Barry White, Marvin Gaye, The Emotions, and Luther Vandrose, have in common with Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, and Chaka Khan?  Soul is what they have in common, deep-rhythmic blues and vocals that can have you testifying, crying, or shouting out.  Soul music that touches deep into your being is what those artist and many more have in common. 

When was the last time you listened to some good old soul music, sat back, allow it to take you to another place, released your mind and body, and allowed your soul to be touched?  If you can’t recall it is time you got back in touch with some rare soul grooves. 

Soul music is a well-liked approach to music created back in the 50’s by influential artist like Ray Charles with his music and songs like “I’ve Got A Woman” “Confession Blues”, “Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand”, Little Richard with “Tutti Frutti” “Long Tall Sally”, “Good Golly, Miss Molly”) and James Brown  with his “Please, Please, Please”, “Try Me”).  The sultry blend of gospel with rhythm, blues, and beats began the birth of soul music.  Some found this early music almost disrespectful, as depicted in the biopic film Ray.  Soul music didn’t take real fast amongst the majority of gospel fearing crowd as they felt it was a disrespect to sing in a gospel manner while singing about love, women, and good times, however, soul music began to fill the airwaves and make a definite strong impact on the world of music.

The gospel music that concurred to the soul melted with the early rock and roll and rhythm and blues quickly started reaching top chart hits.  Record companies couldn’t move fast enough to sign on soul music artist like Aretha Franklin the “Queen of Soul” (“Rock-A-Bye Your Baby”, “Today I Sing The Blues”, “Won’t Be Long” and “Operation Heartbreak”) Solomon Burke (“Cry to Me”, “Just Out of Reach” and “Down in the Valley”),Otis Redding (“These Arms of Mine”, “Mr. Pitiful”, “I Can’t Turn You Loose” “Try a Little Tenderness” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”) and many more. 

Since the 50’s and 60’s era of rare soul music, many new subgenres of soul music has arose such as the Detroit (Motown) soul, Deep soul and Southern soul, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago and Philadelphia soul.  There is also the Neo soul, Nu-Jazz, and soulful electronica, as well as ppsychedelic soul.  Psychedelic soul blends a mix of soul music with a touch of psychedelic rock.  This genre of soul music made its debut in the late 60’s and opened the doors to what we know now as funk music. 

In the mid 60’s and early 70’s many white artist started emerging the Motown and Sax sounds into their music which started the blue-eyed soul genre.  Kenny G would be a great example of a blue-eyed soul musician describing his use of the rhythm and blues sound attached with the sax.  The terms northern soul and modern soul became common terminology in the 70’s in reference to the nightclubs that were made popular by DJ’s playing rare soul music from their root beginnings.  Each subgenre has each own purpose and its own unique sound that makes them special yet holds true to what is known as soul music.  .



By: Tex Johnson

About the Author:

During summer, people will have a lot of time in their hands. It will be really pity to spend time “vegetating” at home without doing anything. In order to maximize your time and energy, you can learn a new skill. Dancing is one of the skills that you can try; sign up in a summer dance camp. A summer dance camp is essentially a program in which its key aim is to teach the students various dance styles. There are different dance camps that offer programs focusing on detailed dance styles. Some even offer an entire bunch of dancing styles in single summer dance camp program.

There are many kinds of dance styles which dance camps offer which includes hip hop dance, ballroom dance, ballet dance, Irish dance, jazz dance, modern dance and other styles. You can choose to focus on any one style or enlarge your dance move repertoire by learning diverse styles.The summer dance program may also be classified by stage of the enrollee. If the individual is only starting to learn the dance style, there are many beginner summer dance camps. If he wishes to learn more challenging techniques and aims to develop their skill in a certain style they can enroll in an intermediate or an advanced summer dance program.

The main advantage of enrolling in a summer dance course is that it is very good for your health (exercise), it will serve as a strain reliever, you’ll be learning fresh skills and techniques and it can expand your imaginative and artistic abilities. One more advantage of dance camps is the time factor. Some dance camps only last for a few days while other dance camp programs give you more time to practice, learn and cooperate with other people. Just make it sure to carry out your research well and collect the requirement before the start of summer. Try to make your summer have sunny memories, practice and progressive knowledge with summer dance camps.

One of the main entertaining forms of different expressions is seen in the synchronized movement of a person’s body. One of the main dancing styles that have caught the numerous eyes of the youth is the hip hop dancing. It’s a dance form that slowly developed as it gradually gained the attention and interest of many dance enthusiasts. This hip hop dancing has developed so big that there are even camps that put forward programs specializing in this style only.

First hip hop dance branches out into diverse dance styles which was originally seen on the street. Some of the hip hops dancing styles include break-dance, old school, popping and locking etc.These kinds of dancing styles grew more popularity when hip hop and the rap music videos began to showcase the various hip hop dance moves from various hip hop dance styles. If you wish for learning the moves seen on television and different dance competition, just try out for a hip hop dance camp. The main advantage of learning from a hip hop dance camp is that you will be taught from the fundamentals from experienced professionals.



By: Mari milian

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The demand for free music downloads for Macintosh has increased with the widespread popularity of Macintosh devices. The availability of free music downloads for Macintosh attracts more and more clients towards Mac devices. Free downloads of Mac music and other music related software are now commonly available for the convenience of users.

Free mp3 music for Macintosh includes free high quality digital downloads such as mp3 albums, free mp3 songs, music videos, and top release music. Other free music downloads for Macintosh includes free mp3 music players, guitar tabs, lyrics, sheet music, MIDI, CD covers, and music videos. The download for sheet music includes your favorite songs, musical instruments tutorials and so on. The internet radio provides you with the facility to listen to the internet radio station; it is also provided with the option to record your favorite music. Live radio station is a database free internet radio with recording options. Free song lyrics download includes top music lyrics.

Free ringtones and music players for your mobile are also available in the list of free music downloads for Macintosh. The ringtones are available in different formats such as mp3, polyphonic midi and so on. Free midi music downloads can be used as ringtones, karaoke and many more.

Free music downloads for Macintosh also includes a very large collection of software connected with music playing, music editing, and recording. The Mac music software can be categorized into a large group. Music software for Macintosh OS is available freely on several websites. Among these software programs, audio converter is a Mac shareware for converting sound files into other format. For the purpose of recording, editing and manipulating, a large collection of recording software is also available. Mac midi and Mac mod shareware are for the purpose of editing and manipulation of Midi and Mod file formats.

There are several sites that offer free music downloads for Macintosh. The database of Mac music downloads will include a very large category of music such as classical, Christian music, childrens music, folk, Latin, pop, rock, vocal and more. Users can easily search for their favorite music from those in the list. Original mp3 music from the finest musicians is available on several sites which offer these music files as free music downloads for Macintosh. Free iTunes for the Mac devices are now available in several sites. iTune store is a software based digital online media operated by Apple.Inc, which has now become the number one music store in the United States.



By: Ben Levanger

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