[ARTICLES] TOP TEN SNEAKERS IN CRIME!

As one of those aforementioned couch spuds (and a sneaker fan), I have noted with interest that the humble sneaker has left vital clues in many an episode of CSI. but HOW to separate fact from fiction? What role does the sneaker play in the forensic sciences? Aficionados may understandably muse over the merits of the speckled or gum sole, but the folks in the crime lab are more interested in the print shoes leave behind. As it happens, shoe prints are incredibly important clues often left at crime scenes.

The number of shoe print patterns out there is huge. Shoe print indices and databases have been developed in various countries. Commercial company Foster and Freeman have a range of software tools to identify shoes, including SICAR and SoleMate. Forensic Science Services (FSS) is a UK Government owned company that released an online footwear coding and detection management system this year, entitled Footwear Intelligence Technology.

I contacted Laura Mackin at the FSS who informed me that they have records of more than 20,000 shoe prints of which approximately 90 per cent come from sneakers. I was intrigued as to how the database was compiled; were they getting shoes from the manufacturers? From shops? As it happens, all of the prints come from shoes given to the FSS by the 43 police forces around the UK, either from marks left at a crime scene or from sneakers confiscated from a suspect. Interestingly, the FSS don’t have any special agreements with manufacturers. This was a bit of a disappointment as I was hoping to learn that the most comprehensive sneaker collection in the UK was at the FSS.

The FSS also offer the fantastically named ‘Cinderella Service’, which helps identify personal information about suspects including the angle of their footfall and weight distribution. Facey wrote in the journal Pattern Recognition that ‘shape and extent of the the general wear apparent on a shoe sole contains information about the foot function and gait of the wearer.’ The use of US Army anthropometric databases has allowed models to predict height based on shoe size. English tabloid newspaper The Mirror reported this June, with perhaps a hint of schadenfreude at the shoe manufacturer’s expense, that sneakers are the most popular shoes used by criminals as evidenced by shoe prints, and listed the top ten shoes for English crims.

The list I received from the FSS was exactly the same; so there haven’t been any changes in the sneaker buying habits of the criminal world in the last few months. Whilst this list may provoke some tittering amongst tabloid readers or annoyance for the manufacturers PR companies, no mention is made of what the top ten sneakers sold are, and whether the two lists are significantly different; ie most bad boys may wear the top ten listed but perhaps so do the general population in England. It would be interesting to see how these lists vary between countries. The data is also for all crimes, rather than category of crime. The FSS doesn’t store this info, and I can imagine the manufacturers are at least grateful for that.

As with any forensic test, the shoe print is not a tool to be used without caution. A survey in the 1996 issue of Forensic Science International demonstrated ‘remarkable variations’ in conclusions of shoe print reports from different laboratories examining the same cases! Hopefully computer databases have reduced the error rate. Miss Mackin (FSS) informed me that ‘footwear is the second most common evidence type after DNA and is capable of definitively putting someone at a crime scene, particularly thanks to the unique wear marks that each pair will have’.

The Mirror’s article has a quote from someone at Nike who said (in response to their shoes being six of the top ten worn in British crimes): ‘We are Britain’s best-selling trainer manufacturer so we’re not surprised we feature. We’ve no further comment.’ Whilst this indeed is common sense as previously noted, perhaps they should consider another approach; embrace it. I see it now, The Prisoner Pack; all orange Air Max 90s, black and white striped Air Max 95s. And why not cash in on the whole ‘all over print’ phenomenon and do some hyperstrikes that have an all over arrow motif!

This has been Nikolai for Sneaker Freaker
reporting from the Crime Lab.

Huge thanks to Laura Mackin at the Forensic Science Service Labs and Prof James Fraser at The University of Strathclyde.

Among places to download music from there are safe and unsafe options. The reason why harmful and risky sites are still attracting visitors is free stuff. People do get tempted by free latest music for their players, forgetting or choosing to ignore the aspect of security. Many are under the wrong impression that to download music legally and safely is always too expensive.

While it is true that free legal music is a rarity on the Net and one has to pay for great quality and decent service, how much you will pay is really depends on you. In other words, if you do not want to overpay, you do not have to. It is all about choosing the right place to download music.

Here are the main variants of legal and safe music websites the Internet has to offer:

1. Pay-Per-Track Websites

Almost all official music selling websites operate on a pay-per-track basis, meaning that each song has to be bought separately. No subscription or registration fee is taken. iTunes Store, Rhapsody and Amazon are some examples. While paying for each download allows flexibility, it is not that advantageous for bulk downloads considering their total sum.

2. Monthly Subscription Websites

Some of the pay-per-download sites as well as a few other large music sites, like Napster, have an alternative to paying for every song. At a set fee, taken each month, you are given access to unlimited downloads. A great way to save, as it might seem, it is not always that great in fact. In order to keep the downloaded tracks, you have to continue the subscription - if you do not, all the songs you downloaded become unplayable.

3. Free Websites

Quire rare, free legal music is actually also available on the Net. Such places to download music are safe, but usually have a very limited choice. No latest hits from big banners can be found here - rather aspiring musicians, independent bands and some of the all-time favorites. Music styles that are not so popular might dominate. However, if you do not mind the off-beat track, such sites can really enrich your collection.

4. Free Sections of Paid Websites

Many people simply do not think about these as places to download music from. But why not? Be it Amazon or Napster, they feature free download section in the main paid website, and the best thing is that the song selection, though limited, changes regularly. So, frequent checking for free stuff can help you get a few nice tracks completely free.

5. Unlimited Download Websites

Somewhat similar to subscription websites, places for unlimited downloads take a set fee, but once and for a lifetime. No scary price-tags here - the fee is a modest two-digit figure (anything more is a rip-off to steer clear of). After the fee is taken, there is no count of the number of songs you download, no restrictions, no extra charges.

You can find links to some of the greatest places to download music on my blog.

Find out about hot and limited offers for unlimited music downloads.

[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - MISSOURI 75 YEAR

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

 

Egypt was long thought to have no music whatsoever. Interesting that when there is a lack of physical evidence, that archeologists, scientists, and many others could draw such a conclusion. One must ask, how can any civilization as grand as the ancient Egyptians be completely devoid of a musical culture?

This would change with the discoveries of ancient harps in the pharaoh's tombs of Thebes by James Bruce in the 18th century. The splendor of the ancient musical world of Egypt began to unravel. In the Old Kingdom, we find a variety of soft sounding instruments; harps, vertical flutes, double reed pipes. This provides insight into the musical background of the Old Kingdom, which existed from 3000 BC to 1580 BC. Music was an art reserved for the upper classes. As Asian instruments were imported into Egypt, the elite classes attempted to preserve the older styles and older instruments. Percussion instruments began to play a strong part in the ancient's life. Music at the end of the old Kingdom became progressively louder as new instruments and percussion became part of every day Egyptian life. Music was no longer an art of the elite classes.

The New Kingdom saw a strong influence from eastern instruments. Instruments were far louder
with eastern shawms and trumpets now playing a pivotal role. These instruments originated in China.

Music and songs became a favorite object a strong part of Egyptian life. Music was used for educating young people as well as in public and private ceremonies. It was also used in prayers and funerals.

Some scholars believe that Egyptians even had a form of notation. Various stellas have been found which depict a group of musicians with what appears to be a person giving had signal to communicate to the musicians which notes should be played.

We will never know the extent of this great civilization's musical life, but it appears to rival even our modern day civilization. It is amazing that after a breakthrough in archeology, Egypt went from a society with no music to a musically great society.

Two sistrums, rhythmical music instruments which made sound when shaking them.

Sistrums are found in many Egyptian relief's, and often in connection with the goddess Hathor

Shitdisco - 72 Virgins (Bloody Beetroots Remix)

I saw this Shitdisco Vs. Beetroots track at La New Shit , one of the dopest blogs ever, some time ago and i just felt like I should share it with you folks as well. Also, seeing as… (in post La New Shitdisco from Hot Biscuits. More by this artist at eMusic Amazont iTunes)

The Jonas Brothers are the latest hot ticket teen sensation to roll off the Disney mass-marketing machine. This band is not your run of the mill bubble gum pop band. Jonas is unique in that they band consist of three New Jersey brothers, Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas all of whom actually do play their own instruments. The band has released two albums and is set to release their third in the summer of 2008.

The Jonas Brothers have a large and loyal female teen fan base having guested on the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana television show. The band was also the opening act for Hannah's Best of Both World's US concert tour and also appeared in Disney's Hannah Montana 3-D concert tour movie.

The Jonas Brothers were scheduled to begin filming their own Disney channel TV series J.O.N.A.S. where the brothers play part-time spies who have ordinary identities by day. The Hollywood writer's strike caused the filming to be postponed.

With that postponement, the Jonas Brothers were able to schedule a Look Me in the Eyes concert tour for the spring of 2008. The brothers will be playing in concerts in smaller theatres all across the US. If you are a fan of the brothers, it would be a good idea to see the band now on this tour before concert ticket prices skyrocket for when they tour again in the fall.

The Jonas Brothers will also appear in the film Camp Rock, which is said to be another High School Musical, so the band will sure to be selling out concert venues for years to come.

Jonas Brothers Tickets

The Horror of Traditional Piano Lessons

Now that Halloween is over, it's safe to talk about traditional piano lessons - the tedium, the boredom, the overbearing teachers with their incessant metronome beats.

Do we really need this? Do we really need yet another polished perfomer who can play Czerny and Beethoven on cue? Don't we have enough of these skilled typists already? I think so. And frankly, I just don't get it. I don't get why anyone would want to learn how to play other people's music.

Of course this music is worthy of preserving, but I'm speaking about being creative at the piano. I'm talking about the ability to sit down at the keyboard and just play without forethought or planning.

Is there value in this kind of approach to playing? Yes! And while improvisation and composition are taught, it's not emphasized. It's relegated to inferior status while the poor student spends time first learning how to read notes and then recreating what has already been done. What a shame.

It doesn't have to be this way. We can lead with an emphasis on creativity first! To do this does not require more than a very rudimentary knowledge of chords, a way to play them, and a guided instruction on how to improvise. Imagine the joy students will feel when they realize how easy it is to create music!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!

My Morning Jacket - Just One Thing

Reigniting our popular bootleg feature with a great MMJ set... My Morning Jacket 10-23-2005 Murat Theater Indianapolis, IN Disc 1 01 - Intro 02 - Wordless Chorus 03 - It Beats 4 U 04 - Gideon 05 -… (in post Bootleg Justice - My Morning Jacket Live @ Murat Theater in Indianapolis, IN (10.23.2005) from Musical Justice. Download this at Amazon iTunes More by this artist at eMusic)

As you plan your outdoor wedding reception, and before you make your final site choice, there are four important factors you need to keep in mind regarding your entertainment: the location of the power source, the size of the reception area, the size of the dance floor and rules of the local noise ordinance.

Power Source for your Entertainment

In order for your DJ's equipment to work properly, a 120V power source that is no more than 200 feet from his set up location is required. When your DJ's location is further than 200 feet from a stationary power source, a quiet, 120V portable generator may be used. Because generators can be noisy, try to situate it at least 100 feet from the reception area and no further than 200 feet, as your DJ will need to run a power cord between the generator and his sound equipment.

Size of your Reception Area

The amount of equipment your music provider needs is determined by the size of the reception area and how many guests will be in attendance. Good sound requires an enclosed space in order to create an area of acoustics. If sound waves are not reflected back to listeners by barrier objects, such as walls and ceilings, the sound travels past listeners and is never heard from again.

Tents are necessary to shelter your guests and expensive sound equipment from hot sun, wind or rain but are also needed to protect sound quality. Good tents have side walls -- great for blocking wind, which interferes with sound, too. The larger your tent and audience size, the more the sound may be needed to entertain guests.

When calculating the size of the tent, don't forget to factor in an area for your dance floor and DJ. One of the benefits of hiring a DJ: he doesn't require much room! Set aside a 10' x 6' area for him. If you want to give him a little more elbow room, a 10' x 10' area is more than adequate for his needs.

Size of your Dance Floor

There's never a good reason to fret about the size of your dance floor. Given great music, people will dance anywhere, anytime. Even if you're inviting 300 guests, you won't need a gigantic dance floor. You can accommodate dancers with a 20' x 20' minimum area of rented flooring, and keep an area around it empty of tables or chairs so your "overflow" dancers may boogie, too.

Rules of the Noise Ordinance

Once you've decided on a location, ask the village, city, or township zoning board to provide you with a copy of its noise ordinance. Some communities require outdoor music to be kept within a certain decibel range and/or impose a curfew on noise after a certain time in the evening.

Be courteous to neighboring property owners by informing them of your plans. If the spirit of the occasion moves you, spread a little goodwill by inviting them to join in the good times, too.

Mike Staff is the owner of Mike Staff Productions (http://www.mikestaff.com), an award winning Wedding DJ, Entertainment and Videography Company located in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Mike is also a well known Detroit radio personality, having spent over 14 years on-the-air at one of Detroit's most popular music stations, 101-FM WRIF.

Copyright 2007. Mike Staff Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

Kitty Hawk - move me

I wrote this after seeing the Federal Reserve, a collective of established, and like-minded alternative/folk musicians, perform on June 2nd at Iota in Arlington, VA. They played acoustic sets, and used basic folk instruments (including the chair (in post The Federal Reserve from Indie Muse. More by this artist at eMusic Amazont iTunes)

The Sony Ericsson W850i is not a mere music phone. It is a factory by itself that churns, mends, manipulates, and produces music of the finest quality. A music freak's delight, the phone does everything and sometimes more than what aficionados demand. Wielding the slider mechanism, the handset exudes attitude in both the Precious Black and Ivory White colours. A smooth tactile surface makes handling pure delight.The Sony Ericsson W850i phone has a Walkman 2.0 Music Player. The feature is designed especially for Sony Ericsson music phones. It compartmentalizes tracks in to categories such as genres, playlists, albums, and artists. It gives access to these categories by allowing users to navigate the channels. Audio-visual files can be run on the in-built Media Player. The phone provides FM Radio and FM Radio RDS. The latter feature allows users to participate in contests and schemes run by Radio Stations.

Music DJ gives you the freedom to create your own music. While Mega Bass improves sound quality, Play Now sends you on a music spree by giving you quick access to the songs of your choice. The Sony Ericsson W850i phone is fitted with yet another exceptional music feature Track ID. This feature acts upon users' requests and fishes out information about songs. Sony Ericsson W850i is a music phone. Yet, the scope of its operations is unlimited. The phone has a 2 mega pixel camera. The fully utile camera has SVG Tiny 1.1 a feature that scales graphics/images to fit the screen. It is of use in a situation where a picture is imported to the camera. The phone also commands a Video DJ. A Video DJ allows one to concatenate and/or morph images and videos and create those of one's own. The phone supports a plethora of messaging options. It facilitates data exchange via Bluetooth, Infra Red, and USB. The 3G Sony Ericsson W850i supports Fast Port and PC Synchronization. It provides gaming and internet access too.

Offering more than a users' appetite, the Sony Ericsson W850i phone stands impressive.

Carly charu is an expert author and the webmaster of Mobile Phone Deals .The website having details of 12 Months Free line rental and Sim free phones.

War On Drugs - Taking The Farm

Sunday, June 15, 2008Well, Im on vacation this week, at the beach actually, so that means its time for a quick EP. Its not that I cant force my lazy self to write something worthwhile (and I… (in post John Michael Cassetta Entry #14 from Side One: Track One. Download this at Amazon iTunes)

Its distinctive beat gives it away. There is nothing in the world that sounds like reggae music. The expected chops and the back beat by the rhythm guitar and the distinctive sound of the bass drum marks reggae as a genre by its own right. Reggae music originated from several other Jamaican music types just as great as it is like ska, rocksteady, RandB, Jazz, Calypso, and Mento.

Jamaican music is as rich as its history. The soul of each and every Jamaican song traces its roots to the black people herded onto ships, clinging to their most priceless possessionsclothing, food, and for many, their drums. These drums that traveled as far as their owners have are what brought the world priceless gifts and that are the gifts of music. The slaves used their music to fill-up their lives and sang about everything. They have songs of praise, songs of love, songs of loneliness, and songs of inspiration. It is not surprising therefore, that reggae music has been used by the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers to promote certain political issues like poverty and injustice.

From the characteristic drumbeats, Jamaican folk music has embraced innovation and has added a whole range of flavor to their indigenous music. Combining the drumbeats to a lot of different musical instruments, like the rhythm guitar, and the trumpet, produced ska, rocksteady and eventually reggae.

Reggae music swooped Jamaica just when it was about to proclaim its independence and the masses were clamoring for a beat, a sound that could articulate their emotions. Reggae rose up to the challenge and succeeded. A few years later, when the assurance of an improved quality of life and the promise of a bright tomorrow for a liberated nation came up empty reggae was still being played. But it started to serve a much higher purpose than entertainment. For the first time in its history, roots reggae took on its rebellious and defiant form. Reggae music told of stories of suffering in the shanties of Trenchtown, it told of stories of violence and corruption but most of all it told the people of Jamaica to get up and stand up for their rights.

As the country grew from bad to worse, the people started to look for a moral guidance that would give sense to the life of wretchedness they were living in. Rastafarianism answered the call of a people desperately seeking an alternative leader with convincing values of love and peace. The Rastafarian movement boomed, gained a huge following in Jamaica and reggae was the movements music. Eventually, roots reggae would be identified with Rastafarianism and vice versa. Dreadlocks, khakis, and kaftans became the symbol of reggae attitude.

Just when it seems that the evolution of reggae has gone through so much, it began to take on another controversial form with the arrival of dancehall reggae. This new type of reggae music is so called because its raunchy lyrics only allowed it to be played in dancehalls. Dancehall reggae is a form of rebellion against roots reggae because many artists believe that reggae music has gone too mainstream that it catered more to the demands of the audience than to reggaes real spirit. Infused with a lot of techno beats and computer generated riffs, dancehall departed from old school reggae musics slow and lulling beat and enveloped a more upbeat and fast rhythm.

And then there was ragga. Ragga music could be gangsta raps ancestor as it boldly came out with songs on violence, guns, and gangs. Many ragga songs were evidently masochistic with harsh lyrics demeaning women and praising male supremacy.

Over the course of history, raggas forerunners saw reason and tamed down their music. A couple prominent ragga figures went back to embrace Rastafarianism and sought a live of uprightness and peace.

Reggae music has come and changed in so many ways over the years. Yet it still makes the same sound as it did several decades ago. Reggae still sings the songs that make hearts beat faster, songs that make the feet dance harder, and songs that reflect the rhythm of the soul.

Contibuted ByRasBinghi.com Reggae Music

[NEWSFLASH] KANYE WEST & MOBY x NIKE+ HUMAN RACE!

Music takes center stage on the heels of the official registration opening for the Nike+ Human Race, the world’s biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008.  The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet.  Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today’s top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.

In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run’s post race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race.  Runners will take to the streets passing the city’s most famous landmarks before ending at the LA Coliseum to see West take the stage.  
“I’m hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike's dopest 10k run ever. This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”
West’s performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei, ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America. 

In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city’s famed Wembley Stadium.  Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include chart-topping rock band All-American Rejects in NY; hometown favorite Fall Out Boy in Chicago; R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai and American rock band Boys Like Girls in Singapore.  

Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth.  Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities.  Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.
The Nike+ Human Race will also feature an online pledge tool so individual runners can donate additional funds to the cause of their choice and invite friends and family to contribute on their behalf.

“As a committed runner and a cancer survivor, I’m proud to be participating in the Nike+ Human Race,” Lance Armstrong said. “The race offers the best of both worlds by bringing together a global community to run together and support worthy causes like the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org and WWF in our combined efforts to have a positive impact on the world.

Other Nike athletes will also be joining the movement to run with the world and for a cause.  Like Lance Armstrong, they will serve as honorary athlete ambassadors for the charities and join in Human Race activities.  Six-time marathon winner and current NY Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe and middle distance runner Kara Goucher will be running to support WWF, while marathoner Meb Keflezighi will be representing ninemillion.org.

Nikeplus.com will be the official destination for the Nike+ Human Race and for all pre-race training needs. Here, runners can create a personal profile page or stay motivated by sampling and downloading the latest in Nike+ Sport Music offerings. Sport Music offers runners the best in original Training Run and Coaching Mixes designed specifically for treadmill and road runs.  Beginning June 15, runners will also be able to visit Race City pages covering local race info and news, Training pages for information and links to in-city training runs, events with official race partners including 24Hour Fitness and Starbucks and Nike+ Coach training.  Gear pages covering the latest in Nike performance training gear and Nike+ product will also be offered.

About Nike+ Human Race
On 08.31.08, Nike hosts a run like no other before with the Nike+ Human Race - the World’s Largest One Day Running Event.  Nike’s first global race will take place over the course of one day, with a goal of one million runners, across 25 cities and featuring 25 top musical acts.  The 10k event celebrates runners and their sport, offering participants across the globe the chance to run and compete together in an unprecedented race experience.  Spanning multiple continents, Nike+ Human Race cities will include LA, New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, São Paulo and Vancouver among others.  Following races in each city, participants will be treated to an exclusive music concert featuring one of today’s top artists.  Participants will be able to run for a cause as a portion of funds raised will be donated to three Nike+ Human Race beneficiaries: WWF, the global conservation organization, Lance Armstrong Foundation and UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign.  The race will be open to anyone, anywhere. Runners outside of the 25 race day cities can join by logging into nikeplus.com.  With the help of Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, every city and every road can become a race-day course.  For more information, visit nikeplus.com.  

Music Producer Pro is just one of the numerous music production programs out there. It's a highly reputable online workshop that contains a vast amount of downloadable audio & video tutorials, which are updated regularly. For a flat-fee, you get unlimited access, with no recurring fees. Additionally, the workshop also includes an online beat maker, as well as industry listings that you can use to contact record labels to have them check out the music you've created.

The program teaches you professional music production & recording techniques, as well as how to play a good number of instruments that are commonly used (such as guitar, piano, bass, & drums). The easy-to-follow tutorials are great for both newbies as well as advanced level producers. You can learn to produce all types of music, which include rap, hip hop, rock, & techno. Furthermore, besides production & recording, the workshop goes into mixing & mastering, as well as songwriting, & sampling techniques. The workshop's instructor, Jay Dynasty, has a very deep understanding of music, technology and the music production industry.

What's great about Music Producer Pro, is that you'd probably end up learning the same things about music production that a student at a music production college would. Music production is becoming more & more popular, and lots of different colleges are providing programs for it. But with this online workshop, you can get that same knowledge you'd get from those colleges without having to go through the inconveniences of time scheduled classes & expensive tuitions. The workshop gives you all the knowledge. You just decide how & when you want to take in that knowledge. This program is gaining popularity, because lots of people are wanting to learn how to make beats on their own at home & hope to become famous through the music they've created, in the same way that Soulja Boy did. Music Producer Pro is great for anyone who is thinking about getting serious with their music.

Johnny Ye is a self-producing musician, who specializes in songwriting, music production, and audio recording. His reviews on the latest music production products are available at:

http://www.make-my-own-beats.com/

[NEW RELEASE] LACOSTE - RV50 SNAKE

Inspired by the Revan series, the RV50 features a classic tennis upper, with faux snake skin, nubuck and leather panels. The younger brother to the Lacoste Tennis Mid Snake, this little cobra has dope detailing at the toe box, with Nash - inspired stitching and a sleek stylised silhoutte. Ace!

 

Did you know that music is based on natural "laws" -- like gravity -- and by learning to understand how those natural laws work we can actually understand what we are doing when we play -- we don't have to be at the mercy of what someone else has written on a piece of music.

How many of these facts do you know about music & piano playing? Test yourself and then check the answers at the bottom of the page:

Did you know that by learning just 3 chords you can play hundreds of songs?

Did you know that there are only 12 major keys you can play in, but you only really have to master one key to play most popular songs?

Did you know that it is possible to easily match any melody note (tune) to a chord, so you can harmonize any note?

Did you know that Beethoven's Fur Elise and the blues song "Summertime" uses the exact same chords for the theme of the song?

Did you know that it is quite possible to predict what chord comes next in a song with accuracy approaching 85%?

Did you know you can use the same chords to play boogie, blues, new age, gospel, pop, rock, jazz, country - anything except classical music? (And even some classics!)

Did you know that guitar chords are the same as piano chords -- the only thing different is the instrument and the resulting sound?

Did you know that hundreds of songs use exactly the same form, so by learning that form you can know what's coming next in a song?

Did you know that by coming in through the backdoor of piano playing -- chords -- you can start making wonderful and satisfying sounds on the piano in just a few weeks instead of a few years -- even if you don't know Middle C from Tweedle Dee?

Answers to piano playing music questions:

True. That's because there are just 3 primary chords in any key -- like family members: Mom, Dad, Child. Get to know those 3 and you've got it.

True. It's like languages. It's great to be able to speak several, but you can get by with just one. I'd love to speak other languages, but I can get by with just English.

True. Every note is part of several different chords. So it is easy to harmonize any song once you know the secret.

True. Yep. They both use the A minor chord and the E7 chord in their themes.

True. I know that's hard to believe, but remember that music is based on math. Once you understand a thing called the "Circle of 4ths" it's a piece of cake. In fact, I can tell you right now that 85% of the time the G chord comes directly after the D7 chord. So next time you run into the D7 chord, you have an educated guess of 85% that the next chord will be some form of the G chord. (G, G7 etc.) If you're into amazing your friends, that'll do it!

True. Apply different rhythms to the same chords, and you have many styles of music! With the very same chords I can play boogie, jazz, rock, pop, gospel, new age, ragtime.

True. Chords are chords. Once you know them, you can apply them to any instrument.

True. Musical forms such as "AABA" and "ABA" are the basis of thousands and thousands of songs.

True. Understanding chords and how them form the skeleton of music accelerates the learning curve exponentially.

The bottom line is this: Music is based on natural law and is mathematical in nature. Understanding is the key to both rapid learning and getting more enjoyment out of the process.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. A free lesson on music theory as related to piano playing is available: "How To Find The Key In Sharp Key Signatures"Duane holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University. You can sign up for his free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions"

How to Play Classical Guitar like Andres Segovia

Andres Segovia has had a profound impact on every aspect of the modern classical guitar from technique, to repertoire, venue, and even the construction of the guitar. And while you cant take lessons from him you can learn much from the wonderful legacy he has left behind.

Learn From a pupil of the master

Although you cant take lessons from the master himself you can take lessons from one of the great guitarists that studied under him. Christoper Parkening is one of the more famous pupils that studied under Segovia and he has his own, highly acclaimed series of instructional books for the classical guitar. It is called the Christoper Parkening Method.

Add the Segovia Picking technique to your repertoire

Segovia had a very unique way of plucking the strings with his right hand. While most of the classical guitar world debated whether a guitarist should pluck the strings with the fingertips or the fingernails Segovia used both. He had the unique style of plucking the strings so both the nail and fingertip made contact with the strings. Add this technique to your repertoire. It takes effort but is worth it.

Listen to his recordings with the ears of a musician

There is an astonishingly large selection of recordings by Segovia and you can learn a lot from him just by listening to him play. But make the transition from passive listening where you enjoy the music to active listening where you try to understand what he is doing and how he is doing it. This type of listening can, in a very short period of time, dramatically improve your playing ability.

Read his books and studies

He has many publications that you can learn from including Diatonic Major and Minor Scales, Segovia: My Book of the Guitar, and Andres Segovia: An Autobiography of the Years 1893 1920. He also has several transcriptions that you can play including Andres Segovia Studies for Guitar 178 (Estudios fur Gitarre), and his transcription that is considered to be one of the finest guitar transcriptions ever written 20 Studies for the Guitar. Mastery of these 20 pieces is considered to be the pinnacle in classical guitar performance and ability.

Take the Segovia Approach

One of the most important lessons you can learn from the master is that of constant questioning and improvement in all aspects of the guitar. This is something he spent a lifetime pursuing and you should do this too. Always make strides in your playing, your performance, and your technique. And dont pay too much attention to what is normal. It is through this foresight and courage to break new ground that Segovia rises above all others and this is a lesson that you can truly get a great benefit from.

While you may never be the next Andres Segovia you can dramatically improve your guitar playing by reading about and listening to the legacy that he left for us all to enjoy and emulate.

For more interesting insights and information about the classical guitar or to hear pieces played by the author visit his website at: The Classical Guitarist

You can learn more about Andres Segovia on the authors website at: About Andres Segovia

Acoustic Guitar Flatpicking Tips for Faster, Cleaner, Crisper Playing

Whether you pick bluegrass, fiddle tunes, and old-time music on a
guitar like I do, or other styles of music, here are some good
basics to learn that will get you on the road to playing fast,
clean, crisp lead on an acoustic guitar:

1. The first thing you need to do is start with a pick that is
thick enough! Use at least a medium pick--usually about .73-.81mm.
This may seem difficult at first, but it is absolutely necessary,
so that you'll get strong, snappy notes that really make a
statement.

2. Be sure to grip the pick firmly so that your thumb and index
finger cover most of the area of the pick. Choke up on that pick!
You don't want to play little wimpy licks!

3. DO NOT rest the palm or wrist of your picking hand on the bridge
or on the top of your guitar. Your hand needs to float freely so
that you can keep the edge of the pick at pretty much a 90 degree
angle from the strings. Keep your pinky or ring finger (or both)
stiff so that one of these fingers glides LOOSELY over the top as a
reference. This will definitely seem awkward if you are not used to
it, but it is a must if you're going to be a good acoustic guitar
picker!

4. On the left hand (or the hand that works the fretboard): Keep
those fingernails trimmed well! You need to be able to press the
strings down with the least amount of effort in order to be a good
picker--and long fingernails throw a monkey wrench into the works.

5. When you pick out guitar lead parts in the first position, the
index finger will cover the notes played at the first fret. The
second finger will cover notes in the second fret. The third finger
will finger the notes in the third fret. And, "Mr. Pinkie" will
finger the notes played on the fourth fret. As with most things in
life, there are exceptions. This principle should be regarded
primarily as a guideline. From time to time, you will find it
necessary to break this rule. Many chords, for instance, simply
cannot be played unless the "one finger per fret" rule is violated.
Certain licks will be played more speedily and cleanly by straying
from the principle. But as a general rule, it is best to discipline
yourself to abide by the precept of "every finger has its fret and
every fret has its finger." Make exceptions only when there is a
definite purpose in doing so.

6. Play the G Chord, not as it is commonly played, but like this:
Put your THIRD finger behind the third fret of the sixth string, your
SECOND finger behind the second fret of the fifth string, and MR.
PINKIE behind the third fret of the first string. THE FIRST FINGER
WILL NOT EVEN BE USED IN THE CHORD! This will allow you to switch
to the C chord with much more speed that ever before. And when you
switch to the C chord, you have the option of leaving your pinkie
behind the third fret of the high E string, which gives the C chord
an entirely new dimension. Then leave it on the same way and go
right back to G. Most importantly, playing the G this way leaves
your first finger and other fingers in an ideal position to go
quickly into lead licks. It may seem difficult to learn, but once
you learn, you'll never go back!

7. If you want to be a fast and clean flatpicker, one of the
smartest things you can do is to practice using a metronome. You
might say, "I don't have a metronome." Well, I will not allow you
to use that as an excuse--because you can now go to an online
metronome any time you wish, and it doesn't cost you a cent! Just
go to:

http://www.metronomeonline.com

These are, I believe, the most important basics. If you would like
to read more details about these techniques and other valuable
acoustic guitar information, plus some danged good recipes, read some of my other articles on this website.

Copyright 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith is an avid acoustic guitar player and a vintage instrument enthusiast. He invites you to receive a FREE REPORT on a revolutionary acoustic guitar lesson kit, along with his weekly newsletter via email. just click on http://optin.flatpickpost.com

Check out Lee's blog, "The Flatpick Post" at http://flatpickpost.com