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Since humans first walked this Earth we have been banging inanimate objects and noticing tonal harmonies in all that we do. Music evokes such a deep rooted emotion in us, connecting with our inner being on an infinite number of levels.

From the depths of depression to the awesome high of life itself there is a music which can touch us in a profound manner at every single step of the way.

Someone once said to me “I don’t like music” … I simply couldn’t fathom this concept of actually not liking music. I could obviously see how one could dislike a certain type of music but to not like any music at all was a totally alien idea to me.

I was lucky I suppose, growing up, I was privy to the tastes of my “60’s generation” parents and all that hippy stuff, along with a fine selection of very early blues, reggae, jazz and some really raw grooves which have all but been lost to our super fickle modern generation. In fact my Father owned one of the first copies of the first 45 from a label named Chess. Worth a fortune now no doubt. Music has always been a big part of my life.

So why does music reach us at this most basic level? What is it about the human being that makes us crave this “soul food”? Well, music is a multifaceted means of communication. It is possible through music to create all the acoustic features that we use in our everyday language. Furthermore, these acoustic features can be generated in a very definite way. This makes it possible for composers to reach us at our most primeval state, simply by structuring the music according to predefined patterns.

The most basic musical element that we respond to is a rhythmical beat or pulse. If you need proof of this then notice how a newborn baby will begin to rock or move to the beat without prompting. This is the human instinct naturally reacting to a rhythm, the roots of which are deeply imbedded in all of us. This is the case whether you like music or not.

The next level of musical recognition is the conscious awareness of the interval between certain vibrations or frequencies. In other words the musical scale. It was not long before humans realized that certain notes work together and certain notes do not - harmonious sequences and discordant sounds.

In fact, not all that long ago a discordant sound was associated with the work of the devil because it made the listener feel quite uncomfortable. These days we have moved on with many modern jazz musicians purposefully using discordant sounds - something which horrifies the purists.

One level up from the musical scale is the combination of many different types of musical instrument. This is what we know today as pop music, orchestral music and many other genres. It pleases us when we hear harmonious combinations of many different types of instrument. These chords and harmonious sequences connect with us at our most basic level. It is these musical progressions which can evoke such strong emotions in all of us.

To this day, there are no generally accepted definitions of this musical complexity at a logical and objective level. Many people report that when they hear a piece of music they really like and which touches them emotionally they will feel the hairs on their arms stand on end. This is hardly a scientific observation but is one of the only indicators we have telling us when somebody is emotionally moved by piece of music.

To be perfectly honest, maybe the scientists should just leave it alone - I believe some things were not meant to be explained. Music is music and it makes us feel the way we do because of some ancient connection handed down from generation to generation. The best thing to do with music is just enjoy it!

Without music the world would indeed be a very dull place.

Fabio writes articles covering a wide range of human experience and enjoys plying his trade especially on the Internet. He recommends Music Imports Direct where you can browse thousands of rare imports and can be reached here: Internet Traffic and Brand Building.

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Is there such a thing anymore as free downloadable music? I know that with lawsuits and copyright plus royalty laws there is a real push to make sure that artists get their money when their music is downloaded, but what if you just want to put something together for marketing or a business website? It turns out that there is such thing as downloadable music that can be used for marketing at a cheap price. You simple need to get out there and look for royalty free music in a downloadable state.

If you are a web designer or marketer, you likely will from time to time want to use flash or video clips on a website or CD Rom. Likely there will come a time where such materials will need music, and avoiding the high fees of royalties on this downloadable music will be essential to keeping your costs down.

There are, surprisingly, tons of places to find royalty free downloadable music. There are so many sources, in fact, that choosing the right royalty downloadable music may be a real challenge. Your client will likely be requesting music from his favorite album or something he got inspired by on the radio on his way to the office this morning. However, the price tag that comes with those songs will quickly help him get over that. Royalty downloadable music sites use music that sounds up to date and timely, but you will have to sift through all of the canned 70’s sounding music. Take the time to check out all of the music you can, and you will be rewarded with modern sounding music at a good price for your client.

When you purchase a usage license from a royalty downloadable music site, it will likely be very flexible. You will be able to use the music on all of your sites and projects, but you cannot steal it. In other words, the license will entitle you, as the purchaser. It does not, however, allow your customer or anyone else to sell the CD with the music on it. You area also not allowed to transfer the license to anyone else by simply copying the CD and selling it to them. The truth is that you don’t own the music, you have simply purchased, from the original creators, the right to use it.

Music licensing can be very expensive. If your client wanted to hear the latest from Coldplay on his new website, he would have to spend more money than in is likely in his entire marketing budget. So what is the answer? Royalty free downloadable music can offer you the chance to put a hip sounding, newly produced piece of music on the site that may give you and your client the sound you are looking for without the high price tag. The only thing you have to be aware of is the limitations on the user license you will get with your royalty free downloadable music track. With that in mind, though, you have the solution you need in a world of high priced licensing and copyright laws.

If you would like the latest information on online music, or find more of my personal articles like the one you just read, visit my computing site.

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Here are some tips for the solo wind musician.
If you play, woodwinds, brass, strings, or any single line instrument.
You can make a substantial amount of money using your play-a-long library.That’s right!…Your play-a-long library can be a goldmind of income.

I know it works because I’ve done it.
If I can do it, anybody should be able to do it.
Here’s the plan.

First: You have all of these wonderful play-a-longs that you use to practice with.
You have spent many, many hours learning these songs, and perfecting your talent.
A lot of these play-a-longs are really great accompaniment, and some are recorded by professional musicians.

Well!…Why not put together a nice sounding PA, or sound system, (what ever you can afford)use all of those wonderful play-a-longs you’ve had for years, put some song sets together, go out and target all the venues in your area that would be great for a solo musician as yourself to perform in, and make some easy money.
Sound crazy?…think again, you will be surprised to find out just how many places want live entertainment, but dont have the room, or the budget to hire a full band.

Here’s an example from my real experiences.
I have played a restaurant in early afternoon, a coffee shop after work hours, and played with my regular band that night.
The result,…Three times the income that I would have normally made that day.

I charge $50-$100 for small venues, $100-$200 for larger establishments, and parties, $200 and up for high dollar fundtions.
You have to be the judge as to how much you need to charge per gig.
Also keep in mind your expenses.

Oh!…I forgot to mention the tips.
That’s extra bravy , or icing on the cake.

So go ahead!…Make that money!
Put those old dusty play-a-longs to work.

Since I play mostly jazz, I use this source for my play-a-longs:

http://www.jajazz.com

Patrick is a blind jazz saxophonist, his intense, improvive style of playing is both soothing, and captivating to the listener.
Patrick owns, and operates a Texas based recording studio: Curse Buster Sound.
Patrick is producing some of the best sounding jazz on the market today.

http://www.cursebustersound.com

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