How To Learn To Sing Backup Vocals

A lot of old songs have more interesting backup vocals compared to songs that are new today. Listen to songs of Diana Ross and the Jackson 5, you will notice that there are very interesting backup vocals in it that are almost a song when sung alone.







Another interesting backup vocals is the group like the Four Seasons and Frankie Valli. Try to listen to their song and you can hear that there is a different song beneath the melody that these lead singers is singing.






The secret to learning to sing backup vocals is for you to be able to hear the voice in your own head and try not to be distracted by the other melody of the song. It may a take a lot of practice, and you can do this best if you live or get near more often with singers, where you are not singing with anyone but still holding your own. Try finding one or two people, and let the other play the guitar or let’s say a pian, this way you can be able to learn to sing backup much more easier. It takes a lot of practice to master backup vocals because it can get confusing sometimes, and being able to backup is a very nice skill. Learning to sing backup vocals is a very challenging task and at the same time a rewarding one.






Below are steps on how to start learning to sing backup vocals:






• First try to synchronize beginnings and endings of words with the lead singer. You should observe proper pronunciation to create a smoother blend. Pick your note from a chord either from a piano or a guitar.






• Observe proper posture, because this will help you control things that are related to notes, including the tone, proper breathing technique, pitches and sound the of the mic.






• Practice singing along with a lead singer (all this in your mind), and take note all the time, so that you can match the impact of the lead singer when backing harmony comes into the picture. This can help you to tune in to the emotion of the lead singer.






• If you are required to sing note within the harmony, sing throughout leading up even if it does not go over the preceding chords.






• Always bear in mind that you are supporting the lead singer. And that you are a supporting instrument. Play with tone and timbre to create the underpinning without trampling all over the lead singer.






With the right tools and technique in learning to sing there is no doubt that you can learn to sing backup vocals fast and easy. Combined with a lot patience, perseverance, determination and your love for music, i’m pretty sure you will make it big in the music industry.






Just follow the steps and techniques given and i am sure that you will learn to sing backup vocals in no time. Have with a lof of patience and determination and you’ll go a long way.

Learn To Sing - Develop Your Voice

Many experts believe that almost anyone, with the right instruction and determination, can develop her voice and carry a tune the way it was meant to be. The key to progress is practice and some wise decision-making.



In this article i am going to share without steps on how to develop your voice. Below are the steps to be followed.






• Choose a song that you know by heart very well and record your own voice singing it. Play it back and listen to it carefully and get idea of your voice strengths and weaknesses. Again record your voice but this time take note of the things that went wrong with your first recording and make a list of the things that you need to work on.






• The next thing that you should do is to listen to different chords and notes with your eyes closed and try to recognize the sounds. Not a lot of people are blessed with a natural instinct to identify sounds, so the more often you practice with the sounds the better and easier for you to match the right notes when you sing.






• You also need to control your breathing by taking a rest between the notes and breathe deeply from your stomach and not from your chest. This is very important for singers to do and will only come with constant practice. To do this, put your hand in your upper tummy and back and feel your inhalations and control your breath.






• It is very important that you enrol in workshops for singing or voice lesson in your local area. This is less expensive compared to enrolling in a private voice lesson.






• In choosing the songs that you will sing, choose carefully. Choose the songs that will complement to your voice range and the level of your ability. If you have a nasal low voice, country music will sound good to you, and for high voices, folk ballad is the best choice. You should start first with lower songs and eventually increase in the long run.






• It is very vital that you master the basics in learning how to sing like pitch recognition as well note and chord matches before you go into vocal ornamentation such as slides in your songs.






Most singers are taught how to pronounce the words properly so the lyrics of the songs that you will be singing can be understood by the audience. Another important thing is by learning to breathe from your diaphragm, so that you can hold certain notes of a song. This aspect in singing is considered as one of the important by professional voice teachers. Voice teachers offer a lot breathing exercises so that the students will be acclimated to breathing from the diaphragm.






Learning to sing, especially if you have already mastered it brings a sense of achievement. What is important in learning to sing is for you to have a strong desire to learn, then there is no doubt that you can learn to sing fast.

Learn To Sing Baritone

Baritone is a male voice and a voice range that is between tenor and bass. Technically it ranges from the G blow middle C and to the C above middle C. It is the job of a baritone to sound and harmonize with the other main vocal parts. Baritone range usually sing the lower part of the harmony, that is a third or a fourth below the melody. There is also what we call higher baritone, wherein you sing above the melody, but it is rare.







This type of voice covers a range that straddles both the bass and treble clefs. It is important for singers to learn to read baritone music to better learn to sing baritone. You can learn baritone better with proper practice and training. It is an issue among men when it comes to posture because they tend to slouch when they sing. You should stand up straight when you sing to really use your diaphragm in expelling the notes of the song. Constant and proper practice is also very important in practicing your range to strengthen your vocal chords.






Below are steps on how to learn to sing baritone:






1. It is very important to use right vocal technique to hit the notes in the baritone range. You should use your diaphragm to send air to your vocal chords. To do this, keep your tongue flat, raise your soft pallet and open your mouth wide.






2. Try to perfect your baritone range. You must be able sing the whole range in order to become a true baritone. That’s why you need to train your voice. You need a lot of time to practice, so patience is very important because not all people can sing this kind of range. You should try to find your current range and sing songs that will stretch your high and low ranges until such time that you perfect the entire range.






3. It is important to create a space inside your mouth for the vocal wave to resonate so that you will achieve tonality of the baritone. Try to imagine the vocal waves travelling to your throat and bouncing around before leaving your body. Another technique is to focus on how much vibration you can feel every time you sing between your eyes.






4. To begin practicing, find a performance group that you can join and practice with them. It is important that you will be able to a rich tone quality through the lower and mid range.






In learning to sing baritone, it takes a lot of patience so you can succeed in learning it. You need also to have the determination and commitment to pursue your craft. The singers who are known for their baritone voice had their share of hard work when they first started their career as a singer. It is because of their commitment to singing that they where they are right now. Because of their patience they succeeded in their dream of becoming a well know baritone singer. You too can become like them, it is not too late.

Burn Free Music Downloads

If you are looking for a way to increase your music library but you do not have enough money to buy the latest CD, what do you do? What if I told you can download your own songs quickly and easily? The great thing is you are able to download a specific song and not the entire CD. Allowing you to burn free music download and grow your library with the songs you want.



All you need to do is use the Internet connection your computer and some blank CDs and you're on your way to keep yourself happy, and entertained for hours.


I would recommend that you search for the music online yourself by going to your favorite search engine and typing in different phrases that will relate back to your genre of music that you are wanting to download.


It may take some time for you to find the exact music that you would want to put in your library. But searching online, tends to do that and best of all, you'll be able to start listening to other various artists that you'd never heard of before. So in actual fact, you are growing your need for great music, and actually sampling a lot of unknown tracks and albums.


There are other sites that help you find free music, but one show up on the search engines. Some artists are also willing to give away the music by allowing you to visit their fan page. This is the way the artist will grow his music and make it more famous so why not give it a try.


You could probably also start to look at different radio stations on the Internet, by listening to what they are playing find out what music is exciting and new. All you need to do is actually go to your favorite search engine and look up radio stations website. They tend to give access to free downloads and playlists.


Once you download your favourite tracks, and you're willing to number in a down onto a CD to do idea to make sure that you have enough music to fill up the CD. Some people like to make a mix CD while others will only record, a specific artist or group onto a CD. At the end of the day the choice is yours, since this is your mix compilation.


Make sure you have enough blank CDs, so that you can burn all your favorite songs. The blank CDs that you should be using are called CDR. these type of CDs will be able to be played in most CD players. If you're looking for software to burn your music to CDs, you can use your media player software. Most computers come are ready preinstall, with some sort of media player software such as Real One, MusicMatch jukebox or Windows media player. If you do not have any of these, I suggest you go and search online for a free media player that will allow you to burn CDs.


It is your 1st time making use of this type of software to burn onto a CD. Rest assured that it is a very easy process to follow. Just about all of them operate in the same manner, which would be the following. Open the software and locate your music. Then go and select the songs you would like to burn onto a CD. Once you have done that. You will then click on the button that is burn CD or create disk. It will then take a couple of minutes and you'll have a CD with your favorite songs.


This is the easiest way to burn free music from downloads off the internet. With more or artists making this one is available for you to download and a rapid pace of the Internet. It is becoming more and more common for you to burn your favorite MP3s onto CD in a few minutes. This is the way; you can grow your own music library in a very short space of time.

How to Download and Burn Music

Once you've located the music you want to add to your collection. Now, you need to find out how you would make use of it in your car CD player or a portable CD player. This is quite simple, all you need to do is burn in the required music onto a CD, and you'll be able to enjoy it anywhere.







Now I am going to assume that you have a media player of some sort on your computer to make it a lot easier for you to save the files onto your computer and which also will make it easier for you to burn CDs. I also assume that you already have a CD burner on your computer.






Firstly, you'll need to locate the music that you would want to head in your music collection by searching on the Internet. There are various sites that will enable you to do various things, but inevitably, all you want is to download music to your PC. You will also see next to the song that you wish to download that it will have you a button. Next to it, saying something along the lines of "click to download" or "click to save"






After you click on the button to download or save it onto your PC. You need to find a folder in way you would like to save the MP3 file. Once you have downloaded the song to your PC, which should roughly take a couple of minutes, depending on your Internet speed, and the size of the actual file. Please also remember where exactly you are saving it onto your PC.






Before deciding to burn your music onto a CD make sure you have enough songs to fill up the space on a CD. Unless you are specifically only want to record or burn a song or two onto a disc, for whatever reason. I recommend that you make use of CDR blank CDs. As this will allow you to play in are a lot more CD players. Try and stay away from CD RW Blank discs as they are writable. Chances are, you will record over the songs, and also they tend to have some difficulty being able to be played on other CD players.






The software that you want to use to burn your CD will either be already installed on your computer. If not, you probably have a media player of some sort that will allow you to make use of the burn to disk facility. If you do not have any of these, I recommend you search the Internet for a media player that will allow you to burn to disk.






This will place your link CD-R disc into the CD drive. Open up your media player software and go and look at your library of songs gonad those songs onto a playlist that will allow you to burn onto a CD. It will also indicate to you how much disk space is left on the CD, every time you add a song. This will enable you to know how many songs you'll be able to fit onto a CD.






Once you have reached full capacity. You will then click okay or burn now buttons, and it should take not longer than 10 minutes to burn your CD.


Your computers will then take over and burn the disc, when it is finished. It will then you get the CD automatically, and you will have a message on your screen, stating disc burning process was successful. You then will label the CD according to what is on the CD.






Now you know how to download and burn music, very easily and quickly without too much difficulty.

Can You Get Free Music Downloads?

This is a serious question everyone is asking can you get free music downloads? The person asking the question clearly has not discovered the Internet is full potential of getting free music.




This is a very difficult question to answer because it is a yes and no answer. Meaning, you can make use of the Internet to get free music, but the free music that is available is not very popular. And for the music that is popular you have to think twice before downloading them because of the copyright laws.



Now that you understand what I try to tell you, there are places, where you can download free music legally. You just have to hunt around the Internet and trying get access to certain musicians or artists that are putting their music out there for the public to download free of charge. These tend to be the more up and coming artists, and basically to either make a name for themselves. You can also make use of those social networking sites that simply use one of the many available search engines to search on the social networking sites for new music.



If you're wondering how to do this property go to a social networking site. Enter in the search bar, free music, and then you will be able to access and get the latest results.



If you happen to follow music Chart you might find one or two of your favorite artists in there that are willing or wanting to give away free music downloads. Some of these artists have come to realize it is easier to give away the music from their website. Then to have some other people download their music illegally.



You'll also be able to access free music through certain radio stations that will offer sometimes their playlists or certain songs off their website to be downloaded onto your computer or MP3 player. Now you will need to obviously search through the Internet for the different radio stations or stations offering a live streaming audio. Who knows you might just pick up a good track.



There's also the advantage of looking at the online stores that offer you access to buying MP3 songs, but they probably also have a selection of free MP3 songs for you to download. Also, try and find some music blogs, where they will offer you free download of their songs I would suggest bookmarking them, because you might come back at a later stage and the free list of MP3s might have changed.



Then of course there is the peer-to-peer and torrents method to obtain free music. But you do need to remember that going this way is actually downloading copyrighted songs illegally. And I go as follows to tell you that sometimes websites are actually fake website, just to monitor traffic and visitors activity.



At the end of the day, you can get free music download is all you need to do is take a good long search on the Internet, as they are loads of sites offering you free music for you to download. Just remember you start off by using a broad search and narrowing it down as you get closer and closer to their specific target word that you are wanting to get to. And last but not least, keep your ears peeled for that free music downloads.

Learn To Sing Without Vocal Coach

It is a fact that you can learn a lot of things about singing from a vocal coach. They have the ability to evaluate your pitch, your tone and especially your performance. And they will help you find the correct key for your voice. They will also help you learn to properly breathe and how to choose the songs that is suitable for you and your type of voice. But will all the reason that doesn’t mean that you cannot learn to sing on your own. You can definitely learn to sing without vocal coach and most especially save a lot of money.







In learning to sing without the help of a vocal coach requires to important things, and that is commitment and patience. Though it may take you a little longer to really become a real vocalist without getting feedback from professionals, but you can get feedback from other sources or you can evaluate your own talent. This is where patience comes in. Learning to sing all by yourself takes a lot of patience. You can have to have a lot of that so you can succeed in learning to sing.






Another important thing is commitment. If you really want to become a successful singer, your commitment to your chosen craft is very important. Some singers practice whenever they can, even if they are washing dishes or doing household chores, because they have commitment. You got to love singing if you really want to learn.






You can learn to sing without the help of professional vocal coach but you have to make sure that you treat singing as a career and give it much importance.






Below are steps on how to learn to sing without a professional vocal coach:






• WarmYour Voice up  – In every performance or even when you’re only practicing, it is very important that you always warm up your voice, so as to avoid straining your voice and your vocal chords. Just like the athletes, singers must also warm up their voice to better prepare the mucles in your throat.






• Learn your chose craft – It is very important for singers to learn to read music. Consider buying books about music and read it carefully until you are confident in your ability to read the notes. You should also work on matching your voice with the notes. A piano is a help for you to be able to do this. Try to match your pitch with that of the key of the piano.






• Find your own style – A singer has a certain genre of music that he or she likes to sing. Experiment with different genre of music and see what genre you are best at and what you like doing best. Know here you are comfortable working with. This way you will be able to know of find your own style in singing.






• Get comments – You should always ask for comments from your friends and relatives. Ask them how you sound and how you perform. This way you will improve and know your mistakes.

Piano Care: How to Properly Move a Piano Without Damaging It

It is probably one of the heaviest and most valuable pieces of furniture in your house-the piano. Whether it is an upright or a grand, it is likely the centerpiece of a room and, even if you don't play it, you love looking at it. But, you want to relocate it to a different room or to a whole new house altogether. However far you are going with it, there is a right way and a wrong way to move a piano. The wrong way can damage the instrument and affect the tuning.







Here are some basics to keep in mind when planning your moving strategy the right way:






* Take measurements.






Whether you are moving from room to room or to a different house, you need to take accurate measurements to make the move easier. First of all, measure the piano-length, width and height. This is especially important for the bigger bulkier grands.






Then measure every doorway, entry, hallway and any other place you are going to have to walk through to get to your final destination. Visually plan out your strategy for how the move will go. The people helping you don't want to be weighed down with an expensive and heavy piano while you figure it out.






* Have enough help.






Do you know how much your piano weighs? You need to find out so you have make sure you have plenty of strong arms on hand to make the move. For an upright, four people should be sufficient and at least five are needed for moving grands.






* Protect the instrument and the movers.






Always lock the lids and covers of the instrument before moving it. Cover with a soft sheet or cloth to protect it from getting scratched by a mover or the wall. Never rely on the casters to move the weight. Always lift most of the weight off the rollers and then push it. This is because the rollers tend to weaken over time after sitting with all that weight on them.






Protect your workers by making sure enough people are there to help. Don't let anyone with back problems get involved. It can hurt them and cause damage to the piano if they have to suddenly drop it. Make sure everyone wears gloves that don't have any hard pieces on them that could scratch the instrument.






* Use appropriate tools and moving equipment.






A piano dolly is a great tool for moving the instrument a long distance or over rough terrain. It makes moving up and down inclines easier as well and takes some of the work load off the movers. But, you still need the manpower to keep the instrument balanced and moving at the same time. If using a truck, always cover and belt the instrument inside so that it doesn't get jostled and bounced around.






* Use professional movers.






If you are at all unsure, can't find enough people to help or the piano is a very special piece, call on professional movers to handle the job. It will be money well spent for a job done right. So, if you are planning on moving this heavy instrument, make sure you have a plan. You're helpers and your piano will thank you.

Piano: Why Climate Control is Important For Piano Maintenance

The piano is an elegant musical instrument that can convey and evoke a variety of emotions with a range from soft lilting tones to aggressive frenzied pounding. It is an instrument to be appreciated and adored.







But, if you want to keep it in perfect working order so that it can convey all of the emotions at the right time, it has to be well maintained. Part of a piano's upkeep is to keep the climate around the instrument controlled. If you don't, it is important to know how humidity and temperature change can affect this priceless instrument and how to prevent it.






First of all, your piano is made of wood. Albeit quality wood products, but it is still susceptible to the same constriction and contraction that occurs under temperature changes and these are just the normal everyday kind of changes. Extreme humidity and dryness can lead to the wood splitting and cracking. These are just the visible outside changes. Worse damage is done to the working parts on the interior.






The biggest damage of extreme temperature change happens to the soundboard which is the most important part of the piano. As it swells up with moisture or shrinks from dryness, it places pressure on the strings and effects the overall tuning of the piano. It can become permanently warped so that the instrument will never sound the dame again.






Humidity affects other parts as well. Anything that is metal can rust if condensation collects inside the instrument. The felt and leather components can become saturated or dried out and crack when the humidity level fluctuates. There are steps you can take to minimize the risk of any damaging occurring due to temperature and humidity levels.






The easiest thing to control is the placement of the piano. Never place it by a window. This not only heats the instrument, but the sun can fade the wood. Also, keep the piece out of the direct line of output for heaters and cooling vents or anything that emits hot and cold temperatures. Placing it on an inside wall is better because the insulation is better than an exterior wall.






For the humidity, which is wet, you can place a dehumidifier in the piano room. Conversely, if you live in a very dry environment, like Colorado in the winter, you want to place a humidifier in the room to put back some moisture. Keeping the temperature of the house at a moderate level, say between 68 and 72 degrees, at all times of the year is also good for the instrument.






If you want this beautiful instrument to remain in good working order, you have to do what you can to control its climate. You spent a lot of money on it and you want to be able to pass it down to your kids and their kids. Aside from climate control, don't forget to give your piano regular tune-ups and maintenance from a professional. If you do experience humidity-related issues, always call a professional in to fix the problem.

Piano: Using Your Piano to Make Some Extra Cash

You love to play the piano and you're very good at it. You have your own instrument and some free time. Though you love it for the pure personal joy it brings, maybe it's time to let that piano start earning its keep. Giving lessons in your spare time can be fun and put some extra cash in your pocket. If you're thinking about it, ask yourself these questions to help you decide:




* Do I need certification or a special degree?



The answer to this is no unless you want to go to work at a school or an organization. Otherwise, you can become a teacher in your home by simply advertising your services and acquiring students. However, if you do have aspirations for more formal teaching, some sort of training and education may be necessary.



* What skill level can I teach?



You will have to decide what you feel comfortable with. Obviously you want to properly teach your students so don't take on a skill level that you are not completely sure about. If you have taken lessons for years, you may only feel comfortable with teaching the basics or intermediate.



But, if you have a music degree plus years of piano lessons, you may feel more comfortable with advanced students. A great piano teacher who is confident and knowledgeable is going to be the successful teacher. You get more business by word of mouth if parents and students trust your abilities. If you have any doubts about your abilities to teach, then you should move on to something else to fill your time.



* Do I want to work with children, adults or both?



Again, this is determined by what your comfort level is. Teaching beginner children the piano is different from teaching beginner adults. The adults will like to move through more quickly and may exceed your experience. Then again, do you think you can relate to children, teach them well and keep them interested?



* How many students can I take on?



If you are just teaching in the evenings and on the weekends, you need to be sure to set a cut-off so you can still enjoy some of your free time. Figure on 45 minutes to an hour for each piano lesson and then decide how much time you want to dedicate to it. Stop accepting students when you reach your limit and only accept new ones if someone drops out or moves on.



* Do I have the space? Where is your piano?



If it is in a small cramped room somewhere in the house, do you have a more spacious location for it? Lessons need to be given in a well-lit area with lots of space for better acoustics. Plus it will make everyone feel more comfortable if they are not crammed into a tiny room at the back of the house. Also, if you are at all concerned about people coming through your home, you need to find an easily accessible location right off of a main door.

Top Tips to Create World-Class Recordings Using a Home Computer

I use Cubase on any music recording software. All tracks are recorded dry, I use a compressor limiter on all inputs just to prevent clipping.




I always record the drums first, using track one. Match the tempo to the drum track. Import pre recorded drums as audio, If you use a midi based drum machine record it to real audio because the realtime audio processing power of plugins.



I use waves trueverb to give a lot of ambience, the slower the tempo the bigger the space or room size. You can copy the track and paste it to track two to thicken things up depending on what you have already. Sometimes if I use a pre recorded drum track I will import a bigger snare drum



Sound into another track and apply more reverb, this will give a beautiful big trail but not make a mess of the rest of the drums, the last thing you want is a big reverb on the bass drum. I may use this technique on slower ballads and songs where there is enough space. A good example of this is on my track called " I Was An Island" from the cd "Under The Northern Lights".



The next available track will be dedicated to bass. No reverb ever on the bass, I compress the bass using waves rbass plugin. This plugin is very clever and has some very useful presets.



The next available track will be for rhythm guitar or acoustic guitar.



Again I use the waves plugin raxx to compress. Some nice reverb and the same type of ambience as is set for the drums as with all the tracks,



Any keyboard parts will be on the next available track. If it is strings I would use a lot of reverb to give give them a distant airy feel.



All reverb is added after not on input. Just to maintain total control at the mixing stage.



I will then record electric guitars and lead guitars on the following available tracks. I mic up a mesa boogie rocket 44 loaded with jj valves, I mic ti closely



With the mic pointing at the outer edge of the speaker cone and have the mic at a slight angle. The mic I use is a Rode n2, this is a full range mic 20hz -20 khz any mic could be used although I prefer the Rode or at least a sure sm57.



Vocals, are recorded using the Rode n2, always use a pop screen, if you haven't got a pop screen then make one out of a coat hanger and a pair of tights. You must have a pop screen when recording vocals.



I would use waves rvox plug in which is a compressor and some reverb and maybe waves doubler to add a little double tracking.



That's it, I will mix the song as I go along so that the mixing stage is just fine tuning.

Saving Money Tips - Set an Entertainment Allowance

Don't we all just love to be entertained? There is nothing nicer than looking forward to going to the opera or attending a musical performance. We live in exciting times, as there are so many functions for us to participate in, that it can be difficult choosing what to attend and it can certainly be hard containing our spending habits.




A lot of entertainment can be quite expensive and most times we don't realise how much a night out actually costs us. You not only have the cost of the event, but usually these sort of social outings cost us money in other ways such as taxis, drinks, clothes etc.



The best way to control the money that you do spend on entertainment is to set yourself a quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance. Below are some clues to help you do this.



1. Work out what you would like to do over the next quarter / year:





Visit galleries / exhibitions

Attend concerts / musical performances

Watch opera / ballet / dance

Attend pantomimes / theatre / shows / plays / musicals

Attend film festivals

Participate in balls / charity events

Go to circus shows / live performances / comedy shows

2. Estimate how much the tickets / entrance fares are going to cost you.



3. Spend time working out the 'hidden extras' so you know the full cost of the function / event. There are often costs to consider such as:





Buying / hiring attire - formal / semi-formal outfits

Attending the hairdresser / make up artist

Paying for accommodation / flights

Hiring a car / paying for taxis / parking fees

Eating out / drinks

4. Tally up the whole cost of your entertainment. Look at your budget and ensure your quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance will fit in with your overall budget. Remember entertainment is a "want" and not a "need". You have other priorities and financial commitments in your budget to allow you to meet your "needs". These must be met before deciding where else you "want" to spend your money.



5. If your quarterly / yearly entertainment allowance is above what you have available in your budget, look for some alternatives:





Buy a cheaper class of ticket e.g. B reserve instead of A reserve

Go to a matinee showing instead of a night showing

Find an outfit in your existing wardrobe instead of buying / hiring an outfit

Get a friend / family member to do your hair / make up

Eat before going out

Drink water / juice / soft drinks instead of alcohol

Attend events locally to save on airfares / accommodation / car hire

Drive to avoid taxi fares

Cut the number of events you expect to attend

Find a cheaper option e.g. go to a local theatre to see a show, rather than a big performance centre

6. Find a way of monitoring what you do spend over the quarter / year. Use a software programme to record all of your costs for entertainment throughout the quarter / year. The programme should record how much you have spent and how much you still have left to spend. This will ensure you stay within your proposed budget.



Entertainment need to be looked upon as a treat. We have mentioned earlier that entertainment is a "want" and not a "need". The functions and events you attend should be looked upon as special times in your life that you can really look forward to. If you don't consider them as a specialty / treat, then attending such events will become the normal. You will think of these activities as "must haves" instead of "nice to haves". You will expect to go to them on a regular basis and you will find you spend lots and lots of money satisfying your wishes.



Your money can only go so far. I am sure there are a lot of important things in your life that you are trying to achieve. This might be something on your wish list to buy, a holiday you want to go on, someone you wish to help financially etc. So, see if you can make a bit of a sacrifice with what you spend on your entertainment and start limiting what you spend over a quarter / year. You don't need to cut entertainment out completely. You still need to have fun and look forward to special times, but ensure you do so whilst giving yourself an opportunity to meet your other goals and wishes.



Detective Heather Wood is Managing Director and writer for Money Detective Pty Ltd.



Money Detective can help you with all of your money troubles. From our website full of factual information and articles, to our one on one personal money coaching, Money Detective can help you with all aspects of money management.

Is Entertainment Important Today?

Time is speeding quickly with new technology and inventions popping up every single day.




It seems that we don't find enough time to fill 3 valuable areas in our lives;



1. ARTS



2. ENTERTAINMENT



3. SOCIAL LIFE



We spend a 1/3rd of the day sleeping



We spend a 1/3rd of the day working



We spend a 1/3rd of the day running errands, keeping up with our home chores, children, driving, family obligations, cooking, exercising, watch television,overeat, etc.



We overlook the 3 most essential areas as indicated above.



And why are they truly so needed:



1. ARTS is a natural uplifting visual and emotional expression



2. ENTERTAINMENT - is charging our batteries and refueling our entire being



3. SOCIAL LIFE - make us laugh, share opinions, stimulates our minds and indeed a stress reliever



SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN?



I HAVE come up with simple realistic solutions as follows:



1. Fit the 3 essential areas in the TIME BETWEEN DESTINATIONS

2. PLAN for exposure to arts, entertainment and socializing

3. Take baby steps towards it - make it happen and with practice it will become a way of life.

Celebrate life inside out - outside in - AND LIVE IN THE NOW - FOCUS WITH CLARITY and live yesterday's clutter behind you. Experience and knowledge is the only seed one should carry forward in the suitcase of your life.

Taking Good Pictures at Birthday Parties

Designate A Photographer - Designate someone to take photos at the party so you don't have to worry about missing out on a shot because you were busy entertaining, setting up a game, serving, etc.




Sunlight Guidelines - Don't pose people in front of windows as the outside sunlight will cause their faces to be too dark. This holds true even if you use a flash.



Work At Their Level - When taking photos of children, they will turn out better if you get down to their eye level. By doing this, your photo will be level with them, as opposed to slanting downward.



Candid Shots - Try to take as many candid shots as possible without the kids knowing that you are taking the pictures. This helps to avoid the "stretch-mouth" fake-looking smile.



Backgrounds - Before taking a photo, be aware of the backgrounds. Make sure there isn't anything that will detract from your photo or look out of place. For example, something hanging on a wall could look like it is protruding from someone's head if they stand in just the right place.



Sequence Of Photos - Take a sequence of photos to tell your party story from beginning to end. Mix it up by taking both posed and candid shots. Also, don't forget to take a few group photos.



Pre-Party Photos - Be sure to take some photos of the party room decorations, birthday cake, and gift table before anyone arrives and things start to get invaded and destroyed.



Photos Of Guest Arrivals - Take pictures of your guests as they arrive, especially if it is a costume party. Time and heat have a way of causing people to begin to strip off their masks, remove wigs hats, and vests, along with causing make-up to run. So, if you want to capture your guests in their full garb, take those pics early on.



Party Activities - Take pictures of your guests playing various party games and activities, along with doing any crafts.



Double Shots - As we all know, one false move can cause an out-of-focus picture. Take double pictures of each shot in case someone blinked or the first one turned out blurry. To help alleviate this problem, use a tripod, or steady your arm by resting your elbow on your leg while squatting down.



Disposable Cameras - Consider making disposable cameras available for older guests. You will get an entirely different perspective of the party from those who are of the same generation, thus a way different point of view than your own.



Polaroid Cameras - Although Polaroid cameras have basically been replaced by digital cameras, they are still fun to have at a party. Kids love to watch the photos develop right before their very eyes and they make great party favors when framed.



BOTTOM LINE: Be prepared for taking good pictures. A few days before the party make sure your cameras are in working order, that you have all of their necessary components, charged batteries, and sufficient camera cards.

The Human Need For Jokes and Entertainment

Entertainment is something people need in their lives, as they get bored of their daily existence. People want to have fun at the end of the day. They want to see funny things and crack jokes. That is the reason why entertainment industry is a huge industry worth billions of dollars. Since the time immemorial, humans used to find things to entertain themselves. Archaeologists have found evidence of cavemen enjoying themselves with music, dance and some kinds of art forms.




Humor is a great way to entertain a large number of people. This is a reason why cracking jokes have been a universal thing found in all countries of the world in one form or the other. A joke is a short and funny story, which shows someone or something in bad light while making people laugh. Jokes normally end with some surprising or funny, or strange twist that can evoke strong emotions in the listener.



The industry that provides entertainment and other sources of amusement for people at a large scale is known as the entertainment industry. In modern times there are many forms of entertainment. Cinema, drama, music, dance, arts are some of the forms of entertainment. Various forms of entertainment cater to various tastes of people. For example, fine arts attract people with finer sensibilities. On the other hand, music attracts young people who want to have fun. Fiction writing is also a form of entertainment that caters to people's higher intellectual pursuits. Humor and romance are the most popular elements of entertainment, followed by fantasy, glamor and mystery.



In modern world, people have access to sophisticated means to entertain themselves. Now a days people have access to lots of entertainment means like games, circus, cinema, TV, music, dance, etc. After the advent of the Internet, this new medium has emerged as a big source of entertainment. Now a days lots of entertainment web portals offer items for entertainment, including jokes, funny pictures, music downloads, desktop wallpapers, screen savers, riddles, etc.

Training Your Singing Voice - How To Locate The Singing Teacher Who Is Just Right For You

As a voice teacher-coach for over 40 years, I've often been contacted by singers throughout the country, asking for advice in finding a good voice teacher. Every little town has teachers who sang some opera or Broadway at sometime in their past, and now have set up shop as teachers. But all too often they have no experience with, or appreciation of the genres of music many singers love to sing. Here are some guidelines for locating the right teacher for you.

1. Take a session with a teacher (many offer free first sessions). During that session listen carefully and ask such questions as: "I love to sing punk (or metal or country, etc). What is your opinion about that?" If they even hint at wanting to change you from what you love to sing to what THEY feel you should be singing, DON'T GO BACK. It's your voice and you know what you want to sing. The job of a good voice teacher is to help you become better and better at what you already sing, not to change you.

2. A session with a teacher will also tell you their approach to teaching. If you don't respond well to a strict authoritative demanding teacher, that isn't going to change, and you probably won't improve nearly as well as when you work with a teacher who puts you at ease, is knowledgeable and doesn't yell. On the other hand, if you've always responded well to strict discipline and heavy handed teachers you'll know if this is the right one for you. You must be able to trust and feel comfortable with the teacher. You're purchasing their services. Be very choosy. Just because many singers recommended this person doesn't necessarily mean they are right for you.

3. Ask around. Visit some clubs and when you hear a singer you like a lot ask them if they study and with whom. If they don't study, perhaps they are familiar with a teacher in the area who comes well recommended. Don't rely on credentials alone to influence your choice. Some of the worst teachers for pop and rock singers are professors at major universities. The same goes for the teacher who is known for working with all classical or opera singers. They may be great teachers, but they probably won't be great for you.

4. Don't pick a teacher just because they charge less. You're better off taking 8 sessions with the right teacher who also charges $100. a session than you are wasting time on 50 sessions with a less qualified teacher. if your budget demands, take 4-8 sessions and drop out for a few weeks to regroup financially. Discuss this with the teacher. Consider this: the guitar or keyboard or drum player in a band is constantly investing in new and better equipment. Lessons are your investment in your equipment.

All too often there just isn't a qualified voice teacher in many areas and towns. So what to do? You should consider downloading my SINGER'S BIBLE, a power-packed 9 session course in singing, created for pop, rock, Broadway and country singers. (Some great stuff for classical singers also) My concepts and techniques are both time-tested and modern, and geared to singers of today's music.

Like doctors, all voice teachers are not qualified to teach you. Make the right choice and save much money and a lot of wasted time.

Singing Tips For Musical Auditions - What Are Judges Of American Idol And Other Talent Auditions Loo

Ok. So you've decided to audition for American Idol, or the local talent show, or the local Karaoke talent search. What's going to give you that big step up and put you ahead of the other singers and performers? What are the judges looking for in their first place winner?
First you need to realize that the visual impression you make is every bit as important as the quality of your singing. Having a terrific singing voice will not, by itself, win you that first place position, unless you happen to be a Josh Groban or Celine Dion) and even they spend much time working on their presentations.

Of course you need to practice and perfect your songs. Memorize them far in advance of the audition so there's no chance of your forgetting lyrics or melody. Record them, and listen - not just for bad notes, but also listen as if you were hearing this singer for the first time on the radio. Do you like them? Would you go out and buy their album? Do they "speak" to you with their emotion and style?

FACT: Most singers (including professionals) are not at all satisfied with the sound of their recorded voices. Elton John once said "Its an acquired taste". There are reasons for this, which I go into in depth in my FREE Ebook, "Excellent Tips, Tools and Techniques for All Singers". But for now you need to understand that many of the top selling artists do not like the quality of their own voices. Get over it. It's your voice, and your job is to take what you have right now and use it to win the audition.

You can't keep dodging auditions and performances just because you are waiting until your voice gets better. IF OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU THEY LIKE YOUR SINGING, BELIEVE THEM. They are the ones listening fom the outside.

Just as much time (if not more) should be spent working on your performance as on the song , itself. Practice exactly where you want to move during the song. Use the entire stage area, even if it is only 6 feet, to "tell your story" Practice your expressions and body movements so that they become an equal part of your song, along with your voice quality. Leave nothing to chance. Rehearse it all. If you are singing Karaoke, memorize the song.
Establish a personal relationship with the judges through your presentation. This doesn't mean your obviously "playing" to them. They need to like you without feeling that you are trying to make them do this.

What you wear needs to coordinate with what you are singing without being overly obvious. (If you are wearing shorts and sandals while singing "You Raise Me Up" your outfit will prove detrimental to the overall power and effect.

Design a Comfortable Mascot Costume

When you hear the word "Mascot", most of us think about a sporting event and that funny big chicken walking around looking silly. A person wearing a Mascot Costume is seen in most stadiums during a game, but few of us have thought about what goes into designing and making that costume.

How do you design a comfortable mascot costume?

Mascots have become so common, they even have a following. Mascots have fans that wait for them to come on the field or stage and cheer when they appear. Many teams and schools are identified by their mascot. When you see a particular mascot dressed in his distinctive costume, you think of the team or school he represents.
Many mascots are for entertainment value. They can appear before the game or during a break, like halftime, to entertain the audience. Many people will attend a game or event just to see what the mascot will be doing that day. When a game seems to be going slowly or dragging, the mascot can appear making everyone attending happy and having fun again. They are funny and fans remember their antics long after the event.

The mascot is usually silly and seems to be moving around with ease; but he or she can be wearing a heavy costume that, sometimes, may have little ventilation. Most of us forget that there is a person inside the costume. The person wearing the costume must be taken into consideration when the mascot's outfit is constructed.

Professional team's budgets allow them to spend more on their mascot's costume so many of them may be wearing a costume that is made with lighter material and the person is able to breath. The way the mascot costume is made has a lot to do with how easily the person moves around and how long the person can wear the costume. When a team or organization is planning to employee someone to wear the mascot costume, agility and strength of the person wearing the costume is a prerequisite for the job.

There are some concerns before constructing a new costume. The climate where the costume will be worn should be taken into consideration. If the weather is warm, lighter material should be used. If the weather is warm and turns cold, the costume will need to have ways to remove or add material to keep the person inside warm or cool.

Fiberglass can be used to construct the head because it is light. Visibility from inside the head will be important to the design. If the person wearing the costume has to move around, he will need good visibility for safety.

The body of the suit can be sewn with various materials, such as polyester, cotton, or denim. A small battery operated fan is often built into the body of the suit to keep the person wearing the custom cool during warmer months. If the body of the suit is constructed loosely, the person will get less warm.

If you are having someone off site design the mascot costume, agree on a cost that includes design and material. When you find someone to design it, get a guarantee that it will be an original. You will want your organization to have a mascot costume that is unique to your organization. When the costume is finished, you will want to own all rights to the design. Ask the designer, or person constructing the costume, to incorporate the colors of your organization in the fabric of the costume. The colors on the costume will be as identifiable as the mascot itself.
Materials you will need, if you are planning to design and construct the costume yourself, are the same as you would use for any sewing project. Other considerations will be to construct the suit large enough for air to pass around the person wearing the suit; polyester fill to make the costume look larger than life; Velcro for ease in getting in and out of the costume; and cardboard or fiberglass for the head.

Most mascot costumes can only be worn for a maximum of 40 minutes at a time. The person inside the suit should be hydrated before putting it on. Mascots should be accompanied with another person as a guide or handler. More than one person may be needed, depending on the size the crowd and the event.

Quick and Easy Party Planning Tips

Planning a party can be overwhelming, especially when you start at the last minute. So, do yourself a favor and make it a priority to plan any soirée early. A couple of weeks is plenty of time to get everything together, however, it does take effort and organization. To kick start your planning, follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to an awesome party that friends and family will talk about for years. The easiest and most effective way to plan any party is by simply answering five basic questions. Who, what, where, when and why. Just like everything else in life, to be successful, you need to have a clear vision of where you are going, otherwise you end up going in circles or going off the path completely. One way to make sure this doesn’t happen is by compiling your answers to the above questions and creating a sentence from it. The most important question is the "who". In order to plan a party, you have to know who the party is for. Answer the following three questions and then create a sentence from them. 1. Who is my anticipated guest list? (Friends, family or coworkers?) 2. Do you want a small gathering or a lot of people? 3. Will this be exclusively for adults or will there be children? Perhaps your sentence will look like one of these: A small party for adult friends A big family party Now that you know who will be attending your event, you need to figure out what kind of party you want and where you would like to host it. 1. Is this a casual or formal party? 3. Will you host this party at home or at a venue? Now add those answers to your sentence. A small, casual home party for adult friends. A formal, big family event at the local recreation center. Once you get this far, you can figure out what type of food and drink you will be serving. Naturally, if it is formal, you might want to consider a sit down supper with wine. If it is casual, perhaps a buffet style supper or potluck with punch. If this party is after dinner hours, then appetizers will do just fine. Let’s look at that sentence now. A small, casual home party featuring a potluck dinner and drinks for adult friends. A formal, big family event with a sit down supper and wine to drink hosted at the local recreation center. The party is definitely shaping up, but there is still some work to do. Now you need to know why you want to host an evening to begin with. This will form the theme. 1. Is this a party to celebrate a specific day or person? Once you’ve answered this question, you can decide on what type of entertainment would be appropriate for this particular party. Perhaps some dancing, board games or singing. Whatever suits the needs of the crowd. A small, casual home party featuring a potluck dinner and drinks for adult friends to celebrate Christmas. A formal, big family dance with a sit down supper and wine to drink hosted at the local recreation center to celebrate Christmas. Finally, you need to answer the last question. When? Now you can create an invitation based on your sentence. See how much clearer the picture is? You know exactly where you want to go, now all you need to do is organize the steps to get there and that’s where your to-do list comes into play. Here is an example to do list to help you plan that perfect stress free party.

To do List

1. Book your venue

2. Book your entertainment

3. Create your guest list

4. Send out invitations

5. Plan your menu and do your grocery shopping 6. Buy decorations according to your theme

Tip: It helps to create an agenda of how you would like the evening to unfold. This can be approximated. You just never know what surprises will unveil itself at the party, so just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and wish you the best party ever!

Chantel Danis

How to organise a great Christmas party

With the festive season ahead and the looming expense that this brings us, companies and personal circumstances find it difficult with a limited budget and know what to do when it comes to celebrating. Planning and preparation is the key for any successful celebration however simple or complex. So it is always a good start to write a bullet point list of thoughts and overall spending budget intended. People may find all this too much with a significant range of products and services available and prices varying dramatically. A night out to remember at Christmas is an excellent way of saying a big thank you to your staff for all the hard work they have put in over the year and developing a high level of team spirit. Christmas is a time for reflection and reconciliation as well as a great opportunity to let your hair down and party hard. The temperatures may plummet, but the heat can really get turned on at the office Christmas party. Delivering a fun evening to a wide circle of colleagues can be a challenging task, but here are our tips to make sure Yule [sorry!] have a cool Christmas celebration. Friendly faces to meet and greet Starting the evening on the right note is crucial to setting a positive tone to your evening. Nominating a few of the friendly people in your company to loiter in the reception area is a great way to make people feel at ease on arrival. Lead by example and compliment everyone’s outfit as soon as they arrive. Prevention is better than cure The best prevention of stress on the night is good planning in advance of the party. Make sure all your guests know where the party is and what the difference is between an arrival time and a seating time. Make sure your guests know what is being provided on the night in terms of drinks, transport and accommodation so that you don’t end up with cash-strapped guests expecting a free bar and a ride home at the end of the night. Distributing some local taxi numbers or nearby hotel reservation lines is subtle ways of letting guests know they need to make their own arrangements. Make the invitations useful on the night With all the hard work you put into sending out invitations with all the party information your guests should know, you want to make sure your guests bring them on the night. Invitations can double-up as tickets, bar vouchers or a prize draw after dinner. Keep the food coming If you’re worried about certain individuals partying a little too hard, too soon, consider reducing a flow of reception drinks and limit this to one reception drink with a few canapés alongside. Sit your guests down to a three course meal so that everyone dines together instead of being able to sneak away to the bar all evening. Fingers on buzzers If you want to hear the sound of chatter louder than cutlery on plates, inject a little competitive spirit into the evening with a fun quiz for tables to compete in. Throw in a few curve-ball questions to ensure everyone has the chance to get involved if you’re worried about domineering know-it-alls. Do you know what the collective noun for a group of caterpillars is? [an army, who knew!] Keep the peace Identify who are the best peace-keeping forces in your workplace and kindly ask them to be wary of any prior friction that could flare up at the party towards the end of the night. Draw up your table plans strategically to buffer any fractious parties. Shared Christmas parties For companies of any size, joining a shared Christmas party can be a great option. If you are a smaller company, this allows you to book seats at a full scale Christmas party, allowing you to benefit from the fun atmosphere and entertainment of a big event - and even meet new people. Shared Christmas parties are often themed - think Rio Carnival, Winter Wonderland, Moulin Rouge (to name but a few) - which adds a different angle to the evening. They will also include the catering, usually a sit down 3 or 4 course meal, entertainment, a DJ to provide the essential music, and full event management. Exclusive Christmas parties For companies looking to hold a private Christmas party, there are many venues and party packages available. If you would like to create a bespoke Christmas party we are here to help you with the entire process, from the initial concept through to the management of the event itself, allowing you to sit back and relax on the evening. We can work with you on venue selection, party themes, entertainment, catering, music, hotel accommodation and much more. There are, of course, hundreds more venues available throughout the UK, so if you can’t find what you are looking for we will help you locate it. Call us today to start planning your exclusive company Christmas party. Themed Christmas Parties You’ve landed the challenge of organising the company Christmas party. Perhaps it’s your first year; perhaps you’re hoping it’s your last. You want to make a lasting impression – for all the right reasons – have you thought about themeing? Themeing your Christmas party is a great way to add a touch of sparkle to the night, and puts you in the best position to guide the evening’s proceedings (away from the bar). Our team at ‘How Can We Help You?’ can create an exclusive themed Christmas party from the eye-catching Snow Ball to a vibrant Vegas Xmas extravaganza, taking care of all the entertainment, décor, production and installation for you. An action-packed evening is a great way to offer your guests more than just the bar for entertainment. Create a lasting impression and fond memories of a magical Winter Wonderland that will be the talk of the office for years to come. Christmas parties at offices, homes and in marquees Smaller gatherings in the office or home can be more personal by not having to be restricted to a venue’s availability and constraints; especially the ones who like to party till early hours of the morning! This can enhance your personal tastes and style, with options to create and tailor the occasion to your requirements.