Thursday, August 27, 2015

Crashing Luke Bryan's party

Thomas Luther Bryan, more popularly known as Luke Bryan, is an American country singer and songwriter. He was born on 17 July, 1976, which makes his current age 39 years old. He was born in Leesburg, Georgia. However, he originally hails from Nashville in Tennessee. His music usually centers on the country and bro-country genre. And his music is associated with the Capitol Nashville label.

Bryan was born in the rural areas of Georgia. For this, he had a very mediocre upbringing. However, when he was 19, tragedy struck his life when his older brother died in a car crash. To date, he has never fully recovered from the trauma. Whenever asked about it in interviews, he has not been successful in forming coherent sentences. This is how deeply his brother’s death has impacted him. Instead of moving to Tennessee to be with his family, Luke went to Georgia Southern University from where he graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Eventually, he did move to Nashville because of his father’s order to pursue a career in music. Even though, over the years, he finally achieved success as a songwriter, his first big hit was “All my friends say”. His sister had even organized a concert of 129 people at the Grand Ole Opry. Sadly, after that, his sister also mysteriously passed away. Even currently the cause of death still remains undetermined. Luke Bryan has said in a statement that both his older siblings have been tragically taken away from him. He said he’ll never know or understand the reasoning behind it.

In the mid-2000s, Luke officially started his musical career when he started writing songs for his best friends and school mates, Billy Carrington and Travis Trist and then also going on to release his first spring break album. One of his first hits was “My honky tank history” from Travis Trist’s album which released in the year 2004. In the middle of 2007, Billy’s song “Good directions” went to the number 1 spot in on the Hot Country Songs charts, of which Luke was a co-writer. Luke continued co-writing songs for most of his friends’ songs which then went on to top the country genre’s charts.

In October 2oo9, Luke Bryan released his second album titled “Spring break with all my friends”. This album even included a cover of “Apologize” by the very famous One Republic. Two other singles from this album, titled “Rain is a good thing” and “Someone else calling you baby” went on to grabbing the top spot in country singles. His music also received favorable reviews from the critics. Stephen Thomas Erwin said that Luke seemed to be more relaxed and laid-back than he was in his debut single. Even though his main genre is country, he has also tried his hand in other genres with his cover of “Apologize”.

On 18 April, 2010, Luke appeared on an episode of Celebrity Appearance with his fellow country singer mate, Emily West. They were given the task of making over an up-and-coming country singer. Bryan’s team was given the responsibility of changing team Rock-solid. However, he failed to impress the judges. As a result, team Rock-solid lost. Later on, Bryan’s single “Rain is a good thing” was sold on iTunes which contributed in part to generating $25,000. This amount was then given as charity to Lauper’s charity, the Stonewall Community Foundation.

On 12 August, 2013, Luke Bryan released his fourth album titled “Crash my party”. One of the tracks from this album was premiered at a performance in the ACM Awards 2013. The album was officially released on 7 April, 2013. It then climbed on to gain the number one position in the Hot Country Songs chart as well as number 2 in Country Airplay Chart in 2013. In the music industry, Luke Bryan is the only singer who has released six number one singles on both the Media base Country Chart and Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. What a marvelous achievement is that!

On 19 May, 2015, Luke Bryan released his first single from his new and fifth album “Kill the Lights”. The album was officially released on 7 August. Today he has a busy schedule as he tours America on the Luke Bryan Concert Tour, entertaining all his fans with his own style of country music.

As for Luke Bryan’s personal life, he is happily married to his college sweetheart, Caroline Boyer. He met her at Georgia Southern University where they met at a local bar named Dingus Magee’s. They eventually went on to tie the knot on 8 December, 2006. Currently, they have two sons by the names of Thomas Boyer Bryan (Bo) who is seven years old, and Tatum Christopher Bryan (Tate) who is five years old. They have also been responsible for raising his sister’s child Tilden (Till) after Luke’s sister, and shortly after that, her husband also passed away in 2014.

As for his vocals, Luke Bryan has a high baritone vocal range of two octaves. Now you know from where that deep and husky voice comes from. As for his inspiration, he has mentioned a couple of times that he has been highly inspired by country music artists by the names of Alan Jackson, George Strait, Merle Haggard, and Alabama. As for the hip hop bands, he mainly looks up to Run-D.M.C. and Beastie Boys.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Tom Petty is No Refugee

Tom Petty has to be one of the best artists of my generation. I first came to know him and his music through Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I must have been about 13 when I first heard them play. Damn the Torpedoes was the album and my favorite song was “Refugee”. I can remember riding in the backseat of my Dad’s car, the song coming on the radio, and my sister and I simultaneously yelling to Dad to turn it up! My Dad was probably about 40 at the time and was an old fogey by me and my sister’s standards. But he loved Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as much as we did. Surprisingly, that didn’t make them uncool to us. In fact, Dad bought an eight-track tape of that album and fashioned an eight-track player that he jerry rigged into the car so we could listen to Petty and Billy Joel and The Eagles whenever we wanted. My Dad was ahead of his time, musically. Well, to my thirteen-year-old self, he was. Truth is, he knew a heck of a lot more about music and art than we ever gave him credit for, of course.


When Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers came as close to my small time as was possible, to Syracuse, to play at the Carrier Dome, my sister and I begged to go to the show. We didn’t have a lot of money and, worse, we had no idea what things cost and what a stretch it was for my Dad to buy us tickets. But he found a way, and got an extra ticket for himself. I have a feeling if we had wanted to see an inferior band, he would have found a way to tell us no, just so he wouldn’t have to endure a bad show.


Years later, when Petty joined/formed the Traveling Wilburys, my Dad was a fan of them too, as was I. This kind of surprised me, since the band also included Bob Dylan, whom Dad had never really cared for. That became something hard for my teenage and young hipster adult self to bear, since I thought Dylan was god. Never mind, though, Dad liked the Traveling Wilburys, partly because of Roy Orbison, I suspect.


When I got closer to being a real adult, Tom Petty was, thankfully, still touring. At one point, I found myself living in Denver when The Heartbreakers came to play at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. To me that is the ultimate venue for live music and Tom Petty playing there was a highlight of my existence. It was almost surreal, surrounded by the jagged cliffs and eponymous red rocks, with Petty and the Heartbreakers playing below, all my favorites. Especially “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”. The song had recently come out and was haunting and moody and multi-layered and spoke to me in a way that no other song at the time could. Not long after, Silence of the Lambs came out and Petty was memorialized in it with “American Girl’ being sung by the fated victim moments before she was abducted. I have to go watch that again, just for that scene. Love you, Tom Petty!

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Сlісk Неrе То Rеаd Аll Аbоut Lеаrnіng Guіtаr

Тhе guіtаr іs unіquе іn іts аbіlіtу tо еnеrgіzе, rеlах, іnsріrе аnd sооthе, аll bесаusе оf іts wіdе rаngе оf sоunds. Весаusе оf thе vеrsаtіlіtу, musісіаns оf аll skіll lеvеls lоvе tо lеаrn рlауіng іt. Rеаd оn tо lеаrn hоw tо рlау muсh bеttеr.

Іt mау sееm оbvіоus, but bе surе tо рurсhаsе а guіtаr іf уоu'rе lооkіng tо рlау оnе. Іf уоu dоn't hаvе а guіtаr, thеn уоu'll nеvеr bе аblе tо рrасtісе оn а rеgulаr bаsіs. Іn аddіtіоn, уоu must tunе уоur guіtаr rеgulаrlу, оthеrwіsе thе sоund соmіng frоm іt mау nоt sоund thе wау іt shоuld.

Fіgurе оut musісаl nоtаtіоn аlоng wіth guіtаr tаbs. Мusіс thеоrу іs grеаt fоr tеасhіng уоu аbоut sсаlеs аnd сhоrds. Fаmіlіаrіzе уоursеlf wіth thе nоtе nаmеs оf thе strіngs аnd frеts. Тhіs knоwlеdgе іs еsресіаllу hеlрful whеn уоu аrе рlауіng mеlоdіеs аnd rіffs.

Аlwауs rеmеmbеr thаt рlауіng thе guіtаr shоuld bе fun. Κеер іn mіnd thаt уоu аrе lеаrnіng thіs bесаusе уоu wаnt tо. Dоn't lеt іt bесоmе а сhоrе. Тhіs аttіtudе mау саusе уоu tо bе bоrеd, hаtе thе guіtаr аnd соmрlеtеlу stор рrасtісіng. Рlау sоngs thаt уоu асtuаllу wаnt tо рlау.

Вuіld uр саllusеs оn уоur fіngеrs whеn рrасtісіng guіtаr. Yоu wіll fіnd іt muсh еаsіеr tо рlау іf уоur fіngеrs аrе а bіt tоughеr. Іt tаkеs tіmе tо buіld саllоusеs, but рrасtісіng оftеn саn hеlр уоu gеt thеm fаstеr. Yоu саn аlsо buу рrоduсts fоr thіs рurроsе.

Lеаrn аbоut thе vаrіоus раrts оf уоur guіtаr рrіоr tо stаrtіng tо lеаrn tо рlау іt. Тhіs hеlрs уоu whеn thе tіmе соmеs tо lеаrn tо рlау bесаusе уоu must knоw thе guіtаr раrts whеn уоu lеаrn strіng nаmеs, сhоrds аnd sсаlеs.


Тhе guіtаr іs а mаssіvеlу рорulаr іnstrumеnt. Νеаrlу еvеrу musісіаn whо іs sеrіоus nееds sоmе аbіlіtу tо рlау thе guіtаr, аnd еvеn thоsе whо рlау fоr а hоbbу саn lеаrn tо рlау wеll. Тhіs аrtісlе саn аssіst іn thаt рrосеss.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Internet and The Music Industry

The music business used to be a lot more simple and straight forward prior to the invent of the internet. Then, as the use of the world wide web started taking over the world, the music industry too went through a major shift in the way it operated. The old business models started falling apart, and companies like Napster forced change in this industry in a big way.

There used to be a time a couple of decades ago, when an artist would get signed by a major record label based on their talent and potential, record songs in the studio, and the wait to see the reaction of the people. In the current day and age, musicians have to do a ton of work prior to even being considered by record labels.

Musicians now have to be internet savvy, create social media profiles, be active on social media, push their music and videos through the internet even before being considered by record labels.

Additionally, websites like youtube have made it possible for anyone to upload their videos online, and so thousands of amateur artists are uploading their videos and music online every year, if not every month. As a result, the supply of musicians and music is at an all time high...creating a surge in competition for new musicians.

Then there are sites like iTunes that have made it possible for anyone to upload their music and sell it online. This has given c good chance to new and upcoming artists (especially ones with talent) to make an income and gain an audience even before they get discovered by major record labels.


These are just some of the changes that have taken place in the music industry, and new business models like selling ringtones of popular songs are emerging every day.

Monday, August 3, 2015

What Makes An Artist A Good Prospect For The Big Leagues?

Most people enter the music industry with the hopes of getting signed by the big labels, and making millions of dollars....living the life of a rock star. Soon, reality hits when they try to get signed by these labels and realize the intense competiton that is out there. That being a musician requires qualities beyond singing, playing instruments and composing music.

There are certain qualities that make record labels look at you, and think that you might have what it takes to become the next big thing...to be the next major popular musical artist. What are these qualities, you ask. Well here they are:

1) You have been successful on your own. This is evidence that what you do works. That your music already resonates with a specific audience, and that those people like you. In order to do this, look for places in your city and state that encourage original artists to perform there, and then convince them to give you a chance to play your music there. Be persistent, as there may be many ‘no’s’ down this road, but keep at it. Once you get a chance to play at some of those venues, and you start filling those clubs, you will start to build up a nice sized following.


2) Show proof that people like your music. How can you do this? Well, for starters, if you have already sold thousands of CDs of downloads, that is something you should start incorporating in your conversations to get booked for gigs and also for speaking with record labels. This is a lot more powerful than asking people to listen to your music and give you a chance. This way, you will be telling them that you are already someone who makes good music and is appreciated by the people.