Archive for August, 2009
One of the best trends to come out of the recent explosion of multi-day music festivals is the popularization of the live event video streaming of the festivals. What started as individual bands posting individual performance videos on their website’s has turned into noon to midnight live converge of full sets of band performances.
This first concert festival to really popularize the live streaming of full live sets was the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Ca. This annual April concert event features dozens of bands and while the live streaming started with just a few smaller bands being featured the festival has recently started to webcast full sets by headliners like Morrissey, The Killers and The Cure. Because the economy has caused many people to skip the $200-plus festival, the webcasting is a great way for fans to see their favorite bands without spending any of their much needed cash.
One of the coolest festivals to recently embrace the trend of live event video streaming is the Chicago based Pitchfork Festival. This recent 2009 festival introduced full live coverage through their new Pitchfork.tv feature. Unlike in previous years, the video was clean and crisp and didn’t suffer from any loading problems before or during the streaming. The Flaming Lips, The National and more were not only featured live during the performance but is archived for viewing after festival.
The Bonnaroo Festival, which takes place on a typically rainy weekend in June on a piece of Tennessee farmland, features a large list of a-list artists. Typically leaning towards “jam-bands” as well as the newest alternative talent, Bonnaroo was one of the first festivals to fully embrace live event video streaming. While big bands were at first fairly gun-shy about allowing festivals to broadcast their sets free over the web, this year’s web stream featured such huge artists as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as well as a reunited Phish webcasting their performances. Furthermore, Bonnaroo was the first festival to sign a contract to broadcast a few select performances to music television station FUSE for a broadcast later in the month.
Lollapalooza, the grand daddy of summer touring festivals and now a yearly occurrence in Chicago, featured brand new live streaming technology during this year’s festival which led to some of the clearest, fasting streaming ever for an event of its type. The festival also pulled out the big guns showcasing several of their headlining on their webcast.
It will be interesting to see where this ever improving technology will go for future live festivals. With more festivals embracing live webcasting (festivals are doing record business even with the free webcasting) fans are now getting opportunities to see their favorite bands from the comfort of their own computer anywhere in the world.
Kimberly Green and her husband utilize live event video streaming whenever they can to keep in touch with friends and family.
If you’ll be going to a baby shower, think about baby gift baskets to make your gift a special one.
Have you been invited to a baby shower? Whether it is before or after the blessed event, it can be difficult picking just the right item. So why try? Instead, think about baby gift baskets. Baby gift baskets make fun gifts as the mother-to-be pulls one wonderful item after another from the basket.
As the guest of honor, the mom-to-be has lots of fun. A baby shower can certainly save the new mom from having to do a lot of shopping. But for the guests, shopping for a baby shower can be tough. You don’t want your gift to simply blend in with all the others. You want the new mom-to-be excited when she opens your gift. An easy way to accomplish all that is by thinking about baby gift baskets.
Once you’ve got your gift chosen, it is now time for you to have fun. Very often games will be played at baby showers. You might end up winning a prize and have a gift of your own to take home!
One popular game has to do with nursery rhymes. If you read them to your children (or are reading them to your grandchildren) then you’ll probably do fine. There are many variations of this game. In one variation, you need to know the name of the rhyme. In another variation you need to know how it finishes.
In another game, pieces of ribbon are cut with one perfectly fitting the girth of the new mom. Can you guess which is the right piece of ribbon?
Have you considered a blind taste test of baby food? Each jar has the label removed and, instead, it has a number. Then you have the opportunity to taste the food in each jar. You get a piece of paper with a list of numbers and, next to each number, you write what you think is in the jar. Of course the one guessing the most right wins.
Be sure to bested and have your memory in tip top shape. If you were to look into a box, for a few seconds, that is filled with baby items like a bib or baby spoon could you remember everything that was in the box? Quickly write down what you remember seeing and maybe win a prize.
Baby gift baskets allow you to relax at the shower. Have fun. Watch the mom-to-be light up as she opens your gift and starts looking at all of the wonderful items inside.
Author Kimberly Green loves mixing and matching items to create the perfect baby gift baskets
Writing a good song can often be a long and laborious process that can yield less then positive results. Over centuries song structure has changed as pop culture influenced music. Given societies fixation on exercise and sports had ZZ Top written “Cheap Sunglasses” today it could have likely been titled “Sport Sunglasses”! Let’s discuss some of the key attributes that go into developing the best possible song.
So you’ve been struck with the bug to write music because your significant other just dropped you for the drummer in your old band and you need to get the hurt out! It’s understandable that this would be the natural outlet since you’re the creative sensitive type. However, when you go to put paper to pen your hand cramps up, you get a cold sweat and you think you’re about to get sick. Its writers block and it’s not going to go away until you relax!
One of the first things you need to know in order to write your Magnus Opus is relaxation is the key! If you rush it or schedule time to write it’s a guarantee the outcome will be frustrating and sub par at best. The creative process is supposed to show up at 3:00 in the morning or while you are driving. If you could structure creativity it would be called work, not creativity! When inspiration strikes be prepared to get it down on tape or paper to ensure you don’t lose it. A good tool to use is voice mail. Call yourself and leave a message with the lyrics you’ve just come up with while sitting in traffic. You’ll thank yourself later when you are trying your hardest to remember.
Another great tip to follow is to make the song resemble you. Music is supposed to be an extension of those writing it. There is a reason ZZ Top didn’t name “Cheap Sunglasses” “Sport Sunglasses”. It wouldn’t have fit the little ‘ol’ band from Texas and it would have sounded like something Robert Palmer should have written. If your girl left you for the drummer, that’s what you should write about. The more personal the feelings that you relay in the song the more it will speak to your audience. Neal Young’s voice echoes through time in songs like “Old Man” because he wrote haunting lyrics that possess the power to elicit thought in countless generations spanning just about any nationality. This type of lyrical power has been used by countless song writers and it’s a sure bet that every so often a new song writer will emerge that will be able to harness this power on a regular basis.
Most people think a powerful song or a well written song must have a flow that’s pleasing to the ear and essentially in 4/4 time. If you are writing a power pop radio ready song an easy flowing highly structured 4/4 beat is absolutely the way to go. However, don’t fret if you are off the beaten path. If you’re one of those people that would rather hear ZZ Top sing “Sports Sunglasses” and you’d like to hear it at 160 beats per minute played over top of blast beats and heavily distorted guitars you’ll still find your audience. Be true to the music that moves you and it will be true to your audience. Trying to force the lyrics about how much you hate the drummer that stole your girl into a 4/4 stringed quartet ballad is fail if that’s just not you. If you write aggressive music, then write aggressive music. You’ll get used to people walking away shaking their head in disbelief.
A great song is in the eye of the beholder and to the right listener your song could be the next must have single.
The sole reason a song becomes one of those timeless classics isn’t the structure of the song or the genre that it gets classified in. It’s the feelings that the song provokes inside of people that makes it an instant classic. When you feel in the mood to write, take a few days and get inspiration from the songs that move you. When you’re ready to put paper to pen you’ll find the process much more relaxing, productive and fruitful.
Kimberly Green is a music buff and a fan of ZZ top - cheap sunglasses was great then and is still great today! Of course, all the ZZ top band members rock out wearing their sport sunglasses and those sure don’t look so cheap!
It’s not often a person sits down and thinks about the history and imagery of candles but if you sit down by a candle and gaze into the flickering light on the wall across from you a calming sense will overcome you and it will be very clear that the history behind the candle is an interesting one.
There is a phrase, “if I could be a fly on the wall.” Well this writer wishes they could be a candle in the room of history. Candles have born witness to countless historic events. They helped to shed light on our founding fathers as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were penned. They stood by and lighted the path way of Paul Revere as he warned of the British were coming and they undoubtedly lighted the way for many of the most cherished writings of John Lennon. It’s even somewhat comical to think that Thomas Edison invented the modern light bulb under the watchful eyes of many a candle that gave their lives so electricity could be born. A simple companion or even a bystander of historical events but where would we be now if not for the glowing light of yesterday’s candles?
If the real world history of candles hasn’t moved you it’s likely the cinematic imagery of candles has played a significant part of your life. Who can forget the candle laden castles in the old Dracula movies? Candles served as the only light for unsuspecting victims in many a monster movie. What served as their only connection to the world usually gave them away to a grueling end. Candles helped to shape the golden era of monster movies!
They also helped to usher in the golden era of romance movies. All love movie addicts will melt of the thought of all of the scenes where their favorite Bo entranced their beauty over a candle lit romantic movie. You cried! Everyone has cried at one point or another. If you haven’t then you need to set up your own romantic candle lit dinner with your significant other.
As with our busy life styles candles have evolved over the last few hundred years. They’ve become a work horse for many by providing refreshing smells. For example, Village candles give off an aromatic smell that can bring back memories, freshen up small areas and give an overwhelming sense of calm to anyone in the room. It’s proof of the continuously adaptive behavior of candles. We no longer need candles for their warm glow so now they are serving a different utilitarian purpose for those who just can’t live without them.
What’s interesting is that the Village candle you use to freshen up your living area in your home can revert back to it’s previous incarnation as a light source at any given time. The ability to regress is not native to many items but a cancel can become that old time source of light when the Edison’s electric light bulb fails to produce for you. Not only has the cancel evolved to remain a vital part of your daily routine, it can simply revert to meet all of your previous needs!
As you can most clearly see, candles have been overlooked as utilitarian tools that are just simply there to service a purpose. The next time you light up a candle for some mindless task take a few minutes to gaze into it and think about the history that candles have seen and you’ll likely develop a deeper appreciation for them.
Kimberly Green is not only a history buff but a candle lover too! Village candles and WoodWick candles are always found in her home.
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