SOUND OF THE SOUL










Have you ever wondered if soul has a sound? We may experience the sound of soul more than we know. Any time you move your attention to the inner dynamics of what lies behind your body and your mind, your soul will reveal itself to you.

Soul can be experienced outside your body and your mind as well. Just the other day, I was riding on the motorcycle with my boyfriend Mike. We drove by an old barn that was caving in upon itself. At some point, this barn stood upright. It was strong and enclosed many vehicles and animals for years. As with people, this barn aged over time. What once was a structure capable of containing many experiences of life, now, became a broken reflection of moments filled with life suspended in time.You and I are a structural mind/body system that holds experiences within us just like this barn. As we recall these memories, these past experiences move our awareness toward an expression of experience where stillness allows us to re-live soulful memories filled with life and vitality. These inner visions, feelings, and experiences are our soul's way of speaking to us.

In silent reflection, our attention moves into expressions of living that are eternal. It is the part of us that is aware of our awareness. The part of us aware of our awareness and not identifying with the need to compete, become successful, or any other manifestations of the material world.

Our soul is the identification with what lies behind all appearances of separateness. This part of us needs no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no hands to touch, no tounge to taste, and no nose to smell. Our soul is completely free of any expression of our world. Our soul is the part of us that infuses all these qualities of attention.Our soul is the silent spaces between every thought, word, and deed. It is a pregnant silence, all pervading, all knowing, and filled with eternity. Our soul is a connecting point from the world of flesh and the world of Spirit. The sacred human relationship between the form and formless states of our being create a spacial quality of existence within and beyond us whereby infinite possible correlations become the path of our soul.


* Try this exercise:

The next time you wake up in the morning, listen to your surroundings, just listen and do not analyze any sound. Let your attention be drawn into the sounds around you. Notice how far they are from you or how close. Do not try to define anything - just notice. You may hear birds, cars on the street, or the sounds of your home. Now, notice the part of you noticing all these sounds. What does this part of you sound like?There is another sound within you. It is the part of you constantly speaking, analyzing, and judging. This part of you begins to plan your day, organize, and worry. It is the part of you that drives you out of silent witnessing all the events taking place around you. This part of you will get you out of bed in the morning.

At this point, learn to integrate the two consciously. They are going on anyway. This way ordinary events in your life will become sacred human awareness and a life filled with gratitude for every moment. Did you notice the difference between these two sounds? One moves your attention into the material world. The other moves you deeper into silence - the part of you aware of life's inner qualities the Sound of Soul.







Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Billy Joel, My Life
Fall Out Boy, Sugar We're Goin' Down
Three Doors Down, Love Me When I'm Gone
Brother, 2 Chairs And One Tree
Hamell On Trial, Coulter's Snatch





Local Artist Of The Day:

Bongo Steve

LYRICS OF THE 80'S










One of the most well-know eras of music is the nineteen-eighties. In this period the virus AIDS hadn’t been quite discovered yet and everyone was still under the notion that having a good time with as many people as possible was the best way to live. Hair styles and clothing looked as weird they could, with long hair and mullets being in fashion throughout the decade. And of course, the musical genre was forever changed as many, many rock bands made a name for themselves and created well-known hits we still play on the radio today. The eighties was a great time period for musical lyrics, and this article will focus on what made them so great and some of the more popular ones that were created.To start out with, the nineteen-eighties was the time to rock and roll. Many songs words said nothing besides this fact. Everyone wanted to rock and roll and they went ahead and did so. The songs would often be filled only with fun lyrics, as the American economy and culture prospered throughout the decade without any problems, none like we have today at least. In addition, a common theme attached to rock and roll was sex and drugs. Drugs were not as highly banned as they are today, and it would be quite common to see people smoking a bag of weed or other drugs while at a concert of a high profile rock band. It makes sense, therefore, that many rock hits focused on the good times of this era and what made it so great.

Upbeat is the keyword when it comes to the eighties. It would be a hard matter indeed to find musical lyrics as depressing as sad as one can find today. Whereas today it is easy to hear about child abuse, suicide, and massive terrorist attacks through the radio, those were topics unheard of in this golden era of rock and roll. Many songs would focus on dancing and having a good time, as mentioned before. But there would also be songs intending to lift the spirits of the listeners. The most popular of these was written and performed by Journey. “Don’t Stop Believin’” is still a popular hit for people of all ages even to this day.Van Halen was another popular eighties band that was good for many great lyrical music pieces. While their hits about being hot for a teacher, smoking in school, or running with the devil certainly aren’t as deep as some of the hits today, that doesn’t change the fact that they reflected the time period they played in perfectly. Eighties lyrics, above anything else, showcased the prosperity and good times of the decade we left behind twenty years ago.

Overall, the eighties was a great time for the country and nation as a whole and it shows in the musical lyrics still played on radio stations today. While the clothing and hair styles have long since been out of fashion, the music remains to inspire and cheer up people all over the world and sends the message that good times do exist and can happen.









Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:



Bob Seger, Night Moves
Journey, Open Arms
Diamond Rio, God Bless The Broken Road ( for you Mike)
Pantera, Walk
Finger Eleven, One Thing





Local Artist Of The Day:


Casper

How Boost Your Chances of Getting Signed With Music Mastering!

By: Hans Klein







Getting signed to an established label isn’t easy. There are thousands of talented acts out there, all fighting for a few open slots.This means if you want to be chosen, you can’t hold back. You’ve got to do everything to make the right impression and stand-out from the crowd.One of the most vital (yet often overlooked) parts of doing this is professional mastering.You can think of mastering as the “Polish” that makes your music sparkle. It’s what gives your music the professional, “Big label” sound by bringing-out the best in it.And this is vital. Because when the A & R manager has a big stack of demos to go through, he or she is going to give very few of them a serious listen.Some are going to get dumped on the spot based on first impressions. While, others are going to fail to grab his or her full attention.

Moreover, even if you are the most talented artist on the managers’ desk, that does NOT mean he or she is going to realize it… because your demo just did not stand-out enough when stacked-up against those of better quality.You see, mastering communicates that you’re a serious act… and, as a result, encourages those listening to give your music the deep look it deserves.It does this by:

• Making all the sounds cohesive,
• Increasing the loudness to grab attention,
• Bringing-out the right instruments or vocals in the best amounts,
• Helping to eliminate or reduce errors (that can occurr during the recording and mixing),
• Plus, much more depending on what you and the mastering engineer feel the songs need.

In other words, mastering gives your music that little extra edge you need to get signed… because it allows you to be pictured as a successful act.And this is what the key to getting signed is all about. The label must see you as an investment that is going to pay-off quickly and easily without a lot of effort.Mastering paints this picture and helps get you a deal so as many people as possible get to experience your music long into the future.With that said, you should also keep in mind that there is a world of difference between a professional mastering engineer and an amateur.A professional knows what to listen for, the exact adjustments that need to be made (as the wrong ones can ruin the music), and has the equipment to do a serious job.You should not expect a “Big label” sound by doing it yourself on a home computer or by hiring an amateur who doesn’t fully understand the aspects of “real” mastering.


Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

To get more information about what mastering can do for you and what you should look for in a mastering studio, visit: www.MasteringCentral.com right now! Inside you'll get hot tips on how to get the best possible sound out of your music and avoid getting ripped off by the wrong mastering studio!








Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Pink Floyd, Mother
Boston, Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore
Joe Cocker, The Letter
Pantera, This Love
Seether, Remedy





Local Artist Of The Day:


Calveris

HONESTY PAYS










Well, the temptation is there, all the time. You really want that music job, but they want more than you can offer. They want more experience, more stage time, more studio credits, more copywritten material, and more connections that can help them. People at work want you to admit that there is something more going on between you and an act you opened for once, or someone you met that gave you a good reference. Sure, you could concoct all sorts of fictional accounts of what happened, even write them down so you have them all straight, and play the part of someone you are not. Hey, it’s been done before. Here are a few thoughts of why you shouldn’t, and why it’s best to just be you, and an honest you at that.

IT’S JUST A WHITE LIE

Okay, say you want to say you started out really early as a musician. You could say you took music in school, learned several instruments, and were in child talent contests. You can even tell them specific dates, name of the school, and who your teacher was. Problem is, if you do go somewhere, there are professionals out there who do fact checking, and they will check your story—all of it. If you are really just another kid who started out making noise with your buddies in college and found out you had a knack for the bass, and can’t read a note, that may also be discovered, and you will be discredited. Why not just admit you caught on really fast, and found you had a talent, and offer to have people hear your demo? If you really are good, act mature and have no problems jamming with anyone, you may well win out over some bookish type who not only can’t get along with anyone, but is unable to improvise or write, and has to have all his music written out for him note-for-note. If all you have won is a local contest, make sure you point this out firmly, and be proud of it, not apologize for it not being some major one, or say you did win a major prize (which again, can be checked). If all you are is a checkout person, but happened to be lucky enough to ring up a major celebrity, say that you did, but don’t try to say he asked you out, because trust me, that will cause even worse trouble when it is discovered he was at a major do that night in public and you were nowhere to be seen. Trust me, it will come back and bite you—why not just tell the truth?

CONSEQUENCES

Many people forget that some “innocent” lies can cost them big money. Saying you played in a big name band and you didn’t can lose you a gig after you get it, and that is lost income. Saying you are someone’s significant other or pal can get some people angry enough to ask for you to either retract it or face a lawsuit or even psychiatric evaluation. Lie enough about enough things, especially on taxes, and you could wind up in jail. Be known as a liar, and you may never work as a musician, no matter how good you are, because no one knows they can trust you about anything, or can’t help but wonder how much you will exaggerate what you did do with them to pad out your resume further, and don’t want to be drug into your problems telling the truth. You could lie about them, next, and cause them trouble, so why should they put up with a potential liability when there are plenty of honest musicians out there?


THINK ABOUT IT, HONESTY PAYS!!








Deb's Top 5 Songs Of The Day:


Steve Miller Band, Keep On Rocking Me Baby
Stealers Wheel, Stuck In The Middle With You
Meatloaf, Bat Out Of Hell
Neil Young, Old Man
Nickelback, Photograph




Local Artist Of The Day:

Laura Cheadle

The Local Coffee House












Many musicians complain about the lack of gigs they have, but when I ask them to look closely at the type of venue they are searching, the repeated pattern seems to be clubs, stadiums, concert halls and pubs. What I would like to share with you is this... keep a look out and be totally aware of the possible gig locations so that you're not limiting yourself. How about restaurants, parks, malls or my favorite, the local coffee house? Coffee houses are the next link in the chain of great gigs. Depending on the venue, you can drop in several times and build links with staff and get a feel for the type of customers that come there. Make it your second residence!

Depending on the type of music, coffee houses represent the perfect venue for musicians to meet with their perfect audience, and if they are your right audience, what must your audiences be doing if they're not watching you? Drinking coffee.Coffee houses are great places for people who want a break from both work and home. It's like the middle space, or the third space. I personally like these places because it's nice and cozy, allowing you to build deeper relationships with the crowds.

Something that works day in, day out is the power of repetition. If people see your name several times, they remember it, and create a link in their mind. By placing several posters in the coffee houses where the same people go everytime between home and work, it becomes something they cannot miss, and they will definitely remember it. You can guarantee most of them will be at your event.

So how do you get booked?

Pay attention to the peak and off-peak times at the coffee house as you can use this to your advantage really easily. If you play in the morning when it's peak time and attract many customers for the coffee house, you'll notice that the lunch area may be very low in customers, so pitched correctly, you could ask the coffee house management if you could play in the afternoon, and attract the customers that way.

Don't expect to be paid by the coffee house management, but one way to grow your audience is to collect mailing list signups. This way you can inform them by post or e-mail where you are performing next because there will definitely want to be a part of your music.The most important thing is that you have already built up great relationships so that you can emphasise how you will bring more people to their place.


*** I work at Rick's Coffee House. The owners Rick Hudkins and Ken Campbell will be happy to talk with anyone wanting to play. They have a large stage and upgraded sound system. You can contact them at:

Rick's Cafe'
4725 Woodville Rd #10
Northwood, Ohio 43619
419-691-9900
Rick's Cell # 419-514-6477
www.ricksmusiccafe.com








Deb's Top 5 Songs Of the Day:


Bob Seger, Night Moves
Hamell On Trial, Coulters Snatch
Pantera, This Love
Rebel Meets Rebel, Nothing To Lose
Journey, Open Arms




Local Artist Of The Day:

Tinfoil