Do you always get envious of those individuals who sing so beautifully while making it look so easy? If you follow just a few tricks and tips, it definitely is possible to learn how to sing better and grow your pitch and tone.
You will want to make sure that you do not breathe through your nose while singing as this will severely put a damper on any further progression you try to make. It develops from the diaphragm and the back as well, and involves many muscles that are required to originate that sound and truly drive it out of the body.
Ignoring the crucial step of proper breathing will gravely block your progress when learning how to sing better. Breathing workouts should form part of your daily routine. Posture is another very important aspect of singing that shouldn’t be ignored. Peculiar as it might sound, but doing some stretching, yoga or even pilates can better your posture tremendously.
Your core will be beefed-up greatly by doing these workouts resulting in a developed posture. You can expect to experience a stronger and more natural voice by doing Yoga, which helps the blood and oxygen circulation as well as open the muscles around your lungs.
Another tip to remember when you want to learn how to sing better is to make sure your singing starts from the diaphragm and back muscles. You won’t necessarily sound better when you push your voice, only louder and even run the risk of damaging your voice. Stand up straight, take strong breaths and genuinely draw the notes from deep inside instead of trying to drive them out of you.
If you are committed to learning how to sing better, then you’ll find extraordinary strategies that will help you reach your goal Here.

Oregon Music News
December 2, 2009
Portland band The Very Foundation has just put out a new album This Restless Enterprise and it has all the right stuff with twelve delicious pop-rock songs with floating super pro-musicianship, songwriting and vocals. Listen to the attached song “Run Away to Tokyo” (below) for some amazing Hawaii Five-O brass going on and keys that scream Mod Squad TV shows. This record reminds us that brass is still sexy.
The Very Foundation has hard-working musicians in the fold. The foundation of The Foundation is two musicians: Bevan on drum/drum machines, keys and backing vocals, while lead vocals, guitars, piano and organ are all done by Michael Lewis. The beautiful and warm background vocals belong to Kristie Rethlefsen of Sestina. Michael also plays with Blue Skies for Black Hearts, a band working on their fifth LP, and he borrowed Pat Kearns (who also produced this album), Paul Noel and Kelly Simmons (Thistle) from that group to help on this disc.
So… who’s not on this project? The list of cameos is lengthy. Nate Query and Jenny Conlee-Drizos both of The Decemberists and Calobo fame, Dave Jorgensen (Blind Pilot, Kieskagatoo), Caroline Buchalter (The Upsidedown, Larry Yes) Jasmine Ash (Oh Darling), Andrew Stern (Blue Horns, Future Historians), Chris Chard, Hesse Kinder, and Robyn Freatman.
This act already has their first single out “Feel Anything” with their second single “Dial Tone” going to press within a few days, and they’ve just finished recording a Christmas single called “All Lit Up (For Christmas)” on XO for the Holidays Vol II. It’s a free download here. Rethlefsen is featured on this holiday cut as well as is Sarah K., co-founder and current chair of the 2-year-old San Francisco Girls Rock Camp.
Catch The Very Foundation along with some of their rock star friends for free at their Music Millennium in-store performance.
5 pm, Sun. Dec. 6, Music Millennium, 3158 E. Burnside, 231-8926, Free Read more HERE

Yamala, Pagla, Deewana (also known as Yamla, Pagal, Deewana) is a upcoming Hindi Comedy Bollywood film directed by Samir Karnik. The film stars Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. The whole Deol family is coming together after there last sports hit which familys really liked Apne (2007), Apne was a hit and won lots of Fans’s Hearts, so the director is trying again with a touching, heart-warming comedy ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. The film is almost done shooting so the film might be released at the end of the year, close to Christmas, 24 December 2010.Yamala, Pagla, Deewana (also known as Yamla, Pagal, Deewana) is a upcoming Hindi Comedy Bollywood film directed by Samir Karnik. The film stars Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. The whole Deol family is coming together after there last sports hit which familys really liked Apne (2007), Apne was a hit and won lots of Fans’s Hearts, so the director is trying again with a touching, heart-warming comedy ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. The film is almost done shooting so the film might be released at the end of the year, close to Christmas, 24 December 2010.Yamala, Pagla, Deewana (also known as Yamla, Pagal, Deewana) is a upcoming Hindi Comedy Bollywood film directed by Samir Karnik. The film stars Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. The whole Deol family is coming together after there last sports hit which familys really liked Apne (2007), Apne was a hit and won lots of Fans’s Hearts, so the director is trying again with a touching, heart-warming comedy ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. The film is almost done shooting so the film might be released at the end of the year, close to Christmas, 24 December 2010.Yamala, Pagla, Deewana (also known as Yamla, Pagal, Deewana) is a upcoming Hindi Comedy Bollywood film directed by Samir Karnik. The film stars Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. The whole Deol family is coming together after there last sports hit which familys really liked Apne (2007), Apne was a hit and won lots of Fans’s Hearts, so the director is trying again with a touching, heart-warming comedy ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. The film is almost done shooting so the film might be released at the end of the year, close to Christmas, 24 December 2010.Yamala, Pagla, Deewana (also known as Yamla, Pagal, Deewana) is a upcoming Hindi Comedy Bollywood film directed by Samir Karnik. The film stars Sunny Deol, Dharmendra and Bobby Deol. The whole Deol family is coming together after there last sports hit which familys really liked Apne (2007), Apne was a hit and won lots of Fans’s Hearts, so the director is trying again with a touching, heart-warming comedy ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. The film is almost done shooting so the film might be released at the end of the year, close to Christmas, 24 December 2010.

Do you wonder about the meaning of “master” in the discussion of “master violin class”? Does not that word signify some kind of power relationship? After all, if you stop a dozen people on the street, instructing, “Tell me the first world that comes to mind when I say ‘master,’” will not at least eleven of the twelve say “slave”? And if you demand a second association with the word would you not predict the same eleven willing participants in your poll would respond “domination”? Even when your intellect acknowledges that the word comes into the violin’s specialized lexicon from the traditions of craftsmen’s guilds, when apprentices served masters until they perfected their craft, all the rationalism cannot quite obscure the apprentice’s abject dependence on the old expert not only for instruction but also for shelter and sustenance. Even the most kindly one still wields all the power. So, as you enroll in a “master violin class,” do not you feel just a little wary about submitting to the master’s tutelage?
The basic objective of this type of violin class may not console you. Stripped of all the fancy educational and musical jargon, every one of these types of violin classes drives toward the same goal by the same process. You study with an expert in order to become a fine player in your own right. More precisely, the objective ought to declare you study “under” an expert until you become one. With in-depth study you develop skills and knowledge which propel you up the ziggurat toward the apex of violin success. Still, even as he instructs you, the teacher keeps the gate to the pyramid’s next level; and no one ever confides that, even when you imagine you have reached the top, you will find you still have further to travel before you reach the limits of your talents and gifts.
Human nature dominates your master violin class more powerfully than the instructor himself. For the sake of ensemble play, your classmates want you to do well; for the sake of their own advancement up the deadly ziggurat, however, they secretly hope you tank. You probably reciprocate their feelings. If, though, you really “get it,” you will see that even your classmates’ bullying and belittling power your progress, because you will keep playing and practicing until you perform your part so brilliantly they can say only “wow.”
Even as you wonder about submitting to the teacher and joining your peers in a master violin class, you must understand that the instrument’s and music’s demands make the rules. Your teacher did not arbitrarily determine the standards for good, better, and best; those standards inhere in the violin and sheet music. You play well, or you play poorly. When you play well, the instructor grants permission to advance. When you play not-so-well, the instructor stays with you until you get it. His loyalty to the music and craft dictate that he must remain loyal to you and your progress.
The longer you stay with your master violin class and remain loyal to your teacher, the more clearly the paradox at the relationship’s heart will become clear. You ultimately will see and feel the irony. Your tutor, vested with power derived from his own exquisite command of the violin and his own privileged standing in the community of accomplished violinists, actually sets his power in service of your own progress. He uses his power to build yours; he uses his authority to build your authority over the notes on the page and the strings on the twangy box you cradle in your arms.
Hailey Alton is a violin performer, music lover and teacher. For more great tips on Master Violin Class please visit
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Rhythm guitar is often the backbone of many pieces of music and can make a huge impact to the feel of the song, especially when played well. It is however often overlooked by many guitar players just how to make that rhythm playing cut through the piece of music and really stand out … in a word, it’s muting, probably the most under-practiced technique among many many guitarists. One of the problems when playing chords on the guitar is there’s a lot of notes ringing out together and if you aren’t careful then these notes will end up becoming so noisy that they effectively cancel out a large part of the rhythm itself. For some songs this isn’t a problem and it works well but when it’s not a required effect then it’s time to sit back and take a critical listen to what’s going on because it can be the difference between something sounding fantastic or just plain messy.
Rhythm is about dynamics and silence is a very important part of that dynamic. If everything is played at one continuous level then there’s no dynamic, therefore there’s no rhythm so when you are playing chords on the guitar as a rhythm guitarists then this silence becomes as important as the strumming. Muting is how we create the silence or quiet parts between the beats of the music. Muting a guitar chord is usually done by releasing the tension in the fretting hand or by bringing the palm into contact with the strings with the strumming hand or a combination of both. Chord playing is all about this technique and can change the effect drastically. Chord muting is just as important as chord playing. How much time do we guitarists spend practicing this technique? I don’t know the exact answer but I do know it’s nowhere near as much as we should. If the answer to this question is not a lot then spend some time practicing your chord muting, you’ll improve your playing very noticeably.
Chord Diagrams

FOX reality talent show American Idol is approaching its 8th season. We’ve seen several contestants stand out against their peers and develop careers for themselves. Of those several contestants includes Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the first season in 2002. For the TV show and Kelly, they were both lucky to find each other.
Kelly Clarkson has not always had it easy, both pre and post Idol. Growing up in Burleson, Texas, she comes from a family of divorce and hardship. Working several jobs, she tried to stay afloat and make ends meet. Ironically, the very gift that changed her life was never her intention. Kelly Clarkson didn’t even know she could sing until she was in junior high school when the choir teacher overheard her singing. She originally wanted to be a marine biologist.
In 2002, Kelly entered a contest after returning home from L.A. not too long before that. She’d gone out to work with a hit songwriter, responsible for Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman.” However, he fell ill and could no longer work with her. The very day she moved into a new apartment, it caught fire while she went to eat. Living in her car for three days, she returned to Texas where her friend Jessica had given her the American Idol contest papers. Having auditioned in Dallas, she was accepted to the next round in Hollywood.
When Kelly Clarkson first appeared on American Idol, she had no real sense of style but her voice was as big as many out there and her personality lit up faces nationally each week on TV. Singing songs by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Dionne Warwick, she never saw herself sitting in the bottom contestants while in the beginning, she was considered the underdog. On September 4th, 2002, Kelly Clarkson had become our American Idol. She released her winning song “A Moment Like This” and watched it soar up the charts, beating a record on the Billboard Hot 100 previously held by The Beatles for highest jump to No. 1.
In April of 2003, Kelly Clarkson released her debut record Thankful. The record saw moderate success as an Idol souvenir as well as an album to kick off an optimistic future in the recording industry. The album has sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. in part to her lead single “Miss Independent,” co-wrote by Christina Aguilera. The album combined pop elements with a more R&B style. What was about to happen no one saw coming nor took seriously until Kelly found herself as one of the top female vocalists in the world.
In November of 2004, Kelly released her sophomore effort Breakaway. The title, also a song that appeared in a movie, is appropriately titled for many reasons. Kelly had split with manager Simon Fuller in order to hire a company who would be there to help the budding superstar reach incredible heights. No hard feelings were left. The direction of the album had been changed dramatically to an edgy pop rock sound that allowed her thunderous voice to shine. She also had fought the label suites to include material penned by her as well. She had a lent her love for writing to the first record, however, more than half of the new record was penned by Clarkson herself, including hit singles “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Walk Away,” and “Because of You.” The latter being a song written at the age of 16 and was a song the record label, RCA, told her she couldn’t include on her first record. The album’s lead single “Since U Been Gone” rocked out radio and clubs nationwide and is to date her best selling single. Breakaway has sold 12 million copies worldwide and brought in her parent record label over $100 million in revenue.
With the success of the record come the perks. She embarked on several tours, three in 2005 alone. Two of the tours in the U.S. were sold out and her international world tour was a success as well. 2006 saw Kelly taking home two Grammy Awards and performing for her peers. She beat out some of music’s biggest names including Mariah Carey, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow and Gwen Stefani. Capitalizing on her success, she ventured out on yet another tour beginning June 30th to preview songs she’d like to include on her follow up to Breakaway. She’d reported that she would be ditching the bubblegum pop and would be writing and recording with her backing band. The idea was embraced largely by the public as she included new songs in each tour she’d written with someone in the band. However, the album that was supposed to be the most anticipated of 2007 turned out to be another one of music’s infamous turmoil challenges: the label vs. the artist.
Kelly Clarkson paired up with legendary David Kahne, responsible for songs such as “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like An Egyptian,” to produce her third studio effort. Co-writing over 50 songs, her team narrowed it down to 26 songs to record and kept 14 for the standard track listing. The album that would be called My December, took on a more mature, raw and emotional approach. During the Breakaway era, she’d worked herself to death, missing family and friends and having a hard time finding good people to surround herself with. Needless to say, the stress took its toll, including a relationship that ended shortly before the release of her second record. Dating producer and ex-guitarist of Evanescence David Hodges, she found herself being cheated on with his former girlfriend. He’d produced “Because of You,” “Addicted,” and a track that didn’t make the cut titled “Bleed For Me.” After he married the former flame two months after Clarkson found out, she penned the song “Never Again” that would become the lead single for her next record 2 ½ years later.
Turning in the material to her RCA label, they were not pleased with the record, especially legendary record producer Clive Davis, responsible for Whitney Houston, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Hall and Oates and many more. Clarkson and her manager at the time were executive producers of the record and that didn’t sit well with Davis. He quickly dismissed the record as unsellable, he didn’t hear any hits and it wouldn’t sell more than 750,000 copies. Shelving the record for four months, he tried every trick in the book to get her to change her mind. He reportedly offered her $10 million to replace or change 5 songs to make them more radio friendly. However, after receiving rip off “Since U Been Gone” compositions and a song from Lindsay Lohan’s second record, she stuck to her ground and compromised to release My December as is and she would in turn create a more mainstream record the next time around.
A week before it’s June 26th release date, she fired management The Firm and hired Reba McEntire’s husband for Starstruck Entertainment. McEntire, Clarkson’s childhood hero, had already formed a budding relationship with the American Idol Grammy winner.
RCA had claimed that “Never Again” was too bitter and the public wouldn’t accept it as Alanis Morissette already had “You Oughta Know” in the 90’s. However, numbers proved them wrong. The song only peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100 but has since went on to sell just 10,000 copies shy of being a platinum selling single. While the video reached No. 1 on VH1, the song was being pulled from radio while a second single was planned to arrive in July titled “Sober.” The label not wanting to promote the record at all did not push the single to radio and it failed to chart inside the 100, peaking at 124. The U.S. received no more singles. Fans were outraged that an artist of such calibre would be treated so disrespectfully. Although the record only has been certified platinum one time in the U.S., it proves that real music is not dead and that you don’t need a formula hit song to sell records, especially to your fans. Media was very positive and remained mainly on Clarkson’s side throughout the whole entanglement stating she’d “earned the right to call the shots.”
Connecting deeper with her fans, Clarkson has stated time and time again that she will not release a record just to sell millions. To her, it’s about the music. While many artists need several songs to sell a million copies of a record these days, Clarkson only needed one, proving her to be one of the best in the business today. Her writing ability has been questioned and also put down, stating behind closed doors that she’s “25 and a female vocalist.” Clarkson immediately hung up from the conference call in disgust. To date, she’s won three writer’s awards from ASCAP, two of them being for “Because of You,” in which one was awarded for her remake of her own song as a country duet with Reba McEntire.
Some may say Kelly Clarkson put her career up as collateral when she released My December while many who have actually heard the record defend her stand. Life is bigger than being No. 1 all the time and in order to be No. 1 on today’s music charts, formula songs must be crafted and Kelly has so far stayed true to never releasing the same project twice.
The first American Idol winner will be releasing a fourth record in March 2009, taking elements from her massive sophomore disc, including many of the same songwriters, and injecting it with a more aggressive pop rock. Though Kelly may have been lucky to find Idol when she did, American Idol got lucky to find Kelly’s voice and talent. Unfortunately for her, she will have to tread the murky waters of an industry plagued with corruption, dirty politics and a tendency to manufacture and pre-package their acts to rise above circumstance and release music that will create new fans as well as keep the core group that voted her to No. 1 more than six years ago.
Harry Rackers is WM of: The Guitar Classroom the site to go to for all your guitar lessons

This may not be a widely accepted opinion, but it really does seem that movies are not so popular anymore. This is not to say that we don’t still watch them because we are probably watching more movies than ever previously. People now illegally download all the latest movies and can watch as many of them as they like. All this choice though has probably not made the movie more popular but instead made it more disposable. In the past movies were things that people really appreciated and they would watch them over and over again. These days many of us can watch a movie and will have already forgotten what it was about by the time the credits roll.
A lot of the problem seems to be with the movies themselves. It is like the big producers of these films have just run out of ideas and keep on rehashing the same old thing. They might spend a fortune on special effects and gimmicks, but at the end of the day it is most often just a remake of familiar stories. It is like the big filmmakers in Hollywood have lost their mojo and have nothing really left to say; a similar thing seems to be happening elsewhere in the movie industry. There is still the occasional diamond but the general trend seems to be downwards.
Another big reason for the decline in the popularity of movies is the fact that they are now so easy to obtain for free. If you have an internet connection and a computer you can watch movies day and night without ever running out of options. The ease by which people can get their hands on the latest movie has cheapened their value and with so much choice it is just harder to impress. When you can illegally watch ten movies a day without paying for them it does take away from the value of the experience.
Another reason for the decline in popularity of the movie is that we are beginning to generate to other forms of entertainment. The future of our viewing habits seems likely to have a lot less to do with the big screen and television and more to do with our computer screen. The video podcast is something that anybody can produce and the increasing quality of these means that some are becoming as popular as more traditional forms of onscreen entertainment. It seems likely that this is where the future is going to be.
There are many of us who will miss the heyday of movies but times change. The big names will continue to produce movies for a few years more and maybe they will get it right now and again. The future is likely to be pretty bleak for this type of entertainment though. Pirated movies seem here to stay and the movie industry seems to have run out of ideas. It is hard to imagine how the things could ever go back to the days of Star Wars and other blockbusters.