And The Grammy Goes To...

  Remember in elementary school when wining an award was one of the best things that could happen to you? Whether it was perfect attendance or improvement awards, it always felt good when they called your name to the stage. Now imagine that feeling multiplied by one hundred accepting an award in front of millions of people instead of just your school. That's how artist feel when they win a Grammy. A Grammy is an award used to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. These awards are annual and the more important categories are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony. The Grammy Awards are the most anticipated shows in a musicians career. But yet they are the most unfair and confusing awards ever which don't really mean anything.

  In the past year I've noticed that when it comes to these award shows all that the media cares about is what the artists wear on the red carpet. They don't really focus on the music which this ceremony is “supposedly” based on. When on the red carpet the musicians are mostly asked about their outfit and what designer they're wearing. Unlike other award shows where the winners are voted by the fans the nomination process is very difficult and long. Record companies may submit recordings to be nominated the records are then reviewed and copied and sent to the NARAS(National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences). In order for one to win, the record only needs a few dozen votes. Which is unfair because not many people have a say in who made the best record and deserves to win. Certain artists have voiced personal issues with the Grammys. In 1996, when receiving an award, singer Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam commented “I don't know what this means. I don't think it means anything.” Also Maynard James Kennan of the band Tool did not attend the Grammy ceremony to receive on of their awards and he explain his reasons by saying “I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. They cater to a low intellect and they feed the masses. They don't honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It's the music business celebrating itself. That's basically what it's all about.” Even the artists believe that these awards are not focused on this art which is music. On the other hand these awards are very important for many artists and are very anticipated because they can help define their careers.

  Winning a Grammy can be a very important thing for a musician because it means their music was voted best out of a lot of other artists. Some artist have won up to five awards or more. There is many categories they could win and the most important are Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Record of the Year. To win one of these can be a very valuable thing because it means the artist was outstanding compared to the others. Winning can also get the musician more publicity because now everyone is going to want to a listen to an award winner's music. Interviews and press conferences are going to be offered to the artist to discuss the award and how it felt to win. But yet once asked about the feeling of winning the question “Who are you wearing?” always comes up. And the music which is the main topic is now forgotten.

Here Comes The Sun!

  The sixties era, also known as the Swinging Sixties is described as the time of counterculture, social revolution, and flamboyance. Little did we know, this era would be conquered by, The Beatles. The Fab four formed in 1960, in Liverpool consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Together they toured all over the world capturing the hearts of their audience. The Beatles are a legacy and no one can compare to them. Touring all over the world and being followed by thousands of screaming fans, they became one of the most popular bands in history.

  They began releasing songs in the UK in 1960 and slowly their popularity began rising. Their first album Please Please Me released in 1963 reached number one on the British charts. They started touring around England and then moved onto the US. The Beatles' arrival in the US and their 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show marked the start of the “British Invasion”. The term “British Invasion” was used to describe the large number of performers from the United Kingdom in the United Sates. In 1964 their record “I Want To Hold Your Hand” released in America when teenagers were on vacation. The record spread like wildfire, and soon Beatlemania became common amongst teens. Beatlemania was intense levels of hysteria demonstrated by fans at concerts and during the band's travels to and from hotels. (ex. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLvTq6FdOj4). When sweeping US cities, they drew thousands of fans to airports, hotels and venues for at least a glimpse of the group. Everywhere around the world, Beatlemania was sure to be found, the band was idolized by tehir fans. In an interview with reporter Maureen Cleave, John Lennon said he came to believe that they were in fact becoming more famous than Jesus, which caused a lot of controversy. More famous than Jesus? Who knows? But without a question they became a legacy.

  In 1970 the Beatles broke up leaving their grieving fans a legacy that could never be matched. As it is said in bopped.com/the_beatles.html, The Beatles helped define the sixties. They had many artistic acchievements and huge commercial success. The band was the best-selling musical act of the 20th century. On April 4, 1964 the Beatles held the top 5 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This has been the only time to date that any act has accomplished this record. They were the first band to ever play in a baseball stadium. 55,600 fans saw the Fab Four perform in New York at the Shea Stadium breaking records for crowd fever, attendance and gross venue. After receiving medals from the Queen at the Buckingham Palace evryone knew the Beatles were going to go down in history. The four became trend-setters, making a great impact in culture with their music, clothes and hairstyles. Up to this day the band still remains popular having fans of all ages. Their music is legendary and no matter how old we get The Beatles will be in our hearts. Like the Beatlemania fans in the sixties would say, “The Beatles Forever”.

Which Way To The Stage?

  "You know how some people have these little habits that get you down? Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum. No, not chew. POP. So I come home from work one night and I'm real irritated, and I'm looking for a little sympathy. And there's Bernie, lying on the couch, drinking a beer and chewin'. No, not chewin'. POPPIN'. So I said "If you pop that gum one more time..." And he did. So I took the shotgun off the wall and fired two warning shots... into his head." This is a famous line from the Broadway musical Chicago.  Musical theater can be traced back to the theater of ancient Greeks, they included music and dance in their stage comedies or tragedies.  Musicals have a story line just like every movie or play but the most important factor is music, without it there is no show.  Many people believe that musical theater has lost most of its popularity in the past couple of years. And investments in these productions has become a big interest.
   In recent years familiarity has been taken in by investors and producers that are anxious to guarantee they can regain their investments or at least make a healthy profit.  What this means is that many producers and investor invest a lot of money in musicals that are very well known and popular among audiences because they are sure they can make a good profit.  For example,  many have invested in Hairspray, Grease, West Side Story and The Color Purple.  Because they are well-known and they hope that the shows have built-in audiences,  which will guarantee a big profit of some kind.  Today it is not likely for a sole producer to back up a production.  Now a days Broadway is being dominated by corporate sponsors.  At times alliances are made on stage musicals that may require investments of $10 million or more.  Some productions invest a lot that they end up loosing money instead of making profits.  In 2007, Lord of the Rings was made into a musical and it was billed as the biggest stage production in theater history.  But instead of making profits, this expensive show lost money.  As you see,  a lot of money is put into these productions and many peopledon't see why because they believe that musicals have lost most of their popularity.
  I have asked a couple of people and 2 out of 10 would rather see a regular film instead of a musical.  A lot of people don't like watching people acting and singing on stage.  But they don''t know that a musical isn't just singing the shows have a story line.  The music helps the show better itself because it gives it an artistic feel.  Music is a big part in these shows because it is practiced until every beat and note is perfect.

More Than Just A Noise

  Ever been in your room listening to music blasting your speakers, when all of a sudden your parents walk in saying "Turn that noise off!"?  They never specify what noise they are talking about.  Do they mean the music?  Music isn't just noise, a noise is something an alarm or phone would make.  But music is an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner.  Music can be more than just something you listen to.  It can help people express themselves or it can be used to communicate.
  Music is a way that people can feel united.  Raves and concerts are the most common places where people can come together to listen and dance to the  music that they like.  When you go to a concert you are there for the same reason all the other people are there, to listen to one of your favorite artist live. August 1965, The Beatles were set to start their US Tour.  On August 15, 1965 in the Shea Stadium in New York 55,600 fans gathered to see a legendary band.  All the people there cried, laughed and sang along.  Fan interviews were made and they all agreed on the same thing, 'The Beatles is one of the greatest bands and they should stay forever'.  This concert was a way for all these fans to feel united because they all had love for the band.  A rave is gathering of people centered around the listening and dancing of music.  When you go to a rave you expect to be with thousands of people together as one to listen and dance to electronic music.
  Music is inspirational.  You can be listening to a song and be inspired to write a song of your own. Many artist are inspired by other songs they hear or they can even be inspired by one of their own songs.  For example, in any football game, basketball game etc. you are most likely to hear We Will Rock You by Queen.  This song motivates the players it gets them excited for the game therefore they may play with a better attitude.  Music is not just noise,  the sound can inspire people to do something better or come up with new ideas.

1965 Beatles- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mUXwnEWEnE
EDC 2010- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLaFqNg716s&feature=related
We Will Rock You, Queen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikKzQwgBJc