Friday, January 25, 2008

Five Strategies to Better Learning

Five Strategies to Better Learning [bmg music radio]

There has never been so much information to absorb and so much to learn in the history of humanity! The more technology we create, the greater the need for learning, so anything that can aid us in learning better is very welcome. Here are five simple strategies that can increase learning and retention of information.

The first learning strategy is a simple one, and one that might not appeal to young people in particular. This strategy is simple: Turn off the TV, turn off your radio and find a quiet place to work with no distractions. If you must have music, opt for classical music, and not rock music or hip-hop. It is amazing how many students like to have background music playing when they are learning, unaware of how counter-productive it can be. If you need to have background music, then choose Baroque, and then preferably strings, rather than brass. Baroque music played on strings has actually been shown to be beneficial to learners.[bmg music radio]

The second strategy follows on from the first. Don't slob out on the bed, especially on your front, when you are trying to study. Sit at a desk, if possible, with a comfortable, but straight-backed chair and make sure your materials are within easy reach. You don't want to have to break your leaning state over and over again, by having to retrieve items you need from elsewhere.

Strategy three: Breathe deeply and relax. Close your eyes breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth a few times, slowly and evenly. This helps prepare you for your study session and the next strategy.

Strategy four: You will be amazed how many students, adults and children, approach a study or learning task without first asking themselves why they are learning and what they want to achieve. After you have implemented strategy three, and relaxed somewhat, ask yourself what you want to achieve in this study session you are about to undertake. Having a concrete reason to do anything makes your brain focus more on the task. With studying this step is vital, because studying is essentially a brain-oriented task.[bmg music radio]

Strategy five: Study for short periods or 20 to 30 minutes each, and take breaks of about 10 minutes in between. Experts have found that our peaks of learning information tend to come at the beginning and the end of a session. In other words, we remember material more easily that we learned in the first few minutes of a session, and the last few minutes. Therefore, creating many beginnings and endings in one learning session should increase the amount we are able to take in and, more importantly, recall.

How to Make Music Part of Your Child's Education

How to Make Music Part of Your Child's Education [bmg music radio]

Is music part of your child's education? If it isn't, it should be. Music is a powerful tool that aids a
child's development in various ways. Consider a crying baby soothed by a mother's lullaby or a toddler learning the alphabet and numbers through song. Put music in your child's life and you will be nurturing them in the following areas:

- Improve physical coordination
- Enhance their sense of timing
- Honing their listening skills
- Improving memory skills
- Aiding language and speech development
- Enhance reasoning skills such as used in math and science
- Providing an outlet for self expression

Before we go on further, let's get one thing straight first: Music education is not just about[bmg music radio] learning to play an instrument. It is not about music exams and attaining a certificate. I remember disliking my piano lessons and hating the music exams. Right after I finished my Grade 5 practical exam, I was determined to put an end to my misery. I quit! Why did I not enjoy the music lessons? I believe it was because I hadn't learned that music was to be enjoyed.

Like how a child learns to read and write, we must first expose them to certain activities that prepare them to develop those skills. For example, reading aloud to children daily helps them learn to read later on. These activities are known as pre-reading and pre-writing skills. So it is with music, we need to expose our children to early music experiences for it will help them develop skills needed in their future music learning. These skills will ease their learning and thereby make it a more enjoyable experience. These early experiences include singing in tune, in time and on pitch. It also includes feeling the rhythm and moving to the beat of the songs they sing and hear.

Most early childhood music programs found today combine both music and movement. Children are encouraged to not only sing but also to dance and move according to the music. They not only learn to listen but are also given opportunities to express and create. For example, hopping like a bunny to "jumpy" music. Children are also given props such as scarves, balls, beanbags, shakers and sometimes instruments to play with. This further enhances their motor capabilities and coordination. In a nutshell, music and movement programs help children experience and explore music as a whole. On top of that, it's a whole lot of fun, fun, fun. [bmg music radio]

What activities can you do with young children to develop "pre-music" skills?

- Sing to your children often. Start when they are babies.
- Play children music tapes or CDs. There are sing-along CDs and also music and movement CDs available.
- Recite nursery rhymes and chants. Combine that with movement such as finger play, bouncing on the knees, rocking, clapping and hand actions.
- Make up your own music or substitute familiar songs with your own words. It's ok to be silly.
- Expose children to different types of music such as classical, waltzes, tango, cha-cha, latin, pop etc....
- Join a music and movement program such as Kindermusik or Musikgarten.
- Make your own musical instruments with rubber bands, boxes, spoons, chopsticks, beans, blocks, plastic bottles etc....
- Attend concerts and other musical events.

Children have a natural acquisition for music. It means when they are young, we don't have to do a whole lot of teaching but rather encouraging. Music education can enhance your child's development and learning. Don't leave it out but rather make the decision today to integrate it into your child's life.

What Music to Play on Your Wedding Day

What Music to Play on Your Wedding Day [bmg music radio]

Many brides want different music for their wedding. They don't want music that has been done-to-death or previously played at a friend's wedding. However, what brides should realize is that the kind of music they need should be one that will be consistent with their wedding theme.

The appropriate music for your wedding depends on your wedding theme. Definitely, as a bride, you wouldn't want techno music at your Hawaiian-themed wedding reception. That would simply be a disaster and an inconsistency. What you will probably want for your Hula wedding reception is some island music from Hawaii where your guests in grass skirts can sway and enjoy themselves to the hula beat. In the same way, this hula beat and Hawaiian music simply won't do for a truly modern rooftop wedding! [bmg music radio]

Traditional Church Weddings - In traditional church weddings, it is advisable to have a quartet play the accompaniment for the church music. This creates a heavenly, ethereal feel that is in keeping with the venue and the atmosphere. A choir of at least four will also be better than a vocal soloist as generally, churches are structured to have perfect acoustics that only the textured and layered sound of a choir can give justice to. Maximize on what you have. [bmg music radio]

For the reception, a traditional church wedding with an indoor traditional reception may opt for two kinds of reception music. For the first half of the reception program, a quartet is ideal. You wouldn't want your guests to choke on their caviar with the sound of techno dance music, would you? Techno dance music, however, is ideal for the later hours of your traditional wedding reception. When you play light classical music, and then techno dance music, you are definitely setting the mood for your guests in enjoying their food and asking them to stay and enjoy the dance floor, respectively, without awkward and embarrassing deliberate effort from your part.

Traditional Wedding by Culture - In cultural weddings where the couples are celebrating their marriage within a particular cultural concept, it is always appropriate to play the music of that particular culture. It doesn't have to be the same genre all throughout the reception but it has to be in keeping with the culture-theme that you are in. For example, a traditional Irish couple having a traditional Irish wedding will want soft and light music played by Irish instruments for the wedding ceremony. But, when it comes to the traditional Irish reception, you may want a different tone of Irish music one that will call your guests to dancing and revelry!

The key point in choosing music for your wedding is to keep true to its concept, its theme. It is the music that will initiate the mood that you want. It is the music that will evoke and generate the reaction and emotions that you want from your guests. And usually, it is also the music that will bring you back to the fond memories of your wedding day years later, when both you and your spouse are sharing those memories with your grandchildren.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

How a Major Ski Resort Uses Podcasts for Online Marketing

How a Major Ski Resort Uses Podcasts for Online Marketing [bmg music radio]

Podcasts are short radio-style audio programs that users of online audio, mobile audio and iPods (or other portable digital audio players) can download and listen to whenever and wherever they like. The Podcast medium is still in its infancy as a marketing medium.

The most effective use in these early days of marketing with Podcasts involves subjects that appeal to tech-savvy listeners. Obviously, that includes topics in computing, multimedia, and high technology.
[bmg music radio]
Another smart approach is to match Podcast marketing with the lifestyle of the target audience. For example: skiers. The target market for a typical ski resort includes young professionals in the 20s and 30s, with an adventure-loving attitude to recreation, and plenty of disposable income so that they can afford the sport. That's right on target for the core market that buys iPods and other high-tech gadgets.

Marketing Sherpa reports that New England ski area Killington Ski Resorts recently tapped into this useful convergence of market niches to create a Podcast-driven marketing campaign.

The challenge was to reach the ideal demographic of young urban professionals, who are typically hard to get at through traditional ski industry marketing media such as radio, TV and magazines. Their lives are cluttered with a blizzard of conflicting media, their attention fragmented and hard to hold. [bmg music radio]

Killington Resorts communications manager Tom Horrocks recognized that one unifying factor of this demographic is their almost cultish love of iPods and portable digital audio. He decided that Podcasts would be an ideal way to connect with them on their own terms.

Here's how he put the campaign together:

1) Bought software and digital microphones that his team could use right in the office to create Podcasts.

2) Hired a "snow reporter / media writer" to act as a personable and enthusiastic character, to become identified as the Podcast voice of the resort.

3) Developed and produced 3 separate Podcasts: a 3-minute "Snowcast" of daily weather and snow condition reports; a 12-minute weekly "Driftcast" that delivered interviews, tips and stories from the mountain; and a 3-hour weekly music production, more like and FM radio segment, with music appealing to the target demographic.

4) Delivered the Podcasts regularly, on schedule, through popular distribution services including Apple's iTunes online music service, Podcast Alley, and Yahoo!, as well as through the Resorts' own Web site.

The results were impressive. Over a period of 2 months at the beginning of 2006, the Podcasts were downloaded nearly 30,000 times. The downside of Podcast marketing is that it is hard to track results. Once the audio is downloaded, there's no built-in way to measure how the listener responds or takes action.

However, Tom Horrocks is sure the Podcasts delivered a good return on investment. He credits the campaign's success to the flair of the resort's Podcast personality, known as Anna of the Mountain. "She epitomizes Killington: young, passionate, crazy about skiing."

Maximum Impact Media Advertising

Maximum Impact Media Advertising [bmg music radio]

If you sell a product or service, and want to be successful quickly, you must tell people about it through advertising and marketing.

TV, radio and newspaper are still considered the major media for effective marketing off-line.

However, a lot has changed with these top three marketing vehicles in the past 15 years.

In this article some critical changes are revealed that have occurred and how you can get the maximum impact for your advertising dollar.

Television is primarily an entertainment medium. Research shows the average person spends more time with television than with radio and newspaper combined. For many years, TV was considered the most powerful advertising choice because of the huge audience it provided. Even today, nearly everyone watches some TV every day.

There are three things you must consider before spending money on TV advertising - limited lifespan of your ad, audience fragmentation, and ad avoidance.

Keep in mind that once your ad has aired, it is gone for good. There is no way your potential customer can refer back to it. This fact makes it imperative that you run your ad many times to embed your message in the mind of the viewer. Frequency is important with any advertising, but especially broadcast. [bmg music radio]

Audience fragmentation is one of the major problems local broadcast television faces today.

At one time, a huge TV audience was split over only a few local channels. Community businesses could reach a large majority of their potential customers very quickly. Large national companies, such as Coke, only had to choose from the three major networks - ABC, CBS or NBC - to reach over 80% of the population.

Today, with cable and satellite TV, this same audience is now fragmented over 200 or more channels. The percentage of viewers on local TV has dropped dramatically. Yes you can run ads on cable and they will spread them out over ten or more channels. This shotgun advertising has not worked well for small businesses because many of these stations have only a half percent or less of the total viewers. And, what are the odds that they will be watching during the 15 or 30 seconds that your ad is presented?

Ad avoidance is also a very rapidly growing problem for TV today.

Because the public watches TV primarily for entertainment, they see advertising as an unwelcome interruption - not unlike the hated telemarketing. This was true 30 years ago but there was nothing a person could do about it except channel surf or leave the room. As you know this was, and still is, often done. Today, with TIVO, pay-per-view, public broadcast stations, and the multitude of satellite and cable channels, the public has shown a willingness to pay for reduced interruption from advertising. [bmg music radio]

Radio has similar problems. It is also primarily an entertainment medium. As such, advertising is also considered an interruption. Satellite radio is one of the fastest growing industries today primarily because people, again, are willing to pay to avoid commercials. In fact, most new cars have satellite radio built in.

Additionally, radio has evolved into an entertainment source for primarily driving, and background noise at work. If you buy any radio advertising, it should only be aired during drive time.

At home, radio use drops off. People can play CD's or listen to satellite radio. This way they can choose exactly the music or programming they prefer without commercial interruption. The radio industry understands that folks do not want to be interrupted with advertising. Many times radio stations promote themselves by offering "more music, less commercials".

Newspaperes have had their ups and downs, but have steadily maintained their local readership base and strength for local marketing. Even when radio, then TV, came on the scene, people still were loyal in reading their local newspaper.

Unlike TV and radio, advertising in a newspaper is not viewed as an interruption. In fact, one of the reasons people buy newspapers is for the advertisement content. Surveys have shown among 15% and 23% of those buying a newspaper do so primarily for the advertising.

You see, people do want to see and read advertisements. They do want to - and need to - buy products and services. They just want the ads on their terms.

TV's best day of the year is Superbowl Sunday, delivering nearly 40% of U.S. households. In striking contrast, newspapers consistently deliver well over 50% of your community households. They do it every day, 365 days a year. Now that is some serious marketing power.

Another advantage over broadcast that only newspapers can deliver is engagement of the consumer at the moment they are making a buying decision. When a person is reading your ad, it is because they choose to. At that time you have their full and focused attention. And the working life of your newspaper ad is enormous because it is physical and static. Your potential customer can refer back to it anytime they wish, or even cut it out.

You may have heard on TV or radio that newspaper subscriptions and readership are dropping. This is true. But it is not to the degree they would like you to believe.

What they do not tell you is newspaper on line versions are growing much faster than the 7% or so losses in subscriptions. In fact, you will find newspaper web sites are usually the busiest web sites in any community. Be sure you take advantage of this.

Now you can see why today's trend among business people who are in-the-know is away from broadcast and back into the old, reliable newspaper. Most all the major stores are getting back to the basics and finding the print advertising to be the best return on investment. So will you.

Newspapers, of course, should not be your only advertising medium, but it is the solid foundation on which you build an effective marketing plan in today's environment.

What Music to Play on Your Wedding Day

What Music to Play on Your Wedding Day [bmg music radio]

Many brides want different music for their wedding. They don't want music that has been done-to-death or previously played at a friend's wedding. However, what brides should realize is that the kind of music they need should be one that will be consistent with their wedding theme.

The appropriate music for your wedding depends on your wedding theme. Definitely, as a bride, you wouldn't want techno music at your Hawaiian-themed wedding reception. That would simply be a disaster and an inconsistency. What you will probably want for your Hula wedding reception is some island music from Hawaii where your guests in grass skirts can sway and enjoy themselves to the hula beat. In the same way, this hula beat and Hawaiian music simply won't do for a truly modern rooftop wedding! [bmg music radio]

Traditional Church Weddings - In traditional church weddings, it is advisable to have a quartet play the accompaniment for the church music. This creates a heavenly, ethereal feel that is in keeping with the venue and the atmosphere. A choir of at least four will also be better than a vocal soloist as generally, churches are structured to have perfect acoustics that only the textured and layered sound of a choir can give justice to. Maximize on what you have.

For the reception, a traditional church wedding with an indoor traditional reception may opt for two kinds of reception music. For the first half of the reception program, a quartet is ideal. You wouldn't want your guests to choke on their caviar with the sound of techno dance music, would you? Techno dance music, however, is ideal for the later hours of your traditional wedding reception. When you play light classical music, and then techno dance music, you are definitely setting the mood for your guests in enjoying their food and asking them to stay and enjoy the dance floor, respectively, without awkward and embarrassing deliberate effort from your part.

Traditional Wedding by Culture - In cultural weddings where the couples are celebrating their marriage within a particular cultural concept, it is always appropriate to play the music of that particular culture. It doesn't have to be the same genre all throughout the reception but it has to be in keeping with the culture-theme that you are in. For example, a traditional Irish couple having a traditional Irish wedding will want soft and light music played by Irish instruments for the wedding ceremony. But, when it comes to the traditional Irish reception, you may want a different tone of Irish music one that will call your guests to dancing and revelry! [bmg music radio]

The key point in choosing music for your wedding is to keep true to its concept, its theme. It is the music that will initiate the mood that you want. It is the music that will evoke and generate the reaction and emotions that you want from your guests. And usually, it is also the music that will bring you back to the fond memories of your wedding day years later, when both you and your spouse are sharing those memories with your grandchildren.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Texas - Home of the Outlaw Movement in Country Music

Texas - Home of the Outlaw Movement in Country Music [music radio texas]

Back in the early 1970s several country music recording artists moved from Nashville to Texas and created the Outlaw movement in country music.

Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were the leaders of the Outlaw revolution, but there were also some great singers songwriters who helped make Texas Music stand out. Artists like Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote most of Waylon's Honky Tonk Heroes LP and Steven Fromholtz, who gained recognition for writing Willie Nelson's Number 2 single "I'd Have To Be Crazy".

At the same time Jerry Jeff Walker moved from New York to Texas and joined the outlaw movement, writing such songs as Mr. Bo Jangles and recording the million selling LP "A Man Must Carry On". Jerry Jeff was helped when Waylon and Willie included him in their song about Luckenbach, Texas.

Another Texas artist who received some recognition in the 1970s is Joe Ely. While not receiving the radio airplay of Willie and Waylon and the boys, he has over the years gone from a "rocker" to a balladeer with songs such as Gallo Del Cielo.

There are a number of Texas artists who claim a loyal following both in Texas and also Outside of Texas thanks to the satellite radio stations playing alternative country. These artists include:

James McMurty, who is considered one of the strongest songwriters of his generation. [music radio texas]

Cory Morrow, has sold over 200,000 cds and currently tours over 150 dates. He has recorded a duet CD with Pat Green, who began as a Texas icon and has made some inroads in Music City with a major record company deal.

Roger Creager has left his own musical mark throughout the south and Texas over the past seven years.

Robert Earl Keen has filled dance halls throughout Texas for years and wrote the classic song "The Road Goes on Forever", which has been covered by The Highwaymen and Joe Ely.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, known best for his theme song "Redneck Mothers", continues touring and producing high quality Texas sounds.

Texas has several newer artists making a name for themselves, Jack Ingram being foremost among them. There is also Max Stalling, Stoney Larue and Aaron Watson.

Dale Watson, known as the Texas Troubadour remains popular in Europe and Texas playing traditional country music.

Gary P Nunn, former lead guitarist for Jerry Jeff and the leader of the Lost Gonzo Band continues to tour throughout Texas as does "The Anti-Garth" Tommy Alverson.

The Randy Rogers Band and Cross Canadian Ragweed are two of the more popular bands in Texas music today. [music radio texas]

If you'd like to hear the great Texas Songs you'll need the internet to find this great music, but it's certainly worth the effort.

Enjoy!

by Steven Hall