If you are looking for ways to save this Christmas, here’s a Yuletide treat for you from the web’s number one retailer of magic sing – magic sing discount coupons. Coupon codes will give you $10 or $25 off on your purchases of magic sing products from www.webbyshop.com. This offer is valid ’til January 2, 2012 only.

Christmas is drawing near! Do you already have your menu? Is your entertainment equipment already in place and ready to entertain your guest? If your answer to these questions are yes, then you’re certainly geared on the most anticipated time of the year.

If you will be using your magic sing microphone for singing and some game functions, you may also want to add new song chips that your guest will enjoy. New chip… new songs! At WebbyShop, there’s a new selection of SALE magic sing song chips that you can choose from. May it be Justin Bieber, Beyonce or Lady Gaga’s songs, there is a song chip that will fit all your guests’ taste of music – children, teenies and old. Shop now and enjoy $52.50 or up savings today!

The 2011 Thanksgiving Sale is still ongoing at the most trusted source of magic sing microphones. Get $10 or $25 OFF on your purchases using the coupons below.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

So from the bottom of our hearts, we greet you Happy Thanksgiving! Life’s a gift so we should be really thankful. Love… love… love…

How time flies! The holiday is fast approaching again and I’m pretty sure that as early as now, many people are getting busy in finding the perfect gift for their loved ones. While many others are still listing their wish list, it is always nice to be the first one to know how to save on other things necessary for the most anticipated family event of the year.

And as the number one and most trusted magic sing retailer online, WebbyShop gives you $5.00 off on your purchase of $50up when you create an account. Nearly all products are also currently on SALE which you can avail at more than 50% off the original price!

Get your piece of entertainment now at a price that won’t hurt your budget. See all featured magicsing products here!

For every magic sing microphone purchase at WebbyShop, you can get 2 x Pop song chips (50-200 songs) for FREE! This is a limited time offer from the number one magic sing retailer on the web. Take time to browse the available magic sing microphones and save money with the song chips that you can get!

Yes, the days of Spice Girls are truly over! Here comes Hanna Montana fans club, the Gleeks and Lady Gaga wannabes… The following videos showcase the unwavering talent of kids who are singing the greatest hits of today’s most popular pop icon, Lady Gaga. They are simply superb!

If you are one of those who love history but hate reading long paragraphs, then here’s an interesting video about the Valentine’s Day history created by History Channel.  This is definitely a a great and joyful way to learn history. So before you utter the popular “Happy Valentines Day” greeting,  take a dose of history from this video first.

Reading magazines can be a hobby for some while others do this in purpose. More often than not, magazine lovers read such kind of reading materials to entertain and educate themselves all at the same time. They get significant information from experts that they can follow and use on their daily lives.

If you are one of those people who would love to sit down with magazines on their hand, then you will also love these online magazine blogs – www.magazinesnation.com and www.magazinesmags.com/blog. These online sources do not just offer quality reading but also great information that you can use as a guide in finding the right magazine for you. With lots of prints to choose from, it is advisable that you are subscribed with one topic that has it all. And these magazine blogs simply tell it all.

So the next time, you decide to buy a subscription for new topics that interest you, better drop by in these blogs. You may also send your comments or inquiries and its administrators will immediately send you replies.

It’s 17 days before Christmas, are you ready? If the gifts have been wrapped and the menu has been prepared, then it’s time to plan for the party. Any occasion will not be a blast without music. So make sure that you are equipped with music gadgets that you can use during this season.

However, if you are still thinking of other ways to spice up your celebration, here’s yet another Christmas treat from WebbyShop. Sing, dance and play the music game with your own magic sing. Whether you just want to buy a new song chip or accessory for your magic sing microphone or would want to upgrade your mic, you can surely save from WebbyShop’s Holiday Sale. This is for a limited time only.

Are you still thinking of what magic sing model to buy? Then, here’s a comparison table that you can use in your decision making. This chart allows you to see how one differ from the other. While the latest magic sing models like ET19kv and ET21KV are still the top choices for first time buyers because of their enhanced features, it’s still good to know what you’re missing with other models. This comparison chart was created to provide magic sing enthusiasts a clear and quick information about each model and their key features.

The Magic Sing comparison chart tells you at first glance if a model has a certain feature or supports other functions like Background Video Input, the number of song chips slots, the case color, the games included  as well as the recording function and sound quality. Here’s a link to the Magic Sing Comparison table.

Not all music lovers can create their own hymn and music. However, despite of this bare truth, we can all be classified as listeners and occasional singers. If you belong on the side of those people who can only do but appreciate the work of others, then you should not be saddened.  I, myself is admittedly a certified listener but that’s not stopping me from singing. =)

Magic Sing gives me a reason and fulfills my dream in doing my favorite hobby as a music lover – to sing. I have my own magic sing…. the ET-21KV. What about you?

I still love listening music over singing. But my love for singing is something that I can be proud of even I don’t have a golden voice. As long as I can reach the notes, follow the hymn and lyrics, I’m all satisfied. Thanks to my long time buddy, my magic sing.

On the side note…

• You can vote here – What model of Magic Sing microphone do you like most?
• Are you still contemplating on buying your own or new magic sing microphone? Why not read some magic sing review to educate you?
• Want to be a fan of magic sing? Add us @ Magic Sing on Facebook.

If you grew up watching Walt Disney films, then you I’m pretty sure that you are certainly a fan of its beautiful music. I’ve grown up these movies and songs, too. I still play them while at work or whenever when I’m in the mood of reminiscing my childhood. Below is the list of Top 30 Disney Songs voted by the public in www.ultimatedisney.com.

30. Friend Like Me (Aladdin)
29. You Can Fly (Peter Pan)
28. Go the Distance (Hercules)
27. I wanna Be Like You (The Jungle Book)
26. I won’t Say I’m In love (Hercules)
25. Heigh Hoh (Snowhite and the seven Dwarfs)
24. I just Can’t Wait to Be King (Lion King)
23. Supecalifraglisticexpia Iidocious (Mary Poppins)
22. The Bare Necessities  (The Jungle Book)
21. A Spoonful of Sugar (Mary Poppins)
20. Bell  (Beauty and the Beast)
19. Feed the Birds  (Mary Poppins)
18. Chim Chim Che-ree  (Mary Poppins)
17. Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)
16. Someday My Prince Will Come  (Snowhite and the Seven Dwarfs)
15. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Make (Cinderella)
14. Reflection (Mulan)
13. You’ll be in My Heart (Tarzan)
12. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-dah (Songs of the South)
11. Can You feel the Love Tonight  (The Lion King)
10. Kiss the Girl (Lady Mermaid)
9. Colorsof the Wind (Pocahontas)
8. Be Our guest (Beauty and the Beast)
7. Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty)
6. Under the Sea (Little Mermaid)
5. Part of Your World (Little Mermaid)
4. When You wish Upon a Star (Pinnochio)
3. Circle of Life (The Lion King)
2. Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast )
1. A Whole New World (Aladdin)

This was posted in YouTube last 2008.

If you have stumbled upon this blog, then I can assume that you are looking for great posts about music and magic sing.  While there are many sources out there that you can consult with, I can say that you still have stumbled upon a good site.

A for me, when it comes to finding interesting music news, this is my top 3.

1. Billboard – I always want to be updated on the latest rankings of my favorite album that’s why I’m subscribe here.

2. MTV – They are definitely good when it comes to new videos.

3. WikiMusicBlog – I love trivia and this site has nearly all the information I need about a certain artist.

Aside from these sites are always updated,  I find their site really entertaining. How about you, what’s your favorite music news sources?

It’s now summertime in America. And as the weather gets hot each and everyday, it would also good to couple this with some of the hottest summer songs.

Obviously, this is the time of the year where you want to be in the sun tanning your skin at the beach or even doing long distance driving at the rural areas with all the windows down making it so hard to resist turning up the music to heat up the scene.

Now that the hot months are underway, here are some of the hottest songs for summer!

1. “Nothin’ On You” – B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars
2. “Break Your Heart” – Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris
3. “Animal” – Neon Trees
4. Wavin’ Flag” – K’Naan
5. “If I Had You” – Adam Lambert
6. “Find Your Love” – Drake
7. “Misery” – Maroon 5
8. “Waka Waka” – Shakira
9. “California Gurls” – Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
10. “Our Kind Of Love” – Lady Antebellum
11. “Alejandro” – Lady Gaga
12. “Cooler Than Me” – Mike Posner
13. “Free” – Zac Brown Band
14. “King Of Anything” – Sara Bareillis”Beautiful Monster” – Ne-Yo
15. “Club Can’t Handle Me” – Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
16. “Glitter In The Air” – Pink
17. “Cuando Me Enamoro” – Enrique Iglesias Feat. Juan Luis Guerra
18. “Magic” – B.o.B. feat. Rivers Cuomo
19. “Rock That Body” – Black Eyed Peas
20. “Cooler Than Me” – Mike Posner

Tune in to these hottest music and you will put a whole lot of meaning to your summertime!

It was reported that Ellen DeGeneres is officially leaving Fox Television’s American Idol. And the news is confirmed! But nonetheless, it has nothing to do with her performance.  It was just that Fox was looking to shake-up a bit the Idol format, which includes potentially ditching the current group of judges.

With the development, it was said DeGeneres will be replaced by producer Nigel Lythgoe. Apart from this, the audition age will now be lowered to the 16-year old limit.

Also, Fox released a flurry of statements saying the move was DeGeneres’ decision, but as recent as last week the performer’s reps told The Hollywood Reporter she was still willing to fulfill her contract with the show.

In a statement, DeGeneres said, “A couple months ago, I let Fox and the ‘American Idol’ producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on ‘Idol’ and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

Obviously, there were mixed reactions from the show’s fans. Some love Ellen, while some won’t agree the way she do things. For one, she was criticized for relying too heavily on pre-scripted-sounding quips rather than inspired analysis of contestant performances. Sophomore judge Kara DioGuardi is also said to be potentially exiting the show, while Randy Jackson, who has another year on his contract, is considered likely to stay.

Anyhow, good luck to whatever career path you would go Ellen…

The Dream’s forthcoming album, “Love King” will be set for release this coming June 29, 2010. It will be release under Radio Killa/Def Jam Records. The album is the third set in a trilogy of albums from the artist, following 2007s “Love/Hate” and 2009s “Love vs Money.”

Meanwhile, here are the complete track listing for the album:

1. “Love King”
2. “Make Up Bag” (feat. T.I.)
3. “Love Again”
4. “Sex Intelligent”
5. “Sex Intelligent Remix”
6. “Yamaha”
7. “Nikki Part 2″
8. “Abyss”
9. “Panties To The Side”
10. “Turnt Out”
11. “February Love”
12. “Florida University”
13. “Veteran” (bonus track)
14. “Priceless” (bonus track)
15. “Take Care Of Me” (bonus track)
16. “All Black Everything” (bonus track)
17. “Sorry” (bonus track)

It seems music is getting hotter as week after week passed by. Perhaps, one of the hottest music releases last week was Eminem’s latest album “Recovery”, alongside, Giggs (‘Let Em Ave It’), Kele (‘The Boxer’) and Pulled Apart By Horses (Pulled Apart By Horses - ’Pulled Apart By Horses’)

Singles-wise, Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg release ’California Gurls’, while Scissor Sisters return with ’Fire With Fire’. Meanwhile, here are the complete album releases last week:

Take your pick on your favorite artist and please check on their latest album releases.

This might sound strange. But even after his death, Michael Jackson has been making and breaking records in the music charts. He is coming off one of the biggest years of his career after selling more than 9 million albums and nearly 13 million digital tracks in the United States in the year since his death. He is hotter than ever than he had been at any time since his glory days in the 1980s.

But the funny story is – he has achieved his career goal of having a hit movie only after his death.

For the past year, I personally think that what happened is that people focused on Jackson’s music for the first time in many, many years. They just remembered how much they loved him and how much he is worth of their attention.

Amidst the controversies that he had been involved with, people was able to look past all of these –large and small, troubling and trivial–that turned a lot of people off.

Since his death, Jackson has sold over 9 million albums in the U.S. alone that enabled him to vault from #47 to #18 on  SoundScan’s running list of the top 200 album sellers of music history.

This feat is perhaps one of the biggest and most impressive in the history of music. Although, at the death of Elvis Presley, Soundscan was not yet around, Billboard has shed some light on this matter.

With his smash compilation Number Ones, Jackson became only the 13th artist to have the best-selling album in the U.S. posthumously. And with the subsequent soundtrack to Michael Jackson’s This Is It, he became one of only five artists to have the best-selling album in the U.S. with two albums after his death. Bandleader Glenn Miller and rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. each had three posthumous #1 albums. Nirvana, featuring the late Kurt Cobain, had two.

Truly, he is a music icon that all people would love.

Maya Angelou, who was considered by many as the most visible black autobiographer recently celebrated his 82nd birthday last May 20, 2010. She seems to be so happy on his personal birthday celebration greeting guests at a garden party held on her home in Winston, Salem.

Truly, the celebration was star-studded as it saw singers Naomi Judd and Martina McBride singing a birthday song to her. Also, hip-hop artist and actor Common was also present rendering a song in honor of her.

In a statement, Angelou said that she is very happy as ever as nobody promised her that day. She further spoke in reference to America’s politics adding that America is a country of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, and all must work to make it a better place to live. Although she denied to comment further regarding racism as well as the effects of having a black president.

Among of her notable works was her first autobiography entitled “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” At first, she didn’t plan to make it a series, but went on to write five volumes of it. The events of the book were episodic and crafted into small series of short stories. Her long and extensive career also includes poetry, plays, directing movies, acting and even public speaking. One of her most notable appearances as an actress was the television series Roots on 1977.

Meanwhile, her birthday celebration was mainly focused on her friends and family who gathered to honor her. On the event, she wore a pink pantsuit, a printed top and mauve hat along with fuzzy socks that helped her walk comfortably.

There were just a hundred guests at the party that was sponsored by Lowe’s, the North Carolina-based home improvement store chain, and Harpo Radio, where Angelou has a radio show.

It seems like the Michael Jackson craze has not yet stopped. As a matter of fact, it has reached through several parts in Asia most especially in Japan. The Japanese promoter of a collection of his belongings put on display in Tokyo that can make his fans’ dream come true. The event was in commemoration on his first death anniversary starting Sunday, where they can spend one night in the Neverland Collection at the Tokyo Tower, which many considered it as a shrine to the sacred memory of the pop icon’s idol.

The Tokyo Tower is considered to be one of Tokyo’s landmark. Since the opening day, more than 400,000 people have flocked through the venue since the opening of the Jackson exhibition on May 1.

Jackson, also known as the “King of Pop” to many, died on June 25, 2009 from cardiac arrest at a young age of fifty. Many fans of Jackson were shocked to hear the news that sparked a new wave of interest in music, where a documentary film featuring the singer, “This is It”, became a blockbuster cinema hit.

Unlike many other popular artists, what made Jackson unique was his compulsive collection of songs. The truth is, the idea of holding an exhibition of Jackson’s possession may a bit odd to many Western cultures, but in Japan, the tradition of being with the remains and possessions of passed loved ones is such an important ritual.

Fans who are selected randomly will enter the Tokyo Tower venue from 10:30 pm on the night of June 25 and will be able to stay until eight the next morning. Truly, the chance to spend the anniversary of Jacko’s passing with things like clothes he wore, countless awards and iconic videos is such an unforgettable experience.

Meanwhile, this won’t be for free and guests need to pay up to a thousand dollars for the one-time opportunity to sleep on the floor among Michael’s belongings. It was said that many Japanese fans wehre overwhelmed by the emotion when in the presence of so many precious things of their passed loved ones.

But whatever it may be, we just hope we would not see Jackson’s spirit roaming around…

It wasn’t long ago that one of the notable fashion columnist had spoken about Faith Hill’s wonderful taste for clothing most especially when she got a mix of positive reviews for her 2010 Oscar gown. And now, as timely as it is, she may actually be moving into the world of design as her second career.

Last April 22, when she appeared as a guest judge for the finale of this season’s Project Runaway, helping to determine Seth Aaron Henderson as the top winner of the fashion design reality show, she told the press, she felt all natural. And further added that she appreciates for fine detail and hard work as an asset for her job.

Truly, she can buy just that! Faith knows her way around haute couture and was by no means poor in taste. She did a very wonderful job in her judging slot. As a matter of fact, a very good one. The name Faith Hill always rings a bell as one of Nashville’s rare personalities – that always wanted to take some serious experimentation to fashion.

Although her statement would probably mean she wants her own fashion line, it was quite confusing though. As she ascended, “If the right opportunity presents itself, I can guarantee you it would be my passion,” she told the AP. “I would put my heart and soul into making it the best it could possibly be.”

And further said, that when that time comes, she would be designing for women and their kids. Busy moms with great style as she used the term. But I don’t think “busy mom” would be enough. Given her extraordinary line of mixed track records on the red carpet, she can obviously go for more. Perhaps making a better design for Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen for their sense of fashions. No offense to the twin!

One of the latest Magic Sing to arrive in the music family is the ET19KV Extreme. The Magic Sing is perhaps one of the best models that you can own, as it gives users a totally refreshing entertainment perfect for social moments.

After using the model, here are the things that I can say, where most of these are mainly a comparison from other models and what are the new stuffs to have an extremely powerful and maximized moment.

For one, it has now over 2,300 English and Tagalog songs, as the previous Magic Sing models have only close to 2,000. Essentially, this means more options of songs to choose from, and more fun!

When you cannot sing, the ET19KV has 22 songs with Vocal Assist, which in other words is also called Multiplex. The role of this feature is to transform your voice such as that of Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Josh Groban and Justin Timberlake. Can you just imagine having a Magic Sing that would help you have a good voice?

For a maximize fun moments, you can customize the thematic backgrounds by choosing from the 9 built-in’s. If you are on a drinking spree, perhaps you can choose a lady clad on a bikini, or you when you are on a social party you can always opt to go for the colorful thematic backgrounds.

Another important feature is that it is personal computer friendly. Meaning, with its USB port, you can simply upload new songs coming from the internet.

And lastly, the Magic Sing is loaded with seven new games – Singing Contest, Song Quiz, IQ200, Bingo 2, Dart, and Ten-Ten. If you were looking for fun, for sure playing on with one of the games would give you a sure laugh.

Kanye West will soon be releasing his latest music video entitled “Coldest Winter.” And did you know what the director, Nabil Elderkin call it? He called it “haunting, minimalistic, slow and very visual.”

At first glance, it might look as a very insulting comment. But the truth of the matter is that it is such a huge complement. The clip was helmed by Nabil Elderkin, who also directed West’s “Paranoid” (featuring a cameo by Rihanna) and “Welcome to Heartbreak” singles.

For his part, Elderkin said that the latest release is a very personal reflection on emotions about West’s past relationship with his former fiancé. More than that, the song reflects whole and wide emotions about the passage of West’s mother, which features many of the mother-and-son’s works together.

Meanwhile, the lyrics are also very close to West as it goes much deeper than the video goes. Obviously, upon hearing the song, you know it is a very, very emotional one. The quality of West’s voice was also prevalent. He had replete with an ominous AutoTune-tinged quality to his voice; express his dismay over a lost of a loved one.

As one of his favorite lines, West said he wants “Goodbye my friend, will I ever love again?”

But as of at press time, the debut date for the “Coldest Winter” video had not been announced. But definitely, we are looking forward for its official release and how it will perform in the charts.

How do you think it will perform? Please do hit the comment button if you have heard or seen the video and share your thoughts to us.

Christmas is already fast approaching. You will surely notice the different decorations inside public establishments like malls and outside buildings. Christmas lights, wreaths, red-and-white candy canes are some of the decorations that you will also see in various homes and establishments. There are also Christmas songs being played on air and Christmas carols being sung by choirs. These things remind everyone of us that the holiday season is just around the corner.

I am sure you are aware of the various songs that are always being played or sung during Christmas season. Here’s a list of some of the most popular song that you will surely encounter hearing somewhere:
1.    The First Noel
2.    Jingle Bells
3.    Away in a Manger
4.    Silent Night
5.    Joy to the World
6.    The Christmas Song

Those songs are also the popular song choice of various caroling choirs. Whenever I hear such songs I can’t simply ignore the fuzzy feeling I always feel inside even now that I am older. Christmas songs never fail to air everyone’s longing for peace, joy, and love. These songs that we all love to sing during this chilly season bring warmth to everyone’s hearts. It also binds the family and friends together during moments when there are situations that they need to sing together. Somehow it helps us recall the fondness that we once share with each other. Christmas songs also make us recall long gone friends and the special memories we share with special people around us. But I hope that everyone will remember why we are celebrating Christmas and not just focus on what gift they will receive this time.

We all know that the world is constantly changing. In a matter of years people started using DVD’s instead of video tapes, CD’s took over cassette tapes while online music have won the hearts of most people especially those who know how to use the Internet. The appeal of online music via the internet is very hard to ignore. There are many artists who also take advantage of online music hosting and MP3 downloads to showcase their talents. Lately, it is also possible to buy parts of an album and not pay for the whole album. it just a matter of time before everyone sees how fast, inexpensive and simple online music truly is.

Although Downloading music via the internet is simple, you should remember that it is illegal to download pirated music. You can also listen via live streaming music from all genres. From classical, country, rock’n'roll, oldies, alternative, rap and kids music, you can surely find it on the internet. You can also find songs that you want to add in your Magicsing ET19KV. You can first check the songs that are included in the song chip before you order one. Online music promises a new and exciting music enjoyment for everyone. So if you still havent tried listening to your favorite song on the internet  then maybe its time for you to learn a new skill on how to use the internet so you too can enjoy this wonderful technology.

We all know that music plays a big part in everyone’s life. To some, it is their way to express what they feel or share their talent to the world. Learning how to play a specific musical instrument and can be as hard as developing your singing ability that can take months of practice. There has been research that shows the advantages of training your child to learn or develop his or her musical abilities/talents. Not only because your kid will develop his or her musical abilities and talents but also other positive skills and personality as well.

When you enrol your kid in music schools, you are helping in total development of your child. Even if your child don’t pursue to any musical career, music lessons can help provide a positive impact and uplift their confidence. Even we feel confident when we know that we can always hit the right notes at the right time.

Here are other advantages of signing your child in music lessons:

1. Your kid can learn other abilities in the music school aside from from learning music.
2. Your child can learn the meaning of discipline which he or she can apply in his or her daily life.
3. Your kid can also learn camaraderie in school, especially with lessons requires them to mingle with other kids. They will learn how to deal with different people.
4. Another good thing that your kid will get from such training is self confidence. Self confidence can help build your child’s character and drive them to be the best in whatever they want to be.
5. Plus your child will learn how to entertain other people since they will experience how to perform in front of a crowd during their recitals in music school.

These are only some of the positive things that your kid can learn when you let them study music or when you enrol them in a music school. Your child can learn more than playing musical instrument or singing because there are a lot of things they can learn experience from music schools which can help your child to develop into a confident and talented person.

Rare collectibles of singers and celebrities like legendary Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley and other celebrities who passed away is on the rise again. Not only youngsters, but adults also adore some world class or local celebrities and stars collect memorabilia. There’s something about owning a piece of memorabilia of your favorite star especially if you are a very loyal fan. You can use it as a wall hang, stack it in your collection box or even gift it to someone who’s crazy about such things. Some love to collect celebrity photos and shirts and add it to their growing collections and there are also people who treasure their signed music albums and will never think of selling them. Many fans don’t mind waiting in long line just to have an autograph book or a signed photographs of their favorite stars. There are also many online shops offering rare memorabilia for sale like personally signed celebrity photographs and gold disc CDs.

Some websites offer authentic collections of various items such as Signed gold discs, autographed photographs, memorabilia and more. But you should be cautious when you memorabilia online because there are scammers also online. For example, a signed gold disc of a popular singer or a photo personally signed by the celebrity is a sure attraction to many. Online collectible items are usually 100 percent authentic and therefore reliable but just to make sure you can also ask for a full certificate of authenticity for the signature. Gold disc on the other hand has been expertly electroplated which cannot crack or wear off.

The internet has a large online market for people who love to collect music discs. It is also the best place for collecting important information or memories of your favorite stars. They can easily sell their original master pieces and gold disc music CDs and sometimes rare collectibles can be sold in a very high price in the market because there are always people who are ready to shell out money for original memorabilia of their favorite stars.

When it comes to entertainment whether alone, with friends or family nothing beats the karaoke machine. It has been around for a long time now. This entertainment machine originally came from Japan and now invaded the western countries. But still, karaoke machines are most popular in countries around Asia where some bars hold karaoke performances every night with much more high-end sound equipment to give their clients the best sound experience.

Today, you will find these machines in restaurants, household, hotel rooms, and karaoke bars. Karaoke machines became so popular that there’s new kind of karaoke machine that is more compact and portable. That they call it “Magic Mics”. Another popularly term for it, is “Magic Sing”. Magic sing microphones are capable in delivering the same amount of entertainment that a normal karaoke can provide. Plus, the upgradable chip means that it can contain a large number of songs which makes Magic Sing perfect for people who love to sing for entertainment.

Do you still remember the movie Happy Feet? Well, I came across the music store and I saw the soundtrack of Happy Feet. One thing that comes to my mind is how this movie really made me happy. I enjoyed this movie and it will surely make kids dance on their feet as well. One part I really enjoyed most is when Mumble sang the song “My Way” to Gloria. I mean Ramon is actually the one who sang it and not Mumble. But, that part is really funny. You know why? It is because if you love someone, you’ll do anything just to win her heart.

“Happy Feet” is a movie that tells about the lives of penguins in Antarctica and a whole bunch of other crazily-funny penguins. It is a place where singing is being equated to being a penguin, the storyline focuses on the lives of a family of penguins that has a problem with their kid Mumble’s tap dancing. Another movie creatively thought about by Warner Brothers/Village Roadshow, paired with a soundtrack containing generous range of songs that will go along with all of the viewers of the movie.

One of the soundtrack artists is Jason Mraz. He has been known for his unique voice and the oozing charisma that comes with his package. Though still young at heart, and with his youth radiating with every strum of his guitar, he is in a way, veteran enough to woo his fans in his live performances, in his music videos and virtually in all of his songs. He first made his name in 2002 with his album “Waiting for my Rocket to Come” and his chart-busting song “Remedy”.

As known by most of his fans, he went from state and state before landing himself in the coffee-house scene; wherein most if his fans adore him because of his exquisite music. Now, Jason Mraz goes beyond astonishing lyrics and vocal prowess, out of the United States, into the Antarctic and ultimately out of the place where humans live.

Jason Mraz sings the song “The Joker” with a rare mash up with Chrissie Hynde for the said movie. The mash up had been receiving commendation for its energy and it seems that it is perfectly fit for the funny antics of the motion picture.

Critics also put emphasis in the participation of Prince in the soundtrack, with him writing the song entitled “The Song of the Heart”. The record also shows off with the closing track “The Story of Mumble Happyfeet” written and produced by motion picture scorer John Powell. Other artists that performed in the soundtrack, who are both contemporary music artists and comes from the cast of characters are: fresh Brittany Murphy, Pink, Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, K.D. Lang, Patti Labelle and a lot more.

The soundtrack album of “Music from the Motion Picture: Happy Feet” is one of the great soundtracks we can dedicate to the kids we love. The movie and its soundtrack is surely a hit for the kids and they will enjoy watching and listening to it as well.

Whether you are a Mexican singer or  a Mexican song lover, the new Magic Sing Mariachi 1 song chip is perfect for you. This upgrade for Magic Sing karaoke microphones features 150 popular mariachi songs that would definitely add more fun and excitement in your karaoke party.

But what is Mariachi? Mariachi is the traditional Mexican musical group which includes the performer, the musical instruments such as violin, trumpet and Mexican guitar, and the musical ensemble. Mariachi music was initially instrumental or a dance music, but it has come to include vocal elements. The popularity of this Mexican music can be seen in many occasions like birthdays, weddings, baptism, company parties, civic celebrations and it can be played for serenades.

To give you an idea, here are some great songs included in Mariachi 1 song chip:

QUIERO CONTIGO ABEJA MIOPE
ADIOS AMOR TE VAS
BARAJA DE ORO
VEN CONMIGO
COMPARAME
COPA TRAS COPA
DESCONTROLADO
EL ADIOS RANCHERO
MORENITA PIEL CANELA
POR UNAS MONEDAS

You may not be familiar with these songs but it is worth trying. Remember, sometimes unfamiliarity  to a song can bring excitement and entertainment for the whole family. And you might discover that Mariachi can bring you to stardom.

Wanting to have a mini concert at home? Well, this is not a dream anymore. With the use of Magic Sing ET-18000 Karaoke Microphone, you can experience total music entertainment with great symphony. Being the latest karaoke microphone from Enter Tech, the Magic Sing ET-18000 Karaoke Microphone is packed with new features and functionalities that you will surely like.

This karaoke system comes with two (2) completely wireless karaoke microphones powered by CT500 processor. And it features 2,070 embedded songs that will surely provide non-stop music fun and excitement, almost.

For those who wonder: below are the new exciting features that make Magic Sing ET-18000 a karaoke masterpiece.

• Multiplex Function
• Better Sound Quality
• My Mic (100 customized songs)
• Musical Notes
• Jump Feature (Prelude/Interlude)
• Score Board Function
• SD Card Support
• Customizable Picture Background (SD Card required)
• Real Time Song Search
• Name That Tune Game
• Picture Background Themes

There a lot of great reasons why you need to consider on buying a Magic Sing for yourself  and your family. Providing total music entertainment is one of the main functions of this magical instrument. Also, it’s one way to kill boredom and to have bonding moment with your loved ones.

Other key features of Magic Sing karaoke  microphone that make it worth-buying are stated below:

1. Easy to use. Magic Sing acts as a plug-and-play device. No additional hardware or physical components such as dvd players are needed. Just plug the mic into your television and then, it’s ready to use.

2. Advanced karaoke functions like song key, echo, tempo, mic volume and music volume. It also offers game and scoring function to have more fun and excitement.

3. Depending on the model unit,  a magic mic offers thousands of songs embedded to its system. With this,  you can be sure that you will not run out of songs to sing.

4. Additional songs can be added easily. If you are craving for more song selections, buying a song chip is a perfect upgrade option.

5. Portability. Magic Sing can be use almost anywhere, anytime as long as there is an available television. And it is light in weight and compact, making it easy to carry and store.

6. Versatility. Magic mic is not only for family fun. This device can be used to add entertainment to some occasions such as birthdays, weddings and reunions.

7. Affordability. The price will surely not empty your pocket. Magic Sing are available in different models so you can be certain that there’s a perfect microphone that fits your budget.

Whether we are a professional singer or beginner, we always wanted to have fun in singing while in a karaoke bar. So, here are some simple karaoke singing tips to help you enjoy karaoke and improve your singing performance.

1. Choose songs that fit your voice and you are very familiar with. Remember that selecting a song which you like than what you think the audience will enjoy will create huge different outcome.

2.  Know your strength. If you know a song and you truly know how to sing it; then go for it. Singing a song that fits your vocal range is the perfect way to stand out.

3. Know your limitations. Whether you are an amateur or not, the most important tip is understand your limitations. Because knowing your boundaries and staying within your capacity will lead you to great performance.

4. Feel comfortable while on the stage. Some people are afraid to get up on stage because they have fear in singing out loud in public. So, the best way is to sing like nobody is listening. Also, sing from your heart you will see that you are doing fine.

5. Have fun. Don’t take karaoke singing too seriously. Loosen up and be yourself.

6. Try to learn new songs. Choosing other tracks that you know will improve your singing voice.

7. If you are in a karaoke bar that serves alcoholic drinks, don’t get yourself drunk because alcohol will make you shout and slur.

8. Practice. You will have good rhythm and timing if you practice.  Listening carefully to your favorites songs is one good method.

Did you know that there are a lot of health benefits that you can get from singing? Aside from giving entertainment and fun, singing provides some therapeutic experience for a healthy body. Below are some health benefits:

- Gives the lungs a workout
- Good flow of oxygen to the blood system and brain
- Tones up intercostal muscle and the diaphragm
- Posture correction and back straightening
- Stomach and bladder strengthening
- Good exercise for abdominal muscles
- Great aid to communication and breathing
- Helps reduce the feelings of depression
- Neurological improvement
- A good therapy for those who have had strokes resulting in speech impairment
- Improves confidence and discipline
- Strengthens the immune system

So, no matter what your age, don’t be shy and show your talent in singing. Remember, you don’t have to be a good singer in order to get singing to your hearts content.

Most of us have a dream to become a singer. Since childhood, we have the passion for singing. But the truth is that all people can sing but only few can sing well. On the contrary, those who are not good singers can still develop their singing voices to the level that they can now follow the tune and rhythm.

Of course, it takes a lot of effort, discipline and dedication to become a popular singer. So to have a stepping stone in singing, you can follow the following basic steps to become a singer:

1. Learn how to sing. This is the foundation of your career as a singer. While there are some performers making a career out of singing when they don’t really sing all that well, it’s those people who have their craft as singers and continually improve their form and ability who command the most respect as singers.

2. Study singers whom you admire. How do they sing? How did they become professional singers? What kind of crowd do they cater too? What is their signature style? Don’t totally copy them though, singers have to be unique!

3. Begin taking voice lessons. Having a voice coach can really train your voice and, if you practice, you will notice marked vocal improvement within a few weeks. Voice training is important in strength and overall quality of your voice. You can also damage your voice if you aren’t singing properly. Find which note your voice is most comfortable singing at and sing there a lot.

4. Become comfortable as a performer. Get over your stage fright (if you have it) and start gaining some practical experience by singing wherever and whenever you get a chance to do so in front of a group of people (karaoke bars, parties, school talent shows, etc.). Connect with your listeners.

5. Develop your own style. Experiment with different ways of singing and different types of music and find one that fits your personality and makes the most of your voice at the same time. You want people to be able to recognize your voice when they hear it.

6. Get a Singing Job. No matter how well you can sing, you’ll never be a successful singer if you don’t convince people to pay you to do it. That could mean joining a band, singing at your local cafe, performing on Broadway, or even recording a jingle for a commercial–your goal is to make a living as a singer. Get to it!

See these basic steps at wikihow.com.

Enjoying singing your favorite song should not end there. When doing karaoke singing especially at the bar, club or in a party, it is great to observe good manners. Don’t be too deafening and inconsiderate in order to have a fun-filled karaoke time with your friends or other people.

Below is a list of karaoke etiquette that can bring out a truly entertaining karaoke party:

1. Respect the person on stage. Never boo whoever use the karaoke and sing on stage. Everyone who goes in the karaoke bar wants to have a good time just like you. So just enjoy like what everybody wants to do.

2. It is a best practice to clap when someone is done singing. No matter what they have been, they deserve a simple reward by clapping your hands.

3. Handle the karaoke microphone, song book and other accessories with care. Don’t sway or toss the mic into the air to catch because this may damage the equipment and you might pay it.

4. For beginners, try to sing those songs that you are familiar and know the melody. Difficult songs like rap songs may bring a hard time for you.

5. Never go in front of the stage unless you are invited or called on. If you like the song and it is not yet your turn, you can sing along softly from your table instead.

6. Don’t be pissed off if someone chose your favorite song to sing. You can still sing sit or better select a new one. Don’t worry because there are several songs that may fit for you.

7. Don’t try to “cheat” in order to have more turns. Don’t stay on stage singing several songs. Wait for your turn again so that others can perform.

Aside from providing full-scale music entertainment, karaoke singing gives several benefits that you may not notice. The favorite pastime of most people which is karaoke can provide wonderful benefits to ones health, behavior and physical state.

Below are some great benefits of karaoke:

1. Karaoke singing helps release endorphins from from our body. These “good hormones” makes us feel good and happy.

2. It helps boost the child’s self confidence and social skills. Once a child become more comfortable in singing in front of other people, he/she will gain self-esteem.

3. Singing English songs will also help increase your vocabulary and communication skills. It can also be used as a tool for music subject in school.

4. Karaoke singing is another way of socializing with your friends and other people as well. This leisure is an effective way to break the ice.

5. Bonding moment with your loved ones becomes deeper and stronger while having fun.

6. While singing together with other people who are not close to you yet, you may feel the sense of belonging and acceptance.

7. Karaoke is a great way to express your feelings and emotions. If you can’t say it, you can convey it by singing a song.

Other benefits can be found by your own self so try karaoke and see the wonderful things that you can gain.

Have you ever wondered about the techniques of professional singers while they are singing? Well, they simply follow some steps in order to create an outstanding performance. And you can also do the same thing. Here are some helpful steps from wikiHow on how to sing like a professional singer.

1. The most important thing of all is to sing whenever and wherever you can. If you love singing enough to do that you could become a professional.

2. Tell yourself you can do anything and that you sound brilliant. If you don’t believe in yourself, then why should anyone else?

3. Make sure your voice is strong before you start. Take voice lessons and exercise your voice. Your instructor can also give you a more objective view of your capabilities, and tell you whether professional singing could be an option for you.

4. Lose your shyness. Don’t try and hide the fact you are singing — be loud.

5. Lead others. When you are singing with other people, take charge of the song; don’t go down to their level.

6. Make sure you sing from your diaphragm.

7. When you sing your vowels, open your mouth so it is long. If you feel like you’re practically smiling when you sing, you might sound kind of nasal-y.

8. Stand up straight, but not too straight. Stand like you normally would, and relax your shoulders. If your shoulders are tense, it could be difficult to breathe correctly.

9. Have a teacher or a friend who knows how to read music help you. It seems odd, but sometimes singers need help remembering to breathe, or they’ll run out of breath. If they remind you to breathe in between each phrase, you won’t run out.

10. Practice! We all know practice makes perfect (or as close to perfect as we’ll get). If you keep singing the same songs over and over again experimenting with dynamics, you’ll sound great. Little things like that make a huge difference in your overall performance.

The stated steps above are just some of the many things that you need to consider to become a certified singer. But if you take karaoke singing as a hobby only, just be yourself and have fun.

There are great accessories that you can add to your favorite Magic Sing karaoke microphone. These add-ons will let you maximize the use of your magical singing instrument. Also, there are products that will keep your Magic Sing in good condition and functioning at its best.

Below is a list of products that would complement your Magic Sing mic.

Magic Sing Song Chips – All Magic Sing microphones come with a huge number of embedded songs. But if you want to add more songs, song chips are the answer. These song chips are available in different languages, number of songs and type of music so you can select the right one that fits your needs and personal taste.

Magic Sing Recording Pack – This piece of gadget is one another great product that you can add to your hi-tech microphone. The recording pack allows you to record your own songs and upload it to your computer. With this accessory, you can create a personalized CD of your own music choice.

Magic Sing Stand – This will hold your delicate microphone in place. Also this is a perfect way to avoid the mic from falling down on the floor that could cause damage or breakage.

Magic Sing Song Book – This is used to keep your song list intact and organized as well. With this accessory, you can easily find the song titles that you want to sing.

Magic Sing RCA Cable – The RCA cable is used to connect the Magic Sing in your Television. There are cables for the ED-8000, Black (4 Slots), OnStage, Silver as well as Silver with Video Input and Black (3 Slots).

Magic Sing AC Adaptor – This is a universal microphone 8V AC adaptor from Enter Tech. This is a good replacement to your damage adaptor and can be used in most countries.

I have seen so many talented young singers on television, some of whom are less than twelve years old! There’s this one child singer I heard on the news, a Filipina singer, who was seen on YouTube by a staff of Ellen DeGeneres’ show and invited her to fly all the way from Manila to sing in Ellen’s show. I’ve heard she has also perfomed in Oprah. Wow. And she’s only a kid.

Is is common for parents to enroll their children in different activities during summer breaks, and because of these the talents of the kids are uncovered. Some become good singers or dancers or musicians because they were trained early. When it comes to singing there three categories of a child singer fall under.

Category One includes children for whom singing is but one activity to which they are exposed along with other disciplines such as mathematics, science, history, language, physical education, art, dance, and spirituality. For them, gaining an appreciation of and experience in the recreational joy of singing may be sufficient. Venues where this exposure occurs include home, school, and places of worship.

Category Two includes children for whom singing is a recreational activity they wish to pursue more intensely. These children may express an interest in private voice lessons to improve basic vocal techniques and develop repertoire. Venues include select choirs and choruses, and solo opportunities in school, clubs, sporting events, and places of worship.

Category three includes children for whom singing is a professional or pre-professional activity that subjects their vocal technique, performance skills, and repertoire to highly critical evaluation and scrutiny. For these chidlren to deal successfully with the added physical and emotional demands a singing career requires, formal voice training should be considered a necessity. Venues include opera, music theater, recording, pageants, film, radio, and television.

Singing is a regular and usual pursuit of interest for a great number of children. It is good to encourage children how to sing. Like any other activity where children are involved in, like sports or art or music, singing can be accomplished on many levels from recreational to professional. Still, at all levels there should be suitable and trained teachers capable and eager to help child singers reach their destinations on their musical journeys. (:

I came across the website of American Academy of Teachers of Singing and I found out that since 1922, the year of its founding, the academy has been actively writing and disseminating papers on all subjects pertaining to the teaching of singing. Their articles would be very helpful to already singers and those who want to have a career in singing.

I’d like to share what they have to recommend about auditions for the singer which may be very helpful to those hopeful aspirants.

APPLY FOR AN AUDITION ONLY WHEN READY

Generally speaking, no singers should either apply for or make auditions unless their own mature consideration and that of their teachers indicate that they are ready. Being ready means being adequately advanced vocally, musically, interpretatively, and artistically.

Singers should not allow themselves to be influenced by parents, friends or others who may encourage them to enter an audition before being fully prepared. Being heard too soon may be dangerous because many organizations keep records of their auditions. A poor rating and an unfavorable impression may jeopardize subsequent chances. On the other hand, singers who are prepared should not avoid auditions, because they will profit from the many values presented by such a test of their ability.

PREPARE THOROUGHLY FOR EVERY AUDITION

After deciding to enter an audition, singers should carefully study the demands in the special field to which the audition leads and prepare thoroughly in order to satisfy these demands in every detail. If application forms must be submitted, it is important to see that they are completed exactly as requested by the sponsor of the audition.

The material selected for performance should be suitable to the type of audition. Songs or arias should be thoroughly familiar to the singer and should have been sung previously, preferably in public. The material chosen should be well within the singer’s present abilities, and show the singer’s strengths. Whether one song or a full recital program is being offered, ALL MATERIAL MUST BE MEMORIZED. It is of utmost importance to have the assistance of an excellent accompanist; and to have sufficient rehearsal.

IMPORTANT ESSENTIALS TO BE OBSERVED BY SINGERS AT AUDITIONS

Keep in mind that singers are seen before being heard. Singers should therefore present a good appearance from the moment the audition begins until it finishes, i.e., good posture, poise, an alert, attentive, and self-conscious manner.

Singers should dress appropriately for the type of audition being made. They should be prompt, but not upset by a lack of promptness on the part of the judges, or by any other annoyances that may occur. It is well to be on hand about ten or fifteen minutes early.
Because singers are generally allowed to choose the first song or aria, this choice should have been made in advance. It should be adhered to unless there are very compelling reasons for a last minute change. An agent or manager could interfere or override the choice of material decided on by teacher and singer, and the singer must be prepared for this.

Singers should avoid making apologies for physical or vocal condition, for lack of rehearsal with the accompanist, or for any other reason, because judges are not sympathetic to excuses. If singers are unable to do themselves justice for any reason, they should state the fact, not sing, and ask for another appointment if that can be arranged.

Judges may sometimes be prejudiced or uninformed, but singers should keep in mind that future audiences, too, may not always be intelligent, receptive, or fair. After the audition singers should not worry about the result It is well to discuss the performance with the teacher in order to extract benefit from the audition, but otherwise, time is better spent in preparing for the next audition.

Here’s About.com‘s Top songs for moms this mother’s day.
Mom is usually the first and most frequent musician for a baby or young child. Many songs celebrate the relationship between mother and child and here are some of the best.

1. Use a Napkin, Not Your Mom
“Use a Napkin, Not Your Mom” is both a song and the title of this CD by Kathy Kallick. Kathy’s style is a mixture of bluegrass and folk music.

2. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody
“Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody” include versions from Mandy Patinkin, Judy Garland, Al Jolson? Cher, Brenda Lee, and Aretha Franklin.

3. “Mockingbird” by Peter, Paul and Mary
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word…”
This is a classic lullaby by a classic group – Peter, Paul and Mary. It’s on a CD called Peter, Paul and Mommy. There’s also a Peter, Paul and Mommy Too.

4. A Mother’s Prayer – Carnie Wilson featuring Jim Brickman
Carnie Wilson’s first solo album is all about Motherhood. “A Mother’s Prayer” features the wonderful Jim Brickman on piano along with Carnie’s gorgeous voice and lovely lyrics. Carnie is the former member of Wilson-Phillips and the daughter of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

5. Meltdown by Justin Roberts
“Meltdown” by Justin Roberts explores how even Moms are prone to meldowns at times.
“…I’ll stop the world and melt down with you.”

6. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Olivia Newton-John)
This is one of the ultimate songs of motherly advice and love. Olivia Newton-John does it beautifully. It’s on her lullaby album called “Warm and Tender.” The song is originally from the musical “Carousel” – written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and sung in the movie by Shirley Jones.

7. “There’s a Pea on my Plate” (Bill Harley)
In my estimation the two biggest power struggles between mother and child involve bedtime and vegetables. “There’s a Pea on my Plate” is a lament from the child about mom’s persistence in the interest of her child’s health.

8. “Mama” by Il Divo
“Mama thank you for who I am
Thank you for all the things I’m not
Forgive me for the words unsaid
For the times I forgot…”
Wow. This is an amazing group and an unbelievably beautiful song.

 Here’s more mother’s day songs (from AC):

1. Celine Dion- Because you loved me
2. Good Charlotte- Thank you mom
3. Cheap Trick- Surrender
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd- Simple man
5. Shirelles- Mama said there’d be days like this
6. Boys 2 men- Momma
7. Aretha Franklin- A mothers love
8. Josh Groban- You raise me up
9. Kenny Rogers- Through the years
10. Garth Brooks- A friend to me
11. Bette Midler- Wind beneath my wings
12. Cyndi Lauper- I want a mom that will last forever
13. Jaime O’neal- Somebody’s hero
14. Billy Joel- Just the way you are
15. Elvis Presley- The wonder of you
16. Pink Floyd- Mother
17. Sinead O’Connor- Nothing compares to you
18. Lionel Ritchie- Three times a lady
19. Aerosmith- Angel
20. Enrique Eglesis- Hero

Why not get your Magic Sing and serenade your mothers on their special day! Happy mother’s day!

I read a blog listing down the top ten inspiring songs for the holy week. These songs according to the author, reflect on his favorite songs that he feels symbolize the meaning of Holy Week, the songs that will definitely be playing on his Ipod over the next few days. The songs are both old and new, and are listed with the author’s comments.

10. “The Bunny Song“: Yes, I believe a little levity is needed-even during Holy Week— and this is one of my all-time veggie tunes!

9. “The Lord’s Supper“: I know this isn’t a song, it’s a CD, but there is no way I can pick just one song off John Michael Talbot’s reflective masterpiece using the words from the Last Supper as inspiration for every song.

8. “Remember Me“: I have always liked Bryan Duncan’s creative look at Jesus’ final words to one of the thieves on the cross next to him.

7. ‘Via Dolorosa“: It’s a classic song that has been translated into several other languages for it’s reflection on the road of suffering. If you can’t deal with the Sandi Patti version, there are a couple of other covers of the song out there.

6.”El Shaddai“: Another classic song that has stood the test of time. I prefer the Michael Card version over the Amy Grant version, or the Michael W. Smith version, or any number of other renditions.

5. “By His Wounds“: Third Day singer Mac Powel joins Steven Curtis Chapman and others on one of the more memorable Easter worship songs of recent year as they sing this version of Isaiah 53.

4. “Carry My Cross“: One of the many hits by CCM group Third Day, this is one of my favorites, placing me at the site where Jesus carried my cross to Calvary.

3.”Sunday” : Tree 63′s popular song that puts a spin on the catch phrase, “It’ Friday, but Sunday is coming” but the lyrics have real depth underneath that fluffy pop sound.

2.”Liquid“: This is the first song I ever heard from Jars of Clay and it is still hauntingly beautiful in its depiction of the crucifixion.

1.”Pride (In the Name of Love)”: Of course, I have to give the top spot to the U2 hit—the best rock n’ roll anthem about Jesus ever written.

For the Holy Week, you may slip in Enter Tech Magic Sing Gospel Song Chip and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection by singing wonderful songs for Him.

Have a blessed Holy Weekend!

I saw this cool website owned by a singing pro, and there includes practical tips for singing. Singers out there, read this!

Any tip or combination of tips can be used to improve your voice, your style, or fix a sore throat. Some of these represent ideal situations, which many certainly do not live in. Others represent the complete opposite of things you may have heard.
• Plan ahead.
• Sore throat? Try an apple or pear (or their juices).
• Don’t do anything that will hurt your voice in any way.
• When looking for a teacher, ask about his/her background in music, and whether they are willing to help you learn how to sing something other than their style of singing.
• Just because a singer sounds nice doesn’t mean s/he can sing.
• When you are learning to sing, you are doing it to find out what your voice is capable of, not someone else’s; be happy with what you have.
• To those who want to sing pop music: There is nothing wrong with learning classical.
• To those who wish to sing classical: There is nothing wrong with learning popular.
• You are not the person on the radio-don’t try to imitate them unless you are trying to learn something.
• Don’t inhale any kind of smoke at any time whatsoever.
• Reason: Smoke sticks to and burns your vocal cords.
• Don’t drink.
• Don’t do drugs.
• Don’t allow people to come at your vocal cords with sharp instruments. In other words: Don’t allow doctors to perform surgery on your vocal cords, as there is a possibility you may never sing again after this. The only way to not have vocal problems is to not do harm to your voice in the first place, a skill which isn’t taught due to lack of information.
• No more yelling.
• You can forget ice-cold drinks unless you have some sort of trauma to the throat area, i.e. tonsils removed, that sort of thing. Reason: It tightens up your vocal cords. They must be warm and loose in order for you to sing properly.
• Don’t talk too much. Reason: It wears down your vocal cords.
• Try to stay away from a lot of dust.
• Try to cough a little quieter.
• Don’t sing any song out of you range.
• No more than 3 performances per week.
• Don’t sing your loudest for extended periods of time.
• Ask as many questions of as many people as you can about singing.
• Keep away from air conditioning for at least two hours before a performance.
• Get to know and understand the organs involved in singing.
• Singing will help to cure a sore throat that is not the result of oversinging or overtalking.
• Practice as slowly and softly as possible.
• Learn every style of singing you can.
• Dairy products cause phlegm.
• Singing helps to get rid of phlegm.
• Keep a mint or hard candy handy.
• When singing, make sure you know what the song is about by knowing what all the words mean and what is going on in the music.
• If you must sing in a group, make sure you know what the other voices are doing.
• Know what the music is doing.
• Contrary to classical tradition, taking pictures is not a distraction.
• Play to the back of the crowd.
• Being hoarse in the morning does not mean you will be hoarse in the evening.
• After performing, place a warm, wet towel around your neck and do not speak for 10 minutes.
• Gargle with warm water containing 1/2 tsp each of salt and baking soda.
• Try to wear only one fabric on stage. Reason: Those lights get hot.
• Learning how to sing well takes time. There are no shortcuts.
• Try to make as little air as possible come out of your mouth when you are singing a musical phrase.
• Train your ears by playing only the first note of a musical exercise.
• Always take one day a week off.
• Unless it’s called for, always stand with good posture (this does not mean standing stiffly) when you sing. Any move you make will affect the sound you are trying to produce.
• Keep the tip of you tongue below your teeth.
• Don’t exert yourself the day before a performance.

Practice them’all helpful tips and have great fun singin’!

Magic Sing March Specials include plenty of songchips in different genre and languages! Choose from the many array and add ‘em up to your playlist!

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 03 Dance/Club/Disco/Rap Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 03 Dance/Club/Disco/Rap song chip with 136 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 03 Dance/Club/Disco/Rap song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 17 New Release Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 17 New Release song chip with 100 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 17 song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 16 Variety Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 16 Variety song chip with 84 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 16 song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 15 Teens Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 15 Teens song chip with 100 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 15 song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing UK 03 Song Chip
Magic Sing UK 03 song chip with 480 popular English songs. Visit the Enter Tech Magic Sing UK 03 song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock song chip with 121 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 06 Classic Country Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 06 Classic Country song chip with 149 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 06 Classic Country song list page to view the songs.

Enter Tech Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock Song Chip
Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock song chip with 121 popular English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Pop 07 Classic Rock song list page to view the songs.

There’s plenty more! Just check the main page and see the Enter Tech Magic Sing Specials For March. (:

By the way, a new songchip has arrived! IT’s Enter Tech Magic Sing Tagalog 8 Song Chip : Magic Sing Tagalog 8 song chip with 460 popular Tagalog and English songs. Visit the Magic Sing Tagalog 8 Song List page to view the songs.

Today is Hearts Day, and one great idea is to plug in your Magic Sing and sing those love songs! Here’s a list of famous love songs, just find their codes and sing your way this Valentines day!

• All I Want to Do is Make Love to You – Heart
• All Out Of Love – Air Supply
• And I Love Her – The Beatles
• And You Don’t Remember – Mariah Carey
• Angels – Robbie Williams
• As Long As You Love Me – Backstreet Boys
• Baby I Love You – Jennifer Lopez
• Because I Love You – Jewel
• Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
• Blessed – Christina Aguilera
• Breaks My Heart – Monica
• Breathless – The Corrs
• But I Do Love You – Michelle Branch
• Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
• Change The World – Eric Clapton
• Crazy For You – Madonna
• Dangerously In Love – Destiny’s Child
• Escape – Enrique Iglesias
• Everything I Do, I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
• Feel Like Making Love – George Benson
• Give Me Your Heart – Backstreet Boys
• Have You Ever Been In Love? – Celine Dion
• How Did I Fall In Love With You? – Backstreet Boys
• I Could Fall In Love – Selena
• I Just Fall In Love Again – Carpenters
• I’ll Never Stop Loving You – Britney Spears
• I’ll Still Love You More – Trisha Yearwood
• I Love You – Celine Dion
• I Need Your Love Tonight – Elvis Presley
• I’ve Been Thinking About You – Mariah Carey
• I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
• I Will Still Love You – Britney Spears
• Let’s Talk About Love – Celine Dion
• Love For All Seasons – Christina Aguilera
• Love Is All We Need – Celine Dion
• Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
• Love Takes Time – Mariah Carey
• Love Will Find a Way – Christina Aguilera
• Make You Happy – Celine Dion
• Making Love For Fun – Enrique Iglesias
• My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
• My Love Is Your Love – Whitney Houston
• Never Forget You – Mariah Carey
• Nobody Loves Me Like You Do – Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson
• Open Off My Love – Jennifer Lopez
• Please Don’t Stop Loving Me – Elvis Presley
• Power Of Love – Celine Dion
• Remember Me – Marc Anthony
• Saving All My Love For You – Whitney Houston
• Shower Me With Your Love – Surface
• Somebody Loves You – Crystal Gayle
• Sometimes – Britney Spears
• Still In Love – Brian McKnight
• Straight From The Heart – Bryan Adams
• Teddy Bear – Elvis Presley
• Thank You For Loving Me – Bon Jovi
• That’s The Way I Like It – Backstreet Boys
• That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You – N Sync
• The One – Backstreet Boys
• The One – Jennifer Lopez
• The Way You Love Me – Faith Hill
• The Woman He Loves – Alabama
• Underneath Your Clothes – Shakira
• Until You Come Back – Whitney Houston
• Valentine – Martina McBride
• Waiting For Tonight – Jennifer Lopez
• What A Girl Wants – Christina Aguilera
• We Can’t Love Like This – Alabama
• Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
• When I Dream At Night – Marc Anthony
• When I Fall In Love – Celine Dion
• When You Love Someone – Bryan Adams
• Where Do Broken Hearts Go? – Whitney Houston
• Where Does My Heart Beat Now – Celine Dion
• Who Do You Love? – Whitney Houston
• Without You – Mariah Carey
• You Belong To Me – Jennifer Lopez
• You Belong To My Heart – Elvis Presley
• You Drive Me Crazy – Britney Spears
• You Give Me Love – Faith Hill
• You Need Me – Mariah Carey
• You’re A Heartbreaker – Elvis Presley
• You’re So Cold – Mariah Carey
• You’re Still My Man – Whitney Houston
• You’ll See – Madonna
• Your Song – Elton John
• You Remind Me – Mandy Moore
• You Take My Breath Away – Rex Smith
• You Were Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
• You Will Be Mine – Faith Hill

From http://www.everythingvalentinesday.com

Whenever I surf the net about karaoke, there’s always a CDG I see everywhere. ‘What does that mean?’ I often asked myself. And to answer the puzzle once and for all, I checked Wikipedia about this so-called CDG.
 
CDG actually means Compact Disc Graphics (also known as CD+Graphics) which is a special audio compact disc that contains graphics data in addition to the audio data on the disc. The disc can be played on a regular audio CD player, but when played on a special CD+G player, can output a graphics signal (typically, the CD+G player is connected to a television set or a computer monitor); these graphics are almost exclusively used to display lyrics on a television set for karaoke performers to sing along with.

Each of the 96 subchannel data bytes can be thought of as being divided into 8 bits. Each of these bits corresponds to a separate stream of information. These streams are called “channels”, and are labeled starting with the letter P, and so on.

Both the P and Q channels on a regular audio CD are used for timing information. They assist the CD player in tracking the current location on the disc, and to provide the timing information for the time display on the CD player. Note that same space is used for CD-Text as well.

Channel Q is used for control purposes of more sophisticated players. It contains position information the Media Catalog Number (MCN), and International Standard Recording Code (ISRC). The ISRC is used by the media industry, and contains information about the country of origin, the year of publication, owner of the rights, as well as a serial number, and some additional tags.

In the CD+G system, 16-color (4-bit) graphics are displayed on a raster field which is 300×216 pixels in size.

Among the consumer devices that play CD+G format CDs are the NEC TurboGrafx CD (a CD-ROM peripheral for the TurboGrafx 16) and Turbo Duo, the Philips CD-i, the Sega Saturn and Mega-CD (Sega CD in North America), the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, the Commodore Amiga CD32 and CDTV, and the Atari Jaguar CD (which was an attachment for the Atari Jaguar).

CD+G has had a resurgence of late, and is being used for CDs for karaoke systems, with the graphics used to display song lyrics.

That’s pretty technical, but it well answered my CDG question. (: Thanks Wikipedia!

I just read a while ago that there is a program created for snorers which include definite singing exercises designed to reduce snoring caused by lax muscles in the upper throat. The first research into the use of singing exercises to reduce snoring was done by choir director, singer and composer Alise Ojay as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom in 1999. She calls her program “Singing for Snorers.”

According to her pilot research project, she suggested that singing exercises can reduce snoring by toning lax muscles in the upper throat. Since then, with the aim of increasing the effect observed in the trial, she developed Singing for Snorers, a graded program of singing exercises specifically designed to tone the muscles at the common sites of the snoring vibration. These sites are the soft palate, the tongue, the nasal passages and the palatopharyngeal arch.

Since the launch of Singing for Snorers in 2002 there has been very encouraging feedback, not only from ‘simple snorers’, but also from people with sleep apnea. Currently, there is a study being conducted at the Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat) Department at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in United Kingdom to test whether singing can reduce snoring. They are having a randomized controlled trial of the Singing for Snorers exercise program. The trial will have two wings: 60 patients who are chronic snorers and 60 patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea. Half the patients in each wing will sing the exercises for 3 months and half will have no intervention. The trial has been recruiting patients steadily and the numbers coming through suggest it should be completed by Summer 2008. (:

See, I told you there are so many possible careers you can take in the music business. To finish off the list, here’s the last part of the series of careers in the singing business. I hope after you have read all of them, you’re able to get plenty of ideas and choices to take for your singing endeavors. Good luck!!!

Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy
Those with a love of teaching and interest in vocal pedagogy can further their education to become qualified as a professor of voice.

Professors are contracted by educational establishments or work as freelancers hosting lectures and demonstrations to vocal students and teachers.  Vocal pedagogy specialists research the science of teaching.

Pub Singer
Throughout the ages public houses have used live music to entertain their customers. The type of material performed and equipment used may have changed with the times but the role remains the same.  A wide variety of material in a range of genres is required with the most popular singers being those who are versatile in several styles of music.

Punk Singer
Punk music was introduced in the mid 70′s by bands like the Sex Pistols, The Jam and The Damned whose songs of rebellion were loud and full of energy.

Punk bands still find work and attract record companies and although the music’s popularity has waned it continues to influence todays new artists.

Rap Singer
Rap singing is a rhythmic form of speech that the artist performs with or without musical backing. The musical accompaniament can be of any style although hip hop, house, reggae, soul and rock music tend to be favoured.

DJ’s and singers perform at night clubs to promote themselves but most successful rap artists record their tracks then distribute them through the underground and dj networks.

Recording Artist
Recording a single or album used to be the sole province of artists signed to a record company or with the finances to afford professional recording studios. With todays technology a professional sounding recording can be achieved by anyone who is prepared to learn how to use the equipment effectively.

This has led to the rise in small independant record labels who are often owned by singer/songwriters and bands who frustrated with major labels produce and distribute their own records.  Signed artists are expected to produce several recordings for release and there are many singers who make a career of providing backing and guide vocals for producers and songwriters.

Rock Singer
The term Rock Music covers a wide section of musical styles including Gothic, Heavy Metal, Punk, Progressive and Rock n Roll with a variety of ‘flavors’ in between!  Rock is a popular form of music and whilst venues for heavier stuff is more limited there are still plenty of performance opportunities in bands at festivals and on radio and television.

Most rock acts like pop artists aim for a publishing or record company to promote their music but rock singers can also make a living by working the pub and club circuits to suppliment their income.

Session Singer
A session singer is a vocalist who is hired for a contractual period, usually one track, one performance etc., of any style of music.  Sight reading and the ability to work well with other musicians without rehearsal is essential although some session singers work by ‘ear’.

Many singers start their professional careers through deputising for bands and providing backing/harmony/guide vocals for studios and songwriters. This can also open the door to a solo career as shown by artists like ‘Sam Brown’ whose no 1 hit ‘Stop’ is still performed by female rock covers artists in pubs & clubs nationwide.

Singer Songwriter
Writing and performing your own material is a satisfying career that many vocalist aspire to achieve.  Whilst many write original material there are few who manage to make a career from their efforts.  Competition is fierce and most record companies are wary of using material that does not follow established formats, however, successful singer/songwriters like ‘Carol Bayer Sager’ and ‘Paul McCartney’ can continue their careers indefinately by writing songs for other singers.

The introduction of the internet has allowed all styles, ages and abilities to record their masterpieces for downloading by surfers worldwide.  The limitations in musical style imposed by the vagaries of the music industry no longer apply making a far wider range of styles and artists accessable to anyone who possesses a computer and internet connection.

New venues, acoustic and showcase nights have increased providing new acts with a platform where they can perform to a mixture of general public and music industry personel.  Wages are usually non-existant unless the artist is signed to a publishing contract or record deal or chooses to promote themselves and their work by producing and marketing their own CD’s.

Singing Teacher
A vocal coach or singing teachers job is to provide voice training and encouragement to clients who want to learn how to sing.  There are many types of teacher, some of whom are professionally qualified, others who do not possess educational qualifications but have gained their experience through working as a semi-professional or professional singer.

A good teacher should be competant in communicating and demonstrating correct techniques, in the areas of breathing, posture, vocal and microphone techniques, music theory, timing, phrasing and pronounciation.

Solo Singer
Soloists are singers of any style who perform as individuals, either with their own equipment or as a session singer.  Opportunities are only limited to the competance and determination of the singer who can find work in pubs, clubs, cabaret, nightclubs, radio, television or as a recording artist.

Non-writing solo singers often team up with songwriters and producers who share their aim for a deal. Other popular and lucrative avenues for solo singers include live performance of covers and production of a Tribute Act.

Soul Singer
The term ‘Soul Singer’ can be used to describe any vocalist who sings from their soul.  Typical examples are Tina Turner who has more of a rock voice and the godfather of soul ‘James Brown’.

Opportunities for performance are available in pubs, clubs, cabaret, radio, recording and television.

Theatrical Singer
A combination of acting, dance and singing is required of vocalists wishing to pursue a career in theatre.  Plays with songs range from classical to modern with songwriters like Andrew Lloyd Webber providing musicals for all ages.

Successful shows can run for years with showtunes becoming chart hits like ‘Memory’ from ‘Cats’ performed by Elaine Paige, who has since recorded several albums.

Tribute Artist
Tribute acts have become very popular with everyone from Elvis Presley to Kiss being copied by singers of all standards in talent competitions to corporate functions.

The ability to look and sound like the artist/band you are portraying is essential…….. go on….. swivel those hips like Elvis!!

Voice Doctor
Probably not the correct terminology but ‘voice doctor’ will have to do until some nice medical person tells me otherwise.  There are doctors who specialize in treating ailments common to singers and other voice orientated professions.

So if your seeking an alternative voice related career do please consider this as an option………(:

Voice Over Artist
The voice over artist is similar to a session singer providing their vocal talents to backing track producers, jingles producers, advertising agencies, radio stations and television stations.

A wide variety of voices are required for all sorts of projects both spoken and sung.  Various short courses for the spoken voice are available. Both In-House and Freelance voice over artists are employed for different projects and a demo cd showing your full vocal and spoken versatility will be required by potential employers.  Community radio stations offer a good way to gain experience and provide an essential service at the same time. 

Voice Therapist
There are different types of therapists that specialise in aspects of vocal therapy.  Some are also qualified singing teachers and combine their skills to aid people in regaining their voice after throat and vocal chord operations.

There are also voice therapists who concentrate on using music and voice as a means to communicate and encourage mentally and physically handicapped people. Whilst some medical knowledge is required, vocal therapists are not always qualified doctors.

Wedding Singer
Appearing at weddings throughout the world……… well, maybe not!!  If you want to gain some insight then zap down to your local video store and hire the film ‘The Wedding Singer’.

A varied repertoire is required that appeals to all the family, so many wedding singers team up with a friendly dj to provide a full evenings entertainment.

World Singer
World music is a general term that covers bangra, african, oriental and other forms of music.  Popular in their country of origin, ethnic rhythms, sounds and styles have been successfully combined with pop, rock, dance and other genres.

The crossover into western charts has opened up possibilities for singers worldwide in live performance, radio, recording and television.

Diva
The term ‘Diva’ is used to describe a great female singer or prima donna whose voice and style are considered to be unique.  Many singers aspire to be like their favourite ‘Diva’ and whilst the term was originally used for for temperamental opera singers it is now used to describe female singers of any style that fit the criteria.

To become a ‘Diva’ takes dedication and hard work which may never produce the recognition required…….. the term is granted by their peers and public opinion and not by the singer themselves (as much as they would wish otherwise!!).

Folk Singer
Folk singers have been around for centuries and were probably the first ‘Bards’ who travelled the country translating events into stories which would be sung in return for lodging and food. Old folk songs like ‘Greensleeves’ are still in use today.

There was a big revival during the 60’s which provided a platform for artists like ‘Bob Dylan’ who continues to influence artists of today.  Folk singers can find performance opportunities at folk clubs and festivals worldwide although like ‘Blues Singers’ the gigs may be scattered and wages low, folk music is generous in its acceptance of beginners who are encouraged to practice their art regardless of age/ability.

Gospel Singer
Gospel is a form of music used by certain religious establishments to praise God and encourage positive feelings in their parishoners.  Many singers who perfected their art performing in gospel choirs have since become successful recording artists like Aretha Franklin and niece Whitney Houston but the majority of singers are unpaid volunteers from the local community.

Holiday Camp Singers
Working as a redcoat for holiday camps are a great way to learn about the entertainment business and get paid! The hours are very long as staff are expected to do pretty much everything including learning dance, comedy, dj’ing, comparing and singing to entertain the holidaymakers, organising games for the children and taking care of the clients.

The amount of experience required depends on the job applied for as holiday camps also employ resident bands, entertainers, solo singers, tribute artists and named bands during the course of the season. 

Jazz Singer
Jazz has developed considerably from the traditional form with musicians and singers incorporating ethnic rhythms and modern sounds to produce offshoots like ‘progressive’, ‘modern’ and ‘acid’ jazz. Extreme competance and control are required from a jazz singer who is expected to vocalise with and around the music whilst restraining power and energy, it is rare to hear a loud jazz band who unlike rock bands prefer intricate syncopation and understated technical expertise to volume.

Jazz clubs, festivals, radio, record companies and televised events worldwide provide vocalists with performance and recording opportunities.

KARAOKE HOST
Karaoke nights produce a host of amateur singers of varying standards and are a good introduction to performing in front of a live audience.  The host is responsible for encouraging participation, comparing, co-ordinating tracks to singers and filling in whilst the locals are getting up the nerve to have a go.

If you love singing but recognise that your voice is not going to make you a living then this is an ideal job!  Popular karaoke hosts are usually those whose voices are less than perfect but have great fun personalities.  This encourages the audience to participate far more than an excellent singer whose voice is likely to make the listeners feel uncomfortable at participating.

Lead Singer
Frontman (person) or Lead singer is the term used to describe a vocalist who sings the lead melody in front of a band regardless of the type, style or standard of music played.

Any vocalist competant in their field of music can become a lead singer although wages will depend on the ability of all the musicians. A good covers band can work practically anywhere from local pubs, clubs, festivals and sight readers could find themselves employed as resident bands or session artists.

Bands performing original material can expect little or no initial pay unless they can build and retain a following, produce their own album or get signed by a record company.

Music Librarian
Working in a library music department requires a sound knowledge of music and organisation.  Singing may not be part of the job description but the advantage of being able to browse a roomful of sheet music, music books and records is a bonus of the job!

There are also opportunities to perform as many local councils recreation departments organise acoustic and semi acoustic live music evenings.

Opera Singer
Opera is considered to be one of the most demanding forms of singing as the standard is exceptionally high and pupils are expected to have extensive vocal training.  A popular form of classical singing which many vocalists aspire to achieve proficiency in, singers are expected to pass examinations which are graded by presentation as well as performance technique.

The scene is highly competative and many excellent singers never receive the recognition they deserve, however there are a myriad of competitions, venues, educational establishments and grant funded groups to encourage, employ and promote all standards and the possibility of worldwide recognition for successful artists.

Pop Singer
Pop is an abbreviation of Popular. The term describes music having wide general public appeal, usually with easy to sing melodies and repetative choruses so any age and standard can sing along.

The majority of songs performed by pop acts are ‘covers’ of songs that were made famous by other artists. Most pop singers are required to include dance routines into the performance. The standard varies considerably from the local pop pub singer to famous pop idols. 

Want a career in the singing business? I came across a site that lists all the possible careers you can have in the singing business. Vocalist.org  reveals to you every possible career! And as I read there are just so many! I’d like to list them all, and see for yourself where you can possibly fit. It’s a three-part series, which just says there are really many!

Acappella
Acappella is the term used for singing without the aid of accompaniment and takes far more skill than the listeners realise.  All styles of music can be performed in this manner, (although some are more suited than others) and artists must be extremely competent to be able to start (and stay) on pitch, in time and where applicable, harmonise in exact tandem with their fellow singers.

For instance, Barbershop Singers, Gregorian Chanters and choirs are a formation of several singers who perform in harmony completely unaccompanied by any other instrument than the human voice.  Pop music has also had it’s share of vocal acappella groups the most notible of which are the Flying Pickets who had hits in the 80′s with ‘Only You’ and ‘When Your Young and in Love’ and probably the most well known acappella song is ‘Mercedes Benz’ performed by Janis Joplin. Whilst this form is not the current ‘flavour of the month’ singing without the aid of any backing means the performer can demonstrate their abilities anywhere and are popular in folk, blues, alternative and early music circuits. Wages are usually low and many singers choose this more for pleasure than pay, however it is not as easy as it sounds!

Backing Singer
Backing Singers are the vocalists who provide harmonies and vocals complementing the melody performed by a Lead Singer. Used in many forms of music including Rock, Pop, MOR, Soul, the backing singer has played an integral role in song production.

There are many types of backline vocalists ranging from the band member who sings a bit to dedicated Session Singers who are employed by major touring artists and recording studios.  A good backing singer should be experienced in harmonizing and keeping in time with both the lead vocalist and fellow backing vocalists, sight reading isn’t essential but the ability to ‘hear’ yourself and learn songs quickly is!

Many vocalists start their careers as a backing singer as it also presents possibilities of being noticed by A & R!! Examples of this are ‘Sam Brown’ and ‘Alison Moyet’ both of whom had hit songs in the 80′s.

Blues Singer
Blues has been a huge influence on modern music with artists like the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, Eric Clapton and Gary Moore combining the old style feel with a rock edge.  Whilst there will always be heated discussion on the validity of modern blues compared to the old style, blues music still continues to be popular with established circuits throughout Europe and the USA.

A full time career is possible although many performers combine their love of the blues with a second source of income.

Busker
Busking has been performed by musicians of all styles worldwide. Ranging from acappella singers to one man band complete with his multiple instruments, they perform at fairs, fetes, subways, shopping centers and street corners for whatever the general public are prepared to donate into the hat.

In the last few years it has become more regulated with performers requiring licenses to publicly entertain on designated pitches.  Favourite areas for buskers include Covent Garden and underground stations where a high amount of walking tourists and travellers may be persuaded to stop and listen for a while.

Cabaret Singer
A large percentage of professional singers make a career in Cabaret.  Venues range from the local working mens club to the grand casinos in Vegas.  The standard ranges considerably and relative amateurs can be found working the circuit to gain experience. 

The Cabaret artist is expected to know a wide range and style of songs to cater to audiences ranging from teens to oap’s with the ability to work equally well with backing tracks, reading musicians, the resident compere and cope with in house P.A. systems.  Most cabaret artists prefer to use their own equipment and engineer although this depends entirely on the type of venue and quality of equipment provided.

Artists like Sheena Easton and Tom Jones started their careers using this route and there are many cabaret singers who become internationally acclaimed in their own right.

Carol Singer
Fun for all ages and standards, Carol Singing started as a form of church choral singing which appealed to all ages.  The types of song performed include hymns and christmas songs of all styles, usually performed acappella prior to and during the christmas period.

Small groups of singers can be found raising money for their local church or charity by performing at their neighbours doorsteps, functions and charity events.  The participants are usually unpaid volunteers although the choir master and organiser may receive a small amount of expenses.

Childrens Singer
Performing for children can be a rewarding experience.  Patience, tolerance and a good sense of humor are more important than a great voice and technical ability!  The childrens singer ranges from those who entertain at parties, functions or corporate events to singing actors employed on childrens programs and include session singers who would overdub a cartoon caricature to teenagers and bands who visit schools to gain experience and build a following.

This is also a good way to introduce an eager youngster to performing live, most schools will encourage their pupils to participate in small shows for their friends, parents and teachers.

Choral Singer
The school choir is often one of the earliest experiences of singing with a large group that a child has and is certainly an area of performance where age is not an issue.

Religious institutions use the concept of group singing to it’s fullest with the use of acappella, accompanied, solo and group vocals co-ordinated by a Choral Director.  Young boys are popular for their unbroken sweet voices, whilst older singers ‘fatten’ the sound with their deeper vibrant tones producing an overall rich sound.

Whilst the majority of choral singers are local unpaid volunteers, there are a some choirs who perform at major venues and produce albums for their devotees.  Soloists have also had chart hits, like Aled Jones with the title song from the cartoon film ‘The Snowman’ and several RnB/Soul/Pop artists like ‘Whitney Housten’ and ‘Aretha Franklin’ started their singing careers performing with Gospel Choirs.

Chorus Line Singer
An essential part of musical theatre is the Chorus Line. The term describes a group of individuals who are competant at singing, dancing, acting and co-ordinating with others.

The type of songs performed range considerably in style so a versatile voice and ability to learn quickly are necessary requirements.  Preparation time is usually limited and competition is fierce as singing actors and dancers are also keen on getting the part!

Amateur productions at local theatres are an excellent introduction for beginners whilst professional shows like ‘Cats’, ‘Miss Saigon’, ‘Buddy’ and ‘Oaklahoma’ demand high standards but provide decent wages and the opportunity for recognition.

Country Singer
Country & Western is a popular form of music with a wide circuit of venues mainly in the USA.  There is a thriving albeit smaller country circuit in the UK, with some opportunities for performance at ‘Themed Events’.  Line dancing has become a big craze requiring country bands, singers and dance step callers.

Constantly in and out of the charts, country singers are varied in style with some artists like ‘Shania Twain’ crossing over into pop and dance artists like ‘Whitney Houston’ performing versions of songs written by country singers. (I Will Always Love You was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton).

Cruise Ship Singer
Jane McDonald has became one of the most recognised Cruise Ship singers after the broadcasting of a BBC TV documentary series following the lives of on board entertainers and personell.  The musicians and entertainers are expected to be of a professional standard with the ability to read music and work long hours.

Being confined to a ship (no matter how large) means that all crew are expected to be on duty 24/7 ……. in other words, be nice to the passengers even if you have a sore head, runny nose or bad day plus be prepared to cover a variety of other duties when staff are off sick.  Staff are usually contracted for the duration of the cruise and can expect good wages with accommodation and meals included.

Disabled Entertainers
Certain physical or mental handicaps may cause some difficulties for people who wish to pursue a career in music or singing… but that does NOT necessarily mean the individual will be unable to pursue their dream! There are many artists who have achieved successful writing, recording and performing careers despite their handicap. So wether you stammer like pop singer Gareth Gates or are more severely physically challenged like country singer/songwriter Reba Schappell, winner of the 1997 L.A. Music Award for best new country artist (who is conjoined with her sister Lori), there are opportunities to pursue.

Young people with special needs can apply to the Chicken Shed Theatre Company which integrates children with special needs into community theatre and music. A collection of physically challenged professional performers can be found at the Paisley Wheelchair Experience.

The past holiday season gave families and friends plenty of time to mingle and celebrate. Now comes the new year, and 2008 brings new and fresh events for the whole family—another round of happy get-togethers, fun parties and festivities in which our dear friend, Magic Sing, is always available as the ultimate party gadget.

This month brings a set of new products for our dear shoppers to enjoy! There’s the Magic Sing EG-18000 Wireless Karaoke Microphone 2008 Edition which contains 2,064 English songs and comes with two wireless microphones, plus a full one year U.S. manufacturer warranty! This digital karaoke has enhanced picture quality and sharper vocal audition. You can upgrade the songs with its 4 song chip expansion slots. The Enter Tech Magic Sing EG-18000 has plenty more features such as 17 melody instruments for background music, ability to change your voice/pitch to male or female, team game and competition functions, singing tutor function, 3 real-time level scoring, full karaoke functions and 20 song reservation while in play. So much for a small handy entertainment device!

Another new product we have is the Enter Tech Magic Sing German Song Chip which comes with 155 popular German songs. You can view the Magic Sing German Song List page to see a full list of the songs. There is also the Enter Tech Magic Sing ED-9000 Spanish Edition. Magic Sing ED-9000 Spanish edition comes with 1600 Spanish and 400 English built-in songs, and goes with full one year US warranty as well. This new product has a hi-fi digital sound quality, adjustable pitch, tempo, echo, mic & music volume, random song selection and other features similar to our ED-18000. The Spanish edition includes the multimedia microphone, a carrying bag, video/audio RCA cable, song book, AC adapter, and a microphone stand.

With these exciting new products from Magic Sing, you’ll surely have a happy new year!!! Have fun shopping!

Christmas season, as we all know, is the holiday season at the near-end of the year, particularly the November/December time frame. It is the peak season for of sellers and merchants, since Christmas season is holiday shopping season! There’s the season sales and end of season sales, holiday auctions and price cuts, close-out sales, redemptions of gift certificates given as presents, special discounts, product freebies, and more. Ultimately, it is the season of buying. You’ll see stores and malls adorned their shops and advertise their Christmas products, Christmas food on supermarket shelves, and any place else there’s the spirit of Christmas season shopping.

Of course, Christmas includes gift-givings and exchange gifts. And with WebbyShop’s big holiday sale, you can give your loved ones Magic Sing products you can buy at the lowest prices! Like Magic Sing EG18000 for only $369, which comes with two (2) wireless microphones, 35 feet wireless distance (open site), dual microphone base, and a remote control; Magic Sing ED9000 for only $185 and Magic Sing ED8000 for only $249, which includes along with the multimedia microphone a carrying bag, video/audio RCA cable, a song book, microphone stand and AC adapter; Magic Sing ED11000 for only $349, with add-ons similar to ED 900 plus a USB Cable; Magic Sing Sub Mic for only $89, Magic Sing English Song Chips for only $79, Magic Sing Foreign Song Chips for only $79, and Magic Sing Tagalog Song Chips for only $79!

C’mon, who can resist such? Dip in the season of shopping!

There is a growing number of online karaoke sites nowadays, which fits for you if you are the timid and reserved kind who can’t sing in a public karaoke bar. In an online karaoke site, you have audience too, but virtual online audience who can rate you and tell if you have the potential star power. There is a trend that is observed to be occurring with the online karaoke sites, and new websites are arising swiftly on cyberspace. This happens to be the time of cyber karaoke!

Some very famous sites include kSolo. kSolo was obtained by Fox Interactive, which is a karaoke service that is generated by the user, with the use of a mic and the Internet connection. The visitors can browse music catalog, record, share and rate audio performances. There is a wide selection of genres, including kids’ songs, as well as a feature that recommends music based on other users’ recordings. Another is SingShot. I have mentioned SingShot before in my posts, particularly in the Sims on Stage entry, since SingShot is one of the most popular online karaoke sites in the Internet. You can record and post audio online, and users can mark their songs private or public, and can assign tags. Your recordings can also be embedded into your MySpace profiles and other sites, therefore letting individuals share their vocal talent with friends of their other online social networks. SingShot is also partnered with the online image host Photobucket, so photos and videos can as well be uploaded to go together with your audio. Another popular karaoke site is Bix. Like the other sites, you can sing and share recordings using the service. Bix has multiple talent contests, which includes comedy, dance, and beauty, among others. You can record and upload videos to the site as well. And get this, there are cash prizes for users and at present a spot in The Game’s next music video! If you’re the winner, you might be seeing yourself in a music vid! Bix also allows anyone to create their own contest. How about that. (: 

 Here’s a little game, to give you some karaoke fun! enjoy. (:

Karaoke Be a karaoke legend and sing to all your favourite songs!

Play this free game now!!

]]> http://www.webbyshop.com/blogs/cyber-karaoke-68/feed/ 1 http://www.webbyshop.com/blogs/how-to-sight-sing-66/ http://www.webbyshop.com/blogs/how-to-sight-sing-66/#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:22:33 +0000 Karaoke Lover http://www.webbyshop.com/blogs/how-to-sight-sing-66/

How to sight sing? Wikihow tells you how.

Learning how to sight read is important for musicians. Just by looking at the notes on a sheet of music, they can play it immediately. It is just like reading letters, but in notes. Singers can do the same, and it is called Sight Singing. They might read the sheet music, and hum the tune quietly to themselves, and then able to perform or sing it immediately.

STEPS!

1.  Learning how to sight sing starts with learning the musical notes and knowing how to sight read them. You have to hear them with your ears, so that you can duplicate them by singing, or by your voice. A piano or keyboard is necessary so that you can hear and play, and learn the scales, and how different they sound when played as a sharp or a flat.
2.  Practice playing each note, and concentrate on how it sounds. Continue to play, ending up by closing your eyes, so that your ears can hear them so the tone can be concentrating on them without sight.
3. Constant practicing will train the brain to reproduce what the ears hear. It is similiar to learning how to type. By not looking at the keyboard, we teach our brain to lead our fingers to each individual key. Therefore, it is our brain that is learning, while our ears hear.
4. Realize that many voice students who only study singing intervals, can lead to them not being able to use proper intonation. it is important to also be able to look at any melody,and immediately be able to hearinwardly how it sounds.
5. Studying only the notes of the scales is not enough to learn to be able to become a good vocalist. It is very important to learn the scale in both major and minor, learn to hear the rhythm or beat. For a student who wants to learn at home, there are many good books that can teach. It is very helpful to own a keyboard or piano to practice with.

Learning to sight sing takes patience and practice, and it takes the right kind of practice. Be careful to choose a system that that will grow with you and won’t restrict you to simple tonal music. (:

WebbyShop is having a Big Holiday Sale and is offering the lowest prices on all your Magic Sing needs. Check out these great deals!

Magic Sing EG18000 for only $369

Magic Sing ED9000 for only $185

Magic Sing ED8000 for only $249

Magic Sing ED11000 for only $349

Magic Sing Sub Mic for only $89

Magic Sing English Song Chips for only $79

Magic Sing Foreign Song Chips for only $79

Magic Sing Tagalog Song Chips for only $79

With Enter-Tech Magic Sing, anyone with a passion for singing can enjoy their favorite songs in the comfort of their own homes, or wherever they want to! Just as long as there is a monitor and a power supply, it’s easy to be a diva, a rock star or sing their favorite boy band songs, alone or with the company of their friends!

Singing is an art as well as a science. As an art, singing involves intuition, where your perception and sensitivities as a singer is essential; inspiration, which is the stimulation to do creative work; talent, that is, your natural ability; and creativity, which is your imaginative skill. As a science, it involves techniques, which are the procedures & skills required & the treatment of the basics. Also, singing as a science involves the nature of the singer, including the intrinsic and essential qualities of your voice.

I have heard the stories of well-known and legendary singers share their love for singing. For them it is a passion, it’s their field where creativity flows, originality wells up, ingenuity pours and inspiration runs over. In effect, as they sing their songs, such qualities are diffused to their audiences and their listeners. They serve as inspiration themselves to those who hear their music. Oh yes, that’s what you call art.

But singing is also a physical activity, it’s similar to the other kinesthetic pursuits like dancing or athletic undertakings. There is awareness and coordination in singing, like when you learn to ride a bike or drive a car. It requires a tremendous amount of concentration. And when you gain muscle memory, eventually the physical part of it becomes natural to you, and you can then concentrate on other aspects. Here’s where techniques becomes effortless because they’re already automatic to you. When you’re able to develop these techniques and know the personal characteristics and features of your voice for your own gain and improvement, you’ll be able to focus on the artistic articulateness, creative self-expression and the delight of using your voice to stir and encourage others.

In the end, singing as an art and science goes hand and hand. One can not go without the other. (:

Do you have a voice which could lead you to great heights in the music business? Or do you have a voice which leads you to awkwardness and object of mockery? Either way, voice lessons are for you!

Many people have reservations about being able to learn how to sing, because they have the notion that only those born with a talented voice can sing, and you have to be born with it to be able to do it. Others say you have to learn at an early age and there’s no hope for you if you try to take voice lessons at an older age. But voice teachers say, anyone can sing! Even if you are just moderately able to sing, they say with studying, practice and building your voice can lead you to a career in singing. If you are ready to face your fears, see yourself clearly and commit to regular lessons with a teacher, you can sing. Voice teachers also agree that if you’re born with a great voice but you take it for granted, even if you’re extremely talented, you’d go nowhere.

So either way, whether you have a brilliant voice or a not-so dazzling voice, it’s best to ask the help of a specialist. Find a voice teacher to help you sparkle!

Voice teachers note that not all can sing anything. One’s voice, even how good it is, can not necessarily sing all types of music. The purpose of taking voice lessons is finding out about your distinctive instrument and what it is perfectly suited for. That’s why it is important to take voice lessons even if you already have the inborn talent, to become keener of your gift. Even advance singers take voice lessons, because it’s useful for them to have another trained pair of eyes and ears. A teacher can assist you in arriving at your aims and ambitions more swiftly and effectively.

So, you want that singing career? Voice lessons will help take you there. (:

Magic Sing gets 5 out of 5 stars, the reviewers say so!

Here are some of them:

By Chua Anna
The first time we held the Magic Sing Mic in our hands, we can’t stop
using it. We would always lend time within the day just to be able to
sing our favorite songs and have some fun. And because it offers hundred
of songs, a day is not enough to sing it all. We have also thought of
several ways to enjoy it more like having a singing contest. We randomly
select some number and try to sing the song. The one with the highest
score is the winner. It is really fun and a new great way to ease our
boredom as well as the stressful day from work. We truly love this
wonderful piece and it’s definitely a part of our daily lives.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars]

By Marissa Theis 
I just bought a recording pack so that I can save my songs for this mic is really a MAGIC!..my friends says the voice is awesome and I can really say I am proud of my microphone!
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars]

By Donald Bowers
My wife and kids purchased the mic in the Philippies last year and now it’s regular family activity. The only problems is we spend many hours singing and the kids don’t want to go to bed.. Looking forward to purchasing some new songs chips.

Very good family activity rather than just watching TV or video games. I would recommend it to everyone. Also when we go to a family birthday party it’s always a big hit.

The Bowers
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars]

By Rick Bale
I love our new ED-8000Plus. Webby Shop is the most convenient place to buy from. Very friendy people. Great prices but then also offered a way to ship at the lowest and fastest way possible. This is an A+ company!
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars]

Want to read more reviews? Go to the reviews section and write one of your own!

WebbyShop now supports Google Checkout. You can now pay by credit card, money order, PayPal or Google Checkout. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

If you haven’t checked out the New Magic Sing EG-18000 Wireless Karaoke Microphone 2008 Edition, then you’re missing something big baby! This is the fresh Magic Sing product which offers new and exciting components that come with the already fantastic features of Magic Sing, only at WebbyShop. (:

Since Christmas season is on again, why not purchase one for your holiday entertainment spree, or have it as a gift this Christmas! I bet it would be much-loved as a gift. Why? For one, it’s a compact, handy, user-friendly, all-in-one entertainment gadget that fits many occasions and celebrations. If there’s what you call plug and play devices, then there’s also plug and sing, that is, Magic Sing!

The EG-18000 includes two wireless microphones for more of your singing extravaganza, 35 feet wireless distance, dual microphone base, and a remote control. It comes with 2,064 built-in English songs so no extra CD/DVD players are necessary, and it can be upgraded with 4 song chip expansion slots. You can have a variety from the song chips sold separately which can be easily slotted in, if you can’t get enough of singing from the built-in songs.

Among the fantastic new features of EG-1800 are the enhanced picture and vocal quality. In addition, EG-18000 has 17 melody instruments for background music, has the ability to change your voice/pitch to male or female (that’s something cool!), and comes with a battery charge status indicator. Much more than that, EG-18000 has team game and competition functions, so you can use it for your family reunions and get-together of friends and stage a fun, friendly singing contest. It also contains the singing tutor function wherein the green color indicates you are too fast or too slow, the blue color if your pitch is too low, red if your pitch is too high and black if you are in perfect sync.

There’s just so much more to discover of EG-18000, so go check it out now. The Magic Sing EG-18000. Yes, it’s Entertainment Glee 18000 times over!

If you are a singer and wants to be one, take a look at what famous people and singers themselves have to say about singing, and get inspired!
 
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
 Maya Angelou, American Poet
 
“Music is the purest form of art… therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music… The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.”
Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist
 
“I think all the boys that write the screaming stuff would write the best love songs…. because they have the most to hide. The guys that are in the most pain are usually the ones with the biggest hearts.”
Tori Amos quotes, Pop Rock Singer
 
“Sing, Sing a song, Sing out loud, Sing out strong, Sing of good things, not bad, Sing of happy, not sad, Sing, Sing a song, Make it simple, To last your whole life long, Don’t worry that it’s not good enough, For anyone else to hear, Sing, Sing a song.”
Joe Raposo

“When a singer truly feels and experiences what the music is all about, the words will automatically ring true.”
Monserrat Caballé quotes, Spanish operatic Soprano

“Singing is such an excellent thing, that I wish all people would sing”
Richard Byrd

“Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.”
Aretha Franklin quotes, American singer of soul music
 
“I don’t want to be just a straight pop singer. I’m a vocalist and that’s what I want to be seen as in the long run.”
Christina Aguilera quotes, American Singer
 
“I always wanted to be a singer, it’s what I wanted to do since I was little. I’m doing it now and I couldn’t be happier.”
Britney Spears, American Singer
 
“I was always a singer and a dancer, and I always wanted to be an actress. For me, it’s all just one thing.” 
Jennifer Lopez, American Actress, Singer and Model
 
“If a thing isn’t worth saying, you sing it.”
virtuosogal Pierre Beaumarchais, French Comic Playwright

It has been recorded that karaoke originated in Kobe, Japan. But do you know that the Karaoke Sing Along System (SAS) as in the practical, versatile compact machine which slots in an amplifier speaker, one or two tape devices, optional radio tuner and microphone mixer with elements to augment one’s voice, like the echo or reverberation to build up an opera hall or a studio sound (ok breathe…) with the entire system enclosed in one cabinet casing, is invented by a Filipino? Yes Pinoys, the Karaoke Sing Along System is patented under Roberto del Rosario, a Filipino prodigy.

Bert del Rosario is an acknowledged inventor with more than twenty inventions patented to his name. Some of his noted patents include the Trebel Voice Color Coded (VCC) Sing Along CDs, the piano tuner’s guide, the piano keyboard stressing device, the voice color tape and the one-man-band (OMB). This one-man-band was later built up as the Sing-Along-System (SAS). The Karaoke Sing Along System was patented on 1975. His other inventions include the Golf car trailer and No look-up Device, which shows his leisure pursuit with golf.

Besides being a productive inventor, Bert is also a flourishing businessman and a gifted musician. He is the president of the Trebel Music Corporation and plays various instruments. He learned to play musical instruments without formal lessons, like the piano, accordion and drums. He’s actually a management graduate at the Far Eastern University, which strikes us remarkable that he has made more than twenty inventions without a degree in engineering or even a science course. Talk about born talent!

I read about him saying, “Be observant. Be creative. Most of all, work hard.” It takes a passion for something to create something out of nothing. Like his passion for music which allowed him to learn instruments solely on his own, and later create things that would be of benefit to other music enthusiasts and experts alike.

See? That’s Roberto del Rosario. Way to go Bert!

Karaoke is “kara” and “oke” in Japanese. Kara comes from “karappo” meaning empty, and oke comes from “okesutura” meaning orchestra. Commonly, a song when recorded has vocals and accompaniment, but music tapes with only the accompaniment recorded were named “karaoke.”

Today, this Japanese word is a Japanese word no more. Take a look at the most renowned of English dictionaries, The Oxford English Dictionary, and there you’ll see your favorite piece of entertainment listed. From the typical kind of entertainment for Japanese business people dropping to karaoke bars after work to have some drink and unwind while singing karaoke songs, now karaoke has been entertaining people all around the world since its invention twenty years ago.

According to karaoke history, the use of karaoke began at a snack bar in Kobe City. The story began when a strolling guitarist could not come to play at the bar because of illness, so the bar owner arranged accompaniment tape recordings, and the singers at the bar enjoyed singing to the tapes. This is only a legend though, but it might have been indeed the beginning of karaoke. Since then, karaoke has been commercialized and has become popular all over Japan.

Moving on to karaoke’s history, it was born in a night amusement quarter at the end of the high economic growth period in Japan. Before that, the clientele were accustomed to listening to famous songs via wire broadcasting, asking for their favorite songs by telephone, and the wire broadcasting company would put the songs on the air. The system like such continued for quite a while. Then again, it was not natural for many Japanese who like singing to only listen to other people sing. There karaoke entered the scene. Holding a microphone and singing a song to the accompaniment of an “orchestra,” they can feel like a professional singer. If the other customers as listeners applause for their performance, there’s the extra satisfaction they get. Karaoke has thus enthused people’s desire to sing. It also served as a pick-me-up tonic in removing stress to those business people and corporate men. As a result, karaoke immediately spread from Kansai (the region of its origin) to all over Japan… and to the rest of the world.

Do you know that karaoke has its own competition that covers contestants across the globe? It’s karaoke world championships!

This competition originated in Finland in 2003 with seven countries. The international karaoke competition features almost thirty countries around the world! It works like any other global competition, where there is a national contest initially held in each competing country, and the winner in each nation will represent their country in the world championships. Talk about how far karaoke has taken you, as far as the entire planet!

The titles to vie are Male Karaoke World Champion and Female Karaoke World Champion. The host country of this world championship has been in the country of its origin, in Finland. But this year is the first time since the birth of the contest that another country other than Finland has hosted the championships. It was held in Thailand last   September 2007.

The participating countries in the Karaoke World Championships are Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan Republic, Canada, China, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macao, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States Of America.

The champions have had their own chance of fame and recognition as winners of Karaoke World Championships. During the tsunami fundraising concert in Bangkok, Thailand in December 2005, the top five male and female champions were given invitation to sing for the Princess of Thailand. The concert was broadcasted all over Thailand and raised funds for the tsunami victims of that previous year, in 2004. Also, just this April 2007, the winner of the Finnish version of the UK show Pop Idol, Ari Koivunen, happens to be the 2005 Finnish National Karaoke World Champion and the 3rd Place Karaoke World Champion in 2005.

Karaoke World Championships is without a doubt a solid venue for singers’ dreams to come true!

Karaoke becoming a widespread phenomenon has penetrated different aspects of entertainment, including video games, in mobile phones, computers and the Internet.

In video games, there is the Karaoke Revolution by Konami, which is produced for PlayStation2.  This console was made available in North America in 2003 and was finally released for the Microsoft Xbox in late 2004. This console works similarly like a normal karaoke, where a player sings the song with the lyrics on screen. The player is given a score based on rhythm, timing and pitch. Karaoke Revolution gained Karaoke Revolution Vol. 2, Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3, Karaoke Revolution Party Edition and CMT Presents Karaoke Revolution: Country. There is also SingStar created by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. This video game is especially well-liked in Europe and Australia.

You can also enjoy karaoke on your mobile phone! With the use of Java Midlet where a text file having the lyrics and Midi file having the music are run. Karaokini is one popular mobile karaoke provider.

In computers and the Internet, there had been plenty of softwares and websites that were created in line with karaoke success. There are computer softwares where you can play karaoke songs in your personal computer, and in the Internet, there are sites where you can sing and the entire world can listen as your audience and rate your song. There are a lot of online karaoke communities like singsnap.com, bix.com, singshot.com and ksolo.com.

In the East and Southeast side of Asia, video CDs became a widely popular means of entertainment, owing to the fame of karaoke. And they are continually selling up to these days! Even with the advent of DVDs and other high-tech entertainment bits and pieces, VCD players with karaoke functions are still part of the people’s entertainment systems.

Indeed, you can go where karaoke takes you, even in cars! In China, there has been a car furnished with a karaoke machine! Talk about karaoke transport!

Pacquiao sends Barrera packing
Posted on Mon, Oct. 08, 2007
BY SANTOS PEREZ
sperez@MiamiHerald.com

ERIC JAMISON / AP
Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, connects with a right to Marco Antonio Barrera of Mexico, during the seventh round of their super featherweight boxing match, on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007 at The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Pacquiao won by unanimous decision.Despite lacking a fight-finishing arsenal, Manny Pacquiao again proved his skills can dominate a bout.

Blessed with superior hand and foot speed, Pacquiao never allowed Marco Antonio Barrera to mount a fight-altering attack and won a lopsided unanimous decision in their 12-round super-featherweight bout late Saturday in Las Vegas.

”I tried to give a good show tonight,” Pacquiao said. “I hope people liked it.”

Pacquiao (45-3-2) repeatedly frustrated Barrera throughout the bout with quick combinations to the head. Even when Barrera (63-6) landed a solid right to the head, Pacquiao often countered with a left.

Keeping Barrera on the defensive allowed Pacquiao to build a substantial advantage through the early and middle rounds. Barrera landed rights to Pacquiao’s head, but the shots never had Pacquiao in trouble.

Pacquiao’s dominance was confirmed by the scorecards from judges Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge, each of whom had Pacquiao winning 118-109. Judge Tom Schrek had it 115-112 for Pacquiao.

”I was still careful in the fight because he is still a good fighter,” said Pacquiao, who stopped Barrera in 11 rounds four years ago. “He is not an easy opponent.”

Barrera, who spent nearly two years campaigning for Saturday’s rematch, said he will retire.

”I trained hard for this fight and proved wrong the so-called experts who predicted he would finish me in three or four rounds,” said Barrera, 33. “I am happy because it’s my last fight.”

How many times have you seen karaoke as part of the cast in movies? If you’re a karaoke fan, you know when your favorite singing gadget has appeared as a film prop. Like in my My Best Friend’s Wedding, when Julia Robert’s character wanted to embarrass Cameron Diaz’ character in front of everyone, including obviously the fiancé (Dermot Mulroney’s character) by pushing her to sing which she knows the fiancée can’t, with karaoke of course as our valuable prop. In turn, the planned turned out the opposite, with the fiancée’s croaking voice becoming adorable to the audience. We all know what happened after that. Actually, that part of the movie was pretty memorable to me, since the first time I sang with a karaoke in a big class party, my classmate said my voice was similar to that of Cameron’s character, which also, such croaky voice became adorable to them. Haha.

How about in High School Musical, where Zac Ephron and Vannessa Hudgens’ characters first met in a party as randomly chosen guests to sing a duet, making initially visible their chemistry for singing and visible our valuable prop once more! Until they met again in school and tried out for the school play. There are in the list, like in Jim Carrey’s The Cable Guy, Lost in Translation, and Rush Hour 2, where Chris Tucker had his own karaoke act, including outmaneuvering another karaoke singer. Duets is also another film featuring karaoke as the central theme. Jackpot, also featured karaoke bars as locations where the lead character toured, taking chances to fame as a country singer.

Then there’s also the 2006 independent film “The Karaoke King” and the Thai comedy-movie Fun Bar Karaoke, where the lead actress’ father fell in love with a karaoke bar hostess who’s the girlfriend of a mobster. A hitman is dispatched to kill the father, and the lead actress ends up falling in love with the hitman. There is also the documentary “Karaoke Fever” featuring karaoke contestants. In the documentary they go after six aspirants as they vie for one of the coveted spaces in America’s largest singing contest, the Karaoke fest. Competing for fifteen thousand dollars and a recording contract, they are not only singing for the audience’s enjoyment, they are also singing for their lives.

Wow, look! She’s a star, the karaoke!

I read about one news write-up in the health section of a news network that singing can help the brain relearn communication skills. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease are recorded to have unlocked their communication block through singing. Usually, people with dementia tend to withdraw themselves and stop communicating with others; they are not able to hold conversations.

Some relatives of patients with Alzheimer’s tried singing with groups, where their loved ones showed some personality changes like being able to hold conversations, gaining focus and recovering from slurred speech due to a stroke. 

One group which helps such patients is Singing for the Brain, which started three years ago to give aid to patients with dementia. The founder said their weekly sessions had proved popular and successful for patients. They have an avid following in the group they have and families believe it has enhanced their lives and in some ways it has kept people well longer.

The group chooses things to sing for people that have an emotional resonance, things that allow them to express their emotions such as feeling irritated or sad as well as happy. They say that music has the ability to access words and people who have lost their ability to speak can access songs and words from the melody. The singing sessions also appeared to have positive effects on participants’ cognitive powers, their physical ability and their emotions. They likewise seem to enjoy doing something jointly with other people and being socially engaged is good for people with dementia.

It was explained that the part of the brain that worked with speech is different to the part that processes music, allowing those who had lost their speech to still enjoy their music. Rhythm had also been shown to be beneficial, particularly for those with diseases like Parkinson’s where movement was a problem. Listening to rhythms could be very helpful.

Knowing the home remedies for your vocal problems in the previous post, it’s also good to know about products that are beneficial for your vocal health. Given that you are a professional singer, or even someone who just loves singing, you should be ready when throat strains occur, so you should always have vocal health products in hand, like throat sprays, lozenges and tea.

There are a lot of throat sprays available in the market, which lubricate, hydrate and dilate vocal chords. They include combinations of herbs in glycerin, aloe or alcohol base. If you have dry, hoarse or sore throat, throat sprays quickly improves throat comfort and vocal quality. They soothe tired voices, relieves scratchy throat, keep your voice crystal clear, moisturize and strengthens as well. These sprays also warm the lungs and increase oxygen uptake. Some sprays offer flavors to choose from, like lemon, mint, peach or apple, though some products are not for pregnant or nursing women.

Lozenges are also another kind of vocal health product which reduce swelling and protect your vocal chords from abrasions. These products relieve minor discomforts and protect irritated areas in your throat. They act by dissolving and allowing the natural substances to coat your throat like paint. They are rather efficient at lessening swelling in the throat muscles and membranes. As singers, they are also helpful for your vocal health since they guard against abrasions caused by poor tone creation choices. One of the known organic ingredients of lozenges is slippery elm. Its inner bark is grounded into a powder and then combined with a crystalline substance to form a throat lozenge.

Teas likewise support throat health, since teas usually include herbs traditionally used to enhance the structure and function of the throat. There are also herbal candies for the throat, which you could pop into your mouth before singing. (:

A piece of trivia for karaoke lovers:
Did you know that famous Hollywood stars, multi-awarded music artists, and even royal persons in monarchy have a penchant for karaoke? This amazing invention has been entertaining people all around the world, from top to bottom of the social hierarchy.

While scanning the newspaper the other day, I noticed the banner of an entertainment article which read, The Karaoke’s International Appeal. Indeed, karaoke’s appeal through the years has been large-scale, making it a global entertainer.

In Hollywood, one of the gorgeous faces of today enjoys throwing karaoke parties for her Hollywood friends in her house. Penelope Cruz does karaoke parties at home. She even says everybody arrives and they would tell her they are not going to sing, but they end up fighting for the microphone. Even Oscar winning actor Nicolas Cage winds down and relaxes while singing karaoke. He would even invite cast and crew when shooting a movie to karaoke joints.

Black Eyed Peas’ female stellar Fergie also includes karaoke as her favorite hobbies together with her boyfriend, besides fishing and cooking. Her boyfriend owns a karaoke machine at home and he would sing Total Eclipse of the Heart untiringly.

When Prince Harry was to be announced that he would be sent to Iraq, he had a karaoke spree on that eve of announcement, reportedly singing Don McLean’s American Pie and Bryan Adam’s Summer of ’69.  Even though his would-be sending off was deferred because of him being a huge security risk, at least he had some fun doing karaoke!

Even in this side of the globe, celebrities enjoy karaoke joints together with their famous friends. Popular karaoke hubs are teemed with well-known personalities singing alongside regular people. Karaoke certainly has the mass appeal, and it proved it even has the celebrity appeal. Talk about universal charm!

If you are a singer, your voice is your precious gem. You have to know the tricks of trade in guaranteeing your product and service which is your voice, is on shape and in tune…and healthy. When your vocal chords get strained, troubles occur like hoarseness of your voice and your work gets in trouble too!

You should know what to do in instances your voice seems to croak like a frog, or when a sore throat or cold disturbs your voice…because they’re just not pleasant to the ears! Ailing vocal chords needs treatment, like sipping cough drops, some melted in a cup of boiling water. There are many available throat drops like Halls and Ricola.

There’s also this dry mouth syndrome. It’s hard to sing, even speak, with a dry mouth. There are home made cures to avoid and treat this problem, like looking after the foods you eat. It’s helpful to keep away from caffeine, sugar, chocolate and dairy products since they can get you thirsty or dried up. You can also spread something like a lubricant on your teeth to help out your upper lip to slide over the teeth and create saliva. You can also bite the tip of your tongue just enough to create saliva.

Drink plenty of water. That’s a great habit for singers to do. But do not drink ice-cold water! Water in room temperature is just good. Add some lemon too which helps. Surely, smoking and drinking are hard on the throat. So better avoid such vices!

When you sing, what you wear is important as well. Your clothes should be loose-fitting around the waist to help you take in air better and around the neck so it doesn’t smother you. Doing vocal warm-ups is always good. Sing in the shower, do cheery humming and formal vocal warm-ups are effective. And also, stand straight! Good posture can help your voice stay healthy!

If you are a fan of karaoke singing, you’ll enjoy this one. I just found out an online karaoke site where you can select from a broad variety of songs and sing along using the microphone in your PC. The songs can be recorded and uploaded for your family and friends, the online singing community or the whole cyberspace to check out.

The site comes by the name Sims On Stage, a free interactive online website based on SingShot Media, a karaoke community created by Electronic Arts.

In the Sims on Stage, songs ranging from pop to rock to country are available in the site. A window shows the lyrics while the music plays, like the usual karaoke set-up. The songs you record and upload can even be commented and rated.

You can even do more than recording, watching and sharing karaoke songs in the Sims on Stage. You can also share stories, comedy acts, open-mic materials, and other original ingenious stuff you personally create. And you can post your work on blogs and social network sites like MySpace or Friendster. There’s also a “Movie Mashup” where the members can produce their own original movies using contents of The Sims.

We all know The Sims as one of the biggest, warmest and most original communities in the globe. From video games to the online community, The Sims is well-liked and been around in the interactive entertainment for years now. Now The Sims on Stage adds to The Sims’ array of fun!

If karaoke singing is one of your best source of fun and entertainment, like having you and your Magic Sing karaoke microphone always up and running, this online karaoke site can add up to the enjoyment. The sign-up is easy, so you can readily share your karaoke on stage!

Familiar with local singing karaoke shows where contestants try to fill in the missing lyrics? America has one too, a music game show in which contestants “sing in the blanks” when presented with partial song lyrics. Holly Cruikshank is the Honey Bee in the show, Tom Sartori played himself for seven episodes and its host is Joey Fatone.

It’s a one hour game show, also known as ‘The Great American Singing Bee.’ According to a reviewer in one site I saw, the show’s better than she thought it would be. It’s creative, and liked the fact that it is more like a game show than a competition. Contestants are changed every week, which makes the show more exciting than just seeing the same people over and over. It seems to be set up pretty good as well, and the songs are actually well known, and commonly confused songs, instead of songs that no one in their right mind would go.

With this NBC’s reality series doing so well in the ratings, the network has decided to renew the show for another run during the fall television season. The premiere drew about 13 million viewers, while the second episode earned a 6.8/11 ratings share. The karaoke competition will remain on the network’s Tuesday night lineup when it comes in the fall. The Singing Bee starts off each week with six contestants, who then try to advance to the next round by completing songs played on the show.  The first four who provide the right set of lyrics move to the next round, where they go against each other in pairs.  The two contestants from the winning pair then go head-to-head in the championship round.  Whoever wins the championship round gets the chance to earn big money during the Final Countdown.

Though it has been two months late, rainy season here in the Philippines has stepped in, and stormy days are frequent since last week! Therefore, there are frequent suspended classes, heavy traffic and flooded thouroughfares (even Quentin Tarantino had to ride a pedicab just to get to Malacanang to receive his Lifetime Achievement Award from 9th Cinemanila International Film Festival), and of course lenghty time to snuggle in bed and snooze! Why not take the opportunity especially with students to have some fun while there’s no classes? Sing it out! Maybe rains would go even harder because of your voices, but so what? You’re enjoying!

How about sing songs about the weather? Select from the built-in songs the tunes about drizzles and mizzles, rainfalls and raindrops! Or slot your song chip and look for weather singles, I’m sure there are songs about the rain that you can find under pop, or love songs, rock songs, hip-hop songs, country songs, jazz songs and more.

Here are some of the many many songs with rain on them (:

After the Rain has Fallen (Sting)
All I Needed was the Rain (Elvis Presley)
April Showers (Dru Hill)
Black Summer Rain (Eric Clapton)
Blame it on the Rain (Millie Vanilli)
Bring on the Rain (Tim McGraw)
Can You Stand the Rain? (Boyz II Men)
Cloudburst (Oasis)
Cold and Rainy (10,000 Maniacs)
Come Rain or Come Shine (Frank Sinatra)
Don’t Rain on My Parade (Barbara Streisand)
Everyday It Rains (Mary J. Blidge)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
Ghetto Rain (Master P or Silkk the Shocker)
The Gentle Rain (Dianna Krall)
Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Here Comes the Rain Again (The Eurythmics)
Here I Stand and Face the Rain (a-Ha)
I Can See Clearly Now (Johny Nash)
I Made It Through the Rain (Barry Manilow)
I’m Only Happy When It Rains (Garbage)
A Kiss in the Rain (Michael Learns to Rock)
Kiss the Rain (Billie Myers)
Let it Rain (Cypress Hill)
Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain (Tory Barnet)
No More Rainy Days (Destiny’s child),
No Rain (Blind Melon)
November Rain (Guns N’ Roses)
One Rainy Wish (Jimi Hendrix)
Purple Rain (Tori Amos)
The Rain [Supa Dupa Fly] (Missy Elliot)
Rain King (Counting Crows)
Southern Central Rain (REM)
Stormy Monday (Allman Brothers Band)
Through The Rain (Mariah Carey)
Why Does it Always Rain on Me? (Travis)
You Are the Sun, You Are the Rain (Lionel Richie)
With that, you’ll have plenty of time singing while raining!

KTVs, meaning karaoke television, are popular forms of entertainment in the east area of Asia, including the Philippines. They are very much widespread from Taiwan to China, South Korea to Hongkong, and Japan to the Philippines. That only proves how Filipinos and Asians by and large love to sing.

KTVs are also called karaoke bars, karaoke lounges, and karaoke boxes. It is usually a bar featuring small private rooms with karaoke equipments. The exclusive rooms can be rented for a specific time and can accommodate a certain number of people for their singing amusement. These KTVs also offer food and drinks along with other services. KTVs can have a minimum of ten to twenty rooms to a maximum of hundreds of rooms for large-scale karaoke bars.

KTV is usually the term used in Taiwan and China. In the Philippines, it is commonly called a videoke bar. In Hongkong and Japan, it’s called karaoke box and in South Korea, they call it Noraebang meaning song (norae) room (bang).

Usually in these Asian countries, businessmen and corporate people go to KTVs after work to release their stress. Or in certain occasions, they go to karaoke bars to strike business deals, besides the usual choice of setting like in a restaurant or a hotel. KTVs are also frequented by the youth customers, especially groups of friends who enjoy singing and having fun. KTV also is a place for family fun, serving as a venue of entertainment for the whole family. In the Philippines, there are a lot of FAMILY KTVs existing in different areas all over the country.

But KTVs are not only found in Asia. Though in the Western countries karaoke is not common, in New York and San Francisco Bay Area, KTVs have become popular since the last decade. Of course, the presence of Asians in these places makes way for more KTVs in the US, where Asian communities open up karaoke bars for their fellow lovers of karaoke and of course of singing.

So now you’ve bought a Magic Sing of your own. Great choice! You’re all ready to sing your heart out with the thousands of built-in songs and available song chips in different genres and languages. You’re ready. You’re excited. You’ve called your friends to begin your singing extravaganza and ultimate fun while at home. But wait, there’s more.

Before you begin, why not have everything all set and complete by acquiring the accessories especially for your Magic Sing. These accessories are very affordable and very useful of course. For one, there is the Magic Sing Recording Pack that allows you to record your own song and upload it to your computer. How about that! If you want your singing treasured or be sent to your loved ones and friends here or abroad, you could just burn a copy and it’s ready for sending. So why not get one of these Magic Sing Recording Packs for your Magic Sing ED-800 or Onstage?

There is also the Magic Sing Song Book. Of course, there’s less hassle in choosing your song through this song book. All you’ve got to do is find the song of your choice, punch in the code and you’re ready to go singing. Other functional accessories include Magic Sing Adaptor, Magic Sing RCA Cable available for ED-800, Black (4 slots), OnStage, Silver as well as Silver with Video input and Black (3 slots).

Now, if you want your singing to be hands free, why not get yourself a Magic Sing Silver Stand as well! With the Magic Sing Silver Stand, you could do more hand movements for added effect, you can do some practice (if you’re dreaming to be a part of a singing competition or something for instance) by learning how your hands would go together with your singing, or so your father could do the Elvis Presley moves he so likes to do but can’t since he’s holding the mic. The Magic Sing Microphone Stand is for Silver Magic Sing 5 and 6.

C’mon get additional features for your Magic Sing for additional fun!

When it comes to singing and having fun, Magic Sing is the most reliable tool there is in the market. The best thing about it is it’s uncomplicated. No fuss, no hassles, just pure fun fun fun!

For one, there are no bulky accessories with Magic Sing. It’s easy to carry, easy to store. Another thing is that Magic Sing has minimal requirements. Magic-Sing is not a complex device. All you have to do is plug up the cables to their proper audio and video docks on the television. You also don’t need to clutch bulky speakers together with this wireless karaoke microphone. The wireless mic makes use of the television speakers to pitch the sound. There’s no pack of vcds or video wares to carry along, since there are built-in songs and sing chips available.

If you have been into a karaoke lounge, you probably know how the song selection and entering your song choices work. It’s the same with Magic Sing. You would just peek at the song list in the handbook and start thumping the song number of the tune of your pick in the microphone keypads. Afterward, you can sing all you want!

There is even amateur and professional type of microphone based on your singing proficiency. It will present you a rating based on your performance after the song. Imagine that as easier and more exciting than those freaky comments judges give to reality singing competitions in the idiot box. The amateur kind is more lenient than professional type. In amateur type, you’re little pitch mistakes is usually pardoned unlike the professional one which cuts your points due to the slight sharps and flats you make. Magic Sing judges your singing as outstanding and superb if you get a ninety-six and above score. If you’re cut short from having an excellent score, you can always put extra effort in your next performance. That is, if the such effort comes with a respectable voice. 

Trouble-free magic. Trouble-free fun! That’s Magic Sing!
 

Being a viewer of American idol, I always hear judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell give comments to the contestants like, ‘It was too pitchy’ ‘There were a lot of flat parts in the middle’ or ‘There were a couple of sharps here and there’ besides the usual comments about their performance level, choice of song, or event the wardrobe. That made me wonder what do these flats and sharps mean, being a no-brainer in notes and pitches since I’m practically tone deaf.
 
As I’ve learned, these flats and sharps actually comprise the musical scale. When Randy says there were flats, these are the notes sung lower than the supposed pitch, whereas when Paula says there were sharps, these are the notes sung higher than the actual pitch.

A musical scale happens to be a set of notes arranged from the lowest pitch to the highest. A, B,C,D,E,F, and G are the notes in the scale of Western composers, and the distance between these notes (a note and the next highest note by the same name) is what they call an octave.

Here the flats and sharps come in—sharps are half tones above notes while flats are half tones below notes. A half step is the distance between a note and its sharp or a note and its flat. On a piano keyboard, the black keys play the sharp and flats while the white keys play the full steps in the scale. In the Western scale, there are 12 full steps—the letter notes and the half steps all together.

Speaking of musical scales, in the Eastern part of the world, their music sounds differently like in China, India and Saudi Arabia. As I continue my query about musical scales, I also learned that Asian music has more kinds of notes than Western music (that’s probably why the Chinese and Indian singers I see perform on cable TV sounds more complicated..). The Arabs has 17 steps, while the Indian scale has 22 steps, how about that!

And so, there ends my journey about flats, sharps and the musical scales of the globe. At least I know them by theory, if not by application.

In medieval Europe, the music of a choir, which is a group of singers chant together, was an essential part of church masses. Usually during this period, the monks in monasteries sing in Latin. At present, music sung by choirs is based on this tradition of the church, called choral music.

Another kind of singing in groups are large scale musical performances called oratorios, where they sing a story. This type is based on Bible stories of the Jews and the Christians. Unlike choir music, oratorios do not have to be executed in church. An orchestra, with a choir and soloists, perform orations where the soloists sing necessary elements individually. The narrator conveys the tale in form of a song. Johann Sebastian Bach, a German composer, is famous for his church cantatas, which are stories sung by one or two singers who are complemented by different instruments.

Gospel music is one type of singing in groups as well. It’s particular among the Black American church singers who blend touches of jazz, hymns and their religious folksongs. Gospel choirs are worm and emotional, with audiences stamping their feet, clapping and dancing.

Of course, not all who sing in groups are choirs. Music groups include pop and rock bands, jazz bands, folk singers and a lot more. In a band, two or three can sing in the group, with one lead and the rest as back-up vocals. All of them can sing together too, like folk singers who can also alternate in singing.

And who wouldn’t be familiar with the famous boy bands singing in groups? There was New Kids in the Block during the early ‘90s, and in the mid to late ‘90s, more singing male groups emerged like Westlife, Backstreet Boys, and N’sync, to name a few. Indeed, their crooning and serenading, blending in their different tones made a lot of girl fans scream and shout!

Wouldn’t it be fun to sing in a group? Why not grab your friends and have a singing spree–sing like a choir, or perform like a boy band (or girl band for that matter). (:

There is a diverse array of instruments under the strings category, one of which is the most versatile and unique of all the stringed instruments. Read through and find out. (:

In the 1500s and 1600s there were the six-stringed instrument called the viol, then the violin emerged which is a smaller instrument and makes a louder sound than the viol. Violinists made marks in music like the Italian musician Niccolo Paganini, modern violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Korean Kyung Wah Chung. Then there’s the family of strings which can form the string quintet. Besides the violin, there’s the viola, cello and double bass. Charles Mingus is an American jazz musician who plays double bass standing up.

Lyres and harps are popular all over the world during the ancient times. From the legend of Orpheus playing the lyre, to religious festivals of Africa, lyres and harps were used. The lute is another kind which is plucked like a guitar. Banjos and ukeleles were played in America and England, sitars made raga music in India, zithers were played in China, Japan, and Korea, while guitars originated in Spain. There were classical, acoustic and folk guitars, until in the later years electric guitars were developed. Orville Gibson, Les Paul and Leo Fender are just three of the well-known names in guitar making. When it comes to guitar playing, one of the legends is American guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

A keyboard is also a stringed instrument, which includes the clavichord, harpsichord and the piano. If you open the lid and look inside, there you’ll find the strings. But the most versatile and unique of all stringed instruments is the chords found in your voice box. The human voice has its own vibrating strings and resonator in just the same way as a stringed instrument like the guitar does. You sing high notes by tightening your vocal chords; low notes are created when your vocal chords become looser. We have a range such as the soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The three tenors Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti are among the great singers of the world, thus have great stringed instruments in them!

Backup singers are also called second singers. They provide the second voice, fill-ins and supplementing voice. They enhance and highlight the main vocal. I like listening to songs, especially band songs with second voices, and how their melody completely harmonizes with the lead vocals.

Backup singers have necessary skills present in them—listening and blending in. They are able to listen when to blend in with the main vocal. They are alert and watchful of the main vocalist, like when the main vocal wants to repeat a verse or start from the first verse. They also know how to phrase. They know when to jump in at the right time at the beginning of the song. They begin gently and slowly rise in the same level with the lead. They also know how to do the same thing at the end part.

I have also learned one important trait of a backup singer, about beginning and ending consonants. It said in one article I read that at times when two or more people are singing a phrase, there can be multiple popping “p’s” or sibilant sounds as each singer attempts to sing at the same time. It says there that a careful trick to prevent this from happening is for the backup singer to leave the first letter, the consonant, totally. For example, if the lyric is like, Jack and Jill went up the hill to pick a pail of water, the backup vocalist might sing “ack and ill ent up a ill o ick a ail of ater.” It allows the chief singer to have the clear-cut initial consonant of the phrase without the backup singer colliding or overlapping with them, or being incompatible and in disagreement with them.

Speaking of backup singing, did you know that there is a Magic Sing that serves specially for the backup singer? It’s the Magic Sing Sub Microphone! It can also serve as the second microphone for duets, but that’s another topic to talk about! (: The Magic Sing Sub Microphone must have a Magic Sing microphone to operate.

Cheers to another great Magic Sing product!

We all know that nursery rhymes and songs are part of our children’s learning. These are used for introducing different concepts to the child, like numbers, shapes, sizes or different positions from left to right, up and down, front and back, to here, there, and everywhere! Children songs are also used for reading readiness, by introducing letters and sounds. They inspire different values, encourage correct conduct, and teach proper manners to the children. And they can be very entertaining to our children as well! They are so pleasing to listen to for our little tots.

Did you know that you can introduce your child to singing through these children’s songs? You can hone their singing skills while teaching them numbers and letters, animals and places, the values and manners, and a lot more.

While you as parents take pleasure in your own Magic Sing, you can allow your child sing songs he or she can have fun with that are fit for his or her age! There is a song ship that is especially themed for your kids! It’s filled with children’s songs, nursery rhymes, and even the traditional tunes. There’s BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP, EENSY WEENSY SPIDER, FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, LONDON BRIDGE, THREE BLIND MICE, among many others. There are lullabies like NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP and especially the most famous, BRAHM’S LULLABY. There are educational songs like the ALPHABET SONG; A TO Z, COME SING WITH ME; NOW I KNOW MY ABCS; BOTTLES,BOXES, JARS AND CANS; ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE, and a lot more. There are Bible songs like HOLY HOLY HOLY; NEAR THE CROSS JESUS KEEP ME; NEARER MY GOD TO THEE; and NOAH’S ARKY ARKY. Celebration songs are present as well, like HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU; AULD LANG SYNE; O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL; MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU; O, CHRISTMAS TREE; HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING and many more!

With these songs and more, let your child have fun with Magic Sing too!

Magic Sing, as we all know, is THE absolute piece of entertainment equipment. It has heaps of features and great characteristics every karaoke lover would want in a singing machine. It’s been enumerated time and again the amazing features of this lovely microphone. Today, let us grant each personal preference’s fancy. We all differ in the genres and styles of music we dig into. Some love pop, while some love hiphop. Others listen to jazz, while others sing only the blues. Youngsters want what’s new, but oldies want their generation’s music. Here, personal musical taste matters. And Magic Sing can accommodate every individual’s favorite.

With Magic Sing’s thousand built-in songs, you can definitely enjoy singing your favorite among the multitude in the play list. But if you just can’t get enough and want to hear yourself sing songs under your best-liked music style, then you can just slot in a song chip in your Magic Sing. It’s that easy!

Magic Sing song chips vary from different language to genre. It has English song chips and foreign song chips like Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean. It also has Brazilian, Indian, Italian and Tagalog. The Tagalog chips even have more than five to choose from!

The English song chips include those under different music types—there’s alternative/modern, variety standards, classic to contemporary country, classic to heavy metal rock. If you’re a fan of pop ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, there’s a chip available for you. From R&B Motown to club/disco style, Latin vibes and soft rock with Beatles and Elvis (for the baby boomers out there), there’s a lot of chips that’s offered just for you. Magic Sing even has pop chip for teens, children songs, gospel and hymns. Even traditional and holiday songs, Magic Sing has a song chip for that. If you just want to sing regardless of the style of music, you can get a chip with variety of songs.

Found the song chip with the genre you love? Then get it now and pop it in your Magic Sing! But if you haven’t got a Magic Sing yet, you better get one now and have the time of your life!

There are a lot different styles of singing and vocal techniques we hear from various singers. So, if you are a singer, what’s yours?

If you can produce musical effects by having a regularly pulsating change of pitch, where you can use this style to add articulation, then your technique is what we call vibrato. If you can sing smoothly, transitioning from note to note, where there’s no superseding silence, your method is legato.
If you sing where you can produce strong soaring pitches using your chest voice, then you are a vocal belter baby! Voice created in belting is technically known as chest voice or middle voice, and this kind of voice a powerful one indeed. In the popular music, be it rock or general pop, belting is commonly used to sing higher notes than the normal vocal range.

Moreover, you have clean vocals when you have melodic and clear singing style. It is especially used to label voice of heavy metal singers. This they say, is an alternative to coarse, scratchy screaming vocals or growling vocals, which can be heard from really hardcore metal bands. If you are in a heavy metal band, then you probably have clean vocals. If you are in a solid hardcore metal band, then your technique is almost certainly screaming and growling. Or you can use both techniques, whichever of the two kinds you are into. There can even be an operatic voice in metal music, singing simple melodies then having rough screaming, which they use in what is called melodic death metal.

If you are not a belter but you are not a screamer or growler either, you can have other techniques as well, such as having a breathy chest voice which is different from belting, or a metallic voice. If you don’t scream or growl, there’s even grunted vocals which is nearer to those two.

Whatever style, whatever technique, it’s up to you. Just sing and have a heck of a time doing it.

There was a time when our Anthropology class had a field trip to a popular beach spot with cultural tribe dwellers. We trekked towards the tribal locale some distance from the beach, continued trekking until we reach the waterfalls, then headed back to our temporary quarters and spent the rest of the time in our own hands. We decided to rest for a while, until we began hearing singing voices echoing from the area below our room. We suddenly wondered whether that room’s amenities included a videoke machine, so we soon went down to find out. There in the room we found no bulky videoke machine with coin slots and huge push buttons, instead a small microphone and almost half of the class lined up to join the singing spree. Our professor brought his Magic Sing in our trip. What a clever idea!

Magic Sing is absolutely a cool companion in your beach escapades or any trip, tour, outing and more. It brings nonstop fun and satisfaction for those who enjoy singing and loves to travel as well. Magic Sing offers a lot of fancy features fitted for every singing enthusiast. It is extremely light and portable so you can carry it anywhere you go without the trouble. Magic Sing has an efficient size, and an extremely versatile singing tool. Since it is plug-and-play, all you have to do is connect it to a television and you can sing all day, all night long! It has thousands of built-in songs, with no the additional players required. What’s more, this multimedia microphone has song chip slots where you can insert variety of songs of your choice. This wireless digital karaoke mic also has professional sound quality and full karaoke functions. You can even record your performances with an optional recording pack, and upload it to your PC through its built-in USB port.

With its stylish design and diverse colors to choose from, this singing travel companion does not only stand out with its quality, but shines even with its appearance. So go on, get your travel pal now! This one piece of equipment will surely be worthy of your buy.

Have you ever dreamed that you are the next Kelly Clarkson, rising high from being a simple lass to an über popular singer after winning a singing competition? Or that you are a pretty young girl with a pretty young voice, and you daydream of switching places with Jojo for a day? Wondered how being famous is like, singing in front of thousands of crowds in huge theaters, seeing large posters waved by fans, signing autographs for thousands of followers, and selling multi-certified, multi-awarded, multi-million albums?

If you have the dreams of being a much-admired singer, hold on to those dreams. You never know, your dreams might someday come true.

Everything starts from aspiring. Every songster that has carved a name in music wouldn’t be who they are if they did not aspire. They say, desire is the starting point of all achievements. So if you want to be a known singer one day in the future, keep that desire. It’s where you begin.

In every singer’s story, success isn’t achieved in an instant. They did not become famous overnight. There are always the stories of trials and tribulations of an aspiring singing star. But then, they wouldn’t be where they are now if they didn’t choose to go through the rocky roads towards musical triumph. So, be determined. No matter how frustrating it might get, go on. If you have to pass through pain to achieve the pleasure of succeeding, so be it. As long as you’re sticking to your desire to sing sing sing, then you’re solid determination would get you through.

Famous singers all started from doing hard labor of auditioning, scouring locations and opportunities where they can perform and be heard, and working their way to finally get their break. They hone their skills, practice singing until they improve and become better singers. This spells hard work. If you want to be victorious, you have to work on it as hard as you could. Earning something from hard work has the sweetest rewards.

So keep in mind to always hold on to your dreams, be determined, and add hard work along the way. These are just some points to learn by heart on how to fulfill your singing dreams. As you become what you want to be, keep your feet on the ground and remember how you got there.

Congratulations to your awaiting stardom!

It’s this time of the year when a day is specially celebrated for our wonderful mothers. A mother is considered the light of the home, who unconditionally love and support her husband, and continually guide and protect her children, and shower them with TLC. Your mother deserves the best this day. Treat her out today! Give her a visit to the salon or spa for a make-over or a relaxing massage. Give a personally crafted Mother’s Day card, or have an old picture of her restored, placed in a elegant frame. Arrange a nice dinner for her, or give her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. These are just some ideas on how you can celebrate Mother’s Day. Best yet, give her a gift she would surely love—Magic Sing!

Mothers are usually the ones left at home when their husbands or children leave for work or school. Their past time after house chores would either be watching home TV shopping, noontime shows or afternoon soap operas, or listening to afternoon news in the radio. But with a Magic Sing karaoke microphone, they can sing their hearts out with the bounty of built-in songs to choose from! My mom, for one, is a big fan of The Carpenters. She doesn’t sing as much as dad, but when you leave her at home listening to her Carpenters’ albums, she sings enjoyably all right! Let your mom enjoy her time at home with a Magic Sing! It’s the best gift not only for housewives, but for working moms as well. We all know that after a day’s work, working mothers come home tired and fatigued. But with your perfect Magic Sing gift, they can enjoy their after work hours singing and having fun with the family.

Let your mom not forget about this year’s Mother’s Day. Because you gave her a wonderful gift…Magic Sing.

Mothers, Happy Mother’s Day and happy singing!

It has been centuries since the invention of the very first microphone. Microphones, also called mike or mic have been very useful in many aspects of communication, including radio, television, telephony, movie production, audio engineering whether live or recorded audio, among many others.

Since Thomas Edison’s 1876 carbon microphone, several kinds of microphones has emerged for practical, technological and mechanical use. From the liquid microphones that made unintelligible speech in early microphones intelligible, to condenser microphones devised for laboratory and studio recording purposes, to piezo microphones invented to amplify sound from acoustic musical instruments, to laser microphones developed for spying devices. We also have current microphone inventions such as the digital microphone, microphone chip or silicon microphone. Even speakers are sometimes used as microphones in practical use, such as in intercoms or walkie-talkies. Nowadays, we have microphones used for hands-free operation, like lavalier microphones, which can be worn on the body either around the neck or a clip fastened to clothing. Furthermore, there are microphones that can even pick up the sound of a snail’s heartbeat and the footsteps of ants, called contact microphones. There’s a variant of this kind of microphone called a throat microphone, used to pick up speech directly from the throat, around which it is strapped. How about microphones used by law enforcers, counterintelligence agents, spies, and even eavesdroppers? They call ‘em parabolic microphones. Yes, microphones can vary from the common to the cool.

Microphones indeed exist their own evolution.

With regard to singing on stage, we have seen the microphones grow and change, from the bulky ones used by old crooners and early ’50s groups, to the handy mics that are still broadly used today along with wireless microphones absent of cables, and the smaller trendy mics.

But when it comes to amusement, nothing beats the invention of karaoke microphones. Where can you find a small piece of electronic appliance bringing a whole lot of entertainment, which works exactly like a karaoke sans the huge chunk? You can find it in Magic Sing!

The invention of microphone. Call it essential.
Magic Sing innovation. Call it clever.

One time my dad joined a contest in a local fm radio station asking their listeners what the first musical instrument is. Luckily, he was picked as the winner, and received a CD as the prize.

His answer was vocal chords.

My guess was the lyre, and it wasn’t even close. The lyre was invented waaay after this first musical instrument’s discovery, which was since the beginning of time. Before the arrival of classical music, and even before the invention of archaic tribal instruments by prehistoric men, humans were already creating rhythms using their own built-in musical implement–the vocal chords.

Vocal chords are these lower of two folds or bands in the throat which produce sound when made tighter or loosened when air is breathed out while speaking or singing.  Vocal chords have the ability or power to produce musical tones. For some people it comes out effortlessly. For some it needs thorough training. While for some, it’s just something they have accepted they can’t acquire (ahem).

To look at it, it’s the only instrument that produces an ample diversity of pitches,  elaborate timbre, and various tones all in one. Our voice can create a story on its own with just striking different melodies, even without putting words. That reminds me of a vocalist humming all the way through the song, and yet it’s tells a whole tale. It also brings me in awe with what amazing things this body part can do. It can croon. It can hum. It can yodel. It can scat. It can chant. It can carol. If you can do at least one of these skills, then you can produce musical tones yourself. We all can. I take that it’s-just-something-they-have-accepted-they-can’t-acquire back. I can hum, at least.

Most of us wonder how pros fight anxiety or what is mostly called stagefreight. Your confidence carries your song, and so as your emotion. A single flaw on your expression ruins the whole performance.

It’s important to get your advice from the professionals. I asked few of my friends who worked in a band.

Jo: The problem with that is quite simple. It starts with the mind; starts with the performer himself. It’s not about the crowd, because the crowd won’t judge unless you sing.  And most of us experience stagefreight even if we haven’t sung yet. The mind itself is a very stubborn thing. But we should take note that we are the one who controls our mind, it’s not our mind that’s controlling us. I got it from my grandpa’s statement: “What the subconscious mind perceives to be the truth, becomes the truth.”

Joym: Anxiety itself is not an attitude, it’s a feeling (read that again). And just like any other feelings, it changed. Like how happiness turns to sadness or vice versa. You can fight anxiety by being positive. Anxiety is there even if your performance will be weeks later. It’s because you thought you couldn’t make it. And unfortunately, most of our thoughts come true.Anxiety itself is not an attitude, it’s a feeling (read that again). And just like any other feelings, it changed. Like how happiness turns to sadness or vice versa. You can fight anxiety by being positive. Anxiety is there even if your performance will be weeks later. It’s because you thought you couldn’t make it. And unfortunately, most of our thoughts come true.

Kath: Like businessmen, pros also need a mentor. If you can’t make it by your own, try to ask from a pro. Anxiety can’t just be treated by alcohol or drugs. Alcohol itself increases your anxiety by the way you depend on it. You don’t need to apply to therapies. Just take note, practice. If you want to sing well, practice singing. If you want to fight anxiety, fight it by singing infront of a crowd. That’s what I did before.

Those were the words from our pros. The word there is PRACTICE. Next week, I’ll post the Part II of my Be A Pro Kit. It will be about Songwriting. This is just the start of my Be A Pro Kit. See you next week for another lessons from our pros.