Aspiring actors are now seeking experience in musical theatre with renewed vigor. However, it is one thing to attend a class, and another to give an actual performance. Like every other form of popular entertainment, licenses for shows are not cheap and usually too much for a small troupe to afford. The troupe is left with few options other than writing their own material which requires a set of skills artists early in their musical theatre careers might not possess. Fortunately, there are sources of free musical scripts available.

If an acting troupe does not include a member with a sense for composition, then that troupe must look for someone who does. Colleges and professional art schools are a great source for composers interested in seeing their play come to life before they try to sell the composition. Unfortunately, some colleges and schools lay claim to the creations of their students when it comes to class assignments and will only allow performance rights for the composition to other students of the institution. Another potential issue is that because the composers are themselves still students, availability of quality productions is low. Quality scripts can be produced by students, but it would be unusual for students to give for free musical scripts that could be sold to established professionals.

An alternate source of musical scripts for less than professional prices is the Internet. The Internet is both infamous and generous as a source for information and free stuff. The search begins with a search engine which will give the user a number of relevant websites containing musical scripts or information on how to acquire royalty free productions. The dangers with searching for musical scripts include using a script from a website that did not have the legal right to make the production available. It is best to only deal with websites that can verify the licenses and intellectual rights involved in using one of their free musical scripts.

Acquiring scripts for a small troupe that cannot afford the licenses of established productions is difficult. Colleges and art schools could be sources for interesting musicals as could the Internet and a website dealing in royalty free scripts. If the troupe or the one person chosen to lead the search is diligent and careful, a gem of a script can be found that will both challenge the actors and give them the opportunity to experience putting together a full musical production.

After all, when we examine our habits as consumers, we find that most of us tend to look for the cheapest and easiest options whenever possible. So these days, when there are so many free piano music downloads to be found all over the Internet, why would anyone ever pay money for sheet music?

In truth, more people cling to the old mediums of sheet music than one may think. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with this. Some people are simply not comfortable with the Internet, and may never be. Besides, what adult piano player doesn’t enjoy the look and feel of a thick, comprehensive collection of the piano works of Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, or Rachmaninoff? Most contemporary pianists learned how to play with such books, and most still own tons of those old, worn, and wrinkled collections. Until recently, these books were the lifeblood of the piano world, which had been the case ever since the advent of the printing press.

Indeed, something has certainly been lost in the decline in popularity of such books. “The Complete Piano Works of Beethoven,” for instance, holds pieces even the most passionate Beethoven fan might not know. In contrast, for years since the inception of the Internet, only the most popular works by the most famous composers have been available on the Web. When it comes to Beethoven, “Fur Elise” and “Moonlight Sonata” are easy to find on numerous sites, but what about more obscure works like “Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major?” For years, pianists were hard-pressed to find such works on the Internet.

Fortunately, the world of online piano sheet music is now working to overcome such shortcomings. Yes, “Fur Elise” is as easy to find as ever, but now, former no-shows such as “Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major” are almost just as available. This is thanks to a number of sites offering free downloads of piano music. The Mutopia Project, for instance — an online source of free piano music downloads — offers free piano music by hundreds of composers, from the origins of written music up to the 20th century.

Plus, piano teachers are now learning about the expansiveness of music available on the Web. Many piano teachers will tell you that the most difficult thing about their work is choosing pieces to perfectly suit the needs of a student. Because of the Internet, this is no longer such an issue. When a teacher feels that her student needs to learn a certain piece, that piece is likely available on the Internet. Just a few years ago, this wasn’t true. Now, thanks to the continued growth of the Web, almost every piece of piano music by every significant composer is available to download for free. Instead of those old, massive piano music collections, today’s piano teacher is more likely to use folders of sheet music printouts from the Web.

Of course, the availability of piano music free to download does not change the fact that many of us still love those old-fashioned piano books. After all, such books are still high-quality products, and they always make great gifts. Thus, even though the Internet is now a huge and ever-growing source of sheet music, the old mediums aren’t likely to disappear any time soon.
About the Author:

Duane Shinn is the author of over 300 DVD home study courses on playing piano, all available at “DVD Courses In Exciting Piano Playing!

But if you’re a musician, you can apply. Let’s take a look at these careers that are available only to musicians

Education: Are you a musician who has also studied education? If so, there are numerous music education opportunities that may interest you:

§Music educator at a college, conservatory, university; thousands of positions to apply for in both public and private colleges.

§Music teacher at secondary or elementary school; thousands more all over the US and the world.

§Private music instructor; there are hundreds of thousands of private piano teachers, guitar teachers, drum teachers, etc. working for themselves in private studios and/or teaching in a music store.

§Music supervisor; many opportunities to oversee musical programs in both public and private venues.

§Choir director; thousands of schools from elementary to college; thousands of churches who use choir directors.

Therapy: Are you a musician who has also studied psychiatry? You can practice the trade of music therapy in a wide array of settings. Some of the sources of employment for music therapists are the following:

§Schools

§Universities

§Nursing Homes

§Mental health clinics; the author worked as an assistant music therapist one summer when he was in college; it was a great experience.

§Correctional Facilities

§Private practice

Business: Ever wonder what it takes to work in business management? Besides business smarts, an ability to talk the language of music will take you places the non-musican cannot go:

§Artist Manager or Agent

§Talent Agent

§Concert Promoter

§Independent Radio Promoter

§Music Business Entrepreneur

§Music Business Consultant

§Record Company Executive

§Music Publisher

§Tour Coordinator

Performance: Actors are more highly valued if they have a musical education. Today, with so few actors multi-skilled as they were in the era of the large studios, this can be a real advantage. Below are some of the jobs for which an actor who is also a musician may “incidentally” be qualified.

§Performing artist

§Soloist, instrumental or vocal

§Studio musician

§Background vocalist

§Theatre musician

§Accompanist

§Church musician

§Product demonstrator for instrument manufacturer

Movies / Video Games: If you study movies or video game production, a background as a musician will help you prepare for music-related jobs such as the following:

§Conductor

§Music Composer

§Music Editor

§Music Supervisor (to scout for music)

§Arranger (to determine the mix of song elements per the conductor or producer’s specifications)

§Sound designer (of effects to accompany music score)

§Jingle writer / composer

From education to video games, there are careers available for those who happen to have a background in music which the rest of us never see. Each of these fields requires time and study for proficiency, but they represent a career path that is nonexistent for non-musicians.

Sure, you already knew that playing music could improve your quality of life. Now you know it can improve the quality of your career.
About the Author:
Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! ” with over 84,400 current subscribers.

The sad thing about learning improvisation, is that many people put a lot of emphasis on the fact that they must first learn to master chords, notes, read music, and be able to play other peoples music well, before they can get onto the more important task of creating their own masterpieces. The result of these thoughts usually ends with the person becoming so caught up in getting everything right that they feel afraid to improvise, and compose simply because they fear getting it wrong, or creating something that sounds terrible.

Why Improvisation Is Important

Improvisation is vital to a musician, because it is a lesson taught in creativity, and it develops an ear for hearing music on a whole new level, and copying it. For those who want to learn to compose, creativity is the most important aspect of being a composer, it is even more important than knowing keys, notes, chords, or even reading music itself.

Improvisation at its greatest can be found in jazz music. If you want to learn about improvisation, be sure to listen to some of the classic jazz. Jazz is the type of music that was mostly improvised, and added to. It was rarely played to a set out strict music sheet, but evolved as it was being played, and only got better each time the musician played it.

How To Improvise

Improvisation is nothing more than experimentation, and creativity. We all have those two things. Don’t be fooled into thinking that, in order to improvise, you must first know all of the chords, or notes used to play your instrument. Improvisation can be started off as early as when you have learned your first couple of notes, or chords.

The best way to use improvisation is to experiment with the chords or notes as you are learning them. If you are taking lessons, use some your practice time to try out different chord, or note combinations. Try anything you like, experiment. Improvisation is all about learning the art of non-conformity to the average style of music, and how to learn to use your creative talents to make an expression of yourself.

How To Deal With The Internal Critic

Everyone’s a critic, but we are our own worst critic. Most people are afraid to try new and different things simply because they are afraid to fail. The first time that you improvise, you will probably sound terrible, and maybe even the second time, too. This isn’t failing, this is learning. As you get better at playing your instrument, you will also get better at improvising. If you start off learning how to improvise early, you will only get better at it as you learn more chords, or notes. By starting to improvise early on, you will never be concerned about when the right time to start improvising is, simply because right now is the best time to start.

Don’t be afraid of what other people will think, either. If you are afraid of someone criticizing your first attempts at improvising, just play your instrument when nobody is around, until you are more confident, and ready to share your music with others.

Taking Improvisation Into A Musical Composition

Once you have mastered improvisation, it is only a small step to take it to the next level, which is creating music of your own. Once again, composing music is a lot like improvisation, and to master it you need to be creative, and understand that it may not sound perfect at first. But with a little creativity and some tweaking, you have the potential to make the music in your head come to life through your instrument.

Conclusion

Composing is nothing more than letting yourself be creative, and letting that creativity to make your music unique. You don’t have to be able to play as well as Mozart to start to improvise, and from there begin to compose music. Mozart started out just like you, improvising, learning, and then composing. So let your creative talents flow, and remember that you don’t have to get it right every time. But you do have to want to succeed.
About the Author:

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of musicianhome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

Musical instruments are mainly categorized by the way they generate sound. All musical instruments fall under one of the following - string, wind, percussion and keyboard, though there may be further divisions and sub-divisions. Examples of string instruments include guitars, violins, ukuleles and cellos. Wind instruments include pipes, sax, clarinet, flute and such other types. Drums, bongos, cymbals and bells fall under the percussions category. And keyboard instruments include pianos, harpsichords, organs and accordions. Over 1000 musical instruments are available across the world, including folk instruments.

If you want to play on your own, then it is better to start with a musical instrument you like, and then gradually master the instrument by joining music classes. If you like music in general and are not interested in specializing in any particular type of instrument then a keyboard can be the perfect choice. Electronic keyboards nowadays can produce all sorts of sound ranging from guitar tunes to drum beats. A variety of DJ equipments are also available on the market nowadays, which provide creative sound mixing options for the wannabe DJs as well as for the experienced disc jockeys.

On the other hand, if you were thinking of organizing a band then you would need different types of musical instruments. A band normally includes a couple of string instruments, percussions and preferably a wind instrument.

You can purchase your musical instruments online. Choose your favorite instrument from the various websites that you will find on the internet. They often offer discounts if you buy their package deals, which include various types of musical instruments. This can be your best option if you are planning a band with your friends.

Musical instruments can be a costly affair, especially if you are planning to buy the best available on the market. These can set you back by anything from $100 to over $10000. A good Yamaha or Roland electronic keyboard may cost almost $2500. Used musical instruments are often a good choice, especially if you are learning to play a new instrument. For beginners it is advisable to invest in musical instruments in the lower price range.

Musical instruments can also be made at home with items of daily use. Homemade musical instruments mainly fall under the category of percussion instruments. You can make almost anything, from shakers and jingle bracelets to drums and tambourines. You can also make wind instruments such as comb harmonica or kazoo. These help your child to be creative and can keep them busy. And you can now have your own band at home.
About the Author:

Susan Jan

Andrew Bolton is an experienced freelance writer. Having successfully completed a number of academic assignments, he now is willing to share his experience in academic writing including Science Coursework and Dissertation Proposal providing students Online Dissertations.

You need to get your music out there so people can start listening to it and enjoying it. Publicizing your music is extremely important, and while ten years ago it may have been a difficult task, technology has afforded you some very simples ways to get started. One new way that you can start getting your music out there is by using a podcast. Podcasts are excellent ways that you can inexpensively and quickly get your music out there to the public, which is extremely important to your success as a musician.

What Exactly is a Podcast?

First of all, you may be wondering what exactly a podcast is. Basically, a podcast is a type of audio file that is usually created in a mp3 format, and after the file is created it can be uploaded to a server by way of Really Simple Syndication (RSS). You can put anything you want on this type of audio file, whether it is a type of radio show, or even clips of you performing your music. Once a podcast is uploaded onto the internet, it then allows people to use their computers with specialized software to download the file so they can listen to it on their own. They may be able to listen to it on their computer, an mp3 player, or even on their iPod as well. Even though the terms sound a bit technical, the process is an easy one that gives you a great new way to get your music out there to others.

How to Create a Podcast

Believe it or not, creating your own podcast is really quite simple. The following are five simple steps that can help you easily create your own music podcast.

1. Create the Content - The first thing you need to do is to create the audio content for your podcast. It really does not matter what type of platform you use when creating your audio content; however, it is important that you save it in the maximum quality possible so you have a great copy of what you have created. This is especially important when you are dealing with music.

2. Convert to MP3 - Once you have created your audio content for the podcast, you will need to convert the files to mp3 files, since they are the most used type of files for podcasting. When converting your audio files to mp3 files, you will probably want to use 128 stereo bit rate in order to get the best sound, since you are dealing with music, then save it as an mp3 file.

3. Upload the MP3 - After you have created your mp3 file, then you are ready to upload the file to the server. Once they are uploaded, be sure to test them to be sure that they are working.

4. Create the RSS File - Next you will need to create an RSS file, which will describe your pod cast and serve as the link to your mp3 file. You can use a text editor to create this file, and usually it is best to include the title of the file, the link, and a brief description of the file as well.

5. Publish the File - Once you have the RSS file created, just transfer it to your web server, and be sure to validate it using an RSS validator, which you can find online. If it works right, then you are ready to publish the RSS file.

Equipment You Will Need

In order to be able to do a pod cast, you will need to have the right equipment available. First of all you will need to have the right equipment available to suitably record your music. You may be able to purchase software for your computer to do this, or you may want to use a mixing board with a CD burner to do so. You can use computer software to edit your music and to change the levels to make sure that your music tracks sound the best as well. Also, you will need a program to help you convert your music into mp3 files, such a MusicMatch. More than likely, you will also need software that will help you upload your mp3 and RSS files as well.

Where You Can Send Your Completed Podcast

If you do not have your own place to put your podcasts, you can actually find free hosts that will allow you to upload your podcasts to their servers as well. Once you have finished your podcast and you have it online, there are a variety of directories that you can send it to in order to get some exposure. There are many available free directories that will help you with publicity so you can get your podcasts out there. Soon people will be listening to your music, and before you know it you may have a broad fan base all across the world due to using podcasting to publicize your music.
About the Author:

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! ” with over 84,400 current subscribers.

What is music theory, and how can I benefit?

Here are just a few of the wonderful skills and insights a person benefits from by learning music theory:
How notation works — a huge advantage in sight-reading.

The hierarchy of rhythm — solving rhythm problems before they begin.

All kinds of scales — the “ladders of notes” every song is composed of. Major scales, 3 types of minor scales, chromatic scales, whole tone scales, modal scales.

How transposition and modulation works — playing songs in different keys, and getting from one key to another smoothly.

Complex time signatures, and what they tell you.

Perfect, major & minor intervals — helps ear training greatly.

Two-part and four-part harmony.

Figured bass such as IV, V7, ii6, I6/4, etc. and how it relates to chord symbols such as Fm7, F6, Dmaj7, etc.

Harmonizing melodies with all these chords.

Open & close voicing, inversions, secondary chords, form, cadences, non-harmonic tones, arranging for voices, arranging for brass, arranging for strings, transposing instruments, key relationships and many other exciting insights into the inner workings of music!

But what is harmony?

Harmony is a sub-set of music theory. It is a series of notes in combination, played simultaneously. Listen to your favorite songs, and pay close attention to the back-up vocals when they’re being sung along with the lead. Can you hear how the two vocal melodies differ in pitch? That’s harmony, and it’s highly possible that those back-up vocalists were chosen because of their strong ability to harmonize.

Singing a harmony, or rather picking one out on your own without written sheet music, is an almost inherent musical skill that many singers would die to possess. But harmony isn’t just the province of singers; it’s found in every single area of music. Any time a sound is layered on top of another sound and those sounds match each other in rhythm and melody (but not pitch), a harmony is created.

Harmony is made of intervals, and as such, it can be considered dissonant (scratchy, uncomfortable, like playing an E and an F at the same time) or consonant (pleasing or smooth). What makes a harmony pleasing or unpleasing, however, is extremely relative. In medieval times, only octaves and perfect fifths were considered harmonious, and any harmony that deviated from that was generally frowned upon. In modern western music, though, nearly everything is considered to be harmonious by someone. Fifths are still very popular in modern harmony but are now used in the most unlikely of places; heavy metal music, for example, frequently uses perfect fifths in the vocal harmony to create an eerie effect when layered on top of the more dissonant instrumentation.

Harmony, in addition to being consonant or dissonant, can also be subordinate or coordinate. Subordinate harmony, the tonal harmony used most frequently today, is a series of harmonies that are based on each other. The harmony moves in such a way that a resolution is somewhat predictable; you can hear this type of harmony in modern pop music, musical parts that flow very easily into each other and don’t leave the listener baffled as to the turn the song has taken. On the other hand, coordinate harmony is a series of harmonies that operate independently of each other. They do have some common relation, of course, but don’t typically move toward a goal, or predictable resolution. Renaissance musicians often used this type of harmony, and it’s capable of producing rich and moving textures within a piece of music.

Learning music theory and harmony is not just an option you can take or leave: it is part and parcel of the “stuff of music”. No surgeon would ever say “I don’t want to learn all that stuff about the nervous system & the skeletal system and blood vessels and how the lungs and heart works and all that stuff — I just want to operate”.

And yet the majority of piano players ignore the very thing that would take them to the next level in their playing and knowledge — music theory & harmony.
About the Author:

Duane Shinn