Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument for Adults

It appears that adults who wish to play an instrument become interested because they never had the opportunity as a child to do so. Adulthood allows freedom to pursue and experiment with various hobbies and interests. Learning to play an instrument may also be recommended by medical staff, friends, and family members.

Human beings are living longer and are afforded the luxury of time to enjoy more hobbies and leisure time interests.

Benefits of Playing:

1. Playing an instrument is mentally advantageous for learning, memory, and focusing.
2. Music helps relieve mental stress.
3. Relaxes muscles
4. It emotionally nurtures creativity and imagination.
5. Spiritually, music rewards you with freedom, comfort, and a feeling of oneness with the universe.

Learning to play a musical instrument gives many of us a leisure pleasure, the wherewithal to share our talents with others, and it widens our social circle. There is no reason to experience loneliness as music lightens our soul and welcomes friendships.

There are four categories from which to choose. Select from percussion, string, brass, and woodwind.

1. Percussion refers to instruments that must be struck with fingers, hand, or an object. Drums, piano, and tambourine are three examples.
2. String instruments usually have metal strings and produce sound with fingers or a pick. The guitar and banjo are two examples.
3. Brass instruments are made from brass and have a brass mouthpiece. Two examples wold be the trumpet and the saxophone.
4. The woodwind instruments are made from metal. The mouthpiece is made from wood and is called the reed. Clarinet and flute would be included in this group.

How to Select:

There are many different instruments within each category. If you are not interested in American or European musical instruments, review world-wide instruments. They will have different names but they will fit within the four categories or families.

1. Select the instrument that represent your style of music.
2. The instrument should fit into your lifestyle.
3. Space, storage, and maintenance needs to be considered.
4. Sample different instruments before purchasing.
5. Talk to others about their musical experiences.
6. Borrow from a friend or family member before buying.
7. Rent before buying.
8. Consider practice time schedule.
9. Is there a good teacher available?

Personal example:

I am not a musician but I do respect people who have mastered playing one. The main importance of your selection is that you love it and you enjoy it.

I selected the piano as a child

I tried a flute which my friend liked and discovered I did not have the lungs for it.

As an adult I sampled the guitar, but the strings cut my fingers

Later I enjoyed the drums because I wanted to learn different rhythms.

Are you having problems selecting a musical instrument?
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The Chicken Came Along

I couldn't stop laughing when I read Anne-Marie's (not her real name) story:

We recently bought a smallholding and to augment our income, we are busy raising broilers. They range freely in the yard.

One of the cockerels found a nice warm space under the bakkie and settled himself there without us knowing.

We were going to your book launch that evening and Mr. Cockerel decided: "I'm not getting off in Stellenbosch!"

Back at home (it rained the whole way and tons of oily water must have splattered the underside of the vehicle), the neighbours' dachshund started making the weirdest noises under the bakkie.

Also like this: http://kolajokeentertain.blogspot.com/2019/07/why-business-cards-are-useful-to.html

The next moment the dog appeared from under the bakkie with the chicken in his mouth.

Everybody said there was no saving this chicken - chop its head off.

Fortunately, I didn't know how to do it and chose the easy way out - I cuddled the poor thing in front of the heater in one of my warm jerseys.

Why Business Cards Are Useful To Musicians

Why Musicians Should Use Business Cards

Business cards, we've all had them. Some of us swear by them, others say "neh" and do away with them. Whatever type you are, I'm sure someone's handed you one at some point. And you probably thought, "what the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Or maybe you were like "sweet dude, I'm gonna call you right away." Either way, it probably got you thinking. You may have thought, "wow this person really comes prepared." I seriously doubt you thought, "heh, look this guy, what a dinosaur, still uses business cards."

In this article, we're going to take a look at a few things you can do with business cards to stand out amongst the sea of musicians out there, and why business cards for musicians still can be used today.

Tangibility

Okay, it's kind of interesting that in 2018 we're still talking about them. I mean, we're supposed to have hover-boards, flying cars, self-tying shoes, and time travel should be a thing of the past. Sorry, Marty, we're not there yet.

As the world becomes more and more digitized with things like SoundCloud, Spotify and Facebook it may feel like business cards for musicians are a bit old-fashioned. But are they really? Well, we're humans, so it's only natural that we like the human touch. Handing something that is tangible to another person has much more of an impact rather than another 'like' or 'follow' on social media. In 2016 paper books made a 7% increase in sales while eBooks made a decrease of 4%. A big attributor to this was adult coloring books and children preferring paper books over a Kindle or iPad. What does this suggest? I think it's kind of clear. We don't like everything in our lives to be digital. We like things that have texture and we can hold in our hands. Digital can just get a little too sterile at times.

Forces You To Network

When you learn the knowledge of something for yourself, you take responsibility for it. Similarly, when you spend money on something, you're more inclined to use it. A Facebook page or a Twitter account cost nothing. So it's much easier to give it the old 'oh tomorrow, tomorrow' adage. It doesn't feel too good spending money on that New Year's resolution exercise equipment for it to just sit there, collecting dust. But what happens when you actually use it and you start to see results. You probably feel like a million bucks. Well, when you've spent money on some business cards, I bet you anything you feel pretty good when you start using them and start meeting people. All the while putting you in the right mindset to get you off your ass and get to those networking events or build up the courage to talk to that person that could make the difference.

What To Put On Them?

Your basic setup should be quality stock (stock = type of paper). A nice 16pt paper or 38pt triple layered paper works beautifully. Avoid basic, cookie-cutter designs or images. Make sure your business cards include the following:

• Your name
• Services provided
• Phone number
• SoundCloud, Spotify, Facebook, or YouTube
• Email
• Your website URL

Don't overwhelm people with every single social media account you have. Provide the ones you use most and that best exemplify you.

Be Creative

Your card is a reflection of your artistry to an extent. So it should speak for you. Are you a plain and boring person? Then your business card should be plain and boring. Are you a simple yet modern person? Then your business card should speak of that. Try things like colorful backgrounds, or follow the trends of modern artwork and try to incorporate that into your design. It doesn't have to stop there either. Why not have some funny quotes or descriptions of your services? Don't just settle on 'guitar player' or my favorite 'pianist'. Make the line about who you are. Just don't overdo it.

Finally

Business cards aren't the end all. When you have them, you aren't going to just start booking outstanding gigs and getting more work (maybe you will). They are simply a way of having your information nicely placed for your prospect to take an interest into what you have to offer. Then, that may drive them to your website or demo reels. A good looking business card is just the first step, the rest is up to you...

I ask you this

How many of you musicians out there still use business cards? What are your thoughts about them while we move more and more into digitization. Do people really care about tangibility? For my networking musicians, if there were a website that helped musicians by taking the frustration out of designing business cards and other paper promotion, would you use it?

For my networking musicians, if there were a website that helped musicians by taking the frustration out of designing business cards and other paper promotion, would you use it? If you would check out this website http://www.musiciansprint.com. It's a great place to find beautifully made business cards and other promotional material for musicians.

Why We Immortalize Artists/Musicians Who Died in Their Prime

Whichever genre you listen to (Reggae, Hip-hop, Hard Metal, Rock n Roll, Soul, Jazz, Classical etc.) there's always an Artist(s) who at their Peak Revolutionized the industry and inspired a generation with their Lyrics, Talent, Songs, Personality, and Performance. 

 They were like demi gods in their prime worshiped by legions of fans worldwide, captivating us with their songs & lyrics, but their mysterious & untimely death shocked us and left an inedible mark on our lives, making us immortalize them to this day. But what if they were still alive; would we hold them in awe? Would their Songs, Lyrics or Compositions be revered? 

Would their influence & popularity be the same as before they died? What influences our attachment to them when dead than alive? Is it something innate or psychological making us appreciate them more when gone? It's hard to know what really makes us immortalize such artists, but after reading several articles, 

I have advanced several theories to help explain. "Many things he would try for he knew soon he'd die," "Now Jimi's gone, he's not alone/ His memory still lives on," "Five years, this he said/ He's not gone, he's just dead." "The Ballads of Jimi," by Legendary Guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Are Music Reviews and Music Press Helpful Tools in Promoting Your New CD Release?

Well, some might say that by asking me, you may be asking the wrong person. As a professional music publicist and music marketing consultant myself for hundreds of successful independent music artists, I can only tell you what I have experienced over the last 27 years plus of doing this for independent musicians. 

A good music publicist can facilitate interviews for you and get your music reviewed. Its positive impact on your project and career can be more than considerable. I am writing this article to bring this to the attention of independent artists. 

Most indie musicians may feel that their music does not stand a chance out there in the sea of hundreds of thousands of independent music releases annually. Unfortunately, with that kind of competition, this is not far from the truth. Most CD releases, without professional promotion, no matter how good, usually get lost or forgotten. 

However, a good indie music publicist can move your music to the forefront and bring it to the attention of the industry and the public alike with press, interviews, and music reviews. 

As long as your music is noteworthy, this makes generating the exposure and creating the buzz (if you will) much easier. CD reviews, interviews, and the press can do this efficiently if it's done right and by a credible professional music publicist. 

 Album and single reviews, written by professional music critics on credible music blogs and in the music media are read by thousands of potential fans, music journalists, booking agents, music publishers, and A&R representatives from both major and independent record labels on a daily basis. Professional Music Publicists are the curator of these creative placements. 

This being said, there are still a lot of indie musicians that are just now aware of the positive impact favorable CD reviews, interviews, and the innovative press can have on their project and new record release; while accelerating their music career to the next level. Our Band is on a Shoestring Budget. How Much Does a Publicist Cost? 

“I was sexually abused”- Rita Edochie

Popular Nollywood actress, Mrs Rita Edochie said she was a victim of sexual abuse many years ago and called on parents to regularly communicate with their children. 

 Edochie revealed this in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja. Edochie, who was a guest at a seminar to end violence against children, told NAN that she was sexually violated at a young age by a family friend.

 “I was a victim of sexual abuse; that was when I was in primary six; I was going to the hospital and somebody called me. 

“The boy used some diabolic means and sexually violated me; when I could not see my period, I refuse to tell my mother, because she was very strict. 

 “I love sharing my experience because at the end of the day I succeeded; If I had not succeed, I would not have been able to be saying it,” Edochie said. She explained that the pregnancy was about seven months before her mother noticed it.

 Edochie added that her mother was shocked at the pregnancy because she thought her being strict would not allow such a thing to happen. 

 “My mother asked how it happened and I told her everything; my brother picked a knife and wanted to kill me, but my mother stopped him. 

“It happened that the mother of the boy that violated me was my mother’s friend; the boy’s mother was surprise but the boy denied. 

“My mother took me to hospital to abort the pregnancy with a plan of taking me to my grandmother’s place at ‘Ogede’ to stay for one week before returning home. 

 “I told her I may lose my life in the process; and because she loved me, she then aborted the planned abortion; I feel it was God that spoke through me. 

 According to the actress, “my mother took care of the baby while I went to school; if not for my mother I would not be where I am today.” 

 The veteran actress called on parents to communicate regularly with their children and make them their best friends. 

 “Parents should always listen to their children’s complaints on happenings both in and outside the home.”

All set for MBGE Pageant 2016

All is now set for the 2016 edition of the Most Beautiful Girl In Eko Beauty Pageant. The event will take place at the Bamboo Event Hall, Omole, Ojodu, Lagos on June 27, 2016. Funmi Bolatiwa Quadri, Executive Director of Ereon Pageantry, said this year’s MBGE Beauty Pageant has been upgraded, with a reloaded website www.mbge.com.ng. She further explained that six beauty queens would emerge in six categories as winners in this 2016 edition.