Pairing Business With Success

Imagine being able to sit down at the piano and create your own unique music without years of study. Now imagine being able to do it within 1 hour! It’s possible when you learn how to play the open position piano chord!

The OPC is a special way of forming chords at the piano. You use both hands right away to create a modern sounding chord that’s perfect for today’s contemporary styles. It’s called “open position” because of the way the notes of the chord are spread out.

The left hand plays the root, fifth, and seventh notes of the chord while the right hand takes the third and seventh again. The sound is amazing but this isn’t the biggest benefit of this particular chord structure. The biggest benefit is what you can do with it!

For example, in the piano lesson “Reflections in Water,” you start by playing a C Major 7 OPC. Now that you have the chord what are you going to do to make music? You are going to improvise a melody with the right hand using the tones from the C Major scale. You see, all you really need to know in order to make your own music is chords and the scale the chords came from.

You need to know the notes of the scale so you can use them to improvise a melody. Now the beauty of the open position chord is that you don’t have to move your hands around too much in order to create a melody with. In fact, you can pretty much stay within this chord structure and create a beautiful piece of music.

Reflections in Water uses 4 chords to create a few minutes of music with. A beginner can learn to use this chord structure within 1 hour and create music with it. It really is that easy!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

New precise GPS readings acquired on the 16-17th Oct have recorded that Mont Blanc measures 4810.2 m. Mount-Blanc is veiled by a thick ice-cap which has augmented by 2 meters in precisely two yrs however more unexpectedly the mass of the ice and snow has virtually doubled up . Least ways that is as reported by the experts.

The amount of ice was calculated for the inaugural time in 2001. It amounted to 14500 cubic meters above 4780 m. It was just 13800 metres cubed in 2004 perchance due to the heat wave with positive temperatures even at 4950 m altitude. Moreover the ice-cap has almost doubled since then and at present numbers 23000 metres cubed.

Chamonix Mont Blanc’s renowned near by weather man Leona Nugent said the increase in the mass of the ice cap is one of the counter intuitive consequences of climate change: The amount of snow has not increased overall in the Alpes simply with climate change we are seeing more warm westerly winds which bring in rain at lower altitudes but during summer this means significant snow that settles higher up than 3500 m height thus the amount of the icecap is rising. Counterpoint that to the situation in winter time when the snow crystals are extremely cold and are moved by air currents and so do not settle on the top.

Chamonix ski resort is not just renowned for Mont Blanc it is also a world renowned snowboarding town and climbing mecca with many ski deals and accommodation bargains to be found. Furthermore at only 1 hour from Geneva airport it is ideal for a ski weekend.

Did you know that the health and beauty of your brass instruments require extra special attention? It’s true-their wellbeing and happiness depend upon it. While we’re not talking about putting your tuba on a weight-loss program or taking your trumpet to the spa for a makeover, you do need to treat your brass instruments with care or they’ll refuse to come out and play. So, grab that brass and get ready for a workout-it’s time to clean!

When was the last time you saw a dirty French Horn in the orchestra? Probably never, right? That’s because professional musicians know how to take daily, monthly, and yearly care of their instruments. Now’s your chance to do the same! Starting with daily care, follow these tips to maintain the health and beauty of your brass.

Note: Because brass instruments vary, be sure to learn the specific cleaning methods for your particular instrument. For example, rotor instruments like the French horns, rotor tubas, and rotor trombones should always be cleaned by an experienced repairperson.

Once a week, lubricate the valves on your brass instrument. Simply unscrew the valve cap and draw out the valve half way. Using the appropriate lubricant, apply a drop of valve oil to the widest part of the valve. Then, press the valve back to its original position. The valves on most brass instruments have a “guide” that helps you to line up the valve. Most often, you’ll hear a *click* when you’ve got the valve perfectly aligned.

If you play a brass instrument, you know what happens after a good session of blowing. You know, “moisture” can build up inside of your instrument. If it’s not removed, this moisture can do a real number on the health of your instrument. To be sure you’ve removed all moisture from your instrument after you’re done playing, you’ll want do a final blow with the water keys opened. This should help to keep the insides of your instruments happy and dry.

No Fingerprints Please

To keep your brass shining, be sure to wipe down the outside of the instrument after each use. This will help remove oils and perspiration left by your hands.

To spare your brass from unsightly “bruises,” be sure to always store your instrument in its case when its not being used. Doing so will not only spare your brass from damage, but it’ll also keep your instrument clean. Remember, your instrument case is for your instrument; storing music books, cleaning supplies, or even your lunch inside the case can lead to all kinds of problems with the slides or valves of your instrument.

Once A Month It’s Thorough Internal Cleaning Time

To do this, you’ll need to take your brass apart completely. You’ll also need some supplies, including cleaning brushes, liquid soap, slide grease (if your instrument has slides), and valve oil. If you’re not comfortable with any of these steps, take your instrument to a music shop for a professional cleaning to keep it in tip top shape.

Head to your bathroom or kitchen sink and get ready to get dirty!

1. Remove all slides, valves and valve bottom caps and place them, except for the valves, in warm, soapy water. Soak the parts in the water for 10 minutes
2. As your parts are soaking, run warm water over your valves and use the valve brush to brush out all openings. Give your valves a good shake to remove excess water and let dry
3. Depending on your type of instrument, you’ll want to brush all its tubes and compartments as well as the valve casings
4. Rinse the entire instrument with warm water and be sure to wipe off any excess moisture with a soft cloth. Before moving on to the next step, you’ll want to make sure your instrument is completely dry
5. If your instrument has slides, apply a little slide grease to each and put back together reassemble
6. Replace the valves and apply a drop of oil on each to lubricate. Most valves are numbered, so be sure to put yours back in the correct location

Voila! You’re done. You can now go slide that trombone or toot that trumpet to your heart’s content. Because you treated your brass with cleanly attention, it’ll serve up beautiful music for years to come! Play that horn, Daddy-O!

Jon Butt is the publisher of Musical Instruments Guide , a free resource dedicated to all things musical. From electric guitars to drum sets, tubas to bagpipes, and every musical accessory in-between, the http://www.the-musical-instruments-guide.com/trumpet.html“>Musical Instruments Guide is packed full of informative articles, find top-rated musical instruments and online merchants

The recent changes in the payback formula at MP3.com had catastophic results to indie artists everywhere. My band, the Brobdingnagian Bards, was making over $100 per day when the system dropped out from beneath us. But you know, it didn’t hit us as hard as many artists.

The reasons is that about two months ago, I saw the changes that were happening and decided to make a change in my own marketing procedures. Vivendi was taking charge. They want to hinder free downloads and keep CDs viable for as long as possible. Alright, so we need to sell CDs. How do we do that?

That’s when I started surfing to the masters. Fellows like Jim Daniels of BizWeb2000.com, and even to some of the SPAM marketers.

You see, I read a book on ad copy about a year ago, and I started to understand what these people do. Sure, when you head to some SPAM marketer webpage, you see ad copy three pages long that doesn’t tell you jack. It kinda beats around the bush. But you know what…some of that stuff ACTUALLY SELLS!

It’s true. Ad copy for your CDs is all about convincing your potential fans to buy your albums. It’s easy to write because all you need to do is tell your fans what you think is so great about your album. Why do they want to buy your album?

No, you don’t have to write ten pages to sell your CD. Just write one. Or head over to our Celtic Wedding CD page. I setup that page in late July of 2001. Since then, our wedding CD has been our best selling CD. What does it do that is so special?

Not much. It directs traffic to the site. Tells visitors about the CD. It gives them free samples to listen and download. Offers a few testimonials. And it tells them why I think our CD is the perfect album for someone who is getting married or just in love. Finally, it gives them something extra. That’s all ad copy is. And it works!

Hey, follow my example. Steal my ad copy and cater it to your own needs. And start selling CDs.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000’s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE “how-to” music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Intellectual property’s tentacles are long and strong. Maybe the largest battlefield in IP is the music industry. Composer, producers, interpreters and license owners might get unexpectedly involved in legal battles regarding the misuse or abuse of a song of their property. Sometimes it is just something as little as a sample of the song but are legal frictions can deal with millions and millions of dollars.

Time is not an issue to underestimate when dealing with Intellectual Property. If by any chance, you use a song that was written forty years ago, and one of its owners is still alive, he/she can claim unfair use and suddenly, legal lawsuits can flood your desk. When working with someone else’s work, you should be extremely careful, no matter if you already got permission to use it.

In 1997, the British band The Verve sampled an orchestration in one of their songs, “Bittersweet Symphony”, from the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”. Prior the release of the album, the group did the proper negotiations concerning the license agreement with the Rolling Stones to utilize the sample. When the album came out, the song was a complete hit and reached number 23 on the Billboard Charts. After the sudden success of the song, the Rolling Stones argued that The Verve violated their license agreement because they use too much of the sample in their song. The Rolling Stones ended up collecting 100% of the loyalties of the song. Members of The Verve argued that the Stones got greedy when they noticed the sudden success of “Bittersweet Symphony”.

As a result, the Rolling Stones sold the rights over the “Bittersweet Symphony” and it became part of many commercials and publicities. Allen Klein, Rolling Stones’ manager licensed the song to Nike and to Vauxhall automobiles. Both brands utilize the melody for multi-million dollar television campaigns. Even worse, when the song was nominated for a Grammy, The Verve was not named as a nominee, but Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were. This is just a little example of moral rights dealing with intellectual property. The song hit top of the charts and not one members of The Verve enjoyed a cent of its success.

If these types of situations happen with amazing groups, who supposedly are not interested in more money, anything can happen to regular people who may get exposed to these inconveniences. Get acquainted with the respective regulations and laws so that no economical issues may come up in case you are planning to use someone else’s inspiration!

If you have been affected for an intellectual property abuse, please visit www.hugesettlements.com and submit your case.

It was one of those fishing trips. You know, everyone catches fish but you, you loose six or eight of your most expensive streamers, it rains buckets, and you sink the boat. That’s right; I got skunked at Steamboat Lake over Memorial weekend.

I was determined to show those meat huckers (worms and power bait) that a well chosen and strategically placed fly was as effective as anything a conventional fisherman could load on a hook and hang under a bobber. Well, no such luck, I got stomped.

The fish were rising like mad on a midge hatch, and I threw everything in the box at them. I could swear I saw a hefty rainbow nudge my fly to the side to eat the natural laying only centimeters from my damn near perfect replica. As we watched the group of 12 year olds add another 18″ fish to their stringer (full loaded, I might add) I decided it must be a lake thing. I don’t fish lakes often.

I usually have good luck with a streamer in faster moving water, so I head for one on the several tributaries hoping to get the boat up far enough to make a make a few good casts. No such luck, here comes the wind. Determined and frustrated, I proceed to lose several of my best streamers in the dense shrubbery surrounding the mouth of the creek (can’t retrieve them since the current is too strong to get the boat any further up the creek).

On the way back to camp we are passed by a couple of boats with stringers of fish crashing off the bows of their boats (hmmm, are they just rubbing it my face, or are they tenderizing the meat?)Questioning my decision to become a fly fisherman, I head over to the dock to pick up my 5 year-old son and a fresh styro of night crawlers. I’ll let my son fish the meat before I crumble and load one up on the spinner myself. Surprising, no luck with the meat either, and hear comes the rain. I throw my arms up and ponder my karma activity of the past year.

We charge for shore as the lake turns to white caps. The rain and lightning moves in fast. Did I mention that we got the boat for free and have no clue what to do in the rain? We pull the boat up close to shore near our camp, outside of the no-wake zone. We leave all of our gear and head for the soggy camp.

Well, apparently it’s best to leave your boat in protected cove in the no wake zone. From what we could tell, our boat was hammered with 300 to 400 gallons of water from the waves and boat wakes from boaters rushing back to the dock. Yes, it sank in 18 inches of water. I didn’t realize a boat could sink in 18″ of water! All of our gear is floating around the shore. The gas tank and gear which included an Orvis waste pack with hmmmm, some 500 plus flies. Every box any fly had to be opened and dried on the dashboards of our trucks.

We bail the boat, load the truck and haul our soggy gear and crippled egos back home.

Next memorial day, it’s back to the river!!!

Rick Chapo is with www.nomadjournals.com - Makers of fly fishing journals. Visit www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read fly fishing journals and articles.

Recreation is an essential factor in the life of every human being. The anglers or the fishermen represent the largest single group of recreational seekers, and have a decided advantage over the other groups who utilize nature’s creatures and elements for recreation or food.

The popularity of fishing in many areas has been largely based upon the angling pressure, which is far beyond the normal capacity of the streams and lakes. There are species of fish for every type of angler and each one may choose the species of fish or the method of fishing that has the greatest personal appeal or attraction.

It is for this reason that many people are enticed to spend their vacation in a fishing activity. But, for people who would like to have planned fishing activities, they opt for fishing charters.

Fishing charter is one way of enjoying fishing even if an individual does not have the means or the equipment as far as fishing is concerned. It aims to provide the necessary services in a fishing activity.

However, not all fishing charters are created equal. Hence, it is important to know the factors required to be taken into account before jumping into conclusions.

Here is a list of some mportant factors that need to be considered:

1. The cost of the trip

Like any financial decision, people who would like to use fishing charter should know the required charges of the trip.

It is best to know the necessary requirements like deposits or contract agreements before committing to a fishing charter.

Best of all, people should be aware of the items they are paying for. They should know what the kinds of services included on the package are.

2. The length of time required in each charter trip.

Most captains are enticed to do a little fishing before going back to the dock. This will not pose a problem at all but if it will cost the person, who requested the service, additional charges for extra minutes or hours spent beyond the agreed number of hours, then, that is a problem.

Hence, it is important for the individual to know what time the charter will start and end.

3. The captain

It is important for a person who wants to engage in a fishing charter to know the competency and the skills of the captain. Hence, in order to have a successful fishing activity, it is best to get the experienced captain.

A fishing charter is one way of enjoying fishing at its best.

Travis Clemens is a life time fisherman and he knows the ins and outs of gettinem on the hook! You too can gettem on the hook with Travis as your guide! www.best-fishing-tips.com

Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to help you reduce your unsecured debts though arbitration and negations. The important thing to realize about Debt Settlement is that it is a different type of program than Consumer Credit Counseling or Debt Reduction. Traditionally, these types of programs work with your creditors to lower your interest rates. Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to reduce your credit card and unsecured debt balances, sometimes by as much as 40-60%! While this type of program can be quite effective, there are some major issues that must also be considered.

Typically people in need of Debt Settlement are people who have suffered some type of financial hardship. This can range from job loss or divorce to medical issues. Debt Settlement is for people who are deep in debt and are without the means to repay their creditors. These types of people should be the only ones to use Debt Settlement. Debt Settlement should not be used by someone who is simply trying to escape their financial obligations.

When you begin a Debt Settlement program, there is normally some type of startup fee that will be charged for services. However, this fee should never be more than you’re your monthly payments will be. Additionally, the company will most likely charge you a monthly maintenance fee. Some companies charge a flat fee of that ranges from 10-15% of your total outstanding balances.

Once you have joined a Debt Settlement program, you will start saving money, on a monthly basis, so it can build until you have enough money to begin settling on one or more of your current accounts. Under no circumstances should you do business with a company that requests that they hold your money in an “escrow account”. You should always be in complete control of your settlement funds. The Debt Settlement Company will contact your creditors and begin negotiating a reduced payoff amount. Once the company negotiates an acceptable, written, settlement offer, they will arrange for you to send funds from your settlement account to pay off that debt. This process will be repeated for each creditor until all of your debts have been repaid. As each of your creditors receives payment, you should receive written confirmation documenting that your debt has been paid in full. This documentation should come from the creditor via your Debt Settlement Company.

It is important to remain cognizant of the fact that while you are accumulating funds in order to pay off your debts you are still accruing late fees and interest charges, which is increasing your balance. If the Debt Settlement Company that you are working with charge a settlement fee, request that the fee be based upon the original balance, not the current balance!

By not making the required minimum monthly payments to your creditors, it is possible that you are breaking the terms of your agreement with them and most likely will be reported to consumer reporting agencies as a delinquent customer. This is the case whether you are currently enrolled in a Debt Settlement program or not. Upon enrolling in a Debt Settlement program, your credit score will probably get worse before it gets better. Additionally, it is possible for creditors and third-party collection agencies to use legal means as a way to collect debts. However, the likelihood of being sued or having your wages garnished depends largely on the creditor that is owed money. If you currently earn a respectable salary, own a home that has a sizable amount of equity, or can most likely afford to repay your current debts without the use of credit counseling, Debt Settlement, or bankruptcy, then there is a possibility that a judgment may be filed against you if begin to miss your monthly payments.

It is important to consider both the pros and cons of Debt Settlement prior to using it as alternative to filing bankruptcy. In many cases, with a sound budget and proper planning, it is possible to avoid debt related problems altogether.

Alan Barnes
IAPDA Certified Debt Arbitrator
President and CEO of Debt Regret
http://www.debtregret.com

Do you have good reasons for not paying off your debt? Good for you. But what you need to understand is that with interest, every month that passes means you pay hundreds or thousands of more dollars. Even if you are making all of your minimum payments, you aren’t really getting ahead.

I tried explaining this a client who hadn’t used her credit card in over a year, but had been faithfully paying the minimum payment each month. She just couldn’t grasp it until I showed her last year’s statement for May. When compared to this year’s statement, she was shocked to find that she had only paid down her account by approximately $100. In a year. Yet, she had easily made $300 worth of payments. For $100 dollars.

Each time interest is added to your account, you have to take a step to reduce the debt or watch it build on you. Putting off paying off means that you will pay higher interest each month than is necessary.

Want a shock? Plug everything into one of the debt reduction calculators to see how long it will take you to be debt free. Two years ago, the calculator said 100 years of debt payments for my family. The only debt we now have is a mortgage, which has approximately 10 years left. We are working hard on paying it off earlier.

I’ve heard all the excuses. My favorite is that “I am about to get a promotion, we’ll pay it off then.” That rarely happens, but no one sees that until it is too late.

For example, I have a client that is counting on a $800 a month promotion to pay for daycare for another child (plans to work on addition for the family after promotion), pay off debt, pay for new car (purchased last month) and it will allow her husband to stop working overtime. The promotion isn’t a sure thing and, yet, is already spent.

There are plenty of people that believe that they have their bills under control. They may be just a little “tight” right now, but it’s not too bad. Others have a goal in mind, but they just don’t have the extra money to put towards paying off debt. And then there are those that are banking on a windfall, bonus or production.

There are also those that start, but something always happens.

Those that are waiting for the windfall often say that they have too much debt for the money to make any difference to their debt. They’ll just wait until they get a whole lot of money to pay some things off. And it builds and builds.

If you believe that you are in control of your debt, are you aware of how much interest you pay each month. You need to total it all up, for the month and for your lifetime. Look at how much money you simply are throwing away. Are you still okay with all the debt? Reducing your debt is a good goal to work on. Start now with no more excuses. Pay off your debt and save your interest dollars for you.

Martin Lukac (http://www.MartinLukac.com), represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

A saxophone is a musical instrument that belongs in the woodwind category. It is one of the youngest musical instruments, having been invented in the 1840s by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian. Saxophones were earlier used in the military and in big orchestras but are now found in smaller bands as well. They are generally used for big band music, pop music, concerts, marching bands and jazz music. There are four commonly used kinds of saxophones: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone saxophones.

The alto saxophone is the most common saxophone in use. It is a basic model, and is generally preferred for beginners because of its comfortable shape and size. The alto is of medium size. It is shaped like a “J” bent backwards. Some alto saxophones are also straight in shape with a slightly tipped bell. The alto is usually preferred for classical compositions from composers like Ibert, Glazunov and Debussy.

The alto, like all other saxophones, is a transposing instrument. It is in the key of E-Flat. It is slightly longer than the soprano, and also lower sounding. Hence, it is a preferred solo jazz instrument.

The main parts in an alto saxophone are: the mouth-piece, including the ligature and the reed; the main tube that has tone holes and keys; a series of rods that connect the keys to the tone holes; the pads that securely cover the tone holes and, most importantly, the bell.

The local music store, mail-order service, a private party or the Internet are different places where one can buy alto saxophones. The main aspects to be considered are the quality, service, price and the model. The Internet is a good source to find information about alto saxophones, but it is wise to test a few of them before buying.

Saxophones provides detailed information about saxophones, jazz saxophones, soprano saxophones, alto saxophones and more. Saxophones is the sister site of Violins Web.