Best Music Books - The Indie Bible - Market Your Music to the World

Most people miss the hidden assets MP3 audio books have that make life a great deal easier in many ways.

For instance, do you like to exercise to stay in great shape and feel like a tiger, full of boundless energy? Or, does your workout feel more like a constant dread? If your case is the latter, MP3 audio books can help you transform it from an unhappy to a fun activity.

There is a not-so-completely new way of doing workouts besides listening to music or radio. And the new way brings the convenience of MP3 audio books, allowing you to grab more benefits at once while working out.

If you want to maximize your workout by using MP3 audio books “as triggers”, read on to find out more.

There are educational MP3 audio books that will teach you about exciting and effective ways of staying in shape. Many people who exercise don’t even have a clue how to do it right. Instead of guessing it, there are great audio books that guide the listeners to quicker, more satisfying, and lasting results.

The trouble sometimes is that no matter how much you think you already know about working out, there are MP3 audio books out there that show you much better ways others miss.

Some of these workout-related audio books come with calming music in the background, thus making you stay focused and attentive during the workout like a bulldog on a bone.

During workouts, audio books help to take your mind away from the physical activity. They act as “triggers”. Instead of concentrating on the no-pain-no-gain workout, the messages contained in the MP3 audio book help you trigger other thoughts, giving you extra energy and different focus.

Both the extra energy and different focus allow you to work out longer and more effectively.

For example, if you usually run for, say 30 minutes, with an interesting audio book you will be able to increase the jogging time to, say 50 minutes or more. It can mean a big difference from “dreaded” into “longer and rewarding”, what do you say?

Certain MP3 audio books that talk about the importance of staying in shape and looking great deliver necessary motivation to your ears. Often, it’s the motivation we need - in the right moment, at the right time.

They give you an audible parade of more reasons why you should stay at it working out, instead of mulling over reasons to bail out. The MP3 books can become your personal coaches for a lot less than a live one would cost.

Glance at the three titles you can look up and take for a “test-drive” next time you are exercising in some way.

Suggestion # 1:

The Thin Commandments Diet … by Dr Stephen Gullo, PhD.
In The Thin Commandments Diet, Dr. Stephen Gullo lets you in on his unique weight-loss program that has a success rate that is many times higher than the national average.

Suggestion # 2:

A Guide To Walking Fitness … by Andy Guides
Do you ever wish that you could get in better shape, tone those muscles, lose some weight and achieve better health without killing yourself while doing it? Fitness walking is a great way to do this if you know how.

Suggestion # 3:

Ultra-Metabolism … by Mark Hyman, M. D
An instant New York Times best-seller, Ultra-Metabolism finally reveals why it’s so hard to lose weight. Allow Dr. Hyman to run through the reasons for weight retention.

Yup, it still takes some guts and perseverance. But on the other hand, if you can make your exercise easier and more in flow, it now hinges only on your decision to check out and download MP3 audio books into your MP3 player and way you go.
There’s a free video help with how to do that at http://mybigaudio.com/help.html if you ever need it.

Think about it for a second and make it happen. Easy-to-carry MP3 audio books can help you stick to your workout plan. And that may eventually lead you to looking and feeling great.

Lu Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/mp3-audio-books-used-as-triggers-can-help-lighten-up-your-monster-workout-131684.html

Downloading iPod music always brings thrill to users whenever they manage to find the tune they are searching for. Just not long ago, when radio was the only free source of music, people would stay tuned to their radio or portable receiver. Then CDs came along, followed by music MP3s. It is apparent that the MP3 player has invaded almost all the modern homes of America. Chances are you would find one MP3 player or more specifically an iPod in the homes since it is the most popular MP3 player. More than 21 million iPods were sold in just the last quarter of 2006 alone, boosted by the Christmas sales. Having a nice gadget with such enhanced capacity to hold hundreds to even thousands of songs and music is not enough. You need to know how and where to get hold of unlimited iPod music downloads in order to do justice to your iPod.

When people think of iPod music downloads, the first place they would think of is iTunes. If you do a quick review, you would discover that they have a wide selection of over 3.5 million songs, movies and over 200 TV shows, over 20,000 audio books, games etc. Prices range from $0.99 for a music track, and movies retail at $9.99 per movie, while TV show sells at $1.99 per episode. Frankly, that’s quite a large database of iPod media files and there are old fans who stick with it since that’s probably the very first site that they knew and got their first iPod music downloads.

However, there are others who feel that it is ridiculously expensive if they want to beef up a private stash of music and songs with tons of iPod music downloads. Naturally, they would switch to downloading iPod music at free download sites like Kazaa or Limewire. Why should anyone bother to download iPod music that comes with a price tag each time you do so? People quickly figured this out and as a result, huge demand for free iPod music downloads ensued. More download sites using the same concept as Kazaa pop up.

But there are some problems with downloading iPod music at sites like Kazaa. These download sites would expose your computer system to malware such as viruses, adware and spyware. In exchange for downloading iPod music for free, you are obliged to view those pop-up advertisements, or commercial ads. Needless to say, this would badly affect your PC’s performance such as speed and memory and its functionality. Imagine the kind of trouble you would be in should your PC crash on you and wipe out all your important files and documents. The reformatting, reinstallation and so on so forth is something most people would love to avoid.

Business owners saw the loopholes and pitfalls in these free iPod music downloads sites. In meeting the ever-increasing demand for cheap music downloads for iPod, new membership sites that offer lifetime access to millions of iPod music files, music videos, and other media files like business audio books, TV shows and movies came into the music scene. Instead of a pay-per-download fee structure, they go for a one-time fee based concept. Various download sites charge a different fee but it is generally in the low range of $40. The music community, especially iPod users has welcomed such a refreshing change. Music enthusiasts can now access to as many iPod music downloads as they wish, without expensive charges under an environment safe from malware attacks.

Read my blog to find out how it is possible to access to millions of iPod music downloads and get the latest tips and reviews of top iPod music sites.

The content of this article is provided for the purpose of education and illustration only and is in no way associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subsidiary of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Davion W
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/ipod-music-downloads-download-ipod-music-to-your-hearts-content-99128.html

Next time you’re browsing around in a book shop, take a look at the names on the audio tapes. You might be surprised about how many names you recognize. Recently, publishing companies have begun to see the potential held in audio books, and have been producing more and more of their printed best sellers in audio book format. The audio book market has grown so popular that celebrities are now getting in on the action.

It is not uncommon for audio books to utilize different voice actors to portray the different characters in the book. Along with sound effects, music and sometimes a celebrity cast, audio books can become an entire production. These audio books are the ones that are getting the most exposure. Bill and Hilary Clinton, for example, achieved huge success when they produced their best selling books in audio format. This shows that people want very much to hear the stories straight out from the mouths of authors.

As with animated children’s movies, more celebrities are being drawn to doing the voices of the characters in children’s audio books. Parents are also reporting success in using children’s audio books as an aid for teaching their children how to read. With sound effects, music and songs, children are having more fun reading along; they are gaining more interest in reading books, not just listening to them.

If you are thinking right now, “Celebrities will do anything for money,” you are way off. The average pay to record a six hour long audio book, even for celebrities, is between $4,000 and $6,000. This is more like spare change for many of the higher paid celebrities out there. There are many reasons these highly paid, internationally famous celebrities agree to lend their voices to audio books. Some celebrities do it because they enjoyed reading the book so much that they want as many people as possible to enjoy the book, and help the author make the sales he or she deserves. Other celebrities do it because they want to help children learn to read, while some celebrities do it for political reasons. Whatever their reasons are, more and more celebrities are recording audio books, and sales have grown to an all time high.

Margret Lilin
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/listen-to-famous-voices-in-audio-books-136765.html

What is an Audio Book?

Educators are constantly innovating and modifying the way lessons are taught to children. The challenges of physical handicap like blindness is now overcome with the emergence of new education strategies.

An audio book is an alternative form of books. From the word ‘audio’, you could almost instantly tell that audio books involve the task of listening. Indeed, it is true.

Audio books are actually books that are read aloud and recorded. Through audio book, a person who is not literate can also enjoy the content and the knowledge contained in a given book.

Authors and publishers now recognize the advantage of translating published books into audio books. Published works are intended to reach the audience and impart knowledge.

Audio books facilitate for the rolling out of such content and knowledge contained in a book to a wider scope of audience.

Unabridged and abridged

Audio books can be abridged or unabridged. In publishing, you know that unabridged books are published word for word, according to how the author exactly put words and sentences.

Same goes for unabridged audio books. Unabridged audio books are read word for word from a published book. No word or sentence has been omitted or altered.

Meanwhile, abridged audio books are the opposite. When an audio book does not contain the exact words used by the author in a book, or when some parts are omitted or revised, it is certainly an abridged audio book.

CDs, cassettes and downloadable audio books

Since audio books are recorded content, publishers and makers can make use of the compact discs, the cassette tapes, or the online portal for Web downloading.

Currently, CDs dominate the audio book format. It can be because CDs are now the ‘in thing’ when it comes to audio technology. Almost all music listeners now listen to CDs played through CD players.

Audio in CD format also can be easily stored or carried along everywhere the owner goes. CDs also have greater capacity and can be recorded with significantly longer duration, meaning more content can be contained in a single CD.

The cassette tape format for audio books currently take about 40% of the audio books sold and purchased through the market, according to estimates.

Some people still cannot let go of their old cassette tape players. For some people, cassette tapes are more convenient and are less stressful to play. That is because cassette tape players are far more simple in structure and function than CD players.

Cassette tapes are also more durable because they do not easily break even if dropped to the floor.

The fastest growing segment of format typse for audio books is the downloadable type. Downloadable audio books are the most convenient of them all, because the book is stored virtually or online. However, many people still find it hard to download contents from the Internet, because they are not familiar using the online media.

Downloadable audio books make up about 6% of the overall global audio market. But the popularity of the downloadable audio book is rapidly rising because people form around the world can easily download contents from a Web site. The modern age is also becoming more and more inclined to the use if computers.

Dramatization and know hows

Since audio books are heard, several producers have been employing voice talents to give life to the reading of book contents. Thus, a novel can now be listened to, and can somehow be a form of entertainment with the dramatic effect of the recording.

Sometimes, audio book producers also hire famous celebrities to read out the contents of the audio book. This is based on thinking that several people would appreciate it more and would be more interested if an audio book features the voice of their favorite celebrity.

Audio books, aside from being academically useful, can also be used to teach people with the procedures and processes recommended for the execution of a task.

Thus, simple know hows are better taught to the target audience if the contents are read aloud than read.

Audio books are certainly useful because they make learning easier and more fun. The eyes won’t be stressed and the listener can still perform other activities while learning and listening to the content of a book.

Bill Urell
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/audio-books-a-new-way-to-look-at-reading-85743.html

There are lots of instructional books that show you how to play classical guitar. So which one should you use? That depends on your goals with the guitar and your style of learning. Here is a guide to some of the more popular instructional books.

If you are looking for a traditional instructional book you should consider the Carcassi Method. It has been the standard guidebook for generations of classical guitarists. If you want to go the traditional route this is a solid choice. It was written over a hundred years ago and although a bit dated it is still a fine choice. There is a second part to this method called twenty-five progressive studies that are extraordinary in that they give you a solid repertoire of professional pieces to learn.

For a more contemporary guide to playing you should consider the Christopher Parking Guitar Method. It is a modern method for learning classical guitar and it comes in two books. The first book focuses on learning how to play and the second book teaches you all about refining and improving your technique while developing your repertoire. This is an excellent set of books on classical guitar and Christopher Parkening is a world class guitarist who was a pupil of Andres Segovia.

If you are looking for an easy to understand and more relaxed way to learn classical guitar consider Mel Bay’s Complete Method for Classic Guitar. Mel Bay has been publishing easy to follow, and easy to understand guitar books for decades now. And this book follows this formula. It is clearly written and easy to understand. It assumes you know nothing about music or guitar and this book is very well suited for younger players.

If you want the benefits of being able to watch someone play and hear what the guitar sounds like you should consider the Basic Classical Guitar Method books 1 and 2 by Scott Tennant. The first book has a dvd so you can see how the guitar is played and the second book has a CD so you can hear what the exercises and pieces sound like.

As your skill with the classical guitar develops you are going to want to expand beyond the traditional instructional book and choose books in two different areas. They are technique books that improve your technique and repertoire books that give you pieces you can perform. One of the best technique books you can get is Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant. This book is a practical approach to really improving your playing technique.

If you are looking for an inexpensive collection of music to play I highly recommend The Library of Guitar Classics by Jerry Willard. This enormous book covers classical guitar across centuries, genres, composers and difficulty levels. It has a great variety of works that will keep you learning new pieces for many years. I own this book and refer to it all the time.

If you are interested in getting a better look at the whole subject of music theory I recommend you take a look at a book called: Scales, Intervals, Keys, and Triads. This book is an in depth look at music theory and music composition. It is independent of any instrument and is just a self-taught course on the theory of music.

There are lots of great books that will teach you how to play classical guitar and you can almost not go wrong choosing a book that works with your goals will make the process move much faster and easier.

Will Kalif
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/a-guide-to-classical-guitar-instruction-books-136056.html

Not very long ago, people who enjoyed listening to music books had to enjoy them using audio books cassette tapes. Long before CDs invaded the media industry, and even longer before the internet revolutionized the media industry, music books cassette tapes provided hours of education and enjoyment for book lovers.

For some, music books cassette tapes are still the preferred way to listen to a favorite book during long trips or relaxing evenings at home. Cassettes have their positive qualities, but more recent audio book formats have proven to be more efficient.

The audio book industry began with music literature cassette tapes. At the time, the Walkman was the most popular portable media player. This little device is still great for many reasons. Playing an audio book cassette is ideal if you are going for a walk or exercising because you do not have to deal with the frustrations of a skipping CD when listening to your favorite music books.

Cassette tapes are not prone to skipping, so you can jog without worrying about the stuttering sounds of the reader of your music literature. Other portable media players, such as iPods, are fragile and not durable enough to play through vibrations and bouncing.

Audio book cassettes are not without their disadvantages though. If you want to enjoy your favorite book on a long car ride or as a peaceful evening activity, other music literature forms are ideal. Audio book cassette tapes do not offer the option of a “quick skip”, which is the ability to skip to the next chapter with the simple push of a button.

Cassette tapes are also less durable than CDs and other digital formats. The tape can stretch or twist, which will negatively affect the sound quality of the music literature cassette. Even when the cassette tape is at its best, the sound quality is inferior to that of the CD or MP3 format.

With the popularity of digital downloads for your favorite music book, cassette tapes are becoming obsolete. As a result, you will find it more difficult to purchase your favorite music literature on cassette. Audio book companies prefer to offer their products as a digital download because it saves them money. Both the buyer and seller can also save money and time on shipping because music literature MP3s can be downloaded in a matter of seconds.

Finally, music book cassette tapes are bulky and take up a lot of space. If you want to take an entire music literature with you on a trip, it could be unwieldy if you use cassettes. Audio book companies have also noticed the more efficient use of their limited space with the digital format. They no longer need large warehouses to store several copies of their entire stock of music books. Cassette tapes are just not ideal for anybody who is trying to save space.

Audio books cassette tapes have some advantages, but many feel that the disadvantages far outweigh their positive aspects. The quick accessibility and ease of being able to download your favorite music literature as a digitally formatted file has made the audio book cassette tape all but obsolete. Unlike the bulky music books cassette tapes, other formats provide both space and cost efficiency.

MIKE SELVON
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/audio-books-cassette-the-original-audio-book-135235.html

One of the best things about the online audio books industry is that companies and websites can offer free audio books because they do not have to buy music literature materials for production. With downloadable music books, there are no products to purchase, which in turn gives online companies the opportunity to offer free downloads.

This is not only helpful for the company, but it also opens up a wider selection of books for consumers who are otherwise hesitant about purchasing titles in genres that they are not accustomed to reading.

A great place to get a number of free audio books is free-books. Like other music literature websites, you can log on to their page and download a wide variety of free books for personal and educational purposes.

If you are looking for titles from classical literature, the website provides free MP3 downloads from over 200 titles in their selection. You can also find European history titles and various other selections.

For adults looking for educational books, free-books offers many books that you can listen to and come away with information you may have not had before. “The Autobiography of Charles Darwin” is an example of one of the free audio books offered to people who might find this an interesting listen.

The recently published “1492″ is a book written about the expedition that brought Christopher Columbus to America and is available as a free audio book download on the website. Another notable section of books available for download on free-books include children’s music books. Titles like “Pinocchio”, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Andersen’s Fairy Tales” are just a few of the music books that kids will be sure to enjoy.

For more mature kids, the site also offers free audio download books like “Jane Eyre”, “Huckleberry Finn” and “Robinson Crusoe”. Children music literatures are a wonderful and exciting alternative to the popular video games or television programs that have flooded homes today. They not only help stimulate the imagination, they are more productive and educational than many other forms of entertainment.

You can find free music books online to satisfy any of your listening needs. If you like history, you can find historical works on websites that offer free music literatures. If you enjoy Charles Dickens or Emily Bronte, you can find free audio books of their writings as well.

You can add a large number of audio literatures to your audio book library just through websites that provide free audio downloads. You can expand your library even further if you are willing to buy music literatures because many of the newer best sellers are available for a discounted price.

MIKE SELVON
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/expand-your-horizons-with-free-audio-books-136627.html

There are umpteen zillion piano books available in music stores and online at such places as Amazon. And piano books are usually necessary if your goal is to become a better pianist.

But how does a person know which piano books are necessary and which books are redundant, to say nothing of good or bad. There are books on music theory, scales, chords, books about composers, books about music in general, and of course piano lesson books by Schaum, Williams, Alfred d’Auberge, Bastien, John Thompson, Glover, etc., etc.

The best way is to divide the study of piano playing into it’s components:

General lesson piano books:

While there are many, for the adult beginner I would select the series by Bastien titled “The Adult Beginner” It is excellent for adults, and includes quite a bit of music theory along with the piano lessons.

General books about music:

Far and away the most inspiring book about music in general is “The Joy of Music” by Leonard Bernstein. If you want to wrap your brain around music, this is the book for you. (Berstein, in case you don’t know, was both a great conductor and a great composer, having written “West Side Story” and many others.)

Another great selection would be “What To Listen For In Music” by Aaron Copeland. (He was also a great composer.)

Technique books:

The best book I have found for developing finger dexterity and piano technique is a book that has been around for a hundred years or so, but is still the standard. It is “The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises - Complete: Piano Technique” by C. L. Hanon.

Music theory books:

There are many, most of which are complex and difficult to understand, but a good choice for a beginner would be “The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Music Theory” by Michael Miller.

Books on piano chords:

In this category I’m going to have to cast all modesty aside and select my own book titled “Piano Chords & Chord Progressions: The Secret Backdoor To Exciting Piano Playing”. It’s thorough, cheap, and very easy to read and understand.

Song books:

In addition to books that teach all aspects of piano playing, you’ll need several good songbooks so you can practice the things you are learning. The piano books you select are largely a matter of taste: if you love rock, you’ll want to buy books of rock songs. If you love jazz, or gospel, or pop, or whatever, you’ll want to get the song books appropriate to your likes and tastes.

But in addition to regular piano song books, be sure to also get a “fake book”. A fake book is a book which contains the melody, the words, and the chord symbols for songs. Usually a fake book has a thousand or more songs in it, so it is a huge bargain.

When I was a teenager fake books were illegal, but they were sold under the counter to musicians all the time. I paid $50. for my first fake book (which I still have, incidentally) which contained only 200 songs. Fifty bucks back then is similar to the national debt now. But it was something working musicians had to have.

Now fake books contain thousands of songs and sell for much less — often just $25. or so. So be sure to pick one up — preferably several, as they come in all flavors — jazz, folk, western, gospel, pop, and just about any other musical classification that you could think of.

All of these books can be obtained at your local music store or from online stores such as Amazon.

Then there is another totally different class of piano books that are part of an audio-visual course. Usually these books are supplementary to the DVD or CD (or both) which comprises the course. This type of piano books are new in the history of the world, because obviously DVD’s and CD’s haven’t existed all that long. This type of course puts it all together, so in addition to reading a book, you can hear the instruction and see it being demonstrated on your own TV or computer screen.

But whatever books you select, the important thing is to just get started learning in all these areas of music.

Duane Shinn
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/piano-books-the-top-piano-books-to-help-you-become-a-better-piano-player-114773.html

Audio books are becoming extremely popular and they can be a great aid in your exercise regime. The time was when there was very little choice in audio books and they were largely reserved for people with impaired vision. Nowadays, there is a much larger range of titles and if a book is in print, it is highly likely that you will soon be able to access it as an audio book.

Enjoy a favorite novel, improve your health, learn a language or develop a hobby. Certainly, this popularity has grown with the rise of the mp3 player and the ipod. Instead of listening to music, an increasing number of people are choosing to download audio books to these devices, which is great news if you want to occupy your mind while you exercise.

An audio book can really help with your workout. If you are following a specific exercise regime, it may be possible to get it on an audio book for it. Using an audio book to aid you in your workout helps you to concentrate on what you are doing and this makes the exercise more enjoyable and beneficial.

Some audio book workouts come with calming music at intervals and this is particularly useful if you are following a program of yoga or Tai Chi a period of instruction followed by some mood music while you hold a pose or relax for a few minutes can aid relaxation and reduce your stress levels. The right kind of music can help you to concentrate on the movements and become more focused on what you are doing.

Some audio books are especially designed to help your motivation when it comes to the daily workout. These books may stress the benefits of exercise; listening to someone telling you how good you are going to look, and how fit you are going to feel a few months down the line is an excellent motivator.

We all need the right motivation at times, especially when our enthusiasm for exercise and working out is waning. Some mornings all we want to do is put our heads back under the covers, but an audio book that plants the right messages in our minds is a good way of making a workout more attractive.

As you can see, an audio book can be a great accompaniment to exercise or your daily workout. You may want to get in the mood with some motivational stuff punctuated by specific mood music, or you may decide to use an audio book workout program.

The right kind of listening can help you to stay on track and improve your routine. Whatever your reason for choosing to undertake a workout program, the right audio book can add to the experience and help you to get the best from your workout.

Helen Wall
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/listen-to-audio-books-and-get-the-best-from-your-work-out-114102.html

Idea City Conference, Toronto, Ontario.

Since their formation in 1998, Toronto’s Beyond the Pale has emerged as one of the most exciting ensembles in the Canadian klezmer, folk, and world music scenes. Rooted firmly in the spirit and forms of klezmer music, the group flirts with elements of other eastern-European folk styles (Romanian, Roma, Balkan) as well as modern and North American styles (bluegrass, reggae, funk) to forge a unique contemporary sound. Known both for inventive arrangements of traditional material and for compelling original compositions, their music has been described as “post-modern klezmer in all the best senses” and “an altogether original mix” (Victoria Times-Colonist).

The band performs at music festivals, concert theatres, and community and private events, and has toured across Canada and parts of the United States. Their debut CD “Routes” (2001, Borealis Records) has received rave reviews throughout North America and was nominated by the Canadian Independent Music Awards for World Album of the Year, 2001. The group features Eric Stein (mandolin, cimbalom), Martin van de Ven (clarinet), Bogdan Djukic (violin), Milos Popovic (accordion), and Bret Higgins (bass). They are frequently joined by guest vocalists.

Duration : 0:5:30

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Technorati Tags: klezmer, Music, yiddish, כליזמר, קלעזמער