Music sets the feel and romance of a wedding ceremony. Like other details in a wedding such as candles, flowers, and dresses, music should be carefully chosen because it is very vital in the overall ambiance and flow of the ceremony and it also reflects the taste and personality of the bride and groom.

A crucial decision in choosing music is whether it is sacred or secular. Many churches implement very strict rules in what music is allowed and what is not. It is very important to carefully inquire as this is one point that is usually overlooked.

Different musical accompaniments are suited for different parts of the wedding. There are ceremony music, cocktail hour music, first dance music, mother /son music, father /daughter music, group dance music, group dance specialty music, and last dance music.

Commonly used for bridal march is Richard Wagner�s traditional �Bridal Chorus� and Felix Mendelssohn�s �Wedding March�. The popular �Here comes the bride�� song�s melody was originally from �Bridal Chorus of Lohengrin�. Mendelssohn�s �Wedding March� was popularized through �A Midsummer Night�s Dream� in 1842.

Most cocktail music used during weddings varies differently depending on the personalities of the couple. There are those who prefer jazz and jazz-influenced bossa nova ,while some simply prefer modern love songs. Some of the popular love songs played in piano solos during cocktails are �All I ask of You� from Phantom of the Opera, �Endless Love� by Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie and �Because You Loved Me� by Celine Dion.

There are thousands of songs to use for a wedding. Contemporary music accompaniments that can be used in many portions of the wedding include �What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, "Only Time" by Enya, �Love of my Life� by Jim Brickman (with Micheal W.Smith), �You�ve got me� by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Here and Now” by Luther Vandross, “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” by Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack, “Unforgettable” by father-daughter duo Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, and �Heaven� by Brian Adams.

Looking for music should not be a big problem. If you live in a city, a trip to your local music shop should save you from worries. But, the best place to look for music is right in your own house. Typing the keywords in your favorite search engines or in popular online music stores can yield you thousands of links to your favorite songs.

If you and your partner are talented musicians and you have enough time to prepare for your wedding, it would be a good idea to compose together a couple of songs for the event. During the wedding, you can get a live band to play and entertain your guests. Or perhaps the groom can come up with a surprise composition and sing it to the bride and vice versa.

Use your creativity. If you are free-spirited, but your partner wants to have the wedding in a strict church, stick to their church music and play your music preference during the reception. Have fun. Enjoy each moment. And, let the music flow on this blessed day.

� 2007 Wedding-Ideas.us
Jennifer Harrison writes about wedding ideas that will help any bride and groom pull off a successful and memorable event.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Harrison

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Introduction: After some 25 years, singer and actress Miki Howard continues to resonate passion and soul into music. With many years in the entertainment business, Miki’s latest CD, Private Collection makes the listener think of her and the CD content as similar to a collection of fine, developing wine. Aside from a string of Billboard R&B top rated singles, and success with nominations from Grammies, American Music Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and others, how many singers and actresses could pull off portraying the legendary Billy Holliday? Outside of Diana Ross, Miki Howard did to rave reviews in Spikes Lee’s highly acclaimed, Academy Award nominated 1990 masterpiece, Malcolm X.

Unlike the current 'Soul Revival’ coming to the forefront from such new artists like, Amy Warehouse, Donnie, Rahassan Paterson, The Brand New Heavies, Gordon Chambers, Anthony Hamilton and others, Miki Howard not only brings a soul element to her vocal depth, but she also embodies jazz, blues and the best of today’s R&B, including the music coming singers likes of Alicia Keys and Fantasia, to name a few. This all stems from Miki’s early roots.
1960s: Born Alicia Michelle Howard in Chicago, Illinois, she is the daughter of gospel singer Josephine Howard of the legendary, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, The Caravans, and Clay Graham of the Pilgrim Jubilees. During her childhood in Chicago and Detroit, Howard met some of the best singers of the day when they visited her family. “It was nothing for me to see James Cleveland, Billy Preston, and Fats Domino in my house,” she said. “I was surrounded by music every day, so I knew I wanted to sing professionally someday.” Among Howard's earliest influences were family friends Dinah Washington–to whom she would later be compared–and Aretha Franklin. Howard also counted Nina Simone, Shirley Basely, Lena Horne, and Judy Garland among her favorite vocalists.

1970s: Miki’s family moved to Los Angeles while she was in her early teens. Already aiming at a career in music, the 15-year-old Howard received her first break when she participated in a teen beauty contest. Augie Johnson, leader of the group Side Effect, happened to be in the audience; impressed with Howard’s singing talent, he introduced her to Wayne Henderson, who signed the teenager to a contract with his At Home Productions. Howard also joined the lineup of Side Effect in 1978. For the next couple of years, Howard continued to sing with the group and performed backup vocals as a studio singer for jazz great Stanley Turpentine, Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, Grover Washington, Jr., and Philip Bailey. Howard and Johnson also began a personal relationship that produced two children

1980s: Already in demand as a session vocalist, Howard also performed with Side Effect on comic deejay Rick Dees’ singles in the early 1980s, which she credits as the catalyst for her solo career. “It was my experience with Rick that made me want to go solo,” she recounted on the Peak Records website. “We performed at the L.A. Amphitheater and I saw the dressing room marked ‘Star’ and I was jealous and wanted my own room.”

As with so many other solo artist confined to the limitations of being in a group environment, Howard sought a solo recording contract, and around 1985, famed label Atlantic Records gave Miki Howard a life changing opportunity. She recorded her first solo album with Atlantic in 1986, Come Share My Love. Her first hit for Atlantic was the album title track, Billboard R&B top ten single “Come Share My Love, " which peaked at number five. Miki followed that with her second hit, a remake of Glenn Miller’s 1940 tune “Imagination,” which she had to fight to include in her first album.

Howard’s second solo album, 1988’s Love Confessions, offered two R&B chart hits, the top-five hit “Baby Be Mine,” and the top-ten hit, “That’s What Love Is.” The latter was a duet with Gerald Leveret that reflected a real-life romance between the two singers that lasted until 1990.

Howard’s third solo album, Miki Howard, was released in 1989 and proved her most commercially successful to date. The single “Aren’t Nothing in the World” became Howard’s first number-one hit on the R&B charts, and another song, “Love under New Management,” followed it to number two. Although it was not her biggest hit, “Management” became one of Howard’s signature tunes.

1990s: Howard continued her successful solo career after switching to Giant Records in 1991. Her first single under her new contract, “Aren’t Nobody like You,” became Howard's second number-one R&B hit. The subsequent album, 1992's Femme Fatale, featured Howard’s renditions of classic tracks originally performed by Dinah Washington (”This Bitter Earth”) and Billie Holiday ("Good Morning Heartache”).

A casting director saw Miki perform some Billie Holiday tunes at a New York City concert at Radio City Music Hall, and offered her the above referenced role of Holiday in the nightclub scene of director Spike Lee’s 1992 epic film Malcolm X. The following year, Howard recorded an entire album of Holiday songs, titled Miki Sings Billie, including her favorite Billie tune, “Don’t Explain.” Outside of her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday, other film credits have included working with such directors as John Singleton in his 1993 movie Poetic Justice with pop icon Janet Jackson.

After Miki’s relationship with Leveret ended, Miki had a brief marriage that produced another child. By 1993, the singer had finally extricated herself from that marriage, a disastrous marriage that had a damaging effect on her career. As she explained "I don’t want to go into details, but let’s just say events that occurred during that relationship left me with challenges in the industry. For instance, I remember I was about to sign with RCA Records and the deal fell through. That was a crushing blow. With all that was going on in my life at the time, I decided to ‘retire’ for a while to get myself together.”

During this period, Howard moved to Atlanta with her three children, where friends Chaka Khan, Cherelle, and Patti LaBelle comforted her in the aftermath of the divorce. Miki released Live Plus in 1996, and a comeback album of original material, Can’t Count Me Out, in 1997. She also toured in the road company of the Broadway musical Dream girls, playing the role of lead Dream, Deena.

By 1999, Howard was ready to revive her recording career in earnest. Miki says she simply contacted her managers and said, “I need to make a record.” “One of my co-managers at the time had started Peak Records so it was uncanny.” Howard continued, “I got a deal pretty quickly with the new label! Lots of my friends started coming out of the woodwork to give me songs and before we knew it, we had ten ready to go.”

2000s: Howard’s first album of original material in four years, Three Wishes, was released in 2001 to excellent reviews. The album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Recording; although she lost out to Gladys Knight in that category, the nomination itself represented an artistic comeback for Howard. After 25 years in the music business, the singer was comfortable with her place in the industry and resigned to the compromises it demanded. In 2001 The Very Best of Miki Howard, including her top R&B hits from the late 1980s and early 1990s, was released on Rhino Records. An album on the Shanachie label, Pillow Talk: Miki Sings the Classics was released in 2006.

Discography: Miki Howard, a kid from the 1960’s, is a woman that has survived the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. She is an artist with a persistent fan base, consistently awaiting new releases. The Discography that created her following includes a long list of hits: Come Share My Love 1986, Love Confessions 1987, Miki Howard 1989, Femme Fatale 1992, Miki Sings Billie 1994, Live Plus 1996, Can’t Count Me Out 1997, Three Wishes 2001, The Very Best Of Miki Howard 2001, Pillow Talk: Miki Sings The Classics 2006, and now Private Collection 2008.

Private Collection: Miki’s latest album, which was released in March 2008 on Branicka Records, is already causing a positive buzz. “Private Collection is the kind of record that you .live. to,” says Miki. “You play it in the car, play it while you clean your house, play it at cocktail parties that are the kind of record this is. The five standards that I did on this CD are five of my favorites. The five original co-written songs have a piece of me in them. That’s why I called this work Private Collection.”

Today: Times have changed and so have the opportunities. Recently, Howard signed a contract for a Reality TV show. On April 13th, Miki started a five-month world tour, stretching beyond the US to include Japan and South Africa. These and other changes in her life reflect the evolution of Ms Howard, again, similar to a fine wine, improving with time. Private Collection will not disappoint Miki’s fans, old and new, and will continue to build on the unbelievably solid legacy that is Miki Howard. It becomes obviously clear once one hears her .Private Collection that the best of Miki Howard is still to come.

http://www.miki-howard.com/

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_524604_48.html

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Author: Clyde Lee Dennis

The exceptionally talented Pop artist Don Felder has released him CD entitled Airborne. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Don Felder fans, and Pop fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Airborne Don Felder’s artistic excellence is on full display as Felder has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Airborne. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Don Felder possesses the characteristic of being able to win you over with him talent alone. The kind of artist I really enjoy listening to.

I’m of the opinion that Airborne is certainly Don Felder’s best work in a few years. A totally enjoyable CD and an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up because it’s a collection that even the casual Pop fan can appreciate and enjoy.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 4 - Who Tonight, track 7 - Night Owl, and track 8 - Still Alive.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Bad Girls. Great track!

Airborne Release Notes:

Don Felder originally released Airborne on July 30, 2002 on the Wounded Bird Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Bad Girls 2. Winners 3. Haywire 4. Who Tonight 5. Never Surrender 6. Asphalt Jungle 7. Night Owl 8. Still Alive

Airborne Album Notes Personnel: Don Felder (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer); Joe Vitale (flute, keyboards, drums, percussion); Jeff Lorber, Michael Murphy (keyboards); Albhy Galuten, Anthony Marinelli (synclavier); George “Chocolate” Perry, Nathan East (bass); Russ Kunkel, Carlos Vega, Tris Imboden (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Jo Lala (percussion); Timothy B. Schmit, Kenny Loggins, Dave Mason (background vocals).

About the Author:

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/don-felder-airborne-pop-music-cd-review-344313.html

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Author: Akhila Choudhary

Jazz music is the American musical art form originated in earlier twentieth century. The African American communities of the Southern United States from the confluence of European and African music tradition were responsible for its beginning. The West African pedigree style is evident in the use of polyrythms, blues notes improvisation, swung notes and syncopation.

From the early development of jazz music until the present, it has also included music from the nineteenth and the twentieth century American popular melody. The word jazz music began in the form of a West Coast slang expression of tentative derivation. This term was initially used in order to refer to the music in Chicago in around 1915.

From its early twentieth century inception, jazz music spawned a huge variety of sub-genres from New OrleansDixieland including the early 1910’s, bebop from middle of 1940s, big band jazz music style swing from 1940’s as well as 1930’s, Brazilian jazz from 1960s and 1950s. Besides a fusion of the Latin jazz fusion like the Afro Cuban, jazz rock mixture from the late 1980’s and 1970s developments including the acid jazz that blended the jazz influences into hip hop and funk are several other melody types that constituted jazz music.

In jazz music, the trained performers interpret a tune in different individual ways and never play the same melody. Depending on the mood of the performer as well as personal experience and interactions with the fellow musicians or the totals number of audience, the jazz music performer might later the harmonies or melodies. The European classical music is said to be the composer’s medium.

Today as well, straight ahead jazz music continues to appeal a large amount of masses. The well popular jazz musicians whose career span decades like the Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins continue to record and perform. In the beginning of 1990 and 2000 various young talented musicians emerged such as Brad Mehldau, Jason Moran, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Stefon Harris, Roy Horgrove, Vijay Iyer, Terence Blanchard and Joshua Redman. While Bugge Wesseltoft, Christian McBride, St. Germain are several other renowned names in the world of jazz music.

About the Author:

Myself webmaster of http://www.studiobypass.com - find tools for teaching jazz music, download jazz midi files for learn to play about jazz music.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/all-about-jazz-music-619997.html

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Author: Clyde Lee Dennis

The exceptionally talented Rock group Counting Crows have released their CD entitled This Desert Life. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Counting Crows fans, and Rock fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of This Desert Life their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

These days it’s a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

If you’re a Counting Crows fan, or just a fan of Rock music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While this entire CD is really very good some of my favorites are track 3 - Amy Hit The Atmosphere, track 8 - I Wish I Was A Girl, and track 10 - St. Robinson In His Cadillac Dream

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Hanginaround. Great track!

This Desert Life Release Notes:

Counting Crows originally released This Desert Life on November 2, 1999 on the DGC (David Geffen Company) label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Hanginaround 2. Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby 3. Amy Hit The Atmosphere 4. Four Days 5. All My Friends 6. High Life 7. Colorblind 8. I Wish I Was A Girl 9. Speedway 10. St. Robinson In His Cadillac Dream

Counting Crows: Adam Duritz (vocals, piano); David Bryson (acoustic, electric, 12-string & slide guitars); Dan Vickrey (acoustic & electric guitars, sitar, background vocals); Matt Malley (12-string guitar, bass, background vocals); Ben Mize (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Additional personnel: David Immergluck (pedal steel & electric guitars, bass); Joel Derouin, Eve Butler (violin); Matt Funes (viola); Larry Corbett (cello); Dennis Herring (keyboards); David Lowery, Chris Seerfried, Gary DeRosa, Cinjun Tate, Charles Gillingham (background vocals).

Recorded in Hollywood, California in 1998.

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www.CashFlowNotes.biz

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/counting-crows-this-desert-life-rock-music-cd-review-316059.html

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Author: Ty Walker

Introduction

Have you considered taking online piano lessons? Thanks to the internet it’s as easy as turning on your computer. Online piano lessons can offer many benefits that you don’t get with traditional, "one-on-one" teacher/student instruction. Here’s a list of a few:

Cost Effective

Most of the online piano lesson programs you can find for $50 or less which makes them cost effective. When you compare that to traditional piano lessons you can get a complete online course for the price of two or three private piano lessons. There are also quite a few programs that offer free beginning introductory lessons to get you started. Considering how gas prices have risen lately, you’ll be saving a small chunk of change by staying at home instead of driving to the music studio.

Fun Games

Children tend to find individual piano lessons too serious and boring but when you can make learning fun, it can dramatically increase the students interest in a subject. Most kids like games, especially ones on the computer. Many of the online piano lesson programs offer fun games to help the kids read music. These games get kids so excited they’ll be begging you for more computer time so they can complete the next lesson, and in the process they’ll be fast-tracking their musical knowledge.

Repeating Lessons

A very big plus with enrolling in online piano lessons is the ability to repeat or review areas where the student is having trouble. I found when I was taking private piano lessons, I never quite understood all that my teacher tried to teach me. I believe the ability to replay the online lesson will dramatically increase the learning curve for children as well as adults. The other advantage is being able to go at your own pace and taking lessons only as far as you can fully understand the material.

Time Savings

Online piano lessons will save you time from driving to the teacher's house or studio. Everyone these days has a busy schedule, and the nice thing with online piano lessons is being able to take the lesson when you want and not when the teacher can work you into their schedule.

Trying Before Committing

As stated above, free online piano lessons allow you to try piano lessons out before you shell out any money. Online piano lessons may also be a primer to try out before going to a private teacher for the same reasons. There’s no sense in spending a lot of upfront money until you know that piano lessons are something you really want to pursue. Give the online piano lessons a try because you never know if they’re really right for you until you explore your options.

Conclusion

You may be able to come up with even more benefits to taking online piano lessons but I hope the ones I have listed have helped increase your interest and the possibilities of taking the plunge of learning the piano and all it’s wonderful facets. Whether taking online piano lessons is for you or your child, you will be making a great investment that will last a lifetime
and provide joy to you and others around you.

About the Author:
Ty Walker owns blogs at Piano Lesson.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/benefits-of-online-piano-lessons-335504.html

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Author: Clyde Lee Dennis

Did I Shaved My Legs For This is the latest release from Contemporary Country Sensation Deana Carter, and is another great one by this talented musician.

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn't a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

Contemporary Country music fans will recognize some of the well known guests that have been assembled to play along with Carter on several of the tracks. Artists like Steve Nathan and Dann Huff just to name a couple.

I’m of the opinion that Did I Shave My Legs For This is certainly Deana Carter’s best work in a few years. A totally enjoyable CD and an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up because it's a collection that even the casual Contemporary Country fan can appreciate and enjoy.

While this entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 2 - We Danced Anyway, track 6 - Before We Ever Heard Goodbye, and track 11 - To The Other Side

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - I’ve Loved Enough To Know. Good stuff!

Did I Shave My Legs For This Release Notes:

Deana Carter originally released Did I Shave My Legs For This on September 3, 1996 on the Capitol Nashville label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. I've Loved Enough To Know 2. We Danced Anyway 3. Count Me In 4. If This Is Love 5. Love Ain’t Worth Making 6. Before We Ever Heard Goodbye 7. How Do I Get There 8. Strawberry Wine 9. That’s How You Know It’s Love 10. Did I Shave My Legs For This? 11. To The Other Side

Did I Shave My Legs For This? Album Notes Personnel: Deana Carter (vocals); Cary Park (acoustic & electric guitars); Dan Dugmore (acoustic & steel guitars); Chris Farren (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Biff Watson, Chuck Jones (acoustic guitar); Dan Huff, Brent Rowan (electric guitar); Larry Franklin (mandolin, fiddle); Nashville String Machine (strings); Pete Wasner (piano); John Hobbs (keyboards, piano); Steve Nathan (Hammond B-3 organ); Joe Chaney, Glenn Worf (bass); Lonnie Wilson (drums); Greg Morrow (drums & percussion); Chris DiCroce (background vocals).

Recorded at Emerald Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/deana-carter-did-i-shaved-my-legs-for-this-contemporary-country-music-cd-review-342632.html

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