Sunday, September 2, 2012

Humor And Health Are Closely Related

By Concepcion McConnell


Almost everyone has heard the phrase "laughter is the best medicine". However, in recent years, the wisdom of this statement has been proven scientifically. There is a close link between humor and health and laughter really is associated with a vast array of health benefits and other positive side effects.

Participating in such activity can improve one's immune system, promote lung and heart health, relieve pain, and alleviate stress. One of the main reasons for this is the stimulating effect laughter has on the emotions, physical body and mind. Laughing promotes the production of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, which are referred to as the human body's happiness chemicals.

Additionally, boisterous laughter will also flush out harmful toxins from one's body. This action is the result of its ability to promote optimum cardiovascular function, which boosts blood circulation. Additionally, although unknown to numerous individuals, laughing burns a substantial number of calories. Studies have shown that vigorous laughter, even when only participated in for a minute, offers the same cardiovascular benefits as riding a stationary bike for fifteen minutes.

As mentioned earlier, discovering the humorous things in life will also bolster an individual's immune system. The immune system is responsible for protecting one from any threat to his or her overall health, such as viruses, free radicals or various infections. Laughing regularly boosts the body's production of white blood cells, the latter of which combat the aforementioned health threats. Individuals who laugh consistently recover quicker when they are ill and experience sickness less often.

Laughter is also a fantastic stress buster. Stress hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol are released at a much slower pace when a person is engaged in laughter. Many individuals can remember a time that they laughed so hard they cried. Most people who have experienced this will state that afterwards they felt inner calmness and emotional relief. This is because releasing emotions by laughing is considered a positive way to relieve stress, as opposed to becoming angry and shouting.

Humor is also considered a natural painkiller. Endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, are released when a person laughs. Therefore, the more one can find to laugh about, the better he or she will ultimately feel. Laughing also serves as a distraction from negative thoughts and enhances brain function. Those who embrace humor typically have a higher level of mental clarity and concentration than their more solemn counterparts.

There are numerous ways to enjoy the health benefits associated with laughter. Those who consciously begin observing the events and people around them will likely discover that humorous things occur more often than they may have initially thought. Therefore, those who wish to obtain health benefits from laughter should not miss any opportunity to enjoy a funny situation.

Additional ways to add laughter to one's life include watching comedy flicks or funny TV shows, or patronizing a local comedy club. Ongoing research is being conducted with regard to this phenomenon. However, enough evidence is already in place to suggest that the connection between humor and health should be acknowledged.




About the Author:



The 5 Things To Look For In A Drum Beat Making Software

By Alex Bellamy


Most musicians will admit that there's nothing like the beat of the drum while listening to a song. That is why it is essential to get a good drum beat maker because there's nothing more attractive than hearing a great drum beat in the background. You can find several drum beat makers available nowadays and most are pretty inexpensive. Even so, it could be hard to try and decide which ones really stand out. Here are a few things that you can consider when looking to get the best beat making software on the market.

Features The thing that really needs to be looked at is the list of features that the software comes with. It means that it should cater to all of your needs without the need to really sacrifice how much you spend. Look through the list of the features and see if the software does all the things that you need. The best software for beat making will have all the necessary features that you need at the appropriate price.

Interface The user interface of the beat making program should make sense and be user friendly. Anyone who does not have any musical training can work out how to use the software because it's laid out in the easiest of forms. It should also not have manuals that are so tricky you can't even work out how draw a beat.

Audio quality When making music, there's nothing more important than the actual audio quality. This means you will need to test out the various software available and figure out which one will make the sound that you like. A good way to do this is to simply read various reviews and discover what other everyone is saying about the software. This is a wonderful way to not waste your time and money on the software that has poor audio quality. After all, there is nothing more essential than audio quality.

Samples: quantity and quality When it comes to samples you have to both consider its quantity and quality. You have to have enough so you can create more beats in various time signatures. Having more samples also provides you with the ability to mix and match thus making your final loops sound better. But as a musician you also have to be sure that the sample choices are refined to inspire you, not bore you with repetitive beats that seems to sound like the same with the other hundred in the sample list.

Buying a drum beat making program does need to be unnecessarily hard. But you will need to get the right one the first time. After all you are investing in your craft. Get trial versions first and work it the way you want. If it suits you appropriate and provides you the extra push to express your beats and music better, you can be certain that the search is over.




About the Author:



Saturday, September 1, 2012

Success in the Music Industry - Dream Big

By Piree Lowe


Like you there are millions of people who want to be a success in the music industry. Will you be the one to make that dream a reality? It's easy to just dream about it. Not so easy to CHOOSE to be successful in the music business.

And if you have not DECIDED that you are going to be successful in the music business, hopefully by the end of this guide you will have made your decision to do so. Before you continue reading, I want to make sure that you know one thing: THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED or LAZY. If you do not have a strong heart/mind or you are lazy, I advise you to stop reading now and do something else with your time.

So you want to be a platinum-selling artist? You want to be a big name. You want your music to reach millions. You want to walk down the street with people screaming your name. Isn't that what you want?

So what do you do about it? What do you need to do about making those dreams real? The first step is so simple, but alot of people don't know it. Want to know what it is? Here it is: CHOOSE that it's done, and you're all set.

Don't chase your dreams, Catch them. Many people say, "If I'm successful in music." rather than saying, "When I'm successful in music."

Pretty simple, right? You would be surprised at how many people use the word "if" and don't know how damaging that is to their lives. You have the choice to take over your life. You have the choice to be successful in the music business or not.

There's no need to continue chasing your dreams. It's so easy to CHOOSE. So DO IT. Life is too short.

I'm sure by now you have already said to yourself, "I will be successful in the music business." GREAT!! Congratulations, you have taken your first step. Say it every morning when you wake up. Say it every night before you go to sleep.

I have no doubt that after you finish this, you will already begin to feel the success. We will next talk about Talent vs. Skill.




About the Author:



Get to Know Five Well Known Celebrities Who Went to Jail

By Mark Stevens


The law of our land would never hesitate to convict anyone who violates it that is why there are celebrities that went to jail. We often hear celebrities who happen to be our favorites being convicted most often with drugs, sometimes for not paying taxes, or for fighting, and many other crimes that they committed. It can be shocking to hear at times that our stars and most loved actors can do such crimes. This is ironic for some since they see their idols as their role models which they admire for being great actors. However, these celebrities are also human and can be prone to committing mistakes at times.

The Most Popular Celebrities

A lot of celebrities have tried being behind bars and the reasons can vary. Here are the top most celebrities who have been in jail and you may be amazed with the reasons behind their imprisonment from the site look whos in jail.

* Robert Downey Jr. Rank One The actor played the lead role in Ironman and in contrary to his role there as being like the super hero, he has been in jail when you talk of real life. Who could not ever love his superhero antics? Yet, he is human after all, weak, and very unlike his hero counterpart. The main reasons for the imprisonment of the actor are all about alcohol intake and illegal usage of drugs. He had also been charged of illegal possession of firearms and drugs, yet he keeps doing it again and again.

* Top 2: Paris Hilton Like any other celebrities, the heiress was able to try being in jail despite her wealth and riches. The singer-actress and model heiress has been totally famous and most followed by fans out there. Illegal drugs and driving without license are some of the reasons why she was put to jail for many times already.

* Number Three is Lindsay Lohan The twins on Parent Trap, the teenage girl guitarist on her Freaky Friday and the lady in a race car on Herbie: Fully Loaded are some of the famous movies that Lindsay Lohan starred of which that we used to love. We could not believe that this beautiful lady could end up being one of the celebrities that went to jail for driving under the influence of prohibited drugs.

* Whitney Houston Rank Four The singer and superstar once had a family friendly show and during that show she chewed crack which is why she was put to jail. Indeed, she was able to show to the public her taking of the illegal drugs which she suffered behind bars after.

* Top 5: Wesley Snipes This time, Snipes had a different kind of issue as to why he was put to jail. He was not convicted because of faulty driving or reckless behavior while driving. Nevertheless, the reason for his conviction was failure to pay his tax. He is the latest superstar that will be put to jail for three years because of such offense that he made.




About the Author:



When Does Musical Style Change From Being Just Typical Music To Turning Into "The Blues"?

By Rick Hart


There's all types of well-liked music out there. There's rock, and funk, hip-hop, and country, jazz, and folk, and... Plus plenty of music that does not have a name.

But when precisely does a type of music become "blues music"?

You could say... "Anyone knows blues music when they hear it." But I bet if you asked 5 folks if a song was a genuine "blues song" you might get 5 different answers.

- Is it about a certain subject that the song is about?
- Is it about a certain scale structure or tonality?
- Is it about certain chords that can be called"blues chords"?
- Is it even any sort of music theory reason at all... Or is it just the "feel" of the tune?

I don't believe you can really answer this query. The music called "blues" is usually different things to different folks. What could be blues to one individual could be rock'n'roll to some other person. If you're a rather serious blues lover you may have a hard and fast line between music that YOU call the blues and other sorts of music.

And others might be extremely obscure about what they call "blues" and not be very finicky about their definition.

The reality is, a blues song is generally played in a certain way. There are grooves that are obviously associated with the blues. And there are certain chords that are linked with the blues. It does not imply that these rhythms and these chords can not be employed in other types of music. It is simply that barely will you hear a blues song that isn't a particular tonality or rhythm.

But if you want to play a slow blues a la B.B. King, then you may doubtless be talking about certain chord types and tonality and perhaps even explicit rhythms. If you inspect B.B. King songs closely you'll definitely see some patterns. There's not a vast number of kinds of songs that he plays. You won't catch him playing a polka as an example. Naturally not. That's not a blues style song.

So...

I assume to be "blues" we ARE talking about certain structures of music. There's shuffles and rhumbas and slow blues that are played in certain grooves. That's just the way it is.

But that doesn't mean that the blues doesn't evolve.

Remember the famous Muddy Waters line... "The Blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll."

That just about sums it up. You can take a common blues chord progression and add something else to it to turn it into something else again. Isn't that what Elvis Presley did? Isn't that what many early rockers did? They took black rhythm and blues and turned into something rather different.

Some would argue it was just white folk making an attempt to play black music, and when the white folks liked it, the record corporations gave it a new name... So it would sell.

Well we might have that discussion all day 24x7. Where did rock'n'roll come from? Who truly invented it? Is it actually just blues songs played "white"?

Naturally, not. There were lots of great black rock'n'roll artists too. Chuck Berry, actually the King of Rock and Roll, would state that rock and roll was very far from only white. And who can argue that Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Bo Diddley weren't some of the best rock and rollers of all time.

And you might easily disagree that they all came out of the Blues Tradition.

Therefore to those that say that rock 'n roll is just The Blues repackaged... Well they just could be right.




About the Author:



Software for making Hip Hop Beats

By Edgar Klicko


At previous years, music was considered as a matter of time passing. It is now changed and not only for time passing. Thousands of people are leading their life on depending on music because they have taken it as profession. Now without music program seems boring. On the other hand, music is very important thing in movie and drama. It is the reason of taking music as profession and they producing first class beats and music as well. Within short times, hip hop beats are well-liked to music producers to make hip hop song easily.

It is not so difficult to make hip hop beats now. At earlier time, music producers compose music manually. It was so tough to keep quality and also time consuming. Without quality composition music loses its meaning and music lovers lose to willingness to hear it. But today, in music market there are many brilliant software and digital instruments for composing and producing music. But it is very easy to use software to produce quality hip hop beats than any instrument.

For making hip hop beats software selection is very important. hip hop beats making software consists of several thousands of beats. From which you can select one for making hip hop music at desired tempo. Normally, a hip hop beats making software includes 16 track sequencers. Through which you can make beats in 16 independent tracks and control them easily. Besides, you can save any beat and play again at later. It is so handy that you can add special effects on music by using this software.

Today, online is one source of hip hop beats makers. So, you can visit various sites for getting software. Some of them are totally free and some of them are costly. But, before taking decision on any software you have to take in consideration its review.

Finally, if you are not well educated and trained in making hip hop beats, you will not able to make high quality beats and music as well. And, you will not reach the heart of your audience. Only proper education, training, perfection, and creativity will make you famous in making hip hop beats in music world.




About the Author:



Phillip Romero Has A Finger On The Pulse Of Our Times

By Crystal Salazar


When America dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities in 1945 human beings were brought face to face with the possibility of total extinction. The atrocity killed around two hundred thousand civilians and was defended by many people of those times as, 'necessary'. Such events might be behind the use of the word 'imperative' in writings of Phillip Romero about the value of art in human survival.

The fossil records show that in the history of our planet plant and animal communities have flourished and then vanished altogether. Not only the Mayan civilization, but also dinosaur remains and plant fossils show how life forms flourish and then fade. Had the economic theories of Karl Marx had any scientific credibility the world might have ended during the twentieth century. Russia and China might have had the economic strength to confront the western world and an ensuing Third world War would have accounted for us all. It would not have been the first time for a species to destroy itself by its own success.

It many have been fortuitous circumstances rather than calculated reason that saved humanity from itself. With the Cold War simmering communist economic theory was found wanting and Russian and Chinese people found themselves impoverished. In the West young people were swept up in a reaction to the horrors of war. They deserted their allies in Vietnam and declared themselves 'flower people', unwilling to fight.

The sixties peace movement was quite sensible in some ways. Young people refused to allow themselves to be used as cannon fodder as their grandparents had been during the First and Second World wars. This was courageous, but many people were not at all courageous or idealistic but simply opportunistic. They saw in the slogans of the time ways to indulge themselves and seek oblivion in drugs and sex.

Large numbers of young people did not grow long hair and beards, stick flowers in their hair or walk about in scruffy robes. Instead they labored at degrees in science, mathematics or commerce. Many of these people associated hippies with the humanities. A general view was that hippies were graduates of humanities courses. These were were soft options that did not require academic rigor or hard work. Art and humanities courses were equated with inferior qualifications, with the letters, BA standing for 'Blow All', or even worse.

Leonardo da Vinci did not see the discrepancy between the sciences and the humanities. He would possibly have been surprised to learn that some people could make a division between the two because for him art and science were simply different aspects of a single approach. There are people who dismiss humanities on the grounds that they do not arrive at the truth by means of scientific method. Such dividing of academic endeavor into discrete divisions can be seen as a kind of restricting bigotry.

Many people believe that the twenty-first century will be the era of the artist. It is not only that science and technology has run its course and come up against the reality of environmental ruin. Beyond that there is wide realization of the need for creativity, for divergent thinking and for freshness in facing economic and scientific challenges.

Phillip Romero is a scientist who has set his mind to discovering the power of art. His writings seem particularly relevant at a point in human history where human beings can no longer depend on war and aggression as a source of scientific inspiration. It is clear that more atomic bombs are not the solution. However, creative solutions are imperative.




About the Author: