Music Reviews

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Muse The Resistance Review

British Alt-Rockers Release Follow Up to Black Holes and Revelations

On The Resistance, their fifth studio album, Muse have created a difficult collection of songs which may take casual listeners time to digest.

Casting off the Oasis and Radiohead comparisons that have plagued them for most of their career, the band’s dense follow up to 2006’s Black Holes and Revelations hangs off intense ideas of corruption, the end of the world and difficult love.
Releasing an album in 2009 is risky business; in a singles-dominated music scene, releasing an album with a theme threading through 11 songs is even more risky.

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Keeping Traditional African Music Alive

Interview with Mamane Barka- the Last Master of the Biram

This is an interview with Mamane Barka, the last master of the Biram, a traditional African instrument in Niger.

In a world where entire animal species and ethnic tribes can be lost, it should come as no surprise that musical instruments too, can become extinct.
Standing firm against the disappearance of the ancient African instrument the Biram, is the musician Mamane Barka- the last master of the Biram.
There is an urgency in Barka’s voice as he strives to fulfill his ambition to keep the Biram going, amidst ever changing musical tastes and the nonchalance of the political elite in his native Niger.

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How to Teach Sight-Reading in Private Lessons

How to Teach Sight-Reading in Private Lessons
Breaking Down Sight-Reading to Lesson-Sized Pieces

Research has shown how good sight-readers are successful, but how should we be teaching these skills to music students?

Sight-reading seems to be something that private lesson teachers just assume that a student is practicing on his or her own. Realistically, many students are not practicing sight-reading on their own and most probably don’t know how unless it is explained to them. Also, sight-reading is a skill that takes practice to become good at. Teachers should monitor their students’ sight-reading progress carefully, just like other skills taught in lessons.

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How to Buy Your Child’s First Band Instrument

How to Buy Your Child’s First Band Instrument
Buy a Quality Instrument for a Good Price

Finding a well-made, quality instrument for a new band student can be intimidating for parents, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few tips, it can become simple.

For most parents, starting a child in a school band program can be a confusing time. Parents are exposed to a whole new world of instrument and musical terms that many times are totally unfamiliar.

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Bob Marley

Bob Marley
Marley, His Music and it’s Relevance Today

Bob Marley’s songs, which embody his message of peace, unity and redemption are still relevant today.

During his short life Bob Marley became known as reggae music’s ambassador to the world. He was also the first music artist of the third world to reach an international audience. Bob Marley’s message of peace, unity and redemption reflected the struggles he experienced growing up in a politically divided and violent ridden Jamaica. Even though it is nearly 30 years since his death, the songs he had written, which transcend racial and cultural barriers are still relevant today.

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