#I need to also find a way to add more ��broadcaster’/‘show host’ vibes

[thatonegayspacerock]

Part 2 electric boogaloo: this time with a little more fox details bc it was lowk bugging me that the fox elements was just the tails

"I'm already here; I've always been here~"

To see you.

[timeagainreviews]

Classic Baddies for the Thirteenth Doctor!

As a fan of classic Doctor Who, one of my favourite elements of the new series has been the anticipation as to which classic villains will make an appearance. Not only is it cool to see more of these older monsters, but it’s also exciting to see how they update their look. Some really nail it too. Keeping the classic design of the Daleks while making them look more tank-like and utilitarian in 2005 was a masterstroke. I liked that they embraced the Ice Warriors’ original look as well. While I may not be as hot on the updated Silurians, or Autons, it’s always fun to see classic villains regardless.

When Chris Chibnall mentioned that there would be no classic villains in series 11, my heart sank a little. Are they necessary for Doctor Who to be successful? Not hardly. But it’s fun dammit. Even if they were cameos like the Macra or the Movellans, these were moments I looked forward to. I have a sort of checklist I like to go through with each series of new Who. Are there classic villains? Check. Does the Doctor meet a figure from history? Check. Series 11 has one of those.

It’s been no secret that a major criticism of series 11 has been its lack of compelling villains. I myself have been vocal about this disappointment. So I thought I would make up a list of 10 classic villains I would like to see the Thirteenth Doctor go up against. I’m basing these off a few factors. Personal favourites, Jodie’s vibe, the era, etc. Enjoy! And feel free to add your own!

1. Autons

First Appearance: "Spearhead from Space" (1970)

I know they have already returned. I know I said I didn’t like their update. That’s exactly why they’re on this list now. I didn’t exactly hate the updated Autons when I first watched them. At the time, I didn’t have any classic villains to compare them to, as they were new to me. I thought they were pretty corny and not very scary, even as they did openly murder people in the streets of London. But when seeing "Spearhead from Space," for the first time, I was supremely creeped out. The newer Autons remind me of the movie theatre scene in “Human Traffic.” Just a bunch of dancers doing the robot. Not very scary. And turning the Nestine consciousness into a big vat of CGI goo, as compared to a giant plastic space squid seems like a crime. They’re due an update.

2. Voord

First Appearance: "The Keys of Marinus" (1964)

These guys creep me out. Their costumes are really stupid, and I still find them creepy. They’re like spiky fish men mixed with Egyptian gods. Ignoring the weird "Voord became Cybermen," storyline, and focusing on the fishman aspect would be the way to go. Could you imagine their costume if updated correctly? I picture a mix between Edward Scissorhands and a scuba diver. I’ve wanted to see Jodie encounter these guys ever since "The Ghost Monument," reminded me of "The Keys of Marinus." Something about First Doctor villains with the first female Doctor kinda works for me too. Speaking of First Doctor villains…

3. Zarbi

First Appearance: "The Web Planet" (1965)

Ok, so this one is a bit of a cheat. I know the Zarbi aren’t really a villain by their own doing. In many ways, these oversized ants are just dumb animals. But the biggest way this is a cheat is because I just want them so we can have the Menoptera! I love those stupid moth cuties. I think an updated one of them could look really fun. Think the aliens from the queue scene in the "Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy," movie. Something between realistic, and fantastical. They would also add a much-needed sense of levity to the Chibnall era.

4. The Dominators

First Appearance: "The Dominators" (1968)

The Dominators are a race of men whose name pretty much describes their modus operandi. Having long ago developed beyond the need for women, these guys seem an obvious choice to go up against a female Doctor. Their look is simple enough to update. They need only to look armoured and militaristic. Their robot drones, the Quarks, would be the real challenge to update, but I’m sure they’d nail it. I would be interested in seeing a more bureaucratic ruling class of Dominators as well. Perhaps instead of having a male and female population, they have the soldiers and the suits. Could be a really interesting way to talk about the insular nature of toxic masculinity. This would fit in well with Thirteen’s villains being chauvinistic shitbirds that don’t like women much.

5. Axons

First Appearance: "The Claws of Axos" (1971)

I’ve heard the Axons get a bit of flack in the past, which is bananas to me. There’s so much potential there. They have a rather psychedelic look, and then they get super gross. I’ve always seen them as very retro style monsters. Jodie’s costume has a real 1970’s "Godspell," look about it, so I always picture her going up against monsters that look the part. They wouldn’t be hard to update either. I would make the golden lines on their humanoid forms slightly raised, like a system of fibres across their skin. And of course, their squidgy red form could be a tangled mass of CGI that kinda bubbles up from the gold lines. The transformation scenes could get very visceral. They’ve got a sneaky nature about them. Like anglerfish, their beautiful golden appearance conceals a horrific monster. They’re known for making Faustian deals with people fool enough to believe their lies. How could we resist?

6. The Mara

First Appearance: "Kinda" (1982)

Many people love the Kinda/Snakedance storyline. I wasn’t sure what to make of either serial, as the quality of both waivers. Over time, though, I’ve come to really appreciate them as stories. I have a love for characters that exist as a sort of gestalt. There’s something very unsettling about a hive mind. As The Doctor has three companions this time around. There’s lots of room for one of them to go off and become possessed by an evil snake god for a while. Either Graham or Ryan becoming hosts for the Mara could be an interesting way to explore their relationship. While the DVD release saw an updated version of the Mara’s snake form, I’m sure the modern show can do one better. They’ve already done giant spiders, now let's see them do a giant snake!

7. The Rani

First Appearance: "The Mark of the Rani" (1985)

While I am aware many people dislike the Rani, and the idea of Chris Chibnall choosing a character created by Pip and Jan Baker is unlikely, I still don’t care. Any character can be made good in the hands of a competent writer. All it takes is one good idea. Personally, I’ve never really gotten the guff she’s been given. As a woman capable of cruel scientific experiments, the Rani is a ruthless Time Lady with more guile than the Master. People want to see Thirteen with Missy because they’re both women now, but we’ve had an evil Time Lady for years, and I’d be interested to see what regeneration might bring for her… or him?

8. Rutans

First Appearance: "The Horror of Fang Rock" (1977)

First Mentioned: “The Time Warrior” (1973)

The Rutans are long enemies of the Sontaran race. I would love to see them amp up the danger by getting stuck in the middle of a skirmish between the two races. I would like to see the Sontarans presented as formidable once again. The Doctor Who video game "The Gunpowder Plot," did update their look, to a decent degree. Either way, modern Who could make a Rutan look much more imposing with CGI, or even practical effects. I’d imagine something like a green man o’ war. Jodie’s Doctor’s tendency to mediate during conflict could land her trying to broker peace between the two races. Could she be successful or would she have to count her losses?

9. Drashigs

First Appearance: "Carnival of Monsters" (1973)

Here we have yet another Robert Holmes creation! (The other two being the Autons and the Rutans) While mostly just mindless monsters that can eat through anything, I’ve always loved these horrific beasts. With heads the size of a Volkswagen bug, and an appetite for anything in their way, these guys could really add in a danger element. I doubt they could really carry an episode by themselves, but they’d make a great threat! They may be alien snake monsters, but you may have a creeping familiarity when looking at them. This is because the puppets used were constructed around the skulls of real dogs! While I’m sure these pups died of natural causes, the information has always given them an air of creepiness and realism. As Third Doctor era baddies go, these toothy terrors were some of the more believable creatures yet! They wouldn’t need much of an update, looks wise. Part of me would still want them to be puppets. I’d imagine Thirteen’s compassion for misunderstood creatures would send her on a danger defying attempt to save their lives!

10. The Scorchies

First Appearance: "The Scorchies" (2013)

Ok, so this one is another cheat. Technically these aren’t "classic Who" villains. They come from the audios, but I’m counting them because they’re from a Third Doctor era storyline! If you count the mention of the Rutans in "The Time Warrior," this marks the fifth baddie from the Third Doctor era. What is it about that period that is so mineable? Originally a species with bodies, they lost their corporeal form when their planet was invaded and they were transported to safety via television broadcast waves! In their new puppet bodies, they go from planet to planet hypnotising their inhabitants and burning them! Why? Because they’re salty. So why them?  Well, for starters, look at these guys! Jodie’s Doctor has always reminded me as a bit of mad kids’ show presenter, with her bright colours and friendly appearance. Seeing her with puppets almost feels natural. I love the idea so much that I photoshopped it! It would also make Doctor Who history. While the Eighth Doctor mentioned his audio companions in "The Night of the Doctor," no audio characters have ever made an appearance in the show (at least to my knowledge). Appearance wise, they’d be easy to create. If they wanted to go the extra mile, they could partner with the Jim Henson Creature Shop for an added distinction. I feel like no matter what you do, these little critters could draw a crowd. People would watch just to see if Doctor Who has lost its damn mind! If done right, it could be a fun romp! Who says Doctor Who villains always have to be serious?

Well, that’s it for my list! Did you agree? Do you think poor Natalie needs to get her head checked out? Feel free to reblog with your own additions! I’d love to read what you think! Expect the review of this weekend’s Doctor Who either Sunday or Monday. I’ve not yet re-watched Marco Polo, which I might actually do today, but it’s on my list to write it next week! It’s going to be the first reconstruction I’m doing, so it should be interesting! I’m not sure if I will supplement any of it with the Target novelisation, but I am thinking not. We’ll see! It’s still early into the series!

[dcarevu]

Christmas With The Joker

“It’s not relentlessly cheerful, is it?”

So, only one episode in, and they do a Christmas special. One episode into this series that they wanted to be dark, serious, and adult…and they do a Christmas special. A Batman. Christmas. Special. Huh. Well, it is becoming that time of year. So let’s sleigh right into: Christmas With The Joker

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Villain: The Joker Robin: Yes Writer: Eddie Gorodetsky Director: Kent Butterworth Animator: Akom Airdate: November 13, 1992 Episode Grade: B  This episode holds the distinction of being the very first episode of Batman The Animated Series I ever saw. I had seen Mask Of The Phantasm prior (which was a glorious place to start), and eventually Warner Brothers started releasing these Batman TAS VHS tapes each featuring a particular villain. My mom bought me one featuring the Joker, which included this episode, along with The Laughing Fish. I picked it out specifically because of the screenshot of the Joker wrapped up in his straightjacket shown on the back, and I assumed this was from his origin episode. I didn’t get an origin episode, but I did get a Christmas special that I now watch every single year. I absolutely love it. 

 I’ve always been someone that enjoys the darker side of Christmas. Carol Of the Bells. A Christmas Carol. That one Twilight Zone episode featuring a drunk Santa Claus that ends up making Christmas magical for everyone. It’s funny, because despite this, I very much enjoy the more innocent side of Halloween (think of cute Beistle die cuts or Scooby Doo). This episode fits right into this archetype, and maybe that is why I love it so much. Of course, this isn’t the only reason. We also get the first appearance of the Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill (yes, that Mark Hamill), and overall a very entertaining episode, Christmas concept aside.

So it’s Christmas Eve, and Dick Grayson (Robin) is home for the holidays. All he wants to do is spend the night relaxing to Christmas dinner and It’s a Wonderful Life, but Bruce isn’t about to let up his night watch just because of the following day. He just knows that something will happen, and right as he finally gives in to Robin’s movie request, we see that the Joker has somehow interrupted pretty much every channel broadcast, and is airing a Christmas special all his own. Featuring a kidnapped Commissioner Gordon, Detective Bullock, and Summer Gleeson, a news reporter (I had no idea it was her before reading it on the DCAU wiki. Kinda cool that it’s not simply some unnamed character!). Batman, aware of the Joker’s love of destructive games sets out with Robin to find his broadcast, and put an end to the Christmas Eve havoc. Throughout the episode he gets sidetracked by an exploding train track (done by the Joker of course), a barrage of cannonballs being fired straight into the city (done by, again, the Joker), and a barrage of Christmas-themed dangers at an abandoned toy factory. At the end of the episode, with the Joker found, and the kidnapped three dangling above a vat of acid, the Joker has Batman open up a special present addressed specifically for him (complete with bat wrapping paper). “Don’t do it, Batman!” shouts Robin, but Batman knows that it’s the only way to save the three and Gotham City as a whole. What’s inside? A pie in the face, what else? Immediately afterward, although Joker tries to run, he slips on a roller skate and nearly falls into the acid himself…but is caught by Batman on the way down. Everyone is saved, and the two heroes even get to finally watch their Christmas special in peace.

Let’s talk about the two big things with this episode: Robin and the Joker. The idea of using an older Robin was obviously a way to bring some realism to the character, and to not ruin the tone that they were going for. Robin is historically kind of a goofy character, and was meant to be a role model for the kiddies. Wanting to avoid specifically kid elements in their show, they used a college-aged Robin. I think it works sometimes, and not so much at other times. It is a little weird seeing such an old character wearing the Robin outfit, but they also made an effort to tone down the silliness of it a little bit. Thank god we didn’t get those little elf shoes and those freshly-waxed legs. While Robin’s usefulness varies throughout the show, I think in this episode they work pretty well together, and for an episode like this, it gives Batman someone to talk to, and introduces some comic relief. Hearing Batman referred to as a Scrooge and seeing him bag on Robin’s choice of movies is pretty funny, and I feel like these two have similar exchanges about Christmas as a lot of us do in real life. The action scenes with Robin were also pretty good, and I never really felt like either of them had nothing to do/were a damsel in distress. That’s the one thing about Robin that bugs me sometimes, and it wasn’t until much later when they got consistently good at having more than one superhero on screen at once, balancing everything out. I will admit, some of it did get a little too corny for my liking…particularly the way Batman would bark things like, “Easy, Robin!” But it also reminded me a little bit of the Adam West show in a charming way that I accept much more with a Christmas episode. So take these comments how you take them. 

 And the Joker? Fantastic debut. He’s funny. He’s menacing. He’s batshit insane. He’s charismatic. He’s everything a classic, definitive Joker should be. I love Heath as much as anyone else, but being a great Joker vs being a definitive Joker are two different things. I wouldn’t get rid of either of them, and I think they both perfectly represent the type of character they are meant to be. I think the Joker changed a lot throughout this show. He giggles unlike later in the series here, and he’s clearly mentally unstable in a different, albeit very fun way. But then there are moments like where he laughs in someone’s face because he knows that her mother is on a train that is headed straight for a blown up bridge. He’s that character that you love to hate, and as much as you want Batman to sock each and every one of those yellow teeth out of his mouth, you also can’t help but root for him to keep getting away just so that you get more of him. It is kinda weird for me picturing this episode’s version of the Joker with Harley, and Harley Quinn may be the main reason why the Joker’s personality changed a little bit and got a hair more serious. In this episode he’s like, well, a cartoon character. More than usual. He has a stylized personality as much as he has a stylized look.

When I mentioned earlier that this episode fits alongside a lot of the darker aspects of Christmas, to clarify a little bit more, it’s not just because you have a psychotic killing clown and a scary guy dressed as a bat. It also has the vintage aspect to it. You have the “dark deco” 30′s aesthetic already in place. Then you add the vintage-looking wintery landscape...the Nutcracker music...and even the dark, snowy city that almost makes me think of Victorian England. I think all of this creates the old-timey Christmas feel without shoving religious morals, or Santa Claus, or greedy marketing down our throats. It succeeds in being a Christmas special almost exclusively through vibes, and mention of it being the holiday. Okay, and Robin’s green and red pajamas are pretty festive as well. The DCAU would do a couple more Christmas episodes later, another one of them being Batman, and while this one is also great, it communicates Christmas in a vastly different way than this one, a way which is much more modern. Both can be great, but this is the Batman Christmas special I will come back to year after year.

 As far as my girlfriend Char’s impressions, she really liked this episode too. As someone who has never seen a single episode of the DCAU before this blog, she said that she expected and was hoping for Harley Quinn, but wasn’t necessarily disappointed that she didn’t show up. Picturing a world of Batman TAS before Harley’s existence is something that I feel like we all sorta gloss over since it’s almost like she’s always existed. And while the show got better with her first appearance, I’m glad that they could do a solid Joker beforehand. Char loved the Joker’s representation, and was surprisingly very much in line with what she expected from the character. She said that he was very creepy, but in a very entertaining way. She also noted his design, particularly his color pallet (wait till she sees TNBA). Some more comments about Harley Quinn were made, and she’s scared for Harley after seeing what a maniac the Joker is. She ships Harley and Poison Ivy, something that I see a lot. I don’t necessarily disagree 100%, but, well, we’ll save a lot of that conversation for later. 

 An older Robin was something that Char was really into, and I got the impression that she never really cared for the super young Robin, as, well, yeah, it is kinda strange. Back when the character was introduced, maybe not so much, nut nowadays? Yeah. What the hell, Batman. Also, Loren Lester provides a voice that she always sorta pictures with the character, and again, she noted how definitive everything seemed. 

 Some other stray observations she made: She agreed with me on some of Batman’s lines being corny, but she also found them a little bit creepy.It was a unique Christmas special. Batman and Robin sorta feel like father and son, but only sorta. This is something the show will get into much more as we go on. She thought the Joker would make a hilarious game show host if he weren’t, well, evil. She noted how shitty the star on the tree at the very beginning was. Apparently Arkham Asylum needs a better interior decorator. And lastly, she loved the ending. As do I. It’s so unsettling, yet so perfect. Better than what I expected when I saw the screenshot on the back of the VHS as a kid. Char’s grade: B

Major Firsts: The Joker, Robin, Summer Gleeson, Arkham Asylum, Xmas episode, we see the Batmobile has a TV, a musical number (The Joker sings) Next time: Nothing To Fear

[asfeedin]

Celebrities, Influencers, And Entrepreneurs Share Their Zoom Backgrounds

Zoom has become a part of daily life for hundreds of millions of people during the pandemic.

Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the word “zoom” referred to driving somewhere in a rush. Now, it’s taken on an entirely new meaning and a part of daily quarantine life for millions of people. In December 2019, the video conferencing platform had approximately 10 million daily meeting participants with the number increasing to more than 300 million by April 2020. So, despite social distancing rules, whether you’re a celebrity broadcasting a live performance or an average person virtually meeting with your team— there are more eyes than ever on our homes.

So how exactly do you create an ideal space for Zoom, social media, or television appearances? I interviewed celebrities, influencers, and entrepreneurs to get a look at where they’re going live and learning their best tips for styling a space that reflects their personal aesthetic while remaining professional.

Haley Reinhart

The singer opens up her living room in a Tiger King inspired look.

Ashley Dane Clark

Singer and American Idol alum Haley Reinhart opened her boho-chic living room to the world when she performed Piece of My Heart for the Billboard Live At Home event. Knowing that her performance wasn’t the only thing audiences would be looking at, she was very intentional about her decor. “I love dream catchers and you can see one hanging behind me in the window. We definitely cherish them in my family and I often gift them to friends from my travels. To me, they represent the importance of both our sleeping and woken dreams. I like to hang them above my bed, it’s a constant reminder of what exactly I‘d like to manifest in my life,” the singer tells me.

For anyone trying to create a space that reflects their personality, she recommends taking a holistic approach, tapping into who you really are and expressing it visually. “I’m an old soul, still living vicariously through the ’60s and ’70s,” she says. :So if you come over to my place, you will definitely find my sideboard with vinyl, lava lamps, Waterford crystal, instruments galore, and a whole lot of funky colors and patterns. Just be yourself and make a vision board if you’re inspired to do so. The world is your oyster and the room is your pearl.”

Tara Mackey

Tara Mackey’s San Diego Home

Tara Mackey

Thought leader and entrepreneur Tara Mackey, who is best known not only for her books but her natural beauty line Genetix Organic believes natural light is everything when it comes to space for her to create live content. “Natural light doesn’t like competition, so the best place to do Zoom meetings and Instagram live sessions is somewhere with a lot of natural light and a dim background. “For me, that place is my bedroom,” she says.

She props her phone against a shelf on her window sill, but a stack of books can work just as well. “One big, open window facing outside means I don’t need to invest in any equipment. The rest of the room is dark behind me, so there is no distracting backlight and I don’t need a fancy ring light to feel confident. It allows me to have the simple background of the room, the great lighting on my face, and space to either kneel or sit down if I want to. Since we’ve been practicing social distancing, I’ve recently done a lot of Instagram lives and zoom meetings and this spot worked perfectly, both in the morning and afternoon.”

Adaleta Avdic

Adaleta Avdic’s office in Arizona.

Adaleta Avdic

Beauty and travel influencer Adaleta Avdic uses Zoom to record her podcast, Get An Aaatude, and create content for her 600k followers on Instagram. “My office is airy and bright, especially in the afternoon. So, it has nice natural lighting which is ideal for Zoom calls,” she says. “This way my colleagues can see me, and I don’t need any additional light to have them see me clearly.”

Avdic also recommends using props to color and fill out the room, even if it’s just an inexpensive clothing rack. “I adjust the clothes seasonally. There’s lots of light pink, some tie-dye, and a pop of yellow, along with white and black classic pieces. Add some pops of color in your background just to give a bit more of a structure and fun vibe to your Zoom space.”

Aurore Martial

Zoom like an interior designer

Aurore Martial

UK-based interior designer, Aurore Martial knows how to elevate a space for Zoom like no one else. Her living room is the perfect spot to show off. Her design philosophy revolves around using statement pieces. “Here we have a zebra and a piano in a very monochromatic color scheme but my entrance has got a life-size statue and a red carpet. You’ve got to find your signature! Something people will remember, a conversation starter, something that says something about your personality,” she says.

And while many of us are hesitant about showing off our homes on Zoom, Martial sees this as a positive. “This is a great opportunity for making an impression with your colleagues and clients so think about something that will catch their attention, that they will remember, that shows your personality—a conversation starter.”

 If you want to make your space bolder and aren’t sure how to do it— a wall mural (especially peel and stick versions), patterned wallpaper, a gallery wall, or a large art piece can be easy fixes.  

Lacy West

Lacy West’s Utah office

Lacy West

Lacy West, who is the founder of Laced Hair Extensions uses her office in Utah for Zoom meetings. “I chose this space because I wanted somewhere minimalistic and relaxing to escape from the craziness of everyday business,” she tells me. “Life in my industry runs incredibly fast, so I purposefully selected an office space with clean lines and a light, airy feel to offset how hectic each day can be. I find myself feeling most calm and concentrated when I’m in a bright, open area with minimal distractions.” 

For others trying to create a simple but sophisticated aesthetic, she recommends a bright open space with comfortable seating. “Focusing on a natural palette while gathering decorations for a space helps to create a relaxing atmosphere. Once you’ve got the basics, it’s important to slowly incorporate small elements from your personal life to create a look that’s sleek yet cozy,” says West.

Scout Sobel

Scout Sobel at home in San Diegeo.

Scout Sobel

Best known as the host of popular podcasts Ok Sis and the Scout podcast, Scout Sobel is also the founder of Scout’s Agency— so she is incredibly busy with her clients. She Zooms in her living room because it’s a great way to show off her gallery wall. “I think it adds a lot of ambiance to my Zoom background while also showing off my personal home decor style,” she says.

“I am so obsessed with creating the right aesthetic environment when it comes to Scout’s Agency’s office that I have put the same level of style into my Zoom meetings. This background also has tons of natural light from my floor-to-ceiling windows, which makes for an all-around more positive vibe. It is welcoming, airy, roomy, inviting, and chic.”

Sobel also emphasizes the importance of creating a space that looks professional. While many people are Zooming in their bedrooms, she cautions against this. “You wouldn’t show up to a meeting in pajamas in the office so why show up to a Zoom meeting in bed? Putting some thought into your Zoom background is like putting on a power suit for a big meeting. It just completes the picture.”

For those without gallery walls, she recommends setting up a little corner with some flowers or an indoor plant sitting beside you next to a window! “Little details like that complete the picture. Lighting, design, details,” she says.

Alex Chando

Alex Chando at home

Alex Chando

Actress, producer, and host of the Her Voice Podcast, Alex Chando records her show in front of a wall in her family room. It looks clean and professional, while disguising a problem many of us are having right now. “To be honest, I have to do a little set decorating and moving of furniture before I record, but I love the bold blue of this wall, and using this backdrop makes me feel a little more put together for our episode guests. The art and plants complement the blue background to make for a great aesthetic.” 

Her space shows a little effort can make a big difference, even if it’s just a small section of the room. And if you’ve recently moved, there’s never been a better time to paint your walls an interesting color.

Marta Pozzan

Marta Pozzan with artwork by The Novogratz.

Marta Pozzan

Actress, model, and creator Marta Pozzan recently taught a live unboxing class from her living room because of the natural light and the fact that she has a large dining table. “I needed room to move around in this case and a table to bring up all the packages I unboxed live and this table is way bigger than the one I have upstairs in my office so it worked out perfectly.”

She thinks this space is good because the colors aren’t too intense and the room isn’t too busy. But she also likes to keep things simple, which helps separate her Internet life from her real one. “I think it’s good to find a space that doesn’t feel too personal since we normally wouldn’t share our home with everybody and in those Zooms calls there can be more than 40 people sometimes. A nice, spacious, and not too private area of your house would be ideal I think,” she says.

Diana Madison

Dina Madison at home

Dina Madsion

Podcast host of Dream Big and influencer Diana Madison launched her namesake beauty line shortly before the lockdown. As a result, she’s had to pivot her entire business. “I turned my storage space into my workspace to get all my daily work done. When it comes time to record my podcast, the office is pretty soundproof.”

Madison also uses her office to shoot her daily live show on Instagram called Waking Up With Diana as well as other video content. Having a room with bright light, a clean desktop, and space for her products creates an aesthetic that matches her personality and allows the room to work for multiple purposes.

Ali Lasky

Ali Lasky staying home in West Hollywood.

Ali Lasky

On the other hand, Ali Lasky, who is the owner of The Influence, which is a top Influencer Marketing and PR agency, uses different rooms in her West Hollywood apartment to keep things interesting, adjusting to where the best natural lighting is, depending on the time of day. “I usually like to be comfortable on one of my couches for Zoom Meetings, or propped up at my kitchen island with a large piece of art I painted behind me,” Lasky tells me.

She recommends switching up pillows and other decorative accents for a complete look.

“For the #StayAtHome campaign, which included Scheana Shay (Vanderpump Rules), Audrina Patridge (The Hills), and Pia Toscano (American Idol), the pillow accents and gray tufted couch made for a great backdrop reflective of my style.”

Lasky also suggests wearing neutral clothing during Zoom calls and avoiding anything that looks overly distracting. “The shades of grays in my apartment are perfect because they lend for a great backdrop without being distracting.”

Abi Pearl

Abi Perl quarantining in Florida.

Abi Perl

Professional dancer and World of Dance contestant Abi Perl is still working through the quarantine, teaching live Zoom dance classes to nurses at hospitals nationwide in partnership with the non-profit Lollipop Theatre Network. She recommends using the living room and adjusting furniture accordingly for anyone trying to teach dance, fitness, or any type of physical class online. “You can push the couch and coffee table to create a more open space like a studio provides,” she says. “Bring your laptop or phone and use the furniture next to you to prop up your devices to stream or place your yoga mat in front of your device.”

With gyms and studios closed, Perl emphasizes the importance of daily movement. “Getting good workouts in and keeping your body mobile is so important during this time! Dance produces endorphins just like fitness and is so much fun. There are tons of dance and fitness tutorials, live-streams, and classes happening all day every day.”

Molly Borman Heymount

Zooming in the kitchen.

Don Schulte Photography

Founder of Just Nips and author of The Instagram Iceberg Molly Borman has been Zooming from her kitchen because as a working mother with a newborn, her life revolves around food. “I’m always eating or feeding, so staying in the kitchen is key. For the first few days of Zoom life, I was all about keeping it professional and hiding away in my office, but the lighting was terrible and I kept running back and forth between the kitchen table, where I actually work, and my office, where I was pretending to work! After a few days, I was done pretending.”

 She has also found that unlike other spaces in her home, the kitchen is relatively easy to keep clean. “I’ve been a little nuts about disinfecting around here so the wipe-down surfaces are ideal! And if there’s a pile of baby toys and bottles on the counter before I’m signing on to a call, I just put them to the side and deal with it later! Survival mode, people!”

Heather Smith

Heather Smith at home.

Heather Smith

Heather Smith is the CEO of StoryFile, which is an immersive storytelling technology app that will be launching in the upcoming months. It was essential for her to create a space that would set an example for her entire team. “I actually chose that space because I could see my water fountain in my front patio through the window in the French door. The location of the chair gave an interesting enough background, good light throughout the day and it’s comfortable! I can also see everything going on in my house from there without moving,” she says.

For others, she recommends working with what you have and adjusting if need be. “Don’t be afraid to move around furniture, artwork, books, or tables to create a good space! It also helped me that there was not too much room behind me for people to be walking around.”

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[janschreiner]

Dr. Jess O-Reilly Plays 20 Questions with SHA!

Dr. Jess O-Reilly Plays 20 Questions with SHA!

“You’re the ultimate expert in your own sexuality and pleasure.”

The Sexual Health Alliance (SHA) is centered around providing Provocative Dialogue and Radical Collaboration. What would radical collaboration look like for you?

To me, radical collaboration involves sharing my business and working with industry peers who don’t have the same opportunities and privilege as I do. This might involve referring out services to folks who are better qualified to speak on specific issues (e.g. Black sexuality, sex for people with disabilities). It also involves sharing resources, insights and experiences for low/no cost to those in financial need. And at times, it involves sharing the financial profits on specific projects (e.g. collaborating on products like books, video courses and speaking engagements).

As a prominent sexuality professional, you have made a wonderful career as a sex educator. What would you recommend to young educators or therapists wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for the support of your peers and potential mentors. Many of us want to help and if you’re very specific with your request (e.g. Can I pick your brain? is too broad, but Could you look over this introductory paragraph of my book proposal? is more manageable), you’ll probably receive a positive reply.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

I’m rereading Life and Death in Shanghai.

What’s the most important thing you talk about with your clients?

Custom-designing their relationships. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and you can make almost any arrangement work if you’re not burdened by social pressure.

What are the top 3 items on your bucket list?

1. I’d like to build an affordable housing building in my hometown of Toronto and see if we can grow the project to be sustainable; eventually, I’d like to continue to build additional units.

2. I’d like to adopt a child.

3. I want to live to be 100+.

One of our goals is to provide all therapists and healthcare providers with high quality sexuality training because they often receive little to no education in sexual health. What is the most important piece about sex that you want all providers to know? What would you want them to incorporate into their practice?

I’d like every professional to understand that our personal sex and relationship lenses can be completely irrelevant to our clients/patients’ lived experience. This doesn’t mean that our work isn’t shaped by personal experience, but simply that we need to be aware of our own biases and limits. And we need to be more aware of our layers of privilege related to race, gender, income, education, ability, nation of birth, relationship status, social status and professional roles.

What are your top 2 books that have influenced you and why?

Give and Take by Adam Grant. This was an affirming read, as he shares stories and data suggesting that good people do finish first in life and in business.

Our Bodies, Ourselves. I read this many, many years ago when I was in school and it offered such an important perspective on so many different topics. I know they’ve updated it since then and I’ve been meaning to go back to it and read the new version, so thanks for the reminder!

What is bad advice you have heard other people in our field give?

I still hear professionals talk about other cultures and countries as though they’re monoliths that they understand because they worked with clients from a specific culture or they lived in a place for a few months or years. If you’re not a part of a group or culture, elevate the voice of someone from that group instead of speaking for or about them. Nothing about us without us.

Who is your sexual role model?

That’s a great question! I’m not sure I know enough about anyone else’s sex life to call them a role model. Marla Renee Stewart is a general role model — personally and professionally — and I believe she has very happy relationships — sexual and otherwise.

SHA utilizes social media to reach our members as well as to find new sexuality content and research, how do you think social media has influenced our culture’s sexuality?

I’m so thankful for the reach and impact of social media. Putting the power of broadcast into individual hands (instead of allowing it to rest in the hands of a few corporations) has shifted and broadened the content we consume. Accounts like @SexPositiveFamilies, for example, disseminate essential information that mainstream (old) media would never have touched. Research shows that digital consumption and connections can foster digital empathy, galvanize support, create feelings of belonging and build community. Of course, social media is still owned by a few corporations and we don’t have access to how they disseminate our posts, so we have to be mindful that new media also has its limitations.

Our team finds podcasts, youtube and other social media platforms sometimes more educational and useful than traditional models. Do you think social media should have a place in formal training, and if so, how much?

There are accounts that offer high-quality, evidence-based information and there are also powerful accounts that provide misinformation. I think it’s important to analyze media (including social media) in all training and examine messages and biases. Part of all learning processes involves developing and tuning our critical thinking skills and I believe that we can certainly use social media as both a lens and subject.

What made you create your Happily ever after approach to working with couples?

I work primarily with folks who run or own businesses. They’re passionate about their work and they claim that their family is the most important aspect of their lives, but they don’t always act like it. Our Marriage As a Business approach involves applying business practices and acumen to intimate relationships. This might entail hosting board meetings (relationship check-ins), building a support team (e.g. therapists and babysitters), respecting timelines (e.g. showing up to dinner on time), planning ahead (e.g. carving out time weeks, months or even a year in advance).

As a Canadian born, Chinese-Jamaican and Irish by descent person, what has been the most challenging aspect of working in this field?

My gender, appearance and (perceived) ethnicity provide me with both privilege and challenges. As a woman talking about a sensitive topic in the public eye, I draw considerable criticism, harassment and personal attacks — on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, my website contact form and even on LinkedIn. I ignore most of it, but sometimes it does feel like death by a thousand paper cuts. Luckily, I have a lot of support too. And I love life and I’m lucky in so many ways, so I try not to expend my energy on the harassment.

Where is your next dream vacation?

I’m not sure. I have a big birthday coming up in February and I’m deciding between Tuscany, Japan and Jamaica. Help me choose!

What are 2 of the most important things you do everyday?

If I’m home, my partner makes me a decaf macchiato or cortado in a small double-wall glass, which I try to take the time to enjoy without reading, working or scrolling. The glassware and all the details add to my enjoyment; he weighs the beans, grinds them with a beautiful manual grinder, pulls the shots at the right pace and warms the milk to the perfect temperature. It sounds pretentious, but I don’t care, because it’s delicious.

I don’t have many rituals, because I’m on the road most of the time and everything is always changing. But I do make time to enjoy myself wherever I go — even if I only have a few hours in a new city or country, I try to walk to a local third-wave coffee shop or market to get a pulse on local life. If I have time for lunch, I always treat myself to something delicious. Food is my love language and working in the food industry is a part of my family background.

What’s your favorite place you’ve traveling to for you job and why?

It’s hard to pick a favorite place, but Istanbul certainly stands out as a highlight. The people are always so warm and gracious. The rich culture, history and architecture overwhelm me. And the food is so delicious and varied. I hope to return again soon.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being in business with your partner, Brandon? (They are married)

Me. I’m the most challenging aspect. He’s much easier to work with.

We don’t work together full-time. He helps out to co-host the podcast, but he has his own unrelated business that keeps him very busy.

The most challenging aspect relates to my travel schedule. I love travel and I love flying and dealing with the unpredictability of new surroundings, but I do miss being physically together. This was a challenge for several years, but he travels with me far more often now, as he has more flexibility with his business.

What’s your favorite story to tell?

I’m a storyteller. As they say, a story doesn’t have to be true to be good. Ha!

But here’s a true one:

On a flight from Denver to Albuquerque a few years ago, a guy threw up all over me as the plane landed. Instead of just vomiting, he tried to keep it in his cheeks and so the trajectory changed and it sprayed everywhere — all over me and in the hair of the couple in front of us. People were dry heaving all around us and I was just hoping that no one else would vomit. I remember thinking that if one more person vomits, the whole plane is going to become a vomit comet. I don’t know why I picked that story, but it just popped into my head.

If you want something sexuality-related:

One time I was at a sex club and two people high fived on the bed next to us while exclaiming, “Oh yeah. This is so hot! And it’s a great workout, so we can skip the gym tomorrow!”. This was their dirty talk and it got them all riled up, but it killed the vibe for me and some of the others in close proximity.

Another time, as lady who was 7+ months pregnant stopped me and asked if I could help her figure out a good position for DP (double penetration) given her big belly. This was a time when I was reminded that they definitely don’t teach you everything you need to know in school.

Your bio says you like airplane turbulence! Can you tell us more about why you like it?

I just love airplanes — I love flying in them, talking about them, reading about them. And I like the physical thrill of a little turbulence — especially in a bigger plane. I will reroute to fly on a cool plane (e.g. the 787-9) and I hope to train as a pilot someday.

Being trained in sex & disabilities, can you give us some tips on why discussing disability is important?

All sexual health education needs to be inclusive and this includes talking about sex as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, relationship arrangement, income, and disability. I facilitated sessions on sex and disability early on in my career and now I’ve learned that I should pass the mic and advocate for paying opportunities for fellow sexologists who have disabilities. There are many qualified folks who simply don’t get the same paid opportunities as I do because of ableism.

When we leave folks with disabilities out of the conversation, we reinforce inaccurate stereotypes and put them at greater risk, as sexual health education produces positive health outcomes regardless of whether or not you have a disability.

What's an important take away from your new book The New Sex Bible?

Do what feels good for you. Don’t worry about what the experts or your friends have to say. You’re the ultimate expert in your own sexuality and pleasure.

About Dr. Jess

Jess O’Reilly began working as a sexuality counsellor in 2001 and she has never looked back! Her PhD studies involved the development of training programs in sex education for teachers and her education and undergraduate degrees focused on equity and sexual diversity.

Her training includes courses in counselling skills, healthy relationships, resolving sexual concerns, sex education, clinical sexology, sexual development, sex and disability, group therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Alongside her academic and television credits, Dr. Jess is also an accomplished author with three best-selling titles. Her latest, The New Sex Bible, has received rave reviews from professionals and clients alike and her first book Hot Sex Tips,Tricks and Licks is in its fourth print! Look for her monthly column in Post City or catch her on Tuesday mornings on Global TV’s The Morning Show, Wednesdays on 102.1 The Edge and Saturdays on PlayboyTV.

Dr. Jess’ work experience includes contracts with school boards, social services agencies, community health organizations and private corporations. A sought-after speaker, her sessions always attract a full-house at conferences and entertainment events alike.

Check out more about Dr. Jess!

Follow Dr. Jess on Twitter & Instagram

Dr. Jess O-Reilly Plays 20 Questions with SHA! published first on https://spanishflyhealth.tumblr.com/

[charllieeldridge]

Weekend in Nashville: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary

Lace-up your dancing shoes, you’ll need them for this epic itinerary for a weekend in Nashville! The capital of Tennessee and the place known simply as Music City is the perfect choice for a weekend getaway.

With two days in Nashville, you’ll be able to dive into the city’s rich musical culture. There are excellent museums, markets, and historic venues to choose from during the day. 

When night falls, it’s time to hit the town for some live music.

From international acts playing to a sold-out arena to up-and-coming local bands looking for their break at dive bars, there’s always a show going on.

Even with just a weekend in Nashville, you can get a feel for the place. It’s not overwhelming like New York or LA so you can cover some serious ground even on a short trip.

Nashville has a special place in my heart (and probably my liver from all the partying I’ve done there!). I used to live down the road in Murfreesboro and have spent many nights eating hot chicken and jamming out to live music. It’s easily one of my favorite American cities.

Read on for a detailed look at how to spend 2 days in Nashville as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. 

Day 1 in Nashville

You only have a weekend in Nashville, so you have to make it count! On the first day, you’ll get a nice introduction to the city and its rich musical culture.

Morning

As far as breakfast goes, you have lots of options downtown.

If you’re up early enough, get a table at Frothy Monkey. They have a solid breakfast menu (including their Cheesy Grit Bowl) and lots of tasty coffee options.

Those who are like me and struggle at getting out the door in time can just swing by Drug Store Coffee for a to-go breakfast sandwich and a strong cup of joe.  

A great way to get your bearings in any city is by taking a walking tour. Free Tours Nashville comes highly recommended. They run tours at 9 AM that last for about an hour and a half. 

This is one of the best things to do in Nashville when you first arrive. The walking tour will give you a nice introduction to downtown Nashville as well as solid recommendations from a local.

As with free tours all over the world, guides rely on your tips so return that southern hospitality if you enjoy the tour!

If you can’t make the 9 AM tour or just don’t feel like being with a group, you can make your own walking tour. Discover Nashville put together two different DIY walking tours of downtown. Just click here to download the PDF and you’re ready to rock.

Afternoon

You’re spoiled for lunch choices in downtown Music City. If you’re just spending a weekend in Nashville, a solid choice is Acme Feed & Seed. 

This huge space on the riverfront has a fun weekend brunch from 10 AM-3 PM with plenty of mouthwatering options. There’s also an extensive cocktail menu and a “build your own mimosa” option. Oh yeah, and there’s live music, too!

Speaking of music, you can spend the rest of your afternoon checking out some of the many music-related sights. There’s the Country Music Hall of Fame, which will take you on a journey through the whole history of the genre that put Nashville on the map. 

The museum is open from 9 AM-5 PM and tickets cost $25.95 for adults. Click here to grab your tickets online in advance and save time. 

There’s also the Johnny Cash Museum, which is a fascinating place to visit for any fans of “The Man in Black.” He’s one of the best-selling artists of all time and an absolute legend in the music world. 

You can visit the museum from 9 AM-7 PM and tickets cost $20.95 for adults. Head to their website to pick up your tickets.

Whichever museum you visit, it’s worth it to make a quick detour through the Music City Walk of Fame Park. It features plaques honoring some of the biggest names in the city’s musical history.

If you’re feeling really motivated with your weekend in Nashville, you can also squeeze in a visit to the historic Ryman Auditorium.

It was the home of the Grand Ole Opry for 30 years but ended up facing the bulldozer when the Opry changed locations.

Thankfully the efforts to save and eventually restore the Ryman paid off. It is once again a world-class place to see live music and it even hosts Opry shows again (from November to January).

The Ryman is open daily from 9 AM to 4 PM and you can take a self-guided tour. Tickets cost $24.95 (click here to book them online), so pick one up and add the “Mother Church of Country Music” to your Nashville weekend trip.

Evening

While it will still be bright out when you leave the Ryman, it’s still the perfect time to transition into the “evening” portion. After all, the party starts early on a weekend in Nashville!

Just across the street is the famed Honky-Tonk Highway full of Nashville’s iconic live music bars. The party is basically going all day every day at these places. Best of all, there’s never a cover charge!

One of the most famous Nashville honky-tonks is Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Head up to their rooftop for drinks with a view as day turns into night in Music City.

Where you go from here will depend largely on what (and how much) you had to drink at the honky-tonk bars.

I know you’re in Tennessee, but don’t go too wild on the whiskey! There’s still a lot to do with your precious 2 days in Nashville.

In all honesty, you could just stay on this block for the rest of your night and have an absolute blast.

There are so many bars to choose from here and they all have live music, so it’s fun to just bounce around. Where else can you see 10-15 different bands in one night and not pay a single cover charge? 

You’ll eventually need some food to soak up that booze. With a little bit of liquid courage in you, I’d say you’re ready to tackle Nashville’s legendary hot chicken. 

It’s just a few blocks walk over to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. They’ve been cooking up the fiery fowl for almost a century and are a beloved Nashville institution at this point.

A word of warning — even the medium is incredibly spicy.

If it’s your first time eating hot chicken, it’s best to ease yourself into it. Seriously, this stuff is pretty intense. You’ve been warned!

Should you get a second wind and want to keep the party going, then go for it! Bars stay open until 3 AM and it’s always a good time downtown over the weekend in Nashville. 

Day 2 in Nashville

Life is all about choices, including how best to spend your weekend in Nashville. How you go about the 2nd day will depend on how hard you went that first night!

Morning

Those who opt to paint the town and dance the night away may need a late start to day two. You definitely won’t be the only one sleeping in and nursing a hangover on a Sunday in Nashville…

If you didn’t get absolutely wild the night before, you have some more options with how to spend your day. I will provide options for both the party animal and the early bird!

The go-getters out there can consider heading out to one of the many historical sights in the area. One of the most popular is the Belle Meade Plantation.

You can get yourself out there if you rent a car (click here to get directions). It’s open from 9 AM to 5 PM and tickets cost $28 on the weekend.

For a more carefree visit, just sign up for this epic tour. You’ll visit the plantation, do a wine tasting, and also get to check out the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. 

Not into the idea of getting up early for a big tour? No worries. There are plenty of ways to more leisurely spend your 2nd morning in Music City.

Grab a coffee downtown then start out at the Tennessee State Capitol. They don’t run the free guided tours on the weekend, but it’s still worth it to have a look at this historic building. 

From there, it’s a nice walk through the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

Be sure to check out the 95-bell carillon that represents the musical heritage of the state of Tennessee. There’s one for each of the state’s 95 counties! Try to time it at the top of the hour to hear them play the Tennessee Waltz. 

The reason I didn’t give you a breakfast recommendation yet is because this is where you’ll find the Nashville Farmer’s Market. The market is home to 20 different local shops and restaurants. It’s definitely a must-visit for a weekend in Nashville.

Afternoon

While you’re over here, you can also drop into the Tennessee State Museum. It’s the best place to learn all about the history of the Volunteer State. It’s also totally free! 

Once again, I’ll present a few different options for you to enjoy the 2nd half of your weekend in Nashville. 

If it’s a beautiful day outside, you may want to head on over to Centennial Park. Home to a full-scale replica of the Parthenon, you’ll see why Nashville is also called “The Athens of the South.” 

This large public park is the perfect place to enjoy some time outside, with a lake, hiking trails, and much more. There are often cultural events here, including free concerts.

Speaking of music, one of the most popular Nashville attractions is the Grand Ole Opry. This is the longest-running radio broadcast in the USA, going way back to 1925. It’s even called “the home of American music.”

There are shows at the Grand Ole Opry every Friday and Saturday night, but you can take a tour any day of the week. Click here to book an excellent backstage tour that also takes you around the Gaylord Opryland Resort. 

If you’re feeling more of a party vibe, why not tour a local distillery? There are quite a few choices in the area, but I recommend Corsair. They strive to put Nashville in a bottle and I’d say they do a fine job!

On one of their 30-minute guided tours, you’ll see the process they use to make their unique grain-to-glass spirits. You’ll also get to taste five of them. At just $13 this is a steal. Click here to reserve your spot. 

Evening

However you spent your afternoon, it’s worth it to drop by the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. Take a stroll above the Cumberland River to take in the views and watch the city light up. Definitely bring your camera for this one!

With your weekend in Nashville coming to a close, it’s time to grab some dinner and gear up for another night out on the town. Head over to the Gulch to have your pick of several restaurants and bars.

I suggest heading first to the Flying Saucer for some tasty pretzels and craft beer. They usually have 20+ beers on tap and always have an impressive collection of bottles.

A few spots that come recommended for dinner include Peg Leg Porker (BBQ), Stock & Barrel (burgers & bourbon) and M (upscale Southern). The latter is a bit on the fancier side so you may want to make a reservation ahead of time.

Where you go from here really depends on what time of year you visit Nashville and what you’re into.

This is Music City after all, so chances are there are dozens of shows to choose from. Click here to check out a calendar of live music and see what’s playing. 

If you’re into sports, you can check to see if there’s a home game going on.

The city is home to the Predators (hockey), Sounds (minor league baseball), Titans (American football), and the brand-new Nashville SC (soccer). Local fans are really passionate and the games are tons of fun.

Of course, you could always just go back to honky-tonk hopping downtown. Whatever you do, make the most of the last few hours of your weekend in Nashville!

Insider Tips for a Weekend in Nashville

You’re definitely in for a good time when you take a Nashville weekend trip. You’ll have an even better time if you follow these helpful tips:

Take it easy – It’s easy to crank it up to 11 and go all out in Music City. When the bands are jamming and the bartenders are pouring all day long, it’s easy to get a little too sloppy too quickly here. Don’t forget to stay hydrated and eat food in between all that partying. 

Don’t eat the hottest hot chicken – Guys, this one is especially for you. I know you want to look like a badass by eating that “XXX Hot” variety of hot chicken. Trust me when I say it’s not worth it. You’ll be paying for that bad decision all weekend!

Forget the car – Nashville doesn’t have the best public transportation, so you may be tempted to rent a car. If you’re only spending a weekend there and are looking to have a good time, though, a car really isn’t necessary. Let Uber drive you back to your hotel.

Book ahead of time – I gave you lots of options in this guide, but you can’t do them all. I recommend checking to see if there are any games/shows you really want to go to and planning around those. It would be disappointing to get there and find out the show you want to hit is sold out.

Similarly, if there’s a restaurant you don’t want to miss, definitely try and book a table ahead of time to avoid disappointment. 

Getting to Nashville

Most travelers arrive in Music City at the Nashville International Airport (BNA).

It’s well-connected to most major American cities. There are just a few direct international routes, including Toronto and London. The airport is just a few miles from downtown Nashville.

By Bus

If you don’t feel like renting a car there, the cheapest option is to hop on the Route 18 WeGo bus. 

Once you have your bags, head out to the Ground Transportation on Level 1 and look for the sign. There’s an express bus that takes about 20 minutes and a local one that takes more like 30-40. 

This route operates 7 days a week and there’s a bus about every half hour during the day. It’s just $2 to get you downtown! Click here to check out a PDF with all the relevant info for the airport bus. 

Taxi/Rideshare

With just a weekend in Nashville, it’s understandable if you don’t want to wait around for the bus. Thankfully both Uber and Lyft are readily available in Music City.

Both rideshare apps pick you up at the same Ground Transportation area where you catch the bus. Lyft drivers use Zone A while Uber uses B and C. Getting your own car costs about $20-30 downtown depending on traffic.

There are also regular taxis at the airport that will take you downtown for a flat rate of $25.

Renting a Car

Some people love having their own wheels, and I totally understand that. Go ahead and rent a car at the airport if you don’t want to sort out public transportation or order a bunch of Ubers.

One thing I will warn you is that traffic can be pretty bad, as the city has grown a lot in recent years but roads haven’t improved much.

This influx of newbies to Music City also means a lot of people driving around who don’t really know what they’re doing.

If you have just 2 days in Nashville and you’re staying downtown, I see no need for a rental car. In my opinion it’s better to let someone else do the driving when visiting a city for just a weekend. 

Arriving in Nashville By Bus

Those who are already traveling around the US may want to consider catching a bus to Nashville. Both Greyhound and Megabus operate in the city.

If you’ve never taken a Greyhound bus in the United States, well then you’re in for quite the experience! Let’s just say I’ve met my fair share of characters the few times I’ve taken a bus in or out of Music City.

It’s worth it to try and plan your route on Megabus well in advance as they have some great deals on early bird tickets. My wife and I have gone from Chicago to Nashville for just $10 each!

Best Place to Stay for a Weekend in Nashville

So where should you stay for a weekend in Nashville? If you want to maximize your time enjoying all that the city has to offer, the easy choice is downtown.

With just 2 days in Nashville, it’s nice being in the middle of everything. Staying downtown means a quick walk to the museums, state capitol, music venues, and nightlife. 

You can find accommodation to suit all budgets here in the city center. Here are some solid recommendations for where to stay in downtown Nashville:

Budget: Nashville Downtown Hostel

Mid-Range: 21c Museum Hotel

Luxury: The Hermitage

There are also some quality options in the Gulch, which is practically downtown and has lots of great choices for dining and nightlife of its own.

If you don’t mind getting a cab or waiting on the bus a few times, you can stay in one of the neighborhoods just outside the center like Midtown, 12 South, or East Nashville.

These are all good choices for a more local and less touristy experience (i.e. you won’t see too many people stumbling down the street in cowboy boots). 

Now You Know What to Do With 2 Days in Nashville

That about does it for this guide to a weekend in Nashville. Writing this has me pumped up for my next trip to Nashville, which will most definitely be full of live music, hot chicken, and late-night shenanigans as it always is.

If you’ve got any tidbits to add on what to do, where to eat, and so on, please feel free to drop a comment below and let us hear about it!

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Weekend in Nashville: The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

[avaliveradio]

1.14 Rock Mania Rising Stars with Jacqueline Jax

TODAY'S LIST OF WHAT'S FRESH COMING INTO A.V.A LIVE RADIO. THIS IS A ROCK GENRE SHOW SEGMENT FULL OF MUSIC THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU AND SEND YOU SEARCHING THE ARTISTS PAGES FOR MORE. EPISODE HOSTED BY JACQUELINE JAX.

Todays show is all about Rock and Roll. Get ready Rock fans to discover some new favorites.

Listen to the show : starts at 12 pm et on all broadcasting outlets including:

The Anchor Fm page: https://anchor.fm/ava-live-radio

iHeartRadio station page : https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-AVA-Live-Radio-Musi-29336730

The Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2toX0f3dPmI8gmUSOKZicx

FEATURING:

Artist: Cwiredband

New Release: Angel Circuit Engaged

Genre: Resurrection Rock

Located in: : Berkeley Springs, WV - Nashville, TN

This song is... Angel Circuit Engaged was one of the first songs C Wired wrote. It’s a call to all to engage our Higher Selves our Angelic Circuitry. It’s very much needed now as we find ourselves challenged by lower energy forces that are in control of and are making our planet uninhabitable. We can change our world together by holding a shared vision of Peace and Abundance for ALL.

Warm feedback slithers through our speakers and takes hold of our attention as we enter the title track of Cwiredband’s new record Angel Circuit Engaged, their follow up to their much-buzzed Omega EP also released last year. Before long, that feedback is harnessed and transformed into a scorcher of a melody produced by a feverish lead guitar and punctuated with the pummeling of a massive drum kit” – Don McCloskey – Gas House Radio

The music we are creating is... Resurrection Rock. The term came from one of the reviewers of our music. When something is resurrected it still retains common themes from the previous form but has morphed into something different. C Wired’s Spiritual advisor implanted a seed idea inside him to create “Genre less music”. What Cwiredband is all 

Right now we are... Working on our next EP. C Wired has more than enough material to record a full-length album, but both he and producer Addison Smith are really comfortable with more frequent releasees every 3-6 months utilizing the 6 song EP format. It’s more in tune with the way we consume and listen to music today anyways. Most people are not taking the time to listen to an entire album. They select the one or two songs they like and add them to their playlist. Working on getting booked for European and US based tours, festivals, etc.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/track/7rOlHR2PjA6FoeoJoZGzUQ?si=OW_38dP8QNSjTFV89C-pwQ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cwiredband/1395435754 https://www.instagram.com/c_wired https://www.facebook.com/cwiredband

Artist: BlindSide Thunder New Release: My Baby Loves to Dance

Genre: Rock, Blues, Hard Rock

Located in: : Tampa, FL

This song is about girls. It's rock n roll.

The music we are creating is... fun and upbeat. We aren't here to make any political or social statements. We're having a great time and so should you. Life presents enough stress and discord, music should not add to it. If our music offends you, we're not sorry. Move along, please. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9evqOAuFs

Right now we are... BST is very excited right now. It's a great time to be an independent artist. We have a handful of new videos being produced, and we're working on a deal for distribution into the Asian markets.

LINKS:  www.facebook.com/BlindSideTHunderOfficial www.twitter.com/BlindSideT www.blindsidethunder.com www.instagram.com/BlindSideThunderOfficial https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/blindside-thunder/id577701131 http://www.reverbnation.com/BlindSideRI

Artist: Jac Dalton

New Release: I CAN ALMOST TASTE THE RAIN

Genre: Melodic Rock

Located in: : Adelaide, South Australia This song is... My roots and wings stem from a family dynamic best summed up this way: whenever we camped as kids, none of us were allowed to pack the car to go home until our own campsite was spotless, as well as those on either side. Music to me has never been about applause and recognition, but instead embracing the opportunity to leave audiences a little bit better for the time shared on both sides of the stage. Those same sentiments translate presently into a project not merely for stage, but in consideration of the needs of an entire Nation. My chosen home of Australia is presently in the throes of the worst drought in over a century, and while there are far worst things happening to good people across the globe, sometimes we must step up and do the right thing where we’re able for no other reason than because it needs to be done. My Band and I have just launched a drought aid program called ‘SA-NDI’ (South Australian Nip-the-Drought Initiative) a collective initiative rallying around a rock anthem we’ve produced called ‘I Can Almost Taste The Rain’. With Australia’s populace of 25 million and the World’s population tipping 6 billion travellers – if enough of us were to download the song through its portal (www.sa-ndi.com.au) for even a $1 donation – the result would amount to a tremendous impact providing water, hay, fuel, food to families who in turn grow food for a significant segment of our Mother Earth. One hundred percent (100%) of donations go to righteous charitable Oz organizations like Aussie Helpers, Buy-A-Bail, Drought Angels towards the worthwhile causes they oversee in devastated areas. But the SA-NDI mission doesn’t stop there. We are also determined to perform ‘I Can Almost Taste The Rain’ for a session of Parliament in the New Year as a heart-touching apolitical reminder that we are all one heart, one land – be it a challenged region, continent or planet. The support and visibility we can generate via the internet and social media adds weight with which to tip the scales. Change and progress can and do occur with the shared resolve of good people coming together committed to make it happen. It just needs to be put out there far and widely enough for hearts to be touched.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/album/1JC6hEcEYhNd09zKDCgLhw https://soundcloud.com/jacdalton/i-can-almost-taste-the-rain-2018 https://www.amazon.com/I-Can-Almost-Taste-Rain/dp/B07GNRGGLQ www.jacdalton.com www.sa-ndi.com.au https://vimeo.com/303971615 www.facebook.com/jacdaltonband www.twitter.com/jacdalton www.instagram.com/jac.dalton

Artist: Dream Eternal Bliss

New Release: Loud

Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock Located in: Franklin Lakes, New jersey

This song is alternative rock with a deliciously catchy groove, lush keyboard textures, and wicked guitar lines.

The music we are creating is... Unique! We're combing '80s new wave influences with our love of modern rock and pop and then sneaking some prog rock musicianship underneath the surface to create a new sound that is full of big guitars, big keyboards, tons of vocals, and a fresh vibe. And the more you listen to these songs, the more layers you discover.

Right now we are... promoting the release of our new record, Picture Glass, with live performances in the New York metropolitan area, and we just released the first music video, which you'll find right here! LINKS:  https://www.reverbnation.com/dreameternalbliss https://open.spotify.com/track/1hOTdV0kgwpHVa2NGGXiH6?si=rNElCyiSRXmpSJTZZqs0jg https://www.facebook.com/dreameternalbliss https://www.instagram.com/dreameternalbliss

Artist: NewClue

New Release: Illustrious Youth

Genre: Rock, Classic Rock, Nostalgic Metal

Located in: : New London CT, USA

This song is... NewClue is Nostalgic Metal Reborn. We all have individual influences, but it depends on the song we're playing. Everyone is unique, and offers a mixed style. We try not to let our influences cloud the music. This song is a coming of age story, and something we can all relate to. When you have youth, you have dreams, aspirations, and a willingness to make an impact. It has a contemporary feel, and relates well in 2018. We wanted to deliver a song that's a straight-forward "toe tapper" with a positive message.

The music we are creating is... The music we are creating is relatable. We try keeping it real, by dealing with life's everyday struggles. There's always a price to pay for your actions. This campaign is so timely with the rebirth of yesteryear's Rockers and widespread revival tours. In our opinion, the 80's music was an expression; one that left a strong impact on a lot of us today. Everything has a way of coming full circle, and we see the 80's sound returning, but with a fresh reboot.

LINKS:  ReverbNation > https://www.reverbnation.com/NewClue Spotify > https://open.spotify.com/album/6v9VzmHOkUhoz6kfTaOv6T Twitter > https://twitter.com/NewClue2 Facebook > https://www.facebook.com/NewClueBand iTunes > https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mystic-winds-ep/id1089653211?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 SoundCloud > https://soundcloud.com/newclue

Artist: Joe Andolino

New Release: Life's Little Surprises

Genre: Adult Contemporary Rock

Located in: East Hanover NJ USA

This song is... Going about your regular routine and if you keep the faith and believe in good karma good things could happen to you. I am wanting to promote real songwriting that was the norm in the 70's and 80's strong melodies, tenor male vocals, meaningful lyrics and strong musicianship. Right now we are Looking to work with other similar vocalists on new material.

LINKS: https://open.spotify.com/track/4KDIH4iWggY6DBklBBWHPR

Artist: Jeff Rockker New Release: "White Tiger"

Genre: Rock

Located in: Paris, France

This song is... Jeff Rockker is a Paris based French-Californian rock singer/guitarist/songwriter. He is the lucky recipient of an ASCAP “Popular Songwriter Award”. His style is influenced by the great hard rock bands of the 80’s (AC/DC, Kiss The Cult, Trust, etc...) but, their double drum kick, metal sounding guitars and often incisive words, give his songs a very modern edge! Meet the great "White Tiger" ! He roams the streets of our urban jungles. He is an analogy for the wild and the free creature that lies within the soul of the rocker! "White Tiger" is the official single of the album. Can you see yourself in the lyrics of this song?

Right now we are... Jeff Rockker has just released his first album (an EP) called "Stronger!" on January the 3rd 2019! To accompany this album, Rockker asked fans around the world to film themselves while rocking to the single "Stronger". This "Fan Video" will be released very soon. Stay tuned!

LINKS:  https://www.reverbnation.com/jeffrockker/song/30369632-white-tiger https://open.spotify.com/track/540g8z313pi4mCE7NN59Qp?si=nEtXp7pGRMO74ofWttH0ZA https://twitter.com/jeffrockker https://www.instagram.com/jeffrockker https://www.facebook.com/jeffrockkerofficial

Artist: Then Falls The Sky

New Release: Hostage

Genre: Metal-core

Located in: : Bainbridge, Ohio, US

This song is... Then Falls The Sky Spreads some light in an otherwise dark world. With a message of hope, their energetic upbeat tempos, and in your face intensity. Hostage is a song about those trapped in a domestic violence situation. Our drummer is a DV survivor, and this song was written to help inspire others to find a safe way out.

Right now we are...: We are very excitedto Announce that we are working with Adam Sines from mizfit productions on shooting our second music video for our song Synical. We are still in pre production stage, but are very eager to start shooting. Adam is a very talented Photographer and videographer, and we are very honored to get to work with him.

LINKS: RN: https://www.reverbnation.com/thenfallsthesky/song/29682823-hostage Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1z0GMhgnO7DuGaaq7X77Ai?si=DN9Jt1QZT9-dd94qw0QvsA iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hostage/1397264399?i=1397264401 YouTube: https://youtu.be/7S3WWLN37XA Web: http://www.thenfallsthesky.com FB: https://m.facebook.com/thenfallsthesky/ (@thenfallsthesky) Twitter: www.twitter.com/thenfallsthesky (@thenfallsthesky) IG: www.instagram.com/thenfallsthesky (@thenfallsthesky)

[mattyappeventmanagement-blog]

Event Management - Live Event: Planning

Audience

With the event being based around university students, we targeted our audience towards students as well as people of a similar age because they would be able to relate to the artists playing the event. The primary audience were people from the all of the music courses at the university as well as media school pupils. We did however find ways in promotion to interest other people as well.

Marketing

After we finalised the details of the event, we decided to make a poster to promote the event. Callum chose to create the poster but we all had an input in terms of colours, fonts and positioning.

The majority of promotion was done via social media because, it is proven as a way to get information to people quickly and effectively. Posts were made regularly through Facebook and Instagram on both the event pages and our own. personal pages. 

We announced the acts at different times to add a bit of mystery to the event, making the audience intrigued to see who else is playing. This helped us have a larger amount of posts to make as well, helping us interact with those interested in coming.

The screenshots above show the dates in which we posted as well as the number of people that we were able to reach. Towards the end of the posts we were gaining more interest which was really promising to see.

As well as virtual promotion, we decided to use the posters and advertise using physical copies as well. We printed of a load of posters as well as flyers so that we could promote the event outside of social media.

We were able to put posters up around the universities media school areas as well as in local businesses in town. Takeaways like Valentinos and Go Peri agreed for us to place our posters in their window. The venue itself also had posters up both inside and outside a week before the event took place, to try and bring in a larger crowd.

Badlands Record Company were holding an event for their store the Saturday before our event. Tom came across this event on Facebook and we all decided to go along and hand out flyers for our own event. This worked for us really well as we were approaching people interested in music. It was also great that the store allowed us to put up multiple posters inside.

Tech

Below is a list of tech equipment we need:

PA (including speakers, cables, mixing desk, microphones)

Cameras

Smokey Joes allowed us to use their PA system so we didn't need to worry about hiring one out. The camera equipment was provided by the photographers we hired for the gig.

The event was an acoustic gig meaning that no amps or drum kit were needed. This made the stage look nice and tidy and not cramped. We did this because, we have all played gigs where we were cramped on stage.

Bookings

As a group we worked together to discuss artists that we could approach to play at the event. Below is a list of suggestions that we came up with for both POM and Alumni.

POM:

Jack Cooper

Hot Beige

Dom Watton

Tandem

Courteney Yeoell

Ryan Nicklin

Lewis Shepherd

LEAH

Chloe Hepburn

Will Mawer

Conor Begley

Rosie Mountjoy

Alumni:

Harry Daniels

Ben Cipolla

Bobby Scaife

Will MackMersh

Dan Walton

Lucy Gray

Charlie Sly

Melissa Grace

Rob (Thrill Collins)

After going through the shortlist, the six acts we decided on were Jack Cooper, Courtney Yeoell, Ryan Nicklin, Bobby Scaife, Harry Daniels, and Ben Cipolla. All of these acts agreed to play, however Bobby went back on his word saying he didn't want to over play Cheltenham and Ben ended up double booking himself meaning he was unavailable as well. Ben let us know well in advance of the gig so finding a replacement was easy.

We then had to go back to the shortlist and find replacements for the two acts. We decided on Charlie Sly and Lucy Gray as suitable replacements as they both are still based in Cheltenham and both have a good following.

Unfortunately, Charlie pulled out on us the night before the event giving us no time to find a replacement. (This cannot be evidenced fully as he pulled out for personal reasons that we don’t want to display on a public blog).

Callum and Tom were both artist liaison and were in charge of talking to artists if they had any queries leading up to the event. I was the sound engineer on the evening so I also was in contact with some artists a week prior to the event discussing any tech related questions they had. Both Jack and Courteney had questions regarding the use of drum kits and full band setups with which myself and Callum dealt by visiting the venue and looking over the PA equipment to see if it was possible. We both decided the venue was suitable for a I've band if the artists wished to play that way. The final decision from both acts was that they were just going to perform acoustic sets.

The event ran smoothly and I was really happy with how things went. The only thing to look at is to book artists sooner to prevent what we experienced with some alumni acts.

Contracts

The contract above clearly lets the artist know that they will be paid via rider on the event night. As well as the contract, we created an artist information document. The document told each artist exactly where they needed to be and what exactly was happening at the event.

The artists received the above document and the contract 4 days before the event. The idea of the document was really good but I think it could have been distributed to artists a lot sooner than it was.

Promotion

We decided that we wanted to try and find cool and exciting ways to bring people in to our event. We thought that a deal with MooMoos Clubrooms would bring more people in if they could get discounted entry to MooMoos after. Callum contacted MooMoos and they got back to us saying we could offer people who attended the gig £3 entry to MooMoos (instead of the usual £6), a free queue jump and a free cocktail. This was all put onto our posters.

Another promotion idea we had was Callum’s idea of allowing people to pay £2 to draw a design for Callum’s new tattoo. The winner was picked as a raffle and the design is now on Callum’s arm! The £34 raised through this didn't benefit us financially but it helped us bring more people into the venue.

Meetings

Like the broadcast event, we had meetings every Thursday to discuss ideas and voice opinions on how to promote the event. We all had equal say in the decisions that were made both in and outside the meetings. Like the broadcast event, we regularly talked on group calls and on Facebook to make sure everything would run smooth.

Venue

The original idea we had was to host the event at The Stable. We liked the stable as it is a chilled out venue and has a relaxed vibe to it. After we enquired about hiring the venue, we discovered that if we were to hold the event there then we could not charge an entry fee. We decided that as a business that we shouldn't run an event if we were to make no money back at all.

We then started looking for other venues, ruling out obvious gig venues like Frog and fiddle and Two Pigs because we didn't want the event to be like a standard event you would go to.

We decided that Smokey Joes was the best backup option that we had because, it is a quirky venue making people want to come along. Smokey Joes is a decent sized venue meaning that we can get a large crowd in.

We arrived early on the day to set up the venue and the PA system. We opted to move some of the tables and chairs back a bit to allow people the option to stand in front of the stage if the wished.

The only venue cost was paying Smokey Joe’s a £50 deposit which we would get back after the event had finished. We decided to use this £50 as the money for the artist rider as we were not allowed to bring our own alcohol onto the premises.

It would be a really cool idea if in the future, we could have our own venue to host these sorts of gigs in so that we do not need to worry about deposits or venue costs.

GANNT

We did end up falling 1-2 weeks behind schedule but everything still ran for the same time lengths as we had planned. For future events, we should try and stick in with the GANNT chart better.

Staff

Below is the list of jobs that we had to do:

Sound Engineer

Artist Liaison

Stage Manager

Door Staff

Photographer / Videographer

I am the most experienced sound engineer in the group, so I decided to take on the role. Each artist had one instrument and one vocal meaning that, it wasn't too hard for me on the night and things ran as smooth as they could have done. As artist liaison, Callum was in charge of sorting out any queries the artists had on the night. Tom worked as stage manager and worked closely alongside myself and Callum to ensure that artists were sound checked on time and that the layout of the stage looked as good as it could. Will was overseeing the event helping the rest of us in roles if we needed his help.

We hired Will and Callum’s girlfriends to work on the door on the night, to collect ticket money as well as the money for the tattoo raffle. We had a few issues with people wanting free entry, but this was sorted out by Tom and Will.

We also hired Jonny Nolan to take photos and Jake Randall to record some videos of the event. Both were really easy to work with and luckily didn't request any payment from us. We did buy them a few drinks though, just to thank them.

The hiring policy worked really well. The only thing we might change in future is my role depending on if we hire a venue with a sound engineer. This would be fine though as it means I can helps the others in a different role.

[logancfrench]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from News By Logan French http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[chrisfvargas]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from Internet Marketing http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[juliadgomezus]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from SEO Tips http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[rodneyfgarrett]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from SEO Tips http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[peterjcameron]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from Peter Cameron Business Consultant http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[mahtewtwook86]

How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects

Music is one of the most powerful catalysts for creating an emotional connection with your audience. If your viewer has a connection to your company or message, then they will be naturally drawn in to discover the details and deepen their relationship with your project or brand.

That said, here are ten practical tips for choosing the perfect music for video content:

1. Consider the role of music

Decide what role music will play in your video. Should the music support or drive the messaging? If you notice the music too much, it could be pulling away rather than adding to the overall impact. Determine if you are conveying broad information or if you are trying to impart technical details that your viewer will need to focus on without distraction; this will dictate what kind of music you should use.

If you’re trying to convey detailed technical info, you should choose a supportive underscore that doesn’t pull the attention of the viewer. If you’re trying to convey broad concepts, then look for foreground music that evokes more emotion.

Examples of good foreground music:

Examples of good background music:

2. Use intro and outro music as “bookends”

Consider giving music or sound design a featured role in the opening and or closing sections of your video, acting as a set of “video bookends”. This helps set your tone, hold your message together, and leaves your viewers with a feeling of completion. One way to do this is to pair music or sound design with an image for three to five seconds. Using “bookend” music, or simply turning up the volume of the music at certain points, can also be used to divide your video into chapters or segments.

Example of fresh mix use music:

3. Base your choice on reference music

Having reference music on hand can help you find what you’re looking for. For example, if you think that the intro to the new Jason Mraz song is the perfect vibe for your video, consider going to www.bedtracks.com, and using the Sonic Search tool. You can drag and drop an mp3, or copy and paste a Youtube/Vimeo/Sound Cloud url into the search bar on Bedtracks. After your reference track is analyzed, you’ll be directed to the search results page where your reference track will be sitting at the top of the list of similar tracks the Sonic Search tool has found.

Also, If you’re hiring a composer, it’s helpful to provide reference tracks with your creative brief to give them a clear sense of the mood, genre, and tone of what you’re looking for.

4. Know your budget

Depending on whether you’re hiring a composer to create original featured score, or paying for a license to use a track from a music library, a music budget can vary widely. You can pay between $10-$100 for library music for small business and personal use video (i.e. not broadcast or large company advertising), and approximately $300-$1000 for a quality composer to create an original score for a short video.

5. Consider hiring a composer

Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video. Through custom score, composers can convey mixed moods and concepts that develop through the duration of a video. For a featured explainer video that talks about your brand and acts as an introduction to your company, allocating money in your budget to pay a composer to create original, more featured score will pay off. If you have a series of videos to create, musical cohesion throughout the videos is another worthwhile thing to consider, and a composer can help you create this strong musical branding.

6. Explore a music library

These days, many small and larger scale media producers choose to use a music library with detailed search functions to find music for their videos. Well-developed search functions allow you to filter your searches based on sonic density/sparseness, different genres, instrumentation, organic versus electronic score, and many other useful criteria. Music for a video with wall-to-wall voiceover where they mood is fairly consistent can easily come from a library because the music will play a less featured role. If you need more featured music, this is accessible via some online music licensing libraries. Libraries have different licensing agreements and price points available, depending on what the music is being used for.

Here is a list of some good libraries to consider:

www.bedtracks.com

www.premiumbeat.com

www.yookamusic.com

www.pumpaudio.com

www.themusicdealers.com

www.audiojungle.com

7. Choose music that will speak to your audience

Consider demographics when choosing music for your video. Is your target market people that listen to music based on a cultural tribe they’re a part of (hiphop, indie rock, or electronic dance music, for example)? Will the choice of a certain genre speak straight to the heart of the viewer you are trying to reach? If you’re trying to reach a broad market, or many age ranges, look for music that is broadly appealing; you don’t want to alienate your audience with anything too genre-specific.

8. Utilize sonic frequency and tone

Studies in the realms of physics and neuroscience show that there are predictable physical and psychological responses humans have to music. Tone and frequency impact us in certain ways and should be considered when choosing music for your video. Are you finding, for example, that you have to turn down your music in order to hear the voiceover, so much so that it becomes indistinguishable? When your video contains a lot of voiceover, it’s wise to avoid choosing tracks with complex melodies played on instruments that use the same frequency spectrum (notes and tones) as the human voice – instruments including guitar, violin, cello, viola, and parts of the piano and keyboard instruments. If you want the quality and mood of these instruments, then use tracks that have simple melodies or repetitive chord progressions. This way, you will have more room to turn up the volume so the emotion in the music can be clearly conveyed. If you want to convey power and strength alongside a voiceover, try using instruments in the low frequencies (bass, for example).

Below is a chart that can act as a simple guide to considering the emotional impact of instrumentation and frequency. Keep in mind that the quality of the chords being played (minor vs major, etc.), must also match the desired mood.

9. Pacing

Choosing a track with consistent rhythm will allow you to work with stops and starts to highlight important points. Sometimes a great way to accent an image or a message is to actually pull out the music for that moment and then re-introduce the music right after. Be careful not to overuse this technique though, as it will lose its efficacy.

Example of good pacing in a video:

a story for tomorrow. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10. Public doman music and utilizing sonic cultural equity

Are you looking for a track that is culturally recognizable, but you don’t have the budget to license the Star Wars theme? Consider the host of recognizable compositions that fall into the public domain. Public domain compositions are created by a composer who has been deceased long enough that the intellectual property becomes public domain. Using this public domain music does not require an expensive license fee or royalty. In most countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention (an international agreement governing copyright of literary and artistic works), copyright term is based on the life of the author, and extends to 50 or 70 years beyond their death. After this period, the work enters the public domain.

Here is a good source site to search the world of public domain compositions: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library And here’s a good source for public domain compositions with high quality production available at a reasonable price: Partners In Rhyme

Have fun selecting the perfect track and let me know if you have any questions about sound design!

Updated in 2017: Music As The Star

Since this post was originally published, a new trend has emerged in video marketing that we felt was worth an update! Oliver does a great job of outlining the steps you need to take to ensure your music is the perfect fit for your marketing video, but what about when your video features nothing but music? Take, for example, this awesome video from Chipotle:

Tubular Insights put together a great post on how to create ‘silent’ marketing videos – or videos that take a page from silent films of yesteryear and feature only music – so I won’t rehash too much of what they have to say. But take a look at the examples they have shared for some inspiration!

One of the added bonuses of music-only marketing videos is that they make great content for social networks that auto-play videos without sound to begin with. Viewers may not always be in a position to have audio with their video (i.e. watching content while on public transit) so assuming that your prospects may hear nothing at all on Facebook is always a good bet. Videos that feature only music and no narrative or sound effects must be compelling enough visually to draw people in without the promise of dialogue, and this effect can be achieved with or without the sound. For example, try watching the Chipotle video on mute – you still get an awesome video, and the music only adds to the engagement.

Creating a video that features nothing but music is no easy task, but as you can see from the above example, and the additional ones in Tubular Insight’s post, the results can be moving, spectacular, and memorable.

The post How to Choose the Best Music for Your Video Marketing Projects appeared first on Vidyard.

from http://www.vidyard.com/blog/choosing-music-for-video-content/

[i-mr-couch-blog]

A Brief History in the Hosts of Horror

Whether you’re face to face with Aliens, Mummies, Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, Ghouls or Ghosts you’ll always need someone to show you the way. Thus, the introduction of the Horror Host was created, but where did it all begin? It all started with a promotional package of movies called Shock!, which consisted of 51 feature length films. So why was this promotional package of films so important? Well, in the packet it specifically goes into detail on how to host the films whether it was a live viewing or on a television network. It went into detail about how to participate with the audience, contests, and theming that the stations to utilize. It promoted synergy within the station by utilizing the other programing, like suggesting the live news program to interview a different monster every week to promote the show. This promotional package did so well that they made a second catalogue grouping called Son of Shock. These are inevitably the beginning of a new style of programing that no one had ever seen before.

 Some of the United States’ famous horror host are Chilly Billy, Ghoulardi, Vampira, Elvira, and Zacherly. Each one bringing something a little more unique to the table to make their programing that much more enticing. Although some of these host’s programs eventually became syndicated and shown across the country, each one started out on local channels. Now we see them as essential horror icons of nostalgia’s past. I can personally say that I remember vividly the first time I saw Elvira light up the screen and spew some sarcastic remarks before the begin of a film. Not to mention, her sense of eye-catching “style” that comes with her character’s persona. In order to truly appreciate the genre, art, and effort that goes into a horror host program we really need to dive into the history and style of the great performers that dawn the robes and makeup to guide us through tales of terror and macabre motion pictures of ghosts and ghouls.

 In a world filled with creatures and features Chilly Billy Cardille rose to fame as the classiest horror host to be seen. He wore a suit and tie but as time went on so did his formalities as he traded his suit in for a tux. The thing that really set him apart was his fast-talking nightclub crooner act mixed with skits from his two lovely assistants, one castle keeper, and a little prankster. The mod squad 60’s style is what gave his act flair and his innuendos is what he will really be remembered for best. It felt more like a variety show with a horror twist added on, it was fresh it was new, but it also gave that good old monster vibe. It was interesting to watch him perform each and every task that the Shock movie package suggested but as his own crooning character. This is why we regard him as one of our top most influential horror hosts.  

 Next on our list we have the one and only Ghoulardi the fanatical mad scientist. He hypnotized us with his warping spinning frame while he entertained and set off the “Boom Booms.” You would often find him smoking away and slaying time by blowing up things. It became so popular the fans began to send in spooky items for him to blow up on live TV. Nothing beats a night of fright and explosives and this mad scientist just couldn’t resist. The man behind the lab coat was Ernie Anderson and actually was under contract with the local TV station. Tim Conway actually got his start on Ghoulardi writing with Ernie for his skit portions of the night and boy can you tell their absurdist comedy clicked. It was truly Ghoulardi’s relaxed antihero persona that ended up being his defining characteristic. It allowed viewers to feel like they could kick back and watch his intoxicated self, perform prop gags galore between the film, blow things up and puff away on his cigarette.

 Although her career as a horror host was short lived, she really became the model for all horror hosts. It did help that she was one of the very first to have a horror hosting show, even though it only ran for one year in 1954. Her look was derived from Morticia Adams but tighter with a neckline that plunged even deeper. Her hair flowed long and black as she cascaded and seemingly floated down the fog filled hallway, candelabras on either side, and just as her face came up to fill the screen she lets out a blood curling scream to begin the show. Vampira formerly known as Maila Nurmi, was a young actress with an impossible figure of 36-17-36. She originally worked as a model for men’s magazines, and at nights a burlesque dancer. The popular comic The Adams Family was booming in the 50’s and although the characters didn’t have names yet their style and taste for the macabre was alluring. Her breakthrough actually came through at a Halloween party in 1953 when she crafted a prototype of her Vampira character dawning the tight black plunging dress, and the rest was history. It truly was her elegant, gothic, horror filled, yet sexy style that enticed viewers and set the tone for horror hosts to come.

 You can see Vampira’s handiwork in another famous horror host who took her act and cranked it up to eleven. You probably know her as Elvira, Mistress of the dark. This sharp toungued, quick witted, dark, valley girl really put a face to horror hosts. She is remembered for her style, look, and a sharp mind to keep all the boys at bay. Formally known as Cassandra Peterson, she began her career with a trip to Las Vegas and became one of the youngest showgirls ever at the age of 17, with written permission from her parents of course. There she actually dated Elvis for a brief time and posed for Playboy. After this she joined The Groundlings improv troupe to improve her acting, it was here that she was picked up to hose Movie Macabre and dawn the black beehive wig to cover up her strawberry blonde locks. When you think of horror host you think Elvira mainly due to her popularity and sass that she brought about the old films she was showing and quickly became broadcast nationwide instead of just a local channel. After this she got her own movie, Elvira, Mistress of the dark. This lead to more and more programming and even a sequel to her film. Thanks to Elvira horror hosting was once again risen from the grave to creep upon a modern generation of viewers.

  Lastly we end our list with Zacherly, the cool ghoul who embodies the perfect stereotype for a horror host. His character was always in character, you always believed that he was a real ghoul. He staked his “Dear” when he got upset and pulled them out when he was happier. His snarky words, to quick witted mumblings he embodied a Renfield-esk character quick to maim those who defy him. He was also the first to utilize film splicing to make himself appear in the film as a body on a morgue slab or, in “The Mummy,” a mysterious figure in a fez behind a beaded curtain. It made his film worth watching because they were unique and added that extra twist of disbelief. This is what made him such a fantastic horror host for every generation to learn from.

 Today we have new hosts who are utilizing the new forms of distribution and media to reach more markets. With so many advancements it great to see the old techniques and concepts have still remained the same. A new trend setting host goes by the name of Johnny Necropolis a dead crooner who encourages sophistication, inebriation, and swank when visiting his Cinema Cemetery. His style feels like a blend of Vincent Price and Sinatra. He also provides more information surrounding the film instead of solely talking about himself. It is a fresh new look at an old programing style. A huge new asset that he brings is classic films in HD for free via YouTube. This is something that is so simply yet so difficult to find. The copies are almost always artifact. His style emulates Chilly Billy, Elvira, and Zacherly all rolled up into one. He adds less cleavage and more class at higher qualities.

 Sources

Cardille, B. (n.d.). Bill Cardille History. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.chillertheatermemories.com/BillCardille.html

Cassandra Peterson. (2016, June 13). Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/cassandra-peterson-17175750#elvira-mistress-of-the-dark

Dealer, J. P. (2013, January 12). Cleveland's Ghoulardi went on the air 50 years ago and cast his spell over the city. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2013/01/clevelands_ghoulardi_went_on_t.html

Grimes, W. (2016, October 28). John Zacherle, Host With a Ghoulish Perspective, Dies at 98. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/29/arts/television/john-zacherle-dies.html?_r=0

Lowbrow, Y. (2015, October 16). SHOCK! A Fabulous 1958 Universal Studios Horror Movies Pressbook |. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://flashbak.com/shock-a-fabulous-1958-universal-studios-horror-movies-pressbook-42958/

 Poole, W. S. (2014, September 02). The rise and fall of Vampira, dark goddess of horror. Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://boingboing.net/2014/09/03/the-rise-and-fall-of-vampira.html

[avaliveradio]

Rock Mania Rises Again Music Playlist

TODAY'S LIST OF ROCK AND METAL FRESH OUT OF THE STUDIO. EPISODE HOSTED BY JACQUELINE JAX.

Listen to the show : Starts Monday January 31 at 2 pm et on all broadcasting outlets including:

The Anchor Fm page: https://anchor.fm/ava-live-radio

iHeartRadio station page : https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-AVA-Live-Radio-Musi-29336730

The Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2toX0f3dPmI8gmUSOKZicx

Artist: Jac Dalton

New Release: I CAN ALMOST TASTE THE RAIN

Genre: ROCK (with Country colorings)

Located in: : Adelaide, South Australia

This song is... My roots and wings stem from a family dynamic best summed up this way: whenever we camped, none of us were allowed to pack the car to go home until our own campsite was spotless and those on either side. Music to me has never been about applause and recognition, but instead embracing the opportunity to leave audiences a little bit better for the time shared on both sides of the stage. Those same sentiments translate presently into a project not merely for stage, but in consideration of the needs of an entire Nation. My chosen home of Australia is presently in the throes of the worst drought in over a century, and while there are far worst things happening to good people across the globe, sometimes we must step up and do the right thing where we’re able for no other reason than because it needs to be done.

My Band and I have just launched a drought aid program called ‘SA-NDI’ (South Australian Nip-the-Drought Initiative) a collective initiative rallying around a country/rock anthem we’ve produced called ‘I Can Almost Taste The Rain’. With Australia’s populace of 25 million and the World’s population tipping 6 billion travellers – if enough of us were to download the song through its portal (www.sa-ndi.com.au) for even a $1 donation – the result would amount to a tremendous impact providing water, hay, fuel, food to families who in turn grow food for a significant segment of one Mother Earth. One hundred percent (100%) of donations go to righteous charitable organizations like Aussie Helpers, Buy-A-Bail, Drought Angels towards the worthwhile causes they oversee in devastated areas. But the SA-NDI mission doesn’t stop there. We are also determined to perform ‘I Can Almost Taste The Rain’ for a session of Parliament in the New Year as a heart-touching apolitical reminder that we are all one heart, one land – be it a challenged region, continent or planet. The support and visibility we can generate via the internet and social media adds weight with which to tip the scales. Change and progress can and do occur with the shared resolve of good people committed to make it happen. It just needs to be put out there far and wide for enough hearts to be touched.

Right now we are... Earlier this year we were the Cinderella act at the largest AOR Melodic Rock Festival in the UK (HRH – Hard Rock Hell). The success of that event and the respectable crowds we drew afterwards while playing at heritage concert venues pushed us across the threshold into the ‘A’ List of the EU market. Our return to Oz was supposed to be a quick turnaround for a series of North American festivals, however, as is the nature of ‘rock and roll’, life stepped-in the week we returned and pulled the band apart like Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man.

LINKS:  iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/i-can-almost-taste-the-rain-single/1431857831 Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/album/1JC6hEcEYhNd09zKDCgLhw Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jacdalton/i-can-almost-taste-the-rain-2018 Twitter: www.twitter.com/jacdalton FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/JacDaltonBand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jac.dalton

Artist: No Name Blues

New Release: Tick Tock

Genre: Rock, Blues, Hip Hop, Metal

Located in: : Nashville, TN

 Our exodus from the cubicle dayjob lifestyle into the freedom of Rock n Roll. Trippy, dark, sexy, a little heavy with an assortment of flashy instrumental solos all around the band. Rock music made for the club.

The music we are creating is... This song represents the transition out of our ordinary people lives into our future career of rock musicians, right around the corner. This is our celebration.

Right now we are... Working on knocking out the other 3 episodes to move into the next production. We have 4 albums ready to produce and a ton of wonderful things happening on the side. Currently we are focused on exploding out of Nashville and into the rest of the globe!

LINKS:  https://youtu.be/pfGJgtstHhE https://open.spotify.com/track/3m82AjcB02yiMa68xVGldx?si=1l1CG0JZ Twitter: @NoNameBluesTwit Facebook.com/NoNameBluesMusic Instagram: @NoNameBluesMusic

Band: John E Wilde - Guitars/Vocals Dan - Bass Andy K - Drums

Song name: ‘Rock and Roll Junkie’ Music Genre:: Rock

I live in...  Tampa, FL

My music is... Our music is about life, fun and the continuous party that we forget life is. We all need to let loose!! Not being too serious or having any message. It is about being a Rebel doing your own thing and not having to stay in the majority. I think we are all a little off center. Get over yourself. With all we having going on we forget about US. Always move forward and improve and don't forget a beer or margarita is only inches away.

This song is about... Rock and Roll Junkie is about day dreaming and thinking about how BST got here. Being a kid and having a fantasy of playing in front of huge crowds. What it is like to be a rock star. BST's version of Johnny B Good, sort of.

Website & social media links: www.blindsidethunder.com www.facebook.com/BlindSideThunderOfficial twitter.com/@BlindsideT

Artist: Ivan Beecroft

New Release: INEQUALITY

Genre: Rock, 90's rock, retrorock

Located in: Melbourne, Australia

This song is about the ever widening gap between the haves and have nots that we are experiencing. It was inspired and written after volunteer work that I was doing serving food to the homeless in a soup kitchen in Croydon located in the south east of Melbourne.

Having suffered through a period of homelessness and watching a longtime friend recently go through a similar experience with homelessness and all the complications that come with it motivated me to express the feelings of mental anguish and helplessness associated with being homeless.

The music we are creating is... very much a reconnection to the reason why I was inspired to do it in the first place, it's really just a kind of let's get back to the basics mindset and write and play the sort of music that would shake the window panes off the local pub, it definitely does have a very primitive aspect to it all.

Right now we are... Still working on songs for my next album and have had to re-record most of the songs on an analogue desk to get the type of punchy guitar rock sound I was looking for, so hopefully that will be ready early to mid 2019

LINKS:  https://m.facebook.com/Ivanbeecroftmusic https://twitter.com/beecroft_ivan https://instagram.com/_u/ivanbeecroft?r=sun1 @ivanbeecroft https://youtu.be/hoK4CX3k5Mo https://soundcloud.com/grapesofwrath-720450260/inequality

Artist: PUBLIKA New Release: Falling

Genre: pop-rock

Located in: : London, UK

This song is.. electro-pop song, the result of a new wave of 80's and expressed in the electro sound of the current influences. this song can take you to the state of spirit that was originally felt when it was composed.

The music we are creating is.. All my music background it's opened through this song

Right now we are..  Right now we have discovered new age, new sounds and we tried to stay original but new. We hope that next album, that will be released very soon, to be more fit to our inside feelings.

LINKS:  https://youtu.be/GVREZWeTsks https://twitter.com/publika_music instagram.com/publikaband https://twitter.com/publika_music/status/1063854191188295680?s=21

Artist: Black Rose Reception New Release: House of the rising sun Genre: hard rock

Located in: Covington,IN. US

This song is... New breed of outlaw rock n roll.

The music we are creating is... We orchestrated this song with our own unique sound and style.

Right now we are...New tracks to be released in 2019.

LINKS:  https://www.reverbnation.com/blackrosereception/song/29174528-house-of-the-rising-sun https://twitter.com/blackroserecept  https://www.facebook.com/BlackRoseReceptionMusic https://www.instagram.com/blackrosereceptio http://store.cdbaby.com/cd/blackrosereception4 https://open.spotify.com/artist/58nTAqgZXO7kvkhJRGlGbH https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/1434351929

Artist: PyraKite

New Release: Patagonian Hills

Genre: Rock, singersongwriter, alternative rock

Located in: : Falun, Dalarna

This song is... the first one of the album 7 Steps. It’s about a journey I made through South America with a icluded trip to Antarctica and the Easter Islands. The feeling I wanted to catch was that of a photo collage, random pictures, feelings and thought passing by the observer. It’s a mellow, moody, mystical start off of the album I think.

The music we are creating is... This is the last single of the our journey and it connects back to the very start as it is the first song of the album. 
 PyraKite gives you a poetic and mystical journey through the classic rock and pop genre. Some may say PyraKite has a unique uplifting and fresh sound.  
 7 Steps is a concept album, which means that it's best experienced from start 'til end. The story of 7 steps (with it's 7 tracks) has got just as many layers to it as you wish.  The journey starts in Antarctica and ends up in space. The music has a happy melodramatic vibe to it and has been compared to the sound of Pink Floyd, Prefab Sprout, The Beatles and Steely Dan mixed with a bit of grunge and poetic touch to it. You might also find a bit of Ben Folds Five, Paul Simon or Rival Sons in there.  
 Hopefully the journey will be both mine and yours

Right now we are... We’re about to sum up our year of 2018. A great first year and our debut 7 Steps. We’re looking out to see if we can reach our goal of 100 000 Spotify streams by the end of the year. Hopefully we’ll get there!

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/track/6F4QH0fleckFCV1MWwGlqL?si=GQ2PHvBnRISBmnLiBBk2_A

Website & social media links: www.pyrakite.com www.facebook.com/pyrakite www.instagram.com/pyrakite www.twitter.com/pyrakite

Artist: A Day Amongst Martyrs

New Release: Shadows

Genre: Alternative rock

Located in: Suffolk county ny

This song is... Called Shadows its about looking deep within ones self and comming to terms with accepting failure and mistakes in life and turning them into something beautiful

The music we are creating is... Everyone is a martyr to their own convictions wether love money anger fear doubt these are all things that make us human and unique so this is why we tell these stories to engage the audience and let them know someone understands and is going thru the same thing

Right now we are... We are on the verge of a new album called Forever in Three Days

LINKS: Www.reverbnation.com/adayamongstmartyrs Www.instagram.com/adayamongstmartyrs Www.facebook.com/adayamongstmartyrs Www.twitter.com/adayamongstmartyrs

Artist: Atomic Kavemen New Release: Shining Genre: Metal

Located in: : SF Bay Area

This song is... It's like a brawl between Faith No More and Black Sabbath, with Danzig goading them on

The music we are creating is... This is both our first song, and it's present form, our newest. Its the kind of track that crosses over between hard rock and heavy metal.

Right now we are.. Rehearsing and writing new songs like crazy. We expect to start playing bay area venues in April.

LINKS:  https://www.reverbnation.com/atomickavemen https://open.spotify.com/track/7qqW5BRdP5d4JZh6WC1r5i https://twitter.com/atomickavemen https://www.facebook.com/atomickavemen

Artist: VOVKULAKA

New Release: Darkness Calling

Genre: Metal

Located in: Odessa, Ukraine

This song is... A grinding dose of groove Metal with throbbing Dubstep passages.

The music we are creating is... Dark, Angry, Evil Metal...

Right now we are...Releasing new Singles, working on our CD, and plotting our Live Shows.

LINKS:  Twitter.com/VovkulakaMusic YouTube.com/VovkulakMusic Facebook.com/VovkulakaFanPage

Artist: Thomas Thunder

New Release: The Bull

Genre: Progressive Rock

Located in: : Boston, Ma

The Bull is a Progressive Rock and Metal song that incorporates a variety of instrumentation. Guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, synth strings, brass and woodwinds. Combining traditional "rock" instruments with classical symphonic instruments is truly an auditory treat. This song is a continuation of my love for Progressive Rock. The driving beat reminds me of a bull running through a china shop. On a personal note, my family owns a French Bulldog, and she "bulldozes" into a room, jumping on furniture and knocking over pillows and everything else in her way. I was inspired to write this song because of her. This song is "Cupcake the French Bulldog's" anthem.

Right now we are... I'm happy about working on a live video of my song Night Terrors. I'm working on a Youtube channel to promote my songs and drumming videos, too. I'm also writing a few new songs.

LINKS: https://www.instagram.com/thomasthunder11 https://twitter.com/ThomasThunder10 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiKv0UfB9-Sh6rtaMKIGDRQ

Artist: Kid Norkjen

New Release: Red light Green light

Genre: singer-songwriter-rock

Located in: Trondheim, Norway

The new Kid Norkjen single is recorded in Nashville with great session players (The A team). Musically inspired by George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys, the lyric ask the difficult question what is red light and what is green light in a a relation.

The music we are creating is... A new album is coming up in February 2019 and this is the single that hopefully will make some interest for the album.

Right now we are... The new album recorded in Nashville will be my best

LINKS: spotify:album:4pj9GoOquKpnkTvgUYS0Q2 https://www.facebook.com/kid.norkjen https://twitter.com/NorvaldKjenstad https://www.instagram.com/norkjen

Artist: 4-Fo-Rela New Release: Rela Demic Genre: Electronica, Rock

Located in: Wood River, Illinois

This song is... DJ Co1 recording producer & Disc Jockey for 4-Fo-Rela has released "RelaDemic".. "RelaDemic is a modern day electronic track from the heart of the Midwest. With hard drum n bass and amazing ambient sounds RelaDemic will satisfy any listeners need for new electronic sound. "RelaDemic" is a powerfull push back into the music scene for DJ Co1 and he plans to entertain the masses in 2019.

The music we are creating is... The Music created is cutting edge, new tech & just simply powerful.

Right now we are... Super excited our new Rela Radio Show on Monday Nights. Putting Independent music into listeners ears.

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