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Everyone has a few songs on their iPod that they wouldn’t readily admit to in a group of strangers. It’s kind of like revealing that you clip Oscar Mayer coupons in order to save a few bucks at the checkout line.

In this article, I’m going to confess some of my deepest secrets in this area. Feel free to laugh if you want, but those with an extra dose of guts will jump on the comments section and share their own guilty iPod pleasures.

“Spice Up Your Life” – The Spice Girls try their hand at writing a song for the world. I just like the catchy salsa beat and the chorus where Ginger sounds like she’s speaking through a megaphone.

“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” – Big & Rich combine country rock and country rap to create a hit single that appeals to people who normally dislike country music (like myself).

“One Night in Bangkok” – Murray Head sings about the virtues of chess and puts down the city of Bangkok every chance he gets. Taken straight from the Broadway musical Chess, it’s a catchy tune that’s admittedly a little bit (okay, a whole lot) geeky.

“The Sweet Escape” – I’ve got a thing for singer Gwen Stefani, and that makes me more prone to like her music. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, so I guess I’m not the only person who liked it (although many of these other consumers were probably teenage girls).

“Toxic” – Britney Spears falls into the same category as Gwen Stefani: I think she’s incredibly attractive, so I also find her music enjoyable. But even if I thought Britney was ugly, I don’t think I could deny this uber-catchy song.

There you have it: the guilty pleasures from my iPod. I’ve got a number of guilty movie pleasure to confess, as well, but that’s another article for another time. Speaking of movies, I recommend using AMC coupons to save a few bucks the next time you go to the theatre.

When it comes to parody songs, nobody does it better than Weird Al Yankovic. For decades, the singer/songwriter has been poking gentle fun at pop culture, and his fans have responded with record sales totalling over 12 million. Weird Al’s videos are also a lot of fun, and this list details some of my favorites. Netflix doesn’t stream Weird Al Yankovic videos just yet, but thanks to their relationship with Starz Play, it’s just a matter of time. Until then, there’s always YouTube.

“White and Nerdy” – A monster hit for Weird Al, the video is filled with stereotypical nerds and gangstas, all trying to be as cool as possible.

“Smells Like Nirvana” – Nirvana’s classic video is parodied by Weird Al, complete with people on fire and a janitor wearing a tu-tu.

“Living with a Hernia” – Weird Al dons a wig and glitzy outfit to portray James Brown. The results are predictably hilarious.

“Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies” – A computer animated romp through the world of the Beverly Hillbillies, with concert footage shot in the style of Dire Straits.

“Bedrock Anthem” – Weird Al sings about Fred Flintstone while parodying one of the biggest music videos from The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“It’s All About the Pentiums” – Puff Daddy’s rock remix gets a makeover, depicting Weird Al as a computer guru boasting about the power of his hardware. Al wears a tank top, looks like a rock star for once, and even has some sexy back-up dancers.

“Fat” – Featuring Weird Al in a fatsuit, this outrageous video is the perfect bookend to go along with Martin Scorsese’s “Bad” video.

If you need a laugh, give one or more of these best Weird Al Yankovic videos a try. Many of the artists he’s lampooning can be checked out online, and the multiple Netflix plans make the online rental service an appealing option for music fans.

Rapping is lately gaining prominence as an eminent music form. Whoever thought that rap was only a bunch of rhyming words strung together, needs to know that it is much more than that. One of the famous rapping styles is Freestyle Rap. Its basically rap lyrics that are written spontaneously, without any previous preparation. Later on, music is added to complete the piece. There are many eminent rappers who have made a mark in the rap genre. For instance, names such as Hardy Michael Troy a.k.a Myka 9 and Antonio Monterio a.k.a. Big Daddy Kane were prominent rappers in their day. To guide youngsters in the art of rapping, there have been quite a few books written on the subject such as ‘A God on the Mic’ or ‘How to Rap’. However, books are generally not very helpful, when it comes to performing arts. The two things that a person needs to have an excellent vocabulary and a sense of rhythm. However there are a few steps one can follow to get a head start:

Easy start- It involves spontaneity. So when you are rapping just be random and refrain from following any deep thought process. Usually, free and simple lyrics can set the beat.

Go with the Flow- The best part about freestyle rap is there is plenty of scope for mistakes. You can pull off a mistake if it is rhymed for mistakes. You can pull off a mistake if it is rhymed perfectly.

Timing- In rapping, timing is crucial. One should be ahead in their mind while rapping. For instance, you should know the end of the next line as soon as the previous line ends.

Lyrics writing- Writing is always a good exercise, be it in any form of art. It gives you the scope to experiment with different words.

Rap about the world around you- It is easy to gain a fan following if one raps about things associated with their lives and the surrounding ones.

Freestyle Rap is different from Orthodox rap and takes rhyme into consideration. “Battles” usually focus on either written or freestyle. A freestyle rap competition involves rappers battling or throwing challenges against each other. There are some more methods which you can use to practice your art. They are listed as below:

Beats are important- Just by throwing in rhyming words, one cannot be a decent rapper. Know what beat to use to make your sounds interesting. Put the coposed sentences and words in a song and sing with beats. For the rhythm and pace, you can use a drum too.

Increase your vocabulary- Exhaustive vocabulary is a must. Unlike other forms of music, this genre chiefly depends on words and music cannot be used as a filler. Memorize rhyming words to help you master this style of music.

Participation is more important than winning- To know the extent of your learning, the best way is to participate in rapping styles. These competitions usually include the opponents including each other with rhymed words set to music!

Read here for more information on: Best Rock Songs.

The English Alphabet Song has a very melodious and illustrious past. It was based on a melody by Mozart. Charles Bradlee copyrighted in 1835 as “The A.B.C.” with flute accompanied by the piano forte. Needless to say, there are many versions and variation in other languages (which do not use the word “alphabet”. For instance, in Russian the word is pronounced as “azbuka”. The song is easy to learn and it is one of the first songs that one learns as a child. Some are taught in schools, others are taught in Sesame Street. Yet others learn it from their parents. While learning, children may have some difficulties learning the alphabets. There are some steps on how one can effectively learn the song. They are listed as follows:

1)Sing the words of the alphabet song repeatedly

2)The song needs to be sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

3)The secret to learning anything is reiteration and practice. So, to make sure the child learns the alphabet properly, repeat, “A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z. Now I know my ABC’s next time won’t you sing with me.”

4)Give the child the opportunity to hear the song from other people. At times, a particular style of singing, may help the child pick up faster.

5)To help the child pick up the alphabet song, faster, start the song on a slower tempo. This can help the child pick up the lyrics. Once the child gains confidence, gradually increase the tempo of the song.

6)Sing it again and again until the child is capable of singing the song on his/her own.

There are other ways through which one can teach the alphabet song to youngsters. The letters can be made available everywhere. It has been scientifically proved that if a child is capable of absorbing more, if the lessons are taught as a game. For instance, if the letters are displayed individually on a surface such as a refrigerator, it can help a child pick up the song faster. Or, if the letters are drawn with foam during a fun bathing session, that is an effective method too. There are some variations in the song such as the Zed for Zee.

In the US, Z is pronounced as zee, whereas in most other countries, it is pronounced as zed. This is also a point raised when singing the “A,B,C” song in French. In that case y is said as “i-grec” and z is said as “zed”. The US version is: “A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z. Now I know my ABC’s next time won’t you sing with me” whereas the UK version is “A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y, Zed. Now I know my ABC’s. Next time won’t you sing with me.” There is a third version that is followed in the rest of the English speaking world, which goes like “A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y, Z. Sugar on your bread, eat it all up, before you go to bed.”

Read here for more information on: Old English Alphabet.

Music is said to be a path or a connection to numerous abstract concepts such as love, hate, God and so on. One of those concepts include patriotism. Patriotic music is one such concept. It has the potential to play a vital role in every citizen’s life. It is immaterial, which country a citizen may belong to. The music composed in this genre is is targeted specifically to arouse the nationalistic feelings of the native residents of a particular country. The music has a particular way of inducing certain feelings into soul which may enable a person to feel the spirit of triumph, or joy or hope or empowerment.

Patriotic music in America is no different. It has been a part of the history and cultural since the country originated in the 18th century. The music was put together as a way of endorsing sentiments of national pride and unity for the natives of America. The songs have been played in various forms such as military themes, hymns, national songs and so on. Most of the songs are inspired by the four major wars fought in the American history. They were the War of 1812, the American Civil War, the American Revolution and the Spanish American War. They are also played on major holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day and the Veteran Day.

During the American Civil War, both the North and South came up with numerous composition to rouse the feelings of patriotism and battle. A couple of wars fought on the American soil inspired memorable songs. For instance, the American Revolution, has provided inspiration for three songs- “God Save the King”, “Yankee Doodle” and “British Grenadiers”. The present day national anthem of America, “Star Spangled Banner” was composed during the War of 1812 by Francis Scott Key.

Like every other song or music, patriotic music has its own colorful and fascinating history. Most of these songs of patriotism have some history behind their composition. Listed below are some patriotic songs and their history:

Star Spangled Banner- This song was composed by Francis Scott Key post the War of 1812. There are four stanzas in this song, usually the first stanza is performed. The melody of the song is inspired from an English song “To Anacreon in Heaven”.

Rally Round the Flag- This song was composed by George F. Root in 1862. The song as composed for the Union Army and was widely sung in the North.

Battle Hymn of the Republic- This song was composed by Julia H. Howe 1861. The song was set to a camp meeting tune. The song was played at the funerals of Robert Kennedy, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan.

America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)- This song was composed by Samuel F Smith in 1832. It gained popularity in Britain as “God Save the Queen” but later became bi-continental. A R&B rendition was performed by Ray Charles which made the song popular amongst the audience of this century.

Read here for more information on: Patriotic Quotes.

Mozart, as we all knew, is actually the well loved Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who is known to be one of the most powerful, influential, and undoubtedly best composers and musicians during the classical period of music, which is the period from the 1750s up to the 1820s. When referring to his piano concertos, rightfully labeled with his name, we basically refer to the thirty concerts penned by Mozart himself. These are mainly for piano as well as for orchestra. Many of these were actually for the series of piano and orchestra concerts in Vienna, Austria during the period from the year 1784 up to 1786.

Why the Mozart Piano Concertos are Highly Celebrated

Many people refer to Mozart’s thirty piano concertos as one of the main reasons why he is currently one of the most well revered musicians of all time. These concertos have been popular topics by writers such as Arthur Hutchigs, Charles Rosen, Cuthbert Girdlestone, Dover, Eulenberg, Leeson, Norton, Tovey, and Robert Levin. Each of these authors basically gave very intelligent analyses on how they have observed Mozart work on his masterpiece and zero in his signature style of doing music. This style, especially the ones that were observed in the concerto, is still being duplicated up to this very moment, and is considered one of the highest forms of musical composition for orchestras.

Anyone who has had their gaze drawn down the soft, sinuous curves of an acoustic guitar is sure to have felt an irresistible urge to handle the magnificent instrument. It can be a challenging but worthwhile pursuit for an enthusiast to combine the knowledge of woodworking and a love of music and learn how to build a guitar.

Plans for building guitars are available from a wide variety of sources. The type of wood you select for the body of the instrument plays an important role in the sound that is generated. The wood used should be 0.25 inches thick and be durable yet lightweight. Types of wood that are commonly used include cedar and spruce.

The front and back parts, or pieces, of the guitar can be cut out with a jig saw after precise measurements are made. The two pieces have to be exactly the same shape to ensure a perfect fit. The sound hole is an integral part of the instrument that produces a sound with more bass if it’s smaller, and more treble if it’s larger. This has to be cut out near the center of the front piece.

Both the back and front pieces have to be braced for support and strength and to lower the risk of the wood cracking in drier conditions. Braces are made from similar wood and attached with wood glue. The glue must be allowed to dry before proceeding further.

Forming the sides of the instrument is a time-consuming process that requires much patience. Two strips of wood, approximately 5 inches wide and long enough to wrap halfway around the body pieces are needed. The strips have to be soaked in hot water and individually shaped to fit the contours of the pieces. A Styrofoam mold can be used to ensure the strips keep their shape. The strips are glued to end and neck blocks before the front and back pieces are glued to the sides thus forming the body.

A mortise, or groove, is cut in the top of the body where the neck is attached after the body is sanded and smoothened. The construction of the neck, bridge and fret board are laborious and it is recommended that a commercial, pre-fabricated unit is used. Attach these securely with glue and leave to dry before stringing the instrument.