Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Classical Music can be FUN

Well...hello again, my lil' music0philics


Classical Music..."why so serious?" :O) You might ask yourselves my dear blog readers. But it's not (well...not all the time)! I thought I'd make today's musical post; entertaining, amusing and funny...so why not present to you, the comic and sometimes, hysterically funny parts of Classical Music and it's entertainers. I always found that there's a misconception going on about the comical entertainment aspect between; Classical Music performers vs. Mainstream Music artists. That the classical music performers are not that funny as the Mainstream music artists, that their sense of humor is; dull, antique and BORING...etc. But that's not all true. As a matter of fact, classical music artists can have a; refined, smooth, sparkling sense of humor and Classical Music can be très FUN.
But what better way to show you some classical music humor than through the fallowing video clips...so enjoy them folks!

Let me introduce you the crazy guys, Igudesman & Joo and their neoclassical "Gravity" music clip.
Meet Victor Borge  , he was also know as "The Great Dane" or as the "Clown Prince of Denmark". Bellow you can see him in the mini comic clip "Hands off!".
The next extraordinary and funny performance comes from the talented opera soprano, Natalie Dessay . Lets enjoy her interpretation in the video below, of the famous Aria; "Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille" from the Opera "The Tales of Hoffmann" written by Jacques Offenbach.
If you thought that an orchestra couldn't pull a prank on you...well then think again! Just watch the next video clip with the "Orchestra Hidden Camera Prank".
And at last but not least, check out the guys from, Epic Rap Battles of History on their YouTube channel and in the below shown clip "Mozart vs. Skrillex - Epic Rap Battle".
I hope this musical post did put a smile on your face and if you liked it, don't forget to leave a message in the "comment box below" or share the love on Facebook and Twitter. You can also go ahead and share with me clips with your favorite Classical Music Comedians.

                                                                                             
                                                                                                   XOXO '0philia ;)
 




Monday, September 9, 2013

4 Music Marketing tips to kick-start your Opera Singing Career

Hello, my lil' music addicts!

My beloved blog readers let me refresh your memory, in my previous posts I wrote about the "five steps in becoming a professional singer" and about the importance of considering yourself a "music artist and a music entrepreneur" altogether. So it seems only natural that today's musical post approaches the needs of opera singers. That's why I've put together (from my personal experience as a singer with classical background) "5 Music Marketing tips to kick-start your Opera Singer Career". I hope you will find these 5 music marketing tips beneficial as they where very helpful to me, in the starting point of my career as an opera singer.
 And without further ado here are the "5 Music Marketing tips to kick-start your Opera Singer Career":

Tip nr. 1) - In the music world, be it on "mainstream music scenes" or on the "classical music scenes" the first important thing is to; create musical connections and relations as in any industry or business domain. You have to establish, preserve and harvest beneficial relations that can be fruitful in the near future for your opera singing career. From my experience the most helpful and favorable relations that I've made where those build with my vocal coaches/teachers. University Canto Teachers in general are well-known opera singers, with a fulfilled opera career at its end or retired. I strongly advise you if you are working with a canto teacher/vocal coach, be it in your study years or off, try to work with teachers that are beneficial to your vocal technique development but who also have relations and connections, so that they may refer you to an; opera manager, music director or a trustworthy music agent.

Tip nr. 2) - Gather as much stage experience as you can. No Opera Theater will ever accept your Musical C.V.(Curriculum Vitae) if you don't have a minimum of stage experience (performances).
If you are a canto singer in your study years (high school/college/university) try to participate at as many musical productions offered by your school as well as; concerts, recitals, vocal competitions. Keep an eye open for summer vocal camps in foreign country's or student exchange programs, these are also great possibility's to accumulate "stage experience". If you've already finished your study years, try to participate at as many opera auditions as possible and for any musical projects you might be interested in. The contemporary classical music scene is a diverse one and you will find many promising musical projects you can be part of, and from there on you can work your way up, on the "acclaimed operatic career ladder".

Tip nr. 3) - Gain respect and make a name for yourself by competing at local and international vocal competitions. The more you get to showcase your talent the better. Strive to take part at those competitions which reword your participation with; opera roles and remuneration and that also build up your reputation as a first class opera singer. These international opera singer competitions can open up doors for you that otherwise are hard to open on your own, without any well put connections in the opera music industry. Besides the previous mentioned benefits, these renowned opera competitions consist a propitious environment where you can meet all the right people that can help develop your operatic career; musical agents, opera managers and music directors, etc.
An example of important opera competitions are; "Placido Domingo's Operalia" and "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World".

Tip nr. 4) - So you are a Opera Singer and not a Rock Star?! So what...the rules of social media apply to you too. You have to start building an online music artist portfolio. Create an online buzz and rest assured that offline all the right people will pay attention. Online music marketing is the most efficient marketing strategy of all. Start getting noticed on the social media platforms like; YouTube, FacebookTwitter, etc. Start making professional recordings of yourself singing arias or record concert performances and upload them on YouTube. Create an Artist profile on Facebook, share tweets about your upcoming concerts or stage performances on Twitter. Compose outreach emails and attache musical samples of your recordings, send them to; Opera Studios, Classical Music Labels, music agents and Opera Theaters, you never know who might be interested in you and answer back. You'll be surprised how efficient the online platform is even in finding out about opera auditions.

I hope you found my music marketing tips helpful and I wish you "Good luck" in becoming a world renowned Opera Singer!


If you liked my musical post you can leave me a message in the "comment box" below or you can share the love on your Facebook wall or tweet about it on Twitter. You can also tell me about your music marketing tips, which from your experience where the most efficient.


                                                                                                XOXO '0philia ;)





















Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Music Artist and/or Music Entrepreneur?!

Well...hello again, my lil' music0philics


How have you guys been doing? I hope y'all are fine... meanwhile you guys where having fun and enjoying your summer vacations, I've just been a good little duteous blogger :"> and cooked up a fresh new blog post for you folks to nibble on ;) . Today's blog title is "Music Artist and/or Music Entrepreneur?!" and I thought of tackling a pretty "eyebrow raising matter" for me... and I think for other newbie or young struggling musicians out there as well.

Now what do I mean by "music artist and music entrepreneur", you are probably asking yourselves? Well my fellow young struggling musicians, it's easy might I say! Let me elaborate... in today's Music Industry in order to get your: musical material promoted and have a kick-start in the early stage of you musical career, you have to be both; a creative music artist and an ingenious music entrepreneur, at first. This, until you make it big on the musical scenes and after that you can hire your own team of minions, who will take care of the; managerial, entrepreneurial, marketing and publicity aspects of your music busyness. But until then, get ready to develop multiple personalities that represent a; musician, agent, manager, publicist and sometimes your (own) personal stylist. :P :) 

But first things first, let's start with the music artist notion. You have to start creating valuable music material. Start writing original, buzz-sound worthy songs, weather it's you as a solo artist or alongside your band members. Get to brainstorming for; songs, lyrics, instrumental harmonics, vocals and finally create a complete album. Be imaginative, authentic, innovative and sharp in the creative process of your musical album. Record a music album that does not only represent your identity as an artist, but that also has a fresh sound, pushing the musical boundaries and last but not least "le pièce de résistance", compose one "commercial song" (either you want to or not), a chart breaker. If we can learn something from the nowadays famous artists is this; "the one commercial song" recorded on their debut album. Eminem did it with his first single "My Name Is", Macklemore with "Thrift Shop" and the best example, Lady Gaga with "Just dance". That particular song has to connect with the masses, get them engaged, seduced... becoming the key-point in your musical marketing strategy. And afterwords, when you made an entry in the music industry with a number one chart topper song, then you can later on unfold your musical potential as a musician. 

Now moving on to explaining the music industry entrepreneur notion. As I mentioned before, giving the situation that, you find yourself in the early stages of building your musical career and you still don't have the financial means to hire a: agent, manager and publicist, you might start developing some entrepreneurial skills. For example, start thinking about your branding as an artist. You have to consider yourself as a whole musical marketing product. Try to express your complex artistic image in the best way possible. Primarily through your music material content and next through your; artist name, artist image, stage presence, etc. It's best advised to create yourself a dot com artist website. That way you can manage your artistic image exactly the way you want. You can interact with your fan base and find out exactly what they like in you as an artist, nourishing their appetite for your music and cultivating their interest for as long as possible. Promote your musical material on the social media platforms. Distribute your music through iTunes or Spotify or any other music service. Start sending emails with a sample of your compositions to; radios, record labels, etc. Also start writing online press releases. Try getting as much stage exposure as you can get, build a fan base, that way you get a "word of the mouth" advertisement and a professional manager is bound to notice you. 

The bottom line is that, if you want to make it in the music industry you have to become a versatile character, namely a talented artist with music entrepreneurial skills.  

If you liked this musical blog post, please leave a message in "comment box" below and if you feel like it than share it on, Facebook, Twitter... Also tell me your thoughts on the idea of the, "contemporary newbie artist being a music entrepreneur" as well.

                                                                                                  XOXO '0philia ;)








Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Musical Prostitutes

Well hello there, my awesome music heads!


In today's musical post I want to share with you (my dear musicophilics) my thoughts on let's say, a touchy subject...the "musical prostitution" of our time and implicitly it's "musical prostitutes".

Why did I choose this topic, you might ask yourselves?! Well, let me elaborate...one day I was listening to "Wait (The Whisper Song)" by the Ying Yang Twins and while I was listening to the lyrics, it just dawned one me and I said to myself; - "My God...just fascinating how today's (so called) artists transformed themselves into musical prostitutes (or in the Ying Yang Twins case, musical man-whores)!" Just listening to the song made me feel "dirty" (in a nasty way) inside and out. I don't want to be misunderstood or considered a prude and don't get me wrong, I do love a great song that boosts your sexual ego! The kind of music that is: sensual, seductive, lascivious and is expressed throughout; enticing musical harmonies and stirring lyrics. I'm talking about songs that bring out in you the; Glamazon and make you feel like a Love Goddess, or as the words go "lady on the streets but a freak in the sheets". But make no mistake, there's a thin line between sensual music and slutty music. And in today's music industry where everything abides by the motto "sex seals" things are getting quiet erotically vulgar and cheep, without any sexual finesse. And this argumentation leads me to quote the famous artist Freddie Mercury who said in an interview; - "I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear" (below you can watch the video with Freddie Mercury giving a interview and stating that he is a "musical prostitute", from exactly 2:51-3:05 'til min).
"- Oh, Freddie! I would call you a mistress of music but never a musical prostitute" ;) .

Yes! You "read me right". I feel that he was a true lover of music. If you interpret the word prostitute used by Freddie Mercury as a noun it means; - a person who sells own abilities, talent, or name for inferior purpose. But that's just the paradox in Freddie Mercuries case. He didn't sell his abilities to the music industry but rather but his; talent, voice, writing and musical skills in the soul aim of creating extraordinary music, thus generating a higher musical purpose. In the case of nowadays artists if you use the term prostitute as a verb, the meaning would be; - to put one's talent to an unworthy use. And these contemporary performers are unworthy of being called real artists. Yes, they are the legitimate "Musical Prostitutes". I am talking about so called "musicians" that are in the music scene for all the wrong reasons; money, fame, power, sex, etc. "Artists" that try to manipulate us into buying their; albums, music tracks, etc, buy bombarding us with multimedia full of exaggerated sexuality. I feel that Music as an Art Form, reflects our contemporary society in its emotional and psychical core. But seeing a bunch of musicians on stage and in music videos acting like a bunch of "apes in heat" (no offence to the apes =)) ) doesn't represent me and you at all. Wanting to convince us of being a bunch of "apes like them in heat", through an aggressive erotic marketing strategy is another thing.

The best example for my argument is: Major Lazer - Bubble Butt (feat. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic) video, that you can click and watch below.
So to conclude today's musical post I would like to end with these words, let's all...
And let's get some real "SATISFACTION" and eargasms from Artists and their music that represent, the state of the art in sexy music finesse league ;) .

If you found this post entertaining then please leave a comment in the "comment box" below and also, I would like to know your thoughts on this blog theme. You can tell me witch one of today's singers in your opinion is a "musical prostitute", or even send me a video with the targeted singer as a comment! :))
                                                                                  XOXO '0philia ;)

Friday, June 21, 2013

Five steps in becoming a Professional Singer

Well...hello again, my lil' music lovers.

Welcome back to my blog Musicophilia, a wonderland where all your musical fantasies come true... or NOT! I'm just joking with you, I am not a "music fairy" and i can't grant you your wish of becoming a, famous ROCK STAR or a leading Opera DIVA. But I can give you some great tips on how to become  a professional singer, hence bringing you a step closer to fulfilling your dream of, concurring the world's greatest musical scenes!


Before I elaborate this post let me share with you a personal experience, since I too am an aspiring singer; if you are embarking on this road of becoming a professional singer you must first of all, be madly in love with music and singing. You have to be dedicated and loyal in your passion for music, because only so will you have the straight and determination that it takes, to make it in the Music Industry. Believe me, the road of an artist is not easy at all, but when times get hard you can always rely  on your love for music to give you the right impulse, becoming the fuel to your flame of passion, burning bright, motivating you to work harder in realizing your dream of becoming a renowned musical artist.

So with out further ado...here are 5 simple but effective steps that ca help you become a PROFESSIONAL SINGER;

1. First things first, being passionate about music wont guarantee you a successful singing career. You have to have a voice that literally blows the audience away...but don't panic! You don't have to sing like: Aretha FranklinWhitney Huston,Tom Jones or even Luciano Pavarotti, these artists are the perfect example of naturally gifted singers (but don't let yourselves be fooled into thinking that they didn't chisel their vocal gift). Yes...they where lucky enough to be blessed by mother nature with a great vocal potential. By now I'm sure you are probably asking yourself; "- Hmmm...do I have the voice that can make me become the next big thing?!" Well my advice, (if you're asking me), is to get a professional opinion. And by that i mean, getting your voice heard by a voice teacher. A professional voice teacher can tell you, how special your voice really is and he can advise you in your; vocal and career development as a singer.

2. The second important step is to get your self musically educated. It doesn't matter: how old you are, if you went to a music specialized high school or collage or if you didn't. Maybe you discovered your passion for singing recently, or you always desired to become a professional singer but the timing wasn't right until now, either way you have to get a musical education. Get a vocal coach, take singing lessons, learn the basics of music theory, improve your vocal score reading skills. I guarantee you, these new trained musical skills will make a difference between you being an, amateur or professional singer.


3. The third step is the most crucial one in your development as an artist and singer. You have to choose a musical identity. This musical identity should represent you as a singer and should embody the expression of your artistic nature. Think of it as you leaving your personal artistic print on the surface of Musics History. This step is the most exciting part of becoming a entertainer, thus; expressing, inventing and reinventing your musical personality. I bet you are asking your self right now; "- Who am I (as an artist)?"And the perfect answer is..."on stage YOU ARE who ever you want TO BE!" And that my dear readers is called "artistic freedom." So start by: choosing a stage name for yourself, experiment with different vocal and musical styles, go wild choosing stage costumes, take acting classes if you think that it can help you express yourself better artistically, learn a musical instrument (becoming a skilled artist gives you a competitive advantage), don't be afraid to show your true colors, be original and most of all, stay true to your artistic integrity.
                                                                                                                                                             
4. The forth step on climbing the stairs of acclaimed musical fame is, producing an original music material. This musical material should represent your voice as an artist. So get ready to pour out your naked soul to the audience...wait, don't hit the panic button (yet)! I know it sounds kind of scary to share with the world, your most personal and intimate musical compositions, but in the end its all worth it. These musical compositions written from your personal life experiences, may they be: good, bad, painful and even psychedelic, represent your musical individuality. The idea is to connect with your audience, to build a true emotional bond with them and there is no better way then through your personal musical writings. There is no greater satisfaction for any artist/singer then to hear his/her fans cheer and sing-along to his/her music knowing by heart every lyric of a song. Then you know as an artist that, the music that you write touches another persons soul, leavening a musical print on their heart and a little bit of you (your artistic expression) in them (your musical message resonates in them). That being said you should start writing; lyrics, vocal melodies, compose instrumental backing harmonics...what ever you are best at. If you have a band start brainstorming on musical ideas, get together for musical sessions and jammings, get creative and start working on a music album that you can promote. If you are a newbie DJ or Music Producer fighting to make a name for yourself in the "music jungle", start by making as many collaborations and studio work as you can. This way you can perfect your musical talent and material, this in the near future leading you to your well deserved musical recognition and stardom. If you want to become a professional singer as I said before start writing: lyricsvocal melodies and compose instrumental backing harmonics. If you don't know how to play any musical instruments or compose instrumental harmonics just hire a pianist or guitarist that can help you out with the instrumental composition or just go straight to a recording studio, in which case the musical production team can help you out step by step in the creation and recording of a song/album.


5. The fifth and finally the last step in your "becoming a professional singer" process is "DRUM ROLLS"... showcasing, promoting your musical material and getting signed by a record label, "TA-DA (easier said then done)!" You need to start small in order to grow Big (sad but true).
But don't panic! With today's technology, "online word of the mouth advertisement" (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and the video-sharing/media promoting website (instant 5 minutes of fame) YouTube, that climb to the top of the Billboard Charts isn't that impossible as you might think. All you need to do is create valuable and original artistic content, the kind of music that spreads viral like an ear-worm. And don't forget nowadays if you want to make it big in the "music industry"(the emphasized word being industry rather then music ) you have to create a "music marketing plan". 
Be smart about it! It's okay to play the role of the "bohemian artist" who cares only about the authentic message spread throughout his music, but that message has to reach your "future concert audience" in order for you to get signed by a record label, so that you can one day build a musical career. The first step is to hire a talent agent (or also called a booking agent), someone who is qualified in booking you all the necessary concerts and gigs that you need, in order to promote your musical material and showcase your talent. Start looking for auditions, if you search the internet you'll find thousands of auditions for singers that sound like "singer wanted". Don't be disappointed if you start as a backing vocal for a mainstream artist. It's all about creating the right connections (as in any other business). Start by singing at your local "cafe bar" that has an open mike night or any other club that offers you the chance to perform on a free stage. You have to start somewhere and gather some "stage experience". Continue with small concerts, work your way up to gigs and music festivals. Create a name for your self, meet other artists, do music collaborations and you'll see that, at the right place in the right moment with the right people, you will have your big musical breakthrough. You can also start promoting your music and artistic vision on YouTube, you never know when the right musical promoter, captivated by your work might be watching. Also there are so many talent shows that you can audition for, ex: "The Voice, X-Factor, America' s got talent", etc.


I'm sure that with the; right & optimistic attitude, talent and a burning desire to make music and a whole lot of "blood, sweat and tears", plus a smart music marketing plan, you will get to live out you dream of becoming a FAMOUS ARTIST. The important thing is to keep the faith alive, work hard for what you want and take advantage of every opportunity, so that you leave no room for regrets and you can rest assured that, you tried your best in any situation. And one last thing, be grateful for the "love of singing" and that MUSIC choose YOU to represent it and not somebody else!

If you found this post useful you can share it and leave a comment bellow.





Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The Musical Revolution in a "Traditional Manner"

Hello, my lil' music addicts!

Boy oh boy, did I prepare to write about something very interesting for you today! You know that saying "out with the old and in with the new" right?! Well, today's musical post elaborates this idea from a more complex point of view, introducing (you may or may not know them) to you a new breed of artists. These artists from my point of view, are a new kind of musicians, the authentic and contemporary entertainers, they are : passionate about music, talented, versatile instrumentalists, original/creative, oped to any kind of musical collaborations and last but not least, the ultimate "musical styles mixers" or contemporary musical pioneers! What I admire about these young artists is how they managed not to "throw out the old and adopt something new" but rather "combine the old with the new" thus they didn't forget about their "musical roots" but evolved from there and transformed themselves into "complex musicians." They all have a "classical background" but they've added a modern twist to their personal, musical interpretation ending up with, a unique and original sound. The beauty of music for me is that it has no limitations, no boundaries and these artists that I'm talking about have; enormous potential, an original, personal musical style and a boundary free musical vision.
      On a personal note,"nowadays" it's really hard to be a professional artist, let's say for example a "versatile singer"... everyday you are confronted with all those musical stereotypes, like having to choose a specific: vocal style, a single type of vocal category, or just restrain yourself to one specific musical style. This narrow mentality of the present Musical Industry has to be changed and expanded. Limiting yourself and artists in general, in a specific"category or musical style" wont help the evolution of Music, but to the contrary, its a "stand still point" for music and from here on, a clear path to musical involution. So without further ado let's give a standing ovation to these young courageous artists that, aren't afraid to push the envelope of various styles of music, choosing the "freedom of musical speech" not conveying to present musical stereotypes, and commercial musical ideas. Rest assured they wont get all the FAME but the GLORY in the END is their's! Let the "Musical Revolution in a Traditional Manner" begin with the performances of: 2Cellos, The Piano Guys, Pentatonix, Lindsey Stirling, Nathan Flutebox Lee, Sakita Hajime and Jona Selle.


Meet the guys from 2Cellos...2 words: "talented and awesome!"



These are The Piano Guys...and they are going to "take over the world"!



I could listen all day long to the divine voices of the Pentatonix...



Now what about Lindsey Stirling?! The "Godmother" of violin "players" (*wink*...get it?! The godmother of players...no?...huh?! never mind! *wink* )



Nathan Flutebox Lee...is a "force of the musical nature" !



Sakita Hajime...i never "saw" that one coming (*wink* get it?! 'cause he plays the saw...no?! oky :( )



And last last but not least Jona Selle. He plays the cello and sings at the same time, its a win-win situation! (plus he's sooo cute! *wink*)



If you liked this musical post please comment and subscribe to my blog!
If you want to share with us music from your favorite artists, which show incredible talent and an original sound, upload a video on this post.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Top 10 Anthems of our Generation

Well Hello there, my lil’ music fanatics


Today I thought to myself “well darn it...what should I write about in my latest post?!” Something interesting yet funny, something that’s exciting enough to talk about and maybe even buzzworthy.” And then IT hit me! The topic of the day should be “the anthems of our generation”. I mean...I always thought that John Lennon left us the beautiful song “Imagine”, Louis Armstrong “What a wonderful world”, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock’N’Roll”...so what “musical heritage” would we leave our grandkids...the next generations to come? Would it be something unique, music and songs that represent; the spirit, mind & character of a generation? I’m talking about musical pioneers, art revolutionaries, that pushed the boundaries of a music genre, exploring it and aiding to it’s evolution, thus creating new musical styles that represented “the voice of a nation”.


The “Art of Music” in my opinion, should express through it’s “musical masterpieces” the : everyday struggles, hopes and dreams of ordinary people (like you and me) and nonetheless the; whole, versatile and beautiful “color palette of the human soul.” 
        So let us return to my initial question, can the “musical artists” of our time still create songs that can become, “eternal masterpieces” like: “Hey Jude” from The Beatles or “Blue suede shoes” by Elvis or Queen’s “Love of my Life”?


And let’s not forget about the Great Classics, because they're a vivid example for the “musical works of art” that until today, remain loved and remembered by music fans of all ages. Just think of Madama Butterfly's aria “Un bel di vedremo” (“One fine day...”) by Puccini from the Opera “Madama Butterfly” and the famous orchestral intermezzo the “Meditation” from the Opera “Thais” by Massenet. These renowned “musical jewels”, after 109 years (Madama Butterfly) and 119 years (Thais) since their premiere, still evoke in the heart of their listeners: “pure joy, and a sublime, bittersweet delightment!”. Their genuine, authentic message still withstands the passing of time.


After having stated all that...my answer to you “dear reader of this blog” is formulated into three examples of “chart topping songs” on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts, ranking every single one of them as number one favorites, for several weeks. And these songs are : LMFAO’s “Everyday I’m shuffling ”, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and Dj Baauer’s “Harlem shake”... shocking isn't it?!


Well having said all that, let the “Musical Apocalypse” begin! Naaaaaaaaa...I’m just kidding “thee”. But now seriously, is this what we want to pass on as “music” to posteriority?! I’m sure I don’t want that...so I’ll propose a list of ten songs, and I’ll narrow it down to the last 13 years, I’m naming that list, “my top ten favorite songs” that I am proud of calling “the anthems of my generation”!Listen to them, tell me your thoughts on them and more importantly, post a comment with your “top ten favorite songs” of the last 13 years, that in your opinion represent the “crème de la crème” of your personal musical taste & that deserve the title of “anthems of our generation”!


My Top 10 potential music classics for posteriority”...