Creativity: The Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Creativity

1. Be curious and follow your curiosity.

Ask until you understand why your corporation takes certain actions.
Discover why something is a particular shape. Find out why a process is
designed as it is. Explore a natural phenomenon until you fully understand
it.

2. Familiarize yourself with the lateral thinking techniques of Edward De
Bono and practice them.

Edward De Bono developed many techniques to stimulate creative
thought. A random selection is The Six Thinking Hats, Provocation and The
Random Input and many more. This is an unsolicited endorsement and the
author of this list has no connection with Edward De Bono.

3. Spend 20 minutes a day in a comfortable spot where you will be
undisturbed and let your mind wander wherever it will.

Using lateral thinking techniques we can generate creative ideas on
demand. There are other creative ideas which bubble to the surface given
time and quietness of the mind; they are the ones which this point
addresses.

4. Try a small measure of something which doesn't harm you in any way which
your preconditioning suggests you won't like.

Our innate responses are sometimes adversely conditioned by the
prejudices of others. Stretch yourself and discover whether your creativity
has been constrained by some of these.

5. Work to music that inspires you.

Classical music is usually recommended as the most effective. If this
goes against your grain, stretch yourself and see if it works (see point
4!). If not, experiment to determine what type of music is most effective
for you.

6. Take a break during a high intensity task when you find yourself stuck.

Do something completely different, even monotonous, for 10 minutes, or
if necessary commit it to your subconscious and sleep on it.

7. Actively seek different stimuli: At least once per month buy and read a
magazine completely unrelated to your career or business or usual interests.

You will find parallels to problems in the most unexpected places, the
areas of interest may be completely different but the challenge is
nevertheless the same and guess what - it's already been solved.

8. Go somewhere you have never been before.

It does not have to be exotic, just different. It does not have to be a
million miles away, it may be a facility in your city you've never
previously visited. If you are a city girl, it may be a spot in the country
and yes, for a country boy it may be the city heat and the asphalt. Don't
let these ideas limit you, take the cruise anyway!

9. Do what your intuition suggests.

For many of us today our intuition represents a muscle which is rarely
tested. Just like any other muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it!

10. Carry a book or a mini tape recorder everywhere and capture ALL the
ideas your subconscious feeds you.

Reinforce for your subconscious its own importance and it will work
even harder for you.

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A List of the Top Karaoke Songs in 2010

A list of the greatest Karaoke songs in 2010 will be extremely helpful if you are getting ready for that big, annual New Year party. Maybe you are trying to convince your boss to get a Karaoke machine for this year's gathering at the office?

Well, there are choices for everyone; the classics are right there with some new songs. The crucial thing is that everyone will know the lyrics, so no excuses! True, not everyone can be Celine Dion, but we can all try, right? (And then stop trying before it is necessary to call the paramedics).

Here is the list of the top karaoke songs in 2010; a top ten countdown starting with number 10 and going up to the first place (and maybe with a few suggestions and ideas here and there, just to mix it up a little): 10. Thriller (Michael Jackson): an always popular song that can be danced to! 9. Angel (Shaggy and Rayvon): a song about cheating, a constant theme in parties and slightly drunken gatherings. Equally important: medium to slow rhythm with some rap in it for the daring ones. Number 8. "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong) an all time classic.7. "Dancing Queen" by Abba. This 1970's hit is a standard female request on karaoke parties. 6. Complicated, by Avril Lavigne. Certainly a choice for young people, perhaps for those with a skateboard under their arms?

The second part of the top karaoke songs in 2010 ranking begins with "Addicted" by Enrique Iglesias. It might be impossible to pronounce his name, but singing this song is not! 4. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, an ever present karaoke hit followed by number 3. "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, a song will let you scream away all your anger. 2. "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor for those "movie moments". In the first place is "Beat It". This hit single from 1983 by Michael Jackson will have everyone up and singing in no time.

There you have it. There are no excuses left. Everything you ever wanted to sing, every artist you ever wish you could be it is all here! So take a pen and paper, and start signing people up for the most popular karaoke marathon of 2010.

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Top Tips & Tricks For Recording Your Vocals

This is for all you do-it-yourself-ers out there. Recording vocals is the trickiest part of recording a CD, and because it is the last step in the recording process it pays to get it right. So, before you start crooning your soon-to-be smash joint, you will want to make sure that everything in your studio is set up correctly. Following are a few tips that will help you do it right the first time.

#1. Get your recording ready for your voice. This simply means that before you add your voice to the recording... have everything else in place...your instrumentation is completed and mixed to perfection. I know you're eager to hear yourself on that money-maker but if you fail to do this... you are in for dismal failure at worst, confusion and remixes at best. So, take my advise and don't put the cart (your voice) before the horse (the instrumentation) if you want to create a masterpiece.

#2. Prepare an enclosed space to record your voice. After you have recorded and mixed your instrumentation...it is time to prepare your studio for recording vocals. Think old- fashioned-phone-booth-with-sound-deadening-insulation and you will get the picture, although the space doesn't need to be quite that condensed. In other words, you want a space that is enclosed and muffled in such a way that doesn't cause the voice to bounce off the walls from the resonance. A smaller room does this better than a large room.

#3. Use the best microphone that you can afford as the quality of your microphone... (and the way you use it) will ultimately determine the sound quality for your vocal recording. While the microphone doesn't have to be expensive, you should avoid low-cost bargain-basement models. Although professional studios tend to use capacitor microphones, a good back-electret or a dynamic vocal microphone can produce excellent results.

#4. Experiment with the placement of the microphone. Some singers will be okay with 6 inches from the mouth while others may need to be closer to the microphone. The microphone should be set in place to pick up all sides of the voice without picking up all the other sounds in the room. Also, the more enclosed and deadened the sound (as mentioned before), the easier it will be to capture the voice.

#5. Use a pop filter - not a foam mic cover. The pop filter will eliminate many of the hissing sounds created by s's and pop sounds made by b's and p's.

#6. Prevent "red zone" peaking. When a voice goes into the red zone it has gone past the maximum allowable volume. To keep this from happening you will need to keep the voice condensed in a specific area. This is why compressors were created. However, the singer can also help with this by pulling back from the mic slightly when singing louder or leaning into the mic for softer, more intimate phrases. Using the pop filter will keep you from getting too close to the mic and this is a good thing for beginners.

#7. Your voice and effects. Don't go overboard with EQ and reverb while recording. As a matter of fact, you should record the vocal as dry as possible. As with instrumentation you may also want to consider noise gates, which stops the sound from resonating before it is recorded. This is helpful if the voice naturally resonates by having a cut off point where the resonance will stop, making everything clear instead of sounding like it echoes. However, as with the other vocal effects, be careful when applying noise gates as you don't want to create an unnatural sound. It is best to use effects and noise gates after the voice is recorded as it can then be treated like any other instrument, meaning you can normalize the sound waves, manipulating the volume and gain.

#8. After the recording is finished you can manipulate the sound, adding reverb, flanges, autotune, etc. The degree of manipulation depends on the type of voice you have and the effect that you want to achieve. Since the recording is finished you can experiment here, first analyzing the type of voice you are working with before adding effects such as reverb in the mix. For example, if the voice has a strong resonance, reverb will make it sound like an echo. Adding resonance to a clearer voice, however, will add a little spark to the mix.

As you can see... recording vocals doesn't have to be hard and complex. Just think of it as putting the icing on the cake. Give yourself room to experiment... and allow yourself the freedom to be different. By taking the time to understand the process... and following the tips outlined here... you will be sure to get the exact sound you are looking for every time.

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The Top 5 Modern Country Singers

Modern Country Music is often regarded as not country at all, lacking the fundamental principles of traditional. Such are the changing times where Pop meets Country and is regarded as Country. So whether good or bad, who are the top modern Country Singers?

5: Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an award winning band from Atlanta, Georgia. They have released four albums, the first in 2004, and three singles, with two number ones "Chicken Fried" and "Toes," and a number two "Whatever it is." With a good steady start, they are growing in popularity and slowly becoming recognized as a good Country Music band to rival other new and very popular bands, such as Lady Antebellum.

4: Toby Keith
Toby Keith was born July 8, 1961 and rose to fame when he released his first four albums in the 90's: "Toby Keith," "Boomtown," "Blue Moon" and "Dream Walkin'" and a single "Should've Been a Cowboy," which was one of the most well known Country songs of the 90s. From there he has carried on rising to greatness with 19 Number one Country hits, and now enjoys a top spot among the greatest modern Country singers.

3: Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is not technically a singer, but a group, from Nashville, Tennessee, the group is made of Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott. They made their debut in 2007 with "Love Don't Live here," which made it to number 3 on the Country Charts. Their first number 1 came in July 2009 with "I Run to You" with this success behind them and their careers only just beginning we can expect to see more of Lady Antebellum in the charts for many years to come.

2: Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley born October 28th, 1972, released his first album in 1999 with "Who Needs Pictures," all of his albums are certified gold or higher, and has had fourteen number ones. Strictly though Brad Paisley is not pure country, he tends to cross music genres between traditional and and pop or soft rock. Despite this Brad is very popular among modern Fans and is an up and coming star.

1: Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood, born 10th March, 1983, rose to the spotlight after she won the fourth season of American Idol. Don't let that put you off though, she is fast becoming a name to be reckoned with in the C. Music Business, with her debut album "Some hearts," going Ten times platinum and is the fastest selling female album in Country music history! Carrie is bringing it to the forefront of the millennium, reintroducing it to a new generation of people, perhaps it lacks the finesse of old greats like Hank Williams or the true Country Spirit of The Carter Family, but she is doing her bit for Country Music worldwide, and showing that Country can still be popular.

While some of these artists may be seen as more pop or rock than Country by those who like their Country to be traditionally, they are bringing about a new age, for the next generation.

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Top Funeral Songs

Music can be a nice addition to the funeral or memorial service and can play a meaningful part of the service. You can essentially add music anywhere in the funeral program and have a number of musical selections throughout.

You can have a soloist, an instrumentalist or even a music CD perform the funeral songs. You may want to choose funeral songs that were the favorites of the deceased. Funeral songs can come in a variety of musical styles such as Classical, Religious, Blues, Jazz, Folk, Rock, and Country. So depending on the taste of music the deceased preferred, you can include funeral style music from any of these genres.

One advantage to using CD recordings is that you can choose and use the exact mood you want to project. Many of the songs are recorded in different styles and by varying artists that translate the music in their own style.  For example, "Amazing Grace" can be found in almost every style from operatic to a bagpipe version.

Each style of music has appropriate funeral songs. Here is a sample of a top funeral song for each music genre for religious and non-religious songs:

Classical--"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach

Traditional Folk Songs--"Amazing Grace" probably the most played hymn at funeral and memorial services. It has been played in all styles of music and on all instruments.

Rock/Pop--"Crying in the Chapel" made popular by Elvis Presley's version

Musicals--"Climb Every Mountain" From the Sound of Music soundtrack but have also been sung by many pop artists.

Soul/Blues--"Come Sunday" was also written by Duke Ellington and has been played by many blues artists.

Hymns--"Abide in Me" classic hymn played by many religious artists.

Gospel--Gospel is a specialty area of music that is almost exclusively African-American.The top gospel artist is the late Reverend James Cleveland, who is regarded as the father of gospel music.

Music at the funeral or memorial service can be comforting and soothing to the grieving individual. It can also invoke feelings and emotions through the lyrics and melody. Generally, the funeral service contains a musical selection in the beginning, middle and end of the service. If there is a graveside gathering, a hymn may also be sung within the ceremony.

You can also choose to have the music played or have the attendees participate in the songs. If you want to have participation, its a good idea to include the lyrics within the funeral program for those that are not famiiar with the words.

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How to Record on GarageBand - Top 5 Tips to Get Professional Sound With Free Recording Software

Somewhere along the line, while I was involved in creating an easier home recording system for aspiring recording artists and musicians, I realized that learning how to record on GarageBand not only simplifies the home recording process, but surprisingly, GarageBand showed itself to be a powerful tool in the creative process. In other words, GarageBand becomes an actual songwriting tool.

I understand if the connection between song recording software and song creation isn't immediately apparent. However, the effect of GarageBand on my own career, more than validates this statement.

What is GarageBand?

GarageBand is software for multitrack audio recording. When first released, GarageBand seemed like beginner recording software. However, under the radar, GarageBand has proven itself by profoundly revolutionizing music creation and therefore the business of making music itself.

How to Record on GarageBand - First Steps on the Path to Pro Quality Sound

I recognize that the first meeting between person and software, is the most delicate and tenuous point in the entire relationship. It determines in large part whether the relationship continues or ends before it even gets started. With that in mind let's answer the most basic questions about how to record on GarageBand.

Q: How do I get a sound I play to show up and record in GarageBand?

A: A sound from an instrument or voice that originates in the "real world" (instruments, voice, etc), must be converted to a digital signal that is suitable for the digital world of recording software. Your computer has a built in analog to digital sound converter, allowing you to "plug in and play" directly into the computer. However, for truly high quality sound reproduction, an external hardware converter should be used. (Also known as an I/O box.)

Q: What do I have to know about I/O hardware?

A: External I/O hardware normally attaches to your computer via USB or Firewire cable. Once plugged into your computer's USB or Firewire input, simply set your computer's audio preferences to allow the I/O hardware to handle all incoming and outgoing audio. This will bypass the computer's built-in sound card, thus giving you professional quality analog to digital sound conversion. Do not use the computer's built in sound card if you hope to make professional quality recordings at home.

Q: I have opened GarageBand. What do I do next?

A: The true beauty of GarageBand is that from this point on everything is, and remains, very simple. Go to the upper menu in GarageBand and choose "Create New Track." Each track has a channel which you set to receive a Mono or Stereo signal. If you are simply plugging in a single mic or instrument, the channel should be set to Mono. Click the record button and begin playing or singing. This is your "source sound" and it will show up on the track you created in GarageBand. To add an additional layer or instrument, repeat the process beginning with "create new track." This is the essence of "multi-track" recording.

Q: What if I'm not using a Mac? Can you tell me how to get GarageBand on Windows?

A: GarageBand, so far, is not available for PC. However there is simple multi-track recording software available that is very similar to GarageBand for PC.

Q: So that's how to record on GarageBand. Is it really possible to make professional sounding recordings with GarageBand?

A: The answer is yes. GarageBand provides an elegant and cooperative environment for creating great recordings. However, from this point on you must deepen your understanding of how to capture sound properly and clearly. This is as much the case with all other digital recording software.

In a subsequent article I'll talk about

home recording tips and tricks
laying perfect tracks
more about how to record in GarageBand or any recording software for that matter
how to edit GarageBand waveforms and "regions."

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The Role of Music in Speaking Well

One of the most worthy methods to use in speaking well is to speak from the heart. It is not a problem for children to do so but their vocabulary is limited. For adults, even with the wealth of knowledge, practice and experience, speaking from the heart is the last thing they do best. So the design of speaking well from the heart comes in the form of music.

Having taught children who are 3rd language learner of Mandarin, I discovered singing and using musical lyrics do help. However, not every child or adult person is able to follow the beat of a rhythm. And there is nothing in our environment that can actually presents music to them like language does. So how do we incorporate music into our lives that allow us to augment our language skills? Music contains songs and lyrics, that is, language. Music and language are simply a marriage that has to be arranged or integrated by humans, otherwise there can no be role for music to play in our lives. Isn't that so? And that is exactly what musicians and songwriters do. They create music and find the language to fill up the tunes to make sense to the expressions of their personal emotions and views.

Proven techniques in speaking well Music is promoted as most influential on language development but how can we make ourselves believe it actually works. The extent of this influence stops as soon as the song finishes until we replay it again. Music can put you to sleep but great books just keep you up reading till wee hours of the night. With music you can grab a song or two and be happy with it.

With books, well you just have to wait for the next available bestseller to show up on the shelf. Just how much money people had spent just to vote for the next American Idol is testimony to the fact the Role of Music in our society has become more superior than the importance of reading and learning by paper and pen to improve one's own language. We have to constantly fight in our heads on where to store the books in our house but will never argue for a space in our handbag for a good music CD.

The extent of music on your skills to speak, write and listen well is very limiting. One still have to pick up pen and paper to pen down the next note in the chorus or bridge, read and plan schedule for the next concert, write the name of the next singer in a charity concert, and communicate the finished music album to the world through advertising media, magazines and interviews. Music finds its way to our living room only because our ears capture our heartstrings and we decide to grab a copy for our personal listening pleasure. Insofar as improving our speech skills, music is not the instrument we will use. Our instrument for good speaking skills is our mouth and the muscle groups surrounding it.

I have no doubt that I have learned more English words in good music than I do with a good movie, that is because I prefer to listen to music. As I type this article, I have the words of Carpenters ringing in my ears; it is soothing but my ears are intently sieving out the richness of the Karen Carpenter's vocals. She sang every word to its last phenome and still each verse sung is in tune and not one word is minced just so her emotions get the better of the song. I was only probably only 10 years old when I first heard them. How can I, as a non-English person have benefited from her music or many others during those times?

The answer is I have not stopped listening and listening more to good speaking skills of actors, actresses, newsreaders, radio announcers, sports commentators and singers. You can train your ears to listen deep into the voices and discriminate the muscular parts that help produce the different sounds for any language. It is just how it is with speaking well. LISTEN FIRST, SING AND SPEAK MORE, READ LATER. That's how it goes. You can save so much time and money in learning any language once you know how it works.

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