Ambient Music - Nature's Sounds Put to Music

It's often playing in the places you go. Whether it's in an art gallery, a unique specialty shop, or a restaurant, ambient music creates a mood. This music genre has seen a growth in popularity in the last 30 years.

Ambient music relies on sound and sound patterns. It does not rely on formal, traditional musical elements in its composition. While it may include these, it is open to bending or completely doing away with any rules.

Ambient music is atmospheric in nature, in the sense that it creates an atmosphere of sound to arouse the senses. It often uses the natural environment as inspiration. A composer of this type of music may use a beautiful moonlit night as his or her basis for a sound sculpture that evokes this scene.

Ambient music has its roots in classical music. It uses elements borrowed from impressionism, musique concrete, avant-garde and minimalism. However, it is not any one of these styles more per se. It is its own animal. An understanding of these musical styles will give you a better understanding of the elements of ambient music.

Impressionism: This music draws from atmospheric effects and descriptive ideas. The sound of the wind is an atmospheric effect that can be part of a piece of music. A descriptive idea to base music on could be: "I love the way sand forms ripple patterns in a windblown desert." This word picture can inspire a composer to write an ambient piece using sound to bring images to listeners' minds.

Musique Concrete: This music relies on natural sounds from our environment. It also uses any other type of noise that one would not consider musical. Putting these sounds and noises into a composition creates a different, non-traditional music experience. For example, the sound of a jackhammer is a legitimate sound element to place into a sound recording.

Minimalism: This music is unadorned and pared down to its basics. It may use one sound pattern or an individual sound that the composer repeats continually. There may not be any complex arranging or orchestrations done to enhance this music. Often a listener hears the repetition of one entire sequence throughout a composition.

Avant-Garde: This music seeks to break through the boundaries of normal musical parameters. It operates at the extremes of conventional musical thought as it seeks to explore new territory. Avant-garde music knows the inherent rules of traditional music and then seeks to break, modify or expand on them. This is why much avant-garde music is experimental in nature. Composers of this form experiment with tempo, time, timbre, tone, and chord and scale patterns.

Therefore ambient music takes aspects of all of the above to create a hybrid music all its own. This music developed from the works of Erik Satie, Terry Riley, Phillip Glass, John Cage, Brian Eno and others. Satie's early form of this music had the unusual term, "furniture music," to describe its suitability as background music during mealtime.

However, some ambient music devotees reject the notion that ambient music is only unobtrusive, subtle, background filler. Adherents to this view see ambient music as viable music that one can appreciate and listen to as one would an intricate classical, jazz or popular piece.

Eno explained it best during his musical experimentations when he said ambient music could be "actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending on the choice of the listener..." He said it exists on the cusp between melody and texture. He is credited with creating the term "ambient music."

Ambient music can be part of any environment. It's suitable as party music if you want guests to enjoy quality sounds and be able to converse with one another. It's suitable for sitting back with a drink while you're reading or just de-stressing and staring out a window. It's also music to listen to critically. One can study sound, both artificial and natural, and how they can co-exist in a composition.

If you desire to create ambient music, all you need is simple recording equipment and something to create or capture sound. You can record natural atmospheric conditions to put in your song. This could be the sound of rushing water or the cries of birds. You can record the sounds of the city: buses, children laughing, cars beeping, to inject into your music. You can play and record a musical instrument. You can modify the sound of an instrument and record its sounds. Put it all together to create the sound you desire.

Groove to Enthralling Pop Music

Pop music is the most awesome and popular genre in music. This genre is extremely famous and is acclaimed world wide. It is the music style of modern times and has led to a great revolution in the world of music. It is the awesome category of music which has broken various barriers of conventional and traditional music. This music is beyond the formal education in music or typical music styles. The sole reason of the immense success of this kind of music is its ability to muse and entertain people.

The music is created with an intention to attract and appeal the masses. Anyone and everyone can enjoy this music without being an expert and connoisseur of music. It focuses more on entertainment than the artistic and expert conceptualizations. This music does not emphasize on the some particular music form. However, it simply gives the artist freedom to experiment with the various kinds of music and express them in their own styles.

The genre is immensely famous amongst the youngsters and the teenagers. Its style has become the favourite of the masses due to its flexibility. People can easily comprehend it and relate to it. Pop songs are written with sheer goal of entertaining the audience. This music genre cannot be typified or classified as per one's style. This exquisite style comprises of different moods and it is sheer expression of the artist's creativity that matters the most.

Pop Music is gaining popularity since 1950's this great music style has overshadowed all its contemporaries. Played with the typical musical instruments like Guitar, Drum and electronic keyboards, the music is all about high spiritedness and fun. These music bands are very famous and people across the world admire them. The orchestra and the singers together comprise the pop band.

Many popular artistes of the music genre have ruled the music world. Its lovers keenly wait for the release of the albums from their favourite artistes. The Beetles has been one of the most popular music bands in the world. They have ruled the music charts and people have loved their music crazily. Over the years the singers, song writers and the musicians played a vital role in the expansion and growth of the genre. Everyone loves to listen to this incredible music style.

We are the World, Careless Whisper and Footloose are some of the most rocking hits of the 1980s. It was the era in which the genre gained its highest position. In 1990s, the music gained new heights with female artistes coming up with awesome pop music videos and songs. There were some awesome female singles released that outclassed the male performances. Vogue, The power of Love, Hold On and the Hero are the few outstanding numbers.

Madonna, Shania Twain etc were some of the most admired pop stars of the last decade. Elton John came up with some of the most astounding Pop classics that gave the music immense popularity. Michael Jackson gained the greatest fan following with his unique style and incredible pop numbers.

In the present times, the pop music has ruled the music world. No other genre is so popular and admired by the people. With young pop stars coming with innovative and sizzling numbers, this music is all set to achieve new heights. Britney Spears is one of the hottest pop icons of the new generation. Her deadly music videos like Oops! I did it Again, I am a Slave For You etc have made her the most desirable Pop icon amongst the teenagers. Beyonce Knowles' Crazy in Love, White Flag and other hits have also rocked the music fans the world over.

Jennifer Lopez, Boy Zone, Spice Girls and other pop stars have given great entertainment to the people across the world. Shakira has set a new trend with her individual style with the smashing hits like Hips Don't Lie and Whenever, Wherever.

Exciting Career Prospects in Music

Gone are the days when music was merely considered to be a hobby, or a good way to pass time. Music today is much more than a vocation. It has to have passion and zest. It is very competitive and youthful. And therefore this article has to be young; having the flavour of something new, probably because I am young, my readers will also be young, and it is the youth who make what the present day India is all about - a Young and Dynamic India. Thus foraying into the vast ocean of Music, and especially into Hindustani Music, many young buds like me are likely to be concerned about their careers in this field. With the growth of the entertainment industry, which comprises of all sorts of faculties and organizations, like the film industry, advertisement industry, radio and television industry etc., music has become a highly respectable and lucrative career option. But unfortunately, many of us from a small town like Allahabad are unaware of where music is actually turning to.

Well, in this fast paced age, where everything has converged to the era of "Nano" (I am talking of the latest technology that has zoomed up like a Sapaat Taan of the Gwalior Gharana), I better express my views in a simple, direct, but a comprehensive manner.

The field of Music (Singing, Dancing and Playing of Instruments) offers many different kinds of jobs based on a person's interest and capabilities. Broad categorizations of jobs available in the music industry include -

1. Teaching: One of the most traditional trades in music. Those who prefer a one to one interaction can start their very own music school where they can teach / train other aspiring singers. You can open coaching class for training students for scholarships and competitive exams such as the Sangeet Natak Academy, MHRD, NET, for shows like Sa Re Ga Ma etc., jingles for ad campaigns. This is no doubt a very lucrative career option as well.

Nevertheless I would like to suggest, come out of this and explore some other options as well!

2. Sound Recording: For this you need to be a trained sound engineer, or a trained sound recordist, a combiner or an editor. But for this one must know the latest computer softwares in the market, recording gadgets and should be able to manage the recording instruments and the techniques easily.

Singers too with a good trained voice can sing at recording studios and lend their voices as back up voices etc.

3. Concerts / Performances and Live Shows: A professional singer/instrumentalist/dancer, or a freelancer, has the choice to perform in front of a live audience at concerts and live shows, including marriage parties, birthday parties and can be a religious music impresario for the NRIs looking back to their roots in religious functions etc.

4. DJ's, VJ's & RJ's: Those who are not directly into singing, but enjoy music all the same, can become a DJ (Disc Jockey), RJ (Radio Jockey) and VJ (Video Jockey). All three deal with music. However, what differentiates them is the medium they use to reach the audiences. A VJ presents music on Television like a Music compere for Antakshari type programmes, an RJ presents music on Radio and a DJ presents music at live shows, or Discos.

5. Instrument Repairing / Instrument Manufacturing: This industry has a lot of scope and prospects, particularly in large urban towns. The traditional as well as modern electronic instruments, or instrument substitutes, are spreading their wings and are getting accepted across the world. A career in this focused zone can not be ignored in today's world.

6. Event Management/ Organizer: You need to be creative and an instictive manager, or a supervisor. One can organize music shows. These days jobs are available for teaching Mehendi and Banna Banni songs for marriages/event management etc. After all, what does SpicMacay do? Or, why to go that far, the music conferences organized by Prayag Sangeet Samiti every year too are an example. Wonder, they may be looking to outsource the management of the event to some one who can deliver.

7. Music Therapists: Examples are plenty where music has been successfully utilized for therapeutic purposes. It has been used even for increasing crop , or milk production. One can setup a clinic in a Spa, like that is done by an aroma therapist or a gemologist etc and cure people and do something for a social cause.

8. Music Composer: This is one of the most creative and innovative field in music where, "You Make Music". Yes, you will make people tap and rap to your music. This seems to be very interesting but at the same time it has to be an intelligent work done. A music director, or a composer, must know various kinds of music. Suppose, you are given a task to make a track which has the 'feel' of Arabic music or Boul geet or Lavani. Did you notice, I said 'feel of'..., that means it should present the mood of Arabic music (or Boul or Lavani), but at the same time it should not be totally Arabic music.

9. Music Arranger: His job is different than that of the music composer but is not exactly what people think. He has to 'arrange' music of a song or background scores. One needs to have a great knowledge of various instruments, sounds etc. and should be able to setup a network of all kinds of music professionals whose services can be harnessed as per need of the Music Director.

10. Orchestration: Remember "Maihar Band" of Ustad Allahuddin Khan! Another one of Zubin Mehta? I can suggest some more names like, Beethoven, Mozart, Hyden etc. All of them created music using various instruments and instrumentalists and created history.

11. Website or Software Designer: I am not joking. If you are a software professional, or a website designer, you can create a music website of your own and also a software and people will admire you.

12. Paper Reading: If you have a good understanding of music, you can write a paper and read it to discerning audiences. That means explain your research or project to an audience. If you know how to use power-point of Ms Office in Windows you can make a power-point presentation and can give lecture using it.

13. Music restorer: This means you can restore music recordings by becoming a music historian, like CDs, Cassettes, Videos, Tapes, books and create you own archive or a library.

14. Music vendor: You can sell music by opening a music shop etc..

15. Others: Go on for music in Hotels, Airlines, Railways, and Army Bands which are fancy and equally professional with fixed salaries. You can drive yourself towards a music Choreographer's job if interested in dance but again be sure that you must know dancing styles from Kathak to Salsa or Jive, Music Journalism/E-journalism [where you need to have good writing skills].

There are many schools and institutions which offer training in music like Music Departments in various known Universities, autonomous bodies like Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Prayag Sangeet Samiti and Bhatkhande University etc. Make sure to check the course schedule before enrolling.