Let’s explore how drumming has evolved alongside the music industry from the vinyl era to the age of streaming, with each period reshaping the music world as we know it today.
Many people believe that it is all the same when you learn music theory, whether playing the piano, cello, or violin. And while you can learn how to play an instrument, music theory is a helpful tool that provides a deeper understanding of music, and you can learn to read sheet music which makes it easier to play.
The role of record labels and music licensing in the modern music industry is multifaceted and constantly evolving.
All "Animals" can rejoice! Kesha is making her way back onto the music scene! The pop singer has just announced she will be going on tour with Diplo for the Mad Decent Block Party 2016. Kesha also surprised fans when she joined Zedd onstage at Coachella with a new song, "True Colors" (listen HERE). So why should "non-animals" also care Kesha is back?
There’s absolutely no denying it: on August 17, 2015, Underoath fans lost it when the band announced that they would be returning, after tweeting out “We have been Underoath,” only several years ago after their final show concluded. Whether this reunion is long term or just a nostalgia run is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: we have one of the defining outfits of the metalcore genre taking the stage across America right now, and we get to witness them perform two albums that helped solidify their place among the genre’s legendary acts, They’re Only Chasing Safety and Define The Great Line, even if it’s for just one last time. Join us as we take a brief look back at the history and discography of Underoath.
If there’s one thing that irks me about the music industry, it’s our immense lack of community. We are an industry that seems to pride itself off exclusivity, patting ourselves on the back for being better than our counterparts
I stared at the list for quite a while. It was your stereotypical clickbait BuzzFeed article; “21 Emo Bangers That Are Turning 10 This Year.” I had gotten home from a double day at my 2 jobs, paid my student loans and finally crawled into bed far too late to see this flash across my tiny Facebook feed from my phone. It wasn’t the first listicle of its type I’ve seen this year, this week even, and yet they hit me every time
"In 1995, RPGs were stuck in a rut that Dragon Quest had dug. Most were still set in medieval times, with knights and mages battling mythical monsters with swords and magic. Few games dared to defy this mold until EarthBound (Mother 2 as it is known in Japan). No other game was like it, except maybe its prequel, Mother, which had not been released outside of Japan. EarthBound introduced, and even today continues to introduce, RPG fans to an entirely different experience.
The story is set in the 1990s in Eagleland, a kitschy and romanticized parody of America (perfect lawns and quiet suburbs). No dragons, mystical knights, or staff-wielding wizards appear in this game. You are just an average 13 year old kid from the suburbs...until the night a meteor lands in your backyard. The local wildlife start attacking you, a gang of local hoodlums begins causing trouble downtown, you realize that you have psychic powers, and a mysterious messenger from the future tells you that you are destined to save the world. But, before you face any of this, your mom reminds you to change out of your pajamas.
Armed with a cracked baseball bat, a lucky charm for protection, and whatever food you can find (including whatever gets thrown into the trashcan outside the burger joint), you begin your quest to stop the evil alien Giygas from destroying the world."
It's hard to be a gamer and not see the people around me bickering over gaming systems and developers. Everywhere I look on the internet, it seems that gamers are too busy arguing like children over which console is better to actually have the time to use the console they seem to pray to. It's almost impressive to see how little most of these console fanboys know about their own beloved product, randomly spewing out facts they know little nothing about. On top of that, it is beyond me why gamers would argue over gaming rather than enjoy it together as a community. I remember in 7th grade when I would get in console arguments. Of course I didn't know any better, being about 13, but to see two grown men arguing between next gen consoles makes me sad not only for the faith in humanity, but for the future of gaming.
It's a bit unfair to only pick on consumers in this "War" with no purpose. With all of these companies recently doing unbelievably stupid things, it makes me frown and wonder what goes through CEO's heads. Between EA, Microsoft, and Machinima all paying people off to support the Xbox One, developers forcing consumers to always be connected to the internet to play single player games, micro transactions for necessary content, the failure of the Xbox One announcement, the Playstation Move (a bandwagon jump-in for motion gaming)... It's hard to say I'm proud to be a gamer with my brethren yelling at each other next to me like livid animals, all the while the companies making my games and consoles trying to screw me over.
But don't worry, dear readers. All is not lost. There are bunkers in the gaming war zone, those bunkers being mobile gaming, PC gaming, Nintendo gaming, and smartphone gaming. Yes, I'm aware there is still a console feud within mobile gaming devices, but it's way more civil and way less frequent than the big consoles. Yes, I know there are many people who post "PC Master Race" jokes on Reddit and Facebook. Yes, I am aware Nintendo is a big time gaming company, but these Console War soldiers simply laugh and scoff at the idea of Nintendo, even though that company revolutionized gaming more than any other gaming company still out there. And finally, yes, I know many don't even consider smartphone gaming to be "real" gaming, but this is a new avenue for game developers, especially for people getting into the industry fresh and new. All of these little things are still ways to get away from the heated and vicious "Console War."
Gamers, please. I know you have it in you, all of you. You guys need to cease fire for a second and think about what you're really doing. I dream of a day Halo players will stand side by side with Uncharted players in a fight not against each other, but against the real enemy. Soccer moms, the Chinese and Australian government, and everyone else who hates the joyous and awesome gift of video games. When we unite, then it will be impossible for developers and big companies to screw us over, as WE will control how we play, not them.
Call a truce. Let us hold our controllers, mice, smartphones, and portables in the air. Unite as the group of zombie slaying, grenade throwing, coin collecting, XP farming, car racing, and barrel jumping gamers we are.
I wrote an editorial on my personal blog that everyone should read with an open mind. It's called, Originality is Dead in The Music Scene.
The point I’m trying to make with this editorial is that band’s should be writing original music. It’s understandable if you have influences and wanna pay homage to them. Ripping them off is a completely different story.