New Release - Bonfire John and the Majestic Springs Band (TMRecords)

Bonfire John and The Majestic Springs Band started as a solo project by singer songwriter, Owen Yonce in the winter months of 2010. Since that time, Yonce has worked hard to establish himself in the local music scene of Carmel, Indiana where his band originates. Yonce is independently releasing his first album, “Makin’ The Most” with the help of recording engineer and founder of Tree Machine Records, Zack Anselm.

"I was cornered and trapped by a raging bull after a full day of fishing with my buddy, Owen Yonce, front man for the Majestic Springs Band. Not a typical day for me, but common practice for our good friend Bonfire John," says Anslem. "This wasn't just a big cow either, this was a thousand pound beast circling us at high speeds and taunting us with flaring nostrils and stomping feet as we were pushed back to the edge of a dock on a mucky lake at the farm. Luckily we dodged that bullet and stayed dry, and the next day Yonce was off on a trek across the country to rock climb, hike, explore canyons, and make familiar the rural landscapes that can sometimes be overshadowed in this modern America. He's truly a man who knows how to 'make the most,' the title of his first LP release with the band."

Yonce and Anselm spent two long months recording, mixing and creating music to finish “Makin’ The Most” by the beginning of the summer of 2011. With the help of Tree Machine Records, Yonce is playing local venues and starting to branch out to more national venues as well. Yonce intends to have the bands first cd release show at local music store Indy CD & Vinyl. The band will also be playing an upcoming show at Emerson theatre in Indianapolis in early August, 2011.

"The album turned out to be everything we anticipated and more. It's got an indie folk pop rock sound (at least that's the best way I can classify it) and has the feel of an early Modest Mouse album or maybe the recording style of a Pavement album. When he gets back from his trip touring begins, so get ready!

Yonce has tentatively planned a tour of the Midwest to kick off no later than August of 2012.

Other members include Brian McGowan on guitar, Jack Sullivan on bass, and Taylor Riner on drums.

A few sample tracks from "Making The Most" can be heard on the band's bandcamp site and on our site here, http://www.treemachinerecords.com/.



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British Rapper PW - The New Kid On The Block

Throughout time the British music industry has hosted a stream of teen idols – acts that appeal to the popular 13-19 market. And with the UK urban scene thriving right now, it makes sense for this to apply here too.

Step forward PW. With Chipmunk now a veteran of the game at the – ahem – ripe old age of 20, this 18-year-old from, Edmonton North London is primed to smoothly slide into this spot.

Hailing from the same ends as Chipmunk and another one of his faves Wretch 32, PW, whose stage
moniker comes from his childhood nickname ‘Peewee’ – ‘I shortened it as I don’t think it would
have been cool for me to use that as my rap name, do you?’, started rhyming at the age of 14,
literally ‘behind the bike sheds’ at lunch and break times.

He then took some time out, before returning to it in college.

"I decided to pick it up again due to the inspiration from the area I grew up in,’ he says. ‘I saw the likes of Wretch 32, Marvell and Chipmunk, who actually went to my college, doing their thing. And then one of my close family friends is a co-manager at Chip’s label Always Recordings, so it was just being around the industry in one way or another."

So does he feel like he could have the younger generation on lock? The urban music scene, unlike
in previous years is large enough to accommodate several acts and it is always wise to identify a particular niche within that market. How does PW’s swag lend to this?

‘I wouldn’t use any elaborate terms to describe my style,’ he says matter-of-factly, ‘I would just say it is just young and fresh, as a young person coming up. I know good music, and my sound and lyrics are inspirational and full of motivation. I like to make feel-good music.’

So what’s P’s (real name Akheim Allen) master-plan for his inevitable UK chart domination?

"I am aware of the acts around me, but I am not hardcore studying what everyone else is doing
to use that as my template,’ he explains. ‘Even though I am brush shoulders with a lot of up-and-coming artists and artists period, I am just myself. I know if I do that to the best of my ability no one can top that. My best is my only competition."

Right now PW, who is currently independent, is warming up to really go hard in the industry with a series of school and club appearances and freestyles posted on YouTube, including one laid over Jay-Z’s DOA blogged by BBC Radio 1xtra and Universal A&R - Dj Semtex and a few other key taste making bloggers .

He also recently recorded the Summer-vibed Sensible, which documents a conversation between P
and a young lady about the direction of their relationship.

"I want people to know that I can rhyme before I really put out any official material," he assesses.

In the meantime PW is keeping his eyes locked straight up towards the sky, which he sees us having no limits. "I’ve seen what the likes of Tinie Tempah have done in the space of under a year. Obviously I know it has taken a lot of work and dedication to reach that point, but knowing I have both those qualities makes me believe I can have it all."




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Island Soul - July 29 - August 1, 2011

This year's Caribbean-flavoured Island Soul festival at Harbourfront Centre features local and international musicians whose works embody a spirit of resistance that ignites social consciousness, with such acts as the nine-member rapso band 3Canal, from Trinidad and Tobago. They come with an excitingly energetic conscious music informed by the spirit of soca, calypso and kaiso (commonly describes as “the power of the word in the rhythm of the word”).

Other acts include:

Plenty Jump-Up Riddims! : Panman Pat and Jeff Walcott
Friday, July 29, 6 p.m. (Ann Tindal Park)
Come and enjoy our weekly Longo’s Friday Picnic as Panman Pat and Jeff Walcott bring the rhythmic sounds of the Caribbean to life on their traveling steelpan drums! Bring your own percussion instrument and join in.

3Canal
Friday, July 29, 9 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
3Canal are recording artists from Trinidad & Tobago who perform rapso music.
Rapso is conscious music that is more of a philosophy and stance rather than an identifiable musical signature. It has been termed “the power of the word in the rhythm of the word,” “the poetry of calypso” and “the consciousness of soca.”

Pan Rootz: From Skin to Steelpan
Saturday, July 30, 2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. (HarbourKIDS Zone Tent)
Pan Rootz: From Skin to Steelpan is a popular workshop with Joy Lapps of Drum Artz Canada that provides children with a hands-on experience of the steelpan, iron instruments and skin drums. Participants discover first-hand the amazing sounds of each of these instruments and learn a brief history of the musical evolution from skin to steel.

Elaine Lil’ Bit Shepherd
Saturday, July 30, 8 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Elaine Lil’ Bit Shepherd is a strong, young female voice in a reggae world dominated by men. Shepard’s song “Likkle But Mi Tallawah” is the 2011 JUNO Award winner for Reggae Recording of the Year.

Treasure Isle Sounds featuring Natty B and Friends
Saturday, July 30, 9 p.m.bn (Redpath Stage)
Treasure Isle located in Toronto's "Little Jamaica" neighborhood is the city's one-stop shop for the best reggae music of our times. Natty B’s hugely influential Zion Train show with Bigga (on CHRY 105.5 FM) sits on the pulse of the reggae music scene and the Rastafarian community. Each weekly program features the freshest selections of reggae music interspersed with vital commentary from the community.

Steele
Saturday, July 30, 9:30 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Jamaica-born, Canada-based reggae musician Steele’s first taste of success came with his recording of Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” and then “Silhouette,” his cover of the late Dennis Brown’s anthem (Steele’s breakthrough song). Former lead singer of the band Tatix, Steele has been described as dynamic and sensational, with the versatility and range that defies restriction to any one genre.

Evin Lake
Sunday, July 31, 8 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Evin Lake (Kevin Clarke) comes from a long line of culturally-conscious reggae vocalists and ventured into the world of music from a very early age. The Port Antonio, Jamaica native grew up with an affinity for R&B and lover’s rock reggae being drawn primarily to the sounds of Teddy Pendergrass, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Dennis Brown and Sanchez. This performance is Evin Lake’s Canadian debut.

MUTABARUKA
Sunday July 31, 9:30 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Mutabaruka has established himself as both a literary and musical giant, both in Jamaica and abroad, and is arguably one of Jamaica’s most respected wordsmiths, dub poets and broadcasters. His poems have given voice to a nation and helped forge an entirely new genre of music, dub/rhythm poetry. Revolutionary, fiery, scathing, and stinging, Mutabaruka's words are as potent on paper as they are on CD and live on stage.

Calypso Buds on the Maple Tree
Monday, August 1, 2 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Calypso Buds on the Maple Tree is a children’s showcase that features Canadian youngsters dedicated to promoting Caribbean calypso traditions.

Panatics Steelband Network
Monday, August 1, 4 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
The Panatics Steelband Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of pan music in Ontario. There is a distinctive family orientation to this steelband, with a large portion of its membership consisting of parents and their children.




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Calypso STARS Showcase - July 27, 2011

The Calypso Tents Music Series is an annual event presented by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes that takes place over five weekends in June and early July. This year, the popular music series celebrates 30 years of calypso “tents” in Toronto, where singers premiere their latest works which reflect life in the city’s diverse Caribbean community.
Calypso STARS Showcase highlights include a special appearance from England’s famed calypso master, recording artist, teacher and writer, Alexander D’Great. Known for his political and social commentary compositions, delivered with wit and style, D’Great is an energetic and inspirational performer who recently won the Association of British Calypsonians’ 2010 Calypso Monarch title.

The house band for the evening is award-winning arranger/producer Ossie Gurley & The Truth. Gurley is the man behind smash soca hits “Who Let The Dogs Out”, “Moving To The Left” and “Follow The Leader”. Rounding out the showcase is steelpan virtuoso Gareth Burgess, a gifted young player from Toronto’s phenomenal steelpan community.
Representing mas’ and moving among the audience are iconic carnival arts characters on stilts called Moko Jumbies from Swizzlestick Theatre (a West African tradition brought to the Canada via the Caribbean). Fancy Sailor and Fireman dancers from the Hummingbird Dance Company and Prime Dance, two historical costumes introduced to Trinidad carnival back in the 1880s, will also be on site to join in on the fun.

For additional information and complete event listings, visit harbourfrontcentre.com/summer


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Colombian Colours – II Diaspora Festival - Harbourfront Centre - July 15-17

Harbourfront Centre, along with its lead summer partner The Toronto Port Authority, and festival partners Pacific Rubiales, Scotiabank, AviancaTaca and Caracol T.V., are proud to present the return of Colombian Colours – II Diaspora Festival. From July 15 to 17, audiences from the GTA and beyond are invited to celebrate this vibrant culture with international and local performances in music, theatre, film, dance and more. This festival is co-produced by the Casa Cultural Colombiana and Tridha Arts Association.

International music artists featured throughout this three-day celebration include salsa violinist Alfredo De Fe, who is credited with making the violin an integral part of Latin music, Colombia’s first all-vocal group NVOZ, and the Diego Marulanda Quintet who combine native Colombian instruments like the yapurutus (Colombian flutes) and maguarés (Colombian drums) with double bass and guitar.

Live Music Schedule:

Alfredo De La Fe
Saturday, July 16, 9:30 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Cuban-born violinist Alfredo De La Fe has toured the world more than 30 times and has been featured on more than 100 albums with Latin music legends Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Jose Alberto El Canario, Cheo Feliciano, The Fania All Stars and Santana. He currently resides in New York and is considered to be one of the biggest stars in the salsa world.

NVOZ
Saturday, July 16, 7 p.m. & Sunday, July 17, 4 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
NVOZ is a remarkable five-member Colombian a capella band that draws on various styles of traditional Colombian music, such as cumbia, bullerengue, champeta, merengue and salsa to create a unique orchestra of vocal sounds.

Diego Marulanda Quintet
Sunday, July 17, 2 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Diego Marulanda is a renowned dance, theatre, film and television composer with wide range of experience in contemporary and world music. The Diego Marulanda Quintet explores folkloric music from the Andean zone of Colombia and fuses it with contemporary and traditional instruments such as double bass and yapurutus, piano and cuatro, guitar and maguare. The members of the Diego Marulanda’s Quintet are among the top Latin-Canadian musicians in Toronto.

Folklore Urbano
Saturday, July 16, 6 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Folklore Urbano are a powerhouse 14-member orchestra that fuses traditional Colombian rhythms with contemporary jazz harmonies.The group’s three highly-acclaimed CDs, Aviso, Baile/Dance and the latest, Corazón, are all driven by a rhythm section deeply grounded in traditional Colombian music.

Salsa!!: José Ortega and DJ Gury Gury
Saturday, July 16, 8 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Salsa!! is a good-natured competition between two of the most well-known collectors of salsa music in Ontario. Jose Ortega, owner of Lula Lounge in Toronto and Guelph radio host DJ Gury Gury will have audiences dancing as they spin tunes from their unique music collections.

Funkété Late Night Party
Saturday July 16, 11 p.m. (Brigantine Room and Tent)
Funkété is a monthly party created by DJ eLman and Linterna of Dos Mundos Radio (CIUT). DJ Uproot Andy, considered to be one of the best DJs in New York, also makes an appearance as this trio mixes infectious Latin beats with dancehall, bassline, hip hop and electro.

KAFFE Rock
Saturday, July 16, 3:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
KAFFE Rock are bassist Javier Gutierrez, guitarist Adrian Gonzalez, drummer Carlos Paez, singer Juan Diego Zapata and new lead guitarist Nick Houle. Formed in 2003, this London-based group have developed and integrated their Latin American sound with a mix of rock, ska, salsa and folk. Kaffe’s hope is to enlighten others about Colombian culture, introduce the world to their traditions and to dispel the negative stereotypes surrounding Latin America and her people.

Caché
Friday July 15, 7:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Caché is one of the leading bands on the Latin music scene in Toronto. The band is made up of musicians with a variety of ethnic backgrounds: Colombian, Venezuelan, Canadian, Italian and Cuban. This cultural combination produces the band’s unique Latin sound that’s seamlessly combined with a touch of jazz.

Baru-Vibes
Sunday, July 17, 4:45 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Toronto-based Baru-Vibes was founded by Colombian-born Juan Carlos Medrano. His musical roots are grounded in the folkloric rhythms and sounds of the Colombian north coast. His first CD, Poco a Poco, released in the early part of summer 2011, will be performed live for the first time at Habourfront Centre.

Carlos Bastidas
Sunday July 17, 1:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Colombian-born Carlos Bastidas is an award-winning composer and master South American bamboo flute performer. Bastidas has performed with classical and world music ensembles in the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba.

DJ Wayuu
Friday, July 15, 9:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
DJ Wayuu (Andres Orbegozo) began his career with support of Dos Mundos Radio on 89.5 FM CIUT and the non-profit association PorColombia Nacional. At Harbourfront Centre he spins digital cumbia mixed with traditional Colombian classics.



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Corazón de México - Harbourfront Centre - July 8-10

Harbourfront Centre along with its lead summer partner, The Toronto Port Authority, present Corazón de México (“Heart of Mexico”), a festival bringing together the traditional and the modern with sights, sounds and movements from Mexico.

Running from July 8-10, the sounds of Mexico take over Toronto’s downtown waterfront with performers Celso Piña (aka the Accordion Rebel) and Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible, who combine traditional norteño and techno music as they take to the WestJet Stage. Also performing is Toronto’s own Dirty Maria, a Latin-alternative rock band, and Mexican ranchera music singer Cecilia Guerrero.

Live Music Schedule:

Sugar Heat (formerly known as Los Homeless)
Friday, July 8, 7:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Sugar Heat is a high-energy, nine-piece band that plays a wide variety of Latin music. Their repertoire includes salsa, cumbia, merengue, cha cha and bachata.

Celso Piña
Friday, July 8, 8:30 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Mexican-born Celso Piña has risen to be one of the most notable figures in cumbia music. Cumbia has its origins in Colombia’s African and indigenous populations, but has since spread to be one of the most universal Latin American music genres. Celso Piña, also known as “the Accordion Rebel”, is known for blending the sounds of the tropical base with genres from norteño (a genre of music from north Music) to hip hop.

Quique Escamilla
Saturday, July 9, 5 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Quique Escamilla is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter based in Toronto. Despite living far from Mexico, he still remains very attached to his roots and is inclined to support diverse social causes such as human and civil rights and immigration reform through his music.

Dirty Maria
Saturday, July 9, 7:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Dirty Maria exploded onto Toronto’s music scene in early 2004, when the four members decided to establish the first Latin-alternative rock band in the city. Their unique compositions consist of lyrics in Spanish and English, covering a variety of topics ranging from comical life situations to politics.

Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible
Saturday, July 9, 9 p.m. (WestJet Stage)
Grammy Award-nominated Nortec Collective materialized from burgeoning Tijiuana electronic scene. By combining Norteño (from the north) and techno, Nortec successfully merges traditional and modern music with a twist of entertaining visuals. Members Bostich & Fussible are committed to generating music that is a positive and proud representation of their hometown.

Cecilia Guerrero
Sunday, July 10, 12:30 p.m. (Redpath Stage)
Cecilia Guerrero is a Mexican ranchera music singer (the music is a waltz, polka or bolero style). She began her career at age 12, and has now recorded five records and received numerous awards. In Toronto, Cecilia has been recognized as one of the best voices and interpreters of Mexican ranchera music.

Fandango with Café Con Pan
Sunday, July 10, 1 p.m. (Boulevard Tent)
Café Con Pan play son jarocho a traditional form of music from Veracruz, Mexico. They explore the roots of son jarocho while connecting with other traditions from Latin America and beyond. Over the past decade, they have maintained a multi-disciplinary relationship with son jarocho with projects that combine research, collaboration, visual arts, teaching and producing. Their performances are guided by band member Kali Niño’s uplifting voice and her effusive zapateado dancing, along with an array of traditional instruments.

El Fandanguito (Musical Bingo)
Saturday, July 9, 4:30 p.m. (Boulevard Tent)
Alec Dempster combines his skills as a visual artist and musician to create a unique workshop based on the Mexican form of bingo called lotería. The traditional lotería game consists of images and verses rather than just numbers. His version includes 60 images that represent son jarocho folk songs. The songs are sung while the players listen and try to identify the corresponding images on their boards.



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Creative Music Teachers Resources: Effective Ways to Motivation

Author: Music Teacher

Most music teachers consider teaching music to their dear students both their profession and passion. Most of them have the heart for arts and music – making each student love learning music and music as a whole. With this kind of outlook and disposition in teaching music, the inspired and motivated music teacher tends to begin his search for consistent improvement in his teaching strategies as well as his effort for personal and professional growth.

Indeed, there is a wide variety of creative music teachers resources that students can certainly enjoy and get excited working on with. According to studies, the integration of audio and video recording in music education has been an effective technique to catch the attention and grab the interest of the learners. This is believed to be an effective tool in raising the level of interest and motivation among music learners.

Current practice in music teaching favors a practical and a hands-on approach in emphasizing performance and composition. The use of recorded music as a teaching resource has tended to take a back seat. However, recordings are the predominant vehicle of musical experience today. As the students are expert listeners to recorded sound, major developments in the access to and presentation of recorded music are opening up new educational possibilities to most of them.

Targeted to be implemented in most music classrooms, the production and engineering aspects of recorded sound to online music libraries and teachers’ experiences of using recordings in the classroom have been randomly practiced and taken into consideration.

When a classroom setting has a relaxed atmosphere, informal learning may take place yet anxiety, tension and pressure would neither rule the learning situation. Hence, when there is relaxed supervision with no teachers behind the desk, the students would be more eager and interested to learn music. Students may also work in groups – giving them more chances of friendship and peer support. In this case, cooperative learning is found effective. The music teacher may encourage the students choose various musical instruments of their choice and eventually master such.

After they finish recording, they may organize or set-up a short play or a mini-concert to show their rendition of songs and other performances. These activities can heighten the learning process as they get too excited in meeting their objectives and getting high grades. These can also help them boost enough self-confidence and self-esteem. Through these music teachers’ resources, the music teacher tends to meet most of his objectives all at the same time.

These creative techniques in music education intend to motivate the learners from different ages and with different lifestyles. So start your quest to amazingly creative music teachers resources now. Be inspired to share your knowledge as well as the joys of music to your students. Make them realize that learning music is fun so they have to do it all by heart. Happy teaching!

Get to know more music teachers resources, visit this music teacher’s website.

A Teacher’s Passion for Music

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/creative-music-teachers-resources-effective-ways-to-motivation-870609.html

About the Author

Earl Marsden started developing a passion for music at the early age of twelve. He first learned to play the guitar at thirteen, and from there he pursued the study other instruments including the violin, piano and flute. Currently, he devotes some of his spare time to writing articles about music teaching while managing his own music studio.

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