Sir Elton John

Yes it is Sir Elton John. He was knighted and that just makes him even more incredibly amazing. Personally I find Elton John to be a genius. For example his song Bennie and the Jets. It is kind of random unless he was in a band named Bennie and the Jets. He just pulled the name out of thin air and I love the way he sings it like the line "I heard it in a magazine" and I also love the piano. It is soulful I could listen to that song all day every day. Tell me what Elton John song is your favorite!
                                                                                                   -Harmony

Movie Music Soundtracks

I love the music soundtracks to movies. They make the movie seem that much more epic. The Cave is a very sad and suspenseful movie but what made me go over the edge and cry was the music that was playing. I felt the sorrow through the music. If they wanted to make people watching the movie cry then they did a good job of picking the music. My two all time favorite music soundtracks are the ones from Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean. Every time I hear them I instantly want to play them on whatever instrument that's close enough. It's soundtracks like that, that just make the movie. The scenes from Star Trek, I don't think, would be as amazing with out the music playing.
Please comment on what movie music soundtracks you love the most I would love to check them out!
                                                                                                               -Harmony

Fender Guitars

Personally I love Fender Guitars. I own an acoustic and I find it to be great. It looks nice and has good sound quality. Fender's are known to be the most influential instrument yet made. Leo Fender was an inventor who made amps and guitars in his shop and he wanted a better quality guitar out there. That's how this all started. The guitars are relatively cheap the electric guitars tend to be more expensive than the acoustics. Never the less you are still getting a quality guitar. The amp can cost around two hundred dollars to a thousand. The amps are said to give feed back when played at a very loud level. But they are still good quality. The stands can cost from twenty dollars to a hundred dollars, depending on what accessories the stands are equipped with. The cases can cost around two hundred dollars. I really enjoy my case it's sturdy and I feel that my guitar is perfectly safe when I take it places. My case is black and does leave smudges on my white walls if I lean it against the wall, but that is easily fixed by leaning it somewhere else so it is not a major problem. The Fender is an excellent first guitar or for anyone that is a regular player.
                                                                                       - Harmony

Loud Playing vs. Soft Playing

If you play an instrument you're gonna know what I'm talking about. If you're thinking about playing an instrument then you should keep this in mind for later. If you are playing an instrument you want it to be heard right? I am not saying that you want to be heard over the rest of the band, you want your sound to blend but you want there to be enough sound to blend in. Honestly I have a problem with playing loud enough. I'm a clarinet player and clarinets are not generally the loudest instrument, but they still have to be heard. I have been working on playing louder since the beginning of the year and I have gotten a little better at it. My not playing loud enough has always bugged me but it really hit me in the face when I was playing in an important concert and i was playing 1st clarinet part because the real 1st clarinetist couldn't be there. I was the only one playing the first part and I wasn't near as loud enough as I should have been.  It definitely did not help my band. So here are ways that can help you if don't play loud enough. One do not get discouraged, nothing happens over night. First try playing louder in your room while you practice, but be careful playing loud itself isn't that hard but playing loud and keeping good tone quality is. After you get comfortable playing loud in your room try playing with other people. Confidence is key if you can't play with your friend then you can't play in your band. Once you feel comfortable playing around people play louder in your band. Go for it unless you are the only thing being heard no one is going to be upset with you. Do not be surprised if you can hear yourself play it's a good sign. But it does not necessarily mean you are playing loud enough. The most important thing is to remember you are a good musician that is only getting better. You should be glad you are taking the next step to becoming greater. Also remember that there are times when you do need to play softly. In places where it is important to play soft softer is better. My band director is always telling us to exaggerate the crescendos and decrescendos loud isn't loud enough and soft isn't soft enough.