April, 2022
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Sports Art Basketball Paintings By Sports Artist Adam Port
Sports paintings allow fans and athletes to save a moment in time and remember it forever. Sports art collectors, myself included, usually immediately think of a framed photograph to hang on our wall, which usually include an autograph by the player as well. As a matter of fact, a picture was the only kind of sports artwork that Id even known about, aside from memorabilia such as a bat, baseball, hockey stick or jersey. This was before I saw the sports paintings by sports artist Adam Port.
In 2006, Port was featured on The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports. He presented former Detroit Piston basketball player, and then co-host of the show, John Salley, with one of his famous basketball paintings. The artwork spoke for itself, as did Salleys reaction, which is typically the same for everyone – staring in amazement as they realize that its a painting, not a picture.
Salley isnt the only athlete to have this reaction. Port has created football paintings for Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, Justin Tuck of the New York Giants, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks (although he was on the Denver Nuggets at the time of the painting), Rod Gilbert of the New York Rangers, Michael Jordan and John Stocktons Basketball Hall of Fame induction class, and most recently, a recreation of the Charles M. Conlon pictures, which were turned into baseball paintings. The Conlon paintings once again had Port featured on Fox Sports, This Week in Baseball.
After seeing Ports sports art, I now consider paintings of sports just as much as an option as a picture, stick, puck, bat, ball or jersey. As a matter of fact, Ports sports paintings are like nothing Ive ever seen before. They are so realistic that you might never be able to tell that its a painting until youre told, or youre standing face to face with it.
If youre a sports fan, sports art collector or an athlete you must see Adams artwork. Maybe you have no interest in sports at all, but youre an artist, or maybe youre not even an artist, you still should take a look at his sports paintings.
Zulu Musical Instruments, Essential To Develop Musical Traditions In Africa
African music is the music of Africans who live in a large region of 50 nations, each with a special culture, history and language, South of Sahara. Zulu musical instruments are part of this multilingual culture. African music has some distinct characteristics: the use of repetition is one of them. Another important characteristic is the polyphony; this is the combination of different musical parts played simultaneously.
The history is marked by the awesome military strategies of the Zulu King Shaka. The King’s and his warriors’ campaign of expansion is well known in world history. Zulu rich traditional culture includes songs, dances and colorful rituals, Zulu musical instruments are spectacular and original. A variety of Zulu musical instruments are well known, s well as the traditional Mine dance; Zulus have longtime used their music as a cry for freedom.
African music is really rich in modes of expression: drum ensembles are using Zulu musical instruments from the percussion family. Each drummer uses special methods to produce sounds to distinguish his drum from the others. Iron bells are very popular Zulu musical instruments; they are used to produce a repeated sound to help the drummers to play at the correct time.
Zulu musical instruments, rare and very special
The akadinda is a king of xylophone; two groups of African musicians are playing simultaneously. The first group is playing repeatedly the same pattern; the second group plays to fill in the missing sounds. Groups of Zulu musicians play also using flutes, trumpets or xylophones. Each player plays a single note in a strange rotation with the other players. The result is a polyphonic piece, characteristic to African music.
Musical practices of South African people were observed from many years; Zulu musical instruments are obsolete. Venda mbila is an old Zulu musical instrument; it is not used anymore. Reed flutes, contrary, are still very popular. The influence of foreign cultures and civilizations causes many of old Zulu musical instruments to become obsolete.
Musical instruments such as tsonga a horn, ingungu a friction drum, nkoka a drum, pedi a flute, venda musical bow and stick, deze and demba thumb piano and resonatos, umfece ankle rattles are almost obsolete.
To preserve this awesome heritage of Zulu musical instruments, the necessary information was entered into a database; each Zulu musical instrument was digitally photographed to preserve all information about it.
Blockbuster Whitney Houston Concert In Brisbane Is A Flop
A whole lot of people in Australia were really looking forward to seeing Whitney Houston in concert just recently. It had been a long time, over 20 years, since she was there and they still love her. There were tons of ticket purchased for what was supposed to be a big blockbuster stage performance . This tour was called the Nothing But Love Tour, but it was not love that all of her loyal fans were feeling after seeing this disappointment.
It is common knowledge all the issues that she has had in life for the past 2 decades. All of the escapades between her and her famous husband were always splashed across the news releases. And everybody that knows of her knows about the drug abuse issues too. It wasn’t that she didn’t seem to be trying to do her best for this concert, it seemed that she just didn’t have it in her.
She seemed to make it through just the first 2 songs before things started to go bad. Only two songs and then she has to take a break and let her brother and the rest of the band take over for a while. So while she was nowhere to be seen they plated a few of her well known tunes to keep the crowd occupied.
After a while she came back on stage and tried to make it through the beautiful song that she is so well known for, I Will Always Love You. She had to stop partway through to apparently sooth her self with water and the way she sang the song was very throaty rather than the incredible way she sung it before. This was just too much for many of the people in attendance and plenty of them left well before the concert was over. There were a lot of questions, considering her past, about her health and habits. Her promoter blamed it all on the fact that she is a lot older now and is not able to hit the notes as well as she could when she was younger. He claimed there were no health issues worth mentioning.
Of course, he will stand behind the performance; after all he doesn’t wish to issue refunds to unhappy concert goers. However, due to the fact that she didn’t sing for about half the concert and sang poorly for the other half, there really should be some compensation offered to those who traveled to Brisbane after all these years, just to hear her perform. And perhaps if she is not up to the concert circuit, they should just keep fans happy by cutting new albums, leaving the live performances to those who are up to the task.
Wristbands For Concerts
Concerts can be more fun and cool to be in whatever special features they are going to showcase. But giving complements to the supporters and funs are said to be important every end of a successful show. Thus, it said to be that concert wristbands can be of great options to use for complementary items.
Concert wristbands come in different bright colors and styles that fit the musical genre. These bands are flashy, boldly designed to attract the fans and supporters to get and wear it.
When customizing concert wristbands, make sure not to limit the colors into just a single one, locate the design that fits the music preference of the concert event and will attracts concert goers and make sure to get a design that will definitely make a positive and good outcome to the concert. High quality and attractive wristbands earn favorable comments for the venue and to the organizers as well so make sure you take much time to weigh all possible designs and materials to use.
Uniqueness of designs and styles is limitless. You may want to go for a solid color scheme with dramatic design, Celtic, tribal, biker look, religious one or patriotic look, the options are widely range. If you choose a design that best described and most prefer by the artists, you catch the eyes of the fans as well.
Do not use basic straight edge design for concert wristbands since it will not applause the concert goers and just simply ignore it and never to keep it as souvenir so better yet go for a wavy edge or narrow band design. These designs will probably impress the fans. Do not opt to go for a matte finished type of band as it looks light and pale to the eye rather choose a more glittering or shimmery highlights within the designs. These highlights boost a light show on the atmosphere of the event among the audience wearing such concert wristbands. Its a plus creative depth one.
Make sure you choose a concert wristband as unique as the artist is and make sure that the concert goers would enjoy wearing it while celebrating the event. Create the concert wristbands as amazing as it can be so concert goers will love wearing it. The more concert goers love the complementary items, the more great feedbacks you will receive from the show and the more happy fans will spread the happenings.
Country Singers Score Pop Hits
Country music has always been the quintessentially American genre of music. While pop and rap depict aspirational lifestyles that listeners can only imagine living themselves, country music is about real people and real ways of life. It is only natural that country singers would begin to cross over into the popular realm as the voices of true Americans.
Perhaps the most famous country singer right now is Taylor Swift. Referring to her as a country singer may seem strange given her pop success, but she is a country singer at heart. She sings about the glitz-free lives of real girls in an authentic way that speaks to women of all ages. Her sincerity is mocked by cynics, but it is that genuine quality in her persona and songwriting that helps her connect to her massive audience. She is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve and expose her emotions on the public stage. Her fans imagine that she is telling them true stories about her own life. Taylor’s preference for acoustic instruments and skilled way with small-scale lyrical vignettes have drawn comparisons to folk musicians throughout the ages and, oddly enough, to contemporary indie rockers like the Shins and Fleet Foxes.
Carrie Underwood is another female country singer who owns a permanent spot on the pop charts. Ever since her rise to fame as an American Idol winner, she has maintained a steady fan base and an ever-growing string of hits because she stayed true to her roots. Her most successful song, “Before He Cheats,” is a classic female revenge anthem with a rock edge to balance out her sweet twang. She continues to toe the line between traditional country music and edgier fare with grace and finesse.
Country music’s latest crossover success is the Band Perry, fronted by Kimberly Perry and backed by her musician brothers Reid and Neil. “If I Die Young” is reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early winsomeness and brings a sweet, earnest perspective of life to radio airwaves.
Male country singers like Toby Keith and Luke Bryan embody a rugged kind of masculinity that is only rarely seen in straightforward rock music. They sing about tried and true subject matter like girls and life on the road. They have both released strings of anthems affirming their modest ways of life that, in turn, evoke pride in their fans.
Country music is sometimes thought to be unimportant because it is earnest. Country musicians strive to be liked, a notion which is anathema in circles that fancy themselves ahead of the curve. Fans of country music are more loyal than fans of any other genre because of the honest reality that is captured in country music.
Top 5 Hard Rockmetal Concert Tickets
Having taken a back seat to indie and pop music in the late 1990s, demand for concert tickets to gigs by hard rick and metal acts is once again high and the genre is experiencing a renaissance. Let’s have a look at the Top 5 concert Tickets tips for Hard Rock and Metal.
1. Rammstein – Germany’s highest selling hard rock export bring their famous pyrotechnics and flair for the dramatic to the UK in February. With plenty of time to buy your tickets, make sure you catch these notorious legends of hard rock in Manchester, Birmingham or London.
2. Them Crooked Vultures – Why should you buy concert tickets to Them Crooked Vultures if, like many, you’ve never heard of them? Chances are you’ve heard of Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin. Them Crooked Vultures are Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones who, between them, have a hard rock pedigree unlike any other. They’re touring the UK in December so make sure to get tickets to what will be one of the gigs of the year.
3. Deep Purple – A band which has sold more than 100 million records is sure to know a thing or two about selling concert tickets, too. Deep Purple are back and touring the UK. So, if you’re in Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham or London, you can be 100% guaranteed tickets for the rock legends will sell faster than the guitar riffs on ‘Strange Kind of Woman’. Don’t delay!
4. Alice Cooper – He’s been selling tickets to sold-out shows for over 50 years. The scratch golfer with the amazing live show comes to the UK in November to wow UK audiences with songs like ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ and the classic, ‘School’s Out’. When you’ve got a fan base as massive as Alice Cooper’s, worrying about selling concert tickets won’t be something he’s used to. So get your tickets today or risk disappointment!
5. Marilyn Manson – His name is actually Brian Hugh Warner. Would you buy concert tickets to see Brian Hugh Warner rock out? The change of name to Marilyn Manson seems a pretty good idea in hindsight! The shock rocker will be touring the UK in December as part of his six-gig King Shot tour.
Contemporary Classical Composer – What It Takes
Music has come far in the past few millennia, starting as basic rhythms and melodies lonely hunters sung to themselves as they stalked the night’s dinner. Over time, more elements merged and combined to create sounds to intrigue and impress listeners. Now, music is as cross-pollinated as the deepest daughter plants of a series of hybrids-and it is in this world that the contemporary classical composer finds himself.
Music has come far in the past few millennia, starting as basic rhythms and melodies lonely hunters sung to themselves as they stalked the night’s dinner. Over time, more elements merged and combined to create sounds to intrigue and impress listeners. The music became more complex, and schools of thought emerged around music later almost wholly abandoned. Now, music is as cross-pollinated as the deepest daughter plants of a series of hybrids-and it is in this world that the contemporary classical composer finds himself.
Modern art music is, by definition, the culmination of everything before it. Combining the highly modernistic aspects of serialism, aware of old musics that are barely mentioned in histories, and brought up in the long-standing traditions of -common practice.- The contemporary classical composer has to know about everything in the line of western music.
But just knowing the European tradition isn’t enough. A contemporary classical composer must know about musics that are foreign to his tradition’s ears. More important is the ability to see across the trained sound of his background, to connect world music to his own. Seeing connections between the improvisation of Jazz and of the classical music of India, the Gamelan of Indonesia and Minimalism of Glass, and the melodic counterpoint of Japanese Koto music and Bach fugues.
Contemporary classical composers must be able to combine these disjunct components and create a whole piece, unified by some touchstone between the parts. This art and skill can be learned in a school, but simple listening offers the tools. You hear what you like, then using what you’ve learned either in class or in life, you write what you hear. This ultimately will be the arbiter of quality-the only thing that really matters.
Based in New Orleans, contemporary classical composer Laoshi Ma challenges himself and listeners with his music. His works can be found at .