Steven Cox - Founder of TakeLessons. Build Something You're Proud Of

Benjamin Zandler Persuades You to Fall in Love with Classical Music

Benjamin Zandler, motivational speaker and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, gives a fabulous TED talk to persuade the audience to fall in love with classical music.

He explains that everyone can hear and no one is tone deaf. He then plays a piece by Chopin and helps you identify impulses and chord progressions - ending in a final resolve.

While I don't LOVE classical music, there's nothing better to calm the mind than a classical piece in a minor chord. It just helps me chill out.

Give it a view. It's an enjoyable presentation that leads the viewer through high points and low points, ending in a call to let the music move you to understand it. He then explains how it has helped him understand the value of helping others see their own abilities and capturing the spark in their eyes.

Well worth the 20 minute watch!

 

 

Image via Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

What Do the Employees of TakeLessons Do in their Spare Time?

They use their lunch hour to record Christmas music in the TakeLessons Jam Room! Listen now.

 

Last Christmas: Everyone II by JasonHears

California Arts Council Announces Arts License Plate Fees Are Now Charitable Deductions, Launches Goal of One Million New Arts License Plates On California Cars

From our friends at the California Arts Council

A recent clarification from a state tax agency could be a significant boon for the arts in the state. California Arts License Plate fees are charitable deductions to the State of California for tax purposes, according to the Franchise Tax Board. The clarification comes just in time for the holidays and end-of-year charitable planning and serves as a platform to launch a goal of affixing one million new arts plates to California cars.

Whether the additional fees Californians voluntarily pay for Arts Plates were considered a charitable contribution to the State of California was in question for years.

The recent clarification is especially helpful for businesses and residents looking to support arts statewide. Sales and renewals of the Arts Plate account for over 60 percent of the California Arts Council's budget. Currently the state's per capita investment in the arts is around 10 cents per person even with the Arts Plate funds, putting California in last place compared to other states in the nation.

"It's a crucial time for the arts in California," said Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Chair of the California Arts Council. "Our economy relies on creative minds, artistic organizations and innovative workers, yet our per capita state investment in the arts is the lowest in the nation. Individuals and businesses can help change that by buying Arts Plates, especially for the upcoming holidays and as part of end-of-year charitable donations."

"One million cars with California Arts Plates would mean close to $40 million for the arts," continued Feruzzi Shriver. "That would put California near the top in arts funding rather than dead last."

The California Arts Council is the state agency that advances California through the arts and creativity, and the agency's programs emphasize arts for children and communities. The Arts Plate, designed by California artist Wayne Thiebaud, first hit the roadways in 1994. Since then sales and renewals of the plate have provided over $20 million for the arts in California. Fees for sales and renewals of the Arts Plate go directly into the Arts Plate Fund, minus the Department of Motor Vehicles' cost to fabricate and administer the plate.

For more information about the California Arts License Plate, contact the California Arts Council's communication director Mary Beth Barber at (916) 322-6588, (916) 835-5580 (cell) or mbarber@cac.ca.gov.


HOW TO ORDER

U2 to Appear on Letterman - ALL WEEK!

Image via Wikipedia

U2 will appear for a five nights in a row on the Late Show with David Letterman. The long-lived Irish quartet will be the musical guests from March 2-6 on the CBS late night talk show. This is the first time the program has ever had a single act for so many consecutive evenings.

U2's new album, No Line On The Horizon, will be released that week on Tuesday, March 3rd. The band played the first single, "Get On Your Boots" at the Grammy Awards last Sunday.

Beware Headbangers - your neck may be at risk

HEADBANGERS TOLD: WEAR A NECK BRACE OR RISK SERIOUS INJURY

Medical experts in Australia have warned that headbanging is likely to be behind a silent epidemic of head- and neck-related
injuries. Dr. Andrew McIntosh, biomedical and injury expert at the University Of New South Wales, carried out research into
headbanging, and published his findings in the British Medical Journal.

http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/61930005

RIAA Finally Notices that Suing Customers is a Bad Idea

From Marketing Vox and The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081219.wgtriaa1219/BNStory/Technology/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20081219.wgtriaa1219)

The Record Industry Association of America's legal witch-hunt of P2P fileswappers is coming to an end. The industry body, which represents major record labels, just announced it will no longer go after people that illegally share songs protected by copyrights.

Since 2003, the RIAA has sued about 35,000 people for swapping songs online. Most violators paid a settlement of around $3,500 to avoid higher legal costs. The RIAA's legal costs, however, exceeded that settlement money, writes The Globe and Mail.

Critics often challenged the constitutionality of the suits, as they could impose damages of $150,000 per infringement, which is far in excess of the actual damage caused. One defendant faces up to over $1 million in damages if he is found guilty of illegally downloading seven songs.

The RIAA is not abandoning any of its outstanding cases — some of which are before the courts — so he will go to trial on late next month.

For future violations, the RIAA got several unnamed internet service providers to work with them to find illegal file-sharers and cut web access if users ignore repeated warnings. "It's much easier to send notices than it is to file lawsuits," said RIAA leader Mitch Bainwol.

The organization also said the lawsuit campaign raised awareness of piracy and kept the practice to manageable levels, which supposedly allowed the legal digital music market to flourish. (Legitimate sales of digital music tracks in 2008 just passed the 1 billion mark, a 28% increase over 2007, according to Nielsen Soundscan.)

Despite a healthy increase in digital sales, the spread of unlicensed music on ISP networks continues to choke record company revenues, according to a study by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

Joaquin Phoenix: Giving Up Movies For Music

Joaquin Phoenix announced on Saturday that he will be giving up his movie career to focus on music. Phoenix learned to play guitar during his role as Johnny Cash in the hit movie, Walk the Line.

"It's like greener pastures, you know what I mean?" Phoenix said Saturday. "And so, I'm just going to try and like, I'll just be doing the other thing. ... Hopefully, I will emotionally impact you with that, as well."

We wish Joaquin well. I'd love to interview him to see the psychological differences he experiences between movies and music. Just for my own curiousity...

Sad State of Music Education System

Recently, we received an email from a gentleman looking for music lessons:

"So, I am an English teacher in the Bronx and I got hired to teach music next year. Although I am a music lover, I have never played an instrument and definitely not a musician. I need to take piano and music theory lessons this summer so I can be ahead of my beginning students next school year. Can you help?"

As music budgets keep getting cut further and further, I wonder if the kids of the future will have an understanding of the joys music adds to life.

Why I started my company

Enrique was a top-notch musician. He had gotten a music performance degree a few years back, and followed his passion into music. He played all over San Diego, and was the drummer for our regional-touring rock band, Across The Room.

One Saturday afternoon, the band had just finished an acoustic set at a sea-side coffee house. I was the band's very bad lead singer, and I invited him to join me for a margarita (no salt). Enrique couldn't go because he had to quickly pack up his drums, go fill up his tank, and drive 30 minutes to another part of town. He was giving drum lessons to a 12-year old at the student's home.

An hour later, I was sipping the margarita (Patrone) when he got the call. Enrique had driven over to the student's home, and no one was home. He waited, tried calling, but they were a no show. Frustrated, Enrique drove back to the Mexican cantina and ordered a double.

Enrique's Struggle

There, I talked with Enrique about the music business, and the teaching business. He explained to me how difficult it was for him to find students, and for students to find him. You see, most of us who have a passion for music, dance, or another creative outlet are just beginners, and we have no idea where to go, what to look for, and how to learn. So, what happens is we order a DVD, or try to download some guitar tabs, get frustrated, and quit without finding our true artist within.

After we calculated the marketing, the flyers (hanging up at the grocery store), gas money, the no-shows, and the wear & tear on his equipment, we found that Enrique was making less than minimum wage.

I was shocked! Here was my good friend, my band partner, and an unbelievably talented and accomplished artist making less than a Burger King drive-thru worker.  He and his wife just had a new baby, and between changing diapers, working a second job, waiting for no-show students, and rehearsing to keep up his art, he barely had time to build his own business and find his own students.

What We Do

It was this day I decided to start the business. It was started out of a genuine desire to help creative people connect with each other. We didn't have the funds or people to blow out an entire active social network, and we would have wrestled with the cold start problem even if we did. So we built slowly - one user at a time.

Over the past 20 months, we've matched enough students to fill a football stadium. These people not only create online friends, but real-world connections. And while that's all good (especially with no financial backing), we're looking to take our business to the next level.

Most music and creative sites are chasing the artists who are really good, cut albums, and need to market themselves. This makes up 3-4% of the entire body of creative enthusiasts. What we do is give a home to the other 96%.

While it's much more glamorous to be associated with a rock star, we feel there is a bigger unmet demand for the dude trying to figure out how to string a guitar.