Every year many people want to learn to play the guitar. A few succeed but many more fail. Learning to play takes some skills that most people can master if they really try. The whole idea behind playing guitar is actually picking up the guitar and playing. It is all too easy to get hung up in details and forget about the big picture.

You need to get comfortable if you to learn this instrument. Next you should learn the right way to hold your guitar and pick. Learning to tune is one of the most important skills you will need to master. Then you can jump start your playing by learning to read tablature. This article will take a look at a few essential things you need to think about when learning to play a guitar.

When starting your guitar learning adventures it is wise to get comfortable. It is hard to learn how to do anything if you are not in the right state of mind. Find a place to play where you can have some privacy so you will not drive your family nuts when you play that G scale for an hour at a time.

Take the time to learn the right way to hold your instrument. Bad habits are hard to break so take the time to learn the basics. It is a lot easier to learn the correct way than it is to have to start over.

Ask anyone who has had to listen to someone playing an out of tune guitar if learning to tune your guitar is important and you will probably get a quick answer. You cannot tell if you are playing the correct notes if the guitar is out of tune. With the modern technology available today anyone can learn to tune the guitar. You can buy an electronic tuner that will tune your guitar very accurately.

Learning to read music is certainly not for everyone. It takes many hours to learn to read music and most people just want to get on with playing. Fortunately there is an easier way to learn. Reading tablature is a method a lot of folks really like. Most people find reading tablature to be a better way to learn.

Use the method that suits you best to learn to play guitar but stay with the reason you started learning in the first place. Get your basics right and make sweet music by picking up the guitar and playing. That is what learning to play guitar is about.

For more information on learning to play guitar try visiting http://www.your-guitar.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as learning to play guitar chords.

As an up and coming hip hop artist you need to be very careful. You are more open to attack than most simply because of the music industry being in the shape it is. The last thing you want is to have all your hard work disintegrated because you used hip hop beats, sound effects or samples that were not as royalty-free as you expected. The horror stories are many and knowing how to protect yourself is of utmost importance.

Hip hop artists and producers need a constant flow of new hip hop beats, sound effects, samples and scratches to keep their music fresh and on the cutting edge. The problem is that finding a cost-effective and legal means of acquiring these hip hop beats is proving to be difficult. Hopefully the following list of things to look for and what to avoid will aid you in your search for a top notch hip hop beats resource for all your production needs.

1) Look for a hip hop beats resource where you can have unlimited access for a one-time fee. Avoid sites that charge per beat or that require a monthly membership to be paid to access the hip hop beats, sound effects etc. This is of course the best case scenario you could find. These resources are rare and are not advertised heavily (for obvious reasons) but they are available and are a much better option for any artist or producer starting out, who is looking for a good selection of raw hip hop beats.

2) Look for a resource that houses a huge hip hop beats database or library. Avoid unprofessional looking sites that offer hip hop beats packages or CD’s for sale and that only offer up one or two audio samples to listen to. The worst thing that can happen is to purchase a beat membership, whether a one-time fee or a monthly access fee, to a site that has so few hip hop beats everyone and their grandmother will have access to them. This is the problem with purchasing CD’s from a supposed production company. You have no clue how many of them they sold and I guarantee you that there is not much on there and they are highly unoriginal.

3) Look for a site that caters to all genres of hip hop. Avoid sites or companies that do not separate their hip hop beats by genre or style. I don’t know about you but I do not really want someone else to define for me what hip hop is. This just goes along with making sure you are providing for yourself a wide range of choices for your productions. If you have access to every hip hop beats style imaginable your productions will come across as more professional and original. A real professional production company is capable of doing this and is also capable of churning them out on a daily or weekly basis for your personal use.

4) Look for a site that offers all their hip hop beats and sound effects in a downloadable format. Avoid sites that only stream their hip hop beats. By being able to download each individual hip hop beat, scratch, or effect to your own computer, you can more easily incorporate it into your own production setup and tweak it to your liking. If you paid for it and it is yours, why would you only be able to stream the track? That just makes extra work for you and is unprofessional.

5) Look for a site that offers non-exclusive and royalty-free hip hop beats. Avoid ANY site that does not implicitly state this somewhere on the main page. This is probably the most important aspect of all and forgetting this one thing could cost you dearly. You do not want to have to worry about licensing restrictions or copyright infringement. Protect your hard work and do not let anyone take it from you. Royalty-free means you do not have to pay anyone to use the hip hop beats or sounds. You can mix and match, tweak and produce to your liking without restriction.

Although these are not the only considerations to take into account they are certainly the most important. Things like the quality of the hip hop beats and the price for membership are left up for you to decide. You know what is best for your music. Good luck and we’ll see you on the flipside!

Adam Bauthues recommends Beats 365 for unlimited, royalty-free hip hop beat downloads. Beats 365 members can download thousands of full tracks, beats, instrumentals, sound effects, nature sounds, instrument sounds and more, anytime they want, as well as market their music to record labels and distributors! An affordable one-time fee applies to become a member - No recurring fees, no hidden charges and no limits! Come visit us and see for yourself. http://TheBeatLibrary.com

There are bedroom guitar players and there are live performers. There doesn’t seem to be anything in between. The minute you walk on to a stage (whether you get paid or not) you are a professional. You are in the business of entertaining and displaying your wares, so to speak. And if you really want to seriously get your guitar playing together it is the latter you need to strive for in my opinion. I am not suggesting you ‘turn pro’, you know attempt to do this thing full time, that is a whole other set of issues itself, but in order for your guitar playing to really get to where it needs to get to, you simply have to play in a live performance setting, preferably in a public forum. Ideally with other musicians you can interact with.

You can spend a lifetime reading books, studying your musical heroes, playing along to music minus one records, but none of this will ultimately give you the full picture. In order to be a true well rounded musician, you have to have real world experience. I’ll try to explain why…

When I was just starting out in the profession as a fresh untainted fish in the vast sea of the London music business, I had to get myself known in order to find work. So I set about to answer ads in music papers. Now, after studying classical guitar at the London College of Music, I came out of a 3 year course with a facility to sight-read. Or should I say the beginnings of sight-reading ability, as jazz and pop music written on paper is a whole other world, as I was about to find out. I remember having to sight-read a piece of jazz music with a dance band at an audition. There were about 10 guitar players going for this gig. I must have been about 23 years old. The musical director said “I kind of like what you did Chris but you didn’t really cut it mate! There are other guys here that have what I need”. Ouch!!! That hurt. But I was young. It was actually good to hear. So I went back to my music library, pulled out a ton of violin music and practiced reading in different positions on the fretboard. Not to mention learning how to grab chords on sight in different fret positions.

Another time, I went down to audition for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, a band known to be extremely taxing musically, and a training ground for London session players. I sat in the guitar chair with my Gibson 335 on my lap, ready to play. The director called a chart, I placed it on the stand and he counted it off. He counted it off around 250 BPM. Frighteningly fast! Well, it was all I could do to get my eyes to follow the music, measure by measure, much less play the music that was written within those bars! I didn’t even touch my guitar that rehearsal. I simply placed it back in its case and went home. Ouch again! That was a hard knock! I gave myself exactly a year to get it together. I went back to my practicing with a vengeance. A year later I joined the band for about a year and a half.

Another for instance; about 13 years ago I was playing with a jazz singer in a trio situation with an eminent LA drummer and acoustic bassist. I hadn’t done much trio playing, if any at the time, but I was looking forward to playing. At the end of one of the songs I completely messed up the ending. In fact I would go further, I hadn’t really worked on any song endings. Didn’t really have that together at all. The drummer scowled at me, particularly because I threw him off, as I was not definite in how I wanted to end the song (because I didn’t know myself!). He was furious when I made him look bad. He said to me “Dude, you’ve got to dictate these endings, you’re the one playing the chords!”. He was right. I was crushed! I went home, sulked for a week (maybe two). Then I went back to my practice room. I was not to be defeated…..

These are the hard knocks you simply have to get in your music life to dictate what you need to work on to get your total musicianship together! You just cannot expect to perfect your instrument without real world experience. You can’t get that experience any other way. I can recount tons of times that this sort of thing has happened, and there are still things today that I learn on a weekly basis at live gigs, telling me what I need to work on. The difference today of course is that it’s me who is being critical of myself, rather than other bandmates and musical directors telling me I suck!

And the neccessity of performing live is true of any musical genre you choose. Interacting with other musicians is an art in itself. I know technically great players who can’t play with others. Does this make them great musicians? I’m not so sure. But they sure can get round the instrument. But if they were to do any amount of live ensemble playing they would have one or two knocks coming, and if they are smart they would work on those issues. Otherwise it’s back to solo guitar playing in the back of their local restaurant. (A noble and valid thing to do, let me also say).

There are many issues that come up in a real live playing situation that just don’t come up in a bedroom practice session. Time, time-feel, supportive ensemble playing, projection of sound and tone, and most of all a sense of energy and commitment within a performance that is extremely different, and is very difficult to even put into words frankly. You just need to experience it, and that experience will improve your playing tenfold.

So get out there and do some gigs. I know it is hard to make that happen sometimes, but if you cannot make it happen then start a rehearsal band with a few others and play through repertoire. Get together with other guitarists and play through tunes, take solos and take turns being supportive. As you improve, take the plunge and take yourself to the next level.

And by recommending you do all this I am by no means suggesting you put away your books, records and Jamie Abersold play alongs. Absolutely not. This is something of course you should continue to do. But it is only 50% of your musical makeup. I promise you, by performing live you will improve yourself as a guitar player, but most of all as a musician, and at the end of the day this is what we all need to aspire to.

Go to it and have fun!

Chris Standring is a recording artist and the owner of Play Jazz Guitar.com Visit the website for more info on his ground breaking home study guitar courses.

One of the most legendary rock bands to have come out of Britain in the last 50 years, The Who have just released ‘Endless Wire’ - their first full studio album of new material since 1982 - and are now in the midst of their first tour in over 20 years. However, while the touring longevity of some bands, such as The Rolling Stones, Status Quo and Iron Maiden, may make such achievements seem quite ordinary, this belies the long and complex journey that remaining members of The Who - Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey - have taken.

Formed in the 1960s, the initial line-up of The Who consisted of Townshend and Daltrey, as well as John Entwistle and Keith Moon - widely credited as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Influenced by the early music of The Kinks, the foursome released their debut album ‘My Generation’ in 1965, which included some iconic mod anthems such as “The Kids are Alright”, title-track “My Generation” and, Homer Simpson’s personal favourite, “Magic Bus”. Although the album generated the group much success as a singles band, The Who - with Townshend at the creative helm - began to steer themselves towards greater things and in 1969 revealed their first full-length rock opera, ‘Tommy’.

‘Tommy’ brought The Who untold levels of popularity across the world, with Melody Maker magazine quoted as saying, “Surely The Who are now the band against which all others are to be judged.” At the Woodstock Festival in 1969, The Who performed ‘Tommy’ in its entirety and the film that followed in 1975 - starring the likes of Oliver Reed, Elton John, Tina Turner and Jack Nicholson - helped the band skyrocket to stardom in the United States.

The 1970s saw The Who continue to plough their way through the world of rock ‘n’ roll, with the 1970 release of ‘Live at Leeds’ - widely considered to be the best live rock album ever released - and the advent of their second full-length rock opera, ‘Quadrophenia’, in 1973. However, the death of drummer Keith Moon in 1978, just weeks after the release of album ‘Who Are You’, marked a turning point for the band, who replaced Moon with Kenney Jones. Moon’s death, however, didn’t damage the place of The Who as rock legends, and in 1979, Time Magazine heralded The Who as having “outpaced, outlasted, outlived and outclassed” all their rock contemporaries.

In 1983, Pete Townshend declared himself unable to write material that was appropriate for The Who and withdrew from the band, thus signalling an end to a rock outfit that had managed to last the pace of nearly 20 years. However the band re-formed for Bob Geldof’s Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985, and the remainder of the decade saw similar one-off collaborations between the former members.

The year 2000 saw a landmark in the evolution of The Who as musical geniuses, when Townsend, Entwistle and Daltrey decided to re-form and record new material. Tragedy struck in 2002, however, when Entwistle died from a cocaine-induced heart-attack. Nevertheless, Townshend and Daltrey continued to create new material, and in 2004 released two new singles as part of a singles anthology. In October 2006, ‘Endless Wire’ was released, debuting at number seven on the US Billboard albums chart and number nine on the UK Albums Chart - and The Who embarked on a long and gruelling worldwide tour.

Following a highly-acclaimed American leg - during which the Boston Herald claimed, “More than forty years on, The Who’s shows still burst with youthful exuberance,” - The Who will be playing in venues around the UK from May; the highlight of which is sure to be their performance at Wembley Arena on June 27th. If you’re a fan of The Who, young or old, why not take a short break to London to witness them in action in the capital - and see 40 years of some of the best musical talent the world has ever seen speak for itself!

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who travels extensively.

In this article, I will discuss those optional extras are they optional or do you actually need them. If you want to read previous articles in this series start with How to buy a keyboard (Part1) at Mikes Music Room.

Having read this series of articles you have set your budget, you have seen and listened to your keyboard in the flesh, you have the features you want on your keyboard, so that’s it, your ready to start learning. Right? Not quite.

Now you need to deal with the dreaded optional extra. I do not have a problem with optional extras as long as that’s what they are and not necessary. An essential part of a keyboard is the power supply. Most keyboards in your price range use a plug in power supply and because some of these keyboards can be powered by batteries as well, some manufactures will charge you for the power supply and call it an optional extra. In my opinion, this is very sneaky and very naughty. Before you agree to buy a keyboard make sure the power supply is included in the price. My opinion on this is that if it is a deal breaker so be it. Power supplies can cost about £25.00 and this money can be used for other items you will need.

The next item you will need is a keyboard stand unless you want to place your keyboard on the dining table or the floor (not recommended). Normally you would leave the keyboard in the same place, so it is useful to have a stand. These can cost from £25.00 to £50.00 and I would recommend an adjustable height stand rather than a static stand. I would defiantly barter to get a stand thrown in with the price of the keyboard; it’s always worth a try. This of course should not be a deal breaker as the stand is an extra.

The above items especially the first one are important. Other less important items include a keyboard bench to sit on, not essential if you have chairs at home and an adjustable keyboard stand. A volume pedal and sustain pedal, which are connected to the back of the keyboard, normally using a jack plug. These will be rarely used.
Headphones can be useful for your families sanity during the early learning months.

Finally, the last item on my list is of course optional but I recommend you make it essential, and that’s keyboard lessons. Many music shops will offer a free keyboard lesson to get you started. These lessons are normally thirty-minute lessons and after your free lesson will cost between £10.00 and £20.00 per lesson. You will also need to buy music for your lessons, which again can cost £10.00 to £20.00 but this music should last from six to twelve months depending on how fast you can learn.

I hope this series of articles has given you sufficient information to buy a keyboard and start learning. If your unsure about keyboard lessons then try out my Lesson 1 e-book at Mikes Music Room which will get you started and you can download immediately.

About the Author
Michael David Shaw runs music websites http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk and http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk

Although big labels have long made money by poaching out the sound developed by indie labels, nothing in the history of music parallels the success they enjoyed by swiping the alternative style that developed in the ‘80s and getting it played on the radio. Suddenly, dozens of alternative acts were thrust into the spotlight, and hundreds of more began to imitate the dirty distortion that had up until now been under wraps in the garages of the nation.

Never before has a scene experienced such a bizarre mix of triumph and angst. The very foundations of indie at this time were on the basis of the anti-movement, and with the alternative suddenly becoming the main, thousands of fans lost their identities. This was soon reflected in the artists, as major acts such as Nirvana struggled to come to terms with their new commercial reality.

The indie scene was still around, to be sure, but if one is really honest about the music being churned out, you have to admit that it sucks. After all, when dirty music gets popular, what is the new alternative? Should Bret Michaels and company now be put proudly on display on the shelf as the new Dinosaur Jr? Or, should the indie labels become the last beacon of hope for a breed that for the first time in music was not making any money at all, the pop act?

The answers were not clear for some time, until artists such as Liz Phair and PJ Harvey once again changed the definition of what “indie” truly meant: now, instead of a type of music, indie belonged to the recording style. In this case, that was a style stripped right down, and if your voice or music sounded TOO good, then you had to make your record on the worst equipment possible. While artists such as Sonic Youth continued to put out good music (as did Liz Phair and even PJ Harvey, if we’re being honest) the grunge movement had meant a big change in the indie movement: the music found there was for the first time, actually total crap. There was nothing else to draw from.

Fortunately for the whole scene, artists once considered indie soon found out why the big labels were so detested by genuine acts. Stripped of creativity and forced to work on someone else’s schedule, many of the alternative bands began to try and buck the system. Pearl Jam sued their touring company and refused to bow to the demand for videos; Nirvana made a record so under produced it was mocked. Nevertheless, the major label’s money power would triumph and they were able to still the voices in opposition, one way or another.

Perhaps the fights with artists of integrity opened the eyes of major labels a little bit as to the difficulties in signing real artists, because by the middle of the 1990s pop had once again began to rear its ugly head. The Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, and N Sync meant that the indie scene could once again be thought of as musically credible, although the big labels had now decided to destroy long time stalwart punk music. Maybe punk was the last surviving genre in indie worth listening to at the time; whatever the reason, it was about to be rudely taken away.

Sarah Records in particular was to make an impact and a statement about the indie scene in the early ‘90s; the label was closed as owners declared that they had achieved their purpose in popularizing their music. Little did they realize that the scene would be revitalized in the near future, when fans began to ask themselves “what the hell is so ‘alternative’ about Oasis?”

IndieUpdate.com is the Indie Music blog. IndieUpdate provides news, reviews and more on indie music independent artists, independent labels, and anything else related to the indie music scene. Bookmark us or subscribe to our feed today and stay in tune!

EMG, Inc first started manufacturing guitar pickups back in 1976, known as EMG pickups. Over the years they have earned the reputation for quality, clear sounding pickups used by many professional artists. ESP guitars and Jackson guitars currently use EMG pickups as their standard pickup design. Their high output is preferred by hard rock and heavy metal guitarists because of the pickups higher gain output as opposed to most lower output pickups. Some of the bands and artists who currently endorse EMG pickups are Tom Morrello, Zakk Wylde, Stephen Carpenter, Metallica, Slayer and many others

The most common EMG pickups are the EMG 81 and 85. The EMG 81 is usually considered to be the lead pickup and is more commonly used in the bridge position, while the EMG 85 is mainly used as a rhythm pickup more used in the neck position.

Personally I have had great success with using EMG pickups in a Gibson Les Paul and 7 string ESP guitar especially if you are into heavier sounding music. The clarity, deeper tone, and added gain are what make the pickups more suitable. One negative thing about the EMG active pickups is the need for a 9 volt battery, but it’s not much of a problem because the battery lasts for a long time. You just need to make sure you replace the battery at least every 6 months because of tone loss over time.

Installation for a set of EMG pickups is fairly easy depending on the type of guitar you have. With the right tools I was able to install a set of Zakk Wylde custom EMG’s in Gibson Les Paul in under an hour. As long as you follow the right installation diagrams for your type of guitar you should not run into any problems. For more information about EMG pickups and to learn to play guitar check out CrazyOldManMusic

A lot of techniques that I’m going to talk about specifically refer to Ticketmaster. However, most of these techniques and secrets can be used at any other online ticketing location. If you don’t have a ticketmaster account already then you really should get on the ball and set one up, now! You’ll thank me later when you’re favorite artist goes on sale and you don’t get rejected because you time-out while filling your payment info. I’m going to assume you know how to set up a ticketmaster account on your own, if you don’t then stop reading now, your hopeless.

Still here? Ok good. One of the main things that people contact me about is how their artist went on sale and they didn’t even know about it. You can be sure your up to date with your favorite artists by using ticketmasters: Ticket Alert Performer Alert Venue Alert It’s all self-explanatory but if you’re a little slow I’ll explain it to you. Basically, once you set up your favorite artist / venue, ticketmaster will automatically alert you before your tickets go on sale.

To set up your ticket alert simply log in to your created account (you did create one right?) and specify your artists and venues. Ticketmaster now enables wireless alerts via text messaging for certain artists and venues: Sign up to receive a Wireless Alert by clicking on the link “Get a text message reminder” on an Event Page or on a Performer Alert email. If there is no link on the Event Page, the event is not eligible for Wireless Alerts or tickets are (or have been) on sale for that event. Complete the Wireless Alerts sign up page by entering your 10 digit mobile number and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.

GETTING YOUR TICKETS

All right now lets take care of your browsers.
If you’re running Windows grab these three – Explorer, Firefox (www.firefox.com) and Opera.
If your running MAC OSX – Safari, Firefox and Camino
Why do I need three different browsers???

Simple, choices.

Lets say you’ve been notified early via Ticketmasters Ticket Alert that your favorite artist is going
on sale at precisely 10 A.M. Pacific time.

Here is what you need to do

1. Open all three browsers
2. Log into your Ticketmaster account with each browser
3. Get onto the for sale page around 9:45 A.M.
4. DON’T keep refreshing your page – Ticketmaster can block you if you do this.
5. Wait until 9:58 A.M. until you start refreshing (one browser for now)
6. Once you are able to select tickets refresh all your browsers and input your data
7. Put in your amount of seats desired and select “Best Available” IN EACH BROWSER!!!
8. Get to the page where you can see your seats, if you like them BUY THEM.

TIP: If you find a pair of tickets that you like in one browser, take it to the BILLING page where
you can “hold them” for a few minutes while you search on your other browser for more seats.

TIP: If you and a friend want to attend the same show, teach him this technique and wake his/her
lazy butt up to help you out.

TIP: Try selecting “LOWER FLOOR” instead of “BEST AVAILABLE.” I’ve scored a couple
times doing this.

Don’t worry if you get snuffed or if your seats suck. Be persistent, many times Ticketmaster
releases a new batch of tickets every 15 minutes or so to deter scalpers. Just keep using the technique.

Concert Spy is the leader in providing information on how to obtain front row tickets and backstage passes.

Learn the secrets at http://www.concertspy.com

In 2006, Hip-Hop’s seemingly silent sub-genre, Holy Hip-Hop (Christian/Gospel/inspirational rap music), gained mainstream exposure as well as momentum. From Dr. Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California and Pastor Phil Jackson’s Tha House on Chicago’s West Side to Pastor Tommy Kyllonen’s Hip-Hop infused community outreach in Tampa, Florida and Father Timothy Holder’s e-Mass (a combination of Hip-Hop and Episcopalian ritual) in South Bronx, NY, emcees who specialize in Holy Hip-Hop music became widely recognized as did Hip-Hop themed youth groups, events, performances, and music ministries.

Although the Hip-Hop industry tends to balk at spiritual emcees and DJ’s remain unsure about what to do with Hip-Hop’s flourishing sub-genre, the influence of Holy Hip-Hop music in churches and even gospel infused lyrics in mainstream songs continues to grow in popularity. Entertainment marketing consultant and artist manager for The Diadem Group, LLC Treiva Williams explains the disparity, “Just like any other genre or sub-genre there are doses or levels of [Hip-Hop]. You just have to keep listening until you find your style and your appropriate dosage. Each kind serves its purpose [but] because [Holy Hip-Hop] is associated with the divine it [usually] gets a one shot deal.”

Two of the most influential advocates of Holy Hip-Hop are rap pioneers Curtis “Kurtis Blow” Walker and Christopher “Play” Martin. Noted for their individual achievements and contributions to rap, Walker and Martin are proactively involved in advancing Holy Hip-Hop. Although their platforms differ, their goals are the same.

Hittin’ the Breaks

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Walker has 10 albums to his credit and a host of accomplishments that won him music, film, and television acclaim in the 80’s. Although Walker always “knew God as a kid,” at the lowest point in his life, he succumbed to drug use. It was Walker’s spiritual encounter at Church on the Way (Pastor Jack Hayford) in 1992 that changed his course and added another chapter in Hip-Hop’s history book. Walker has since transitioned from entertainment magnate to co-founder of the Harlem-based, Hip-Hop Church America where the former break-dancer serves as a rapper, DJ, and worship leader.

Like the Hip-Hop Church in Harlem, sanctuaries in Dallas, Los Angles, New Jersey, Philadelphia and 15 other U.S. cities duplicate efforts to bring families together through lively church services garnished with Hip-Hop themes and Holy Hip-Hop music. “That’s the thing about the Hip-Hop Church–we don’t target the 18 to 34 year old [demographic]. We target entire families. When the kids come to church, they come in with their parents. They are not dropped off in another room,” Walker advised.

In addition to his role with Hip-Hop Church America, speaking engagements, and tours, Walker is actively involved in community initiatives. He is an advocate for social justice and speaks empathetically against racism, drugs, and alcohol. His current film credits include a two-hour documentary titled, “The History of Rap.” Remaining true to his first love Walker also deejays on Backspin 43, Sirius Satellite Radio’s Classic Old School Hip-Hop station.

Fully embracing the Holy Hip-Hop movement, Walker believes that Holy Hip-Hop will “get [rappers] back on track so that God can do good through [Hip-Hop].” “When Hip-Hop first began it was the voice of the people doing and saying the right thing. Teaching was important. It was fun and wholesome… There was a code of ethics and integrity,” Walker said. “[Today] Hip-Hop for many is a way out of the ‘hood,” Walker commented. In order for Hip-Hop to thrive, Walker says that people who like Hip-Hop must have a “different mindset about how to use it.”

Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody

Like Walker, Martin has also amassed his share of music, film, and television credits. The 90’s Hip-Hop icon is best known for his role in the Kid’n Play rap duo and as an actor in the House Party trilogy. Always a price to pay, the glamorous life that fueled Martin’s claim to fame eventually lost its luster. What Martin worked so hard to obtain fell short of the happiness he sought. Predicated by many disappointments and later, a failed marriage, Martin attempted to commit suicide. It was hearing Ron Kenoly’s single, “Use Me” that interrupted the attempt.

Describing Hip-Hop music as a language that everyone can relate to, Martin queries, “What won’t God use to save somebody?”

Today, Martin serves as the executive director for Amen Films–the distribution arm of HP4 (House Party 4). As the founder and CEO of HP4, Martin helps “bring to fruition a dream or vision of an individual with an idea.” Martin’s first film under the Amen umbrella, Holy Hip-Hop: The Movie was released on DVD in March 2006. The film features the efforts of Holy Hip-Hop artists and their impact in communities across the nation. Martin has since completed video projects for Holy Hip-Hop artists, Platinum Souls, Infinity, and former trio, Ziklag Boyz. Simultaneously, Martin lent his musical talent to create three Holy Hip-Hop compilation CDs titled, “Taking the Gospel to the Streets (Volumes 1, 2, and 3).”

Although Martin’s love for Hip-Hop remains, he prefers to be more of a fan and a producer-director. “I love Hip-Hop and am a product of Hip-Hop…I am just focused on looking at ways to keep [Hip-Hop] alive, advance it, innovate it, and develop it,” he advised.

Expanding his reach to the academic arena, Martin serves as a professor at North Carolina Central University. Teaming up with 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit) formerly of the rap group Little Brother, Martin teaches the school’s inaugural Hip-Hop 101 course.

Trading Spaces

Together, Martin and Walker are forging full speed ahead to impact the lives of youth and young adults in a positive way. Martin’s film endeavor, “Welcome to Durham USA,” is geared towards gang reform in the U.S. The documentary exposes the gang problem, qualms about gangs, and addresses the “unspoken hope” of gang members. Prior to their reunion last year, Walker also completed a documentary centered on gang activity in the California region.

Among their collaborative efforts, Martin and Walker support the Annual Holy Hip-Hop Artist Showcase and Music Awards in Atlanta. The two also joined forces with notable Hip-Hop R&P artist, Canton Jones, to create a 24-track CD. “Tha Block Iz Hot,” features Holy Hip-Hop artists from each region in the U.S. Atlanta-based, Ifeanyi of Ifeanyi Music and Love International’s upcoming reality show, “The Streets Need Us,” carries the album’s lead single.

Currently, Walker is on a nationwide tour with his group, The Trinity. Martin is scheduled to make guest appearances on selective tour dates.

Individually, the two still work to progress Holy Hip-Hop. In May, Walker will cross-promote a series of Holy Hip-Hop tracks titled, Hip-Hop Ministry in conjunction with Pastor Kyllonen’s Unorthodox project, which includes a Hip-Hop themed book, CD, and DVD. In addition to championing independent film and television ventures and corresponding soundtracks, Martin is also working on a music video with Holy Hip-Hop recording artist, Blessed.

Hip-Hop Heroes

Martin and Walker are not the only mainstream rap converts to the Christian faith. Nor are they the only Hip-Hop artists to merge their passion for Hip-Hop with their faith. Cheryl “Salt” James, Fabo of D4L, and Diddy’s former personal assistant, Fonzworth Bentley are among a growing list of rap personalities who embrace Hip-Hop and Christianity–a trend popularized six years ago by Bad Boy recording artist, MA$E (Mason Betha). Included in the count are mainstream artists who publicly express their faith in God: Diddy, LL Cool J, Trina, Ludacris, Marques Houston, Ciara, and Crime Mob’s Diamond and Princess and rap converts to ministry.

Former Three 6 Mafia member, Mr. Del continues to rap on his Holy South label while he pastors City of Refuge in Memphis, Tennessee. Currently, Betha maintains his position as a Hip-Hop artist while pastoring S.A.N.E. Church International in Atlanta. Though he does not formally pastor a church, Reverend Run of Run DMC fame is an ordained minister whose latest album was released June 2006.

Walker, who became an ordained minister in April, attributes the spiritual revival in the Hip-Hop community to purpose. “I always knew that Hip-Hop was very spiritual–something about the rapper’s popularity and their mystic. [Rappers] have the potential to become the hero of their communities. That’s what they are…”

Even though the influence of Hip-Hop in the church is clear as is the viability of Holy Hip-Hop artists, less evident is if the diversity and cultural influences of Hip-Hop will be transformed by churches through Holy Hip-Hop artists or by the heroes who lead Hip-Hop today.

For more on Martin and Walker’s projects, visit the following web sites: http://www.hp4digitalworks.com, http://www.hiphopministry.com, and http://www.myspace.com/thablockizhot.

Have You just been designated the entertainment chair person for
Your Municipality, Company, Fraternal Organization, Association,
Service Club, Church, Charity or other group??

Are you expected to provide the ideas and talent to insure the
success of this years Fair, Convention, Festival, Fund Raiser,
Corporate Party, Gala, Event, Concert, Social, Elite Wedding.

If you find yourself in this position, Don’t Dispair…..you can still

be a star at your new assignment. We will guide you
in making the right decisions to help make your affair a success,
entertainment wise.

First a word about entertainment……what is it?
Entertainment, in one form or another, will probably be the key
to the success of your function. It comes in many forms……
from National Recording Artists, Bands, DJ’ s and Comedians,
to Magicians, Instrumentalists, Singers, Speakers to Full
Orchestras and Celebrities from stage, screen, and sports
arenas, to name a few.

Sound Overwhelming?
Sure does. So how do you go about making a choice or decision?
To help you, let us list and explain the 6 items that need to be
considered and dealth with:

The Type of Event
Your Budget
Age Appeal
Choice of Artist
The Date of the Event
The Venue/Location

So that you understand what these terms mean, we will explain
each one.

Type of Event…..It is important to know what the event is……
Is it a Concert, Festival, County Fair, State Fair, Trade Show,
Corporate Event, Private Party, Fund Raiser, Elite Wedding?
Many times the type of event will dictate the type of entert-
tainment or talent that would be appropriate. I’m sure you can
see, that the type of event plays an important role in arriving at
a decision.

Your Budget…..You will need to establish a budget for your
function since, as you might imagine, the amount of money
you have available to spend will determine which artist and
what entertainment will be available to you. Unless you are
booking a DJ or a local band, entertainment talent can run
into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

Age Appeal…..You need to know what target (age group)
audience you are trying to appeal to. Certain types of artists
appeal to a specific clientele.

Choice Of Artist…..There are many places and sources where
you can find lists of current acts and artists for your selection.

You should attempt to put together a short
list of artists that you might prefer for your function.

When you have narrowed the list down to 2 or 3 top choices,
It will easier to obtain prices and available dates to consider
and help you make the right decision.

The Date Of the Event….This item can be critical since it
determines the availability of the artist. It is a great idea to
have an alternate date (2nd choice) for your function when
you do your original planning.

Venue/Location….This is the last item to be considered
and is very important. Various acts and artists sometimes
have minimum requirements for where they perform. .

YOU DID IT!….You established a budget; You settled on a
date; You chose the artist and made the decision to book
the act. It is important to know that a deposit will be required to
accompany your signed contract (50% in the case of a
National Artist).

That is the basic process….you now know “How To Book and
Buy Entertainment Talent Even When You Don’t Know How”.
You may have questions on topics not covered in this report.
A complete detailed report can be obtained free of charge
by clicking on the link below in our resource box. Be sure to
click on howtobook.the-info-space.com
You should print it out for easy reading and filing for future use.

Guy Citrinite is an octogenarian. He has been involved in internet marketing since Windows 95 came on the computer screen. More information on the above article can be found on his website: howtobook.the-info-space.com You may also see his ad at http://www.Discovery-Place.com