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Category Music

Which is the second top-selling music artist?

Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. His integration of rock and pop elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the country music single and album charts, multi-platinum recordings and record-breaking live performances, while also crossing over into the mainstream pop arena.

Brooks is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold more than 170 million records. As of 2020, according to the RIAA, he is the best-selling solo albums artist in the United States with 156 million domestic units sold, ahead of Elvis Presley, and is second only to The Beatles in total album sales overall. Brooks was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 21, 2012, having been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame the year before. He was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016 with his studio musicians, The G-Men. On March 4, 2020, Brooks received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. At age 58, he is the youngest recipient of the award.

Brooks has won a record 22 Academy of Country Music Awards and received a total of 47 overall nominations. His 13 Grammy Award nominations have resulted in 2 awards won, along with Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and many others. Brooks’ work has earned awards and nominations in television and film as well, including the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, he was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

 

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I’m only interested in music

I’m currently studying in Class XI. I’m not interested in NEET or JEE. Though I’m a biology student I’m only interested in music. I love singing but I’m not a trained singer. What are the courses I need to complete to be a professional singer? Are there any colleges in India that preferably have courses in western music?

In order to become a professional singer, start with some basic music training. Also learn multiple music instruments; this will help you in identifying your style of singing. Make your demo song recordings and promote yourself online.

There are no educational requirements for singers interested in performing popular music. Formal education is more likely to be required for classical music. Still singers need extensive training and regular practice, as the qualities of a singer’s voice affect his/her ability to be successful. You must take lessons from a qualified guru. Short-term training in western music is provided by private institutes all over India.

Some good colleges are:

  • Bhatkhande College of Hindustani Music, Lucknow
  • Kalakshetra, Madras
  • National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama (Sangeet Natak Academy), New Delhi
  • Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahaba
  • Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata
  • Visva Bharati, Santiniketan

The music industry is always in need of innovative, creative, successful musicians to introduce different styles and various fusions in an attempt to innovate new sounds. But competition is severe and talent alone is no guarantee of success; it requires dedication and sometimes good luck. Developing contacts in the music business is as important as finding opportunities to perform. However, being able to play several types of music or sing in a variety of styles enhances the opportunity to find employment.

 

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What is the career in music therapy?

Whether it is the well-known concerts of Bach and Beethoven o the peppy tunes of a pop song, music can help us forget our woes. Music possesses the uncanny ability to bring people together, and device into our deepest thoughts, feelings and traumas. According to beloved children’s author Hans Christian Andersen, “Where words fail, music speaks.” Music therapists draw upon this healing power of music to support people with disabilities and illnesses. Music therapy, for example, might help a child with autism communicate with others. For a person with dementia, music can be a way for children. So if you want to use your musical abilities to help people, you can hit the right note as a music therapist.

How it works:

Music therapy is an emerging field backed by mounting scientific evidence. Music therapists work alongside paediatricians and nurses and other allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers.

Scope

Depending on your interest, you can work as a music therapist in different sectors. Primarily, music therapists work as consultants with hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Music therapy is used for children with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities. Their treatment does not involve medication, instead it focuses on bringing about cognitive and behavioural changes. Similarly, schools for differently abled children may also consult music therapists to help children cope with school work. Many corporate houses ask music therapists to conduct workshops to relieve anxiety and stress of employees.

What to study:

To work as a music therapist, a Bachelor’s degree in music or psychology, special education, occupational therapy, social work or nursing is a prerequisite.

Where:

  • St Mira’s College, Pune: One-year, full-time, and two-year, part-time, Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Music Therapy
  • Chennai School of Music Therapy: An online, foundation course to train aspirants in the basics of music therapy. Individuals with a Bachelor’s in Music or related fields can opt for the Postgraduate Diploma programme in Music Therapy
  • Nada, Centre for Music Therapy, Chennai and Delhi: Certificate course in Music Therapy – a distance-learning course offered in affiliation with the Directorate of Distance Learning
  • Mumbai Educational Trust’s Institute of Alternative Careers, Mumbai: Certificate in Music Therapy – a six-month, part-time course.
  • S.H. Centre for Music Therapy and Mental Health Amritsar: A distance-education course in Music Therapy. The centre is affiliated to Bharat Sevak Samaj, an agency promoted by the Government of India.

Required skills:

  • A desire to help people empower themselves
  • Empathy, patience and ability to listen
  • A love for music
  • Communication skills
  • Imagination and creativity
  • Openness to new ideas

 

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What are the different ways to derive the best sound experience while listening to music on the computer?

Music is a form of expression. It has the ability to uplift your mood and calm you down. Many of us like to listen to music in the background while using the computer or laptop.

In-built speakers

Many desktop computers and laptops come with in-built speakers you can use to listen to music. However, most of the time, the clarity offered by the default speaker is not the best. The sound may be really low and when maximised, it may get patchy. If you are someone who is okay with listening to music at low volume and don’t expect the best clarity, the n the in-built speakers should be enough.

External/Bluetooth speaker

More often than not, many people buy external speakers or Bluetooth speakers to listen to music or watch videos on the computer. An external speaker is usually connected to the computer using the port in it, while a Bluetooth speaker can be connected using either Bluetooth or auxiliary (aux) cable. To connect most Bluetooth speakers to the computer, you will have to buy your own aux cable.

These speakers range from as low as Rs. 1000 to as high as a lakh. Depending on your budget and the desired clarity, you can choose one for your computer.

These speakers can also be used with other devices such as the television.

Earphones

Earphones have become an integral part of people lives when it comes to listening to music. They are portable, and offer a sense of privacy apart from ensuring better quality sound.

There are different types of earphones in the market which can be broadly categorised into wired and wireless.

Wired earphones need to be played into the port in your computer, while wireless will connect using Bluetooth.

There are different designs for the earpiece in earphones. You can try them out and decide which ones are the most comfortable. There are also noise-cancelling earphones available in the market. These cut down ambient noise, providing outstanding sound quality.

Earphones come in different price ranges. Buy one based on your budget and requirement.

Headphones

As the name suggests, these work the same way as earphones, except that they are worn around the head and over your ears. These are also available in wired and wireless forms.

There are different designs available in the market. While some headphones go over your head like a hairband, some rest on the back of your head, a little above your neck.

The earmuffs that come with headphones are also available in different materials. Ensure you try out the headphones before buying them. Most headphones are adjustable.

They are available in various price ranges. Pick one based on your budget and requirement.

 

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Why is Shakespeare regarded as the world’s greatest poet and playwright?

            William Shakespeare, an English poet and dramatist, is widely regarded as the greatest writer of all time. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote 34 plays between 1591 and 1641. His first play is believed to have been Henry VI, and his last two were probably The Tempest and Henry VIII. Even today, his plays are performed more often and in more countries than ever before. Ben Jonson’s (one of his great contemporaries) prophecy that ‘he was not of an age but for all time’ has been marvellously fulfilled.

            Born in 1564, Shakespeare’s early life was spent in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he attended the local grammar school. At the age of 18, he married a local girl, Anne Hathaway, who bore him a daughter Susanna and the twins, Hamnet and Judith. By 1584 he had emerged as a rising playwright in London. He continued to live there, enjoying fame and prosperity as a member of London’s leading theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Company (afterwards known as the King’s Men). They played at the Globe Theatre, Bankside, which was burnt down in June 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII.

            In about 1610 Shakespeare retired to his birthplace and lived as a country gentleman. His will was made in March 1616, a few months before his death. He was buried in the parish Church at Stratford.

            Though we know a lot about Shakespeare’s works yet little is known about his early life. It seems that his versatility flowed from a deep and wide knowledge of history, geography, mythology, religion, biology, human psychology and Latin. Apart from being a famous playwright, he was also a renowned poet and actor.

            Among the most famous works of Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Twelfth Night occupy a lasting place in the history of literature and theatre. He also wrote some loveliest sonnets in English and almost all of his works have been translated into different languages of the world. 

 

What is Opera?

          The English word ‘opera’ is derived   from the Italian expression Opera in musica, which means ‘a musical work’. Opera, in fact, is a mixture of music and drama, i.e. it’s basically an extended dramatic composition in which all parts are sung to instrumental accompaniments. It is essentially a refined kind of entertainment and has attracted audiences for nearly five centuries. Complex in nature, it is a costly entertainment. The story of the opera is sung, usually in the language in which it was originally written, and this can make it difficult to follow.

          Opera originated in Florence, Italy, in about 1582 when the classicists were trying to revive Greek drama — which had music as well as words. The first opera house was opened in Venice in 1637. It soon spread from Italy to France and Germany before 1650 but it did not catch popular imagination for quite a long time. Gradually it spread to other countries of the world such as Austria, England, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Spain, USA and China. There are also light operas, which are humorous and combine with songs and dialogues.

          The operas performed today are the compositions of some of the greatest musicians of the world. They include: Ressini, Verdi, Puccini (Italian), Mozart (Austrian and German); Wagner (German); Gounod and Bizet (French), Tchaikovsky (Russian), Glinka, Borodin, Rimska-Karsakov (Russian).