If I went back to my high school and walked the halls, I’d probably still hear my teacher’s voice calling out to me, “Constantine! You have such talent; don’t waste it!” For some, a teacher like that comes along once in a lifetime. For many, not even once. I now look back and see how lucky I was that she cared about me. Not too many teachers did.

When I was a teenager, I had a lousy attitude and topped it off with bad grades. Deep down, I thought I probably was a good singer, but I didn’t have an ounce of confidence in my bones. I’d look in the mirror and see a shy, ugly, geeky kid staring back. And I’d be flat-out terrified if somebody asked me to sing. In fact, I was so scared, there were times when I’d open my mouth and nothing would come out.

I remember the rainy February morning that I walked into her music class. I sat in my chair, half slumped over, thinking that this was gonna be bad. I was chewing gum, figuring I could probably sing and chew at the same time. I mean, I wasn’t serious about this singing thing.

The old wooden door opened slowly, and into the classroom walked Mrs. Carol Birdsill. She looked right at me and smiled. I instantly knew that she connected to something inside of me. What it was, I didn’t know, but that something whispered, Sit up, shut up, and put out your hand, Constantine. She is holding the missing puzzle piece you’re looking for. I threw out my gum.

She was a round, jolly woman with big white hair. I loved to watch her sit at her piano and sing her heart out. She was the kindest, sweetest, and probably the most talented woman I had ever met. I loved everything about her, but more importantly, she loved everything about me.

For the first time in my life, someone believed in my talent. With Mrs. Birdsill, I didn’t have to say a word — she knew how much I struggled to let my inner voice out. She saw my anguish, and she never gave up on me. Her goal was not only to get me to sing, but more importantly, to get me to believe I could sing. She also happened to be the musical director for our high-school plays and wanted me to be in them.

One day, she took me aside, looked me in the eye, and said, “You have real talent. Just stop the nonsense and focus! First of all, you have to start doing better in school. Secondly, I know this is something you could pursue professionally some day. I believe in you, Constantine.” She gave it to me straight, but it just didn’t sink in fast enough. She tried so hard to get to me, but I remained slightly out of her reach. It was just a lot easier hanging out with my friends than facing my fears.

The surprise of my life came when Mrs. Birdsill picked me to be the music teacher for the day. It might not sound like a big deal, but it was. In fact, it was considered a school honor — my first. I was so proud and excited.

The day before my big teaching day dawned, the principal called me down to his office during music class. I thought he probably needed to talk to me about the procedures for the next day. I walked in and he said, “Sit down, Constantine.”

My knees knocked as I tried to center myself in the enormous mahogany chair in front of his desk.

“Constantine,” he said, “you’ve done very well in Mrs. Birdsill’s class, and it’s a great privilege to be chosen as the music teacher for the day. Unfortunately, your other grades are not worthy, and I can’t allow you to accept this honor.” I sat there motionless as his words went through me like a blade of ice. I was devastated. I had failed again, and I took it out on the one person who meant the most to me.

I fought back my tears as I went to her class, picked up my books, and walked out, never looking back. I had made my decision: I’m not going to try out for her shows. They’re for losers.

I remember the day before the school’s big show — the show I belonged in, and the one I knew Mrs. Birdsill wanted me in so badly. I peeked into the auditorium and saw her hard at work with actors, singers, and band members. I walked home slowly that day with an awful, empty feeling inside.

When I got to my house, I went into the kitchen and threw my books across the floor just as the phone rang. I didn’t feel much like talking to anyone, but I picked up the phone and unenthusiastically said hello. The chilling words that came across the phone line left me frozen. “Constantine?! Oh, my God, Constantine, Mrs. Birdsill just died!”

I threw the phone and, as it smashed into the wall, I screamed, “Nooooo! Please, come back. Please!” I wept — my God, I wept. I felt like I had lost my guardian angel, the one who had been sent to help me believe in myself.
My pain was so great that I thought it would never leave. But my lack of will to turn my life around was greater . . . until exactly one year to the day after Mrs. Birdsill’s death.

The opening day of our school’s annual play was upon us once again — and, once again, I wasn’t a part of it. Just as I had done the year before, I peeked into the auditorium, and this time the absence of the jolly woman with the big white hair was painfully obvious.

But a strange thing happened later that day. A huge, round, fluffy white owl perched itself on a telephone pole outside and just sat there, motionless, staring at the school. No one knew where it came from. We had never seen an owl in our neighborhood before — and didn’t they just come out in the dark of night?

I went outside and watched that bird for hours. Everyone was talking about it, asking, “Why is it staying there?”

I knew why. That owl had come for me. As I stared at the creature, it stared back, looking right through me, and I felt just like I did when I first walked into Mrs. Birdsill’s music room twelve months earlier. The owl took no pity. I fell to my knees and wept — and it just watched me weep. That owl had a message, and in the quiet evening air, I finally heard it, loud and clear.

The next school play was West Side Story, and although I was terrified, I auditioned. I found the strength to overcome my fear when I heard Mrs. Birdsill’s voice inside me, saying, I believe in you, Constantine. You can do this.

I got the part.

I worked harder than I had ever worked at anything in my life, and when the curtain went up on opening night, I sang my best, knowing my guardian angel was right by my side. As I struggled to find that first note, the missing puzzle piece was finally in place. I not only heard her voice saying, I believe in you, but for the first time ever, I heard my own voice saying, I believe in me. And that’s how it all began.

(Reprinted with permission from Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul: Stories from the Idols and their Fans that Open Your Heart and Make Your Soul Sing).

(Note to iSnare Editor: Our client Debra Poneman is author of the book Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul. The book contains first person accounts of the hit TV show from contestants, fans and behind the scenes crew members. The piece above is from one of the contestants, Constantine Maroulis. We have Debra’s permission to offer these excerpts from her book to iSnare.)

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Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul is a collection of captivating stories that the television cameras don’t see - true, uplifting, and entertaining tales told with humor and candor. Visit Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul

Some of websites that offer free music videos charge a small fee at the time of joining just so that they can keep on updating their music library for you convenience. Some of those websites are:

1. www.music.download.com
2. www.artistdirect.com
3. www.unlimitedmp3music.com
4. www.bearshare.com
5. www.bareshare.com
6. www.mp3.com
7. www.kaaza.com

These websites offer an amazing collection of songs and music which you can download for free. Apart from websites offering free music downloads there are others on which you can listen to music for free but not download it. These websites include Yahoo music and AOL music etc.

A lot of music companies these days also offer a trailer of their forthcoming albums in the form of free music downloads on some websites.

If you want some free downloads for music from European countries then you can find a good collection at www.bearshare.com and www.bareshare.com. Apart from these there are several other websites that offer free music downloads for Indian songs.

Apart from the movie OSTs and private albums you can also find free music downloads for Christian songs and classical music. You can find hundreds of church songs and songs that are relevant to other festivals on internet and the best part is that most of the websites offer these services for free. As for classical music, most of the websites having classical music also offer free music downloads or downloads for a very nominal price.

Whatever the music companies may now do to protect piracy, they must come to terms with the fact that they cannot stop the music from being a free commodity at least on internet if not in stores.

And in case you have a 24/7 high speed internet content then you can also download music for free through the p2p technology. You can download any of the free software that enables the usage of p2p services on your computer and then start downloading you favorite music for free.

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Tony Sebastian is a music lover and has more than 10 years of experience in searching great Download Music online. He recommends Download Music at www.TopMusicLyrics.com

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There are many people, who after hearing Christian songs would like to get access to Christian lyrics of the songs that they like. In fact there are many internet sites that you can visit to get access to Christian lyrics of songs. Some of the well known sites on Christian lyrics are www.christianlyricsonline.com, www.sharesong.org, www.christian-lyrics.net and www.christianmusic.about.com/lyircs. These are great sites where you can simply search for any Christian song lyrics and you are sure to find them. You can search on the website by artist, album or title of the song. The sites also have a powerful search utility where you can enter the details of artist, album or title and the results rare instantly flashed on the computer screen.

Christian lyrics are so good to read that after by reading them you will get a feeling of peace. Also if you are a creative type of a person then you can make your own Christian lyrics and post them on the internet. Maybe an artist will like your lyrics and make a song on it. However it is necessary to keep in mind that there should not be anything offensive or vulgar matter in your lyrics. You can add the lyrics of Christian music to the site as well. So the advantage to the members of the site is that they get access to more and more Christian lyrics everyday. You are requested to check out some of the Christian lyrics and you will be amazed at the wordings of each song.

The famous Christian artists have sung Christian songs with amazing Christian lyrics. Some of these lyrics are like a treasure. In case you are interested in Christian lyrics then you can develop a hobby of collecting Christian lyrics and sharing them with your friends. So as long as Christian music is there Christian lyrics are here to stay. More and more people are developing the hobby of referring and collecting Christian lyrics.

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Tony Sebastian is a music lover and has more than 10 years of experience in searching top MySpace Music Codes online. He recommends MySpace Music Codes at www.TopMusicLyrics.com

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If you have ever listened to music on your computer or on your via a iPod, then chances are that you must have used an Mp3 file. Most people have no idea what an Mp3 file is. Basically, an Mp3 is a format for compressing audio files suitable for use on a computer or personal audio device. When you’re comparing the prices of Mp3 players, the one feature you should look at more than any other capacity. Don’t lose sight of the fact that a 40GB Mp3 player can store twice as much as a 20GB one.

However, there other features to look for. Even though everyone calls them Mp3 players, Mp3 are not the only format you might want your player to be able to play – if you want it with Microsoft’s Media Player, for example you’ll need a player that is also capable of playing WMA (Windows Media Audio) format files. If you want to buy music from the iTunes Music Store, you need a player that can play AAC (Apple) format files.

The best portable Mp3 players conserve power well too. This can be an important issue as you will most likely not have a permanent power source when you are on the go, so your battery is all you have to power the unit. Some players can go for days on a set of batteries and others can only go a few hours. So make sure that the player you choose will fit the way you intend to use it. Also be aware that some players use a battery that is rechargeable but also can’t be removed, and so must be sent back to the factory for an expensive battery replacement. The best portable Mp3 players use batteries that are easy to find and change, such as AA or AAA batteries.

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Marlone is an MP3 enthusiast, For more information on Free Mp3 Download Song check out unlimitedmp3music.blogspot.com Where you can get informative articles and see many of the latest MP3 players and accessories.

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These websites which offer free music are generally not legal, though, as a customer you don’t need to worry unless you are their only client:). You can find unlimited free music on every kind of music. Whether you like hard rock or classical, or whether you like country music or pop music, it’s all there for you and that too free. You can download free music from these sites and burn them on CDs if you want to listen to them on your player or just keep them on your hard disk if you want to listen to them on your PC. There are also websites that offer free music for Latin or Hindi songs. Numerous websites have sprouted up on the same line of Napster that offer free music in the various regional languages. He top websites offering free music are:

1. www.ram.org
2. www.mp3.com
3. www.artistdirect.com
4. www.music.download.com

And like these top few websites there are thousands more. While there are some websites that offer music absolutely free, there are others that charge a very nominal fee either on per song basis or as an upfront joining fee. This fee that these websites charge is used for upgradation of music collection and maintenance of the website. But even at the end of the day after paying them their fee you’ll realize that for the same quality and quantity of music it’s not even a fraction of what you would have paid at the music store.

Truly speaking, the age of free music has dawned and all of the music industry too must accept it.

Another technology that can be used for sharing music is p2p (peer to peer). If some friend of yours has a song or collection which you want then you can very easily copy it from him. For utilizing this mode of free music download you both just need to have the same p2p software like morpheus or limewire or kaazaa etc. You can also search for the song or other stuff using these p2p softwares.

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Tony Sebastian is a music lover and has more than 10 years of experience in picking top Techno Music online. He recommends Techno Music at www.TopMusicLyrics.com

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Many people believe that Christian Music is music used to glorify and praise God. There are a lot of Christian Music websites on the internet. You can visit any of them and join the huge list of Christian Music fans. Christian Music is heard by thousands of people all over the world not only Christians have developed a liking to it but people from other cultures and religions also prefer hearing it to other types of music.

Christian Music has a huge fan following as mentioned before and the popularity of Christian Music is on the rise. More and more people are getting interested in it after hearing it for a while. The major aim of Christian Music is to spread the love, peace and harmony all over the world. There are many Christian Music concerts happening in different parts of the world. You can visit any of the Christian Music sites and update your knowledge of the concerts. Who knows? The next major Christian Music concert might be happening in your city. Christian Music concerts are a great way to experience live the beauty of Christian Music. The thrill of hearing live to Christian Music artists is completely out of this world.

Christian Music is here to stay as long as music is there on earth. This is because Christian Music has made immense contribution to world music. You can also join Christian Music blog sites and write about Christian Music. Christian Music blogs are a great way to share your knowledge on Christian Music and make other people aware of its true value. Christian Music is normally very soft and soothing music so that you like to hear it.

So what are you waiting for? Become an avid fan of Christian Music and you won’t regret your decision for life. Christian Music is here to stay, always.

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Tony Sebastian is a music lover and has more than 10 years of experience in picking top Music Video Codes online. He recommends Music Video Codes at www.TopMusicLyrics.com

Useful Links:
Music Industry Contacts - Managers, Firms, A&Rs, Entertainment Powerbroker Attorneys
Record Label Music Business Plan - for Music Business Entrepreneurs

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The Arabic nations music along with Middle East music dates back thousands of years, and has influenced countless other musical styles during its evolution. Instruments such as the Oud - a pear shaped stringed instrument, Persian Tars - a plucked and strummed instrument, similar to an Oud, with a sound board of stretched skin rather than wood, Neys - wind instrument, Qanouns - horizontal instrument with many strings, resembling a dulcimer and Kamenches and Rebabas - both fiddle like, bowed instruments, still characterize this musical genre. Notable Arabic musicians include Kazem el Saher, Nawal el Zoughbi, Najwa Karam, Assi el Hillani, George Wassouf, and Amro Diab. Middle Eastern rhythms were originally devised in antiquity on frame drums, the Arabic tabla, the dumbek, the darabuka, finger cymbals, and other traditional percussion instruments. Though an authentic Middle Edstern ensemble still contains such instruments, the drum set is often used in modern day Middle Eastern ensembles.

Traditional Middle Eastern rhythms covered a wide array of odd time signatures. However, as a result of Western musics influence, a large portion of contemporary Middle Eastern music is composed in duple or other meters containing even numbers. Thus, the first two following drum set patterns are written in 4/4. Their overall sound and rhythm serve as accurate examples of traditional Middle Eastern music adapted for the drum set. Like the 5/4 time signature, 7/4 meter is relatively easy to count. It’s normal to count a song in 7/4 in one of three ways: 1) count all seven beats per measure; 2) count a measure of 4/4 followed by a measure of 3/4; 3) count a measure of 3/4 followed by a measure of 4/4.

Probably the most famous rock song written in 7/4 is Pink Floyd’s “Money”. As with other styles, there are countless variations and embellished drum grooves to play in 7/4. The tempo range is similar to that of 5/4, with quarter note equal from one hundred to one hundred and thirty two beats per minute. The 5/8 meter is often more difficult to feel than 5/4 or 7/4 because its normally played at a faster tempo. One practical way of counting this meter is to sound out all five eighth notes per measure. However, due to its faster tempo, it may be more practical to break down the meter into two separate groupings, either a 3 plus 2 grouping or a 2 plus 3 grouping. The pulse of 5/8 meter is often brisk, with eighth note equal from one hundred and ninety two to three hundred and twenty beats per minute.

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By Eric Starg. Eric is using Pro Mark drum sticks on Electronic Drums, and favors Roland V Drums and Tama Drum Throne. Eric is an active member of Drum Solo Artist where he is answering drum related questions, and helping drummers with tips and advices.

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Rockabilly has a swung feel and has a large tempo range of quarter note equals from one hundred and twenty to 240 beats per minute. The basis of Standard Rock and Roll drumming is simple. Though most Standard Rock patterns and variations are relatively straight forward, Rock grooves may become quite complex depending on the requirements of a specific song. The Standard Rock grooves can be applied to numerous styles within the Rock genre. These include Classic Rock, Pop Rock, New Wave, Top 40, Easy Listening and Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative, Grunge, Latin Rock, Punk, and even Progressive Rock. Standard Rock tempos range from quarter note equals to 60 beats per minute (for slow ballads) up to two hundred beats per minute. However, most Standard Rock songs have tempos of quarter note equals from one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty beats per minute.

Polka originated in the early 1800s in what is now the Czech Republic. The term probably stems from the word “pulka”, which refers to the short half steps integrated into the dance. Toward the middle of the 19th century, the musical style spread to other European countries, including France, Germany, Austria, and especially Poland. Primarily composed and felt in 2/4, the genre is an upbeat, celebratory music traditionally played on an accordion, concertina, and fiddle accompanied by a rhythm section. Currently the instrumentation often includes clarinet, trumpet, tuba and saxophone. As a result of its simplicity, the primary drum set rhythm for Polka has influenced the rhythmic approach in many other genres of music.

Contemporary artists such as Frankie Yankovic, Lawrence Welk, and the Texas-based Brave Combo are a testimony to Polka’s enduring popularity. In addition, a large number of drum scores for show tunes contain the Polka rhythm (commonly referred to as a “Two Beat”). Perhaps as a result of its simplicity, the primary drum set rhythm for Polka has influenced the rhythmic approach in many other genres of music including Country, Rock and Roll, Gospel Metal and Punk; Polka drum patterns can be found in all of these genres. The tempos for Polka are usually very bright at quarter note equals from one hundred and ninety two to two hundred and eighty beats per minute (in 2/4 time). Early forms of Rock and Roll are typically dance music.

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By Eric Starg. There are a lot of different Drum Samples and Drum Loops widely available everywhere, nevertheless Eric recommends using Drum Triggers for studio work, triggers will help both the drummer and the engineer to achieve greater results.

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One of the most famous singers who too have sung various country music songs of our times is the lead singer of the band Aerosmith, Steven Tyler. Apart from Steven there are many more contemporary singers of our times who inspite of being pop stars or rock stars have a lot of interest in country music. Country music was popularized through the various TV shows like The Johnny Cash Show, The Good Ole Nashville Music etc. during 1960s to 1980s.

If you want some country then don’t worry about the availability and sources. There are hundreds of websites dedicated purely to country music. You can listen to your favorite oldie country music songs, listen to the top songs of the week or listen to the upcoming albums. Not only can you listen to your favorite country music songs but even download those songs. You can order the entire album or just a particular song. The top sites from which you can download country music are:

1. www.countrymusicplanet.com
2. www.ez-tracks.com
3. www.cmt.com
4. www.countrymusic.about.com
5. www.mp3.com

By paying just a small amount of money you can download your favorite classic country music songs.

Apart from these sites that allow you to listen and download country music songs, there are hundreds of other websites where you can find enormous information about country music. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia has hundreds of pages containing information about country music’s history and the artists who have adopted this music form. Apart from these there are many paid and free e-magazines that periodically come out with new editions with informative articles about country music and the latest happenings in the world of country music.

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Tony Sebastian is a music lover and has more than 10 years of experience in searching top Sheet Music online. He recommends Sheet Music at www.TopMusicLyrics.com

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My mom is a piano teacher and she always used to say that music helps her to renew old feelings and memories. She used to play me Beethoven and Mozart, and though I was just a kid, I really liked listening to it. Somehow from this point classical music made me feel secured, protected and loved, it made me feel like I am a child and this feeling arises even now, though many years have passed. So when I go to the classical music concerts, this music brings me back in my childhood, in my living room, and I see my mom playing and myself, sitting on the floor in front of the piano looking up at my mom with astonishment.

Pop music and dance music make connection to my friends. Every song I associate with an event, like a concert we went to together with my friends, or just with a person. Pop and dance music remind me of all those fun moments I have spent with my friends, it makes me want to move, to keep on going. So when I feel weak, lazy or lethargic, only this kind of music helps me to get back in shape because it fills me with only positive and happy emotions, emotions that make me think of my friends.

Honestly speaking I used to believe that rock music brings only negative emotions, and it indeed irritated me much, and could even get me into a bad mood. I must confess that I never liked it, because I could not understand how some people can relax listening to such harsh sounds, while I could only be depressed by them. But recently I discovered, that the same music can bring different emotions to different listeners. I could not relax listening to rock, but I found out it can be an excellent way to express negative emotions, and thus to lift my spirits. When I am angry I turn on some rock band on top volume and start moving, for example cleaning or just doing some labour work,and after 20 minutes,in spite of tiredness I feel releived,forget all offences and just feel good.

Although folk music does not refere to the kind that I like to listen to, it helped me a lot to overcome hardships.While staying in America only listening to the folk music CD saved me from nostalgy and helped me to get through a cultural shock. Folk music made me feel like at home, while in fact I was thousands miles away from it. It helped me to cope with minutes of loneliness and despair.
I guess all of us have something that is very important in our life, that we think we can not live without. For me it is music, perhaps I will not die without it, but I surely would not be able to live; only to exist.

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Robert Smith has spent more than 15 years working as a professor at New York University. Now he spends most of his time with his family and shares his Univesity experience in writing custom papers. He is a right person you can ask about essay writing help.

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